bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Lysophospholipid receptor nomenclature review: IUPHAR Review 8
Authors: Kihara Yasuyuki , Maceyka Michael , Spiegel Sarah , Chun Jerold
Published: March 2014

Lysophospholipids encompass a diverse range of small, membrane‐derived phospholipids that act as extracellular signals. The signalling properties are mediated by 7‐transmembrane GPCRs, constituent members of which have continued to be identified after their initial discovery in the mid‐1990s. Here we briefly review this class of receptors, with a particular emphasis on their protein and gene nomenclatures that reflect their cognate ligands. There are six lysophospholipid receptors that interact with lysophosphatidic acid (LPA): protein names LPA1 – LPA6 and italicized gene names LPAR1‐LPAR6 (human) and Lpar1‐Lpar6 (non‐human). There are five sphingosine 1‐phosphate (S1P) receptors: protein names S1P1‐S1P5 and italicized gene names S1PR1‐S1PR5 (human) and S1pr1‐S1pr5 (non‐human). Recent additions to the lysophospholipid receptor family have resulted in the proposed names for a lysophosphatidyl inositol (LPI) receptor – protein name LPI1 and gene name LPIR1 (human) and Lpir1 (non‐human) – and three lysophosphatidyl serine receptors – protein names LyPS1, LyPS2, LyPS3 and gene names LYPSR1‐LYPSR3 (human) and Lypsr1‐Lypsr3 (non‐human) along with a variant form that does not appear to exist in humans that is provisionally named LyPS2L. This nomenclature incorporates previous recommendations from the International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology, the Human Genome Organization, the Gene Nomenclature Committee, and the Mouse Genome Informatix.
Relations Between False Belief Understanding and Executive Function in Early Childhood: A Meta‐Analysis
Authors: Devine Rory T. , Hughes Claire
Published: March 2014

The association between executive function (EF) and theory of mind (ToM) has been hotly debated for 20 years. Competing accounts focus on: task demands, conceptual overlap, or functional ties. Findings from this meta‐analytic review of 102 studies (representing 9,994 participants aged 3–6 years) indicate that the moderate association between EF and one key aspect of ToM, false belief understanding (FBU) is: (a) similar for children from different cultures, (b) largely consistent across distinct EF tasks, but varies across different types of false belief task, and (c) is asymmetric in that early individual differences in EF predict later variation in FBU but not vice versa. These findings support a hybrid emergence‐expression account and highlight new directions for research.
Visceral adiposity index (VAI) is related to the severity of anovulation and other clinical features in women with polycystic ovary syndrome
Authors: Androulakis Ioannis I. , Kandaraki Eleni , Christakou Charikleia , Karachalios Athansios , Marinakis Evangelos , Paterakis Thomas , Diamanti‐Kandarakis Evanthia
Published: March 2014

Objective

The clinical phenotype of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) includes reproductive and hormonal aberrations. Visceral adiposity index (VAI) is an indicator which could connect hyperandrogenism and anovulation. The objective was to evaluate the relationship between VAI, menstrual disorders and hormonal, biochemical and ultrasound parameters in women with PCOS.

Patients

One hundred and ninety‐three women with PCOS diagnosed with Rotterdam criteria.

Measurements

We correlated VAI with metabolic and clinical features of the syndrome and with indices of inflammation and insulin sensitivity. In addition, we classified the patients into four groups according to the severity of menstrual disorders: Group A (n = 42), with severe menstrual disorders, Group B (n = 83), with mild menstrual disorders, Group C (n = 58), without menstrual disorders and Group D (n = 10) with women with sychnominorroia.

Results

In women with PCOS studied, VAI significantly positively correlated with body weight, fasting glucose, insulin, homeostasis model assessment (HOMA) score, white blood cells, platelets, uric acid, free testosterone, oestradiol, total cholesterol, γ‐GT, SGPT. Furthermore, a significant inverse correlation between VAI and SHBG, Matsuda index and menstrual cycles per year was documented. From the comparison of the four groups, PCOS women with menstrual disorders had significantly higher VAI and HOMA indices when compared to PCOS without menstrual disorders.

Conclusions

Visceral adiposity index is increased in patients with PCOS in concordance with the severity of anovulation, insulin resistance and inflammation. This index could be a very easy and helpful clinical tool in daily practice to predict insulin resistance in women with PCOS.
Update on the efficacy of statin treatment in acute coronary syndromes
Authors: Rosa Gian Marco , Carbone Federico , Parodi Antonello , Massimelli Elena A. , Brunelli Claudio , Mach François , Vuilleumier Nicola , Montecucco Fabrizio
Published: March 2014

Background

The natural history of atherosclerosis might involve coronary plaque rupture/erosion, thrombus formation and vessel lumen occlusion, clinically recognized as acute coronary syndrome (ACS). International guidelines strongly recommend early statin administration in patients admitted for ACS. In addition to lowering circulating levels of low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL‐c), statin treatment was shown to promote plaque stabilization or regression in several ways, including reduction in necrotic lipid core, anti‐inflammatory effects and improvement in endothelial function. The aim of this review is to summarize clinical evidence on the role of statins in secondary prevention of ACS.

Materials and methods

This narrative review is based on the material found on medline and pubmed up to August 2013. We looked for the terms ‘statin, acute coronary syndromes’ in combination with ‘atherosclerosis, acute myocardial infarction, pathophysiology’.

