bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparison of particle‐size distributions determined by optical scanning and by sieving in the assessment of masticatory performance
Authors: EBERHARD L. , SCHINDLER H. J. , HELLMANN D. , SCHMITTER M. , RAMMELSBERG P. , GIANNAKOPOULOS N. N.
Published: January 2012

Summary Aim of this study was to introduce a feasible and valid technique for the assessment of masticatory performance that is comparable to the standard sieving method. Twenty‐one chewing samples (Optosil) comminuted by healthy dentate adults were analysed with a sieving and scanning method. Scanning was performed using a conventional flatbed scanner (1200 dpi). All scanned images underwent image analysis (ImageJ), which yielded descriptive parameters such as area, best‐fitting ellipse for each particle. Of the 2D‐image, a volume was estimated for each particle, which was converted into a weight. To receive a discrete distribution of particle sizes comparable to sieving, five chewing samples were used to calculate a size‐dependent area‐volume‐conversion factor. The sieving procedure was carried out with a stack of 10 sieves, and the retained particles per sieve were weighed. The cumulated weights yielded by either method were curve‐fitted with the Rosin–Rammler distribution to determine the median particle size x50. The Rosin–Rammler distributions for sieving and scanning resemble each other. The distributions show a high correlation (0·919–1·0, n = 21, P < 0·01, Pearson’s correlation coefficient). The median particle sizes vary between 3·83 and 4·77 mm (mean: 4·31) for scanning and 3·53 and 4·55 mm (mean: 4·21) for sieving. On average, scanning overestimates the x50 values by 2·4%. A modified Bland–Altman plot reveals that 95% of the x50 values fall within 10% of the average x50. The scanning method is a valid, simple and feasible method to determine masticatory performance.
Epigenetic regulation of the nitrosative stress response and intracellular macrophage survival by extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli
Authors: Bateman Stacey L. , Seed Patrick C.
Published: January 2012

Extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC) reside in the enteric tract as a commensal reservoir, but can transition to a pathogenic state by invading normally sterile niches, establishing infection and disseminating to invasive sites like the bloodstream. Macrophages are required for ExPEC dissemination, suggesting the pathogen has developed mechanisms to persist within professional phagocytes. Here, we report that FimX, an ExPEC‐associated DNA invertase that regulates the major virulence factor type 1 pili (T1P), is also an epigenetic regulator of a LuxR‐like response regulator HyxR. FimX regulated hyxR expression through bidirectional phase inversion of its promoter region at sites different from the type 1 pili promoter and independent of integration host factor (IHF). In vitro, transition from high to low HyxR expression produced enhanced tolerance of reactive nitrogen intermediates (RNIs), primarily through de‐repression of hmpA, encoding a nitric oxide‐detoxifying flavohaemoglobin. However, in the macrophage, HyxR produced large effects on intracellular survival in the presence and absence of RNI and independent of Hmp. Collectively, we have shown that the ability of ExPEC to survive in macrophages is contingent upon the proper transition from high to low HyxR expression through epigenetic regulatory control by FimX.
A fast and easy real‐time PCR genotyping method for the HLA‐G 14‐bp insertion/deletion polymorphism in the 3′ untranslated region
Authors: Djurisic S. , Sørensen A. E. , Hviid T. V. F.
Published: January 2012

Human leukocyte antigen‐G (HLA‐G) is a non‐classical HLA class Ib molecule shown to exhibit immunomodulatory function in a wide range of immune‐based disorders. A number of functional HLA‐G gene polymorphisms have been identified, including a 14‐bp insertion/deletion polymorphism in exon 8 of the 3′ untranslated region of the HLA‐G gene, which has been associated with HLA‐G mRNA stability. Moreover, studies show that homozygosity for the 14‐bp insertion/deletion polymorphism is associated with lower HLA‐G mRNA and protein levels and unique alternative splicing patterns. Here, we introduce a quick and reliable method to screen for the HLA‐G 14‐bp insertion/deletion polymorphism using an optimized real‐time polymerase chain reaction protocol. The genotyping assay has been validated by comparison with conventional methods. As results can be obtained within a few hours, the assay will have a potential for clinical use.
Development of Purkinje Cells in the Ovine Brain
Authors: Salouci M. , Engelen V. , Gyan M. , Antoine N. , Jacqmot O. , Mignon Y. , Kirschvink N. , Gabriel A.
Published: January 2012

Purkinje cells are involved in many vital functions within the body. Twenty ovine fetuses ranging from 2 to 5 months of gestation, two lambs in the first week after birth and three adult sheep were studied. Sections of the cerebellum were stained with haematoxylin and eosin, cresyl violet and Klüver–Barrera. This study indicates that Purkinje cells began to appear after the 15th week of gestation. There were varying degrees of development of Purkinje cells in different zones of the cerebellum. Our findings in sheep fetuses suggest that the maturation of Purkinje cells starts in the caudal regions of the cerebellum and that the process begins in the vermis before it does in the cerebellar hemispheres. The alignment of Purkinje cells was found to be very regular in the caudal regions of the cerebellum. A partial absence of Purkinje cells in the rostral regions of the cerebellum was observed in both sheep fetuses and adult sheep. In the first post‐natal week, some ectopic Purkinje cells were found in the white matter of the cerebellum.
Do Feeding Resources Induce the Adoption of Resource Defence Polygyny in a Lekking Butterfly?
Authors: Peixoto Paulo E. C. , Muniz Danilo , Benson Woodruff W.
Published: January 2012

