bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A protocol for a pragmatic randomized controlled trial evaluating outcomes of emergency nurse practitioner service
Authors: Jennings Natasha , Gardner Glenn , O'Reilly Gerard
Published: March 2014

Aim

To evaluate emergency nurse practitioner service effectiveness on outcomes related to quality of care and service responsiveness.

Background

Increasing service pressures in the emergency setting have resulted in the adoption of service innovation models; the most common and rapidly expanding of these is the emergency nurse practitioner. The delivery of high quality patient care in the emergency department is one of the most important service indicators to be measured in health services today. The rapid uptake of emergency nurse practitioner service in Australia has outpaced the capacity to evaluate this model in outcomes related to safety and quality of patient care.

Design

Pragmatic randomized controlled trial at one site with 260 participants.

Methods

This protocol describes a definitive prospective randomized controlled trial, which will examine the impact of emergency nurse practitioner service on key patient care and service indicators. The study control will be standard emergency department care. The intervention will be emergency nurse practitioner service. The primary outcome measure is pain score reduction and time to analgesia. Secondary outcome measures are waiting time, number of patients who did not wait, length of stay in the emergency department and representations within 48 hours.

Discussion

Scant research enquiry evaluating emergency nurse practitioner service on patient effectiveness and service responsiveness exists currently. This study is a unique trial that will test the effectiveness of the emergency nurse practitioner service on patients who present to the emergency department with pain. The research will provide an opportunity to further evaluate emergency nurse practitioner models of care and build research capacity into the workforce.
Combining experimental evolution and field population assays to study the evolution of host range breadth
Authors: Fellous S. , Angot G. , Orsucci M. , Migeon A. , Auger P. , Olivieri I. , Navajas M.
Published: April 2014

Adapting to specific hosts often involves trade‐offs that limit performance on other hosts. These constraints may either lead to narrow host ranges (i.e. specialists, able to exploit only one host type) or wide host ranges often leading to lower performance on each host (i.e. generalists). Here, we combined laboratory experiments on field populations with experimental evolution to investigate the impact of adaptation to the host on host range evolution and associated performance over this range. We used the two‐spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae, a model organism for studies on the evolution of specialization. Field mite populations were sampled on three host plant species: tomato, citrus tree and rosebay (Nerium oleander). Testing these populations in the laboratory revealed that tomato populations of mites could exploit tomato only, citrus populations could exploit citrus and tomato whereas Nerium populations could exploit all three hosts. Besides, the wider niche ranges of citrus and Nerium populations came at the cost of low performance on their non‐native hosts. Experimental lines selected to live on the same three host species exhibited similar patterns of host range and relative performance. This result suggests that adaptation to a new host species may lead to wider host ranges but at the expense of decreased performance on other hosts. We conclude that experimental evolution may reliably inform on evolution in the field.
Why patients have a moral obligation to give care to clinicians
Authors: Buetow Stephen
Published: April 2014

Progress is being made in transitioning from clinicians who are torn between caring for patients and populations, to clinicians who are partnering with patients to care for patients as people. However, the focus is still on what patients and others can do for patients, however defined. For clinicians whose interests must be similarly respected for their own sake and because they are integrally related to those of patients, what can and should patients do? Patients can be exempted from some normal social roles but are generally recognized to have moral obligations in health care. One of these obligations is caregiving to clinicians within the limits of each patient's capability. My paper moves this obligation beyond the ceremonial order of etiquette characterizing public statements on how patients should relate to others. It goes beyond a patient‐centred ethic that is consumerist in nature, to a person‐centred one that recognizes patients typically as moral agents who are dignified by recognizing the obligation to give as well as receive care as sincere benevolence. This obligation derives objective justification from divine command. It is also consistent, however, both with what people, if ignorant of their social role, would objectively produce for a hypothetical social contract, and with virtues constitutive of human nature and a relational and communitarian understanding of what it is to be a person. Including sentiment (intuition) and personal conscience, this relational identity makes caregiving intrinsically meaningful, yet caregiving also has an instrumental value to patients and clinicians. Its self‐enforcement by patients will depend on their moral code and on society making caregiving achievable for them. A moral obligation for patient caregiving may then be specified to require patients to reflect on and invest in relationships in which they can feel and show care for others sincerely and respectfully.
Repeatability of movement behaviour in a wild salmonid revealed by telemetry
Authors: Taylor M. K. , Cooke S. J.
Published: April 2014

Movement estimates derived from sub‐daily tracking of radio‐tagged bull trout Salvelinus confluentus on the Columbia River, British Columbia, Canada, were used to test whether interindividual variation in behaviour was repeatable among contexts, both short‐ and long‐term. Interindividual variation in S. confluentus behaviour was consistent across contexts. These findings emphasize the potential for telemetry as a tool in animal personality and temperament research.
Short‐term evaluation of visible implant alpha tags in juveniles of three fish species under laboratory conditions
Authors: Turek K. C. , Pegg M. A. , Pope K. L.
Published: April 2014

