bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Broiler chickens can benefit from machine learning: support vector machine analysis of observational epidemiological data
Authors: Hepworth Philip J. , Nefedov Alexey V. , Muchnik Ilya B. , Morgan Kenton L.
Published: February 2012

Machine-learning algorithms pervade our daily lives. In epidemiology, supervised machine learning has the potential for classification, diagnosis and risk factor identification. Here, we report the use of support vector machine learning to identify the features associated with hock burn on commercial broiler farms, using routinely collected farm management data. These data lend themselves to analysis using machine-learning techniques. Hock burn, dermatitis of the skin over the hock, is an important indicator of broiler health and welfare. Remarkably, this classifier can predict the occurrence of high hock burn prevalence with accuracy of 0.78 on unseen data, as measured by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve. We also compare the results with those obtained by standard multi-variable logistic regression and suggest that this technique provides new insights into the data. This novel application of a machine-learning algorithm, embedded in poultry management systems could offer significant improvements in broiler health and welfare worldwide.
The benefits of planar circular mouths on suction feeding performance
Authors: Skorczewski Tyler , Cheer Angela , Wainwright Peter C.
Published: February 2012

Suction feeding is the most common form of prey capture across aquatic feeding vertebrates and many adaptations that enhance efficiency and performance are expected. Many suction feeders have mechanisms that allow the mouth to form a planar and near-circular opening that is believed to have beneficial hydrodynamic effects. We explore the effects of the flattened and circular mouth opening through computational fluid dynamics simulations that allow comparisons with other mouth profiles. Compared to mouths with lateral notches, we find that the planar mouth opening results in higher flow rates into the mouth and a region of highest flow that is positioned at the centre of the mouth aperture. Planar mouths provide not only for better total fluid flow rates through the mouth but also through the centre of the mouth near where suction feeders position their prey. Circular mouths are shown to provide the quickest capture times for spherical and elliptical prey because they expose the prey item to a large region of high flow. Planar and circular mouths result in higher flow velocities with peak flow located at the centre of the mouth opening and they maximize the capacity of the suction feeders to exert hydrodynamic forces on the prey.
High-frequency asymptotics for microstructured thin elastic plates and platonics
Authors: Antonakakis T. , Craster R. V.
Published: February 2012

We consider microstructured thin elastic plates that have an underlying periodic structure, and develop an asymptotic continuum model that captures the essential microstructural behaviour entirely in a macroscale setting. The asymptotics are based upon a two-scale approach and are valid even at high frequencies when the wavelength and microscale length are of the same order. The general theory is illustrated via one- and two-dimensional model problems that have zero-frequency stop bands that preclude conventional averaging and homogenization theories. Localized defect modes created by material variations are also modelled using the theory and compared with numerical simulations.
Multi-scale properties of random walk models of animal movement: lessons from statistical inference
Authors: Kawai Reiichiro , Petrovskii Sergei
Published: February 2012

The random search problem has long attracted continuous interest owing to its broad interdisciplinary range of applications, including animal foraging, facilitated target location in biological systems and human motion. In this paper, we address the issue of statistical inference for ordinary Gaussian, Pareto, tempered Pareto and fractional Gaussian random walk models, which are among the most studied random walk models proposed as the best strategy in the random search problem. Based on rigorous analysis of the local asymptotic normality property and the Fisher information, we discuss some issues in unbiased joint estimation of the model parameters, in particular, the maximum-likelihood estimation. We present that there exist both theoretical and practical difficulties in more realistic tempered Pareto and fractional Gaussian random walk models from a statistical standpoint. We discuss our findings in the context of individual animal movement and show how our results may be used to facilitate the analysis of movement data and to improve the understanding of the underlying stochastic process.
Distinguishing geology from biology in the Ediacaran Doushantuo biota relaxes constraints on the timing of the origin of bilaterians
Authors: Cunningham John A. , Thomas Ceri-Wyn , Bengtson Stefan , Kearns Stuart L. , Xiao Shuhai , Marone Federica , Stampanoni Marco , Donoghue Philip C. J.
Published: February 2012

The Ediacaran Doushantuo biota has yielded fossils that include the oldest widely accepted record of the animal evolutionary lineage, as well as specimens with alleged bilaterian affinity. However, these systematic interpretations are contingent on the presence of key biological structures that have been reinterpreted by some workers as artefacts of diagenetic mineralization. On the basis of chemistry and crystallographic fabric, we characterize and discriminate phases of mineralization that reflect: (i) replication of original biological structure, and (ii) void-filling diagenetic mineralization. The results indicate that all fossils from the Doushantuo assemblage preserve a complex mélange of mineral phases, even where subcellular anatomy appears to be preserved. The findings allow these phases to be distinguished in more controversial fossils, facilitating a critical re-evaluation of the Doushantuo fossil assemblage and its implications as an archive of Ediacaran animal diversity. We find that putative subcellular structures exhibit fabrics consistent with preservation of original morphology. Cells in later developmental stages are not in original configuration and are therefore uninformative concerning gastrulation. Key structures used to identify Doushantuo bilaterians can be dismissed as late diagenetic artefacts. Therefore, when diagenetic mineralization is considered, there is no convincing evidence for bilaterians in the Doushantuo assemblage.
Multiple losses of flight and recent speciation in steamer ducks
Authors: Fulton Tara L. , Letts Brandon , Shapiro Beth
Published: February 2012

