bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Complex transcriptional and post‐transcriptional regulation of an enzyme for lipopolysaccharide modification
Authors: Moon Kyung , Six David A. , Lee Hyun‐Jung , Raetz Christian R. H. , Gottesman Susan
Published: May 2013

The PhoQ/PhoP two‐component system activates many genes for lipopolysaccharide (LPS) modification when cells are grown at low Mg2+ concentrations. An additional target of PhoQ and PhoP is MgrR, an Hfq‐dependent small RNA that negatively regulates expression of eptB, also encoding a protein that carries out LPS modification. Examination of LPS confirmed that MgrR effectively silences EptB; the phosphoethanolamine modification associated with EptB is found in ΔmgrR::kan but not mgrR+ cells. Sigma E has been reported to positively regulate eptB, although the eptB promoter does not have the expected Sigma E recognition motifs. The effects of Sigma E and deletion of mgrR on levels of eptB mRNA were independent, and the same 5′ end was found in both cases. In vitro transcription and the behaviour of transcriptional and translational fusions demonstrate that Sigma E acts directly at the level of transcription initiation for eptB, from the same start point as Sigma 70. The results suggest that when Sigma E is active, synthesis of eptB transcript outstrips MgrR‐dependent degradation; presumably the modification of LPS is important under these conditions. Adding to the complexity of eptB regulation is a second sRNA, ArcZ, which also directly and negatively regulates eptB.
Uncoupling of mRNA synthesis and degradation impairs adaptation to host temperature in Cryptococcus neoformans
Authors: Bloom Amanda L. M. , Solomons J. T. Graham , Havel Virginia E. , Panepinto John C.
Published: May 2013

The pathogenic fungus Cryptococcus neoformans must overcome multiple stressors to cause disease in its human host. In this study, we report that C. neoformans rapidly and transiently repressed ribosomal protein (RP) transcripts during a transition from 30°C to host temperature. This repression was accompanied by accelerated mRNA degradation mediated by the major deadenylase, Ccr4, and influenced by the dissociable RNA polymerase II subunit, Rpb4. Destabilization and deadenylation of RP transcripts were impaired in an rpb4Δ mutant, suggesting that Rpb4 may be involved in host temperature‐induced Ccr4‐mediated decay. Accelerated decay of ER stress transcripts 1 h following a shift to host temperature was also impaired in the rpb4Δ mutant. In response to host temperature, Rpb4 moved from the nucleus to the cytoplasm, supporting a role for Rpb4 in coupling transcription and degradation. The PKH signalling pathway was implicated as a regulator of accelerated degradation of the RP transcripts, but not of the ER stress transcripts, revealing a further level of specificity. When transcription and degradation were uncoupled by deletion of Rpb4, growth at host temperature was impaired and virulence was attenuated. These data suggest that mRNA synthesis and decay are coupled in C. neoformans via Rpb4, and this tight coordination promotes host‐temperature adaptation and pathogenicity.
RNA‐Seq facilitates a new perspective on signal transduction and gene regulation in important plant pathogens
Authors: Vorhölter Frank‐Jörg
Published: May 2013

RNA‐Seq is opening new doors for the functional understanding of microorganisms. Advances in RNA‐Seq technology are allowing investigators to focus their studies on specific functional questions. An interesting example is presented by An et al. (2013) in this issue of Molecular Microbiology. New genes were identified for proteins and ncRNAs when the authors concentrated on the role of the rpf genes, which code for key components of a signal transduction hub in the plant pathogen Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris. Although rpf gene products were already known to be involved in controlling transcription of many genes, including those encoding several important virulence factors, novel and unexpected properties of this signal transduction system emerged from the RNA‐Seq analysis. In addition to identifying new target genes influenced by the rpf genes, the study found that the regulons of RpfC and RpfG, the sensor and response regulator of the master two‐component regulatory system, only partially overlapped, indicating that the Rpf signalling system is even more complex than previously appreciated.
Progressive myoclonus epilepsy: extraneuronal brown pigment deposition and system neurodegeneration in the brains of Japanese patients with novel SCARB2 mutations
Authors: Fu Yong‐Juan , Aida Izumi , Tada Masayoshi , Tada Mari , Toyoshima Yasuko , Takeda Shigeki , Nakajima Takashi , Naito Haruhiko , Nishizawa Masatoyo , Onodera Osamu , Kakita Akiyoshi , Takahashi Hitoshi
Published: May 2013

Aims

Mutations in the SCARB2 gene cause a rare autosomal recessive disease, progressive myoclonus epilepsy (PME) with or without renal failure, the former also being designated action myoclonus‐renal failure syndrome. Although reported cases have been accumulating, only a few have described its neuropathology. We studied two Japanese patients with PME without renal failure, in whom the ages at onset and disease durations were 45 and 20 years, and 14 and 8.5 years respectively.

Methods

Sequencing and restriction analysis of the SCARB2 gene and neuropathological examination with immunohistochemistry were performed.

Results

Gene analyses revealed novel homozygous frameshift and nonsense mutations in the SCARB2 gene. Both cases exhibited deposition of brown pigment in the brain, especially the cerebellar and cerebral cortices. Ultrastructurally, the pigment granules were localized in astrocytes. Neuronal loss and gliosis were also evident in the brain, including the pallidoluysian and cerebello‐olivary systems. The spinal cord was also affected. Such changes were less severe in one patient with late‐onset disease than in the other patient with early‐onset disease. In brain and kidney sections, immunostaining with an antibody against the C‐terminus of human SCARB2 revealed decreased levels and no expression of the protein respectively.