Visible implant alpha (VI alpha) tag‐induced changes in mortality and condition, as well as tag retention and readability, were examined during a 4‐week period for juveniles of three fish species: tiger muskellunge Esox masquinongy × Esox lucius (91 ± 7 mm total length, LT, mean ± s.d.), Snake River cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus clarki behnkei (84 ± 8 mm) and rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss (85 ± 5 mm). Mortality and condition did not differ between tagged fish and control fish for any species and overall tag retention rates were high (92% for E. masquinongy × E. lucius, 91% for O. c. behnkei and 100% for O. mykiss). Short‐term readability of VI alpha tags was low in juvenile E. masquinongy × E. lucius and juvenile O. c. behnkei. Therefore, it is not recommend to use VI alpha tags in juvenile E. masquinongy × E. lucius or juvenile O. c. behnkei for periods >2 weeks, but VI alpha tags seem to be suitable for juvenile O. mykiss for a period of at least 4 weeks.
Quantitative evaluation of boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) drugs for boron delivery and retention at subcellular‐scale resolution in human glioblastoma cells with imaging secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS)
Authors: CHANDRA S. , AHMAD T. , BARTH R. F. , KABALKA G. W.
Published: March 2014

Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) of cancer depends on the selective delivery of a sufficient number of boron‐10 (10B) atoms to individual tumour cells. Cell killing results from the 10B (n, α)7Li neutron capture and fission reactions that occur if a sufficient number of 10B atoms are localized in the tumour cells. Intranuclear 10B localization enhances the efficiency of cell killing via damage to the DNA. The net cellular content of 10B atoms reflects both bound and free pools of boron in individual tumour cells. The assessment of these pools, delivered by a boron delivery agent, currently cannot be made at subcellular‐scale resolution by clinically applicable techniques such as positron emission tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. In this study, a secondary ion mass spectrometry based imaging instrument, a CAMECA IMS 3f ion microscope, capable of 500 nm spatial resolution was employed. Cryogenically prepared cultured human T98G glioblastoma cells were evaluated for boron uptake and retention of two delivery agents. The first, L‐p‐boronophenylalanine (BPA), has been used clinically for BNCT of high‐grade gliomas, recurrent tumours of the head and neck region and melanomas. The second, a boron analogue of an unnatural amino acid, 1‐amino‐3‐borono‐cyclopentanecarboxylic acid (cis‐ABCPC), has been studied in rodent glioma and melanoma models by quantification of boron in the nucleus and cytoplasm of individual tumour cells. The bound and free pools of boron were assessed by exposure of cells to boron‐free nutrient medium. Both BPA and cis‐ABCPC delivered almost 70% of the pool of boron in the free or loosely bound form to the nucleus and cytoplasm of human glioblastoma cells. This free pool of boron could be easily mobilized out of the cell and was in some sort of equilibrium with extracellular boron. In the case of BPA, the intracellular free pool of boron also was affected by the presence of phenylalanine in the nutrient medium. This suggests that it might be advantageous if patients were placed on a low phenylalanine diet prior to the initiation of BNCT. Since BPA currently is used clinically for BNCT, our observations may have direct relevance to future clinical studies utilizing this agent and provides support for individualized treatment planning regimens rather than the use of fixed BPA infusion protocols.
Flexible feeding kinematics of a tropical carnivorous anuran tadpole
Authors: de Sousa V. T. T. , Nomura F. , Venesky M. D. , Rossa‐Feres D. C. , Pezzuti T. L. , Andrade G. V. , Wassersug R. J.
Published: April 2014

Leptodactylus labyrinthicus tadpoles are known predators of anuran eggs and hatchlings, but they are also able to filter‐feed in the water column and scrape food off of firm substrates. We evaluated and compared these alternative feeding behaviors in relation to feeding kinematics and the shape of the mouth with high‐speed digital imaging. We tested the hypotheses that (1) L. labyrinthicus tadpoles use functionally different feeding kinematics when feeding on alternative food sources and (2) that the jaw sheaths of L. labyrinthicus tadpoles deform less during filter‐feeding and substrate grazing compared with more common tadpoles not so specialized for macrophagous carnivory. Our results show that filtering and scraping feeding behaviors differ significantly in both kinematics and shape of the mouth. During filter‐feeding, tadpoles display longer gape cycles and attain a narrower maximum gape earlier in the cycle compared with substrate grazing. Jaw deformation during opening and closing phases of the gape cycle is more pronounced during grazing on firm substrates. This deformation contributes to the achievement of a wider maximum gape during feeding. These differences appear to reflect behavioral adjustments by the tadpoles to maximize food intake. Feeding in tadpoles of L. labyrinthicus is not restrained by their typical carnivorous morphology. On the contrary, L. labyrinthicus tadpoles seem to be opportunistic feeders able to obtain nutrients from a variety of food sources by using different feeding strategies.
Clarifying the relationship between torpor and anthropogenic extinction risk in mammals
Authors: Hanna E. , Cardillo M.
Published: April 2014