Steamer ducks (Tachyeres) comprise four species, three of which are flightless. The flightless species are believed to have diverged from a flying common ancestor during the Late Pleistocene; however, their taxonomy remains contentious. Of particular interest is the previously unstudied population of flying steamer ducks in the Falkland Islands. We present the first genetic data from this insular population, and illustrate that the flying and flightless steamer ducks on the Falkland Islands are genetically indistinguishable, in contrast to their traditional classification as separate species. The three species that reside in continental South America form a genetically distinct lineage from the Falkland Island ducks. The Falkland steamer ducks diverged from their continental relatives 2.2–0.6 million years ago, coincident with a probable land bridge connecting the Falkland Islands to the mainland. The three continental species share a common ancestor approximately 15 000 years ago, possibly owing to isolation during a recent glacial advance. The continental steamer duck species are not reciprocally monophyletic, but show some amount of genetic differentiation between them. Each lineage ofTachyeresrepresents a different stage between flight and flightlessness. Their phylogenetic relationships suggest multiple losses of flight and/or long-term persistence of mixed-flight capability. As such, steamer ducks may provide a model system to study the evolution of flightlessness.
The penetrance of an epigenetic trait in mice is progressively yet reversibly increased by selection and environment
Authors: Cropley Jennifer E. , Dang Thurston H. Y. , Martin David I. K. , Suter Catherine M.
Published: February 2012

Natural selection acts on variation that is typically assumed to be genetic in origin. But epigenetic mechanisms, which are interposed between the genome and its environment, can create diversity independently of genetic variation. Epigenetic states can respond to environmental cues, and can be heritable, thus providing a means by which environmentally responsive phenotypes might be selectable independent of genotype. Here, we have tested the possibility that environment and selection can act together to increase the penetrance of an epigenetically determined phenotype. We used isogenic

A
vy

mice, in which the epigenetic state of the

A
vy

allele is sensitive to dietary methyl donors. By combining methyl donor supplementation with selection for a silent

A
vy

allele, we progressively increased the prevalence of the associated phenotype in the population over five generations. After withdrawal of the dietary supplement, the shift persisted for one generation but was lost in subsequent generations. Our data provide the first demonstration that selection for a purely epigenetic trait can result in cumulative germline effects in mammals. These results present an alternative to the paradigm that natural selection acts only on genetic variation, and suggest that epigenetic changes could underlie rapid adaptation of species in response to natural environmental fluctuations.
Sea lice as a density-dependent constraint to salmonid farming
Authors: Jansen Peder A. , Kristoffersen Anja B. , Viljugrein Hildegunn , Jimenez Daniel , Aldrin Magne , Stien Audun
Published: February 2012

Fisheries catches worldwide have shown no increase over the last two decades, while aquaculture has been booming. To cover the demand for fish in the growing human population, continued high growth rates in aquaculture are needed. A potential constraint to such growth is infectious diseases, as disease transmission rates are expected to increase with increasing densities of farmed fish. Using an extensive dataset from all farms growing salmonids along the Norwegian coast, we document that densities of farmed salmonids surrounding individual farms have a strong effect on farm levels of parasitic sea lice and efforts to control sea lice infections. Furthermore, increased intervention efforts have been unsuccessful in controlling elevated infection levels in high salmonid density areas in 2009–2010. Our results emphasize host density effects of farmed salmonids on the population dynamics of sea lice and suggest that parasitic sea lice represent a potent negative feedback mechanism that may limit sustainable spatial densities of farmed salmonids.
Type III Secretion and Effectors Shape the Survival and Growth Pattern of Pseudomonas syringae on Leaf Surfaces
Authors: Lee Jiyoung , Teitzel Gail M. , Munkvold Kathy , del Pozo Olga , Martin Gregory B. , Michelmore Richard W. , Greenberg Jean T.
Published: February 2012