Conclusions

The frameshift mutation detected in the patient with late‐onset disease is a hitherto undescribed, unique type of SCARB2 gene mutation. The present two patients are the first reported to have clearly demonstrated both extraneuronal brown pigment deposition and system neurodegeneration as neuropathological features of PME with SCARB2 mutations.
Weight of tradition: culture as a rationale for obesity in contemporary U.S. news coverage
Authors: Shugart H. A.
Published: May 2013

In studies of mediated representations of obesity to date, the overwhelming majority have found predominant a personal responsibility frame, specifically as drawn against environmental frames, which are nonetheless gaining ground in recent years. In this essay, I review that extant literature and seek to trouble the binary by isolating national news coverage of obesity in two historically and culturally specific regions of the United States that are regularly referenced in relation to the issue: the South and the Midwest. I evaluate the key characterizations of obesity and obese individuals in these regions in mainstream national news coverage between January 2009 and December 2012 in order to assess whether, how, and to what extent personal responsibility or environmental frames are invoked in this coverage. I argue that ‘culture’ appears to be gaining traction as an emergent discourse for obesity, which may appear to offer a more complex or nuanced explanation of the issue; however, this analysis suggests that it can be taken up in ways that feature troubling implications and consequences.
The Hemorrhagic Risk: How to Evaluate It
Authors: DI FUSCO STEFANIA ANGELA , COLIVICCHI FURIO , SANTINI MASSIMO
Published: May 2013

This issue addresses the evaluation of hemorrhagic risk during antithrombotic treatment in atrial fibrillation patients. It illustrates the relevance of bleeding complications in the management of anticoagulation therapy and demonstrates the size of the problem among patients taking old and novel oral anticoagulant drugs. A survey of the main factors affecting the bleeding risk with pertinent supporting evidence is performed. Finally the paper discusses how to estimate the individual bleeding risk focusing on the HAS‐BLED score, whose use is recommended by international guidelines.
Open‐Irrigated Laser Catheter Ablation Produces Flow‐Dependent Sizes of Lesions
Authors: WEBER HELMUT P. , SAGERER‐GERHARDT MICHAELA
Published: May 2013

Background

Growth and sizes of lesions produced during catheter ablation is difficult to control. Laser lesion formation was evaluated during various flow rates and energy settings by using an open‐irrigated laser catheter on a thigh‐muscle dog model.

Methods

Laser radiation at 15 W or 20 W was applied in blood for 10 seconds, 20 seconds, 30 seconds, 40 seconds, and 50 seconds during an irrigation flow of 16 mL/min or 35 mL/min, in direct contact, and in a noncontact mode of laser application. Lesions were evaluated morphometrically.

Results

There was a linear increase of lesions with the increase of the level of energy applied. Maximal depth of lesions achieved during a flow rate of 16 mL/min at 15 W/50 seconds increased significantly from 9.9 ± 0.3 mm to 12.1 ± 0.5 mm, and at 20 W/50 seconds from 11.1 ± 0.55 mm to 12.4 ± 0.26 mm, when irrigation flow was 35 mL/min (P < 0.5). However, difference of lesion increase between 15 W and 20 W was not significant (P = 0.30). Lesions were achieved also in a noncontact mode of radiation at a distance of 1–2 mm, but not at 5 mm away. Radiation at 20 W > 40 seconds and a flow rate of 35 mL/min may cause steam pop with intramural cavitation.

Conclusions

By using an open‐irrigated laser catheter augmentation of catheter flow increases lesion sizes. Lesions can be achieved also in a noncontact mode of radiation. In order to avoid unwanted effects the level of energy applied must be limited.
Postoperative Junctional Ectopic Tachycardia: Risk Factors for Occurrence in the Modern Surgical Era
Authors: MOAK JEFFREY P. , ARIAS PATRICIO , KALTMAN JONATHAN R. , CHENG YAO , MCCARTER ROBERT , HANUMANTHAIAH SRIDHAR , MARTIN GERARD R. , JONAS RICHARD A.
Published: May 2013

Background

Postoperative (PO) junctional ectopic tachycardia (JET) can be a life‐threatening arrhythmia that follows surgical repair of congenital heart disease (CHD) and results in PO morbidity.

Methods

We reviewed 750 open heart surgeries (OHS) for CHD performed between January 2005 and February 2009. Kaplan‐Meier and Cox proportional hazards model analyses were used to estimate the frequency and evaluate risk factors that might predict JET occurrence.

Results

The patients ranged in age from 1 day to 36.6 years; half were less than 4.8 months at the time of OHS. JET occurred in 115 of 750 (15.3%) OHS. JET was bimodally distributed by age with a peak incidence between 1–2 weeks and 1–3 years. JET occurred more commonly: (1) in specific types of OHS (single ventricle [19.5%] and cono‐truncal defects [19.3%]) (P = 0.03); (2) with increased total surgical time (P = 0.001), aortic cross‐clamp time (P < 0.001), cardiopulmonary bypass time (P < 0.001); and (3) followed use of inotropic agents (dopamine or milrinone, P < 0.001). JET lengthened intensive care stay by 3 days (P = 0.0001) and increased mortality (+JET [9.6%] vs –JET [4.6%], P = 0.03). In a multiple variable Cox regression model, total surgical time and PO use of milrinone were the best predictors for JET risk. PO administration of nitroprusside decreased risk of JET.