The ability to undertake torpor has been linked with human‐mediated extinction risk in mammals, but whether torpor serves to elevate or decrease extinction risk, and the mechanism by which it does so, remain controversial. We attempt to clarify the torpor – extinction risk association in a phylogenetic comparative analysis of 284Australian mammal species. We show that the association is strongly mediated by body size. When body mass is included as a covariate, regression models show a negative association between the ability to undertake torpor and current threat status. This association is present in two categories of mammal species likely to be at particular risk from introduced predators (medium‐sized species and species listed as threatened by predation in theInternationalUnion forConservation ofNatureRedList), but there is no association among species not in these categories. This suggests that torpor reduces vulnerability to predators, perhaps by limiting the amount of time spent foraging. However, the association between torpor and extinction risk is also stronger in smaller species, which are more likely to benefit from a reduced energy budget inAustralia's low‐productivity and unpredictable environment. We conclude that the ability to undertake torpor is clearly an advantage to mammal species in coping with human impacts, and that this advantage is conferred through a combination of reduced exposure to predators and reduced energy requirements.
Lawyers for God and Neighbor: The Emergence of “Law as a Calling” as a Mobilizing Frame for Christian Lawyers
Authors: Wilson Joshua C. , Hollis‐Brusky Amanda
Published: March 2014

Drawing on movement framing, collective identity, and mobilization scholarship, this article examines the emergence and potential effects of framing “law as a calling” for the Christian Lawyering community. The article finds that the term should have strong resonance and salience in the broader Christian community. It also finds that because of its interpretive malleability, “law as a calling” has been discussed and actualized in three related, but distinct, ways. That is, “law as a calling” has been conceptualized as requiring Christian Lawyers toturn inward, turn outward by pursuing social justice, andturn outward as a culture warrior. The article argues that while the different interpretations of “law as a calling” address a range of needs required to mobilize potential and existing Christian L/lawyers, the different ideological factions of self‐identifying Christian Lawyers emphasize different understandings of “law as a calling.”
Transcriptome population genomics reveals severe bottleneck and domestication cost in the African rice (Oryza glaberrima)
Authors: Nabholz Benoit , Sarah Gautier , Sabot François , Ruiz Manuel , Adam Hélène , Nidelet Sabine , Ghesquière Alain , Santoni Sylvain , David Jacques , Glémin Sylvain
Published: March 2014

The African cultivated rice (Oryza glaberrima) was domesticated in West Africa 3000 years ago. Although less cultivated than the Asian rice (O. sativa), O. glaberrima landraces often display interesting adaptation to rustic environment (e.g. drought). Here, using RNA‐seq technology, we were able to compare more than 12 000 transcripts between 9 O. glaberrima, 10 wild O. barthii and one O. meridionalis individuals. With a synonymous nucleotide diversity πs = 0.0006 per site, O. glaberrima appears as the least genetically diverse crop grass ever documented. Using approximate Bayesian computation, we estimated that O. glaberrima experienced a severe bottleneck during domestication. This demographic scenario almost fully accounts for the pattern of genetic diversity across O. glaberrima genome as we detected very few outliers regions where positive selection may have further impacted genetic diversity. Moreover, the large excess of derived nonsynonymous substitution that we detected suggests that the O. glaberrima population suffered from the ‘cost of domestication’. In addition, we used this genome‐scale data set to demonstrate that (i) O. barthii genetic diversity is positively correlated with recombination rate and negatively with gene density, (ii) expression level is negatively correlated with evolutionary constraint, and (iii) one region on chromosome 5 (position 4–6 Mb) exhibits a clear signature of introgression with a yet unidentified Oryza species. This work represents the first genome‐wide survey of the African rice genetic diversity and paves the way for further comparison between the African and the Asian rice, notably regarding the genetics underlying domestication traits.
The mannose‐binding lectin gene FaMBL1 is involved in the resistance of unripe strawberry fruits to Colletotrichum acutatum
Authors: Guidarelli Michela , Zoli Lisa , Orlandini Alessandro , Bertolini Paolo , Baraldi Elena
Published: April 2014

The fungal pathogen Colletotrichum acutatum is the causal agent of strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) anthracnose. Although the fungus can infect strawberry fruits at both unripe and ripe stages, the symptoms appear only on red ripe fruits. On white unripe fruits, the pathogen becomes quiescent as melanized appressoria after 24 h of interaction. Previous transcriptome analysis has indicated that a mannose‐binding lectin (MBL) gene is the most up‐regulated gene in 24‐h‐infected white strawberries, suggesting a role for this gene in the low susceptibility of unripe stages. A time course analysis of the expression of this MBL gene, named FaMBL1 (Fragaria × ananassa MBL 1a), was undertaken to monitor its expression profile in white and red fruits at early interaction times: FaMBL1 was expressed exclusively in white fruit after 24 h, when the pathogen was quiescent. Agrobacterium‐mediated transient transformation was used to silence and overexpress the FaMBL1 gene in 24‐h‐infected white and red strawberries, respectively. FaMBL1‐silenced unripe fruits showed an increase in susceptibility to C. acutatum. These 24‐h‐infected tissues contained subcuticular hyphae, indicating pathogen penetration and active growth. In contrast, overexpression of FaMBL1 in ripe fruits decreased susceptibility; here, 24‐h‐infected tissues showed a high percentage of ungerminated appressoria, suggesting that the growth of the pathogen had slowed. These data suggest that FaMBL1 plays a crucial role in the resistance of unripe strawberry fruits to C. acutatum.
Surgical reconstruction of a maxilla after tumour resection with a heterologous equine bone block created with CAD/CAM procedure: a case report
Authors: Pistilli R. , Checchi V. , Nisii A. , Marcelli V. , Felice P.
Published: April 2014