The bacterium Pseudomonas syringae pv syringae B728a (PsyB728a) uses a type III secretion system (T3SS) to inject effector proteins into plant cells, a process that modulates the susceptibility of different plants to infection. Analysis of GREEN FLUORESCENT PROTEIN-expressing PsyB728a after spray inoculation without additives under moderate relative humidity conditions permitted (1) a detailed analysis of this strain’s survival and growth pattern on host (Nicotiana benthamiana) and nonhost (tomato [Solanum lycopersicum]) leaf surfaces, (2) an assessment of the role of plant defenses in affecting PsyB728a leaf surface (epiphytic) growth, and (3) the contribution of the T3SS and specific effectors to PsyB728a epiphytic survival and growth. On host leaf surfaces, PsyB728a cells initially persist without growing, and show an increased population only after 48 h, unless plants are pretreated with the defense-inducing chemical benzothiazole. During the persistence period, some PsyB728a cells induce a T3SS reporter, whereas a T3SS-deficient mutant shows reduced survival. By 72 h, rare invasion by PsyB728a to the mesophyll region of host leaves occurs, but endophytic and epiphytic bacterial growths are not correlated. The effectors HopZ3 and HopAA1 delay the onset of epiphytic growth of PsyB728a on N. benthamiana, whereas they promote epiphytic survival/growth on tomato. These effectors localize to distinct sites in plant cells and likely have different mechanisms of action. HopZ3 may enzymatically modify host targets, as it requires residues important for the catalytic activity of other proteins in its family of proteases. Thus, the T3SS, HopAA1, HopZ3, and plant defenses strongly influence epiphytic survival and/or growth of PsyB728a.
Masquerade: removing non-sample scattering from integrated reflection intensities
Authors: Coome J. A. , Goeta A. E. , Howard J. A. K. , Probert M. R.
Published: February 2012

X-ray diffraction experiments at very low temperatures require samples to be isolated from atmospheric conditions and held under vacuum. These conditions are usually maintainedviathe use of beryllium chambers, which also scatter X-rays, causing unwanted contamination of the sample's diffraction pattern. The removal of this contamination requires novel data-collection and processing procedures to be employed. Herein a new approach is described, which utilizes the differences in origin of scattering vectors from the sample and the beryllium to eliminate non-sample scattering. The programMasqueradehas been written to remove contaminated regions of the diffraction data from the processing programs. Coupled with experiments at different detector distances, it allows for the acquisition of decontaminated data. Studies of several single crystals have shown that this approach increases data quality, highlighted by the improvement in internal agreement factor with the test case of cytidine presented herein.
Forkhead box transcription factor, forkhead box A1, shows negative association with lymph node status in endometrial cancer, and represses cell proliferation and migration of endometrial cancer cells
Authors: Abe Yayoi , Ijichi Nobuhiro , Ikeda Kazuhiro , Kayano Hidekazu , Horie‐Inoue Kuniko , Takeda Satoru , Inoue Satoshi
Published: February 2012

Endometrial cancer is the most common malignancy of the female genital tract and is associated with poor prognosis. It is primarily a hormone‐dependent cancer that is regulated by steroid hormones, including estrogen and progesterone. Forkhead box A1 (FOXA1) is a member of the forkhead box transcription factor family and functions as a pioneer factor in estrogen receptor (ER)‐positive breast cancer. In the present study, we investigated the expression of FOXA1 in endometrial cancers by immunohistochemical analysis. Nuclear immunoreactivity for FOXA1 was detected in 40 of 109 cases (37%), and was found to be negatively associated with lymph node status (P = 0.033). In ER‐positive Ishikawa endometrial cancer cells, small interfering RNA‐mediated downregulation of FOXA1 promoted cell proliferation and migration. Furthermore, exogenously introduced FOXA1 suppressed both proliferation and migration of Ishikawa cells. These results suggest that FOXA1 functions as a tumor suppressor through modulation of proliferation and migration of endometrial cancer cells. (Cancer Sci 2012; 103: 806–812)
Review article: the extra‐skeletal effects of vitamin D in chronic hepatitis C infection
Authors: Cholongitas E. , Theocharidou E. , Goulis J. , Tsochatzis E. , Akriviadis E. , Burroughs A. K.
Published: February 2012

Background

Recent interest has focused on the extra‐skeletal effects of vitamin D, in particular, in patients with chronic hepatitis C.

Aims

To review data in the literature regarding the extra‐skeletal effects of vitamin D in patients with chronic hepatitis C, with and without liver transplantation.

Methods

A Medline search was performed for relevant studies up to August 2011 using the terms ‘vitamin D’ ‘chronic liver disease’ and ‘hepatitis C’.

Results

Vitamin D deficiency is very frequent before liver transplantation ranging between 51% and 92%, whereas, in the liver transplantation setting, the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency is also high. Severe liver disease may increase the risk of vitamin D deficiency and vice versa, as there may be a relationship between vitamin D deficiency and fibrosis. In patients with chronic hepatitis C and those with recurrent of hepatitis C after liver transplantation, recent clinical data shows that a higher serum vitamin D level is an independent predictor of sustained virological response (SVR) following anti‐viral therapy, and that a higher SVR is achieved with vitamin D supplementation.

Conclusions

Larger randomised clinical studies with adequate statistical power are needed to confirm these potentially very important nonskeletal effects of vitamin D in patients with chronic hepatitis C.
Functional dysbiosis within the gut microbiota of patients with constipated‐irritable bowel syndrome
Authors: Chassard C. , Dapoigny M. , Scott K. P. , Crouzet L. , Del'homme C. , Marquet P. , Martin J. C. , Pickering G. , Ardid D. , Eschalier A. , Dubray C. , Flint H. J. , Bernalier‐Donadille A.
Published: February 2012

Background

The role of the gut microbiota in patho‐physiology of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is suggested by several studies. However, standard cultural and molecular methods used to date have not revealed specific and consistent IBS‐related groups of microbes.

