bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Low fish intake is associated with low blood concentrations of vitamin D, choline andn-3 DHA in pregnant women
Authors: Wu Brian T. , Dyer Roger A. , King D. Janette , Innis Sheila M.
Published: June 2012

Several studies have investigated the potential health benefits, including those associated with neurological function, of then-3 fatty acid DHA. This has arisen in part because of the association between higher intakes of fish, which is a major dietary source of DHA, and reduced disease risk. In addition to DHA, fish also provides choline and vitamin D. The objective of the present study was to assess whether women in the first half of pregnancy with low fish intake also had low blood concentrations of vitamin D, choline and DHA. A total of 222 pregnant women at 16 weeks of gestation were examined for dietary intake, erythrocyte (phosphatidylethanolamine PE) DHA, plasma free choline and 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D). Women who consumed ≤ 75 g fish/week (n56) compared to ≥ 150 g fish/week (n116) had lower dietary intake of DHA, total choline and vitamin D (P< 0·001), and lower erythrocyte PE DHA (5·25 (sd1·27), 6·83 (sd1·62) g/100 g total fatty acid, respectively,P< 0·01), plasma free choline (6·59 (sd1·65), 7·40 (sd2·05) μmol/l, respectively,P= 0·023) and 25(OH)D (50·3 (sd20·0), 62·5 (sd29·8) nmol/l, respectively,P< 0·01). DHA intake was positively related to the intake of vitamin D from foods (ρ 0·47,P< 0·001) and total choline (ρ 0·32,P< 0·001). Dietary intakes and biomarkers of DHA, choline and vitamin D status were assessed to be linked. This raises the possibility that unidentified concurrent nutrient inadequacies might have an impact on the results of studies addressing the benefits of supplemental DHA.
Differentiation of adipose-derived stem cells into ear auricle cartilage in rabbits
Authors: Bahrani H , Razmkhah M , Ashraf M J , Tanideh N , Chenari N , Khademi B , Ghaderi A
Published: June 2012

Background:

Adipose-derived stem cells have been reported as a novel candidate for the repair of cartilage injuries in vivo.

Methods:

In order to assess their differentiation ability, adipose-derived stem cells isolated from rabbit fat tissue were injected into the midportion of a surgically created rabbit ear auricle cartilage defect. After several months, the auricles were resected, histopathologically assessed and compared with a control group.

Results:

Histopathological examination of auricles removed three, four and five months after injection showed islands of new cartilage formation at the site of the surgically induced defect. Six months after injection, we observed well-formed, mature cartilaginous plates that completely filled the defect in the native cartilage. In the control group, there was no significant growth of new cartilage.

Conclusion:

The results of this study suggest the great potential of adipose-derived stem cells to repair damaged cartilage tissue in vivo.
PGRP-LB is a maternally transmitted immune milk protein that influences symbiosis and parasitism in tsetse’s offspring
Authors: Wang Jingwen , Aksoy Serap
Published: June 2012

Beneficial microbe functions range from host dietary supplementation to development and maintenance of host immune system. In mammals, newborn progeny are quickly colonized with a symbiotic fauna that is provisioned in mother’s milk and that closely resembles that of the parent. Tsetse fly (Diptera: Glossinidae) also depends on the obligate symbiont
Wigglesworthia
for nutritional supplementation, optimal fecundity, and immune system development. Tsetse progeny develop one at a time in an intrauterine environment and receive nourishment and symbionts in mother’s milk. We show that the host Peptidoglycan Recognition Protein (PGRP-LB) is expressed only in adults and is a major component of the milk that nourishes the developing progeny. The amidase activity associated with PGRP-LB may scavenge the symbiotic peptidoglycan and prevent the induction of tsetse's Immune Deficiency pathway that otherwise can damage the symbionts. Reduction of PGRP-LB experimentally diminishes female fecundity and damages
Wigglesworthia
in the milk through induction of antimicrobial peptides, including Attacin. Larvae that receive less maternal PGRP-LB give rise to adults with fewer
Wigglesworthia
and hyperimmune responses. Such adults also suffer dysregulated immunity, as indicated by the presence of higher trypanosome densities in parasitized adults. We show that recPGRP-LB has antimicrobial and antitrypanosomal activities that may regulate symbiosis and impact immunity. Thus, PGRP-LB plays a pivotal role in tsetse’s fitness by protecting symbiosis against host-inflicted damage during development and by controlling parasite infections in adults that can otherwise reduce host fecundity.
Cell wall constrains lateral diffusion of plant plasma-membrane proteins
Authors: Martinière Alexandre , Lavagi Irene , Nageswaran Gayathri , Rolfe Daniel J. , Maneta-Peyret Lilly , Luu Doan-Trung , Botchway Stanley W. , Webb Stephen E. D. , Mongrand Sebastien , Maurel Christophe , Martin-Fernandez Marisa L. , Kleine-Vehn Jürgen , Friml Jirí , Moreau Patrick , Runions John
Published: June 2012