Results

This review article emphasizes the relevance of the timing of statin administration to improve the outcomes after ACS. Early and continuous statin administration has emerged as key features to prevent adverse events, especially in patients admitted for ACS undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. Clinical trials matching the improved clinical outcome with the imaging of atherosclerotic plaque stabilization/regression, further supporting the effectiveness of statin therapy. However, the achievement of these goals requires high dose of statins, thus increasing the risk of adverse events.

Conclusions

Although clinical trials and meta‐analyses have provided conflicting results, it is likely that in clinical practice, the rate of adverse events is higher, so that many concerns still remain about a statin high‐dose approach in ACS patients.
Mechanisms of species‐sorting: effect of habitat occupancy on aphids' host plant selection
Authors: MEHRPARVAR MOHSEN , MANSOURI SEYED MOZAFFAR , WEISSER WOLFGANG W.
Published: March 2014

Interspecific interactions such as competition are important factors affecting insect herbivore fitness. Host choice in herbivorous insects including aphids has largely been studied with respect to host plant condition, while the role of competition is also very important.

Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare L.) hosts three specialised aphids, Macrosiphoniella tanacetaria (Kaltenbach), Metopeurum fuscoviride Stroyan and Uroleucon tanaceti (L.) (Hemiptera: Aphididae). In this study, a set of greenhouse and field experiments were carried out to investigate whether aphid host plant choice was affected by the presence of the other aphid species.

When winged individuals were given the choice between unoccupied plants and plants occupied by the same or another aphid species, choices generally reflected the outcome of competitive interactions among aphids.

Colonisation of plants by winged individuals was influenced not only by the presence of other aphids on the host plant but also by previous infestation. The host choice of winged individuals basically reflected competitive hierarchies, i.e. aphids in most cases selected plants where future competition was less likely. By contrast, unwinged aphids did not show any host plant preference. For M. tanacetaria previously infested plants promoted the production of winged offspring.

Our results show that competitive interactions could affect host selection behaviour by aphids. In a metacommunity context, such preferences in colonising different habitats leads to species‐sorting through habitat heterogeneity.
Cell types and coincident synapses in the ellipsoid body of Drosophila
Authors: Martín‐Peña Alfonso , Acebes Angel , Rodríguez José‐Rodrigo , Chevalier Valerie , Casas‐Tinto Sergio , Triphan Tilman , Strauss Roland , Ferrús Alberto
Published: March 2014

Cellular ultrastructures for signal integration are unknown in any nervous system. The ellipsoid body (EB) of the Drosophila brain is thought to control locomotion upon integration of various modalities of sensory signals with the animal internal status. However, the expected excitatory and inhibitory input convergence that virtually all brain centres exhibit is not yet described in the EB. Based on the EB expression domains of genetic constructs from the choline acetyl transferase (Cha), glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) genes, we identified a new set of neurons with the characteristic ring‐shaped morphology (R neurons) which are presumably cholinergic, in addition to the existing GABA‐expressing neurons. The R1 morphological subtype is represented in the Cha‐ and TH‐expressing classes. In addition, using transmission electron microscopy, we identified a novel type of synapse in the EB, which exhibits the precise array of two independent active zones over the same postsynaptic dendritic domain, that we named ‘agora’. This array is compatible with a coincidence detector role, and represents ~8% of all EB synapses in Drosophila. Presumably excitatory R neurons contribute to coincident synapses. Functional silencing of EB neurons by driving genetically tetanus toxin expression either reduces walking speed or alters movement orientation depending on the targeted R neuron subset, thus revealing functional specialisations in the EB for locomotion control.
Automated Scoring of Constructed‐Response Science Items: Prospects and Obstacles
Authors: Liu Ou Lydia , Brew Chris , Blackmore John , Gerard Libby , Madhok Jacquie , Linn Marcia C.
Published: March 2014

Content‐based automated scoring has been applied in a variety of science domains. However, many prior applications involved simplified scoring rubrics without considering rubrics representing multiple levels of understanding. This study tested a concept‐based scoring tool for content‐based scoring, c‐rater™, for four science items with rubrics aiming to differentiate among multiple levels of understanding. The items showed moderate to good agreement with human scores. The findings suggest that automated scoring has the potential to score constructed‐response items with complex scoring rubrics, but in its current design cannot replace human raters. This article discusses sources of disagreement and factors that could potentially improve the accuracy of concept‐based automated scoring.
Seizure semiology and EEG findings in mitochondrial diseases
Authors: Chevallier Justyna A. , Von Allmen Gretchen K. , Koenig Mary Kay
Published: March 2014

Objective

Seizures constitute a frequent yet under‐described manifestation of mitochondrial disorders (MDs). The aim of this study was to describe electroencephalography (EEG) findings and clinical seizure types in a population of children and adults with mitochondrial disease.

Methods

Retrospective chart review of 165 records of children and adults with mitochondrial disease seen in the University of Texas Houston Mitochondrial Center between 2007 and 2012 was performed; all subjects were diagnosed with confirmed mitochondrial disease. EEG findings and clinical data, including seizure semiology and response to antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), were analyzed and categorized.