Aim

To explore the constipated‐IBS (C‐IBS) gut microbiota using a function‐based approach.

Methods

The faecal microbiota from 14 C‐IBS women and 12 sex‐match healthy subjects were examined through a combined strictly anaerobic cultural evaluation of functional groups of microbes and fluorescent in situ hybridisation (16S rDNA gene targeting probes) to quantify main groups of bacteria. Starch fermentation by C‐IBS and healthy faecal samples was evaluated in vitro.

Results

In C‐IBS, the numbers of lactate‐producing and lactate‐utilising bacteria and the number of H2‐consuming populations, methanogens and reductive acetogens, were at least 10‐fold lower (P < 0.05) compared with control subjects. Concomitantly, the number of lactate‐ and H2‐utilising sulphate‐reducing population was 10 to 100 fold increased in C‐IBS compared with healthy subjects. The butyrate‐producing Roseburia – E. rectale group was in lower number (0.01 < P < 0.05) in C‐IBS than in control. C‐IBS faecal microbiota produced more sulphides and H2 and less butyrate from starch fermentation than healthy ones.

Conclusions

A major functional dysbiosis was observed in constipated‐irritable bowel syndrome gut microbiota, reflecting altered intestinal fermentation. Sulphate‐reducing population increased in the gut of C‐IBS and were accompanied by alterations in other microbial groups. This could be responsible for changes in the metabolic output and enhancement in toxic sulphide production which could in turn influence gut physiology and contribute to IBS pathogenesis.
Burkitt lymphoma in UGANDA, the legacy of Denis Burkitt and an update on the disease status
Authors: Walusansa Victoria , Okuku Fred , Orem Jackson
Published: February 2012

Burkitt lymphoma (BL) was first described in Uganda in 1958 as a sarcoma of the jaw but later confirmed to be a distinct form of Non Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). This discovery was the defining moment of cancer research in Uganda, which eventually led to the establishment of a dedicated cancer research institute, the Uganda Cancer Institute (UCI) in 1967. The centre was dedicated to Denis Burkitt in recognition of his contribution to cancer research in East Africa. BL is still the commonest NHL in childhood in Uganda. Its incidence has significantly increased recently due to yet unknown factors. Although the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) was considered a possible reason for the increase, there is no evidence that it has substantially impacted on the epidemiology of the disease. However, for those patients with BL who are co infected with HIV there is a clear impact of the disease on clinical presentation and outcome. HIV‐infected patients commonly present with extra facial sites and tend to have poor overall survival (median survival of 11·79 months). In summary, BL, as a disease entity in Uganda, has maintained the same clinical characteristics since its discovery, despite the emergence of HIV during the intervening period.
Cyril Clarke and the prevention of rhesus haemolytic disease of the newborn
Authors: Weatherall David J.
Published: February 2012

Cyril Clarke was an outstanding general physician and lepidopterist. Late in his career, and stimulated by his work on the genetics of mimicry in butterflies, he became interested in the evolving field of medical genetics. His work on the relationship of blood groups to particular diseases led him and his team in Liverpool to evolve a remarkably successful approach to the prevention of Rhesus haemolytic disease of the newborn.
T cell depletion utilizing CD34+ stem cell selection and CD3+ addback from unrelated adult donors in paediatric allogeneic stem cell transplantation recipients
Authors: Geyer Mark B. , Ricci Angela M. , Jacobson Judith S. , Majzner Robbie , Duffy Deirdre , Van de Ven Carmella , Ayello Janet , Bhatia Monica , Garvin James H. , George Diane , Satwani Prakash , Harrison Lauren , Morris Erin , Semidei‐Pomales Mildred , Schwartz Joseph , Alobeid Bachir , Baxter‐Lowe Lee Ann , Cairo Mitchell S.
Published: February 2012

CD34‐selected haploidentical and unrelated donor allogeneic stem cell transplantation (AlloSCT) in paediatric recipients is associated with sustained engraftment and low risk of acute graft‐versus‐host disease (aGVHD), but limited by delayed immune reconstitution and increased risk of viral and fungal infection. The optimal dose of donor T cells to prevent graft failure and minimize risk of early opportunistic infection and post‐transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD), while avoiding severe aGVHD, remains unknown. We prospectively studied CD34‐selected 8–10/10 human leucocyte antigen (HLA)‐matched unrelated donor (MUD) peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT) in a cohort of 19 paediatric AlloSCT recipients with malignant (n = 13) or non‐malignant (n = 6) diseases. T cells were added back to achieve total dose 1·0–2·5 × 105 CD3+/kg. GVHD pharmacoprophylaxis consisted only of tacrolimus. All patients engrafted neutrophils. Probabilities of grade II–IV aGVHD, limited chronic GVHD (cGVHD), and extensive cGVHD were 15·8%, 23·3%, and 0%, respectively. One patient developed PTLD. One‐year infection‐related mortality was 5·6%. T cell immune reconstitution was delayed. One‐year overall survival was 82·3%. Five patients with malignant disease ultimately died from progressive disease. CD34‐selected MUD PBSCT using a defined dose of T cell add‐back resulted in high rates of engraftment and low risk of grade II–IV aGVHD, early transplantation‐related mortality, and extensive cGVHD.
Long‐Term Oestradiol Treatment Enhances Hippocampal Synaptic Plasticity that is Dependent on Muscarinic Acetylcholine Receptors in Ovariectomised Female Rats
Authors: Stelly C. E. , Cronin J. , Daniel J. M. , Schrader L. A.
Published: February 2012