A cell membrane can be considered a liquid-phase plane in which lipids and proteins theoretically are free to diffuse. Numerous reports, however, describe retarded diffusion of membrane proteins in animal cells. This anomalous diffusion results from a combination of structuring factors including protein–protein interactions, cytoskeleton corralling, and lipid organization into microdomains. In plant cells, plasma-membrane (PM) proteins have been described as relatively immobile, but the control mechanisms that structure the PM have not been studied. Here, we use fluorescence recovery after photobleaching to estimate mobility of a set of minimal PM proteins. These proteins consist only of a PM-anchoring domain fused to a fluorescent protein, but their mobilities remained limited, as is the case for many full-length proteins. Neither the cytoskeleton nor membrane microdomain structure was involved in constraining the diffusion of these proteins. The cell wall, however, was shown to have a crucial role in immobilizing PM proteins. In addition, by single-molecule fluorescence imaging we confirmed that the pattern of cellulose deposition in the cell wall affects the trajectory and speed of PM protein diffusion. Regulation of PM protein dynamics by the plant cell wall can be interpreted as a mechanism for regulating protein interactions in processes such as trafficking and signal transduction.
Perivascular-resident macrophage-like melanocytes in the inner ear are essential for the integrity of the intrastrial fluid–blood barrier
Authors: Zhang Wenjing , Dai Min , Fridberger Anders , Hassan Ahmed , DeGagne Jacqueline , Neng Lingling , Zhang Fei , He Wenxuan , Ren Tianying , Trune Dennis , Auer Manfred , Shi Xiaorui
Published: June 2012

The microenvironment of the cochlea is maintained by the barrier between the systemic circulation and the fluids inside the stria vascularis. However, the mechanisms that control the permeability of the intrastrial fluid–blood barrier remain largely unknown. The barrier comprises endothelial cells connected to each other by tight junctions and an underlying basement membrane. In a recent study, we found that the intrastrial fluid–blood barrier also includes a large number of perivascular cells with both macrophage and melanocyte characteristics. The perivascular-resident macrophage-like melanocytes (PVM/Ms) are in close contact with vessels through cytoplasmic processes. Here we demonstrate that PVM/Ms have an important role in maintaining the integrity of the intrastrial fluid–blood barrier and hearing function. Using a cell culture-based in vitro model and a genetically induced PVM/M-depleted animal model, we show that absence of PVM/Ms increases the permeability of the intrastrial fluid–blood barrier to both low- and high-molecular-weight tracers. The increased permeability is caused by decreased expression of pigment epithelial-derived factor, which regulates expression of several tight junction-associated proteins instrumental to barrier integrity. When tested for endocochlear potential and auditory brainstem response, PVM/M-depleted animals show substantial drop in endocochlear potential with accompanying hearing loss. Our results demonstrate a critical role for PVM/Ms in regulating the permeability of the intrastrial fluid–blood barrier for establishing a normal endocochlear potential hearing threshold.
Neuregulin 1-ErbB4-PI3K signaling in schizophrenia and phosphoinositide 3-kinase-p110δ inhibition as a potential therapeutic strategy
Authors: Law Amanda J. , Wang Yanhong , Sei Yoshitatsu , O’Donnell Patricio , Piantadosi Patrick , Papaleo Francesco , Straub Richard E. , Huang Wenwei , Thomas Craig J. , Vakkalanka Radhakrishna , Besterman Aaron D. , Lipska Barbara K. , Hyde Thomas M. , Harrison Paul J. , Kleinman Joel E. , Weinberger Daniel R.
Published: June 2012

Neuregulin 1 (NRG1) and ErbB4, critical neurodevelopmental genes, are implicated in schizophrenia, but the mediating mechanisms are unknown. Here we identify a genetically regulated, pharmacologically targetable, risk pathway associated with schizophrenia and with ErbB4 genetic variation involving increased expression of a PI3K-linked ErbB4 receptor (CYT-1) and the phosphoinositide 3-kinase subunit, p110δ (PIK3CD). In human lymphoblasts, NRG1-mediated phosphatidyl-inositol,3,4,5 triphosphate [PI(3,4,5)P3] signaling is predicted by schizophrenia-associated ErbB4 genotype and PIK3CD levels and is impaired in patients with schizophrenia. In human brain, the same ErbB4 genotype again predicts increased PIK3CD expression. Pharmacological inhibition of p110δ using the small molecule inhibitor, IC87114, blocks the effects of amphetamine in a mouse pharmacological model of psychosis and reverses schizophrenia-related phenotypes in a rat neonatal ventral hippocampal lesion model. Consistent with these antipsychotic-like properties, IC87114 increases AKT phosphorylation in brains of treated mice, implicating a mechanism of action. Finally, in two family-based genetic studies, PIK3CD shows evidence of association with schizophrenia. Our data provide insight into a mechanism of ErbB4 association with schizophrenia; reveal a previously unidentified biological and disease link between NRG1-ErbB4, p110δ, and AKT; and suggest that p110δ is a previously undescribed therapeutic target for the treatment of psychiatric disorders.
Infection-induced colitis in mice causes dynamic and tissue-specific changes in stress response and DNA damage leading to colon cancer
Authors: Mangerich Aswin , Knutson Charles G. , Parry Nicola M. , Muthupalani Sureshkumar , Ye Wenjie , Prestwich Erin , Cui Liang , McFaline Jose L. , Mobley Melissa , Ge Zhongming , Taghizadeh Koli , Wishnok John S. , Wogan Gerald N. , Fox James G. , Tannenbaum Steven R. , Dedon Peter C.
Published: June 2012

