bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pattern of age‐associated decline of static and dynamic balance in community‐dwelling older women
Authors: Takeshima Nobuo , Islam Mohammod M , Rogers Michael E , Koizumi Daisuke , Tomiyama Naoki , Narita Makoto , Rogers Nicole L
Published: August 2013

Aim

Falling is the leading cause of injury‐related deaths in older adults, and a loss of balance is often the precursor to a fall. However, little is known about the rate at which balance declines with age. The objective of the present study was to determine whether there is an age‐associated decline in static (SB) and/or dynamic (DB) balance in community‐dwelling older women.

Method

SB and DB were determined in 971 older women. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were used to determine test–retest reliability. Sway velocity was used to measure SB standing on a platform and foam with eyes open and closed. DB was characterized by limits of stability (LOS) that measured end‐point excursion (EXE) and maximum excursion (MXE) of the body's center of pressure.

Results

ICC for EXE and MXE for the LOS test were excellent (EPE = 0.96, MXE = 0.96). ICC for SB tests, except for the eyes open firm surface condition (ICC = 0.10), showed a high level of reproducibility (ICC = 0.88 and 0.90). Relationships existed between age and SB (r = 0.31, P < 0.001), and between age and DB (r = −0.46–−0.48, P < 0.001). The rate of decline for both DB and SB was approximately 1% per year. Age was significantly associated with all balance measures. DB got significantly lower with advancing age until 80 years, and then plateaued. SB did not decline with age until 80 years, and then decreased significantly thereafter.

Conclusion

Although large individual variation was found with balance ability, an age‐related decline was found with both dynamic and static balance for Japanese older women. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2014; 14: 556–560.
Validation and translation of the Kihon Checklist (frailty index) into Brazilian Portuguese
Authors: Sewo Sampaio Priscila Yukari , Sampaio Ricardo Aurélio Carvalho , Yamada Minoru , Ogita Mihoko , Arai Hidenori
Published: August 2013

Aim

To translate the Japanese Kihon Checklist (frailty index) into the Portuguese language, and to validate the use of the checklist for the assessment of the elderly Brazilian population.

Methods

A semantic analysis was carried out, along with pretesting of bilingual participants. The checklist was validated against the Edmonton Frail Scale.

Results

A total of 188 Brazilian older adults (mean age 69.5 ± 7.47 years) participated in the present study. In the semantic analysis, six elderly participants reported no difficulty with responding to the Portuguese version of the Kihon Checklist. During pretesting with 21 bilingual participants, we found a strong correlation between the total scores of the original version of the Kihon Checklist in Japanese and the translated version in Portuguese (r = 0.764, P < 0.001). According to the validation process, which involved 161 participants, there was a significant correlation between the total scores of the Kihon Checklist and the Edmonton Frail Scale (r = 0.535, P < 0.001), and between each domain of the checklist with the total score of Edmonton Frail Scale (lifestyle τ = 0.429, P < 0.001; physical strength τ = 0.367, P < 0.001; nutrition τ = 0.211, P = 0.002; eating τ = 0.213, P = 0.001; socialization τ = 0.269, P < 0.001; memory τ = 0.285, P < 0.001; and mood τ = 0.359, P < 0.001). Furthermore, the Portuguese version of the Kihon Checklist showed satisfactory internal consistency (Cronbach's α coefficient: 0.787).

Conclusions

The Portuguese language version of the Kihon Checklist presented good internal consistency and validity. Therefore, we encourage its application in the elderly Brazilian population with an aim of monitoring their frailty to prevent or delay the functional dependence and any other adverse health outcomes. [Correction added on 14 January 2013, after first online publication: the phrase ‘loss of’ has been deleted from the preceding statement.] Geriatr Gerontol Int 2014; 14: 561–569.
Patients' lay expertise in chronic self‐care: a case study in type 1 diabetes
Authors: Storni Cristiano
Published: August 2013

Background

The impact of chronic diseases in our society is growing. The idea of self‐care generates understandable enthusiasm and is seen as a natural answer. It is important to develop an understanding of self‐care practices that goes beyond a clinical understanding of the disease and that acknowledges everyday practicalities, and the perspective of the patient.

Objective

To shed light on some of the practicalities of everyday chronic self‐care, to expose to analysis the key role of lay expertise and to stress the importance of its recognition in future chronic care practices and technology.

Design

Ethnomethodological investigations based on observations of a patient support group (10 months) and some shadowing sessions of everyday practices, semi‐structured interviews with individuals with type 1 diabetes (n = 14) and professional caregivers (n = 7).

Analysis

The qualitative data analysis was inspired by grounded theory and aimed at ordering data under emerging categories and topics.

Results

The patient's knowledge and expertise is critical to grounding, integrating and complementing technical‐medical/clinical knowledge in everyday chronic self‐care. To deal with the intricacies and difficulties of everyday chronic self‐care, individuals with type 1 diabetes develop different ways of knowing and dealing with the disease that need to be equally taken into account in the reorganization of care delivery, and in the design of the tools to support it.