Conclusions

JET occurred more commonly following OHS associated with prolonged surgical times and PO use of inotropic medications. In contrast to previous reports, our results suggest that mechanical injury to the atrioventricular node area is not strongly associated with JET.
Utility of whole‐blood aggregometry for evaluating anti‐platelet therapy for Kawasaki disease
Authors: Suzuki Chinatsu , Yahata Tomoyo , Okamoto‐Hamaoka Akiko , Fujii Maiko , Yoshioka Ayako , Niwa Youko , Ikeda Kazuyuki , Nakamura Akihiro , Hamaoka Kenji
Published: May 2013

Background

Anti‐platelet therapy for Kawasaki disease (KD) is often done without monitoring drug efficacy. The aim of this study was to investigate the utility of whole‐blood aggregometry to evaluate the efficacy of anti‐platelet therapy for KD.

Methods

Of 37 late‐phase KD patients included in the present study, 20 were prescribed anti‐platelet drugs. Platelet‐rich plasma (PRP) aggregation with collagen as the stimulus was measured using an optical aggregometer. The area under the curve of small and large size aggregations was calculated, and categorized into five classes: –2, –1, 0, 1, and 2. Whole‐blood aggregation with collagen or adenosine 5′‐diphosphate (ADP) as stimulus was evaluated using the platelet aggregation threshold index (PATI), which is the concentration of stimulus that induces a whole‐blood aggregation rate of 50%.

Results

In both collagen‐ and ADP‐induced aggregation, there was a negative correlation between PATI and class determination using the PRP technique (collagen, rs = −0.870, P < 0.0001; ADP, rs = −0.620, P < 0.0001). Moreover, the PATI in collagen‐ and ADP‐induced aggregation was significantly higher in the anti‐platelet drug therapy group than in the untreated group (collagen, P < 0.0001; ADP, P = 0.0002). The serum thromboxane B2 level in the anti‐platelet drug therapy group was also significantly lower than that in the untreated group (P < 0.0001). PATI was significantly higher in those treated with thienopyridine drug combinations than those without drug therapy (P = 0.0036).

Conclusions

Whole‐blood aggregometry is useful for monitoring the efficacy of anti‐platelet therapy for KD.
Risk factors for poor outcome in congenital cytomegalovirus infection and neonatal herpes on the basis of a nationwide survey in Japan
Authors: Ito Yoshinori , Kimura Hiroshi , Torii Yuka , Hayakawa Masahiro , Tanaka Toshihiro , Tajiri Hitoshi , Yoto Yuko , Tanaka‐Taya Keiko , Kanegane Hirokazu , Nariai Akiyoshi , Sakata Hiroshi , Tsutsumi Hiroyuki , Oda Megumi , Yokota Shumpei , Morishima Tsuneo , Moriuchi Hiroyuki ,   Japanese Society for Pediatric Infectious Diseases
Published: May 2013

Background

Congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection and neonatal herpes are major mother‐to‐child infections, and analyses of the important clinical issues, including risk factors for prognosis, are essential.

Methods

A secondary survey of congenital CMV infection and neonatal herpes was performed using questionnaires for cases reported in the primary survey between 2006 and 2008.

Results

Univariate analysis of 71 cases of congenital CMV infection showed that intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) or other specific findings on fetal ultrasonography (US), microcephaly, intracranial calcification, disseminated intravascular coagulation, abnormal findings on computed tomography, and the use of i.v. gammaglobulin were all significantly correlated with poor outcome (death or severe sequelae). Multivariate analysis showed that only IUGR was significantly associated with poor outcome. Hearing impairment is one of the major abnormalities associated with congenital CMV infection. Automatic auditory brainstem response (automatic ABR) appeared to be useful for detection of hearing impairment in comparison with conventional ABR. Moreover, univariate analysis showed that specific fetal US or abnormal magnetic resonance imaging findings were correlated with sensorineural hearing loss. In 24 cases of neonatal herpes, fever and seizure were correlated with poor outcome on univariate analysis. All patients received acyclovir treatment, although substantial numbers of patients in severe clinical categories (disseminated or central nervous system diseases) received a low dose of acyclovir (<60 mg/kg per day).

Conclusions

This secondary survey has identified the risk factors associated with outcome and important issues in diagnosis and treatment of two mother‐to‐child infections: congenital CMV and neonatal herpes, in Japan.
Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae: chemical control, resistance mechanisms and possible alternatives
Authors: Cameron A. , Sarojini V.
Published: May 2013

Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae (Psa) is a Gram‐negative bacterium that causes the bacterial canker of both green (Actinidia deliciosa) and yellow (Actinidia chinensis) fleshed kiwifruit. Since the emergence of an economically devastating Psa outbreak in Japan in the 1980s, the disease took a contagious turn causing severe economic loss to kiwifruit industries in Italy, South Korea, Spain, New Zealand and other countries. Research shows that the pathogenic strains isolated from different infected orchards vary in their virulence characteristics and have distinct genes coding for the production of different toxins. The global Psa outbreak has activated research around the world on developing efficient strategies to contain the pandemic and minimize loss to the kiwifruit industry. Chemical and biological control options, orchard management and breeding programmes are being employed in this global effort. Synergy between different disease control strategies has been recognized as important. Phytotoxicity, resistance development and regulatory measures in certain countries restrict the use of copper compounds and antibiotics, which are otherwise the mainstay chemicals against bacterial plant diseases. Therefore, because of the limitations of existing chemicals, it is important to develop novel chemical controls against Psa. Antimicrobial peptides, which are attractive alternatives to conventional antibiotics, have found promising applications in plant disease control and could contribute to expanding the chemical control tool box against Psa. This review summarizes all chemical compounds trialled so far against Psa and provides thoughts on the development of antimicrobial peptides as potential solutions for the future.
Lateral transfer of a phytopathogenic symbiont among native and exotic ambrosia beetles
Authors: Carrillo D. , Duncan R. E. , Ploetz J. N. , Campbell A. F. , Ploetz R. C. , Peña J. E.
Published: May 2013