Helicobacter hepaticus
-infected
Rag
2
-/-
mice emulate many aspects of human inflammatory bowel disease, including the development of colitis and colon cancer. To elucidate mechanisms of inflammation-induced carcinogenesis, we undertook a comprehensive analysis of histopathology, molecular damage, and gene expression changes during disease progression in these mice. Infected mice developed severe colitis and hepatitis by 10 wk post-infection, progressing into colon carcinoma by 20 wk post-infection, with pronounced pathology in the cecum and proximal colon marked by infiltration of neutrophils and macrophages. Transcriptional profiling revealed decreased expression of DNA repair and oxidative stress response genes in colon, but not in liver. Mass spectrometric analysis revealed higher levels of DNA and RNA damage products in liver compared to colon and infection-induced increases in 5-chlorocytosine in DNA and RNA and hypoxanthine in DNA. Paradoxically, infection was associated with decreased levels of DNA etheno adducts. Levels of nucleic acid damage from the same chemical class were strongly correlated in both liver and colon. The results support a model of inflammation-mediated carcinogenesis involving infiltration of phagocytes and generation of reactive species that cause local molecular damage leading to cell dysfunction, mutation, and cell death. There are strong correlations among histopathology, phagocyte infiltration, and damage chemistry that suggest a major role for neutrophils in inflammation-associated cancer progression. Further, paradoxical changes in nucleic acid damage were observed in tissue- and chemistry-specific patterns. The results also reveal features of cell stress response that point to microbial pathophysiology and mechanisms of cell senescence as important mechanistic links to cancer.
Training of Translators in Scientific and Technical Translation for Research Libraries in India
Authors: Metha Surendra Nath
Published: June 2012

ABSTRACT
The study outlines one of the major problems of library personnel i.e. training of translators in scientific and technical translation. Various training courses in India e.g., Certificate, Diploma, Advanced Diploma, M.A. etc. for Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Russian, Spanish, and Serbo-Croatian Languages have been surveyed. The Indian Universities/Institutions conducting these courses have been listed along with the syllabi of the foreign languages taught in some of the Indian Universities. The scope of this paper has been limited to the translation of scientific and technical literature from foreign languages into English. The need for running a scientific translation course after the Advanced Diploma Course in each language has been emphasized.
The Art of Translation
Authors: Hefzallah Ibrahim M.
Published: June 2012

Summary:
Translation is important for effective international communication. Translation can help make scientific and technical material common among scientists from different nations. Although of its recognized importance a comparatively small amount of critical attention has been given to the art of translation, among which one can find many contradicting principles.
The governing principle of translation is that the nature of the content, the purpose of translation, and the intended reader determine whether the translation will be literal, paraphrasical, idiomatic or partial. It is advisable to blend the four methods when necessary to achieve the prime goal of translation: conveying the original meanings through the language of rendition.
Specific problems in translation are grouped under two main headings: lack of equivalence, and idiomatic problems. By "lack of equivalence" is meant two things: (1) unidentical meanings attached to two corresponding words, (2) nonexistent words in the language of rendition corresponding to words in the original language. Faced
with these problems, the translator has to choose between three alternatives: (1) transliteration, (2) adaptation, or (3) the coining of new words. Technical terms of Greek and Latin origin and nonexistent in the language of rendition should be transliterated or adapted.
Idiom was defined as all patterns of linguistic expressions peculiar to the language, and the style of the writer. Idioms can be classified according to their method of translation: literal, idiomatic, and paraphrasical.
It is difficult to preserve the style of the author. However if the style is significant, the translator has to strive to preserve the style without obscuring the meaning. In technical and scientific translation the meaning is of greater importance than the style.
Translation should always be done into one's own language. A good translator should be familiar with the cultural background of the original piece of work. He should have satisfactory knowledge of the foreign language, the scientific subject matter under translation, and he should possess a high degree of sympathy to be able to translate literary material. Ability to write his own language is a necessary qualification.
Translating machines can be of help in translating scientific and technical material, but not in translating literary material. With the development of translating machines this limitation might be overcome.
Inner activation gate in S6 contributes to the state-dependent binding of cAMP in full-length HCN2 channel
Authors: Wu Shengjun , Gao Weihua , Xie Changan , Xu Xinping , Vorvis Christina , Marni Farzana , Hackett Amber R. , Liu Qinglian , Zhou Lei
Published: June 2012