Among polygynous species, males often compete for the possession of mating sites to increase their reproductive success. Weaker individuals frequently adopt alternative non‐territorial mate‐locating tactics, but the adoption of alternative territorial tactics may also occur. Although alternative tactics with territory defence are less common in arthropods, factors that drive its adoption may provide information to understand the organization of different territorial mating systems in the group. Here we investigate the adoption of resource‐based territoriality as an alternative to a non‐resource‐based one by males of the butterfly Paryphthimoides phronius. Male P. phronius commonly defend sunny clearings lacking feeding resources in the forest edge (non‐resource‐based territoriality). However, after experimentally offering fermenting fruit in previously undefended sites, we showed that males also adopt a resource defence tactic. Males in territories with fermenting fruits apparently feed on this resource when they are not defending the territory. However, males in sites without resources did not migrate to territories with resources when given the opportunity. To our knowledge, this is the first experimental investigation to show a non‐resource‐ and an alternative resource‐based mate‐locating tactic in a butterfly. We suggest that this behavioural flexibility may represent an important step to understand the ecological factors responsible for the organization and evolution of different territorial mating systems in insects.
Susceptibility to Phytophthora cinnamomi of the commonest morphotypes of Holm oak in southern Spain
Authors: Serrano M. S. , De Vita P. , Carbonero M. D. , Fernández F. , Fernández‐Rebollo P. , Sánchez M. E.
Published: January 2012

The four main morphotypes of Holm oak (Quercus ilex subsp. ballota) present in Andalusia (expansa, macrocarpa, microcarpa and rotundifolia) were infected with Phytophthora cinnamomi to determine their susceptibility to the root pathogen. No large differences were found among the four morphotypes in the infection of roots, which always showed a high degree of necrosis. However, the different responses of the foliage to infection separated the four morphotypes of Holm oak into three groups: very susceptible (microcarpa), susceptible (expansa) and moderately susceptible (rotundifolia and macrocarpa). The natural hybrid Q. ilex ballota–Q. faginea exhibited a low level of root and foliar symptoms when infected with P. cinnamomi. Quercus faginea could be considered as a source of resistance to P. cinnamomi in future breeding programmes.
The rapid onset of multiple squamous cell carcinomas in two patients commenced on ustekinumab as treatment of psoriasis
Authors: Young Lauren , Czarnecki D
Published: January 2012

We report the cases of two patients who developed eruptive cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) soon after commencement of ustekinumab, as treatment of moderate to severe plaque type psoriasis. Ustekinumab is a human monoclonal antibody with a novel mechanism, selectively targeting the shared p40 subunit of interleukin‐12 (IL‐12) and IL‐23. Its efficacy has been well documented in three large phase‐III trials (PHOENIX I, PHEONIX 2, ACCEPT). Safety data on this new biological agent continue to grow. To date, no link between ustekinumab and cutaneous carcinogenesis has been demonstrated and, to our knowledge, these cases are the first of their kind. Importantly, both these patients had independent risk factors for developing non‐melanoma skin cancers; however, the specific time correlation with the administration of ustekinumab is of note. Our report suggests that ustekinumab may allow the development of cutaneous carcinomata in predisposed individuals.
Epiphyte grazing enhances productivity of remnant seagrass patches
Authors: VERHOEVEN MIRELLA P. C. , KELAHER BRENDAN P. , BISHOP MELANIE J. , RALPH PETER J.
Published: January 2012

Anthropogenic nutrient enrichment is increasingly modifying community structure and ecosystem functioning in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. In marine ecosystems, the paradigm is that nutrient enrichment leads to a decline of seagrasses by stimulating epiphytic algal growth, which shades and overgrows seagrasses. This ignores the potential for herbivores, which graze upon epiphytic algae, to partially or wholly counter such nutrient effects. We conducted a field experiment to assess the role that the trochid gastropod Calthalotia fragum plays in reducing nutrient impacts on the seagrass, Posidonia australis, in an urbanized Australian estuary, Botany Bay, Sydney. In a field experiment, where nutrient loading and grazer density were orthogonally manipulated, nutrient enrichment failed to promote epiphyte biomass or diminish growth and primary productivity of P. australis. To the contrary, nutrient enrichment enhanced photosynthesis of the seagrass in plots where the grazer was present at higher density. Epiphytic growth was negatively affected by increased C. fragum density, while P. australis shoot growth was positively influenced. Thus, in this study system, grazing appears to play a much greater role in determining seagrass primary productivity and above‐ground growth than moderate nutrient loading, suggesting that the interaction between grazers and nutrients depends on the relative levels of each. Our study contributes to a growing body of literature suggesting that effects of nutrient loading on benthic assemblages are not universally negative, but are dependent on the biotic and abiotic setting.
Effect of fire and tree‐grass patches on soil nitrogen in Australian tropical savannas
Authors: RICHARDS ANNA E. , BRACKIN RICHARD , LINDSAY D. ALEXANDER J. , SCHMIDT SUSANNE
Published: January 2012