Results

Sixty‐six percent (109/165) of subjects had a routine EEG performed. Sixty‐one percent (67/109) of EEG studies were abnormal and 85% (56/67) had epileptiform discharges. The most common EEG finding was generalized slowing (40/67, 60%). The most frequent category of epileptiform activity seen was multifocal discharges (41%), followed by focal (39%) and generalized (39%) discharges. Clinical seizures were seen in 55% of subjects and the most common types of seizures observed were complex partial (37%) and generalized tonic–clonic (GTC; 37%). The most common seizure type in patients with mitochondrial encephalomyopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke‐like episodes (MELAS) was GTC (33%), with generalized or focal discharges seen on EEG. In Leigh syndrome GTC (11%) and complex partial (11%) seizures were the most frequent types. Of 60 subjects with clinical seizures, 28% were intractable to medical treatment.

Significance

Mitochondrial disorder should be included in the list of differential diagnosis in any child that presents with encephalopathy, seizures, and a fluctuating clinical course. Given the relatively high prevalence of EEG abnormalities in patients with MD, EEG should be performed during initial evaluation in all patients with MD, not only upon clinical suspicion of epilepsy.

A PowerPoint slide summarizing this article is available for download in the Supporting Information section here.
Prediction of notch sensitivity effects in fatigue and in environmentally assisted cracking
Authors: de Castro J. T. P. , Landim R. V. , Leite J. C. C. , Meggiolaro M. A.
Published: March 2014

Semi‐empirical notch sensitivity factorsqhave been used for a long time to quantify notch effects in fatigue design. Recently, this old concept has been mechanically modelled using sound stress analysis techniques, which properly consider the notch tip stress gradient influence on the fatigue behaviour of mechanically short cracks. This mechanical model properly calculatesqvalues from the basic fatigue properties of the material, its fatigue limit and crack propagation threshold, considering all the characteristics of the notch geometry and of the loading, without the need for any adjustable parameter. This model's predictions have been validated by proper tests, and a criterion to accept tolerable short cracks has been proposed based on it. In this work, this criterion is extended to model notch sensitivity effects in environmentally assisted cracking conditions.
Dislocation distributions in monocrystalline nickel‐based superalloys subjected to thermo‐mechanical fatigue with and without hold times
Authors: Sun F. , Zhang J.
Published: March 2014

The characteristics of dislocation configurations under thermo‐mechanical fatigue cycling were investigated in [001] oriented nickel‐based single‐crystal superalloys. Thermo‐mechanical fatigue tests were performed on TMS‐75 (without hold time) and TMS‐82 (with hold time) superalloys. The specimens were subsequently studied by transmission electron microscopy under two‐beam conditions. In TMS‐75 superalloy, cross‐slipping is the main characteristic for the low number of dislocations. In TMS‐82 superalloy, more complex process of dislocation configurations has been demonstrated in detail, involving five stages: after the first stress relaxation, after the first tensile plastic deformation, after the second stress relaxation, after 30 cycles and after rupture. In addition, for TMS‐82 superalloy, there is a reversible movement behaviour of stacking faults that occur in compression and disappear in tension. After rupture, the number of dislocation is related to the hold time. Longer hold time could generate a higher degree of stress relaxation and produce more dislocations with climbing characteristic.
Design and characterization of a biomimetic composite inspired to human bone
Authors: Libonati F. , Colombo C. , Vergani L.
Published: March 2014

Many biological materials are generally considered composites, made of relatively weak constituents and with a hierarchical arrangement, resulting in outstanding mechanical properties, difficult to be reached in man‐made materials. An example is human bone, whose hierarchical structure strongly affects its mechanical performance, toughness in particular, by activating different toughening mechanisms occurring at different length scales. At microscale, the principal toughening mechanism occurring in bone is crack deflection. Here, we study the structure of bone and we focus on the role of the microstructure on its fracture behaviour, with the goal of mimicking it in a new composite. We select the main structural features, the osteons, which play a crucial role in leading to crack deflection, and we reproduce them in a synthetic composite. The paper describes the design, manufacturing and characterization of a newly designed composite, whose structure is inspired to the Haversian structure of cortical bone, and that of a classic laminate developed for comparative reasons. We conclude with a critical discussion on the results of the mechanical tests carried out on the new composite and on the comparative laminate, highlighting strengths and shortcomings of the new biomimetic material.
Can ants equal honeybees as effective pollinators of the energy crop Jatropha curcas L. under Mediterranean conditions?
Authors: Samra Shahar , Samocha Yael , Eisikowitch Dan , Vaknin Yiftach
Published: March 2014