Recently, applications of the patch-clamp fluorometry (PCF) technique in studies of cyclic nucleotide–gated (CNG) and hyperpolarization-activated, cyclic nucleotide–regulated (HCN) channels have provided direct evidence for the long-held notion that ligands preferably bind to and stabilize these channels in an open state. This state-dependent ligand–channel interaction involves contributions from not only the ligand-binding domain but also other discrete structural elements within the channel protein. This insight led us to investigate whether the pore of the HCN channel plays a role in the ligand–whole channel interaction. We used three well-characterized HCN channel blockers to probe the ion-conducting passage. The PCF technique was used to simultaneously monitor channel activity and cAMP binding. Two ionic blockers, Cs+ and Mg2+, effectively block channel conductance but have no obvious effect on cAMP binding. Surprisingly, ZD7288, an open channel blocker specific for HCN channels, significantly reduces the activity-dependent increase in cAMP binding. Independent biochemical assays exclude any nonspecific interaction between ZD7288 and isolated cAMP-binding domain. Because ZD7228 interacts with the inner pore region, where the activation gate is presumably located, we did an alanine scanning of the intracellular end of S6, from T426 to A435. Mutations of three residues, T426, M430, and H434, which are located at regular intervals on the S6 α-helix, enhance cAMP binding. In contrast, mutations of two residues in close proximity, F431A and I432A, dampen the response. Our results demonstrate that movements of the structural elements near the activation gate directly affect ligand binding affinity, which is a simple mechanistic explanation that could be applied to the interpretation of ligand gating in general.
Genome-wide genetic variations are highly correlated with proximal DNA methylation patterns
Authors: Qu Wei , Hashimoto Shin-ichi , Shimada Atsuko , Nakatani Yoichiro , Ichikawa Kazuki , Saito Taro L. , Ogoshi Katsumi , Matsushima Kouji , Suzuki Yutaka , Sugano Sumio , Takeda Hiroyuki , Morishita Shinichi
Published: June 2012

5-methyl-cytosines at CpG sites frequently mutate into thymines, accounting for a large proportion of spontaneous point mutations. The repair system would leave substantial numbers of errors in neighboring regions if the synthesis of erased gaps around deaminated 5-methyl-cytosines is error-prone. Indeed, we identified an unexpected genome-wide role of the CpG methylation state as a major determinant of proximal natural genetic variation. Specifically, 507 Mbp (∼18%) of the human genome was within 10 bp of a CpG site; in these regions, the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rate significantly increased by ∼50% (P < 10−566 by a two-proportion z-test) if the neighboring CpG sites are methylated. To reconfirm this finding in another vertebrate, we compared six single-base resolution methylomes in two inbred medaka (Oryzias latipes) strains with sufficient genetic divergence (3.4%). We found that the SNP rate also increased by ∼50% (P < 10−2170), and the substitution rates in all dinucleotides increased simultaneously (P < 10−441) around methylated CpG sites. In the hypomethylated regions, the “CGCG” motif was significantly enriched (P < 10−680) and evolutionarily conserved (P = ∼ 0.203%), and slow CpG deamination rather than fast CpG gain was seen, indicating a possible role of CGCG as a candidate cis-element for the hypomethylation state. In regions that were hypermethylated in germline-like tissues but were hypomethylated in somatic liver cells, the SNP rate was significantly smaller than that in hypomethylated regions in both tissues, suggesting a positive selective pressure during DNA methylation reprogramming. This is the first report of findings showing that the CpG methylation state is significantly correlated with the characteristics of evolutionary change in neighboring DNA.
Self-assembly of long-chain quaternary ammonium cations in a hybrid inorganic–organic material with one-dimensional polymeric tribromidoplumbate(II)
Authors: Hodorowicz Maciej A. , Piaskowska Agata , Stadnicka Katarzyna M.
Published: June 2012

catena-Poly[benzyldecyldimethylammonium [plumbate(II)-tri-μ-bromido]], {(C19H34N)[PbBr3]}n, crystallizes as an inorganic–organic hybrid following monoclinic space-group symmetryP21/c. The structure consists of extended chains running along the [001] direction and built of [PbBr3]−units. These inorganic chains are separated by interdigitated ammonium cations which form hydrophilic layers through weak C—H...Br interactions. The architecture is essentialy the same as found forn-alkylbenzyldimethylammonium bromides.
Effectiveness of web‐based tailored smoking cessation advice reports (iQuit): a randomized trial
Authors: Mason Dan , Gilbert Hazel , Sutton Stephen
Published: June 2012

Aims

To determine whether web‐based tailored cessation advice, based on social cognitive theory and the perspectives on change model, was more effective in aiding a quit attempt than broadly similar web‐based advice that was not tailored.

Design

Participants were allocated randomly to one of two groups, to receive either a cessation advice report and progress report that were tailored to individual‐level characteristics or a cessation advice report that presented standardized (non‐tailored) content. Tailoring was based on smoking‐related beliefs, personal characteristics and smoking patterns, self‐efficacy and outcome expectations.

Setting

Participant enrolment and baseline assessments were conducted remotely online via the study website, with the advice reports presented by the same website.

Participants

Participants (n = 1758) were visitors to the QUIT website who were based in the United Kingdom, aged 18 years or over and who smoked cigarettes or hand‐rolled tobacco.

Measurements

Follow‐up assessments were made at 6 months by telephone interview. The primary outcome measure was self‐reported 3 months prolonged abstinence, and secondary outcomes were 1 month prolonged abstinence, 7‐day and 24‐hour point prevalence abstinence.

Findings

The intervention group did not differ from the control group on the primary outcome (9.1% versus 9.3%; odds ratio = 1.02 95% confidence interval 0.73–1.42) or on any of the secondary outcomes. Intervention participants gave more positive evaluations of the materials than control participants.