Short‐term oestradiol treatment modulates hippocampus‐dependent memory and synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus. Long‐term oestradiol treatment can also enhance hippocampus‐ dependent memory, although the effects of long‐term oestradiol treatment on synaptic plasticity are unknown. We investigated the effects of long‐term oestradiol treatment on synaptic plasticity at the Schaeffer Collateral/CA1 synapse in 8‐month‐old female rats. In addition, we determined the role of endogenous activation of muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChRs) in synaptic transmission and plasticity using scopolamine (1 μm), an antagonist of mAChRs. Hippocampus slices from ovariectomised rats that were treated with oestradiol‐containing capsules for 5 months were compared with slices from ovariectomised rats that received cholesterol‐containing capsules. Unexpectedly, scopolamine application significantly increased the baseline field excitatory postsynaptic potentials (fEPSP) and decreased paired pulse facilitation (PPF) in slices from cholesterol‐treated rats. Baseline fEPSPs and PPF were not significantly modulated in slices from oestradiol‐treated rats by scopolamine. Slices from oestradiol‐treated rats showed enhanced long‐term potentiation relative to slices from cholesterol‐treated rats. Scopolamine significantly reduced the magnitude of plasticity in slices from oestradiol‐treated rats. Taken together, these results suggest that mAChRs have a significant effect on baseline synaptic transmission through a decrease in the probability of glutamate release in slices from cholesterol‐treated rats. Long‐term oestradiol treatment blocks this effect and enhances theta‐burst stimulation‐induced synaptic plasticity in the middle‐aged female rat, and this effect is mediated by activation of mAChRs.
Attitudes of mental health staff to protected therapeutic time in adult psychiatric wards
Authors: THOMSON L. D. A. , HAMILTON R.
Published: February 2012

Accessible summary

There have been recent concerns about the lack of time nurses can spend face to face with their patients in psychiatric wards. Therapeutic time is an intervention whereby psychiatric nurses spend regular, uninterrupted periods of time with patients during which they do not attend to other matters. There is very little research evidence to support such an approach and so this study was developed to investigate nurses' and doctors' views on therapeutic time.

Medical and nursing staff returned a questionnaire about their feelings towards such therapeutic time. The majority of staff believe that therapeutic time improves patient recovery and reduces risks while increasing patient satisfaction with care received and enhancing nurse–patient relations.

Staff comments suggested that the success or otherwise of the intervention may depend on practical issues such as staffing levels.

Therapeutic time is a relatively new, ward‐based intervention whereby psychiatric nurses spend regular, uninterrupted periods of time with patients during which they do not attend to other matters. A questionnaire survey of nursing and medical staff was conducted to assess attitudes to the approach. The majority of staff viewed the approach as being important for promoting patient recovery, reducing risk, improving nurse–patient relationships and enhancing patient satisfaction with care received. Interference with medical activities, lack of staffing resources and variable patient uptake were highlighted as potential problems. More research is required to establish the benefits, drawbacks and nature of therapeutic time. Given the current support for the approach and previous research emphasizing the extent to which patients value protected time to speak to nurses, investment of resources in further exploration and implementation of this approach may lead to significant clinical returns.
Smooth muscle caldesmon modulates peristalsis in the wild type and non‐innervated zebrafish intestine
Authors: Abrams J. , Davuluri G. , Seiler C. , Pack M.
Published: February 2012

Background  The high molecular weight isoform of the actin‐binding protein Caldesmon (h‐CaD) regulates smooth muscle contractile function by modulating cross‐bridge cycling of myosin heads. The normal inhibitory activity of h‐CaD is regulated by the enteric nervous system; however, the role of h‐CaD during intestinal peristalsis has never been studied.

Methods  We identified a zebrafish paralog of the human CALD1 gene that encodes an h‐CaD isoform expressed in intestinal smooth muscle. We examined the role of h‐CaD during intestinal peristalsis in zebrafish larvae by knocking down the h‐CaD protein using an antisense morpholino oligonucleotide. We also developed transgenic zebrafish that express inhibitory peptides derived from the h‐CaD myosin and actin‐binding domains, and examined their effect on peristalsis in wild‐type zebrafish larvae and sox10 colourless mutant larvae that lack enteric nerves.

