bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Towards the Implementation of Sulha as a Cultural Peacemaking Method for Managing and Resolving Environmental Conflicts among Arab Palestinians in Israel
Authors: Tarabeih Hussein , Shmueli Deborah , Khamaisi Rassem
Published: April 2012

This article examines the prospects for applying sulha, the traditional Arab dispute- resolution process, to the management of environmental conflicts within the Arab Palestinian communities in Israel. As background, the sulha process is examined in terms of the modifications that would be necessary to adapt the process in order to create a new tool, labelled ‘environmental sulha’, for managing and resolving environmental conflicts. Successful adoption of such a tool could be a valuable contribution to peacebuilding within Israel where environmental conflicts are growing both in number and in severity. In the course of the research for this project, the Muslim religious scholars and figures interviewed were receptive to the development of an'environmental religious edict that could legitimate the creation and acceptance of such a tool.
Developing Water and Marginalising Israel/Palestinian Peace: A Critical Examination of the Red Sea-Dead Sea Canal Feasibility Study Process
Authors: Abitbol Eric
Published: April 2012

Efforts to ‘save’ the Dead Sea have been globalised through the Red Sea-Dead Sea Canal feasibility study process facilitated by the World Bank. In claiming a ‘peace dividend’ as one ‘intangible benefit’ of programme development and problem solving, the canal initiative has established the relevance of peace discourse as a basis for critiquing the process. This article critically examines phase one of the feasibility study process and its implications for regional peacebuilding in the light of a claimed ‘peace dividend’, assessing the practices of regional integration, knowledge construction and stakeholder participation.1
The Multicultural Context and Multidimensional Scope of Peace
Authors: Malan Jannie
Published: April 2012

Since culture is deeply rooted in human beings of all groups, its role in both causing conflict and resolving conflict can be quite dynamic. Through time-proven traditions of dealing with conflict, culture can function constructively and meaningfully. Culture can also harbour divisive elements, however, which lead to discrimination against people of other cultures, and to conflict. When a breakthrough to mutual cultural understanding and respect has taken place, however, much more than an ad hoc peace agreement can be reached. A transformed and coexistential situation can become a reality. Both traditional and contemporary methods of dealing with conflict should be explored and utilised as necessary. Appropriate development, of which the people concerned can take ownership and to which they can commit themselves, should be supported. A climate of harmonious but realistic and natural coexistence should be promoted.
Theatre: A Cultural Tool for the Propagation of Peace in Africa
Authors: Ebewo Patrick
Published: April 2012

In many parts of the world, theatre has been used to educate, socialise, indoctrinate and raise consciousness. In contemporary Africa, theatre practitioners have lamented the fragmentation of human life and the erosion of peace as a result of human rights abuses, income inequality, poverty, lack of access to services, crime and wars. The aim of this paper is to examine how African theatre practitioners have used theatre as a cultural tool to create awareness and educate their audiences about the need for peaceful co-existence in their communities. The discussions examine selected plays and applied theatre projects from West and southern Africa. They conclude in the finding that the applied theatre form is more effective than conventional literary theatre in promoting peace education and local development initiatives in Africa.
Investigating Outcomes of a Limited Gender Analysis of Enslavement in Post-conflict Justice Processes
Authors: Mibenge Chiseche
Published: April 2012

The image of women sex slaves or sexually violated women in armed conflict has begun to dominate and shape international interventions, including justice, peacebuilding and development processes in post-conflict societies. Such interventions respond to women as ‘rape victims’ when in fact women have more complex narratives of their wartime experiences – experiences that may indeed include rape but also embrace community leadership, anti-war protest, military training and economic profit from wartime livelihoods. Furthermore, an exclusive focus on ‘sex crimes’ precludes an analysis of femininity(ies) and masculinity(ies) and the ways these gender identities shape modes of violence and victimisation. This article provides a comparative overview of interdisciplinary research representing both narrow and broad gender analyses of enslavement as well as emerging legal definitions of enslavement provided by the case law, indictments and statutes of contemporary international tribunals in The Hague, Tokyo and Freetown respectively.1
Engendering Transitional Justice: Reflections on the Case of Peru
Authors: Bueno-Hansen Pascha
Published: April 2012

