bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
ULTRATHIN ENDOSCOPY FOR GASTROINTESTINAL STRICTURES
Authors: AYDINLI MUSA , KORUK IRFAN , DAG M SAIT , SAVAS M CEMIL , KADAYIFCI ABDURRAHMAN
Published: October 2011

Background and Aim:  The assessment and treatment of advanced gastrointestinal (GI) strictures, which are defined as the inability to pass through the strictured segment with standard endoscopes, might require radiological work‐up, repeated endoscopies and surgery. The aim of the present study was to assess the role of ultrathin endoscopy (UTE) for the evaluation and treatment of advanced GI strictures.

Methods:  Patients in whom an initial diagnostic upper or lower endoscopy attempt was incomplete because of a tight stricture underwent a second procedure with a UTE (5.9 mm diameter) in the same session. An interventional endoscopic therapy was also carried out according to the etiology and nature of the stricture using the same UTE. Diagnostic and therapeutic outcomes were recorded and followed up prospectively. The study was conducted in a tertiary endoscopy center.

Results:  During a one and half year study period, 62 patients (51 at upper and 11 at lower endoscopy) were detected with advanced GI stricture among 8456 diagnostic upper and 3815 lower endoscopy patients. A complete endoscopic examination was successful with UTE in 40 (78%) patients with upper and in nine patients (82%) with lower GI strictures. An interventional procedure was also carried out in 16 patients with the assistance of UTE.

Conclusion:  UTE is a useful tool for the evaluation of patients with advanced GI strictures. It provides a complete diagnostic endoscopy in most patients and gives an opportunity for therapeutic endoscopic procedures.
Pre‐market approval and post‐market direct‐to‐consumer advertising of medical devices in Australia: a case study of breast cancer screening and diagnostic devices
Authors: Vreugdenburg T. D. , Willis C. D. , Mundy L. , Hiller J. E.
Published: October 2011

While research investigating direct‐to‐consumer advertising of therapeutic goods in Australia has historically focused on prescription medicines, recent action taken by regulators against companies promoting medical devices has placed the industry into the spotlight. Despite the need to effectively regulate direct‐to‐consumer advertising of medical devices due to its potential harms, inadequacies in the current regulatory system have been noted. Under the present system, devices with a questionable evidence base may enter the Australian marketplace without an evaluation of their effectiveness, and regulators are reliant on industry self‐regulation and consumer complaints to draw attention to cases of advertising misconduct. Although some successes in the present system have been observed, we argue that the outlined inadequacies continue to enable the promotion of medical devices to consumers without thorough or sufficient examination of evidence.
Immunophenotypic analysis of erythroid dysplasia and its diagnostic application in myelodysplastic syndromes
Authors: Xu F. , Wu L. , He Q. , Zhang Z. , Chang C. , Li X.
Published: October 2011

Background/Aim: Abnormal immunophenotypes of haematopoietic cells in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) have been identified by flow cytometry (FCM) as a typical characteristic of myeloid dysplasia. Considering that most MDS patients show varying degrees of erythroid dysplasia, we analysed the immunophenotypic feature of erythroblasts to evaluate its diagnostic application in MDS.

Methods: Erythroid antigens CD71 and CD105 expression were analysed using FCM. The development index (DI) acquired by log transformation of the CD71/CD105 expression ratio was used to denote the erythroid maturation and distinguish patients with non‐clonal cytopenias from low‐risk MDS. The diagnostic quality of DI in distinguishing MDS from non‐clonal cytopenia patients was evaluated using the receiver–operator characteristic (ROC) curve.

Results: Under‐expression of CD71 and over‐expression of CD105 were detected in erythroblasts of MDS patients compared with non‐clonal cytopenias. The diagnostic test showed good diagnostic power that the area under the ROC curve was greater than 0.9. The diagnostic sensitivity and specificity were 75.6% and 92.3%, respectively, according to the DI threshold defined by the ROC curve in low‐risk MDS patients with normal karyotypes. Moreover, the DI showed a positive correlation with the haemoglobin level, and the MDS patients with lower DI usually showed frequent red cell transfusion. The patients with a lower DI generally had the HLA‐DR15 allele or marrow hypocellularity.

Conclusion: Developmental defects and immune‐associated factors may contribute to the erythroid dysplasia. The DI derived from ratios of CD71 and CD105 expression is a useful marker to characterise dyserythropioiesis associated with MDS and can be helpful in distinguishing it from dyerythropoiesis associated with non‐clonal disorders.
Socioeconomic, sociodemographic, and clinical variables associated with root caries in a group of persons age 60 years and older in Mexico
Authors: Islas‐Granillo Horacio , Borges‐Yañez Socorro A , Medina‐Solís Carlo E , Casanova‐Rosado Alejandro J , Minaya‐Sánchez Mirna , Villalobos Rodelo Juan J , Maupomé Gerardo
Published: October 2011

Aim:  To determine the prevalence of root caries and the root caries index in a population of older Mexicans, and its relationship to socioeconomic, sociodemographic and dental factors.