Conclusion

Rethinking the traditional separation between hard and soft data may be a possible first step towards rethinking the role of lay expertise in chronic care towards better supports for self‐care practices and patient empowerment.
Conclusions from the HIV in Europe Copenhagen 2012 Conference and ways forward: working together for optimal HIV testing and earlier care
Authors: Raben D , Delpech V , de Wit J , Sullivan A , Lazarus JV , Dedes N , Coenen T , Lundgren J ,   HIV in Europe Steering Committee
Published: August 2013

The objective of this article is to set the scene for this supplement by presenting and discussing the overall outcomes of the HIV in Europe Copenhagen 2012 Conference and how the HIV in Europe initiative intends to further address challenges and themes raised during the conference.
A review of the present state of the absolute calibration for zircon fission track geochronometry using the external detector method
Authors: Danhara Tohru , Iwano Hideki
Published: August 2013

The authors have developed and demonstrated an independent calibration of zircon fission track dating with the external detector method. During the past two decades, investigations have continued concerning the issues of the absolute age calibration of fission track dating. The derivation of accurate fission track age equations has been made possible by taking into account the relationships between the latent and etched track lengths. Our dating exercise involving 10 zircon reference samples supports our claim that absolute age determinations can be carried out based on the following three parameters: (1) the 238U spontaneous fission decay constant of 8.5 × 10−17 a−1 (λf) which is recommended by the IUPAC; (2) thermal neutron fluence values based on pre‐irradiated IRMM540 dosimeter glass, which is equivalent to the Au and Co metal activation monitors in the 1990 IUGS recommendation; and (3) a [GQR] correction value of 1.35 which has been experimentally determined for the combination of zircon external surfaces irradiated with mica external detectors. Independent measurements of uranium concentration by the fission track method were also tested. A new method of fission track dating that uses mass spectrometry for uranium measurements was simulated with success using our zircon data. We propose that the Fission Track Community reassesses the situation and formulates a new recommendation, in which the established independent method is placed on at least an equal footing with the standard‐based method.
The health promotion lifestyle of metabolic syndrome individuals with a diet and exercise programme
Authors: Lin Yu‐Hua , Chu Li‐Ling
Published: August 2013

The purpose of this study was to explore a health promotion lifestyle (HPL) with a diet and exercise programme (DEP) in metabolic syndrome adults. The study consisted of 207 individuals who followed a DEP and 185 who did not. The subjects were rural community adults. Their HPL was evaluated using the Chinese version of the Health Promotion Lifestyle Profile Short Form (HPLP‐S). The average HPLP‐S score was significantly higher in the DEP group (3.28 ± 0.36) than in the group without the DEP (2.05 ± 0.65). Stepwise regression analysis revealed that group, gender, smoking, alcohol use, marital status, religion and chronic disease were predictors of an HPL and accounted for 67.0% of the variance in the HPLP‐S score. This study demonstrates that a DEP has positive effects on a health promotion lifestyle. The community‐based DEP targeting health promotion behaviours should be presented as a strategy for metabolic syndrome in adults.
Assessment of the craniocaudal stability of four extracapsular stabilization techniques during two cyclic loading protocols: A cadaver study
Authors: Choate Christina J. , Lewis Daniel D. , Conrad Bryan P. , Horodyski Mary Beth , Pozzi Antonio
Published: August 2013

Objective

To (1) compare the effect of cyclic loading on craniocaudal tibial translation in cranial cruciate ligament (CrCL)‐deficient stifles after extracapsular stabilization, and (2) evaluate the effect of peak force during cyclic loading on the rate of development of craniocaudal laxity.

Study Design

Biomechanical cadaveric study.

Sample Population

Cadaveric pelvic limbs (n = 24 pairs) from skeletally mature dogs.

Methods

Twenty‐four pairs of stifles were randomly assigned to 4 stabilization groups: nylon leader lateral circumfabellar‐tibial suture (NLS); FiberTape lateral circumfabellar‐tibial suture (FTLS); TightRope (TR); or bone anchor (BA). Contralateral limbs were cyclically loaded to produce cranial tibial translation at peak forces of either 80 or 160 N. Craniocaudal displacement of the tibia was measured with a mechanical testing machine during cyclic loading with the CrCL intact, after CrCL transection, and after extracapsular stabilization. The number of cycles each construct underwent before reaching 200% and 300% of the mean craniocaudal displacement present during cyclic loading of the CrCL‐intact stifles was calculated. Number of cycles among treatment groups was compared with a Kruskal–Wallis test.P < .05 was considered significant.

Results

Mean ± SD translation before and after CrCL transection were 3.9 ± 0.6 and 14.6 ± 1.7 mm, respectively. TR constructs resisted significantly more cycles than NLS constructs before reaching 7.8 mm (200%) and 11.7 mm (300%) of translation when loaded to 80 N. No other differences between constructs were significant at a peak load of 80 N. All constructs reached 7.8 and 11.7 mm of translation in fewer cycles when loaded to 160 N than at 80 N.

