bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tumour stage and preoperative chemoradiotherapy influence the lymph node yield in Stages I–III rectal cancer: results from a prospective nationwide cohort study
Authors: Lykke J. , Roikjær O. , Jess P. ,   the Danish Colorectal Cancer Group
Published: December 2013

Aim

The study aimed to determine whether the lymph node yield (LNY) in rectal cancer is influenced by patient‐related and histopathological factors and the use of preoperative chemoradiotherapy (CRT).

Method

An analysis was carried out of the LNY in a nationwide Danish cohort of 7950 patients, treated by curative resection of Stage I–III rectal cancer during the period 2001–2011. The impact of year of diagnosis, age, gender, pathological stage of the tumour (pT‐stage) and preoperative CRT on LNY was analysed.

Results

Twenty‐nine per cent of the patients received preoperative CRT. The median LNY was 13 [interquartile range (IQR): 8–19]. A total of 43.4% of the patients had an LNY of < 12. The median LNY increased from 8 (IQR: 5–12) to 20 (IQR: 13–28) LNs over the years of the study period (P < 0.0001). Gender and body mass index (BMI) had no impact on the median LNY. Age had a minor impact, with a range of 12 (IQR: 8–18) to 13 (IQR: 9–20) (P < 0.0001). The LNY ranged from 9 (IQR: 6–14) to 16 (IQR: 10–26), according to pT‐stage (pT0–pT4) (P < 0.0001). Median LNY, according to preoperative CRT or no preoperative CRT, was 10 (IQR: 6–16) and 14 (IQR: 8–18), respectively (P < 0.0001). The percentages of patients with an LNY of < 12, according to preoperative CRT or no preoperative CRT, were 58.7% and 37.1%, respectively (P < 0.0001).

Conclusion

An increase in the LNY over the period of the study was observed, probably reflecting improved quality of surgery and histopathology. A minor significant reduction of LNY was found with increasing age of the patient. LNY was significantly related to pT‐stage and to the use of preoperative chemoradiotherapy. For these reasons the minimum harvest of 12 LNs as a surrogate marker for the oncological quality of surgery should be questioned.
Transcription activator‐like effector nucleases efficiently disrupt the target gene in Iberian ribbed newts (Pleurodeles waltl), an experimental model animal for regeneration
Authors: Hayashi Toshinori , Sakamoto Kousuke , Sakuma Tetsushi , Yokotani Naoki , Inoue Takeshi , Kawaguchi Eri , Agata Kiyokazu , Yamamoto Takashi , Takeuchi Takashi
Published: December 2013

Regeneration of a lost tissue in an animal is an important issue. Although regenerative studies have a history of research spanning more than a century, the gene functions underlying regulation of the regeneration are mostly unclear. Analysis of knockout animals is a very powerful tool with which to elucidate gene function. Recently, transcription activator‐like effector nucleases (TALENs) have been developed as an effective technique for genome editing. This technique enables gene targeting in amphibians such as newts that were previously impossible. Here we show that newts microinjected with TALEN mRNAs designed for targeting the tyrosinase gene in single‐cell stage embryos revealed an albino phenotype. Sequence analysis revealed that the tyrosinase genes were effectively disrupted in these albino newts. Moreover, precise genome alteration was achieved using TALENs and single strand oligodeoxyribonucleotides. Our results suggest that TALENs are powerful tools for genome editing for regenerative research in newts.
Targeted mutagenesis of multiple and paralogous genes in Xenopus laevis using two pairs of transcription activator‐like effector nucleases
Authors: Sakane Yuto , Sakuma Tetsushi , Kashiwagi Keiko , Kashiwagi Akihiko , Yamamoto Takashi , Suzuki Ken‐ichi T.
Published: December 2013

Transcription activator‐like effector nucleases (TALENs) have been extensively used in genome editing in various organisms. In some cases, however, it is difficult to efficiently disrupt both paralogous genes using a single pair of TALENs in Xenopus laevis because of its polyploidy. Here, we report targeted mutagenesis of multiple and paralogous genes using two pairs of TALENs in X. laevis. First, we show simultaneous targeted mutagenesis of three genes, tyrosinase paralogues (tyra and tyrb) and enhanced green fluorescent protein (egfp) by injection of two TALENs pairs in transgenic embryos carrying egfp. Consistent with the high frequency of both severe phenotypic traits, albinism and loss of GFP fluorescence, frameshift mutation rates of tyr paralogues and egfp reached 40–80%. Next, we show early introduction of TALEN‐mediated mutagenesis of these target loci during embryogenesis. Finally, we also demonstrate that two different pairs of TALENs can simultaneously introduce mutations to both paralogues encoding histone chaperone with high efficiency. Our results suggest that targeted mutagenesis of multiple genes using TALENs can be applied to analyze the functions of paralogous genes with redundancy in X. laevis.
Prayer and the Theologian of the Cross: Julian of Norwich and Martin Luther
Authors: Holt Bradley
Published: December 2013