Methods:  We carried out a cross‐sectional study in 85 persons 60 years and older living either in long‐term care facilities, or independently and attending an elder day‐care group. Each subject underwent an oral examination, performed by a trained and standardized dentist, to determine the root caries index and other clinical variables. Questionnaires were administered to collect socioeconomic, sociodemographic and hygiene data. Statistical analyses were performed using non‐parametric tests.

Results:  The prevalence of root caries was 96.5%. The root caries index was 37.7% ± 21.7%. Statistically significant differences (P < 0.05) of root caries index were observed across residential arrangements and marital statuses, and were higher in publicly funded long‐term care and among single subjects (P < 0.05). Those who had poor hygiene had more root caries (P < 0.05); persons with a low level of schooling and who brushed their teeth less frequently also showed a difference (P < 0.05).

Conclusions:  The prevalence of root caries was very high. The type of long‐term care, marital status, schooling and oral hygiene were associated with a higher root caries index. Oral health programs and preventive caries interventions are needed for this age group in general; targeted strategies may be better focused if sociodemographic profiles are used to characterize high need groups. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2012; 12: 271–276.
Protein glycosylation as an adaptive response in Archaea: growth at different salt concentrations leads to alterations in Haloferax volcanii S‐layer glycoprotein N‐glycosylation
Authors: Guan Ziqiang , Naparstek Shai , Calo Doron , Eichler Jerry
Published: October 2011

To cope with life in hypersaline environments, halophilic archaeal proteins are enriched in acidic amino acids. This strategy does not, however, offer a response to transient changes in salinity, as would post‐translational modifications. To test this hypothesis, N‐glycosylation of the Haloferax volcanii S‐layer glycoprotein was compared in cells grown in high (3.4 M NaCl) and low (1.75 M NaCl) salt, as was the glycan bound to dolichol phosphate, the lipid upon which the N‐linked glycan is assembled. In high salt, S‐layer glycoprotein Asn‐13 and Asn‐83 are modified by a pentasaccharide, while dolichol phosphate is modified by a tetrasaccharide comprising the first four pentasaccharide residues. When the same targets were considered from cells grown in low salt, substantially less pentasaccharide was detected. At the same time, cells grown at low salinity contain dolichol phosphate modified by a distinct tetrasaccharide absent in cells grown at high salinity. The same tetrasaccharide modified S‐layer glycoprotein Asn‐498 in cells grown in low salt, whereas no glycan decorated this residue in cells grown in the high‐salt medium. Thus, in response to changes in environmental salinity, Hfx. volcanii not only modulates the N‐linked glycans decorating the S‐layer glycoprotein but also the sites of such post‐translational modification.
Rhabdomyolysis precipitated by a sitagliptin–atorvastatin drug interaction
Authors: Bhome R. , Penn H.
Published: October 2011

Diabet. Med. 29, 693–694 (2012)
Impact of increased visceral and cardiac fat on cardiometabolic risk and disease
Authors: Sironi A. M. , Petz R. , De Marchi D. , Buzzigoli E. , Ciociaro D. , Positano V. , Lombardi M. , Ferrannini E. , Gastaldelli A.
Published: October 2011

Diabet. Med. 29, 622–627 (2012)

Objective  Previous studies have highlighted the associations between abdominal, cardiac or total fat accumulation and cardiovascular disease. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of different ectopic fat depots on measurements of metabolic dysfunction and cardiovascular disease risk.

Methods  Using magnetic resonance imaging in 113 subjects, we measured abdominal (visceral and subcutaneous) and cardiac (epicardial and extra‐pericardial) fat depots and examined their association with overall (BMI) and abdominal obesity (waist circumference), dyslipidaemia (triglycerides, total and HDL cholesterol), glucose tolerance (by an oral glucose tolerance test) and insulin sensitivity, blood pressure and 10‐year coronary heart disease risk by Framingham score.

Results  Fat accumulation was proportional to the degree of obesity, with body fat ranging from 14 to 33 kg, visceral fat from 0.8 to 1.8 kg and cardiac fat from 134 to 236 g. Most cardiac fat (70% on average) was extra‐pericardial, with a wide variability for both cardiac depots (epicardial: 172–2008 mm2; extra‐pericardial: 100–5056 mm2). Only visceral and extra‐pericardial fat, but not epicardial or subcutaneous fat, could discriminate between subjects with three or more factors of the metabolic syndrome or medium‐to‐high coronary heart disease risk score. Controlling for gender and BMI by multivariable analysis, the best marker of reduced insulin sensitivity was visceral fat (partial r = −0.35); extra‐pericardial fat was the closest associate of increased blood pressure (partial r = 0.26) and both extra‐pericardial and visceral fat clustered with hypertriglyceridaemia (partial r = 0.29 and 0.24; both P < 0.02).

Conclusion  Increased epicardial fat per se does not necessarily translate into presence or prediction of disease. In contrast, increased deposition of visceral abdominal and extra‐pericardial mediastinal fat are both associated with an enhanced cardiovascular disease risk profile.
Terrestrial ecosystems from space: a review of earth observation products for macroecology applications
Authors: Pfeifer Marion , Disney Mathias , Quaife Tristan , Marchant Rob
Published: October 2011

Aim  Earth observation (EO) products are a valuable alternative to spectral vegetation indices. We discuss the availability of EO products for analysing patterns in macroecology, particularly related to vegetation, on a range of spatial and temporal scales.