Conclusions

TR constructs were most resistant to elongation during cyclic loading. Doubling the peak force during cyclic loading significantly decreased the number of cycles constructs withstood, supporting recommendations for restricting postoperative activity after extracapsular stabilization of the CrCL‐deficient stifle.
Accidental experiments: ecological and evolutionary insights and opportunities derived from global change
Authors: HilleRisLambers Janneke , Ettinger Ailene K. , Ford Kevin R. , Haak David C. , Horwith Micah , Miner Brooks E. , Rogers Haldre S. , Sheldon Kimberly S. , Tewksbury Joshua J. , Waters Susan M. , Yang Sylvia
Published: August 2013

Humans are the dominant ecological and evolutionary force on the planet today, transforming habitats, polluting environments, changing climates, introducing new species, and causing other species to decline in number or go extinct. These worrying anthropogenic impacts, collectively termed global change, are often viewed as a confounding factor to minimize in basic studies and a problem to resolve or quantify in applied studies. However, these ‘accidental experiments’ also represent opportunities to gain fundamental insight into ecological and evolutionary processes, especially when they result in perturbations that are large or long in duration and difficult or unethical to impose experimentally. We demonstrate this by describing important fundamental insights already gained from studies which utilize global change factors as accidental experiments. In doing so, we highlight why accidental experiments are sometimes more likely to yield insights than traditional approaches. Next, we argue that emerging environmental problems can provide even more opportunities for scientific discovery in the future, and provide both examples and guidelines for moving forward. We recommend 1) a greater flow of information between basic and applied subfields of ecology and evolution to identify emerging opportunities; 2) considering the advantages of the ‘accidental experiment’ approach relative to more traditional approaches; and 3) planning for the challenges inherent to uncontrolled accidental experiments. We emphasize that we do not view the accidental experiments provided by global change as replacements for scientific studies quantifying the magnitude of anthropogenic impacts or outlining strategies for mitigating impacts. Instead, we believe that accidental experiments are uniquely situated to provide insights into evolutionary and ecological processes that ultimately allow us to better predict and manage change on our human‐dominated planet.

Synthesis

Humans have an increasingly large impact on the planet. In response, ecologists and evolutionary biologists are dedicating increasing scientific attention to global change, largely with studies documenting biological effects and testing strategies to avoid or reverse negative impacts. In this article, we analyze global change from a different perspective, and suggest that human impacts on the environment also serve as valuable ‘accidental experiments’ that can provide fundamental scientific insight. We highlight and synthesize examples of studies taking this approach, and give guidance for gaining future insights from these unfortunate ‘accidental experiments’.
The Influence of Forest Regrowth on the Stream Discharge in the North Carolina Piedmont Watersheds
Authors: Kim Yuri , Band Lawrence E. , Song Conghe
Published: August 2013

This study focuses on the relationships of watershed runoff with historical land use/land cover (LULC) and climate trends. Over the 20th Century, LULC in the Southeast United States, particularly the North Carolina Piedmont, has evolved from an agriculture dominated to an extensively forested landscape with more recent localized urbanization. The regrowth of forest has an important influence on the hydrology of the region as it enhances ecosystem interaction with recent climate change. During 1920‐2009, the amount of precipitation in some parts of the North Carolina Piedmont forest regrowth area showed increasing trends without corresponding increments in runoff. We employed the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) to backcast long‐term hydrologic behavior of watersheds in North Carolina with different LULC conditions: (1) LULC conversion from agricultural to forested area and (2) long‐term stable forested area. Comparing U.S. Geological Survey‐measured stream discharge with SWAT‐simulated stream discharge under the assumption of constant 2006 LULC, we found significant stream discharge underprediction by SWAT in two LULC conversion watersheds during the early simulation period (1920s) with differences gradually decreasing by the mid‐1970s. This model bias suggests that forest regrowth on abandoned agricultural land was a key factor contributing to mitigate the impact of increased precipitation on runoff due to increasing water consumption driven by changes in vegetation.
Water Quality Trading with Lumpy Investments, Credit Stacking, and Ancillary Benefits
Authors: Lentz Adam H. , Ando Amy W. , Brozović Nicholas
Published: August 2013

This paper studies the economics of a water quality trading market in a predominantly agricultural watershed, and explores the effects of credit stacking in such a market when buyers and sellers of pollution credits can only reduce pollution with large, discrete investments that yield discontinuous supply and demand. The research simulates hypothetical water quality trading markets in the corn‐belt area of Illinois, where wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) can pay farmers to reduce nutrients by installing wetlands and farmers may or may not be allowed to earn payments for multiple services from one wetland. We find that wetlands are a more cost‐effective way to mitigate nitrogen pollution than abatement by WWTPs. Stacking credits may improve social welfare while providing more ecosystem services if there is enough demand for the primary credit in the market (nitrogen) to cover most of the cost of installing the wetland but the supply of nitrogen credits is not exhausted. However, in the presence of lumpy pollution reduction activities, the effects of allowing stacked credit sales are idiosyncratic and not necessarily positive; stacked payments may or may not satisfy additionality. The results imply that credit trading for nitrogen is likely to make society better off, but the effects of allowing farmers to receive multiple payments from a single wetland depend on details of the situation.
Seasonal increase in sea temperature triggers pancreas disease outbreaks in Norwegian salmon farms
Authors: Stene A , Bang Jensen B , Knutsen Ø , Olsen A , Viljugrein H
Published: August 2013