This article probes the conceptual and methodological challenges of engendering transitional justice mechanisms, drawing referentially upon several years of research on Peruvian transitional justice initiatives. Most women affected by the internal armed conflict in Peru (1980-2000) were Quechua-speaking campesinas, or peasants, who have been commonly reduced to a single story of victimhood. The article asks whether it is possible for state and civil society actors to design and implement transitional justice mechanisms without reifying race, class and gender inequalities through this type of limited representation. To venture an answer in the affirmative would demand a significant broadening of the transitional justice mandate in ways that test the limits of the liberal framework.
Strategic Frameworks that Embrace Mutual Accountability for Peacebuilding: Emerging Lessons in PBC and non-PBC Countries
Authors: McCandless Erin , Tschirgi Necla
Published: April 2012

This article examines the use of strategic frameworks in four countries emerging from conflict with a view to understanding the extent to which they have served to contribute to more effective peacebuilding outcomes. Two of the cases examined (Sierra Leone and Burundi) are currently on the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission's agenda, and two (Liberia and Afghanistan) are not, although they both host a United Nations peace mission. Core elements suggested as necessary for strategic frameworks to contribute to better peacebuilding include giving attention to: 1) addressing sources of conflict; 2) strengthening national capacities; 3) promoting coherence, coordination and integration among various actors; and 3) establishing mutual accountability of national and international actors. Comparative findings illustrate the need for more sustained attention to these issues within strategic frameworks in the collective search for sustained peace in conflict-affected countries.
Expanding the Concept of Gender-based Violence in Peacebuilding and Development
Authors: Scully Pamela
Published: April 2012

This article analyses key documents and field reports in order to make explicit the kinds of conceptual perspectives that frame the work on sexual violence against women. It explores the ways in which the Beijing Declaration on Violence and Security Council Resolution 1325, which focus on women as victims of sexual violence, have framed the work on gender-based violence in the international arena. The article argues that the focus on women as the sole victims of violence hampers sustainable peacebuilding and development in post-conflict societies. Such a focus fails to address the ways in which boys and men experience different forms of sexual violence and limits the potential efficacy of interventions around gender-based violence.
Lost in Translation: ABC Cooperation and Reconstruction in Haiti
Authors: Feldmann Andreas E. , Lengyel Miguel , Malacalza Bernabé , Ramalho Antonio
Published: April 2012

This article investigates cooperation efforts on the part of Argentina, Brazil and Chile (the ABC countries) in Haiti. It addresses two salient puzzles. First, why did ABC countries miss the opportunity to build a stronger strategic approach in Haiti, despite the favourable setting presented by a multinational stabilisation and development initiative? Second, why has their cooperation in Haiti not surmounted typical characteristics of North-South cooperation, such as poor coordination? It is argued that the absence of strategic cooperation between the ABC countries and the reproduction of problems plaguing North-South cooperation derive from a complex mix of factors, including philosophically different models of economic development, historical rivalries and the interaction between the ABC countries and Haitian political actors.
Analysing the Outputs of Reconstruction Efforts in Afghanistan
Authors: Davids Christiaan , Rietjens Sebastiaan , Soeters Joseph
Published: April 2012

This article examines the outputs of the Afghan reconstruction process in which the military of 42 countries and many international and local humanitarian organisations are engaged. It presents data containing detailed information on approximately 85,000 projects carried out between 2002 and 2007, which have been used primarily for coordination purposes. The article explores how the dataset might be used to measure the outputs of the reconstruction efforts, with a focus on the provincial reconstruction teams of Germany, the United States and the United Kingdom. The findings provide valuable information for policymakers and those who prepare, execute and monitor these operations. The analysis also demonstrates the limitations of such data.
Local and Global Influences on Islamic NGOs in Kenya
Authors: Lynch Cecelia
Published: April 2012