Different ambrosia beetle species can coexist in tree trunks, where their immature stages feed upon symbiotic fungi. Although most ambrosia beetles are not primary pests and their fungal symbionts are not pathogenic to the host tree, exceptional situations exist. Notably, Xyleborus glabratus carries a phytopathogenic symbiont, Raffaelea lauricola, which causes laurel wilt, a lethal disease of some Lauraceae species. Both X. glabratus and R. lauricola are natives of Asia that recently invaded much of the coastal plain of the southeastern USA. This study examined ambrosia beetles that breed in susceptible trees in Florida (USA), including avocado (Persea americana), redbay (P. borbonia) and swampbay (P. palustris). Raffaelea lauricola was recovered from six of eight ambrosia beetle species that emerged from laurel wilt‐affected swampbay trees, in addition to X. glabratus. Controlled infestations with cohorts of the six species other than X. glabratus revealed that each could transmit the pathogen to healthy redbay trees and two could transmit the pathogen to healthy avocado trees; laurel wilt developed in five and one of the respective beetle × host interactions. These results indicate flexibility in the lateral transfer of a non‐native ambrosial fungus to other ambrosia beetles, and for the first time documents the transmission of a laterally transferred phytopathogenic symbiont by new ambrosia beetle species. Additional work is needed to determine whether, or to what extent, the new beetle × R. lauricola combinations play a role in spreading laurel wilt.
Evolution of photoprotection mechanisms upon land colonization: evidence of PSBS‐dependent NPQ in late Streptophyte algae
Authors: Gerotto Caterina , Morosinotto Tomas
Published: May 2013

Light is the energy source for photosynthetic organisms but, if absorbed in excess, it can drive to the formation of reactive oxygen species and photoinhibition. One major mechanism to avoid oxidative damage in plants and algae is the dissipation of excess excitation energy as heat, called non‐photochemical quenching (NPQ). Eukaryotic algae and plants, however, rely on two different proteins for NPQ activation, the former mainly depending on LHCSR (Lhc‐like protein Stress Related; previously called Li818, Light Induced protein 818), whereas in the latter the major role is played by a distinct protein, PSBS (photosystem II subunit S). In the moss Physcomitrella patens, which diverged from vascular plants early after land colonization, both these proteins were found to be present and active in inducing NPQ, suggesting that during plants evolution both mechanisms co‐existed. In order to investigate in more detail NPQ adaptation toward land colonization, we analyzed Streptophyte algae, the latest organisms to diverge from the land plants ancestors. Among them we found evidence of a PSBS‐dependent NPQ in species belonging to Charales, Coleochaetales and Zygnematales, the latest groups to diverge from land plants ancestors. On the contrary earlier diverging algae, as Mesostigmatales and Klebsormidiales, likely rely on LHCSR for their NPQ activation. Presented evidence thus suggests that PSBS‐dependent NPQ, although possibly present in some Chlorophyta, was stably acquired in the Cambrian period about 500 million years ago, before late Streptophyte algae diverged from plants ancestors.
Politics in a State of Nature
Authors: Edmundson William A.
Published: May 2013

Aristotle thought we are by nature political animals, but the state‐of‐nature tradition sees political society not as natural but as an artifice. For this tradition, political society can usefully be conceived as emerging from a pre‐political state of nature by the exercise of innate normative powers. Those powers, together with the rest of our native normative endowment, both make possible the construction of the state, and place sharp limits on the state's just powers and prerogatives. A state‐of‐nature theory has three components. One is an account of the native normative endowment, or “NNE.” Two is an account of how the state is constructed using the tools included in the NNE. Three is an account of the state's resulting normative endowment, which includes a (purported) moral power to impose duties of obedience. State‐of‐nature theories disagree about the NNE. For Locke, it included a “natural executive right” to punish wrongdoing. Recent social scientific findings suggest a quite different NNE. Contrary to Locke, people do not behave in experimental settings as one would predict if they possessed a “natural executive right” to punish wrongdoing. Moral reproof is subject to standing norms. These norms limit the range of eligible reprovers. The social science can support two claims. One, is that the NNE is (as Aristotle held) already political. The other is that political authority can be re‐conceived as a matter of standing—that is, as the state's unique moral permission coercively to enforce moral norms, rather than as a moral power to impose freestanding duties of obedience.
Communal Ties and Political Obligations
Authors: Mokrosinska Dorota
Published: May 2013