Pancreas disease (PD) is a viral disease causing negative impacts on economy of salmon farms and fish welfare. Its transmission route is horizontal, and water transport by ocean currents is an important factor for transmission. In this study, the effect of temperature changes on PD dynamics in the field has been analysed for the first time. To identify the potential time of exposure to the virus causing PD, a hydrodynamic current model was used. A cohort of salmon was assumed to be infected the month it was exposed to virus from other infective cohorts by estimated water contact. The number of months from exposure to outbreak defined the incubation period, which was used in this investigation to explore the relationship between temperature changes and PD dynamics. The time of outbreak was identified by peak in mortality based on monthly records from active sites. Survival analysis demonstrated that cohorts exposed to virus at decreasing sea temperature had a significantly longer incubation period than cohorts infected when the sea temperature was increasing. Hydrodynamic models can provide information on the risk of being exposed to pathogens from neighbouring farms. With the knowledge of temperature‐dependent outbreak probability, the farmers can emphasize prophylactic management, avoid stressful operations until the sea temperature is decreasing and consider removal of cohorts at risk, if possible.
Distribution of ciliated epithelial cells in the trachea of common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus)
Authors: Hoffmann Rebecca , Braun Armin , Knauf Sascha , Kaup Franz‐Josef , Bleyer Martina
Published: August 2013

Background

The distribution of ciliated cells in the tracheal epithelium of common marmosets was evaluated.

Methods

Light and scanning electron microscopy of tracheal epithelium was performed.

Results

Ciliated cells were concentrated in cartilage‐free areas and virtually absent in cartilage‐supported epithelial regions.

Conclusions

Heterogeneous distribution of ciliated cells in the trachea has to be considered when using animal models for translational respiratory research approaches.
Peptidylglycine α‐amidating monooxygenase heterozygosity alters brain copper handling with region specificity
Authors: Gaier Eric D. , Miller Megan B. , Ralle Martina , Aryal Dipendra , Wetsel William C. , Mains Richard E. , Eipper Betty A.
Published: August 2013

Copper (Cu), an essential trace element present throughout the mammalian nervous system, is crucial for normal synaptic function. Neuronal handling of Cu is poorly understood. We studied the localization and expression of Atp7a, the major intracellular Cu transporter in the brain, and its relation to peptidylglycine α‐amidating monooxygenase (PAM), an essential cuproenzyme and regulator of Cu homeostasis in neuroendocrine cells. Based on biochemical fractionation and immunostaining of dissociated neurons, Atp7a was enriched in post‐synaptic vesicular fractions. Cu followed a similar pattern, with ~ 20% of total Cu in synaptosomes. A mouse model heterozygous for the Pam gene (PAM+/−) was selectively Cu deficient in the amygdala. As in cortex and hippocampus, Atp7a and PAM expression overlap in the amygdala, with highest expression in interneurons. Messenger RNA levels of Atox‐1 and Atp7a, which deliver Cu to the secretory pathway, were reduced in the amygdala but not in the hippocampus in PAM+/− mice, GABAB receptor mRNA levels were similarly affected. Consistent with Cu deficiency, dopamine β‐monooxygenase function was impaired as evidenced by elevated dopamine metabolites in the amygdala, but not in the hippocampus, of PAM+/− mice. These alterations in Cu delivery to the secretory pathway in the PAM+/− amygdala may contribute to the physiological and behavioral deficits observed.

image

Atp7a, a Cu‐transporting P‐type ATPase, is localized to the trans‐Golgi network and to vesicles distributed throughout the dendritic arbor. Tissue‐specific alterations in Atp7a expression were found in mice heterozygous for peptidylglycine α‐amidating monooxygenase (PAM), an essential neuropeptide‐synthesizing cuproenzyme. Atp7a and PAM are highly expressed in amygdalar interneurons. Reduced amygdalar expression of Atox‐1 and Atp7a in PAM heterozygous mice may lead to reduced synaptic Cu levels, contributing to the behavioral and neurochemical alterations seen in these mice.
The notch signaling pathway: its role in focal CNS demyelination and apotransferrin‐induced remyelination
Authors: Aparicio Evangelina , Mathieu Patricia , Pereira Luppi Milagros , Almeira Gubiani María Florencia , Adamo Ana María
Published: August 2013

Oligodendroglial damage and demyelination are common pathological features characterizing white matter and neurodegenerative disorders. Identifying the signaling pathways involved in myelin repair through oligodendroglial progenitor maturation is essential for the development of new therapies. This article investigated the role of the Notch signaling pathway in CNS demyelination and apotransferrin‐induced remyelination in a focal lysolecithin‐induced demyelination model in rats. Notch was found activated in Nestin‐expressing neural progenitor cells and in NG2‐expressing oligodendroglial precursor cells in the subventricular zone and corpus callosum of lysolecithin‐demyelinated rats. Notch activation seemed to be driven by Jagged1, which led to a high expression of downstream gene Hes5 in the subventricular zone of demyelinated rats. Apotransferrin injection induced remyelination, while the injection of the γ‐secretase inhibitor reversed this effect. In addition, 24 h after apotransferrin injection, evidence showed Notch activation concomitantly with an increase in F3/contactin levels and the up‐regulation of the myelin‐associated glycoprotein gene in the subventricular zone and corpus callosum of demyelinated rats. Collected evidence supports the participation of both canonical and non‐canonical Notch signaling pathways in demyelination/remyelination. Notch activation was found to trigger Hes5 expression as a consequence of focal demyelination, which might promote oligodendroglial precursor cell proliferation. During apotransferrin‐induced remyelination, Notch activation seemed to be mediated by the expression of F3/contactin, which might induce apotransferrin‐mediated oligodendroglial maturation.