Jatropha curcas L. is the subject of many research and breeding programs concerned with its potential as an oil crop for biodiesel production. Despite an increasing amount of information regarding this relatively new crop, pollination requirements of this plant are largely neglected. The aim of the study was to evaluate the relative significance of ants and honeybees as potential pollinators of J. curcas grown under Mediterranean conditions. Jatropha curcas plants bloomed throughout the summer and fall, peaking twice, in early summer and late fall. During this period, the plants were visited by 70 species of insects representing 45 families from seven orders, with most species rarely being observed. Ants and Honeybees were the most common species, accounting for >95% of all flower visits. The foraging behavior of the honeybees followed the pattern of bloom phenology, especially during the summer, and mostly promoted cross‐pollination. Ants on the other hand, mostly promoted self pollination showing no such correlative behavior, reacting often too late to nectar availability, and were highly susceptible to climatic changes. Pollinator exclusion treatments revealed that during summer, fruit and seed sets, as well as seed size and oil and protein contents, were relatively similar for ant and bee‐pollinated flowers. During fall, however, reproductive success of bee‐pollinated flowers was relatively high (66%), while fruit set of ant‐pollinated flowers was significantly reduced from 71 to 11%. In conclusion, while both groups are equal in their pollination effectiveness in the summer, during the fall the honeybees are almost the sole pollinators of the plant. Based on bloom phenology and pollination activity data, the honeybees are responsible for the pollination of more than 80% of the annual reproductive potential of J. curcas, under Mediterranean conditions.
MARXISM, GENDER AND MEDIATED MEMORIES OF NATIONAL SOCIALISM: THE PARADOXICAL CASE OF CHRISTA WOLF'S KINDHEITSMUSTER (1976)
Authors: Stone Katherine
Published: March 2014

This article explores ambivalences in the representation of women's participation in the Third Reich in Christa Wolf's Kindheitsmuster (1976). Its thematic and aesthetic departure from the GDR's official stance towards National Socialism is well‐noted. As this article demonstrates, however, Wolf's subversive feminine and moral perspective on the Nazi past also relies on an ideal of human interaction, embodied in some of the female protagonists. This leads Wolf to reinstate the idealised gender norms that traditionally define the memory of National Socialism. Her association of women with essential values further clashes with institutional Marxism's emphasis on the historical, and therefore changeable, nature of man, his social relations, and of gendered oppression. This article considers Wolf's paradoxical departure from and reinscription of the state‐sanctioned model of history in light of the Marxist texts that have shaped Wolf's interpretation of fascism, paying particular attention to the place of the Frankfurt School's concept of instrumental reason and J.J. Bachofen's notion of matriarchy in her feminist and historical understanding. An examination of the ambivalent construction of gender and guilt in Kindheitsmuster raises important questions about how gender functions symbolically in the left‐wing texts that came to shape post‐war interpretations of National Socialism in both Germanies.
Effects of long‐acting somatostatin analogues on redox systems in rat lens in experimental diabetes
Authors: Kunjara Sirilaksana , Greenbaum A. Leslie , Sochor Milena , Flyvbjerg Allan , Grønbaek Henning , McLean Patricia
Published: March 2014

The effects of long‐acting somatostatin analogues, angiopeptin (AGP) and Sandostatin (SMS), on the early decline in the lens content of glutathione (GSH), ATP and NADPH and increase in sorbitol were studied in STZ diabetic rats, and comparison was made with the effect of insulin. Three factors prompted this study: (i) the known increase in IGF‐1 in ocular tissue in diabetes and antagonistic effect of somatostatins, (ii) the known effect of IGF‐1 in increasing lens aldose reductase and (iii) the lack of effect of somatostatins on diabetic hyperglycaemia, the latter enabling a differentiation to be made between effects of hyperglycaemia per se and site(s) of IGF‐1/somatostatins. All four metabolites studied showed a significant restoration towards the normal control level after 7 days of treatment with AGP and SMS, and AGP was more effective on levels of GSH and ATP. A significant correlation was found between GSH and ATP across all groups at 7 days treatment. The redox state changes in diabetes include both NADP+/NADPH and NAD+/NADH in the conversion of glucose to sorbitol and via sorbitol dehydrogenase to fructose with a linked decrease in ATP formation via NAD+/NADH regulation of the glycolytic pathway. The interlinked network of change includes the requirement for ATP in the synthesis of GSH. The present study points to possible loci of action of somatostatins in improving metabolic parameters in the diabetic rat lens via effects on aldose reductase and/or glucose transport at GLUT 3.
Lingual ulceration associated with retinoic acid syndrome during treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia
Authors: Riganti Julia , Caviedes Mariana P. , Torre Ana C. , Maqueda Mariana Guzzi , Piñero Maria C. Baztan , Volonteri Victoria I. , Galimberti Ricardo L.
Published: March 2014

Background

All‐trans retinoic acid (ATRA) is routinely associated with chemotherapy for the treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). Several reports of scrotal ulceration induced by this agent have been made in the recent years.

Aims

The aim of this article was to report the first case of a lingual ulceration associated with retinoic acid syndrome (RAS).

Matherials and Methods

We presented a 32‐year‐old man with a diagnosis of acute promyelocytic leukemia who received treatment with ATRA. He presented with febrile neutropenia and a lingual ulcer that did not respond to antibiotic and antifungal regimens. He developed weight gain, lower limb edema, polyserositis, and acute renal failure. Retinoic acid syndrome syndrome was diagnosed.

Results

An exhaustive attempt to exclude infectious causes was made performing repeated cultures, histologic examinations, and direct immunofluorescence for HSV. No causative agent was identified. Re‐epithelialization of the ulcer was achieved with ATRA cessation and treatment with systemic steroids.

Discussion

As far as we are concerned, we report the first case of a lingual ulceration associated with RAS.