This article constructs a dialogue between Julian of Norwich and the concept of “theologian of the cross,” as found in Martin Luther and his recent interpreters. Since she is Catholic and medieval, one might begin by suspecting that her theology is not acceptable to someone who follows Luther's teaching in the Heidelberg Disputation. However a closer look will suggest that what she has to say is largely in accord with Luther's standard for a theologian of the cross. Put more positively, Julian is a theologian of the cross, in spite of her use of different language and concepts from those of Luther. The focus of the article is the subject of prayer: what Julian teaches about it, and what may be inferred about prayer from Luther's dramatic theses in his disputation.
Invitation to the Triune Conversation: Explorations of Prayer through the Theology of Robert Jenson
Authors: Henry James Daryn
Published: December 2013

This paper attempts to contribute to our understanding of prayer through an engagement with its crucial role in the systematic thought of Robert Jenson. I present prayer as our invitation to the triune conversation. Developing some of Jenson's categories, I work to show that a Christian understanding of prayer connects to a spectrum of systematic loci, especially creation and anthropology, the sacraments and ecclesiology, mission and eschatology. In these three modes, the anthropological, the ecclesial and the eschatological, prayer enters into the ultimate conversation that animates the world through faith, love and hope. This paper concludes by arguing that such an account of prayer, if authentic, supports a contemporary retrieval of the cataphatic dimension of theology.
The Evangelical Necessity of Creedal Confession in the World of Empire
Authors: Persaud Winston D.
Published: December 2013

The author argues that in the world of Empire where greed, violence, and idolatry pervade, the Church is challenged to recognise that it exists to witness to the radical, liberating message of the gospel of the crucified and risen Lord, Jesus Christ. The Church is challenged to recognise and acknowledge how it is a beneficiary of Empire, but that its focus is to be on the Lord Jesus Christ and not the ‘Caesars’ who cannot give the life, healing, and forgiveness that only God can give. Faithfulness to the gospel calls for creedal‐confession that becomes both inevitable and necessary because the church's confession is communal. The community in Christ needs one another in order to be faithful through mutual creedal‐remembering and reminding of the identity of the God of Jesus Christ.
The multiple faces of Dravet syndrome
Authors: Andrade Danielle M
Published: December 2013

This commentary is on the original article by Kim et al. on pages 85–90 of this issue.
Kings, chieftains and public cult in pre‐Christian Scandinavia
Authors: Sonne Lasse C. A.
Published: December 2013

The article addresses the question of the performance of pre‐Christian public cult by political leaders in early medieval Scandinavia. This question is traditionally discussed within the larger theoretical frame of sacral kingship in early medieval Scandinavia. In this article, the key contemporary evidence is presented and discussed with the conclusion that the sources do not show political leaders performing pre‐Christian public cult. Instead, the evidence shows that political leaders participated in private religious rituals whose performance, however, was not connected with political leadership per se.
The reconstruction of early medieval Spanish manuscript sources
Authors: Castro Correa Ainoa
Published: December 2013

The work presented here aims to share the methods and possibilities for studying manuscript sources that are preserved in a fragmentary state by using a concrete example: an early medieval charter of Galician origin which has survived to the present day in a very deteriorated condition. Despite the difficulties its analysis entails, one cannot dismiss this type of evidence because one never knows what information fragmentary documents might be able to offer us in relation to both their author and documentary content. Thus, in the following pages, it is shown how we can establish the charter's approximate chronology, its origin and message by examining its script and diplomatic structure, and by studying the text that still survives in the fragment.
Two rare cases of Epstein–Barr virus‐associated lymphoproliferative disorders in inflammatory bowel disease patients on thiopurines and other immunosuppressive medications
Authors: Subramaniam K. , Cherian M. , Jain S. , Latimer M. , Corbett M. , D'Rozario J. , Pavli P.
Published: December 2013

The setting of chronic immunosuppression in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) may promote the proliferation of Epstein–Barr virus‐positive neoplastic clones. We report two rare cases of Epstein–Barr virus‐associated lymphoproliferative disorder in IBD patients: one resembled lymphomatoid granulomatosis, and the other was a lymphoma resembling Hodgkin lymphoma. There are currently no guidelines for the prevention of lymphoproliferative disorder in IBD patients on immunosuppressive therapy.
Indian‐born patients attending a sexual health clinic in Australia have differing characteristics to their Australian‐born counterparts
Authors: Sawleshwarkar S. , Kakar S. R. , Jones R. , Lagios K. , Mindel A. , Hillman R. J.
Published: December 2013

We report a retrospective cross‐sectional study from Western Sydney that assessed the sexual health characteristics of Indian‐born patients attending sexual health services compared with Australian‐born controls. The sexual health needs of Indian‐born patients differed significantly from controls with those born in India reporting more sexual dysfunction and controls having more sexually transmitted infections (STI). These issues should be considered when delivering services to people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
Infant Learning: Historical, Conceptual, and Methodological Challenges
Authors: Aslin Richard N.
Published: December 2013

Acquiring knowledge about the underlying structures of the environment presents a number of challenges for a naive learner. These challenges include the absence of reinforcement to guide learning, the presence of numerous information sources from which only a select few are relevant, and the uncertainty about when an underlying structure may have undergone a change. A crucial implication of these challenges is that the naive learner must make implicit decisions about when to generalize to novel inputs and when to restrict generalization because there are multiple underlying structures. An historical perspective on these challenges is presented, and some potential solutions are proposed.
Financiación de los pisos de protección social: consideraciones acerca del espacio fiscal
Authors: Harris Elliott
Published: December 2013