image

Evidence of the participation of Notch signaling in the demyelination/remyelination process will help further understand demyelinating disorders such as Multiple Sclerosis and the use of aTf should be taken into consideration as a possible therapeutic intervention.
Speaking discourses and silent lips: women and gender‐based portraits in sudden infant death publications
Authors: Brännström Inger
Published: August 2013

Aims and objectives

To reveal the prominent discourses and assigned social ordering given to women in paediatric research in Sweden concerning the subject of sudden infant death syndrome.

Background

There are no further studies in Sweden and elsewhere, regarding publishing portraits of women's social ordering in nursing research surrounding sudden infant death syndrome.

Design and methods

The material encompassed all 55 articles/comments published by the Swedish Medical Journal 1980–2007 (7 March) as retrieved using selected keywords. The items were accessed in full text, and a discourse analytical approach was used triangulated with feminist theoretical perspectives.

Results

Three main discourses were identified: (1) women as bearers of guilt and accountability, (2) a social ordering where women's biology and lifestyles received great attention together with a tribute to mothers as having the principal responsibility as parent and caregiver and (3) gender‐based health policy portrayals showing women/mothers in marginalised social and structural contexts or exposed to one‐sided disciplinary penal codes despite the Swedish welfare state having long declared gender equality in its family policies and in paediatric nursing practices.

Conclusions

Although results from this study primarily relate to the Swedish contexts, they may also reflect the dual role in paediatric nursing practices in other countries, that is, (1) as being medical experts on children's health (paediatrics and nursing) and (2) as change agents with regard to childcare and practical recommendations directed to individuals (mothers, fathers, both or other caregivers of infants).

Relevance to clinical practice

The study highlights the needs of not merely seeing the family or the mother as ultimate and individual beneficiaries of medical/practical advice about child‐caring duties in infancy. Further studies are encouraged to recognise infant nursing practices, gender equality and safe parenthood in child health research and nursing practices.
MIGRATION AS A WAY TO DIVERSIFY: EVIDENCE FROM RURAL TO URBAN MIGRATION IN THE U.S.
Authors: Arzaghi Mohammad , Rupasingha Anil
Published: August 2013

This paper extends the utility maximization model of migration by introducing income and unemployment‐related uncertainties as determinants of utility, and analyzes the effects of the informational advantages of migrants. The paper maintains that migration would expand an individual's economic choices and opportunities and allow diversification. Consequently, diversification advantages influence the location decisions of migrants, an effect captured by the correlation of incomes at the origin and potential destinations. We use the discrete choice model based on random utility maximization as the framework for our empirical investigation of migration from the United States rural to urban counties. This paper takes advantage of an equivalent relation between the conditional logit model and Poisson regression to study the migration decisions using aggregate data among a large set of spatial alternatives. The results show that the diversification concerns have significant effects on location decisions of the rural‐urban migrants in the United States.
Implementing Steady State Efficiency in Overlapping Generations Economies with Environmental Externalities
Authors: DAO NGUYEN THANG , DÁVILA JULIO
Published: August 2013

We consider in this paper overlapping generations economies with pollution resulting from both consumption and production. The competitive equilibrium steady state is compared to the optimal steady state from the social planner's viewpoint. We show that the dynamical inefficiency of a competitive equilibrium steady state with capital–labor ratio exceeding the golden rule ratio still holds. Moreover, the range of dynamically efficient steady state capital ratios increases with the effectiveness of the environment maintenance technology, and decreases for more polluting production technologies. We characterize some tax and transfer policies that decentralize as a competitive equilibrium outcome the transition to the social planner's steady state.
Sleep and cardiovascular phenotype in middle‐aged hypocretin‐deficient narcoleptic mice
Authors: Silvani Alessandro , Bastianini Stefano , Berteotti Chiara , Cenacchi Giovanna , Leone Ornella , Lo Martire Viviana , Papa Valentina , Zoccoli Giovanna
Published: August 2013