Key Results  Genomic analyses identified two zebrafish Caldesmon paralogs. The cald1a ortholog encoded a high molecular weight isoform generated by alternative splicing whose intestinal expression was restricted to smooth muscle. Propulsive intestinal peristalsis was increased in wild‐type zebrafish larvae by h‐CaD knockdown and by expression of transgenes encoding inhibitory myosin and actin‐binding domain peptides. Peristalsis in the non‐innervated intestine of sox10 colourless larvae was partially restored by h‐CaD knockdown and expression of the myosin‐binding peptide.

Conclusions & Inferences  Disruption of the normal inhibitory function of h‐CaD enhances intestinal peristalsis in both wild‐type zebrafish larvae and mutant larvae that lack enteric nerves, thus confirming a physiologic role for regulation of smooth muscle contraction at the actin filament.
Luminal decoration of blood vessels by activated perivasal mast cells in allergic rhinitis
Authors: Schaefer T. , Zajonz A. , Lorentz P. , Bohnacker T. , Wymann M. P. , Schweighoffer T.
Published: February 2012

Background

In allergic diseases, like in rhinitis, antigen challenge induces rapid degranulation of tissue resident mast cells and subsequent recruitment of leukocytes in response to soluble immunmodulators. The fate of mast cell‐derived, membrane associated factors in inflamed tissue remained however unresolved.

Methods

Components of the mast cell granular membrane, including the unique marker CD63var, were examined by FACS and by confocal laser scanning microscopy in cell culture and in diseased human tissue.

Results

We discovered that selected mast cell membrane components appeared on the surface of distinct bystander cells. Acceptor cells did not acquire these molecules simply by uptake of soluble material or in the form of exosomes. Instead, physically stable cell‐to‐cell contact was required for transfer, in which a Notch2‐Jagged1 interaction played a decisive role. This process is activation‐dependent, unidirectional, and involves a unique membrane topology. Endothelial cells were particularly efficient acceptors. In organotypic 3D in vitro cultures we found that transferred mast cell molecules traversed an endothelial monolayer, and reappeared focally compacted on its distal surface, away from the actual contact zone. Moreover, we observed that such mast cell‐derived membrane patches decorate microcapillaries in the nasal mucosa of allergic rhinitis patients.

Conclusion

Direct membrane transfer from perivasal mast cells into nearby blood vessels constitutes a novel mechanism to modulate endothelial surface features with apparent significance in allergic diseases.
Non‐sex‐biased Dominance in a Sexually Monomorphic Electric Fish: Fight Structure and Submissive Electric Signalling
Authors: Batista Gervasio , Zubizarreta Lucía , Perrone Rossana , Silva Ana
Published: February 2012

Males and females commonly compete for limited resources. When interaction costs are similar for both sexes and there are no sexual differences in resource value estimation, a non‐sex‐biased dominance is expected. Moreover, only non‐sex‐biased assessment of contenders fighting ability (Resource Holding Potential, RHP) should influence contest decisions. To test these predictions, we evaluated non‐breeding agonistic intra‐ and intersexual dyadic interactions in the weakly electric fish, Gymnotus omarorum. During the non‐breeding season, resource value is not expected to depend on individuals’ reproductive status and should thus be equal for males and females. In addition, as G. omarorum presents no sexual differences in body size, interaction costs can be considered symmetric between sexes. We confirmed that body size differences, but not individuals’ gender, is the best predictor of dominance. We correlated RHP asymmetries with contest duration and evidenced that body size but not sex influences assessment in intrasexual and intersexual encounters. All dyads tested engaged in agonistic interactions (N = 33) in which a clear dominant emerged. The analysis of conflict phases evidenced the submissive role of electric displays. Electric organ discharge (EOD) interruptions appear early in the contest as an electric hiding attempt, whereas chirps are post‐resolution signals of subordinate status. Interestingly, the decision of interrupting the EOD was also influenced by RHP asymmetries, whereas chirping activity was influenced by the intensity of the attacks received. Our results confirm that body size is the best RHP proxy in non‐breeding intra‐ and intersexual contests of this monomorphic species and demonstrated a sequential pattern of submissive signalling by means of two different electric displays.
Transition to early parenthood, and family functioning relationships in Japan: a longitudinal study
Authors: Ohashi Yukimi , Asano Midori
Published: February 2012

Greater knowledge of the process by which postpartum parents acquire further awareness of their child and fulfill parental roles will likely lead to an understanding that creates a new approach to nursing. This study explored the transition to parenthood and the relationship between parenthood and family functioning in first‐time mothers and fathers. Seventy‐eight parents (41 mothers, 37 fathers) participated in the study and completed the Scale of Early Childrearing Parenthood and Family Assessment Inventory at birth and at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months postpartum. The levels of parental role attainment and awareness of the child rose dramatically between birth and 3 months postpartum, thereafter stabilizing up to 12 months postpartum. Parenthood and family functioning showed a moderately positive correlation, which gradually became more positive over time. Appropriate nursing interventions might be necessary for parents who show difficulty in accepting their parental roles and have low levels of awareness of their child after 3 months postpartum. Such intervention might be necessary for not only the parents, but also the family unit.
Regeneration of uterine cervix at 6 months after large loop excision of the transformation zone for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia
Authors: Papoutsis D , Rodolakis A , Mesogitis S , Sotiropoulou M , Antsaklis A
Published: February 2012

Please cite this paper as: Papoutsis D, Rodolakis A, Mesogitis S, Sotiropoulou M, Antsaklis A. Regeneration of uterine cervix at 6 months after large loop excision of the transformation zone for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia. BJOG 2012;119:678–684.