Conclusions

A web‐based intervention that tailored content according to smoking‐related beliefs, personal characteristics and smoking patterns, self‐efficacy and outcome expectations, was not more effective than web‐based materials presenting broadly similar non‐tailored information.
Systematic review: the applications of nanotechnology in gastroenterology
Authors: Brakmane G. , Winslet M. , Seifalian A. M.
Published: June 2012

Background

Over the past 30 years, nanotechnology has evolved dramatically. It has captured the interest of variety of fields from computing and electronics to biology and medicine. Recent discoveries have made invaluable changes to future prospects in nanomedicine; and introduced the concept of theranostics. This term offers a patient specific ‘two in one’ modality that comprises of diagnostic and therapeutic tools. Not only nanotechnology has shown great impact on improvements in drug delivery and imaging techniques, but also there have been several ground‐breaking discoveries in regenerative medicine.

Aim

Gastroenterology invites multidisciplinary approach owing to high complexity of gastrointestinal (GI) system; it includes physicians, surgeons, radiologists, pharmacologists and many more. In this article, we concentrate on current developments in nano‐gastroenterology.

Methods

Literature search was performed using Web of Science and Pubmed search engines with terms – nanotechnology, nanomedicine and gastroenterology. Article search was concentrated on developments since 2005.

Results

We have described original and innovative approaches in gastrointestinal drug delivery, inflammatory disease and cancer‐target treatments. Here, we have reviewed advances in GI imaging using nanoparticles as fluorescent contrast, and their potential for site‐specific targeting. This review has also depicted various approaches and novel discoveries in GI regenerative medicine using nanomaterials for scaffold designs and induced pluripotent stem cells as cell source.

Conclusions

Developments in nanotechnology have opened new range of possibilities to help our patients. This includes novel drug delivery vehicles, diagnostic tools for early and targeted disease detection and nanocomposite materials for tissue constructs to overcome cosmetic or physical disabilities.
Relationship between serum thyrotropin concentrations and metformin therapy in euthyroid patients with type 2 diabetes
Authors: Díez Juan J. , Iglesias Pedro
Published: June 2012

Aim

A thyrotropin(TSH)‐lowering effect of metformin therapy has been recently reported in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and hypothyroidism. We aimed to evaluate the interplay between metformin therapy and serum TSH concentrations in a group of patients with T2D and normal thyroid function.

Patients and methods

Eight hundred and twenty‐eight euthyroid patients with T2D (53% women, mean age 65·9 years, median duration of diabetes 10 years) were retrospectively evaluated. There were 250 patients on metformin treatment (30·2%). Serum concentrations of TSH were measured in all subjects.

Results

Patients on metformin treatment exhibited significantly higher TSH levels [1·63 (1·11–2·24) mU/l] than those found in patients without metformin [1·40 (1·01–2·24) mU/l, P = 0·009]. We found no significant differences in TSH levels in patients who were on therapy with other oral antidiabetics, antihypertensive drugs or hypolipidemic agents in relation to subjects not taking these drugs. Serum TSH was significantly related to gender, body mass index, hyperlipidaemia and the presence of goitre and diabetic macroangiopathy. In multiple regression analysis with TSH as dependent variable, goitre was negatively related to TSH values. Metformin therapy was a nonsignificant variable in this model.

Conclusion

In summary, this is the first survey analysing the relationship between metformin and thyroid function in a large cohort of patients with diabetes. Our data do not support the presence of an independent and significant relationship between TSH values and metformin treatment in euthyroid patients with T2D.
Fertility Therapies, Infertility and Autism Spectrum Disorders in the Nurses' Health Study II
Authors: Lyall Kristen , Pauls David L. , Spiegelman Donna , Santangelo Susan L. , Ascherio Alberto
Published: June 2012

Background:  An increasing number of women are utilizing fertility treatments, but little is known about their relation to autism spectrum disorders (ASD).

Methods:  To determine the association between maternal fertility therapy use and risk of having a child with ASD, we conducted a nested case‐control study within the Nurses' Health Study II (n = 116,430). Maternally reported diagnoses of ASD were confirmed through a supplementary questionnaire and, in a subgroup, the Autism Diagnostic Interview‐Revised. Controls were randomly selected by frequency matching to case children's year of birth. Associations were examined by self‐reported infertility and type of therapy using conditional logistic regression.

Results:  In all, 9% of the 507 cases and 7% of 2,529 controls indicated fertility therapy use for the index pregnancy. No significant associations with self‐reported fertility therapies or history of infertility were seen in primary analyses. In subgroup analyses of women with maternal age ≥35 years (n = 1,020), artificial insemination was significantly associated with ASD; ovulation inducing drug (OID) use was significantly associated in crude but not adjusted analyses (odds ratio 1.81, 95% CI 0.96–3.42). Results were similar by diagnostic subgroup, though within the advanced maternal age group, OID and artificial insemination were significantly associated with Asperger syndrome and pervasive developmental disorder not‐otherwise specified, but not autistic disorder.