The associative argument for political obligation has taken an important place in the debate on political obligation. Proponents of this view argue that an obligation to obey the government arises out of ties of affiliation among individuals who share the same citizenship. According to them, relationships between compatriots constitute basic reasons for action in the same way in which relationships between family members or friends do. As critics point out, this account of the normative force of relationships has counterintuitive implications: if relationships between people sharing the same citizenship make up basic reasons for action, then relationships between people sharing other attributes, for example, relationships between racists or sexists form basic reasons for action too. In this essay, I pursue a modified version of the associative approach that is not vulnerable to this objection.
Legal Rights and the Limits of Conceptual Analysis: A Case Study
Authors: Barzun Charles Lowell
Published: May 2013

Legal philosophers divide over whether it is possible to analyze legal concepts without engaging in normative argument. The influential analysis of legal rights advanced by Jules Coleman and Jody Kraus some years ago serves as a useful case study to consider this issue because even some legal philosophers who are generally skeptical of the neutrality claims of conceptual analysts have concluded that Coleman and Kraus's analysis manages to maintain such neutrality. But that analysis does depend in subtle but important ways on normative claims. Their argument assumes not only a positivist concept of law, but also that it counts in favor of an analysis of legal rights that it increases the number of options available to legal decisionmakers. Thus, whether Coleman and Kraus's analysis is right in the end depends on whether those normative assumptions are justified. If even their analysis, which makes the thinnest of conceptual claims, depends on normative premises, that fact serves as strong evidence of the difficulty of analyzing legal concepts while remaining agnostic on moral and political questions.
The Objectivity of Beliefs, Reasonable Disagreement and Political Deliberation
Authors: Sousa Felipe Oliveira De
Published: May 2013

This paper is part of a broader argument that seeks to offer a justification for political authority. It aims to investigate the role of truth in political argument and to place the problem of reasonable disagreement. The argument focuses on the possibility of political deliberation, that figures as a stage of political decision‐making. It has to do with a confrontation between incompatible substantive beliefs which, however, all seem to be reasonable. How can citizens holding incompatible beliefs engage in an enterprise of justifying them to one another? That is the question.
Eyes Wide Shut: On Risk, Rule of Law and Precaution
Authors: Francot‐Timmermans Lyana , De Vries Ubaldus
Published: May 2013

The rule of law offers legal certainty, laying down boundaries to the state's playing field. The precautionary approach stipulates that the absence of scientific certainty is no reason not to act to prevent harm. Here, uncertainty frames action. The precautionary approach potentially expands the state's playing field, and this expansion might well undermine the precepts of the rule of law. The certainty‐uncertainty axis exposes a tension between the rule of law and the precautionary approach in what Ulrich Beck has termed the world risk society in second modernity. It is this tension that is the focus of analysis in this article.
Elevated circulating cytotoxic T lymphocyte‐associated antigen‐4 levels are related to lung function and inflammation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Authors: Shen Yongchun , Yang Ting , Wang Tao , Chen Lei , Wen Fuqiang
Published: May 2013

Cytotoxic T lymphocyte‐associated antigen‐4 (CTLA‐4) is involved in immune and inflammation regulation. The present study aimed to investigate the association between CTLA‐4 and COPD. Data revealed that serum levels of CTLA‐4 were elevated in COPD patients, inversely correlated with lung function and positively correlated with serum C‐reactive protein levels in the COPD group. These findings suggest that CTLA‐4 may play a role in COPD.
A new sawfly fossil from the lower Cretaceous of China elucidates antennal evolution in the lower Hymenoptera (Pamphilioidea: Praesiricidae: Archoxyelydinae subfam.n.)
Authors: WANG MEI , RASNITSYN ALEXANDR P. , REN DONG
Published: May 2013

Archoxyelyda mirabilis gen.n. and sp.n., is described from the Yixian Formation of Liaoning Province, China. It is placed in the family Praesiricidae based on the loss of forewing Sc. The fossil is placed in Archoxyelydinae subfam.n. based on a modified antennal flagellum (consisting of two distinct multisegmented parts: a thick and tightly connected basal part, and a thin and more loosely articulated distal one). The incompletely preserved genus Xyelydontes Rasnitsyn, 1983 is tentatively transferred to Archoxyelydinae. The new material demonstrates a unique feature in the antennal anatomy: the composite third antennomere can be seen to consist of tightly connected primary antennomeres. Antennal evolution in the lower Hymenoptera is reviewed and three hypothetical pathways in their transformation are discussed.

This published work has been registered in ZooBank, http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:635EFD90-CA14-402C-BCBF-C77C194F2368.
Provision of bednets and water filters to delay HIV‐1 progression: cost‐effectiveness analysis of a Kenyan multisite study
Authors: Kern Eli , Verguet Stéphane , Yuhas Krista , Odhiambo Frederick H. , Kahn James G. , Walson Judd
Published: May 2013

Objective

To estimate the effectiveness, costs and cost‐effectiveness of providing long‐lasting insecticide‐treated nets (LLINs) and point‐of‐use water filters to antiretroviral therapy (ART)‐naïve HIV‐infected adults and their family members, in the context of a multisite study in Kenya of 589 HIV‐positive adults followed on average for 1.7 years.

Methods

The effectiveness, costs and cost‐effectiveness of the intervention were estimated using an epidemiologic‐cost model. Model epidemiologic inputs were derived from the Kenya multisite study data, local epidemiological data and from the published literature. Model cost inputs were derived from published literature specific to Kenya. Uncertainty in the model estimates was assessed through univariate and multivariate sensitivity analyses.