Location  Global.

Methods  We discuss four groups of EO products: land cover/cover change, vegetation structure and ecosystem productivity, fire detection, and digital elevation models. We address important practical issues arising from their use, such as assumptions underlying product generation, product accuracy and product transferability between spatial scales. We investigate the potential of EO products for analysing terrestrial ecosystems.

Results  Land cover, productivity and fire products are generated from long‐term data using standardized algorithms to improve reliability in detecting change of land surfaces. Their global coverage renders them useful for macroecology. Their spatial resolution (e.g. GLOBCOVER vegetation, 300 m; MODIS vegetation and fire, ≥ 500 m; ASTER digital elevation, 30 m) can be a limiting factor. Canopy structure and productivity products are based on physical approaches and thus are independent of biome‐specific calibrations. Active fire locations are provided in near‐real time, while burnt area products show actual area burnt by fire. EO products can be assimilated into ecosystem models, and their validation information can be employed to calculate uncertainties during subsequent modelling.

Main conclusions  Owing to their global coverage and long‐term continuity, EO end products can significantly advance the field of macroecology. EO products allow analyses of spatial biodiversity, seasonal dynamics of biomass and productivity, and consequences of disturbances on regional to global scales. Remaining drawbacks include inter‐operability between products from different sensors and accuracy issues due to differences between assumptions and models underlying the generation of different EO products. Our review explains the nature of EO products and how they relate to particular ecological variables across scales to encourage their wider use in ecological applications.
Operational Modal Parameter Identification from Power Spectrum Density Transmissibility
Authors: Yan Wang‐Ji , Ren Wei‐Xin
Published: October 2011

Abstract:  Operational modal analysis subjected to ambient or natural excitation under operational conditions has recently drawn great attention. In this article, the power spectrum density transmissibility (PSDT) is proposed to extract the operational modal parameters of a structure. It is proven that the PSDT is independent of the applied excitations and transferring outputs at the system poles. As a result, the modal frequencies and mode shapes can be extracted by combing the PSDTs with different transferring outputs instead of different load conditions where the outputs from only one load condition are needed. A five‐story shear building subjected to a set of uncorrelated forces at different floors is adopted to verify the property of PSDTs and illustrate the accuracy of the proposed method. Furthermore, a concrete‐filled steel tubular half‐through arch bridge tested in the field under operational conditions is used as a real case study. The identification results obtained from currently developed method have been compared with those extracted from peak‐picking method, stochastic subspace identification, and finite element analysis. It is demonstrated that the operational modal parameters identified by the current technique agree well with other independent methods. The real application to the field operational vibration measurements of a full‐sized bridge has shown that the proposed PSDTs are capable of identifying the operational modal parameters (natural frequencies and mode shapes) of a structure.
Should We Support Illiberal Religious Democracies?
Authors: ETZIONI AMITAI
Published: October 2011

The terms on which the US will agree to settle the conflict in Afghanistan reflect a much greater issue that the US faces in the Middle East: will it support only those who seek to establish democratic regimes that also respect individual, or ally itself with the often much more powerful groups that may be democratic, but are likely to foster regimes based on Shari'a law? At the very least, the West should urge all to respect the right to life, call on regimes to negotiate with protesters rather than machine‐gunning them, and insist that protesters follow the Egyptian and Tunisian model of peaceful uprising. Beyond such liberal basics, it is best to let each nation work out its own regime. As a matter of policy, in order to support democratic groups and evolving democratic regimes in the Middle East, western governments had best be prepared to ally themselves with political forces whose liberal credentials, one must recognise, are evolving but not yet particularly high.
External Openness and Economic Growth in Developing Countries
Authors: Cieślik Andrzej , Tarsalewska Monika
Published: October 2011

This paper investigates empirically the relationship between two channels of external openness: international trade, foreign direct investment (FDI), and the rate of economic growth implied by the leader–follower model. The predictions of the theory are tested for the group of 97 developing countries in the period of 1974–2006 using static and dynamic panel data estimation methods. The estimation results show that both international trade and FDI positively contribute to growth.
Are Short‐lived Jobs Stepping Stones to Long‐Lasting Jobs?*
Authors: Cockx Bart , Picchio Matteo
Published: October 2011

This article assesses whether short‐lived jobs (lasting one quarter or less and involuntarily ending in unemployment) are stepping stones to long‐lasting jobs (enduring 1 year or more) for Belgian long‐term unemployed school‐leavers. We proceed in two steps. First, we estimate labour market trajectories in a multi‐spell duration model that incorporates lagged duration and lagged occurrence dependence. Second, in a simulation we find that (fe)male school‐leavers accepting a short‐lived job are, within 2 years, 13.4 (9.5) percentage points more likely to find a long‐lasting job than in the counterfactual in which they reject short‐lived jobs.
Using thePersona toExpressComplexEmotions inMusic
Authors: COCHRANE TOM
Published: October 2011