Fire is an important driver of nutrient cycling in savannas. Here, we determined the impact of fire frequency on total and soluble soil nitrogen (N) pools in tropical savanna. The study sites consisted of 1‐ha experimental plots near Darwin, Australia, which remained unburnt for at least 14 years or were burnt at 1‐, 2‐ or 5‐year intervals over the past 6 years. Soil was analysed from patches underneath tree canopies and in inter‐canopy patches at 1, 12, 28, 55 and 152 days after fire. Patch type had a significant effect on all soil N pools, with greater concentrations of total and soluble (nitrate, ammonium, amino acids) N under tree canopies than inter‐canopy patches. The ‘time since the last fire’ had no significant effect on N pools. Fire frequency similarly did not affect total soil N but it did influence soluble soil N. Soil amino acids were most prominent in burnt savanna, ammonium was highest in infrequently burnt (5‐year interval) savanna and nitrate was highest in unburnt savanna. We suggest that the main effect of fire on soil N relations occurs indirectly through altered tree‐grass dynamics. Previous studies have shown that high fire frequencies reduce tree cover by lowering recruitment and increasing mortality. Our findings suggest that these changes in tree cover could result in a 30% reduction in total soil N and 10–60% reductions in soluble N pools. This finding is consistent with studies from savannas globally, providing further evidence for a general theory of patchiness as a key driver of nutrient cycling in the savanna biome.
Models of case management for working with young children: Implications for mental health nurses
Authors: Browne Graeme , Cashin Andrew , Graham Iain
Published: January 2012

The care of children with behavioural disorders/mental illnesses is an important and emerging role for mental health nurses. Unfortunately, there is little evidence on which to base their practice. Children, because of their rapid emotional, physical, and cognitive development, and their dependence on their families, need special consideration in their mental health care. The limited evidence available indicates that this special consideration should include a focus, not only on the child, but also on the parents and social and school networks of the child. Evidence from the adult literature indicates the most effective case management models are the ones in which the case manager offers as many services as possible, including talking therapies. This also seems to be true when working with children. Mental health nurses, because of their background and commitment to holistic care, are ideally suited to offer this type of service. However, mental health nurses have not been good at articulating what they do. This can limit the recognition of the contribution they make and their opportunities.
Mandated Recognition of Employee Stock Option Expense – The Case of Canada
Authors: Subramaniam Chandra , Tsay Jeffrey
Published: January 2012

On December 18, 2003 the Accounting Standards Board of Canada announced that all firms registered in Canada would be required to expense stock options‐based compensation effective January 1, 2004. While a few firms had voluntarily opted to expense stock options prior to this date, the vast majority of firms had not. This study investigates the market reaction to this announcement by listed firms in the Toronto Stock Exchange that continued to disclose option expense rather than report it in the financial statement. We find no average market reaction by our sample firms affected by this mandate around the announcement date, but a significantly negative market reaction during the 5‐day window around the issuance date of the exposure draft. However, in cross‐sectional tests around the mandated expense announcement date, we find a significant negative relationship between the cumulative abnormal returns and the Black–Scholes value (and number) of options outstanding and of options granted the previous year. These results suggest that the magnitude of the market reaction to the mandated expense announcement is related to the firm's usage of options. Our results provide further evidence that stock prices may not fully impound information disclosed in footnotes.
Environmentalism as a Context for Expressing Identity and Generativity: Patterns Among Activists and Uninvolved Youth and Midlife Adults
Authors: Matsuba M. Kyle , Pratt Michael W. , Norris Joan E. , Mohle Erika , Alisat Susan , McAdams Dan P.
Published: January 2012

Previous qualitative studies have identified themes of generativity and identity development in the interviews of environmental activists (Chan, ; Horwitz, ), suggesting their importance as motives for environmental behavior. The purpose of our study was to extend this work by identifying positive relationships between identity maturity, generativity, and environmentalism using quantitative methodologies. To explore these relationships, we designed quasi‐experimental and correlational studies. We recruited 54 environmental activists and 56 comparison individuals, half of whom were youth (mean age = 22 years) and the other half midlife adults (mean age = 43 years). Sixty‐three percent of our sample was female. Participants completed several environmental, generativity, and identity questionnaires. We found that activists and comparison individuals differed on the identity maturity, generativity, and environmental measures overall. Further, greater identity maturity and generativity were associated with higher environmental engagement. And generativity was found to mediate the relation between identity maturity and environmentalism. Our findings suggest that engaging in generative behaviors may be an important part of the process in forming an environmental identity and engaging in environmental actions.
Cumulative Incidence Association Models for Bivariate Competing Risks Data
Authors: Cheng Yu , Fine Jason P.
Published: January 2012

Association models, like frailty and copula models, are frequently used to analyse clustered survival data and to evaluate within-cluster associations. The assumption of non-informative censoring is commonly applied to these models, though it may not be true in many situations. We consider bivariate competing risk data and focus on association models specified for the bivariate cumulative incidence function (CIF), which is a non-parametrically identifiable quantity. Copula models are proposed which relate the bivariate CIF to its corresponding univariate CIFs, similarly to independently right-censored data, and accommodate frailty models for the bivariate CIF. Two estimating equations are developed to estimate the association parameter, permitting the univariate CIFs to be estimated either parametrically or non-parametrically. Goodness-of-fit tests are presented for formally evaluating the parametric models. Both estimators perform well with moderate sample sizes in simulation studies. The practical use of the methodology is illustrated in an analysis of dementia associations.
Falling In and Out of Love with Philosophy
Authors: Forrester John
Published: January 2012