This case report describes a successful post‐tumour surgical reconstruction of a complete maxilla resection in a 62‐year‐old man, using an equine bone block [pre‐shaped using computer aided design/computer aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) procedure] as grafting material. Computerised tomographic scans taken 5 months after the reconstructive surgery showed good reconstruction and dimensional augmentation of the lost bone. One year after surgery, the patient showed a great improvement in the emergence profile of the middle part of the face. The use of an equine bone block, pre‐shaped using CAD/CAM system, for alveolar ridge reconstruction, seems to be a valuable alternative to autograft. This technique could significantly shorten the actual surgical procedure for the patient and may result in a better fit of the graft than chair‐side preparation may allow.
Lack of bone healing: an unusual complication following surgically assisted rapid palatal expansion
Authors: de Oliveira T.F.M. , Santos‐Pinto A. , Gabrielli M.F.R. , Pereira Filho V.A.
Published: April 2014

Bone defects at interdental osteotomy sites are as a complication of surgically assisted rapid palatal expansion (SARPE). The replacement of osseous tissue by fibrous connective tissue impairs the spontaneous closure of a diastema between central incisors, and orthodontic tooth movement through the defect area may lead to root resorption. Treatment of such a situation requires an orthodontic‐surgical approach. In this report, we describe the lack of bone healing at the midline osteotomy site after SARPE, which was treated by autogenous bone grafting as assessed by cone beam computed tomography. In addition, we discuss factors related to the aetiology and treatment of a bone defect after SARPE.
Mutual Priority and Aid Effectiveness: Is South Korea a Major Donor to its Major Recipients?
Authors: Oh Jinhwan
Published: April 2014

If donor and recipient countries act with mutual priority with regard to official development assistance (ODA), the recipient can manage the ODA with less transaction cost and the donor can pay extra attention to its recipient with more responsibility for development. For example, the United States and Japan used to be South Korea's primary donors and South Korea used to be their primary recipient, as well. This could be a factor explaining the effectiveness of aid that South Korea had received in the past. However, this mutual priority is not observed when South Korea is disbursing its ODA as a donor. Policies of providing more ODA to stronger commercial ties as well as the current international trend of donor proliferation and recipient fragmentation may explain this.
Human Umbilical Cord Blood‐Derived Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Display a Novel Interaction between P‐Selectin and Galectin‐1
Authors: Suila H. , Hirvonen T. , Kotovuori A. , Ritamo I. , Kerkelä E. , Anderson H. , Natunen S. , Tuimala J. , Laitinen S. , Nystedt J. , Räbinä J. , Valmu L.
Published: March 2014

Human multipotent mesenchymal stromal/stem cells (MSCs) have been shown to exert immunomodulatory properties that have great potential in therapies for various inflammatory and autoimmune disorders. However, intravenous delivery of these cells is followed by massive cell entrapment in the lungs and insufficient homing to target tissues or organs. In targeting to tissues, MSCs and other therapeutic cells employ similar mechanisms as leucocytes, including a cascade of rolling and adhesion steps mediated by selectins, integrins and their ligands. However, the mechanisms of MSCs homing are not well understood. We discovered that P‐selectin (CD62P) binds to umbilical cord blood (UCB)‐derived MSCs independently of the previously known sialyl Lewis x (sLex)‐containing ligands such as P‐selectin glycoprotein ligand‐1 (PSGL‐1, CD162). By biochemical assays, we identified galectin‐1 as a novel ligand for P‐selectin. Galectin‐1 has previously been shown to be a key mediator of the immunosuppressive effects of human MSCs. We conclude that this novel interaction is likely to play a major role in the immunomodulatory targeting of human UCB‐derived MSCs.
Spatial diversity in small‐scale fishing: A socio‐cultural interpretation of the Nile perch sector on Lake Victoria, Uganda
Authors: Beuving Joost
Published: March 2014

This paper discusses spatial patterns in small‐scale fishing in Africa. It is located in Lake Victoria where since the 1990s a vibrant Nile perch fishing for overseas export developed. Focusing on a very small area in the Ugandan part of the lake, the paper uncovers a larger diversity in fishermen's responses to the dynamic environment of the Nile perch sector than a widely adopted generic model predicts. To understand this better, the paper looks at the social practices of Nile perch fishermen, uncovering the operation of different, spatially situated, fishing styles. These styles structure the social relations that the fishermen mobilise, the symbolic meanings they attach to their gear, and the values that inspire their decision‐making. By thus looking at socio‐cultural factors the paper hopes to contribute to an emerging spatial perspective on small‐scale fishing in Africa that begins with an interest in actual social practice.
Prognostic value of echocardiographic and Doppler parameters in horses admitted for colic complicated by systemic inflammatory response syndrome
Authors: Borde Laura , Amory Hélène , Grulke Sigrid , Leroux Aurélia A. , Houben Rosa M. , Detilleux Johanne , Sandersen Charlotte C.
Published: April 2014

Objective

To assess the prognostic value of echocardiographic parameters of left ventricular (LV) function in horses with systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS).