Islamic NGOs are critical to the nexus of humanitarianism and peacebuilding in many parts of the world, even in societies with a non-Muslim majority. An important example is provided by Kenya. However, Islamic groups in most of the Global North and much of the Global South also operate in a context shaped by global trends, especially the discourse of suspicion perpetuated by the global ‘war on terror’. In Kenya, this discourse has both constrained and provided opportunities for Islamic NGOs. To understand the resulting constraints and opportunities, the relationship between Islamic organisations and Christian, interfaith and transnational groups needs to be taken into account. This article employs insights from constructivist international relations to analyse: 1) how the goals and programmes of Kenyan Islamic groups are affected by the ‘war on terror’, and 2) the resulting obstacles and opportunities for peacebuilding, development and interfaith dialogue.
Implicit response-irrelevant number information triggers the SNARC effect: Evidence using a neural overlap paradigm
Authors: Mitchell Thomas , Bull Rebecca , Cleland Alexandra A.
Published: April 2012

There is evidence from the SNARC (spatial–numerical association of response codes) effect and NDE (numerical distance effect) that number activates spatial representations. Most of this evidence comes from tasks with explicit reference to number, whether through presentation of Arabic digits (SNARC) or through magnitude decisions to nonsymbolic representations (NDE). Here, we report four studies that use the neural overlap paradigm developed by Fias, Lauwereyns, and Lammertyn (2001) to examine whether the presentation of implicit and task-irrelevant numerosity information (nonsymbolic arrays and auditory numbers) is enough to activate a spatial representation of number. Participants were presented with either numerosity arrays (1–9 circles or triangles) to which they made colour (Experiment 1) or orientation (Experiment 2) judgements, or auditory numbers coupled with an on-screen stimulus to which they made a colour (Experiment 3) or orientation (Experiment 4) judgement. SNARC effects were observed only for the orientation tasks. Following the logic of Fias et al., we argue that this SNARC effect occurs as a result of overlap in parietal processing for number and orientation judgements irrespective of modality. Furthermore, we found stronger SNARC effects in the small number range (1–4) than in the larger number range (6–9) for both nonsymbolic displays and auditory numbers. These results suggest that quantity is extracted (and interferes with responses in the orientation task) but this is not exact for the entire number range. We discuss a number of alternative models and mechanisms of numerical processing that may account for such effects.
Out of your hand's reach, out of my eyes' reach
Authors: Costantini Marcello , Ambrosini Ettore , Sinigaglia Corrado
Published: April 2012

When witnessing another's action, people recruit the same motor resources that enable them to efficiently perform that action, thus gazing at its target well before the agent's hand. But just to what extent does this recruitment help people in grabbing another's action target? If the latter seems to be out of the agent's reach, will this impact on people's gaze behaviour? We recorded proactive eye movements while participants witnessed someone else trying to reach for and grasp objects located either within or outside his reach. Proactivity of gaze was impaired when the targets were just out of the agent's reach. This effect is likely to be due to an interpersonal bodily space representation that allows one to map another's reaching space, thus prompting proactive eye movements towards the target just in case the agent is in the position to act upon it.
Large-scale sequestration of atmospheric carbon via plant roots in natural and agricultural ecosystems: why and how
Authors: Kell Douglas B.
Published: April 2012

The soil holds twice as much carbon as does the atmosphere, and most soil carbon is derived from recent photosynthesis that takes carbon into root structures and further into below-ground storage via exudates therefrom. Nonetheless, many natural and most agricultural crops have roots that extend only to about 1 m below ground. What determines the lifetime of below-ground C in various forms is not well understood, and understanding these processes is therefore key to optimising them for enhanced C sequestration. Most soils (and especially subsoils) are very far from being saturated with organic carbon, and calculations show that the amounts of C that might further be sequestered (http://dbkgroup.org/carbonsequestration/rootsystem.html) are actually very great. Breeding crops with desirable below-ground C sequestration traits, and exploiting attendant agronomic practices optimised for individual species in their relevant environments, are therefore important goals. These bring additional benefits related to improvements in soil structure and in the usage of other nutrients and water.
Comparison of the antitussive effect of remifentanil during recovery from propofol and sevoflurane anaesthesia*
Authors: Kim H. , Choi S.‐H. , Choi Y.‐S. , Lee J.‐H. , Kim N.‐O. , Lee J.‐R.
Published: April 2012