This article begins by arguing for the persona theory of musical experience, which claims that when we hear music as expressive of emotions, we have a sense of a persona that is in some way attached to the emotional state. The author argues that the sense of persona underlies a number of different accountsof musical expression and is generally supported by the essential experiential content of emotions. The author then explores the ways in which the listener's sense of a persona may be exploited to allow the expression of complex emotions, focussing on the emotion of jealousy and, to that end, examining two cases where the expression of that emotion has been attempted by Janáček and Piazzolla.
A warrant for applied palaeozoology
Authors: Lyman R. Lee
Published: October 2011

It has been argued by some neozoologists (those who study living animals) that the palaeozoological record is biased and incomplete (relative to an existing biological community) and therefore should not be consulted for purposes of conservation biology. An article published in a biology journal in 2011 lists numerous reasons why natural history collections (NHCs) of skins and skulls of animals collected over the past century or two are exceptionally valuable to conservation biologists because those collections provide significant time depth to numerous variables that document global biological change. Many of those same variables can be, and have been, identified in the palaeozoological record. Those variables are of major value to conservation biology, whether their values are taken from 100‐year‐old NHCs or from palaeozoological remains. Empirical examples in which the identified variables are measured in palaeozoological contexts indicate that the palaeozoological record should indeed be consulted by conservation biologists and can no longer be considered unsatisfactory for modern resource management.
Changes in physicochemical and organoleptic properties of traditional Iranian cheese Lighvan during ripening
Authors: SHAHAB LAVASANI ALI REZA , EHSANI MOHAMMAD REZA , MIRDAMADI SAEED , EBRAHIM ZADEH MOUSAVI MOHAMMAD ALI
Published: October 2011

Lighvan cheese was studied to determine the physicochemical and biochemical changes over 90 days of ripening in brine. Acidity, pH, dry matter, fat values, lipolysis level, water‐soluble nitrogen (WSN), total nitrogen (TN), ripening index (RI), trichloroacetic acid‐soluble nitrogen (TCA‐SN) and organoleptic assessments were analysed. Dry matter and fat values decreased during ripening. Lipolysis level, RI, TCA‐SN values and salt content increased continuously until the end of the ripening period, but total nitrogen decreased throughout a 90‐day storage period. The ripening stage was the main factor affecting the cheese’s sensory properties.
Landscape‐scale determinants of non‐native fish communities
Authors: Lapointe Nicolas W. R. , Light Theo
Published: October 2011

Aim Predicting and preventing invasions depends on knowledge of the factors that make ecosystems susceptible to invasion. Current studies generally rely on non‐native species richness (NNSR) as the sole measure of ecosystem invasibility; however, species identity is a critical consideration, given that different ecosystems may have environmental characteristics suitable to different species. Our aim was to examine whether non‐native freshwater fish community composition was related to ecosystem characteristics at the landscape scale.

Location United States.

Methods We described spatial patterns in non‐native freshwater fish communities among watersheds in the Mid‐Atlantic region of the United States based on records of establishment in the U.S. Geological Survey’s Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database. We described general relationships between non‐native species and ecosystem characteristics using canonical correspondence analysis. We clustered watersheds by non‐native fish community and described differences among clusters using indicator species analysis. We then assessed whether non‐native communities could be predicted from ecosystem characteristics using random forest analysis and predicted non‐native communities for uninvaded watersheds. We estimated which ecosystem characteristics were most important for predicting non‐native communities using conditional inference trees.

Results We identified four non‐native fish communities, each with distinct indicator species. Non‐native communities were predicted based on ecosystem characteristics with an accuracy of 80.6%, with temperature as the most important variable. Relatively uninvaded watersheds were predicted to be invasible by the most diverse non‐native community.

Main conclusions Non‐native species identity is an important consideration when assessing ecosystem invasibility. NNSR alone is an insufficient measure of invasibility because ecosystems with equal NNSR may not be equally invasible by the same species. Our findings can help improve predictions of future invasions and focus management and policy decisions on particular species in highly invasible ecosystems.
Insulin alone or with captopril: effects on signaling pathways (AKT and AMPK) and oxidative balance after ischemia–reperfusion in isolated hearts
Authors: de Oliveira Ubirajara Oliveira , Belló‐Kein Adriane , de Oliveira Álvaro Reischak , Kuchaski Luiz Carlos , Machado Ubiratan Fabres , Irigoyen Maria Claudia , Schaan Beatriz D’Agord
Published: October 2011