Objective  To sonographically investigate cervical regeneration 6 months after large loop excision of the transformation zone (LLETZ) conisation for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) pathology.

Design  Prospective observational study.

Setting  University Hospital setting.

Population  Women having LLETZ conisation for intraepithelial lesions in response to abnormal Papanicolaou smears or colposcopic findings.

Methods  Cervical dimensions were estimated before conisation and at 6 months with three‐dimensional sonography and use of vocal™ software. Cone depth was measured using a ruler before fixation, and cone volume was measured using a volumetric tube and the fluid displacement technique. Cervical regeneration was sonographically estimated.

Main outcome measures  Correlation of cervical volume regeneration with percentage of initial cervical volume excised and remaining cervical tissue immediately after conisation.

Results  A cohort of 112 women were initially recruited over a 2‐year period and 73 women presented for ultrasound follow up at 6 months. Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that for women matched for age and initial cervical volume, if cervical volume excised was increased by 1% then regeneration of tissue deficit at the cervical crater was reduced by 1.37%. There also seemed to be a cutoff point suggesting that when >14% of initial cervical volume was excised, the tissue deficit at the cervical crater at 6 months was restored by <75% and there was >25% of remaining tissue deficit.

Conclusions  Cervical regeneration at 6 months after excision is dependent on the percentage of initial cervical volume excised and on the remaining cervical tissue immediately after conisation. The greater the cone and the less cervical tissue remaining, the less the degree of cervical regeneration achieved.
GLOBAL HEALTH IMPACT: A BASIS FOR LABELING AND LICENSING CAMPAIGNS?
Authors: HASSOUN NICOLE
Published: February 2012

Most of the world's health problems afflict poor countries and their poorest inhabitants. There are many reasons why so many people die of poverty‐related causes. One reason is that the poor cannot access many of the existing drugs and technologies they need. Another, is that little of the research and development (R&D) done on new drugs and technologies benefits the poor. There are several proposals on the table that might incentivize pharmaceutical companies to extend access to essential drugs and technologies to the global poor.1 Still, the problem remains – the poor are suffering and dying from lack of access to essential medicines. So, it is worth considering a new alternative. This paper suggests rating pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies based on how some of their policies impact poor people's health. It argues that it might be possible to leverage a rating system to encourage companies to extend access to essential drugs and technologies to the poor.
How Can Visual Arts Help Doctors Develop Medical Insight?
Authors: Edmonds Kathleen , Hammond Margaret F.
Published: February 2012

This research project examines how using the visual arts can develop medical insight, as part of a pilot programme for two groups of medical students. It was a UK study; a collaboration between Liverpool and Glyndŵ University's and Tate Liverpool's learning team. Tate Liverpool is the home of the National Collection of Modern Arts in the North of England and one of the largest galleries of modern and contemporary art outside London. The project adapted Tate Liverpool's Opening Doors course in devising and piloting a single day programme that engaged students in exploring perception, communication, emotion and narrative. Opening Doors introduces participants to modern and contemporary art and empowers them to work in new ways with groups and individuals.

The exercises used as part of the programme allowed us to observe what connections and interpretations were made, and to discuss with the participants what influenced student choice and decision making in relation to specific works of art.

This article will focus on the use of gallery education to highlight examples of contemporary culture to develop links between art and medicine, alongside the development of transferable skills. The study is of professional interest because it is using a cross‐disciplinary approach, broadening the disciplines involved in teaching medical skills; and could form a model for further cross‐curricular and cross‐discipline work.
The New Conquest History
Authors: Restall Matthew
Published: February 2012

Our understanding and perceptions of the conquest period in Latin American history have been profoundly altered by the scholarship of the past twenty years. The traditional triumphalist narrative of the Spanish Conquest focused heavily on the conquistadors in Mexico and Peru, and emphasized the inevitability and rapidity of military victory, religious conversion (the Spiritual Conquest), and colonization. The revisionist New Conquest History – which emerged in part from a renewed emphasis on archival and paleographic work and in part from the New Philology, a school of scholarship based on the analysis of colonial‐period primary sources in Mesoamerican languages – complicates that narrative by emphasizing multiple protagonists and accounts, new source materials, the roles and interpretations of indigenous and black men and women, and the examination of understudied regions of the Americas.
20th Century Chinese Migration to Italy: The Chinese Diaspora Presence within European International Migration
Authors: Chang Angela
Published: February 2012