La eficacia de la protección social para luchar contra la pobreza y la vulnerabilidad, amortiguar la repercusión de las crisis, atenuar la desigualdad y apoyar el crecimiento a largo plazo es un hecho establecido. Sin embargo, los sistemas de protección social eficaces son desde hace tiempo un lujo inasequible para muchos países en desarrollo y de bajos ingresos. El concepto de piso de protección social pretende garantizar un nivel mínimo de protección social a un costo razonable, incluso cuando los recursos son limitados, y sirve de plataforma para la aplicación progresiva de un sistema completo de protección social. Para introducir, mantener y extender el piso de protección social es necesario la movilización del espacio fiscal, tanto a corto como a largo plazo. En el artículo se afirma que para generar espacio fiscal hay que considerar detenidamente cuestiones como la previsibilidad y la repercusión de las opciones de financiación actuales en la sostenibilidad fiscal y de la deuda, la estabilidad macroeconómica, la desigualdad, la reducción de la pobreza y el crecimiento y, por lo tanto, en el futuro espacio fiscal. Desde esta perspectiva se abordan algunas de las consecuencias que supone generar espacio fiscal mediante la movilización de recursos internos adicionales, la reasignación del gasto o mejoras de eficiencia, la reducción del servicio de la deuda o la financiación exterior. En el artículo se presentan también algunos datos relativos a las numerosas iniciativas que se han financiado a un costo razonable y sobre una base sostenible en países con diferentes niveles de ingresos y de desarrollo, tanto con recursos propios como exteriores.
Phylogenetic position of Cyperus clandestinus (Cypereae, Cyperaceae) clarified by morphological and molecular evidence
Authors: Muasya A. Muthama , Viljoen Jan‐Adriaan , Dludlu Meshack N. , Demissew Sebsebe
Published: December 2013

Extreme morphological reduction and convergent evolution can obscure taxonomic relationships. This phenomenon is frequently encountered in Cyperaceae, where characters traditionally used to diagnose genera have been shown to have evolved independently multiple times. The Ethiopian high‐altitude perennial first described as Cyperus clandestinus was subsequently moved to Ficinia because it has spiral glume arrangement, unlike typical Cyperus species, which have distichous glume arrangement. However, this position has remained uncertain as no nutlets have previously been studied to establish the presence or absence of the gynophore – the synapomorphy for Ficinia. We resolve this 140‐year‐old puzzle by describing the morphology of the nutlet, which lacks a gynophore, and use DNA sequence data to resolve the taxon within Cyperus. Cyperus clandestinus was found to be closely related to Remirea maritima and Cyperus cyperoides in the C4Cyperus clade, whose members predominantly have distichously arranged glumes. This provides further evidence for the unreliability of glume arrangement as a character to distinguish between members of the Cyperus and Ficinia clades, whereas gynophore presence is more congruent with molecular data.
Phylogeography and trans‐Pacific divergence of the rocky shore gastropod Nucella lima
Authors: Nicole Cox L. , Zaslavskaya Nadezhda I. , Marko Peter B.
Published: December 2013

Aim

We have used phylogeographical and multilocus coalescent population genetic methods to reconstruct the Pleistocene biogeographical history of a broadly distributed north Pacific rocky shore gastropod, Nucella lima.

Location

Northern Pacific rim, from south‐eastern Alaska to Hokkaido Island.

Methods

We gathered DNA sequence data from three loci from N. lima, whose current distribution spans the entire North Pacific rim. We used a combination of population genetic summary statistics (Tajima's D, Fu's FS and ΦST), isolation‐with‐migration divergence models, and extended Bayesian skyline plots to reconstruct the recent biogeographical history of this species.

Results

The largest values of ΦST across all loci were always between eastern and western samples. Population divergence models indicated no gene flow and mid‐Pleistocene divergence times (> 600 ka) between eastern and western populations. Mitochondrial DNA diversity in the east was low, and coalescent‐based estimates of effective population size were significantly smaller in the east 20,000 years ago, at the end of the last glacial period.

Main conclusions

The results are consistent with a hypothesis in which north Pacific populations were separated into eastern and western refugia by 317 ka with no gene flow since the split. Eastern populations probably underwent a severe bottleneck in population size during the last glacial period. The contrasting demographic histories of eastern and western populations are consistent with the general palaeobiogeographical pattern of greater climate‐related extinction of marine taxa in the eastern Pacific.
Determining habitat suitability for bumblebees in a mountain system: a baseline approach for testing the impact of climate change on the occurrence and abundance of species
Authors: Herrera José M. , Ploquin Emilie F. , Rodríguez‐Pérez Javier , Obeso José R.
Published: December 2013

Aim

Our aim was to determine the role of environmental variables in explaining occurrence and abundance patterns of bumblebee (Bombus) species in a mountain region. We also used a historical dataset to compare historical and recent habitat suitability predictions for forecasting variations in species' responses to regional climate warming.

Location

The Cantabrian Range (Iberian Peninsula, south‐western Europe).

Methods

During 2007–09 we sampled bumblebees in 37 localities and developed generalized linear models (GLMs) to predict species' occurrence and abundance in relation to environmental variables. We extracted independent variables at different spatial scales for each locality, based on topoclimatic (slope, temperature and rainfall patterns) and land‐cover (habitat configuration and composition) variables. We also used historical (1988–89) bumblebee data (23 localities) to both calibrate recent distribution models and determine the current environmental factors underlying the realized response of individual species to regional climate warming (0.8 °C) over two decades.