Insulin and the inhibition of the renin–angiotensin system have independent benefits for ischemia–reperfusion injury, but their combination has not been tested. Our aim was to evaluate the effects of insulin+captopril on insulin/angiotensin signaling pathways and cardiac function in the isolated heart subjected to ischemia–reperfusion. Isolated hearts were perfused (Langendorff technique) with Krebs–Henseleit (KH) buffer for 25 min. Global ischemia was induced (20 min), followed by reperfusion (30 min) with KH (group KH), KH+angiotensin‐I (group A), KH+angiotensin‐I+captopril (group AC), KH+insulin (group I), KH+insulin+angiotensin‐I (group IA), or KH+insulin+angiotensin‐I+captopril (group IAC). Group A had a 24% reduction in developed pressure and an increase in end‐diastolic pressure vs. baseline, effects that were reverted in groups AC, IA, and IAC. The phosphorylation of protein kinase B (AKT) was higher in groups I and IA vs. groups KH and A. The phosphorylation of AMP‐activated protein kinase (AMPK) was ∼31% higher in groups I, IA, and IAC vs. groups KH, A, and AC. The tert‐butyl hydroperoxide (tBOOH)‐induced chemiluminescence was lower (∼2.2 times) in all groups vs. group KH and was ∼35% lower in group IA vs. group A. Superoxide dismutase content was lower in groups A, AC, and IAC vs. group KH. Catalase activity was ∼28% lower in all groups (except group IA) vs. group KH. During reperfusion of the ischemic heart, insulin activates the AKT and AMPK pathways and inhibits the deleterious effects of angiotensin‐I perfusion on SOD expression and cardiac function. The addition of captopril does not potentiate these effects.
A report of a galactan from marine alga Gelidium crinale with in vivo anti‐inflammatory and antinociceptive effects
Authors: de Sousa Albertina A.S. , Benevides Norma M.B. , de Freitas Pires Alana , Fiúza Felipe P. , Queiroz Maria G.R. , Morais Thamires M.F. , Pereira Maria G. , Assreuy Ana M.S.
Published: October 2011

The sulfated galactan of the red marine alga Gelidium crinale (SG‐Gc) was purified by ion exchange chromatography and tested by intravenous (i.v.) route in rodent experimental models of inflammation and nociception. The anti‐inflammatory activity of SG‐Gc (0.01, 0.1 and 1 mg/kg) was evaluated in the model of rat paw edema induced by different inflammatory stimuli, while SG‐Gc (0.1, 1 and 10 mg/kg) antinociceptive effect was assessed in models of nociception/hyperalgesia elicited by chemical (formalin test), thermal (hot plate), and mechanical (von Frey) stimuli in mice. In addition, the toxicity was evaluated after rat treatment with SG‐Gc (1 mg/kg; i.v.) during 10 days, followed by analysis of the wet weight of animal’s body/organs and hematological/biochemical parameters. Sulfated galactan of G. crinale inhibited the time course of dextran‐induced paw edema, at all doses, showing maximal effect at 1 mg/kg (42%) and that induced by carrageenan at 0.01 (18%) and 1 mg/kg (20%), but was ineffective on the edema elicited by zymosan. At the highest dose, SG‐Gc also inhibited the paw edema induced by histamine (49%), compound 48/80 (32%), and phospholipase A2 (44%). Sulfated galactan of G. crinale inhibited both neurogenic and inflammatory phases of the formalin test, at all doses, and at 10 mg/kg, the animals flinch reaction in the von Frey test in the 1st and 3rd h by 19 and 26%, respectively. Additionally, SG‐Gc treatment was well tolerated by animals. In conclusion, SG‐Gc presents anti‐inflammatory effect involving the inhibition of histamine and arachidonic acid metabolites and also antinociceptive activity, especially the inflammatory pain with participation of the opioid system.
Age‐associated elevation in TLR5 leads to increased inflammatory responses in the elderly
Authors: Qian Feng , Wang Xiaomei , Zhang Lin , Chen Shu , Piecychna Marta , Allore Heather , Bockenstedt Linda , Malawista Stephen , Bucala Richard , Shaw Albert C. , Fikrig Erol , Montgomery Ruth R.
Published: October 2011

Aging is accompanied by a progressive decline in immune function. Studies have shown age‐related decreases in the expression and signaling efficiency of Toll‐like receptors (TLRs) in monocytes and dendritic cells and dysregulation of macrophage TLR3. Using a multivariable mixed effect model, we report a highly significant increase in TLR5‐induced production of IL‐8 from monocytes of older individuals (P < 0.0001). Elevated IL‐8 is accompanied by increased expression of TLR5, both protein and mRNA, and by increased levels of TLR5‐mediated phosphorylation of MAPK p38 and ERK. We noted incomplete activation of NF‐κB in response to TLR5 signaling in monocytes of elderly donors, as reflected by the absence of an associated increase in the production of TNF‐α. Elevated TLR5 may provide a critical mechanism to enhance immune responsiveness in older individuals.
Alterations in phosphatidylethanolamine levels affect the generation of Aβ
Authors: Nesic Iva , Guix Francesc X. , Vennekens Krist’l , Michaki Vasiliki , Van Veldhoven Paul P. , Feiguin Fabian , De Strooper Bart , Dotti Carlos G. , Wahle Tina
Published: October 2011