Design

Prospective observational study.

Setting

Veterinary teaching hospital.

Animals

Forty‐one horses admitted for colic with clinical evidence of SIRS.

Interventions

All horses underwent Doppler echocardiographic examination on admission. LV echocardiographic parameters, including pulsed‐wave tissue Doppler imaging parameters, were compared between nonsurvivors (n = 29) and horses that survived to discharge (n = 12).

Measurements and Main Results

With comparable heart rate and LV preload estimate, LV stroke volume index, the velocity time integral, deceleration time, ejection time of Doppler aortic flow, and peak early diastolic myocardial velocity were lower in the nonsurviving than in the surviving horses, while pre‐ejection period to ejection time ratio (PEP/ET) of Doppler aortic flow and the peak early diastolic filling velocity to peak early diastolic myocardial velocity ratio (E/Em) were higher (P < 0.05). A cut‐off value of 0.26 for PEP/ET predicted mortality with 100% sensitivity and 42% specificity (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve: 0.71), whereas a cut‐off value of 2.67 for E/Em predicted mortality with 100% sensitivity and 83% specificity (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve: 0.89).

Conclusions

Echocardiography may provide prognostic information in colic horses with clinical evidence of SIRS. Especially, PEP/ET and E/Em could be useful markers of systolic and diastolic dysfunction, respectively, to detect horses with a high risk of death requiring more intensive cardiovascular monitoring as it has been reported in human patients with septic shock.
Decreased postoperative C‐reactive protein production in dogs with pyometra through the use of low‐dose ketamine
Authors: Liao Pei‐Yu , Chang Shi‐Chieh , Chen Kuan‐Sheng , Wang Hsien‐Chi
Published: April 2014

Objective

To determine the effects of subanesthetic ketamine in dogs with pyometra on C‐reactive protein (CRP) concentrations following surgery.

Design

Prospective, nonconcealed, alternating allocation controlled trial.

Setting

Veterinary teaching hospital.

Animals

Sixteen dogs diagnosed with pyometra.

Interventions

The tentative diagnosis of canine pyometra was based on compatible history, physical examination findings, ultrasonographic findings, and hematological evaluation. Two different anesthesia and analgesic protocols with and without low‐dose ketamine were used during and following ovariohysterectomy in 16 female dogs (n = 8 per group) that were diagnosed with naturally occurring pyometra. Dogs were sequentially allocated to treatment groups in an alternating fashion without concealment. Serum was collected before, 24, and 48 hours after surgery for CRP measurement.

Measurements and main results

Perioperative physical parameters in the 2 groups of dogs were similar. The serum concentrations of CRP in both groups were essentially the same before surgery, but significantly increased in the control group and decreased in ketamine group at 48 hours after surgery.

Conclusions

Low‐dose ketamine attenuated the postoperative concentration of serum CRP in dogs with pyometra compared with dogs that did not receive ketamine in the perioperative period. Further studies are warranted to determine the clinical implications of these findings.
Molecular phylogenetics of mouse opossums: new findings on the phylogeny ofThylamys(Didelphimorphia, Didelphidae)
Authors: Palma R. Eduardo , Boric‐Bargetto Dusan , Jayat J. Pablo , Flores David A. , Zeballos Horacio , Pacheco Víctor , Cancino Ricardo A. , Alfaro Fernando D. , Rodríguez‐Serrano Enrique , Pardiñas Ulyses F. J.
Published: April 2014

The mouse opossums of the genusThylamysconstitute a group of species mainly adapted to open xeric‐like habitats and restricted to the southern portion of South America. We used molecular data (mitochondrial and nuclear sequences) to evaluate the phylogenetic and biogeographical relationships of all currently known living species of the genus, recognizing a new taxon from the middle and high elevations of the Peruvian Andes and evaluating the phylogenetic structuring withinT. pallidiorandT. elegans, as well as the validity ofT. sponsorius,T. cinderellaandT. tatei, and the haplogroups recognized withinT. pusillus. Our results confirm the monophyly of the genus and that the Caatinga and the Cerrado inhabitantsThylamys karimiiandT. velutinusare the most basal species in the radiation ofThylamys. We also calibrated a molecular clock which hypothesized a time of origin of the genus of about 24 My, with most species differentiating in middle and late Miocene and Plio‐Pleistocene times of South America.
Smooth muscle BK channel activity influences blood pressure independent of vascular tone in mice
Authors: Sachse Gregor , Faulhaber Jörg , Seniuk Anika , Ehmke Heimo , Pongs Olaf
Published: April 2014

Key points

Large conductance voltage‐ and Ca2+‐activated K+ channels (BK channels) require the ancillary subunit BKβ1 for normal function in smooth muscle, renal and adrenal tissues.

BK channels influence vascular tone and blood pressure in mice, and a gain‐of‐function BKβ1 polymorphism has been associated with low prevalence of diastolic hypertension in human population studies.