Results

Occurrence and abundance patterns of species were best predicted by models combining topoclimatic and land‐cover variables. Our findings revealed three groups of species, distinguished on the basis of the realized response of individual species to regional climate warming: one comprising six species with climate‐based tracking behaviour, a second with three species tracking suitable landscape composition and configuration regardless of climatic conditions, and a third comprising one species showing no apparent tracking behaviour.

Main conclusions

Topoclimate and land cover determined the occurrence and abundance patterns of bumblebee species in mountainous landscapes, even at fine spatial extents. Both environmental variables, however, differentially influenced bumblebees, thereby providing relevant clues for determining the current environmental factors underlying species' distributions and their susceptibility to changing environmental conditions. Our findings therefore suggest that determining habitat suitability can be used as a baseline approach for understanding species‐specific responses to climate warming and for developing vulnerability assessments for conservation‐focused management planning.
Compound Astragalus and Salvia miltiorrhiza extracts suppress hepatocarcinogenesis by modulating transforming growth factor‐β/Smad signaling
Authors: Hu Xiangpeng , Rui Wenjuan , Wu Chao , He Shufang , Jiang Jiemei , Zhang Xiaoxiang , Yang Yan
Published: December 2013

Background and Aim

Previous studies showed Compound Astragalus and Salvia miltiorrhiza extract (CASE), extract from Astragalus membranaceus and Salvia miltiorhiza, significantly suppresses hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in rats induced by diethylinitrosamine (DEN), and in vitro experiments further demonstrated that CASE's anti‐HepG2 cell invasion is associated with transforming growth factor‐β (TGF‐β). We hypothesized that CASE's suppression of HCC is modulated by TGF‐β/Smad signaling, and we conducted this in vivo study to test this hypothesis.

Methods

Rats were divided into the normal control, the DEN group, and three CASE (60, 120, and 240 mg/kg) treatment groups. The expression of phosphorylation(p) Smad both at C‐terminal and linker region, plasminogen activator inhibitor 1, and Smad4 and Smad7 of liver tissues were measured and compared across the five groups.

Results

The positive staining of pSmad2L and pSmad3L increased both in hepatoma nodule areas and adjacent relatively normal liver tissues in rats treated with DEN, while the positive staining of pSmad2C and pSmad3C increased only in relatively normal liver tissues adjacent to hepatoma tissues. The elevated expression of pSmad2C, pSmad2L, pSmad3L, Smad4, and plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 proteins were suppressed by CASE in a dose‐dependent manner. CASE treatment also significantly reduced the intranuclear amounts of pSmad2L and pSmad3L, and upregulated the elevation of pSmad3C positive cells and protein expression in a dose‐dependent manner.

Conclusion

The results suggest that CASE significantly suppresses HCC progression by mediating TGF‐β/Smad signaling, especially by modulating Smad3 phosphorylation both at the C‐terminal and linker region.
An exploratory study of the patients' sleep patterns and inflammatory response following cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB)
Authors: Casida Jesus M , Davis Jean E , Shpakoff LaVonne , Yarandi Hossein
Published: December 2013

Aims and Objectives

To describe sleep patterns and inflammatory response postCPB, determine sleep pattern changes and inflammatory response over time and explore relationships between sleep and biomarkers of stress and inflammation.

Background

Despite the numerous citations of the role of sleep in restoration and health maintenance, a paucity of research exists about this phenomenon in patients undergoing CPB. Specifically, there is no research that has explored correlations between sleep patterns and systemic inflammatory response in adult cardiac surgery patients.

Design

Exploratory, repeated‐measures, correlational study.

Method

Subjects were recruited from a Midwestern urban hospital. Of the 25 eligible subjects, 16 males and four females completed the study. Wrist actigraphy was used to measure sleep variables. Salivary cortisol and C‐reactive protein (C‐RP) levels were measured daily. Data were collected during postoperative nights/days 1 through 4 (T1–T4).

Results

Subjects' sleep onset latency (SOL) median scores (0 minute) were within normal range across time periods, whereas median scores for wake after sleep onset (WASO > 270 minutes), sleep fragmentation index (SFI >51%), total sleep time (<153 minutes) and sleep efficiency index (SEI <36%) fell outside the normal ranges. Changes in the median sleep scores over time, however, were not significant at p > 0·05. Median cortisol levels were within normal range (0·3–0·8 μg/dl) from T1−T4, but the C‐RP level peaked at T2 (median = 2370 pg/ml). Strong correlations were found: (1) between SFI−cortisol (rs = 0·82), C‐RP (rs = 0·65) − WBC (rs = 0·69); (2) between SEI−C‐RP (rs = 0·58); (3) between WASO−WBC (rs = 0·48), WASO and cross‐clamp time (rs = 0·50); and (4) between SOL−age (rs = −0·55) at p < 0·05.

Conclusions

Subjects were severely sleep‐deprived with inflammatory response exaggerations warranting further investigations using larger sample sizes.