Several studies suggest that the generation of Aβ is highly dependent on the levels of cholesterol within membranes’ detergent‐resistant microdomains (DRM). Indeed, the β‐amyloid precursor protein (APP) cleaving machinery, namely β‐ and γ‐secretases, has been shown to be present in DRM and its activity depends on membrane cholesterol levels. Counterintuitive to the localization of the cleavage machinery, the substrate, APP, localizes to membranes’ detergent‐soluble microdomains enriched in phospholipids (PL), indicating that Aβ generation is highly dependent on the capacity of enzyme and substrate to diffuse along the lateral plane of the membrane and therefore on the internal equilibrium of the different lipids of DRM and non‐DRM domains. Here, we studied to which extent changes in the content of a main non‐DRM lipid might affect the proteolytic processing of APP. As phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) accounts for the majority of PL, we focused on its impact on the regulation of APP proteolysis. In mammalian cells, siRNA‐mediated knock‐down of PE synthesis resulted in decreased Aβ owing to a dual effect: promoted α‐secretase cleavage and decreased γ‐secretase processing of APP. In vivo, in Drosophila melanogaster, genetic reduction in PL synthesis results in decreased γ‐secretase‐dependent cleavage of APP. These results suggest that modulation of the membrane‐soluble domains could be a valuable alternative to reduce excessive Aβ generation.
Sensitivity to μ‐opioid receptor‐mediated anti‐nociception is determined by cross‐regulation between μ‐ and δ‐opioid receptors at supraspinal level
Authors: Ballesta JJ , Cremades J , Rodríguez‐Muñoz M , Garzón J , Faura CC
Published: October 2011

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The perception of pain and its inhibition varies considerably between individuals, and this variability is still unexplained. The aim of the present study is to determine whether functional interactions between opioid receptors are involved in the inter‐individual variability in the sensitivity to μ‐opioid receptor agonists.

EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH Anti‐nociceptive tests, radioligand binding, stimulation of [35S]GTP–γ–S binding, inhibition of cAMP production and co‐immunoprecipitation experiments were performed in two strains of rat (Sprague–Dawley bred at our university – SDU – and Wistar) that differ in their sensitivity to opioids.

KEY RESULTS The increased anti‐nociceptive potency of µ‐opioid receptor agonists in SDU rats was reversed by the δ‐opioid receptor antagonist, naltrindole. Inhibition of the binding of [3H] naltrindole by µ‐opioid receptor agonists was different in brain membranes from SDU and Wistar rats. Differences were also evident in the effect of δ‐opioid receptor ligands on the binding of [35S]GTP‐γ–S stimulated by µ‐opioid receptors agonists. No strain‐related differences were detected in spinal cord membranes. The potency of morphine to inhibit cAMP production in brain membranes varied between the strains, in the presence of deltorphin II and naltrindole. Co‐immunoprecipitation experiments demonstrated that δ‐opioid receptors were associated with μ‐opioid receptors to a higher extent in brain synaptosomal fractions from SDU than in those from Wistar rats.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS There was increased supraspinal cross‐talk between μ and δ‐opioid receptors in SDU, as compared with Wistar rats. This was related to an enhanced sensitivity to anti‐nociception induced by µ‐opioid receptor agonists.
The Joint Development of Traditional Bullying and Victimization With Cyber Bullying and Victimization in Adolescence
Authors: Jose Paul E. , Kljakovic Moja , Scheib Emma , Notter Olivia
Published: October 2011

The present study investigated the stabilities of and interrelationships among traditional (i.e., face‐to‐face) bullying, traditional victimhood, cyber bullying, and cyber victimhood among adolescents over time. About 1,700 adolescents aged 11–16 years at Time 1 self‐reported levels of both bullying and victimization in four contexts (in school, outside of school, texting, and on‐line) annually for 2 years. Results indicated that all four dynamics were moderately stable over time. The following variables were found to bidirectionally reinforce and predict each other over time: traditional bullying and traditional victimization; traditional bullying and cyber bullying; and traditional victimization and cyber victimization. These results indicate that bullying and victimhood in both face‐to‐face and cyber‐based interactions are related but not identical interpersonal dynamics.
Developing performance measures for patient blood management
Authors: Gammon Harriet M. , Waters Jonathan H. , Watt Ann , Loeb Jerod M. , Donini‐Lenhoff Alessandra
Published: October 2011

In 2005, The Joint Commission set about assessing the need for performance measures associated with the provision of blood products. Through a rigorous process, seven patient blood management performance measures were created. These measures incorporated a measure requiring transfusion consent; three measures requiring the combination of a laboratory value and a rationale for transfusion of plasma, platelets, or red blood cells; a measure requiring standard documentation about a transfusion; a measure evaluating preoperative anemia screening; and a measure of preoperative type screening and antibody testing before the start of major blood loss surgery. This article describes the process of this measure development and summarizes the final measures and some of the evidence supporting the measures.
Anticipated discrimination among people with schizophrenia
Authors: Üçok A. , Brohan E. , Rose D. , Sartorius N. , Leese M. , Yoon C. K. , Plooy A. , Ertekin B. A. , Milev R. , Thornicroft G. ,   the INDIGO Study Group
Published: October 2011

Üçok A, Brohan E, Rose D, Sartorius N, Leese M, Yoon CK, Plooy A, Ertekin BA, Milev R, Thornicroft G, the INDIGO Study Group. Anticipated discrimination among people with schizophrenia.

Objective:  The aim of this study was to evaluate the level of anticipated discrimination in people with schizophrenia (n = 732) from 27 countries in the International Study of Discrimination and Stigma Outcomes (INDIGO).

Method:  Anticipated discrimination was assessed through four questions of Discrimination and Stigma Scale. Twenty‐five individuals were identified at each site who were reasonably representative of all such treated cases within the local area.