In this study, we genetically removed the BKβ1 gene in three different strains of mice and then restored BKβ1 expression selectively in smooth muscle to determine its tissue‐specific contribution to blood pressure.

We show that loss of BKβ1 in smooth muscle cells robustly increases vascular tone, but blood pressure of mice lacking BKβ1 was increased, unaltered or decreased depending on the genetic background.

The results clarify the contested view that BK channel activity influences blood pressure by setting vascular tone and they shed light on the relative contribution of vascular and renal/adrenal BK channel activity to blood pressure levels.

The large conductance voltage‐ and Ca2+‐activated K+ (BK) channel is an important determinant of vascular tone and contributes to blood pressure regulation. Both activities depend on the ancillary BKβ1 subunit. To determine the significance of smooth muscle BK channel activity for blood pressure regulation, we investigated the potential link between changes in arterial tone and altered blood pressure in BKβ1 knockout (BKβ1−/−) mice from three different genetically defined strains. While vascular tone was consistently increased in all BKβ1−/− mice independent of genetic background, BKβ1−/− strains exhibited increased (strain A), unaltered (strain B) or decreased (strain C) mean arterial blood pressures compared to their corresponding BKβ1+/+ controls. In agreement with previous data on aldosterone regulation by renal/adrenal BK channel function, BKβ1−/− strain A mice have increased plasma aldosterone and increased blood pressure. Consistently, blockade of mineralocorticoid receptors by spironolactone treatment reversibly restored the elevated blood pressure to the BKβ1+/+ strain A level. In contrast, loss of BKβ1 did not affect plasma aldosterone in strain C mice. Smooth muscle‐restricted restoration of BKβ1 expression increased blood pressure in BKβ1−/− strain C mice, implying that impaired smooth muscle BK channel activity lowers blood pressure in these animals. We conclude that BK channel activity directly affects vascular tone but influences blood pressure independent of this effect via different pathways.
Co-Design of an Active Suspension Using Simultaneous Dynamic Optimization
Authors: Allison James T. , Guo Tinghao , Han Zhi
Published: April 2014

Design of physical systems and associated control systems are coupled tasks; design methods that manage this interaction explicitly can produce system-optimal designs, whereas conventional sequential processes may not. Here, we explore a new technique for combined physical and control system design (co-design) based on a simultaneous dynamic optimization approach known as direct transcription, which transforms infinite-dimensional control design problems into finite-dimensional nonlinear programming problems. While direct transcription problem dimension is often large, sparse problem structures and fine-grained parallelism (among other advantageous properties) can be exploited to yield computationally efficient implementations. Extension of direct transcription to co-design gives rise to new problem structures and new challenges. Here, we illustrate direct transcription for co-design using a new automotive active suspension design example developed specifically for testing co-design methods. This example builds on prior active suspension problems by incorporating a more realistic physical design component that includes independent design variables and a broad set of physical design constraints, while maintaining linearity of the associated differential equations. A simultaneous co-design approach was implemented using direct transcription, and numerical results were compared with conventional sequential optimization. The simultaneous optimization approach achieves better performance than sequential design across a range of design studies. The dynamics of the active system were analyzed with varied level of control authority to investigate how dynamic systems should be designed differently when active control is introduced.
The Canterbury Earthquakes and the Production of Reality in When a City Falls
Authors: Fisher Kevin B.
Published: March 2014

The documentary When a City Falls (2011), directed by Gerard Smyth, promotes itself as “the people’s story”1 of the Canterbury earthquakes. Constructed almost entirely from amateur video, CCTV, and the director’s own handheld footage, the film creates a startling impression of the earthquakes, aftershocks, and aftermath in their spontaneity and lived immediacy. However, in the following analysis I will problematize the film’s construction of reality and community within the context of Melanie Klein’s critique of “disaster capitalism” and Jean Baudrillard’s analysis of the operation of disaster and moving images in staging reality within a post-9/11 environment characterized by an accelerated devaluation of the sign.
Upheaval: seismic, social and media mash-ups after the Christchurch earthquakes
Authors: Austrin Terry , Farnsworth John
Published: March 2014

What does such a quote have to do with the devastation, trauma and ongoing struggle in suburb after suburb of Christchurch’s earthquake-damaged city or with its expression in numerous private and public media spaces? How does it address the issues of rebuilding and regeneration faced by its citizens? This, more than two years after the first major shock, when they are still facing constantly unstable, changing circumstances, including the shaking ground beneath them?
Precision plasma etching of Si, Ge, and Ge:P by SF6 with added O2
Authors: Wongwanitwattana Chalermwat , Shah Vishal A. , Myronov Maksym , Parker Evan H. C. , Whall Terry , Leadley David R.
Published: April 2014