Relevance to clinical practice

This study offers a foundation for developing a conceptual model explaining mechanisms of sleep disturbance and inflammatory response postCPB. This knowledge is crucial for testing sleep‐promoting interventions to modulate inflammatory responses essential for preventing complications, and restoring health.
Parents' dental anxiety and oral health literacy: effects on parents' and children's oral health‐related experiences
Authors: Shin William K. , Braun Thomas M. , Inglehart Marita R.
Published: December 2013

Objective

To explore a) the relationship between parents'/guardians' dental anxiety and oral health literacy and b) those between these variables and background and oral health‐related characteristics.

Methods

Survey data were collected from 187 parents/guardians (81% female; average age 37 years). Dental anxiety was measured with the Dental Anxiety Scale – Revised (DAS‐R) and oral health literacy with the Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Dentistry (REALD‐30). Children's dental charts were reviewed to collect information about their dental treatment.

Results

DAS‐R and REALD‐30 scores were correlated (r = −0.22; P = 0.003). A multivariate regression model with DAS‐R score as the dependent variable showed that the DAS‐R score has a significant multivariate association with REALD‐30, oral health, income, and presence of fillings.

Conclusions

Dental anxiety and oral health literacy are related. However, DAS score has a significant multivariate association with the four variables REALD‐30 score, oral health, income, and presence of fillings. These findings show that among socioeconomically disadvantaged patients, the contributors to poor oral health are interrelated and multidetermined and include poor oral health literacy and dental anxiety. The public health message is that in order to improve the overall oral health of socioeconomically disadvantaged patients, public health stakeholders need to consider how to communicate with these patients effectively and how to reduce dental anxiety. Gaining a better understanding of how to communicate with parents a) at an appropriate literacy level and b) in a way that it reduces dental anxiety is therefore crucial.
Short duration of lamivudine for the prevention of hepatitis B virus transmission in pregnancy: lack of potency and selection of resistance mutations
Authors: Ayres A. , Yuen L. , Jackson K. M. , Manoharan S. , Glass A. , Maley M. , Yoo W. , Hong S. P. , Kim S.‐O. , Luciani F. , Bowden D. S. , Bayliss J. , Levy M. T. , Locarnini S. A.
Published: December 2013

This study sought to assess the antiviral efficacy of lamivudine (LMV) administered during third trimester to reduce maternal viraemia and to identify the emergence of LMV resistance. A prospective observational analysis was performed on 26 mothers with high viral load (>107 IU/mL). Twenty‐one women received LMV (treated group) for an average of 53 days (range 22–88 days), and the remaining five formed the untreated control group. Serum samples from two time points were used to measure HBV DNA levels and antiviral drug resistance. The LMV‐treated women achieved a median HBV DNA reduction of 2.6‐log10 IU/mL. Although end‐of‐treatment (EOT) HBV DNA in four (18%) LMV‐treated women remained at >107 IU/mL (±0.5 log IU/mL), no mother‐to‐baby transmission was observed. In contrast, a baby from the untreated mother was HBsAg positive at 9 months postpartum. Four technologies were used for drug resistance testing. Only ultra‐deep pyrosequencing (UDPS) was sufficiently sensitive to detect minor viral variants down to <1%. UDPS showed that LMV therapy resulted in increased viral quasispecies diversity and positive selection of HBV variants with reverse transcriptase amino acid substitutions at sites associated with primary LMV resistance (rtM204I/V and rtA181T) in four (19%) women. These viral variants were detected mostly at low frequencies (0.63–5.92%) at EOT, but one LMV‐treated mother had an rtA181T variant that increased from 2.2% pretherapy to 25.59% at EOT. This mother was also infected with the vaccine escape variant (sG145R), which was inhibited by LMV treatment. LMV therapy during late pregnancy only reduced maternal viraemia moderately, and drug‐resistant viral variants emerged.
Atypical Jobs: Stepping Stones or Dead Ends? Evidence from the NLSY79
Authors: Addison John T. , Cotti Chad D. , Surfield Christopher J.
Published: December 2013

Atypical work arrangements have long been criticized as offering more precarious and lower paid work than regular open‐ended employment. An important British paper by Booth et al. (Economic Journal, Vol. 112 (2002), No. 480, pp. F189–F213) was among the first to recognize such jobs also functioned as a stepping stone to permanent work. This conclusion proved prescient, receiving increased support in Europe. Here, we provide a broadly parallel analysis for the USA, where research has been less targeted on this issue. We report similar findings for temporary workers in the USA as found for fixed‐term contract workers in Britain.
Spatiotemporal changes in the genetic diversity of harmful algal blooms caused by the toxic dinoflagellate Alexandrium minutum
Authors: Dia A. , Guillou L. , Mauger S. , Bigeard E. , Marie D. , Valero M. , Destombe C.
Published: December 2013

Organisms with sexual and asexual reproductive systems benefit from both types of reproduction. Sexual recombination generates new combinations of alleles, whereas clonality favours the spread of the fittest genotype through the entire population. Therefore, the rate of sexual vs. clonal reproduction has a major influence on the demography and genetic structure of natural populations. We addressed the effect of reproductive system on populations of the dinoflagellate Alexandrium minutum. More specifically, we monitored the spatiotemporal genetic diversity during and between bloom events in two estuaries separated by 150 km for two consecutive years. An analysis of population genetic patterns using microsatellite markers revealed surprisingly high genotypic and genetic diversity. Moreover, there was significant spatial and temporal genetic differentiation during and between bloom events. Our results demonstrate that (i) interannual genetic differentiation can be very high, (ii) estuaries are partially isolated during bloom events and (iii) genetic diversity can change rapidly during a bloom event. This rapid genetic change may reflect selective effects that are nevertheless not strong enough to reduce allelic diversity. Thus, sexual reproduction and/or migration may regularly erase any genetic structure produced within estuaries during a bloom event.
What constrains the distribution of orchid populations?
Authors: McCormick Melissa K. , Jacquemyn Hans
Published: December 2013