International migration is changing the face of Europe, and the rapidly growing presence of the Chinese diaspora in Italy illustrates how longstanding migratory patterns are subject to global socioeconomic changes. Both Italy and China are traditionally points of emigration, but today, there is a unique juncture in the historical experience whereupon one community, the Italians, has become host to the other, the Chinese. Italy, with its promise of new or underdeveloped economic niches and relatively lax immigration policies, has served as a particular draw for Chinese migrants over the last two decades. The following article seeks to present a clearer picture of 20th century Chinese migration to Italy. First, I will establish the present state of immigration in Italy followed by an overview of contemporary Chinese migration to Italy. Second, I will consider the Zhejiangese migration to Europe, including Italy, and the motivations behind these global movements. Third, I will examine the traces of historical influence on the livelihoods of the Chinese residing in Italy today. The development of the Chinese community in Italy touches upon the need to learn from the past as Italy, and Europe, determines how to administer to and integrate the newest members of its society.
Male Anger and Female Malice: Emotions in Indo‐Muslim Advice Literature
Authors: Pernau Margrit
Published: February 2012

This article proceeds in three steps. First it draws out some possibilities for a study of emotions and discusses how advice literature can be used as a source, not only for feeling rules, but also for emotion knowledge, which sets the framework for the possible perception and expression of emotions. Second it places advice literature in early twentieth century India in its historical context, looking notably at the different traditions for giving advice, from which authors drew: moral philosophy, the Sufi tradition and legal sources. Third it focuses on two sermons on anger which one of the most prolific Urdu writers, the reformer and Sufi Ashraf Ali Thanawi, addressed to a male and a female audience respectively.
The nitric oxide pathway – evidence and mechanisms for protection against liver ischaemia reperfusion injury
Authors: Abu‐Amara Mahmoud , Yang Shi Yu , Seifalian Alexander , Davidson Brian , Fuller Barry
Published: February 2012

Ischaemia reperfusion (IR) injury is a clinical entity with a major contribution to the morbidity and mortality of liver surgery and transplantation. A central pathway of protection against IR injury utilizes nitric oxide (NO). Nitric oxide synthase (NOS) enzymes manufacture NO from L‐arginine. NO generated by the endothelial NOS (eNOS) isoform protects against liver IR injury, whereas inducible NOS (iNOS)‐derived NO may have either a protective or a deleterious effect during the early phase of IR injury, depending on the length of ischaemia, length of reperfusion and experimental model. In late phase hepatic IR injury, iNOS‐derived NO plays a protective role. In addition to NOS consumption of L‐arginine during NO synthesis, this amino acid may also be metabolized by arginase, an enzyme whose release is increased during prolonged ischaemia, and therefore diverts L‐arginine away from NOS metabolism leading to a drop in the rate of NO synthesis. NO most commonly acts through the soluble guanylyl cyclase‐cyclic GMP‐ protein kinase G pathway to ameliorate hepatic IR injury. Both endogenously generated and exogenously administered NO donors protect against liver IR injury. The beneficial effects of NO on liver IR are not, however, universal, and certain conditions, such as steatosis, may influence the protective effects of NO. In this review, the evidence for, and mechanisms of these protective actions of NO are discussed, and areas in need of further research are highlighted.
A New Frailty Syndrome: Central Obesity and Frailty in Older Adults with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus
Authors: Shah Krupa , Hilton Tiffany N. , Myers Lauren , Pinto Jonathan F. , Luque Amneris E. , Hall William J.
Published: February 2012

Objectives

To evaluate the relationships between body composition and physical frailty in community‐dwelling older adults with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) (HOA).

Design

Cross‐sectional.

Setting

Academic hospital‐based infectious disease clinic in Rochester, New York.

Participants

Forty community‐dwelling HOA aged 50 and older undergoing antiretroviral therapy who were able to ambulate without assistive devices with a mean age of 58, a mean BMI of 29.0 kg/m2, mean CD4 count of 569 cells/mL, and a mean duration since HIV diagnosis of 17 years; 28% were female and 57% Caucasian.

Measurements

Subjective and objective measures of functional status were evaluated using the Physical Performance Test (PPT), the graded treadmill test, knee strength, gait speed, balance, and the Functional Status Questionnaire (FSQ). Body composition was evaluated using dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry (DXA) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Results

Sixty percent (25/40) of the participants met standard criteria for physical frailty. Frail (FR) and nonfrail (NF) participants were comparable in age, sex, CD4 count, and viral load. FR HOA had greater impairments in PPT, peak oxygen uptake, FSQ, walking speed, balance, and muscle quality than NF HOA. FR HOA had a greater body mass index (BMI), fat mass, and truncal fat with lipodystrophy. Moreover, PPT score was inversely related to trunk fat (correlation coefficient (r) = −0.34; P = .04) and ratio of intermuscular fat to total fat (r = −0.60; P = .02) after adjusting for covariates.

Conclusion

HOA represent an emerging cohort of older adults who frequently experience frailty at a much younger age than the general older population. Central obesity and fat redistribution are important predictors of frailty in community‐dwelling HOA. These findings suggest that physical frailty in HOA may be amenable to lifestyle interventions, especially exercise and diet therapy.