The impact of the O2 content in SF6-O2 gas mixtures on the etch rate and sidewall profile of silicon (Si), germanium (Ge), and phosphorous doped germanium (Ge:P) in reactive ion etching has been studied. The characteristics of etch rate and sidewall profile are greatly affected by the O2 content. Below 50% of O2 content, a large variation in Ge etch rates is found compared to that of Si, but for O2 content above 50% the etch rates follow relatively the same trend. Lightly doped Ge shows the highest etch rate at a O2 concentration up to 20%. Sidewall angles range from a minimum of 80° to a maximum of 166°, with O2 concentration of 20% yielding perfect anisotropic mesa etch. Also at this O2 concentration, reasonable Si/Ge selectivity is possible. These observations indicate that by adjusting the O2 concentration, precision plasma etching of Si, Ge, and Ge:P is possible.
Self-Affirmation Promotes Physical Activity
Authors: Cooke Richard , Trebaczyk Helena , Harris Peter , Wright Alison J.
Published: March 2014

The present study tests whether a self-affirmation intervention (i.e., requiring an individual to focus on a valued aspect of their self-concept, such as honesty) can increase physical activity and change theory of planned behavior (TPB) variables linked to physical activity. Eighty young people completed a longitudinal intervention study. Baseline physical activity was assessed using the Godin Leisure-Time Physical Activity Questionnaire (LTPAQ). Next, participants were randomly allocated to either a self-affirmation or a nonaffirmation condition. Participants then read information about physical activity and health, and completed measures of TPB variables. One week later, participants again completed LTPAQ and TPB items. At follow up, self-affirmed participants reported significantly more physical activity, more positive attitudes toward physical activity, and higher intentions to be physically active compared with nonaffirmed participants. Neither attitudes nor intentions mediated the effects of self-affirmation on physical activity. Self-affirmation can increase levels of physical activity and TPB variables. Self-affirmation interventions have the potential to become relatively simple methods for increasing physical activity levels.
The ARSQ: The Athletes’ Received Support Questionnaire
Authors: Freeman Paul , Coffee Pete , Moll Tjerk , Rees Tim , Sammy Nadine
Published: March 2014

To address calls for context-specific measurement of social support, this article reports the development of the Athletes’ Received Support Questionnaire (ARSQ) and demonstrates initial evidence for its validity. Across four studies there was support for a four-dimensional structure reflecting emotional, esteem, informational, and tangible received support. There was also support for unidimensional and higher-order models. Further, Study 3 provided some support for convergent validity, with significant correlations between the corresponding dimensions of the ARSQ and the Inventory of Socially Supportive Behaviors. Study 4 provided evidence for the nomological validity of the ARSQ. Emotional and esteem support significantly predicted self-confidence and positive affect, and tangible support significantly moderated the relationship between stress and negative affect. Collectively, these results provide initial evidence for the validity of the ARSQ, and offer researchers flexibility to adopt either a multidimensional or aggregated approach to measuring received support.
Exploring Self-Compassion and Eudaimonic Well-Being in Young Women Athletes
Authors: Ferguson Leah J. , Kowalski Kent C. , Mack Diane E. , Sabiston Catherine M.
Published: March 2014

Using a mixed methods research design, we explored self-compassion and eudaimonic well-being in young women athletes. In a quantitative study (n = 83), we found that self-compassion and eudaimonic well-being were positively related (r = .76, p < .01). A model of multiple mediation was proposed, with self-compassion, passivity, responsibility, initiative, and self-determination accounting for 83% of the variance in eudaimonic well-being. In a qualitative study (n = 11), we explored when and how self-compassion might be useful in striving to reach one’s potential in sport. Self-compassion was described as advantageous in difficult sport-specific situations by increasing positivity, perseverance, and responsibility, as well as decreasing rumination. Apprehensions about fully embracing a self-compassionate mindset in sport warrant additional research to explore the seemingly paradoxical role of self-compassion in eudaimonic well-being.
Daily Satisfaction With Life Is Regulated by Both Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior
Authors: Maher Jaclyn P. , Doerksen Shawna E. , Elavsky Steriani , Conroy David E.
Published: March 2014

Recent research revealed that on days when college students engage in more physical activity than is typical for them, they also experience greater satisfaction with life (SWL). That work relied on self-reported physical activity and did not differentiate between low levels of physical activity and sedentary behavior. This study was designed to (1) determine if the association between self-reported physical activity and SWL would exist when physical activity was monitored objectively and (2) examine the between- and within-person associations among physical activity, sedentary behavior, and SWL. During a 14-day ecological momentary assessment study, college students (N = 128) wore an accelerometer to objectively measure physical activity and sedentary behavior, and they self-reported their physical activity, sedentary behavior, and SWL at the end of each day. Physical activity and sedentary behavior had additive, within-person associations with SWL across self-reported and objective-measures of behavior. Strategies to promote daily well-being should encourage college students to incorporate greater amounts of physical activity as well as limit their sedentary behavior.
Abnormal Weight Gain and Gut Microbiota Modifications Are Side Effects of Long-Term Doxycycline and Hydroxychloroquine Treatment
Authors: Angelakis Emmanouil , Million Matthieu , Kankoe Sallah , Lagier Jean-Christophe , Armougom Fabrice , Giorgi Roch , Raoult Didier
Published: April 2014