Results

We estimated net cost savings of about US$ 26 000 for the intervention, over 1.7 years. Even when ignoring net cost savings, the intervention was found to be very cost‐effective at a cost of US$ 3100 per death averted or US$ 99 per disability‐adjusted life year (DALY) averted. The findings were robust to the sensitivity analysis and remained most sensitive to both the duration of ART use and the cost of ART per person‐year.

Conclusions

The provision of LLINs and water filters to ART‐naïve HIV‐infected adults in the Kenyan study resulted in substantial net cost savings, due to the delay in the initiation of ART. The addition of an LLIN and a point‐of‐use water filter to the existing package of care provided to ART‐naïve HIV‐infected adults could bring substantial cost savings to resource‐constrained health systems in low‐ and middle‐income countries.
Role of bias voltage and tunneling current in the perpendicular displacements of freestanding graphene via scanning tunneling microscopy
Authors: Xu Peng , Barber Steven D. , Ackerman Matthew L. , Kevin Schoelz James , Thibado Paul M.
Published: May 2013

Systematic displacement measurements of freestanding graphene as a function of applied bias voltage and tunneling current setpoint using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) are presented. When the bias voltage is increased, the graphene approaches the STM tip, while, on the other hand, when the tunneling current is increased the graphene contracts from the STM tip. To understand the role of the bias voltage, the authors quantitatively model the attractive force between the tip and the sample using electrostatics. For the tunneling current, they qualitatively model the contraction of the graphene using entropic concepts. These complementary results enhance the understanding of each other and highlight peculiarities of the system.
Track structure of protons and other light ions in liquid water: Applications of the LIonTrack code at the nanometer scale
Authors: Bäckström G. , Galassi M. E. , Tilly N. , Ahnesjö A. , Fernández‐Varea J. M.
Published: May 2013

Purpose:

The LIonTrack (Light Ion Track) Monte Carlo (MC) code for the simulation of H+, He2+, and other light ions in liquid water is presented together with the results of a novel investigation of energy‐deposition site properties from single ion tracks.

Methods:

The continuum distorted‐wave formalism with the eikonal initial state approximation (CDW‐EIS) is employed to generate the initial energy and angle of the electrons emitted in ionizing collisions of the ions with H2O molecules. The model of Dingfelder et al. [“Electron inelastic‐scattering cross sections in liquid water,” Radiat. Phys. Chem., – (1998)10.1016/S0969‐806X(97)00317‐4; Dingfelder et al. “Comparisons of calculations with PARTRAC and NOREC: Transport of electrons in liquid water,” Radiat. Res., – (2008)10.1667/RR1099.1] is linked to the general‐purpose MC code PENELOPE/penEasy to simulate the inelastic interactions of the secondary electrons in liquid water. In this way, the extended PENELOPE/penEasy code may provide an improved description of the 3D distribution of energy deposits (EDs), making it suitable for applications at the micrometer and nanometer scales.

Results:

Single‐ionization cross sections calculated with theab initio CDW‐EIS formalism are compared to available experimental values, some of them reported very recently, and the theoretical electronic stopping powers are benchmarked against those recommended by the ICRU. The authors also analyze distinct aspects of the spatial patterns of EDs, such as the frequency of nearest‐neighbor distances for various radiation qualities, and the variation of the mean specific energy imparted in nanoscopic targets located around the track. For 1 MeV/u particles, the C6+ ions generate about 15 times more clusters of six EDs within an ED distance of 3 nm than H+.

Conclusions:

On average clusters of two to three EDs for 1 MeV/u H+ and clusters of four to five EDs for 1 MeV/u C6+ could be expected for a modeling double strand break distance of 3.4 nm.
Complete Genome Sequence of a Peste des Petits Ruminants Virus Recovered from an Alpine Goat during an Outbreak in Morocco in 2008
Authors: Muniraju Murali , El Harrak Mehdi , Bao Jingyue , Ramasamy Parthiban Aravindh Babu , Banyard Ashley C. , Batten Carrie , Parida Satya
Published: May 2013

Here, we announce the first complete genome sequence of a field isolate of a peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV) from northern Africa. This isolate is derived from an Alpine goat that suffered from severe clinical disease during the 2008 outbreak in Morocco. The full genome sequence of this isolate clusters phylogenetically with the lineage IV isolates of PPRV, sharing high levels of sequence identity with other lineage IV isolates.
Draft Genome Sequence of
Kocuria
sp. Strain UCD-OTCP (Phylum
Actinobacteria
)
Authors: Coil David A. , Doctor Jessica I. , Lang Jenna M. , Darling Aaron E. , Eisen Jonathan A.
Published: May 2013

Here, we present the draft genome of
Kocuria
sp. strain UCD-OTCP, a member of the phylum
Actinobacteria
, isolated from a restaurant chair cushion. The assembly contains 3,791,485 bp (G+C content of 73%) and is contained in 68 scaffolds.
Whole-Genome Sequence of the Microcin E492-Producing Strain Klebsiella pneumoniae RYC492
Authors: Marcoleta Andrés , Gutiérrez-Cortez Sergio , Maturana Daniel , Monasterio Octavio , Lagos Rosalba
Published: May 2013