The distribution and abundance of orchid populations depend on a suite of biological and ecological factors, including seed production and dispersal, availability of mycorrhizal fungi and appropriate environmental conditions, with the weighting of these factors depending on the spatial scale considered. Disentangling the factors determining successful orchid establishment represents a major challenge, involving seed germination experiments, molecular techniques and assessment of environmental conditions. Identification of fungi from large‐scale surveys of mycorrhizal associations in a range of orchid species has shown that mycorrhizal fungi may be widespread and occur in varied habitats. Further, a meta‐analysis of seed introduction experiments revealed similar seed germination in occupied and unoccupied habitat patches. Orchid rarity was also unrelated to mycorrhizal specificity. Nonetheless, seed germination within sites appears to depend on both biotic and abiotic conditions. In the few cases that have been examined, coexisting orchids have distinct mycorrhizal communities and show strong spatial segregation, suggesting that mycorrhizal fungi are important drivers of niche partitioning and contribute to orchid coexistence. A broader investigation of orchid mycorrhizal fungus distribution in the soil, coupled with fungus and recruitment mapping, is needed to translate fungal abundance to orchid population dynamics and may lead to better orchid conservation.
A global analysis of bidirectional interactions in alpine plant communities shows facilitators experiencing strong reciprocal fitness costs
Authors: Schöb Christian , Michalet Richard , Cavieres Lohengrin A. , Pugnaire Francisco I. , Brooker Rob W. , Butterfield Bradley J. , Cook Bradley J. , Kikvidze Zaal , Lortie Christopher J. , Xiao Sa , Al Hayek Patrick , Anthelme Fabien , Cranston Brittany H. , García Mary‐Carolina , Le Bagousse‐Pinguet Yoann , Reid Anya M. , le Roux Peter C. , Lingua Emanuele , Nyakatya Mawethu J. , Touzard Blaise , Zhao Liang , Callaway Ragan M.
Published: December 2013

Facilitative interactions are defined as positive effects of one species on another, but bidirectional feedbacks may be positive, neutral, or negative. Understanding the bidirectional nature of these interactions is a fundamental prerequisite for the assessment of the potential evolutionary consequences of facilitation.

In a global study combining observational and experimental approaches, we quantified the impact of the cover and richness of species associated with alpine cushion plants on reproductive traits of the benefactor cushions.

We found a decline in cushion seed production with increasing cover of cushion‐associated species, indicating that being a benefactor came at an overall cost. The effect of cushion‐associated species was negative for flower density and seed set of cushions, but not for fruit set and seed quality. Richness of cushion‐associated species had positive effects on seed density and modulated the effects of their abundance on flower density and fruit set, indicating that the costs and benefits of harboring associated species depend on the composition of the plant assemblage.

Our study demonstrates ‘parasitic’ interactions among plants over a wide range of species and environments in alpine systems, and we consider their implications for the possible selective effects of interactions between benefactor and beneficiary species.
VLCAD deficiency in a patient who recovered from ventricular fibrillation, but died suddenly of a respiratory syncytial virus infection
Authors: Yamamoto Akiko , Nakamura Kimitoshi , Matsumoto Shirou , Iwai Masanori , Shigematsu Yosuke , Tajima Go , Tsumura Miyuki , Okada Satoshi , Mitsubuchi Hiroshi , Endo Fumio
Published: December 2013

VLCAD deficiency is an autosomal recessive disorder caused by a defect of fatty acid oxidation. The phenotype is classified into three clinical forms on the basis of the onset of symptoms: a severe form with neonatal onset; a milder form with childhood onset; and a late‐onset form. The neonatal form is the most common, and has a higher mortality rate than the others. We report the case of a newborn infant with VLCAD deficiency who developed ventricular fibrillation, which was successfully treated by intensive care, but who suddenly died after a respiratory syncytial virus infection. Early institution of i.v. glucose treatment and active immunization with vaccine, such as palivizumab (anti‐RSV mAb), may be important to reduce the frequency and severity of life‐threatening episodes.
Case of cytomegalovirus‐associated direct anti‐globulin test‐negative autoimmune hemolytic anemia
Authors: Kaneko Saeko , Sato Masanori , Sasaki Goro , Eguchi Hiroyuki , Oishi Tsutomu , Kamesaki Toyomi , Kawaguchi Hiroyuki
Published: December 2013

A 1‐year‐old boy developed autoimmune hemolytic anemia after a negative direct anti‐globulin test. The concentration of erythrocyte membrane‐associated immunoglobulin G, determined using an immunoradiometric assay, correlated with disease activity. He was positive for cytomegalovirus (CMV) both serologically and by quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction, indicating that his autoimmune hemolytic anemia was directly caused by CMV infection. Since anti‐CMV immunoglobulin G was not absorbed by the patient's erythrocytes, cross‐reaction between erythrocyte antigens and CMV was not likely a causative factor for hemolysis.
Apnea with RSV infection in three infants receiving palivizumab
Authors: Del Vecchio Michael Thomas
Published: December 2013