In this article, principally through autobiographical remarks, some observations concerning philosophical temperament are made, the example of Gerd Buchdahl as a textual interpreter of classic philosophical texts is invoked, and the position of philosophy in relation to history of science is explored, in particular in the work of Kuhn and Foucault. The article concludes with a reminder of the overall history of philosophy at Cambridge through a discussion of the history of the moral sciences.
A Surfeit of Naturalism
Authors: Lewens Tim
Published: January 2012

Philosophers have nothing to lose, and much to gain, by paying close attention to developments in the natural sciences. This insight amounts to a case for a tempered, eclectic naturalism. But the case for naturalism is often overstated. We should not overestimate the heuristic benefits of close attention to scientists’ claims, nor should we give up on traditional “armchair” philosophical methods. We should not draw solely on the natural sciences (at the expense of the humanities) when seeking to enrich and discipline our philosophical theorising. Finally, philosophers should not shy away from criticising some scientists’ claims, at the same time as they learn from others.
Philosophy, Its Pitfalls, Some Rescue Plans, and Their Complications
Authors: Papazoglou Alexis
Published: January 2012

This article offers the motivation for organising a conference on philosophy as it is practised across several faculties and departments at the University of Cambridge. It also offers an overview of the main themes that emerge in the essays collected in this issue of Metaphilosophy, which derive from the aforementioned conference. In particular it focuses on the risk of scholasticism and dogmatism that philosophy faces when it divorces itself from its own history, other disciplines, and real life. It then discusses the potential problems that can arise from the practice of philosophy in close conjunction with other disciplines, such as the natural sciences and the history of philosophy. Finally, it briefly comments on how institutional/academic structures have an influence on the way philosophy is practised.
Digital dermatoscopic follow‐up of 1027 melanocytic lesions in 121 patients at risk of malignant melanoma
Authors: Fikrle T. , Pizinger K. , Szakos H. , Panznerova P. , Divisova B. , Pavel S.
Published: January 2012

Objective  The aim of the presented prospective study was to use a digital dermatoscopic system to follow‐up patients with multiple melanocytic naevi, and to evaluate the frequency and character of dermatoscopic changes.

Methods  We monitored selected melanocytic lesions with the use of a 6‐month follow‐up interval between check‐ups. We searched for changes in size, shape, symmetry, structure and colour. We defined the criteria for surgical excision and histopathological examination of changing lesions. We created a small group of excised unchanged atypical melanocytic naevi.

Results  We completed dermatoscopic monitoring of 1027 melanocytic lesions in 121 patients at risk of developing malignant melanoma. The average total follow‐up interval was 21.0 months. We noticed a substantial enlargement of monitored lesions in 4.5% of cases, and there was a change of shape in 1.3% and change of asymmetry in 2.0%. The appearance of new structures, frequently being associated with malignant melanoma, was observed in 10 lesions, and it was predictive for the histopathological confirmation of this diagnosis in all cases. About 80% of monitored lesions remained unchanged. We excised 38 monitored lesions (seven melanomas in situ, four thin invasive melanomas and 27 melanocytic naevi). There was no melanoma excised in the group of unchanged atypical melanocytic lesions.

Conclusion  Digital dermatoscopic follow‐up facilitates the recognition of thin malignant melanomas and helps to reduce the number of unnecessary excisions.
Do regional modifications in tissue mineral content and microscopic mineralization heterogeneity adapt trabecular bone tracts for habitual bending? Analysis in the context of trabecular architecture of deer calcanei
Authors: Skedros John G. , Knight Alex N. , Farnsworth Ryan W. , Bloebaum Roy D.
Published: January 2012

Calcanei of mature mule deer have the largest mineral content (percent ash) difference between their dorsal ‘compression’ and plantar ‘tension’ cortices of any bone that has been studied. The opposing trabecular tracts, which are contiguous with the cortices, might also show important mineral content differences and microscopic mineralization heterogeneity (reflecting increased hemi‐osteonal renewal) that optimize mechanical behaviors in tension vs. compression. Support for these hypotheses could reveal a largely unrecognized capacity for phenotypic plasticity – the adaptability of trabecular bone material as a means for differentially enhancing mechanical properties for local strain environments produced by habitual bending. Fifteen skeletally mature and 15 immature deer calcanei were cut transversely into two segments (40% and 50% shaft length), and cores were removed to determine mineral (ash) content from ‘tension’ and ‘compression’ trabecular tracts and their adjacent cortices. Seven bones/group were analyzed for differences between tracts in: first, microscopic trabecular bone packets and mineralization heterogeneity (backscattered electron imaging, BSE); and second, trabecular architecture (micro‐computed tomography). Among the eight architectural characteristics evaluated [including bone volume fraction (BVF) and structural model index (SMI)]: first, only the ‘tension’ tract of immature bones showed significantly greater BVF and more negative SMI (i.e. increased honeycomb morphology) than the ‘compression’ tract of immature bones; and second, the ‘compression’ tracts of both groups showed significantly greater structural order/alignment than the corresponding ‘tension’ tracts. Although mineralization heterogeneity differed between the tracts in only the immature group, in both groups the mineral content derived from BSE images was significantly greater (P < 0.01), and bulk mineral (ash) content tended to be greater in the ‘compression’ tracts (immature 3.6%, P = 0.03; mature 3.1%, P = 0.09). These differences are much less than the approximately 8% greater mineral content of their ‘compression’ cortices (P < 0.001). Published data, suggesting that these small mineralization differences are not mechanically important in the context of conventional tests, support the probability that architectural modifications primarily adapt the tracts for local demands. However, greater hemi‐osteonal packets in the tension trabecular tract of only the mature bones (P = 0.006) might have an important role, and possible synergism with mineralization and/or microarchitecture, in differential toughening at the trabeculum level for tension vs. compression strains.
The Cbln family of proteins interact with multiple signaling pathways
Authors: Wei Peng , Pattarini Roberto , Rong Yongqi , Guo Hong , Bansal Parmil K , Kusnoor Sheila V , Deutch Ariel Y , Parris Jennifer , Morgan James I
Published: January 2012