Conculsion:  Assisted reproductive therapy and history of infertility did not increase risk of having a child with ASD in this study. However, the associations observed with OID and artificial insemination among older mothers, for whom these exposures are more common, warrant further investigation.
TLR Signalling and Adapter Utilization in Primary Human In vitro Differentiated Adipocytes
Authors: Brenner C. , Simmonds R. E. , Wood S. , Rose V. , Feldmann M. , Turner J.
Published: June 2012

Toll‐like receptors (TLRs) are central to innate immunity and yet their expression is widespread and not restricted to professional inflammatory cells. TLRs have been reported on adipocytes and have been implicated in obesity‐associated pathologies such as diabetes. Why TLRs are found on adipocytes is not clear although one hypothesis is that they may coordinate energy utilization for the energy intensive process of an immune response. We have explored TLR signalling in primary human in vitro differentiated adipocytes and investigated the specific adapter molecules that are involved. Only lipopolysaccharide (LPS), poly(I:C), Pam3CSK4 and MALP‐2 could induce the production of IL‐6, IL‐8 and MCP‐1 by adipocytes. Poly(I:C) alone caused a strong induction of type I interferons, as assessed by IP‐10 production. Using siRNA, it was confirmed that LPS‐dependent signalling in adipocytes occurs via TLR4 utilizing the adapter molecules MyD88, Mal and TRIF and caused rapid degradation of IκBα. Pam3CSK4 signalling utilized TLR2, MyD88 and Mal (but not TRIF). However, the response to poly(I:C) observed in these cells appeared not to require TRIF, but MyD88 was required for induction of NFκB‐dependent cytokines by Poly(I:C). Despite this, IκBα degradation could not be detected in poly(I:C) stimulated adipocytes at any time‐point up to 4 h. Indeed, IL‐6 transcription was not induced until 8–16 h after exposure. These data suggest that Pam3CSK4 and LPS signal via the expected routes in human adipocytes, whereas poly(I:C)/TLR3 signalling may act via a TRIF‐independent, MyD88‐dependent route.
Upregulation of Stromal Cell–Derived Factor By IL‐17 and IL‐18 Via a Phosphatidylinositol 3‐Kinase‐Dependent Pathway
Authors: Ahn I. E. , Ju J. H. , Lee S. Y. , Park J. S. , Oh H. J. , Kim H. R. , Lee S. H. , Park S. H. , Kim H. Y. , Cho M. L.
Published: June 2012

Th17 cells that produce interleukin (IL)‐17 play a key role in the pathogenesis of autoimmune inflammation. Among the various cytokines that are involved in the IL‐17 pathway, members of the IL‐1β family, including IL‐18, have recently gained attention. In this study, we stimulated synovial fibroblasts with a combination of IL‐17 and IL‐18 and quantified their stromal cell–derived factor‐1 (SDF‐1) production by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay and their transcript levels by reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction. Both IL‐17 and IL‐18 significantly increased the level of SDF‐1, not only individually but also synergistically (P < 0.05). The synergism was effectively suppressed by anti‐IL‐17 and ‐IL‐18 antibodies, and a PI3K inhibitor. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of PI3K‐dependent synergism between IL‐18 and IL‐17, and this work adds a novel perspective of the role of IL‐18 in immune regulation. The individual effects of these two cytokines, and their interactions, suggest an interrelationship between the IL‐1 family and IL‐17.
Growth patterns and anaemia status of HIV‐infected children living in an institutional facility in India
Authors: Kapavarapu Prasanna K. , Bari Omar , Perumpil Mathew , Duggan Christopher , Dinakar Chitra , Krishnamurthy Shubha , Arumugam Karthika , Shet Anita
Published: June 2012

Objective  To understand the health status of HIV orphans in a well‐structured institutional facility in India.

Method  Prospective longitudinal analysis of growth and anaemia prevalence among these children, between June 2008 and May 2011.

Results  A total of 85 HIV‐infected orphan children residing at Sneha Care Home, Bangalore, for at least 1 year, were included in the analysis. Prevalence of anaemia at entry into the home was 40%, with the cumulative incidence of anaemia during the study period being 85%. At baseline, 79% were underweight and 72% were stunted. All children, irrespective of their antiretroviral therapy (ART) status, showed an improvement in nutritional status over time as demonstrated by a significant increase in weight (median weight‐for‐age Z‐score: −2.75 to −1.74, P < 0.001) and height Z‐scores (median height‐for‐age Z‐score: −2.69 to −1.63, P < 0.001).

Conclusion  These findings suggest that good nutrition even in the absence of ART can bring about improvement in growth. The Sneha Care Home model indicates that the holistic approach used in the Home may have been helpful in combating HIV and poor nutritional status in severely malnourished orphaned children.
Seed losses at harvest and seed persistence of oilseed rape (Brassica napus) in different cultural conditions in Chinese farming systems
Authors: ZHU Y M , LI Y D , COLBACH N , MA K P , WEI W , MI X C
Published: June 2012

Zhu YM, Li YD, Colbach N, Ma KP, Wei W & Mi XC (2012). Seed losses at harvest and seed persistence of oilseed rape (Brassica napus) in different cultural conditions in Chinese farming systems. Weed Research52, 317–326.