The present report describes three infants receiving palivizumab prophylaxis who presented with apnea associated with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection. All three were found to be RSV positive but had mild bronchiolitis courses. Even though palivizumab has been shown to be an effective prophylaxis in preventing RSV bronchiolitis hospitalizations, its effect on apnea is unknown. The cases presented raise the concern that apnea associated with RSV must still be considered in infants who receive proper prophylaxis with palivizumab. Also, if palivizumab is found to be ineffective in preventing apnea, clinical management of these patients could be altered.
The quantitative analysis of spreadability, coverage, and adhesion effect after application of the base make‐up product
Authors: Lee S. Y. , Baek J. H. , Shin M. K. , Koh J. S.
Published: December 2013

Background/purpose

It is needed to evaluate the spreadability, coverage, and adhesion of facial base makeup products.

Methods

Using the oscillation applicator or hand application, 20 volunteers spread the liquid foundation on their faces and forearms. To assess the spreadability, coverage, and adhesion, we analyzed digital images of volunteers' faces to measure spreadability and coverage, and we measured the adhesion effect on the forearm by tape‐stripping.

Results

In terms of spreadability, coverage, and adhesion, the results of group who used the ‘oscillation applicator’ were significantly twice as high as the other group who applied by hand.

Conclusion

In this study, we demonstrated a method for quantitative assessing the effect of spreadability, coverage, and adhesion of the liquid foundation used in base makeup. Also, we discovered a distinction between using an oscillation applicator and using hand application. It is expected that image analysis assessment and tape‐stripping would be useful parameters for the evaluation of the facial base makeup.
Suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (vorinostat): its role on equine corneal fibrosis and matrix metalloproteinase activity
Authors: Donnelly Kevin S. , Giuliano Elizabeth A. , Sharma Ajay , Mohan Rajiv R.
Published: December 2013

Objective

To explore the effect of suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA) (i) on corneal fibroblast differentiation, morphology, and viability; and (ii) on the expression levels of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) 2 and 9 using an in vitro model of equine corneal fibrosis.

Procedure

Healthy donor corneas were used to generate primary cultures of equine corneal fibroblasts. The fibroblasts were exposed to 5 ng/mL TGFβ1 to induce myofibroblast formation. The cultures were treated with either 5 μm or 10 μm SAHA for 72 h in the presence of TGFβ1. Real‐time PCR and immunocytochemistry were used to determine the antifibrotic efficacy of SAHA by quantifying α‐smooth muscle actin (αSMA), a marker of myofibroblast formation and fibrosis. Real‐time PCR was used to determine the effects of SAHA on MMP2 and MMP9 expression. Cytotoxicity of SAHA was evaluated with phase contrast microscopy and trypan blue exclusion assays.

Results

Suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA) significantly attenuated TGFβ1‐induced differentiation of equine fibroblasts to myofibroblasts as indicated by 3‐ to 3.5‐fold (P < 0.001) decrease in αSMA mRNA and 86–88% (P < 0.001) decrease in αSMA+ immunocytochemical staining. SAHA treatment also resulted in 4.5‐ to 5.5‐fold (P < 0.01) decrease in MMP9 expression. A dose‐dependent bimodal effect of SAHA on MMP2 expression was noted (3.5‐fold increase with 5 μm dose; 0.5‐fold decrease with 10 μm dose). No change in fibroblast viability was observed with a 5 μm SAHA dose, whereas a 10 μm dose resulted in a moderate 17% decrease in cell viability.

Conclusions

Suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA) can effectively inhibit TGFβ‐induced differentiation of equine corneal fibroblasts to myofibroblasts and modulates MMP production in vitro.
Evaluation of in vitro storage properties of apheresis platelets suspended in a bicarbonate‐containing additive solution with low levels of plasma and stored with a 24‐hour interruption of agitation
Authors: Skripchenko A. , Turgeon A. , Thompson‐Montgomery D. , Awatefe H. , Wagner S. J.
Published: December 2013

Background and Objectives

PLT additive solutions (PAS) are useful for reducing the frequency and/or severity of plasma‐associated transfusion reactions. A new PAS solution, PAS‐5, containing 5% plasma, maintains in vitro PLT properties during 7‐day storage. Periods with interruption of agitation (IA) ≤24 h routinely occur during PLT shipment and do not usually compromise platelet quality. The aim of the study was to evaluate the properties of PLTs stored for 7 days in 95% PAS‐5/5% plasma subjected to a 24‐h IA.

Materials and methods

Double apheresis Amicus units (n = 12) were collected using a manual PAS‐5 addition to hyperconcentrated PLTs. PLT units were equally divided in two containers. Control and test PLTs were stored with continuous agitation at 20–24°C except for 24‐h IA period for test units between days 2–3.

Results

During storage, levels of glucose, lactate, mitochondrial membrane potential and aggregation significantly differed in test units compared to those of control. The pH levels of test PLTs were less than those of control units with 7/12 test units having pHs <6·2 on Day 7 compared to 1/12 control units. Morphology score, GP1bα expression, ESC values, superoxide production were also less, and activation was greater in test PLTs than those of control. All other parameters were similar between test and control units.