J. Neurochem. (2012) 121, 717–729.

Cerebellin precursor protein (Cbln1) is essential for synapse integrity in cerebellum through assembly into complexes that bridge pre‐synaptic β‐neurexins (Nrxn) to post‐synaptic GluRδ2. However, GluRδ2 is largely cerebellum‐specific, yet Cbln1 and its little studied family members, Cbln2 and Cbln4, are expressed throughout brain. Therefore, we investigated whether additional proteins mediate Cbln family actions. Whereas Cbln1 and Cbln2 bound to GluRδ2 and Nrxns1‐3, Cbln4 bound weakly or not at all, suggesting it has distinct binding partners. In a candidate receptor‐screening assay, Cbln4 (but not Cbln1 or Cbln2) bound selectively to the netrin receptor, (deleted in colorectal cancer (DCC) in a netrin‐displaceable fashion. To determine whether Cbln4 had a netrin‐like function, Cbln4‐null mice were generated. Cbln4‐null mice did not phenocopy netrin‐null mice. Cbln1 and Cbln4 were likely co‐localized in neurons thought to be responsible for synaptic changes in striatum of Cbln1‐null mice. Furthermore, complexes containing Cbln1 and Cbln4 had greatly reduced affinity to DCC but increased affinity to Nrxns, suggesting a functional interaction. However, Cbln4‐null mice lacked the striatal synaptic changes seen in Cbln null mice. Thus, Cbln family members interact with multiple receptors/signaling pathways in a subunit composition‐dependent manner and have independent functions with Cbln4 potentially involved in the less well‐characterized role of netrin/DCC in adult brain.
Adenosine‐5′‐triphosphate up‐regulates proliferation of human cardiac fibroblasts
Authors: Chen Jing‐Bo , Liu Wen‐Juan , Che Hui , Liu Jie , Sun Hai‐Ying , Li Gui‐Rong
Published: January 2012

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

ATP is a potent signalling molecule that regulates biological activities including increasing or decreasing proliferation in different types of cells. The aim of the present study was to investigate how ATP regulates the proliferation of human cardiac fibroblasts.

EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH

Reverse transcription (RT)‐PCR, Western blot analysis, cell proliferation and migration assays were employed to investigate the effects of ATP on human adult ventricular fibroblasts.

KEY RESULTS

ATP increased cell proliferation in a concentration‐dependent manner. Similarly, the P2X receptor agonist α,β‐methylene ATP and P2Y receptor agonist ATP‐γS also up‐regulated cell proliferation. The P2 receptor antagonists suramin and reactive blue‐2 prevented the ATP‐induced increase in proliferation and RT‐PCR and Western blot analysis revealed that mRNAs of P2X4/7 and P2Y2 are abundant in cardiac fibroblasts. ATP increased phosphorylated PKB (Akt) and ERK1/2 levels; an effect antagonized by suramin, reactive blue‐2, the PI3‐kinase inhibitor, wortmannin, PKB inhibitor, API‐2, and MAPK inhibitor, PD98059. These kinase inhibitors also prevented the ATP‐induced increase in proliferation. In addition, ATP enhanced the progression of cells from the G0/G1 phase to the S phase by increasing the expression of proteins for cyclin D1 and cyclin E. Silencing the P2X4/7 and P2Y2 receptors with siRNA targeting the corresponding receptor diminished ATP‐stimulated proliferation and migration of the cardiac fibroblasts.

CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATION

ATP activates P2X4/7 and P2Y2 receptors and up‐regulates the proliferation of human cardiac fibroblasts by promoting cell cycling progression. It also increases the migration of these cells. These effects of ATP may be involved in cardiac remodelling of injured hearts.
Do primigravidae and their carers have a realistic expectation of uncomplicated labour and delivery?
Authors: Shub Alexis , Williamson Karen , Saunders Lauren , McCarthy Elizabeth A.
Published: January 2012

Background

Women who experience unexpected labour and birth interventions describe feeling distressed and have an increased risk of postnatal depression. Primigravidae who have an unrealistic expectation of labour and birth may be at higher risk of these outcomes.