Doxycycline has been proposed for the treatment of malnourished children in developing countries, and its use has been associated with weight gain in healthy volunteers. No previous studies have assessed abnormal weight gain as a putative side effect of long-term doxycycline treatment; thus, the objective of the present study was to characterize this phenomenon. We also analyzed the role of the gut microbiota in this effect. We assessed changes in the body mass index in Q fever endocarditis patients treated with doxycycline and hydroxychloroquine and healthy individuals with no antibiotic treatment. Abnormal weight gain was defined as a gain in weight above that of the controls. The fecal samples were examined using molecular assays for
Methanobrevibacter smithii
,
Bacteroidetes
,
Firmicutes
,
Escherichia coli
,
Lactobacillus
,
Lactobacillus reuteri
, and total bacterial concentrations. We examined 82 patients, including 48 patients with Q fever endocarditis and 34 controls. Approximately 23% of the treated patients showed abnormal weight gain (
P
= 0.001). Patients treated with doxycycline and hydroxychloroquine presented significantly lower concentrations of
Bacteroidetes
(
P
= 0.002),
Firmicutes
(
P
= 0.01), and
Lactobacillus
(
P
= 0.02). The linear regression analysis revealed that the duration of treatment was significantly associated with a decrease in
Bacteroidetes
(
P
= 0.0001),
Firmicutes
(
P
= 0.002), and total bacteria (
P
< 0.00001). Abnormal weight gain is a side effect of long-term doxycycline and hydroxychloroquine treatment. Gut microbiota modifications at the phylum level could play an instrumental role in this effect. We highlight the need for specific nutritional care in patients undergoing long-term antibiotic treatment, particularly treatment involving the use of doxycycline.
Correlation between Plasma, Intracellular, and Cervical Tissue Levels of Raltegravir at Steady-State Dosing in Healthy Women
Authors: Mitchell Caroline , Roemer Emily , Nkwopara Evangelyn , Robbins Brian , Cory Theodore , Rue Tessa , Fletcher Courtney V. , Frenkel Lisa
Published: April 2014

Raltegravir is an antiretroviral with potential value for preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) against HIV, but the intracellular pharmacokinetics in genital tissue have not been described. In this study, healthy, HIV-uninfected nonpregnant women took 400 mg of raltegravir twice daily for 22 days. On day 8, 15, and 22, blood was collected 0, 4, 6, 8, and 12 h and cervical biopsy specimens taken 0, 6, and 12 h after raltegravir dosing. Plasma and intracellular raltegravir concentrations in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and cervical tissue were measured by tandem mass spectrometry. Linear mixed effects models evaluated correlations between different sample types, as well as differences in concentration between phases of the menstrual cycle. Ten women were enrolled: 9 completed all three visits and 1 completed two visits. The age (mean ± standard deviation) of participants was 30 ± 8 years. Trough plasma concentrations of raltegravir 12 h after a directly observed dose were above the HIV 95% inhibitory concentration (IC
95
) of 33 nM (14.6 ng/ml) in 96% of measurements, compared to 67% of PBMC and 89% of cervical tissue trough values. Across all measurements, only 2% (3/135) of plasma values fell below the IC
95
, compared to 10% (13/135) for PBMC and 6% (5/81) for cervical tissue. There was no impact of menstrual phase on raltegravir concentrations. In conclusion, cervical tissue raltegravir concentrations were no greater than plasma concentrations, and ∼10% of all cervical tissue trough values were below the IC
95
, making the current twice-daily formulation of raltegravir impractical for PrEP.
Pharmacokinetic Interactions between Primaquine and Chloroquine
Authors: Pukrittayakamee Sasithon , Tarning Joel , Jittamala Podjanee , Charunwatthana Prakaykaew , Lawpoolsri Saranath , Lee Sue J. , Hanpithakpong Warunee , Hanboonkunupakarn Borimas , Day Nicholas P. J. , Ashley Elizabeth A. , White Nicholas J.
Published: April 2014

Chloroquine combined with primaquine has been the standard radical curative regimen for
Plasmodium vivax
and
Plasmodium ovale
malaria for over half a century. In an open-label crossover pharmacokinetic study, 16 healthy volunteers (4 males and 12 females) aged 20 to 47 years were randomized into two groups of three sequential hospital admissions to receive a single oral dose of 30 mg (base) primaquine, 600 mg (base) chloroquine, and the two drugs together. The coadministration of the two drugs did not affect chloroquine or desethylchloroquine pharmacokinetics but increased plasma primaquine concentrations significantly (
P
≤ 0.005); the geometric mean (90% confidence interval [CI]) increases were 63% (47 to 81%) in maximum concentration and 24% (13 to 35%) in total exposure. There were also corresponding increases in plasma carboxyprimaquine concentrations (
P
≤ 0.020). There were no significant electrocardiographic changes following primaquine administration, but there was slight corrected QT (QTc) (Fridericia) interval lengthening following chloroquine administration (median [range] = 6.32 [−1.45 to 12.3] ms;
P
< 0.001), which was not affected by the addition of primaquine (5.58 [1.74 to 11.4] ms;
P
= 0.642). This pharmacokinetic interaction may explain previous observations of synergy in preventing
P. vivax
relapse. This trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov under reference number NCT01218932.