Results:  Sixty‐four per cent of the participants reported that they had stopped themselves from applying for work, training or education because of anticipated discrimination. Seventy‐two per cent of them reported that they felt the need to conceal their diagnosis. Expecting to be avoided by others who know about their diagnosis was highly associated with decisions to conceal their diagnosis. Those who concealed their diagnosis were younger and more educated. The participants who perceived discrimination by others were more likely to stop themselves from looking for a close relationship. Anticipated discrimination in finding and keeping work was more common in the absence than in the presence of experienced discrimination, and the similar findings applied to intimate relationships.

Conclusion:  This study shows that anticipated discrimination among people with schizophrenia is common, but is not necessarily associated with experienced discrimination.
The role of deprivation, abuse, and trauma in pediatric catatonia without a clear medical cause
Authors: Dhossche D. M. , Ross C. A. , Stoppelbein L.
Published: October 2011

Dhossche DM, Ross CA, Stoppelbein L. The role of deprivation, abuse, and trauma in pediatric catatonia without a clear medical cause.

Objective:  Catatonia is considered a unique syndrome of motor signs, at times life‐threatening when aggravated by autonomic dysfunction and fever, but eminently treatable with specific medical treatments, if recognized early. Catatonia commonly occurs in children and adolescents with a wide range of associated disorders. The role of deprivation, abuse, or trauma in the development of pediatric catatonia is examined.

Method:  Reports considering deprivation, abuse, or trauma as precipitants of catatonia in pediatric cases are culled from the classic writings on catatonia and from a selective review of modern contributions.

Results:  Kahlbaum gave trauma a central role in catatonia in many young adult cases. Kanner described children with psychogenic catalepsy. Anaclitic depression, a condition found by Spitz in deprived institutionalized children, strongly resembles stuporous catatonia. Leonhard considered lack of communication with the mother or substitute mother as an important risk factor for childhood catatonia. Children including those with autism who experience emotional and physical trauma sometimes develop catatonia. The clinical descriptions of children with classic catatonic syndromes and those of contemporary refugee children with a syndrome labeled Pervasive Refusal Syndrome are similar.

Conclusion:  The literature supports the view that deprivation, abuse, and trauma can precipitate catatonia in children and adolescents.
The impact of environmental variability and species composition on the stability of experimental microbial populations and communities
Authors: Leary Daniel J. , Rip Jason M. K. , Petchey Owen L.
Published: October 2011

Understanding how environmental fluctuations affect the stability of populations and communities is complex, for example, because direct effects of environmental variability on populations may be modified and propagated across communities by species interactions. One way to explore and further understand these complexities is via a factorial manipulation of community composition and environmental conditions. Using laboratory based aquatic microcosms we manipulated environmental fluctuation by creating two environments; one with variable light and one with constant light. Within these environments, community composition was manipulated by constructing communities from all possible combinations of three species that vary in their reliance on light for growth (an autotroph: a diatom completely reliant on light, a heterotroph: a Paramecium species not reliant on light, and a mixotroph: a Paramecium species somewhat reliant on light). Community composition was predicted to affect populations and communities by introducing and altering competitive interactions between species and affecting the degree of niche differentiation between species. We found that population stability was predominantly influenced by an interaction between community composition and environmental variability, whereby the effect of environmental variability synergistically combined with effects of community composition to reduce population stability. Covariance of populations was determined by an interaction between community composition and environmental variability, though this did not result from the effect of niche differentiation between species. Species interactions drove correlations between population biomass and the environment which otherwise did not exist. Our results demonstrate the complex and interrelated effects of abiotic and biotic factors on population and community stability, and suggest the need to consider aspects of community composition when predicting the impact of environmental fluctuations.
Forest dynamics following eastern hemlock mortality in the southern Appalachians
Authors: Ford Chelcy R. , Elliott Katherine J. , Clinton Barton D. , Kloeppel Brian D. , Vose James M.
Published: October 2011

Understanding changes in community composition caused by invasive species is critical for predicting effects on ecosystem function, particularly when the invasive threatens a foundation species. Here we focus on dynamics of forest structure, composition and microclimate, and how these interact in southern Appalachian riparian forests following invasion by hemlock woolly adelgid, HWA, Adelges tsugae. We measured and quantified changes in microclimate; canopy mortality; canopy and shrub growth; understory species composition; and the cover and diversity in riparian forests dominated by eastern hemlock Tsuga canadensis over a period of seven years. Treatments manipulated hemlock mortality either through invasion (HWA infested stands) or girdling (GDL) hemlock trees.