Aims

To determine whether primigravidae and their carers have a realistic expectation of uncomplicated labour and birth.

Methods

One hundered and ninety‐five primigravidae, 32 obstetricians, 76 midwives, 198 medical students prior to their obstetric term and 131 medical students after their obstetric term completed a short questionnaire about the likelihood of primigravid women undergoing spontaneous onset of labour, no augmentation of labour and a cephalic vaginal birth without instrumental assistance, defined as birth without intervention. This number was compared to the local published data.

Results

Overall, the study subjects believed that women had a 48% chance of birth without intervention, and a 26% chance of birth without intervention or perineal sutures. The statewide published figures for these two outcomes are 21 and 8%, respectively. Staff, both obstetric and midwifery, were more accurate than medical students who were in turn more accurate than pregnant women. Attendance at antenatal education classes by pregnant women did not improve accuracy. Level of experience did not improve accuracy by medical staff. Medical students were more accurate after teaching than before teaching.

Conclusion

Primigravidae in late pregnancy and maternity staff do not have a realistic expectation of a labour and birth that is free from medical intervention. This may impact on choices women make about care in pregnancy and labour.
Combined Hormonal Contraceptives: Is It Time to Reassess Their Role in Migraine?
Authors: Calhoun Anne
Published: January 2012

Objective.— This paper will review the extensive array of hormonal contraceptives. It will examine the benefits and risks associated with them – particularly with regard to stroke risk – and shed light on divergent findings in the literature.

Background.— Menstrual‐related migraine is a particularly disabling presentation of migraine often deserving of specific prevention. There is accumulating evidence that hormonal preventives may offer such protection. Although a legacy of research shows an increased risk of stroke with high‐dose oral contraceptives (OCs) (those containing 50‐150 µg of estrogen), there is evidence to suggest that this does not apply to ultralow‐dose OCs – those containing <25 µg ethinyl estradiol – when used in appropriate populations (ie, normotensive non‐smokers). Migraine with aura (MwA) increases stroke risk, and that risk is directly correlated to the frequency of aura, a factor that can be modified – either upward or downward – by combined hormonal contraceptives (CHCs). The argument against using CHCs in MwA is based on the concerns that (1) OCs increase stroke risk, (2) MwA increases stroke risk, and (3) combining these risk factors might produce additive or synergistic risk. Evidence does not support concerns (1) and (3), and suggests otherwise.

Summary.— The risk/benefit analysis of CHCs is shifting. There is growing evidence for a potential role for CHCs in the prevention of menstrual‐related migraine. At the same time, the risk of these products is declining, as newer and lower dose formulations replace their historical predecessors. And although migraine aura is a risk factor for stroke, there is not convincing evidence to suggest that the addition of a low‐dose CHC alters that risk in non‐smoking, normotensive users. Selected hormonal preventives could potentially decrease stroke risk in MwA via reduction in aura frequency achieved by reducing peak estrogen exposure. With this shift in risk/benefit analysis, it is time to reconsider the role of CHCs in migraine – both with and without aura.
A neurocognitive endophenotype associated with rolandic epilepsy
Authors: Smith Anna B. , Kavros Peregrine M. , Clarke Tara , Dorta Nelson J. , Tremont Geoffrey , Pal Deb K.
Published: January 2012

Purpose: Children with rolandic epilepsy (RE) experience difficulties with reading, language, and attention. Their siblings are at high risk of dyslexia but are not otherwise known to have neurocognitive deficits. We therefore sought evidence for an RE‐associated neurocognitive endophenotype.

Methods: Thirteen probands (male‐to‐female ratio 9:4) and 11 epilepsy‐free siblings (male‐to‐female ratio 5:6) completed a neurocognitive evaluation within the domains of reading, language, and attention. Frequencies of impairment were compared, and mean standardized scores of children with RE and their siblings were each compared against population means.

Key Findings: Frequency of impairment in each domain was comparable for siblings and probands: 9% of siblings and 31% of probands were reading impaired; 36% of siblings and 54% of probands were language impaired; and 70% of siblings and 67% of probands had attention impairments. Comparison of differences between sample and population means revealed evidence of a similar pattern of language deficits in both groups, specifically for picture naming and attention to competing words. For measures of attention, both groups made significantly higher omission errors and were impaired in their ability to sustain attention.

Significance: Children with RE and unaffected siblings demonstrate neurocognitive impairments in the domains of language and attention that are likely to remain undetected with general clinical protocols. Neurocognitively impaired probands and siblings showed a remarkably similar profile of deficits in language and attention that could explain poor academic performance. Early evaluation and intervention may benefit these children academically.
Politics, Economic Provisioning, and Suffrage in St. Louis: What Women Said, What Men Heard
Authors: DOBKINS LINDA HARRIS
Published: January 2012

Abstract

One of the enduring questions in history is why any group would choose to share power with another group. The granting of suffrage to American women in 1919 is one of those events in which we seek answers. I focus here on the diversity of women's economic provisioning functions, arguing that, because of that diversity, the granting of suffrage had more political benefits to the men in power and less political risks. The social provisioning status‐quo, which had been threatened by the feminist voices of the 19th century, must have seemed to be back under the control of the men in power. In order to consider economic provisioning and politics more specifically, I study the economic profile of women and the political cost/benefit thinking of male legislators in St. Louis, Missouri.
The General NFP Hospital Model
Authors: AL‐AMIN MONA
Published: January 2012