Here, we report the draft genome sequence of the Gram-negative strain
Klebsiella pneumoniae
RYC492, which produces the amyloid-forming and antibacterial peptide microcin E492. The sequenced genome consists of a 5,095,761-bp assembled open chromosome where the gene cluster for microcin production is located in a putative 31-kb genomic island flanked by sequence repeats and containing a putative integrase-coding gene.
Draft Genome Sequence of
Dietzia
sp. Strain UCD-THP (Phylum
Actinobacteria
)
Authors: Diep Amanda L. , Lang Jenna M. , Darling Aaron E. , Eisen Jonathan A. , Coil David A.
Published: May 2013

Here, we present the draft genome sequence of an actinobacterium,
Dietzia
sp. strain UCD-THP, isolated from a residential toilet handle. The assembly contains 3,915,613 bp. The genome sequences of only two other
Dietzia
species have been published, those of
Dietzia alimentaria
and
Dietzia cinnamea
.
Transient Paralysis during Acupuncture Therapy: A Case Report of An Adverse Event
Authors: Beable Anne
Published: May 2013

A patient with apparently well-controlled epilepsy with a painful musculoskeletal condition was treated successfully with two sessions of acupuncture. However, 4 h after the first treatment and during the second, an adverse event involving impairment of consciousness occurred. The patient subsequently experienced an increased frequency of complex partial seizures resulting in the loss of his driving licence. A detailed retrospective review of the past medical history indicated that the patient probably had comorbidities in the form of rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder and dysfunctional somatosensory/vestibular processing. Acupuncture may have triggered the adverse event via shared neurosubstrates. This adverse event raises possible implications regarding safe clinical acupuncture practice.
Type B aortic dissection after standard endovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm
Authors: Khanbhai Mustafa , Ghosh Jonathan , Ashleigh Raymond , Baguneid Mohammed
Published: May 2013

Dissection of the aorta is a rare yet potentially serious complication following endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm (EVAR). These can lead to visceral branch hypoperfusion, compromise of aneurysm exclusion, arterial dilation or rupture. Intimal injury and dissection in the context of EVAR may be associated with a number of risk factors that include adverse infrarenal neck morphology, device oversizing, barbed fixation and wire manipulation in the proximal aorta. Herein, we describe three cases of type B aortic dissection following EVAR and discuss possible causes. As the applicability of endovascular technology widens, clinicians are reminded of the importance of early recognition and detection of unusual sequelae following EVAR.
Concomitant herpes simplex virus and cytomegalovirus endotheliitis in immunocompetent patient
Authors: Kasetsuwan Ngamjit , Tangmonkongvoragul Chulaluck
Published: May 2013

A case of an immunocompetent 51-year-old healthy man with chronic recurrent disciform corneal oedema and hypertensive anterior uveitis in the right eye for 2 years was unresponsive to topical corticosteroid and systemic acyclovir. Diagnostic anterior chamber tapping was performed and viral DNA PCR was positive for both cytomegalovirus and herpes simplex virus. The patient was treated with both oral valganciclovir for 3 months and long-term oral acyclovir. His condition improved significantly after the treatment; intraocular pressure and anterior chamber inflammation were controlled and the remaining keratic precipitates in the cornea started to clear up.
Lacrimal gland pleomorphic adenoma: an inconceivable diagnosis in a child
Authors: Gupta Archana , Khandelwal Ashish
Published: May 2013

Pleomorphic adenoma is the most common epithelial tumour of the lacrimal gland in adults. It is rare in children less than 10 years. The low incidence in children can lead to low index of suspicion and increased likelihood of misdiagnosis. Incomplete treatment can lead to malignant transformation or recurrence. High index of suspicion is necessary for prompt diagnosis in children younger than 10 years. We describe a rare case of lacrimal gland pleomorphic adenoma (LGPA) in a 7-year-old child. Only four cases have so far been reported in the literature in children younger than 10 years. We emphasise the importance of CT scan and ultrasound-guided fine needle in the diagnosis of LGPA in children.
Successful autologous simple limbal epithelial transplantation (SLET) in previously failed paediatric limbal transplantation for ocular surface burns
Authors: Bhalekar Swapnil , Basu Sayan , Lal Ikeda , Sangwan Virender S
Published: May 2013

A 3-year-old child sustained severe ocular surface burns in her left eye after accidental lime injury. Despite appropriate management in the acute stage, she developed limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD) in that eye. This was initially treated with autologous ex vivo cultivated limbal epithelial transplantation (CLET), which unfortunately failed after 6 months resulting in recurrence of LSCD. One year following CLET, she underwent simple limbal epithelial transplantation (SLET) using autologous donor tissue from the healthy fellow eye. Successful restoration of the ocular surface following SLET combined with amblyopia therapy led to significant cosmetic and functional improvement. One year following SLET her vision in the left eye was 20/80 and she continues to maintain a stable, avascular and completely epithelised corneal surface. This case illustrates that SLET is effective in treating LSCD even in cases that are conventionally considered to be at high risk for failure of limbal stem cell transplantation.
Laparoscopically assisted repair of vaginal evisceration after hysterectomy
Authors: Nikolopoulos Ioannis , Khan Hasan , Janakan Gnananandan , Kerwat Rajab
Published: May 2013

Vaginal evisceration is a rare condition most commonly associated with previous vaginal surgery. It usually presents with vaginal bleeding, lower abdominal pain and a protruding mass, and requires immediate assessment and surgical management to salvage the prolapsed bowel. Any delay in the treatment may result in bowel ischaemia and perforation which is associated with higher morbidity and mortality. We report a case of spontaneous vaginal evisceration during defaecation in a 56-year-old postmenopausal women 11 months post hysterectomy. This case highlights the benefits of a combined laparoscopic and transvaginal approach in the successful management of this surgical emergency.
THE CHALLENGE OF TENDON PAIN
Authors: Vicenzino B
Published: May 2013