Mortality was rapid, with 50% hemlock tree mortality occurring after six years of invasion, in contrast to more than 50% mortality in two years following girdling. Although 50% of hemlock trees were still alive five years after infestation, leaf area lost was similar to that of girdled trees. As such, overall responses over time (changes in light transmittance, growth, soil moisture) were identical to girdled stands with 100% mortality. Our results showed different growth responses of the canopy species, shrubs and ground layer, with the latter being substantially influenced by presence of the evergreen shrub, rhododendron Rhododendron maximum. Although ground layer richness in the infested and girdled stands increased by threefold, they did not approach levels recorded in hardwood forests without rhododendron. Increased growth of co‐occurring canopy trees occurred in the first few years following hemlock decline, with similar responses in both treatments. In contrast, growth of rhododendron continued to increase over time. By the end of the study it had a 2.6‐fold higher growth rate than expected, likely taking advantage of increased light available during leaf‐off periods of the deciduous species. Increased growth and dominance of rhododendron may be a major determinant of future responses in southern Appalachian ecosystems; however, our results suggest hemlock will be replaced by a mix of Acer, Betula, Fagus and Quercus canopy genera where establishment is not limited by rhododendron.
More species, but all do the same: contrasting effects of flood disturbance on ground beetle functional and species diversity
Authors: Gerisch Michael , Agostinelli Veronica , Henle Klaus , Dziock Frank
Published: October 2011

The role of habitat disturbance on biodiversity is central as it promotes changes in ecological systems. That said, still little is known about the functional consequences of such changes. Functional diversity can be used to revealing more mechanistically the disturbance effects on communities by considering the richness and the distribution of traits among the species. Here we analyzed the response of functional and species diversity of ground beetles to flood disturbance to better understand the functioning of alluvial invertebrate communities.

Ground beetles were sampled in periodically flooded grasslands along the Elbe River in Germany. We used generalized linear mixed effects models to unveil the relationships between flood disturbance, species and functional diversity, respectively. We measured different components of functional diversity (functional richness, evenness, dispersion, and divergence) and analyzed species diversity by means of rarefied species richness, abundances, evenness and Simpson's diversity.

We found contrasting relationships in that most species diversity measures peaked at highest disturbance levels, while most functional diversity measures decreased with increasing disturbance intensities.

Inversed relationships between species and functional diversity are rarely observed, as most studies report on positive correlations. We explain increasing species diversity with a higher amount of resources available in highly disturbed sites. Decreasing functional diversity is best explained through the convergence of species traits by flood disturbance and uneven resource exploitation in highly disturbed plots (low functional evenness), suggesting strong impacts from functionally different generalist species in floodchannels. We show that the amount of resources available, and how these resources are exploited, play major roles in the functioning of floodplain ground beetle communities.
Response of pollinators to the tradeoff between resource acquisition and predator avoidance
Authors: Llandres Ana L. , De Mas Eva , Rodríguez‐Gironés Miguel A.
Published: October 2011

Although the behaviour of animals facing the conflicting demands of increasing foraging success and decreasing predation risk has been studied in many taxa, the response of pollinators to variations in both factors has only been studied in isolation. We compared visit rates of two pollinator species, hoverflies and honeybees, to 40 Chrysanthemum segetum patches in which we manipulated predation risk (patches with and without crab spiders) and nectar availability (rich and poor patches) using a full factorial design. Pollinators responded differently to the tradeoff between maximising intake rate and minimising predation risk: honeybees preferred rich safe patches and avoided poor risky patches while the number of hoverflies was highest at poor risky patches. Because honeybees were more susceptible to predation than hoverflies, our results suggest that, in the presence of competition for resources, less susceptible pollinators concentrate their foraging effort on riskier resources, where competition is less severe. Crab spiders had a negative effect on the rate at which inflorescences were visited by honeybees. This effect was mediated through changes in the foraging strategy of honeybees, and could, in principle, be reversed by increasing nectar productivity of inflorescences. Our study shows that both pollinator species responded simultaneously and differently to variations in food reward and predation risk, and highlights the importance of studying the foraging strategies of pollinators in order to fully understand how plant–pollinator interactions are established.
Fitness testing as a discriminative tool for the diagnosis and monitoring of fibromyalgia
Authors: Aparicio V. A. , Carbonell‐Baeza A. , Ruiz J. R. , Aranda P. , Tercedor P. , Delgado‐Fernández M. , Ortega F. B.
Published: October 2011

We aimed to determine the ability of a set of physical fitness tests to discriminate between presence/absence of fibromyalgia (FM) and moderate/severe FM. The sample comprised 94 female FM patients (52 ± 8 years) and 66 healthy women (54 ± 6 years). We assessed physical fitness by means of the 30‐s chair stand, handgrip strength, chair sit and reach, back scratch, blind flamingo, 8‐feet up and go, and 6‐min walking tests. Patients were classified as having moderate FM if the score in the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) was <70 and as having severe FM if the FIQ was ≥70. FM patients and patients with severe FM performed worse in most of the fitness tests studied (P < 0.001). Except the back scratch test, all the tests were able to discriminate between presence and absence of FM [area under the curve (AUC) = 0.66 to 0.92; P ≤ 0.001], and four tests also discriminated FM severity (AUC = 0.62 to 0.66; P ≤ 0.05). The 30‐s chair stand test showed the highest ability to discriminate FM presence and severity (AUC = 0.92, P < 0.001; and AUC = 0.66, P = 0.008, respectively), being the corresponding discriminating cutoffs 9 and 6 repetitions, respectively. Physical fitness in general, and particularly the 30‐s chair stand test, is able to discriminate between women with FM from those without FM, as well as between those with moderate FM from their peers with severe FM.