This article reports experiments that explore the critical factors for gene flow in oilseed rape (Brassica napus) via the soil seedbank under Chinese farming systems. Research was carried out on 16 farmer’s fields to estimate harvest seed losses after different planting methods and harvest timings, during the four components of the harvest operations. An additional field experiment was set up to estimate the potential germination proportion of seeds in flood‐irrigated and un‐irrigated fields, as a function of seed burial depth over time. Seed losses were largest during the sun‐drying of harvested plants in the field, accounting for about three quarters of the total seed losses. The number of intact seeds declined quickly after they entered the soil, particularly in un‐irrigated fields, and no volunteers germinated in the irrigated field after 3 months. Burial depth did not affect the potential for germination and emergence of volunteers in the flood‐irrigated field. However, the potential germination declined with increasing burial depth in the un‐irrigated field. No viable seeds remained in the soil after 16 months. Seed losses during harvest could be limited to 0.7–1.1% by weight of total seed production by placing a plastic membrane under the cut plants during drying and no rape seeds could germinate after 3 months in water‐logged condition. Thus, the risk of gene flow via the soil seedbank is probably small in Chinese oilseed rape farming systems.
Icatibant treatment for acquired C1‐inhibitor deficiency: a real‐world observational study
Authors: Zanichelli A. , Bova M. , Coerezza A. , Petraroli A. , Triggiani M. , Cicardi M.
Published: June 2012

Icatibant, a bradykinin B2 receptor antagonist, is an established treatment for acute attacks of hereditary angioedema (HAE) with C1‐inhibitor (C1‐INH) deficiency. We describe our experience with icatibant in eight patients with angioedema because of acquired C1‐INH deficiency (AAE). Forty‐eight moderate‐to‐severe attacks were treated with subcutaneous icatibant 30 mg; two moderate attacks resolved without treatment. The median (range) duration of treated attacks (onset to complete resolution) was 9.33 (1.67–39.00) h; durations of the untreated attacks were 72 and 96 h. Symptom improvement following icatibant treatment occurred in 0.5 (0.25–2.10) h and complete resolution in 6.75 (0.50–30.75) h. A single icatibant injection achieved complete symptom resolution in 47 attacks; one facial attack required a second injection. One peripheral attack responded less quickly than other treated attacks. Five patients reported transient injection site reactions. Icatibant appeared to provide effective symptom relief and was generally well tolerated.
Modifiable patient factors are associated with the late decline in renal function following liver transplantation
Authors: Leithead Joanna A. , Ferguson James W. , Hayes Peter C.
Published: June 2012

Strategies to delay or avoid the long‐term decline in renal function and progression to chronic kidney disease (CKD) in liver transplant recipients remain unclear. Our aim was to examine the change in estimated GFR (eGFR) from six months after liver transplantation, and to identify modifiable factors associated with a faster rate of decline. This was a single‐center retrospective study of 97 patients who underwent elective liver transplantation and survived ≥5 yr. eGFR was estimated using the MDRD6‐variable equation, and the annualized change in eGFR was determined using simple linear regression. The baseline eGFR was 75 mL/min/1.73 m2. Thereafter, eGFR declined at a mean rate of 1.08 mL/min/1.73 m2 per year. 49% had a decline in renal function greater than the rate expected with aging. Decline in eGFR was an independent predictor of CKD by five yr post‐transplant (p = 0.001). Multivariate modeling found a higher baseline eGFR (p < 0.001), female gender (p = 0.006), hypertension (p = 0.019), and dyslipidemia (p = 0.034) to be associated with a faster rate of decline in renal function. In conclusion, liver transplant recipients have a clinically relevant decline in eGFR from six months post‐transplant. Prospective studies are required to examine the effects of aggressive blood pressure and lipid control on the development of CKD in this setting.
Low‐molecular weight carbohydrates modulate dormancy and are required for post‐germination growth in turions of Spirodela polyrhiza
Authors: Appenroth K.‐J. , Palharini L. , Ziegler P.
Published: June 2012

The aquatic duckweed Spirodela polyrhiza propagates itself vegetatively by forming turions – bud‐like perennation organs – in the autumn, which spend the winter on the bottom of ponds and then germinate in the following spring and proliferate on the water surface. Newly formed turions usually require a period of cold after‐ripening and light to germinate effectively, but an ample supply of exogenous sugar can lead to germination even in the dark and independent of after‐ripening. The results of the present study indicate that the availability of readily metabolised carbohydrates is a determining factor for turion germination. Freshly harvested turions do not contain soluble, low‐molecular weight carbohydrates at a level sufficient to allow germination to take place, but after‐ripened turions do. Augmentation of the soluble carbohydrate content during after‐ripening derives from gradual breakdown of reserve starch of the turions. The long time required for any germination to be observed in turions incubated in darkness and the limited frequency of germination in the dark (about 50% of turion population), even with an ample external sugar, supply emphasise that both after‐ripening and light are essential for ensuring rapid germination and subsequent frond proliferation at an ecologically appropriate time. The carbohydrate supply required for rapid proliferation of the fronds produced at germination is provided by the rapid light‐induced breakdown of turion reserve starch.
Mixed angiosarcoma, clear cell adenocarcinoma and mature teratoma elements in an ovarian tumor: A case report and literature review
Authors: Takahashi Hiroyuki , Chaopotong Pattama , Kajita Sabine , Hashimura Miki , Yamazaki Hitoshi , Saegusa Makoto
Published: June 2012