Narcolepsy with cataplexy (NC) is a lifelong disorder caused by loss of hypothalamic hypocretin/orexin (HCRT) neurones, often starting in childhood. NC patients show altered control of heart rate (HR) and a normotensive non‐dipper blood pressure (BP) profile, but the natural history and prognostic significance of these alterations remain unclear. Similar alterations have been observed in HCRT‐ataxin‐3 transgenic (TG) NC mice lacking HCRT neurones, but studies have been limited to young adult individuals <4 months of age. Here we evaluated long‐term effects of NC on derangements in the wake–sleep state and cardiovascular control by studying middle‐aged TG. We chronically instrumented TG and wild‐type mice aged 10–11 months with electrodes for sleep scoring and a telemetric transducer for BP and HR measurements. We then recorded mice in freely behaving conditions. TG showed a NC phenotype including fragmentation of wakefulness, reduced latency to rapid eye movement sleep (REMS) and cataplexy‐like events. TG also showed blunted BP decline on entering non‐rapid eye movement sleep (NREMS), enhanced BP increase on passing to REMS, increased HR, and blunted changes in HR upon arousal and awakening from NREMS. Histological and ultrastructural analysis of cardiovascular and renal tissue did not reveal evidence of subclinical hypertensive organ damage. These data indicate that HCRT neurone loss in TG causes alterations in wake–sleep behaviour and cardiovascular control that are not peculiar to the beginning of the disease but are maintained at least up to middle age. These alterations are similar to those in adult NC patients, but do not produce early subclinical damage to the heart and kidneys.
“Native Courts” and the Limits of the Law in Colonial Sudan: Ambiguity as Strategy
Authors: Sachs Jeffrey Adam
Published: August 2013

This article offers a way of thinking about colonial-era legal reform that departs from traditional narratives by highlighting the importance of legal ambiguity in state building projects. Following the establishment of “Native Administration” in the Sudan in the early 1920s, the British colonial government conferred expansive judicial and administrative powers on tribal sheikhs andnazirs(chiefs), while at the same time discouraging many attempts to formalize or standardize those powers, preferring instead that they remain informal and undefined. This policy, which I term “strategic ambiguity,” emerged out of a belief that tribal leaders would be more effective if they possessed maximum discretion and judicial flexibility, even though the result was a colonial government woefully ill-informed about much of its own judicial system. These findings point to a way of thinking about colonial-era legal reform in which governmental ignorance was actually productive of sovereignty, and not an obstacle to it.
A short motif in the N‐terminal part of the coat protein is a host‐specific determinant of systemic infectivity for two potyviruses
Authors: Desbiez Cecile , Chandeysson Charlotte , Lecoq Herve
Published: August 2013

Although the biological variability of Watermelon mosaic virus is limited, isolates from the three main molecular groups differ in their ability to infect systemically Chenopodium quinoa. Mutations were introduced in a motif of three or five amino acids located in the N‐terminal part of the coat protein, and differing in isolates from group 1 (motif: lysine‐glutamic acid‐alanine (Lys‐Glu‐Ala) or KEA, systemic on C. quinoa), group 2 (Lys‐Glu‐Thr or KET, not systemic on C. quinoa) and group 3 (KEKET, not systemic on C. quinoa). Mutagenesis of KEKET in an isolate from group 3 to KEA or KEKEA was sufficient to make the virus systemic on C. quinoa, whereas mutagenesis to KET had no effect. Introduction of a KEA motif in Zucchini yellow mosaic virus coat protein also resulted in systemic infection on C. quinoa. These mutations had no obvious effect on the disorder profile or potential post‐translational modifications of the coat protein as determined in silico.
Consumer's perceptions of Recovery‐oriented mental health services: An Australian case‐study analysis
Authors: Hungerford Catherine , Fox Catherine
Published: August 2013

Recovery approaches to health care now feature in the mental health policies of many Western countries. There are, however, continuing challenges to the operationalization of these approaches. This study aimed to identify the nature of these challenges for a public mental health service organization located in a major urban center in southeastern Australia, where Recovery‐oriented services have been implemented; and to develop recommendations to address these challenges. These aims were achieved by asking mental health consumers about their experiences of the implementation of Recovery‐oriented services. Research participants described an uncertainty in health professionals and consumers alike about how to practice within a Recovery model, with many health professionals taking a “hands off” approach in the name of Recovery, rather than working in partnership with consumers and other stakeholders, including the community managed organizations. Solutions to these challenges included more targeted, practice‐focused education for consumers and health professionals, with this education provided by consumer representatives. Insights derived from this research add to the growing body of evidence related to the implementation of Recovery‐oriented services in Western countries.
Botulinum toxin treatment for oropharyngeal dysphagia in patients with stroke
Authors: Terré R. , Panadés A. , Mearin F.
Published: August 2013

Background

In a previous pilot study, we demonstrated that a single injection of botulinum toxin A (BTX‐A) in the cricopharyngeus muscle is effective in patients with neurologic dysphagia with upper esophageal sphincter (UES) opening dysfunction and presence of some pharyngeal contraction (>25 mmHg). The aim of this study was to confirm the long‐lasting efficacy of this procedure after stroke.

Methods

We prospectively studied 23 patients with stroke for at least 6 months before administration of a BTX‐A injection. Baseline diagnosis of UES opening dysfunction and presence of some pharyngeal contraction were assessed by videofluoroscopy (VFS) and esophageal manometry (EM). Clinical and VFS follow‐up was made at 3 weeks and 3, 6, and 12 months postinjection.