Most patients with tendinopathy report pain interfering with their physical capacity to perform to expectation, either at sport, recreation or work. Tendinopathy is a diagnosis associated with collagen disruption, increased tenocytes and ground substance, and neovessels. The relationship between these local tendon changes and patients' reported pain and disability is not a direct one, which necessitates the clinician to use clinical reasoning skills in interpreting the presenting signs and symptoms in light of the best available evidence. At this clinician-patient interface, a salient adage with which most would be familiar is: ‘Treat the patient not the disease (diagnostic image/diagnosis/pathology test result)’. For example, arthritic changes on x-ray do not match patient symptoms and level of disability. The mismatch between the pathology and presenting patient's pain and disability is particularly applicable for tendon, given that studies have shown that there is not a direct relationship between pathological findings on diagnostic imaging with reported pain and disability. Understanding pain and its underlying processes/mechanisms is imperative, if management approaches are to be advanced/optimised.

Recent findings of local pathological changes in the tendon of the non-exercised/injured limb in experimental animal models of tendinopathy have further increased the imperative to better understand the pain and disability associated with tendon problems. These bilateral changes in unilateral injured tendons are paralleled by recent findings from quantitative sensory testing in human studies, which I propose serves as an impetus for better understanding tendon pain and disability. Quantitative sensory testing has shown that mechanical hyperalgesia is a characteristic of tendinopathy, not only locally at the site of the presenting condition (in unilateral cases) but also in the contralateral tendon site, as well as remotely (eg, at the tibialis anterior muscle for lateral epicondylalgia). It has been proposed that this widespread mechanical hyperalgesia is indicative of sensitisation of the central nervous system. Further work has shown that there is heightened spinal cord excitability to a noxious stimulus (that is, nociceptive flexor reflex) and a reduction in efficacy of endogenous pain modulation (inhibition) to a conditioning noxious stimulus, both of which imply abnormal endogenous pain inhibition mechanisms. These studies are cross sectional and thus it remains unknown if the central nervous system changes precede or follow the onset of tendinopathy. Nevertheless they contribute further to our understanding of tendon pain.

Improved understanding of the mechanisms underlying tendon pain will better enable the clinician to treat the patient not the disease.
INFLAMMATORY MECHANISMS INVOLVED IN TENDON OVERUSE: RECENT INSIGHTS
Authors: Scott Alex , Behzad Hayedeh
Published: May 2013

This presentation will synthesise and review recent findings from our laboratory and others' on inflammatory mechanisms involved in tendon overuse injuries. Tendinopathy is a state of chronic tendon thickening and pain, usually as a result of overuse. Recent work has shown that repetitive loading of human tendon-derived cells leads to upregulation of TAC1, the mRNA encoding for Substance P1—a pro-inflammatory neuropeptide which is known to contribute to tendon pain.2 In addition, previous work has found that mast cells are present in greater numbers in chronically overused tendon,3 and that they degranulate in response to SP, releasing substances that directly influence human tenocyte collagen remodelling. Thus, both SP and one of its main targets—the mast cell—are over-represented in tendinopathic tissue. Mast cells have a high affinity for human tenocytes, forming elaborate inter-cellular junctions, and releasing substances which substantially influence tenocyte behaviour that could have relevance for improving outcomes following injury or overuse. For example, inhibiting mast cells results in a reduction of TGF-beta-related genes (related to scarring) and reduces the amount of tendon thickening following injury.4 Additionally, mast cells induce a large increase in COX-2 expression by human tenocytes. It is possible that a clinical strategy which incorporates inhibitors of mast cells could improve on outcomes with standard treatment.5
REHABILITATION OF TENDINOPATHY: WHERE TO FROM HERE?
Authors: Cook J L
Published: May 2013

The exercise or loading approaches to treatment of tendinopathy have been at the forefront of treatment options for the last 30 years. Prior to that, the predominance of the inflammatory model prescribed that rest, ice and anti-inflammatory medication was the only suitable approach. This approach was overwhelmingly unsuccessful; failure to recover and recurrence were common.

In the 70′s Curwin and Stanish reported that eccentric loading was beneficial for tendinopathy, and although this received some notice in the clinical world, the Alfredson paper in 1995 resulted in an explosion of interest in eccentric load for tendinopathy. Since then much research has confirmed the benefits of eccentric exercise, however the reasons for its effectiveness have not been elucidated. The effectiveness appears to be specific to rehabilitation of active people; eccentric exercise in season, and in the inactive population was less successful. The specificity of eccentric-only exercise has also been questioned- although eccentric clearly has to be part of the programme, it has been shown to be effective when combined with concentric exercise and with quite high loads.

Is there more progress to be made in the area of exercise-based rehabilitation? If the continuum model is correct, then consideration of loading in different stages is essential, remembering that the eccentric programme was shown to be most effective in chronic degenerative tendinopathy. Reactive tendinopathy is likely to require different loading regimes, as will the common clinical presentation of reactive on degenerative tendinopathy. Power and energy storage loads have not been considered in research, although clinically they are a critical part of rehabilitation. Research in these areas is likely to be complex and require multi-centre trials; it may be up to the people at this conference to prioritise this research as a group.