Abstract

Throughout the past 30 years, there has been a lot of controversy surrounding the proliferation of new forms of health care delivery organizations that challenge and compete with general NFP community hospitals. Traditionally, the health care system in the United States has been dominated by general NFP (NFP) voluntary hospitals. With the number of for‐profit general hospitals, physician‐owned specialty hospitals, and ambulatory surgical centers increasing, a question arises: “Why is the general NFP community hospital the dominant model?” In order to address this question, this paper reexamines the history of the hospital industry. By understanding how the “general NFP hospital” model emerged and dominated, we attempt to explain the current dominance of general NFP hospitals in the ever changing hospital industry in the United States.
Economic Thought Among American Aboriginals Prior to 1492
Authors: CICARELLI JAMES
Published: January 2012

Abstract

This article explores the nature of economic thinking among indigenous Americans prior to European contact using a methodology that can best be described as applied cultural materialism. The article begins with a discussion of the approach used to infer the economic thought in the preliterate societies that populated the USA before 1492. This analysis is followed with an overview of aboriginal economic practices and thinking. The article's third section—an interpretation of Amerindian economic thought—builds on the materials in the previous sections. The article concludes with two case studies: Cahokia and the Iroquois.
Pharmaceutical High Profits: The Value of R&D, or Oligopolistic Rents?
Authors: SPITZ JANET , WICKHAM MARK
Published: January 2012

Abstract

Pharmaceutical firms attribute high prices and high profits to costs associated with researching and developing the next generation of life‐saving drugs. Using data from annual reports, this article tests the validity of this claim. We find that while pharmaceutical firms do invest in R&D, they also enjoy strong rents; between 1988 and 2009, pharmaceuticals enjoyed profits of 3 to 37 times the all‐industry average, depending on the years, while investing proportionately less in R&D than other high‐R&D firms. Costs of pharmaceutical drugs have successfully flown below the radar in much of the current health care debate, with producers managing to obstruct alternative sourcing as well as payment cuts. While health care is examined for savings in other areas, sustained high pharmaceutical profits suggest that as a new health care policy develops in the U.S., the pharmaceutical industry should not be excluded from examination for significant savings in health care costs.
Studies on the Genus Mesodinium I: Ultrastructure and Description of Mesodinium chamaeleon n. sp., a Benthic Marine Species with Green or Red Chloroplasts
Authors: Moestrup Øjvind , Garcia‐Cuetos Lydia , Hansen Per Juel , Fenchel Tom
Published: January 2012

We provide here the description of a new marine species that harbors green or red chloroplasts. In contrast to certain other species of the genus, Mesodinium chamaeleon n. sp. can be maintained in culture for short periods only. It captures and ingests flagellates including cryptomonads. The prey is ingested very rapidly into a food vacuole without the cryptomonad flagella being shed and the trichocysts being discharged. The individual food vacuoles subsequently serve as photosynthetic units, each containing the cryptomonad chloroplast, a nucleus, and some mitochondria. The ingested cells are eventually digested. This type of symbiosis differs from other plastid‐bearing Mesodinium spp. in retaining ingested cryptomonad cells almost intact. The food strategy of the new species appears to be intermediate between heterotrophic species, such as Mesodinium pulex and Mesodinium pupula, and species with red cryptomonad endosymbionts, such as Mesodinium rubrum.
Urinary Metabolomic Analysis for the Identification of Renal Injury in Patients With Acute Heart Failure
Authors: Diercks Deborah B. , Owen Kelly , Tolstikov Vladimir , Sutter Mark
Published: January 2012

ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE 2012; 19:18–23 © 2012 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine

Objectives:  Worsening renal function in patients admitted with heart failure is associated with increased morbidity. These changes are not usually apparent initially and often take up to 48 hours to be detected. Using the novel technique of metabolomic analysis, this study aims to determine if markers of renal injury are identifiable at presentation that are associated with the development of worsening renal function in high‐risk patients with heart failure.

Methods:  A prospective exploratory study enrolled a convenience sample of patients with suspected heart failure. Eligible patients had to be older than 18 years, have a B‐type natriuretic peptide (BNP) level over 100 pg/mL, have a history of diabetes or hypertension, meet Boston criteria for heart failure (>8), and require hospital admission as judged by the treating physician. Patients receiving no more than one dose of diuretic prior to enrollment were excluded. Urine was collected during the emergency department (ED) stay. Initial creatinine and the peak value between 24 to 48 hours were used to determine worsening renal function as defined by a change of >0.3 mg/dL or absolute 25% increase. Urine samples underwent gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) profiling. Peak metabolite values were measured and data were log‐transformed. Partial least squares‐discriminant analysis (PLS‐DA) was used to identify metabolites associated with worsening renal function. Specific urinary metabolites were ranked based on their regression coefficients.

Results:  The 24 enrolled subjects had a median age of 58 years (interquartile range [IQR] = 49.5 to 67.5 years) with 58% being male. Worsening renal function occurred in 10 subjects (41.7%). A total of 156 metabolites were identified. The optimal number of metabolites for class discrimination as determined by PLS‐DA was three, with a classification accuracy of 78%. These metabolites were taurine, sulfuric acid, and talose.