Conclusion

It is important for dermatologists to recognize this cutaneous complication of ATRA as it poses many differential diagnoses in neutropenic patients.
Bloom syndrome
Authors: Arora Harleen , Chacon Anna H. , Choudhary Sonal , McLeod Michael P. , Meshkov Lauren , Nouri Keyvan , Izakovic Jan
Published: March 2014

Bloom Syndrome (BS, MIM #210900) is an autosomal recessive genetic disorder caused by a mutation in the BLM gene, which codes for the DNA repair enzyme RecQL3 helicase. Without proper DNA repair mechanisms, abnormal DNA exchange takes place between sister chromatids and results in genetic instability that may lead to cancer, especially lymphoma and acute myelogenous leukemia, lower and upper gastrointestinal tract neoplasias, cutaneous tumors, and neoplasias in the genitalia and urinary tract. BS patients are usually of Ashkenazi Jewish descent and exhibit narrow facial features, elongated limbs, and several dermatologic complications including photosensitivity, poikiloderma, and telangiectatic erythema. The most concerning manifestation of BS is multiple malignancies, which require frequent screenings and strict vigilance by the physician. Therefore, distinguishing between BS and other dermatologic syndromes of similar presentation such as Rothmund–Thomson Syndrome, Erythropoietic Protoporphyria, and Cockayne Syndrome is paramount to disease management and to prolonging life. BS can be diagnosed through a variety of DNA sequencing methods, and genetic testing is available for high‐risk populations. This review consolidates several sources on BS sequelae and aims to suggest the importance of differentiating BS from other dermatologic conditions. This paper also elucidates the recently discovered BRAFT and FANCM protein complexes that link BS and Fanconi anemia.
Effects of smoking on human telomerase reverse transcriptase expression in the skin
Authors: Lotfi Ranya A. , El Zawahry Khaled M. , Kamar Zeinab A. , Hashem Zamzam
Published: March 2014

Background

Telomeres are DNA–protein complexes that cap chromosomal ends, promoting chromosome stability. Telomerase is a ribonucleoprotein complex with a direct telomere protective function. Telomere shortening represents lifetime exposure to oxidative stress and is negatively correlated with age, smoking, and mortality. Smoking increases oxidative DNA modification and thus may influence telomere dynamics and human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) activity.

Objectives

This study investigated the effect of smoking on hTERT expression in the skin of smokers and non‐smokers.

Methods

A cross‐sectional study in 20 current smokers and 20 non‐smokers was conducted. Three‐mm punch skin biopsies were obtained. Biopsies were examined in routine hematoxylin and eosin staining and immunohistochemistry to investigate expression of hTERT.

Results

All skin biopsies from smokers and non‐smokers showed cytoplasmic staining in epidermal cells. Sections positive for hTERT expression showed nuclear and some nucleolar staining in cells of the basal and suprabasal layers. In the dermis, hTERT expression was present in some skin appendages. The epidermis of smokers showed positive hTERT in 55% and negative hTERT in 45% of biopsies. The epidermis of non‐smokers showed positive hTERT in 70% and negative hTERT in 30% of biopsies (P > 0.05). Among smokers, 20% showed positive and 80% showed negative hTERT expression in the dermis. Among non‐smokers, 30% showed positive and 70% showed negative hTERT expression in the dermis. A higher mean pack year value was found in subjects with negative rather than positive hTERT expression (P < 0.01). In addition, pack year was inversely correlated with hTERT expression in the epidermis (P < 0.05): as pack year increased, hTERT expression decreased. Mean pack year values were higher in subjects with negative rather than positive hTERT expression in the dermis (P < 0.01).

Conclusions

This research focused on smoking as a lifestyle factor that may alter telomere length and subsequently telomerase kinetics in the skin. Findings showed a higher percentage of negative hTERT in the epidermis and dermis among smokers compared with non‐smokers and a higher percentage of positive hTERT expression among non‐smokers (not significant). The results of this work showed a statistically significant higher mean pack year count among cases with negative rather than positive hTERT expression in the epidermis and dermis. Pack year count was inversely correlated to hTERT scoring in the epidermis (percentage of cells stained) and hTERT expression in the dermis. Thus, smoking may affect telomerase activity in the skin, thereby contributing to skin aging.
Blocking of the ATP sensitive potassium channel ameliorates the	ischaemia‐reperfusion injury in the rat testis
Authors: Shimizu S. , Oikawa R. , Tsounapi P. , Inoue K. , Shimizu T. , Tanaka K. , Martin D. T. , Honda M. , Sejima T. , Tomita S. , Saito M.
Published: March 2014