Malignant transformation of a mature teratoma in the ovary is a rare event, with an approximate rate of only 1–2%. Here, we report an ovarian tumor with a unique combination of epithelial and non‐epithelial malignant components, including mature teratoma elements. A 59 year‐old postmenopusal woman underwent total hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo‐oophorectomy to remove a huge solid mass of the right ovary. The ovarian tumor was 16 × 12 × 4.5 cm in dimensions, composed of red‐brown and greyish‐white tissue with several cystic areas. Microscopically, atypical cells immunopositive for both CD31 and CD34 formed irregular ectatic vascular patterns with a high MIB‐1 labeling index in red‐brown areas. In contrast, tubule‐cystic and papillary structures were lined by HNF‐1β‐immunopositive atypical cuboidal and hobnail cells with clear cytoplasm in greyish‐white areas. In addition, normal‐looking epithelial and stromal components, including mature squamous, cuboidal and ciliated epithelial cells, and adipose tissues, were observed in red‐brown areas, suggesting an ovarian tumor combining angiosarcoma, clear cell adenocarcinoma, and mature teratoma features. We could demonstrate identical X‐chromosome inactivation patterns among all three components by human androgen receptor gene (HUMARA) assays, pointing to complex inter‐relationships regarding their pathogenesis. These observations suggest that a malignant tumor composed of two characteristic phenotypes arose in mature teratoma.
Community‐based exercise program reduces chronic knee pain in elderly Japanese women at high risk of requiring long‐term care: A non‐randomized controlled trial
Authors: Hasegawa Minori , Yamazaki Sachiko , Kimura Midori , Nakano Kyoko , Yasumura Seiji
Published: June 2012

Aim:  To estimate the prevalence of low back pain and/or knee pain among the elderly at high risk of requiring long‐term care, and to determine the effectiveness of a community‐based exercise program provided in accordance with the Motor Function Improvement Program for improving low back and/or knee pain.

Methods:  The target population of this study was 320 residents aged ≥65 years who were eligible for the exercise program. For the intervention group, weekly exercise classes of 120 min duration were held 12 times over 3 months. The main outcome measures were changes between the baseline and 3‐month follow up in visual analog scale (VAS) scores for pain and in the Western Ontario McMaster Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) pain for severity of knee pain.

Results:  The number of participants reporting chronic low back and/or knee pain was 252 with a prevalence of 78.8%. Among them, 68 who were allocated to the intervention group and 125 to the control group completed the study, and were stratified by sex. In women, change in the VAS scores of low back pain was −17.5 ± 23.2 for the intervention group and −7.2 ± 23.4 for the control group (between‐group differences P = 0.03). For knee pain, significant changes in the VAS scores (between‐group differences P = 0.04) and WOMAC pain (P < 0.001) were observed; −14.9 ± 24.9 and −0.6 ± 3.1 for the intervention group, and −0.2 ± 28.5 and 2.2 ± 3.2 for the control group, respectively. No significant difference was observed in men.

Conclusion:  Community‐based exercise programs might reduce prevalent knee pain in elderly women at high risk of requiring long‐term care. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2013; 13: 167–174.
Spatially tripartite interactions of denitrifiers in arctic ecosystems: activities, functional groups and soil resources
Authors: Banerjee Samiran , Siciliano Steven D.
Published: June 2012

Soil denitrification is one of the most significant contributors to global nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions, and spatial patterns of denitrifying communities and their functions may reveal the factors that drive denitrification potential and functional consortia. Although denitrifier spatial patterns have been studied extensively in most soil ecosystems, little is known about these processes in arctic soils. This study aimed to unravel the spatial relationships among denitrifier abundance, denitrification potential and soil resources in 279 soil samples collected from three Canadian arctic ecosystems encompassing 7° in latitude and 27° in longitude. The abundance of nirS (106–108 copies g−1 dry soil), nirK (103‐107 copies g−1 dry soil) and nosZ (106–107 copies g−1 dry soil) genes in these soils is in the similar range as non‐arctic soil ecosystems. Potential denitrification in Organic Cryosols (1034 ng N2O‐N g−1 soil) was 5–11 times higher than Static/Turbic Cryosols and the overall denitrification potential in Cryosols was also comparable to other ecosystems. We found denitrifier functional groups and potential denitrification were highly spatially dependent within a scale of 5 m. Functional groups and soil resources were significantly (P < 0.01) correlated to potential denitrifier activities and the correlations were stronger in Organic Cryosols. Soil moisture, organic carbon and nitrogen content were the predominant controls with nirK abundance also linked to potential denitrification. This study suggests that the dominant control on arctic ecosystem‐level denitrification potential is moisture and organic carbon. Further, microbial abundance controls on ecosystem level activity while undoubtedly present, are masked in the nutrient‐poor arctic environment by soil resource control on denitrifier ecosystem level activity.
The Efficacy of Official Intervention in the Foreign Exchange Market in Malawi
Authors: Simwaka Kisu , Mkandawire Leslie
Published: June 2012

Abstract:  This paper analyses the effectiveness of foreign exchange market interventions by the Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM). We use a GARCH (1, 1) model to simultaneously estimate the effect of intervention on the mean and volatility of the Malawi kwacha. Results from the GARCH model indicate that net sales of US dollars by the RBM depreciate, rather than appreciate, the kwacha. Empirically, this implies the RBM ‘leans against the wind’, that is, the RBM intervenes to reduce, but not reverse, exchange rate depreciation. On the other hand, results for the GARCH model for the post‐2003 period indicate the RBM intervention in the market stabilizes the kwacha. In general, results for the entire study period show that the RBM interventions have been associated with increased exchange rate volatility, with the only exception being the post‐2003 period. The implication of this finding is that intervention can only have a temporary influence on the exchange rate.