Key Results

Eighteen patients (78%) were fed by gastrostomy tube prior to treatment. Videofluoroscopy showed UES relaxation impairment, residue in pyriform sinuses, and aspiration in all cases. After BTX‐A, the number of patients with aspiration and pharyngeal residue decreased to 52% and 70%, respectively (p < 0.05 for both); residue was severe in only 4%. Esophageal manometry showed a mean pharyngeal amplitude 66.8 mmHg (range: 25–120 mmHg). We observed a significant improvement in feeding mode during follow‐up: after 3 months, 70% of patients were eating exclusively by mouth. Lower residual pressure and minor pharyngeal delay time at baseline were all predictive factors for treatment effectiveness.

Conclusions & Inferences

A single injection of BTX‐A is efficacious for a period of at least 12 months in improving oropharyngeal dysphagia in stroke patients with UES opening dysfunction and some pharyngeal contraction (>25 mmHg).
A system dynamics model integrating physiology and biochemical regulation predicts extent of crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) phases
Authors: Owen Nick A. , Griffiths Howard
Published: August 2013

A system dynamics (SD) approach was taken to model crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) expression from measured biochemical and physiological constants. SD emphasizes state‐dependent feedback interaction to describe the emergent properties of a complex system. These mechanisms maintain biological systems with homeostatic limits on a temporal basis.

Previous empirical studies on CAM have correlated biological constants (e.g. enzyme kinetic parameters) with expression over the CAM diel cycle. The SD model integrates these constants within the architecture of the CAM ‘system’. This allowed quantitative causal connections to be established between biological inputs and the four distinct phases of CAM delineated by gas exchange and malic acid accumulation traits.

Regulation at flow junctions (e.g. stomatal and mesophyll conductance, and malic acid transport across the tonoplast) that are subject to feedback control (e.g. stomatal aperture, malic acid inhibition of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase, and enzyme kinetics) was simulated. Simulated expression for the leaf‐succulent Kalanchoë daigremontiana and more succulent tissues of Agave tequilana showed strong correlation with measured gas exchange and malic acid accumulation (R2 = 0.912 and 0.937, respectively, for K. daigremontiana and R2 = 0.928 and 0.942, respectively, for A. tequilana).

Sensitivity analyses were conducted to quantitatively identify determinants of diel CO2 uptake. The transition in CAM expression from low to high volume/area tissues (elimination of phase II–IV carbon‐uptake signatures) was achieved largely by the manipulation three input parameters.
My body is a cage: mechanisms and modulation of plant cell growth
Authors: Braidwood Luke , Breuer Christian , Sugimoto Keiko
Published: August 2013

The wall surrounding plant cells provides protection from abiotic and biotic stresses, and support through the action of turgor pressure. However, the presence of this strong elastic wall also prevents cell movement and resists cell growth. This growth can be likened to extending a house from the inside, using extremely high pressures to push out the walls. Plants must increase cell volume in order to explore their environment, acquire nutrients and reproduce. Cell wall material must stretch and flow in a controlled manner and, concomitantly, new cell wall material must be deposited at the correct rate and site to prevent wall and cell rupture. In this review, we examine biomechanics, cell wall structure and growth regulatory networks to provide a ‘big picture’ of plant cell growth.

Contents

Summary
388

I.
Introduction
388

II.
Modes of growth
389

III.
Biomechanics and modelling of plant cell growth
389

IV.
Plant cell wall structure
390

V.
Cell wall modification proteins
391

VI.
Direction and duration of cell growth
393

VII.
Regulation of plant cell growth
394

VIII.
Conclusions
398

Acknowledgements
399

References
399
Reference frames in visual selection
Authors: Humphreys Glyn W. , Gillebert Celine R. , Chechlacz Magda , Riddoch M. Jane
Published: August 2013

We review neuropsychological evidence for visual selection operating in different reference frames. There is general agreement that there may be a separation of coding space near to and farther from the body, and that deficits in selecting stimuli within each form of spatial representation may be impaired in patients with unilateral neglect. However, there remains a lack of consensus about whether all forms of spatial representation relate to the body or whether there are spatial representations based on reference frames abstracted from the body (allocentric and object‐centered spatial codes). Here we will review the evidence for spatial coding in these more abstracted reference frames (allocentric and object‐centered but also environmental) and argue for the psychological reality of (at least) allocentric spatial coding. We discuss computational accounts of how such codes may be created as objects are selected.
Associations between obesogenic risk factors and depression among adolescents: a systematic review
Authors: Hoare E. , Skouteris H. , Fuller‐Tyszkiewicz M. , Millar L. , Allender S.
Published: August 2013

Adolescence is a transitional life phase that is associated with heightened risk for two major health conditions – obesity and mental health problems. Given the established comorbidity of obesity and depression, one avenue that warrants further exploration is the association between obesogenic risk and obesity in the expression and maintenance of depressive symptoms. The aim of the current systematic review was to identify and evaluate the empirical literature reporting the relationships between obesogenic risk factors (physical activity, sedentary behaviour, diet and weight status) and depression in adolescents. A search of five databases for studies published over the last decade found 24 studies eligible for review. Relationships were found between lack of physical exercise, heightened sedentary behaviour, poor diet quality, obese or overweight and depression in adolescence. However, the finding that obesogenic risk factors are associated with poor adolescent mental health should be interpreted with caution as data typically come from non‐representative samples with less than optimal study design and methodology.
Physiological and biotechnological implications of transcript‐level variation under abiotic stress
Authors: Sanchez D. H.
Published: August 2013