There is increasing evidence that the effects of administered ATP sensitive potassium (KATP) channel openers or blockers during ischaemia are still controversial in many organs/tissues. Testicular torsion detorsion which causes ischaemia‐reperfusion (IR) injury, cannot be predicted, thus an effective drug should be administered during or after the ischaemia. The aim of this study was to examine whether the administration of KATP channel openers or blockers during ischaemia ameliorates IR injury in the testis. Eight‐week‐old male Sprague–Dawley rats were subjected to 2 h right testicular ischaemia followed by 24 h reperfusion. The selective mitochondrial (mito) KATP channel blocker, 5‐hydroxydecanoate (5‐HD) (40 mg/kg), the non‐selective KATP channel blocker glibenclamide (5 mg/kg), the selective mito KATP channel opener diazoxide (10 mg/kg) and the non‐selective KATP channel opener cromakalim (300 μg/kg) were administered intraperitoneally 15 min prior to the ischaemia or 75 min after the induction of ischaemia. Tissue damage was evaluated by malondialdehyde concentration, myeloperoxidase activity, histological evaluation and TdT‐mediated dUTP nick end labelling assay in the testis. There was a significant increase in oxidative stress, neutrophil infiltration, histological damage and apoptosis in the testicular IR model. A significant reduction in the testicular IR injury was observed with the administration of glibenclamide, but not 5‐HD, diazoxide or cromakalim during ischaemia. The administration of non‐selective KATP channel blocker glibenclamide ameliorated the testicular IR injury. On the other hand, the selective mito KATP channel blocker, 5‐HD and KATP channel openers did not reduce the testicular IR injury. These data suggest that blocking of the membrane KATP channel may have a protective effect during the testicular ischaemia. Glibenclamide could be an effective drug to manage the post‐ischaemic injury caused by the testicular torsion‐detorsion.
Electrical Conductivity of Mullite Ceramics
Authors: Malki Mohammed , Hoo Christopher M. , Mecartney Martha L. , Schneider Hartmut
Published: March 2014

The electrical conductivity of a lab‐produced homogeneous mullite ceramic sintered at 1625°C for 10 h with low porosity was measured by impedance spectroscopy in the 0.01 Hz to 1MHz frequency range at temperatures between 300°C and 1400°C in air. The electrical conductivity of the mullite ceramic is low at 300°C (≈0.5 × 10−9 Scm−1), typical for a ceramic insulator. Up to ≈ 800°C, the conductivity only slightly increases (≈0.5 × 10−6 Scm−1 at 800°C) corresponding to a relatively low activation energy (0.68eV) of the process. Above ≈ 800°C, the temperature‐dependent increase in the electrical conductivity is higher (≈10−5 Scm−1 at 1400°C), which goes along with a higher activation energy (1.14 eV). The electrical conductivity of the mullite ceramic and its temperature‐dependence are compared with prior studies. The conductivity of polycrystalline mullite is found to lie in‐between those of the strong insulator α‐alumina and the excellent ion conductor Y‐doped zirconia. The electrical conductivity of the mullite ceramic in the low‐temperature field (< ≈800°C) is approximately one order of magnitude higher than that of the mullite single crystals. This difference is essentially attributed to electronic grain‐boundary conductivity in the polycrystalline ceramic material. The electronic grain‐boundary conductivity may be triggered by defects at grain boundaries. At high temperatures, above ≈ 800°C, and up to 1400°C gradually increasing ionic oxygen conductivity dominates.
Normal‐Relaxor‐Diffuse Ferroelectric Phase Transition and Electrical Properties of Bi(Mg1/2Ti1/2)3–PbZrO3–PbTiO3 Solid Solution Ceramics Near the Morphotropic Phase Boundary
Authors: Yi Haifeng , Zuo Ruzhong
Published: March 2014

Perovskite‐type xBi(Mg1/2Ti1/2)O3–(0.56 − x)PbZrO3–0.44PbTiO3 (xBMT–PZ–PT) ternary solid solution ceramics were synthesized via a conventional solid‐state reaction method. The phase transition behaviors, dielectric, ferroelectric, and piezoelectric properties were investigated as a function of the BMT content. The X‐ray diffraction analysis showed that the tetragonality of xBMT–PZ–PT was enhanced with increasing the BMT content, and a morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) between rhombohedral and tetragonal phases was identified approximately in the composition of x = 0.08. In addition, the dielectric diffuseness and frequency dispersion behavior were induced with the addition of BMT and a normal‐relaxor‐diffuse ferroelectric transformation was observed from the PZ‐rich side to the BMT‐rich side. The electrical properties of xBMT–PZ–PT ceramics exhibit obviously compositional dependence. The x = 0.08 composition not only possessed the optimum properties with εT33/ε0 = 1450, Qm = 69, d33 = 390 pC/N, kp = 0.46, Pr = 30 μC/cm2, Ec = 1.4 kV/mm, Tc = 325°C, and a strain of 0.174% (d33* = 436 pm/V) under an electric field of 4 kV/mm as a result of the coexistence of two ferroelectric phases near the MPB, but also owned a good thermal‐depolarization behavior with a d33 value of >315 pC/N up to 290°C and a frequency‐insensitive strain behavior.
Confocal analysis of the exopolysaccharide matrix ofCandida albicansbiofilms
Authors: Gonçalves Letícia M. , Del Bel Cury Altair A. , de Vasconcellos Andréa A. , Cury Jaime A. , da Silva Wander J.
Published: March 2014

Aim

Confocal laser‐scanning microscopy (CLSM) was carried out to investigate the exopolysaccharide matrix ofCandida albicans(C. albicans) biofilms developed on denture material under dietary carbohydrate exposure.

Methods

Biofilms were developed on poly(methyl methacrylate) discs in culture media without (control) or with supplementation by glucose or sucrose for 72 h. For theCLSManalysis, biofilms were labeled with concanavalin A (ConA) during its development. Afterwards, biofilms were also labeled withSYTO‐9. To confirm the results, the matrix was investigated by the phenol‐sulfuric method. Data were analyzed byanova, followed by Tukey's test, with the level of significance set at 5%.