Conclusions:  Urinary metabolites found at the time of presentation may be markers of early renal injury. It is therefore possible that the process of renal injury is initiated prior to ED arrival in patients with suspected heart failure, and these may be used to identify a high‐risk patient population.
Nectar yeasts of two southern Spanish plants: the roles of immigration and physiological traits in community assembly
Authors: Pozo María I. , Lachance Marc-André , Herrera Carlos M.
Published: January 2012

Recent studies have shown that dense yeast populations often occurring in floral nectar are numerically dominated by a few species from the flower–insect interface specialized genus Metschnikowia, while generalist yeast species commonly occurring on leaf surfaces, soil, freshwater, and air were rarely isolated from nectar samples. This study was designed to understand the main factors responsible for the assembly of nectar yeast communities, by combining field experiments with laboratory tests characterizing the physiological abilities of all yeast species forming the pool of potential colonizers for two Spanish flowering plants (Digitalis obscura and Atropa baetica). Yeast frequency and species richness were assessed in external sources (bee glossae, air, plant phylloplane) as well as in pollinator rewards (pollen, nectar). Yeasts were most frequent in external sources (air, flower-visiting insects), less so in the proximate floral environment (phylloplane), and least in pollen and nectar. Nectar communities appeared to be considerably impoverished versions of those in insect glossae and phylloplane. Nectar, pollen, and insect yeast assemblages differed in physiological characteristics from those in other substrates. Nectarivorous Metschnikowia were not more resistant than other yeast species to plant secondary compounds and high sugar concentrations typical of nectar, but their higher growth rates may be decisive for their dominance in ephemeral nectar communities.
Changes in soft tissues around immediate full‐arch rehabilitations: a prospective study
Authors: Covani U. , Ricci M. , D'Ambrosio N. , Quaranta A. , Barone A.
Published: January 2012

Introduction

Nowadays, aesthetic appearance is receiving more and more attention from clinicians and patients. Therefore, it is of paramount importance for the surgeon to maintain or to improve the quality and the stability of the soft tissue–implant interface. The scientific literature supports the idea that the immediate placement and provisionalization of endosseus implants and abutments can indeed offer additional clinical control over the peri‐implant tissue architecture. On this basis, this prospective study aims to evaluate the changes in soft tissues around immediately loaded dental implants in full‐arch rehabilitations, over a period of 3 months.

Materials and methods

Fifteen subjects were treated for immediate full‐arch rehabilitations. Following implant placement, provisional rehabilitations made of bisphenol‐A‐glycidyldimethacrylate (BIS‐GMA) and resin were placed. All records were made using a periodontal probe. The facial soft‐tissue level was measured evaluating the distance between the soft‐tissue margin and the incisal edge of the crown. Moreover, papilla levels were measured at the mesial and distal sites from a reference line connecting the occlusal edge of the crowns.

Results

The average value at the mesial site was −0.035 mm (±1, median 0 mm), while at the midfacial site, it was 0 mm (±0.76, median 0 mm) and at the distal site, −0.05 mm (±0.92, median 0 mm). The plaque score index showed a reduction during the follow‐up period.

Discussion

Our data indicate that no differences at the midfacial point were detectable over the observation period. This is in agreement with several studies; it is plausible that these results are linked to a correct position of the implant in the alveolar socket. Moreover, comparing our results with what has been reported by other authors, it is surprising that while other studies highlight that papilla loss at the mesial and distal aspect is an expected consequence of immediate implant restorations, our data do not show any changes. The explanation of these results remains unclear. Further studies are needed to support our data and to clarify what mechanisms are involved in the maintenance of soft tissue.
Rapid and Transient Upregulation of CCL11 (Eotaxin‐1) in Mouse Ovary During Terminal Stages of Follicular Development
Authors: Kuwabara Yoshimitsu , Katayama Akira , Igarashi Tsutomu , Tomiyama Ryoko , Piao Hua , Kaneko Reika , Abe Takashi , Mine Katsuya , Akira Shigeo , Orimo Hideo , Takeshita Toshiyuki
Published: January 2012

Problem

This study aimed to investigate the regulation of expression, localization and physiological role of the CCL11/CCR3 axis in mouse ovary during the periovulatory period.

Method of study

CCL11/CCR3 expression in the mouse ovary after treatment with pregnant mare serum gonadotropin (PMSG) followed by human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) 48 hr later was assessed in vivo and in 3‐dimensional cultures in vitro.

Results

Real‐time RT‐PCR analyses revealed transient CCL11 mRNA upregulation 6 hr after hCG treatment. Immunohistochemical staining of serial ovarian sections demonstrated overlapping expression of CCL11, CCR3 and CD31 endothelial cell marker in the theca‐interstitial layer at 10 hr after hCG treatment. In vitro 3‐dimensional cultures of periovulatory ovarian tissues demonstrated that treatment with anti‐CCL11 neutralizing antibody significantly decreased CD31 transcript.

Conclusions

Gonadotropin surge leads to transient CCL11/CCR3 axis upregulation in the ovarian theca‐interstitial layer, suggesting that it is involved in periovulatory physiological processes by affecting follicular vessels.