The discovery of genes that can be used to increase plant tolerance to environmental stress has practical implications for agriculture, since knowledge at the molecular level can potentially be translated from model plants to crops or from tolerant to sensitive cultivars. For more than a decade, researchers have attempted to identify transcriptional and metabolic pathways involved in stress tolerance using functional genomics tools. In some cases, promising results were obtained when a clear causal link was found between transcripts and tolerance/sensitivity to stress. However, recent reports question the global translational power of functional genomics for biotechnological applications, as one of the main limitations seems to be the large variability in gene expression. Transcript‐level variability under stress has not been considered of interest in the scientific literature because it is intuitively obvious, but most reports seem to naively overlook the consequences. Here, three case situations are reviewed (variability between genotypes, variability due to environmental interactions and variability between stressors) in support of the concept that inherent transcript‐level variation in biological systems may limit our knowledge of environmental plant tolerance and of functional genomics in molecular stress physiology.
FDA Decisions and Public Deliberation:Challenges and Opportunities
Authors: Gusmano Michael K.
Published: August 2013

The responsiveness of the bureaucracy to political control is a long‐standing issue for scholars in public administration. The legitimacy of decisions made by the bureaucracy often depends on the technical merits of these decisions, but deliberative decision making involving a broad array of relevant stakeholders offers another potential source of legitimacy for executive agencies. In this article, the author examines efforts to expand the role of the public in decision making at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The claim that patients and consumers should have a voice in FDA decisions is important, but it does not tell us how much influence they should have or what decisions require their input. Calls for creating a deliberative process for regulatory decision making are ubiquitous, but they are not likely to succeed unless agencies pay close attention to the challenge of doing this well.
Health Reform, Polarization, and Public Administration
Authors: Thompson Frank J.
Published: August 2013

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) of 2010 constituted an epic policy breakthrough, culminating a century of effort to ensure that nearly all Americans can obtain health insurance. The articles in this special issue seek to illuminate the challenges involved in implementing this law and other health reforms in a context marked by deep‐seated partisan polarization. This introductory essay provides a backdrop to frame the more specific insights of the contributors. It introduces two key legacies in place at the time of theACA’s passage: the health insurance regime and rising health care costs. Certain pivotal provisions of theACAthen receive attention, including the “individual mandate,” health insurance exchanges, and the Medicaid expansion. This introduction shows how theACAand related health care developments intersect with broader issues of governance and public administration: the rise of executive branch discretion within the nation's separation of powers system, the increased importance of the administrative presidency, and the emergence of fractious federalism rooted in partisan polarization.
Immunolocalization of Melatonin and Follicle‐Stimulating Hormone Receptors in Caprine Ovaries and their Effects During in vitro Development of Isolated Pre‐Antral Follicles
Authors: Barros VRP , Cavalcante AYP , Macedo TJS , Barberino RS , Lins TLB , Gouveia BB , Menezes VG , Queiroz MAA , Araújo VR , Palheta RC , Leite MCP , Matos MHT
Published: August 2013

Contents

The expression of melatonin type 1 (MT1) and FSH (FSHR) receptors in caprine ovaries and the effects of these hormones on the in vitro development of isolated pre‐antral follicles were evaluated. Follicles (≤200 μm) were cultured for 12 days in α‐MEM (control) or melatonin (100 or 1000 pg/ml) or sequential melatonin medium (100 pg/ml: from day 0 to day 6; 1000 pg/ml: from day 6 to day 12; experiment 1) and in control or sequential FSH (100 ng/ml from day 0 to day 6; 500 ng/ml from day 6 to day 12) or sequential melatonin or this latter plus sequential FSH (experiment 2). MT1 and FSHR expressions were observed in granulosa cells from secondary and antral follicles. The oocytes from primordial and primary follicles also express FSHR. Sequential melatonin increased the percentage of normal follicles and oocyte recovery compared with the control or melatonin (1000 pg/ml) at day 12. In experiment 2, all the treatments increased the normal follicles and growth compared with the control. In conclusion, this study demonstrated the presence of MT1 and FSHR in caprine ovaries. The addition of increased concentrations of melatonin (sequential medium) or FSH can be used to promote the in vitro development of caprine pre‐antral follicles.
Stem cells: A recapitulation of development
Authors: Moodley Yuben , Thompson Philip , Warburton David
Published: August 2013

Pluripotent stem cells are cells that can differentiate into any tissue from all germ layers and include embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent cells (iPS). Embryonic stem cells are derived from 8‐day blastocysts obtained from unutilized embryos following in vitro fertilization, while iPS is obtained following transfection of dermal fibroblasts with pluripotent genes (sex determining region Y‐binding, Kruppel‐like factor 4, octamer‐binding transcription factor 4 and c‐Myc). The major challenge is to differentiate these cells into lung epithelium for therapeutic applications as well as to model lung diseases such as cystic fibrosis. In this review, the developmental pathways of the lung and how these pathways have been recapitulated in vitro to induce differentiation of pluripotent cells to lung epithelium were examined.