Results

The use of ConA during biofilm development provided effective labeling of the exopolysaccharide matrix. The exposure to sucrose resulted in biofilms with the highest exopolysaccharide matrix biovolume (P < 0.05). The characterization obtained byCLSMwas confirmed by the phenol‐sulfuric method.

Conclusion

Confocal laser‐scanning microscopy was found to be an effective tool for investigating the exopolysaccharide matrix ofC. albicansbiofilms, and exposure to sucrose resulted in increased matrix production.
Can Efficiency Improvements Reduce Resource Consumption?
Authors: Dahmus Jeffrey B.
Published: March 2014

This work explores the historical effectiveness of efficiency improvements in reducing humankind's consumption of energy resources. Ten activities are analyzed, including pig iron production, aluminum production, nitrogen fertilizer production, electricity generation from coal, electricity generation from oil, electricity generation from natural gas, freight rail travel, passenger air travel, motor vehicle travel, and residential refrigeration. The data and analyses presented here demonstrate the dynamic interplay between technological innovation, market forces, and government policy. They also show that, historically, over long time periods, incremental improvements in efficiency have not succeeded in outpacing increases in the quantity of goods and services provided. Thus, the end result over these time periods has been, not surprisingly, a sizeable increase in the consumption of energy resources across all ten activities. However, there do exist a few examples of shorter, decade‐long time periods in which improvements in efficiency were able to match or outpace increases in quantity. In these cases, efficiency mandates, price pressures, and industry upheaval led to periods of reduced resource consumption. These cases suggest that with appropriate incentives, including, for example, efficiency mandates and price mechanisms, future resource consumption, and its associated environmental impacts, could be stabilized and even reduced.
Structural, petrological and chemical analysis of syn‐kinematic migmatites: insights from the Western Gneiss Region, Norway
Authors: Ganzhorn A. C. , Labrousse L. , Prouteau G. , Leroy C. , Vrijmoed J. C. , Andersen T. B. , Arbaret L.
Published: March 2014

Evidence of melting is presented from the Western Gneiss Region (WGR) in the core of the Caledonian orogen, Western Norway and the dynamic significance of melting for the evolution of orogens is evaluated. Multiphase inclusions in garnet that comprise plagioclase, potassic feldspar and biotite are interpreted to be formed from melt trapped during garnet growth in the eclogite facies. The multiphase inclusions are associated with rocks that preserve macroscopic evidence of melting, such as segregations in mafic rocks, leucosomes and pegmatites hosted in mafic rocks and in gneisses. Based on field studies, these lithologies are found in three structural positions: (i) as zoned segregations found in high‐P(ultra)mafic bodies; (ii) as leucosomes along amphibolite facies foliation and in a variety of discordant structures in gneiss; and (iii) as undeformed pegmatites cutting the main Caledonian structures. Segregations post‐date the eclogite facies foliation and pre‐date the amphibolite facies deformation, whereas leucosomes are contemporaneous with the amphibolite facies deformation, and undeformed pegmatites are post‐kinematic and were formed at the end of the deformation history. The geochemistry of the segregations, leucosomes and pegmatites in theWGRdefines two trends, which correlate with the mafic or felsic nature of the host rocks. The first trend with Ca‐poor compositions represents leucosome and pegmatite hosted in felsic gneiss, whereas the second group with K‐poor compositions corresponds to segregation hosted in (ultra)mafic rocks. These trends suggest partial melting of two separate sources: the felsic gneisses and also the included mafic eclogites. TheREEpatterns of the samples allow distinction between melt compositions, fractionated liquids and cumulates. Melting began at high pressure and affected most lithologies in theWGRbefore or during their retrogression in the amphibolite facies. During this stage, the presence of melt may have acted as a weakening mechanism that enabled decoupling of the exhuming crust around the peak pressure conditions triggering exhumation of the upward‐buoyant crust. Partial melting of both felsic and mafic sources at temperatures below 800 °C implies the presence of an H2O‐rich fluid phase at great depth to facilitate H2O‐present partial melting.
Contesting Imperial Epistemologies: Introduction
Authors: Bhambra Gurminder K , Shilliam Robbie , Orrells Daniel
Published: March 2014

This special issue addresses the Eurocentred nature of knowledge production by examining alternative loci of knowledge production and the consequences of subverting standard narratives of particular events and conceptual paradigms through a focus on “other” places and traditions of thought, especially those formed in colonial encounters. In contesting imperial epistemologies, this special issue draws together contributors working on a variety of globally located phenomena and also seeks to re‐examine how “foundational” concepts and events within social theory and historical sociology are understood differently once we start from locations and traditions other than the typically hegemonic West.
Clinical and scanning electron microscopy evaluation of the Er,Cr:YSGG laser therapy for treating dentine hypersensitivity: short‐term, randomised, controlled study
Authors: Yilmaz H. G. , Bayindir H.
Published: March 2014