Conclusion

PLTs stored in PAS‐5 solution containing 5% plasma with a 24‐h IA results in marked decrements in many in vitro PLT quality parameters during 7‐day storage.
RADIOGRAPHIC AND ECHOCARDIOGRAPHIC ASSESSMENT OF LEFT ATRIAL SIZE IN 100 CATS WITH ACUTE LEFT‐SIDED CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE
Authors: Schober Karsten E. , Wetli Ellen , Drost Wm Tod
Published: December 2013

The aims of this study were to evaluate left atrial size in cats with acute left‐sided congestive heart failure. We hypothesized that left atrial size as determined by thoracic radiography can be normal in cats with acute left‐sided congestive heart failure. One hundred cats with acute left‐sided congestive heart failure in which thoracic radiography and echocardiography were performed within 12 h were identified. Left atrial size was evaluated using right lateral and ventrodorsal radiographs. Measurements were compared to two‐dimensional echocardiographic variables of left atrial size and left ventricular size. On echocardiography, left atrial enlargement was observed in 96% cats (subjective assessment) whereas maximum left atrial dimension was increased (>15.7 mm) in 93% cats. On radiographs left atrial enlargement (subjective assessment) was found in 48% (lateral view), 53% (ventrodorsal view), and 64% (any view) of cats whereas left atrial enlargement was absent in 36% of cats in both views. Agreement between both methods of left atrial size estimation was poor (Cohen's kappa 0.17). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis identified a maximum echocardiographic left atrial dimension of approximately 20 mm as the best compromise (Youden index) between sensitivity and specificity in the prediction of radiographic left atrial enlargement.

Left atrial enlargement as assessed by thoracic radiography may be absent in a clinically relevant number of cats with congestive heart failure. Therefore, normal left atrial size on thoracic radiographs does not rule out presence of left‐sided congestive heart failure in cats with clinical signs of respiratory distress.
Mitochondrial phylogeography, intraspecific diversity and phenotypic convergence in the four‐lined snake (Reptilia, Squamata)
Authors: Kornilios Panagiotis , Thanou Evanthia , Lymberakis Petros , Sindaco Roberto , Liuzzi Cristiano , Giokas Sinos
Published: December 2013

The four‐lined snake, Elaphe quatuorlineata, has a fragmented distribution, restricted in continental regions and islands of the Italian and Balkan peninsulas, and includes several morphologically described subspecies. In this study, mtDNA sequences are used to investigate its evolutionary and biogeographical history, to explore the role of palaeogeography, palaeoclimate and human activities in shaping the observed phylogeographical patterns and to discuss whether current subspecific taxonomy is consistent with the intraspecific phylogeny. The phylogeography of the species is a result of both vicariant and dispersal events, some of them transmarine and even human mediated. Its diversification began approximately 3.5 Mya and continued during the Pleistocene glacial periods, when the four‐lined snake's range was restricted in the Italian and Balkan peninsulas, and subsequently expanded from subrefugia, which acted as ‘biodiversity pockets’. Our study supports the recognition of three genetic lineages that roughly correspond to the morphological subspecies, although the morphological characters used for their discrimination should be re‐evaluated. It seems that the current morphological subspecies correspond to ecomorphs associated with body size change in island snakes and the island‐dwarfism phenomenon.
A Kriging Model for Dynamics of Mechanical Systems With Revolute Joint Clearances
Authors: Zhang Zhenhua , Xu Liang , Flores Paulo , Lankarani Hamid M.
Published: December 2013

Over the past two decades, extensive work has been conducted on the dynamic effect of joint clearances in multibody mechanical systems. In contrast, little work has been devoted to optimizing the performance of these systems. In this study, the analysis of revolute joint clearance is formulated in terms of a Hertzian-based contact force model. For illustration, the classical slider-crank mechanism with a revolute clearance joint at the piston pin is presented and a simulation model is developed using the analysis/design software MSC.ADAMS. The clearance is modeled as a pin-in-a-hole surface-to-surface dry contact, with an appropriate contact force model between the joint and bearing surfaces. Different simulations are performed to demonstrate the influence of the joint clearance size and the input crank speed on the dynamic behavior of the system with the joint clearance. In the modeling and simulation of the experimental setup and in the followed parametric study with a slightly revised system, both the Hertzian normal contact force model and a Coulomb-type friction force model were utilized. The kinetic coefficient of friction was chosen as constant throughout the study. An innovative design-of-experiment (DOE)-based method for optimizing the performance of a mechanical system with the revolute joint clearance for different ranges of design parameters is then proposed. Based on the simulation model results from sample points, which are selected by a Latin hypercube sampling (LHS) method, a polynomial function Kriging meta-model is established instead of the actual simulation model. The reason for the development and use of the meta-model is to bypass computationally intensive simulations of a computer model for different design parameter values in place of a more efficient and cost-effective mathematical model. Finally, numerical results obtained from two application examples with different design parameters, including the joint clearance size, crank speed, and contact stiffness, are presented for the further analysis of the dynamics of the revolute clearance joint in a mechanical system. This allows for predicting the influence of design parameter changes, in order to minimize contact forces, accelerations, and power requirements due to the existence of joint clearance.