Er,Cr:YSGG laser is a rising treatment option for dentine hypersensitivity (DH). However, there is no data available concerning the scanning electron microscope (SEM) evaluation of the clinical application of Er,Cr:YSGG laser in the treatment of DH. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the desensitising and tubule occlusion effects of Er,Cr:YSGG laser with different power settings. Twenty patients (60 teeth) participated in this study. For each patient, teeth were randomised to 3 groups. In groups 1 and 2, patients were treated with Er,Cr:YSGG laser at 0·25 and 0·5 W, respectively. In control group, same laser was applied without laser emission. DH was assessed for all groups with a visual analogue scale (VAS). When compared with the baseline data and control group, in both active treatment groups laser irradiation provided a desensitising effect immediately after treatment (P < 0·001). In group 2, VAS scores were significantly lower than group 1. The tubule diameters in the both laser groups were significantly smaller than the control group (P < 0·01). When group 1 compared with group 2, group 2 showed significantly smaller tubule diameters (P < 0·001). Both 0·25 and 0·5 W laser irradiation were effective for the treatment of DH; however, 0·5 W laser irradiation showed best results for the decrease in VAS scores. The SEM findings of the reduction in number/patency of dentine tubules seem to be related to the clinical findings, which were associated with improvement in treatment efficacy.
Validation of a model to estimate survival in ambulatory patients with hepatocellular carcinoma: a single‐centre cohort study
Authors: Kim Bo Hyun , Park Joong‐Won , Nam Byung‐Ho , Kwak Hee Won , Kim W. Ray
Published: March 2014

Background & Aims

Survival of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is determined by hepatic function and tumour extent. Recently, a new Model to Estimate Survival in Ambulatory HCC patients (MESIAH) was proposed to predict overall survival in ambulatory HCC patients. This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic performance of the MESIAH score in an independent cohort of HCC patients.

Methods

A cohort of 1969 patients newly diagnosed with HCC at the National Cancer Center, Korea between January 2004 and December 2009 was used for validation of the MESIAH score. The model's performance was assessed using C‐statistics, the likelihood ratio (LR) χ2 value and Akaike information criterion (AIC).

Results

Patients in the cohort had a median age of 56 years and 83.2% were men. Hepatitis B virus infection was present in 74.6 and 81.6% had a Child–Pugh class A. The median overall survival was 21.4 months. The MESIAH score had a higher degree of discrimination, with a C‐statistic of 0.792 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.782–0.803], when compared with the Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) staging system [0.665 (95% CI, 0.653–0.678), P < 0.001]. The LR χ2 value and the AIC of MESIAH were also better than those of BCLC, Cancer of the Liver Italian Program, Japan Integrated Scoring and Tokyo score. The observed survival in the cohort closely matched that predicted by the MESIAH score.

Conclusions

The new prognostication model MESIAH accurately estimated the overall survival of Korean HCC patients and may be useful in future research as well as individual patient care.
A 5′ UTR‐mediated translational efficiency mechanism inhibits the Candida albicans morphological transition
Authors: Childers Delma S. , Mundodi Vasanthakrishna , Banerjee Mohua , Kadosh David
Published: March 2014

While virulence properties of Candida albicans, the most commonly isolated human fungal pathogen, are controlled by transcriptional and post‐translational mechanisms, considerably little is known about the role of post‐transcriptional, and particularly translational, mechanisms. We demonstrate that UME6, a key filament‐specific transcriptional regulator whose expression level is sufficient to determine C. albicans morphology and promote virulence, has one of the longest 5′ untranslated regions (UTRs) identified in fungi to date, which is predicted to form a complex and extremely stable secondary structure. The 5′ UTR inhibits the ability of UME6, when expressed at constitutive high levels, to drive complete hyphal growth, but does not cause a reduction in UME6 transcript. Deletion of the 5′ UTR increases C. albicans filamentation under a variety of conditions but does not affect UME6 transcript level or induction kinetics. We show that the 5′ UTR functions to inhibit Ume6 protein expression under several filament‐inducing conditions and specifically reduces association of the UME6 transcript with polysomes. Overall, our findings suggest that translational efficiency mechanisms, known to regulate diverse biological processes in bacterial and viral pathogens as well as higher eukaryotes, have evolved to inhibit and fine‐tune morphogenesis, a key virulence trait of many human fungal pathogens.
Rorqual whale (Balaenopteridae) surface lunge‐feeding behaviors: Standardized classification, repertoire diversity, and evolutionary analyses
Authors: Kot Brian W. , Sears Richard , Zbinden Dany , Borda Elizabeth , Gordon Malcolm S.
Published: March 2014

Rorqual whales (Family: Balaenopteridae) are the world's largest predators and sometimes feed near or at the sea surface on small schooling prey. Most rorquals capture prey using a behavioral process known as lunge‐feeding that, when occurring at the surface, often exposes the mouth and head above the water. New technology has recently improved historical misconceptions about the natural variation in rorqual lunge‐feeding behavior yet missing from the literature is a dedicated study of the identification, use, and evolution of these behaviors when used to capture prey at the surface. Here we present results from a long‐term investigation of three rorqual whale species (minke whale, Balaenoptera acutorostrata; fin whale, B. physalus; and blue whale, B. musculus) that helped us develop a standardized classification system of surface lunge‐feeding (SLF) behaviors. We then tested for differences in frequency of these behaviors among the three species and across all rorqual species. Our results: (1) propose a unified classification system of six homologous SLF behaviors used by all living rorqual whale species; (2) demonstrate statistically significant differences in the frequency of each behavior by minke, fin, and blue whales; and (3) provide new information regarding the evolution of lunge‐feeding behaviors among rorqual whales.