This prospective randomised study compared the antitussive effect of remifentanil during recovery from either propofol or sevoflurane anaesthesia. Seventy‐four female patients undergoing thyroidectomy were anaesthetised with either propofol and remifentanil or sevoflurane and remifentanil. During recovery, remifentanil was maintained at an effect‐site concentration of 2 ng.ml−1 until extubation and the occurrence of coughing, haemodynamic parameters and recovery profiles were compared between the two groups. During recovery, neither the incidence nor the severity of cough (incidence 20% with propofol; 24% with sevoflurane, p = 0.77), nor the haemodynamic parameters were different between the two groups. Time to awakening and time to extubation were significantly shorter in the propofol group (4.7 min, 6.1 min min, respectively) compared with the sevoflurane group (7.9 min and 8.9 min respectively) (p < 0.001 and p = 0.002, respectively). An effect‐site concentration of 2 ng.ml−1 of remifentanil was associated with smooth emergence from both propofol and sevoflurane anaesthesia.
Effects of magnesium sulphate on postoperative coagulation, measured by rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM®)*
Authors: Na H. S. , Chung Y. H. , Hwang J. W. , Do S. H.
Published: April 2012

We investigated the effects of magnesium sulphate on blood coagulation profiles using rotational thromboelastometry in gynaecological patients undergoing pelviscopic surgery. Patients were randomly allocated to the magnesium group (n = 20) or control group (n = 20). The magnesium group received magnesium sulphate (50 mg.kg−1 followed by continuous infusion of 15 mg.kg−1.h−1), whereas the control group received the same volume of isotonic saline according to the same methods. Mean (SD) postoperative serum magnesium levels were 1.58 (0.17) mmol.l−1 in the magnesium group compared with 0.98 (0.06) mmol.l−1 in the control group (p < 0.001). Postoperative clotting time, clot formation time, α‐angle and maximum clot firmness of INTEM, and clot formation time, α‐angle, and maximum clot firmness of EXTEM were significantly different between the two groups (p < 0.05). Intra‐operative infusion of magnesium sulphate seems to attenuate postoperative hypercoagulability by maintaining magnesium levels at the upper limit of the normal range.
Rapid clinical induction of bupropion hydroxylation by metamizole in healthy Chinese men
Authors: Qin Wen‐Jie , Zhang Wei , Liu Zhao‐Qian , Chen Xiao‐Ping , Tan Zhi‐Rong , Hu Dong‐Li , Wang Dan , Fan Lan , Zhou Hong‐Hao
Published: April 2012

WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ABOUT THIS SUBJECT

• Bupropion, an antidepressant and smoking cessation drug, is metabolized to its active metabolite, 4‐hydroxybupropion, almost exclusively by CYP2B6.

• Metamizole, a pyrazolone derivative with analgesic properties, was shown in an in vitro study to increase significantly the expression of CYP2B6 and bupropion hydroxylase activity.

• The effect of metamizole on bupropion hydroxylation has not been investigated and drug interactions may occur between metamizole and bupropion.

WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS

• Oral administration of metamizole for 4 days significantly altered the pharmacokinetics of both bupropion and its active metabolite, 4‐hydroxybupropion, and significantly increased the CYP2B6‐catalyzed bupropion hydroxylation in all of the subjects.

• Dosage adjustment of bupropion may be needed in patients when metamizole is concomitantly administered.

AIMS This study aimed to investigate the effect of metamizole on bupropion hydroxylation related to different CYP2B6 genotype groups in healthy volunteers.

METHODS Sixteen healthy male volunteers (6 CYP2B6*1/*1, 6 CYP2B6*1/*6 and 4 CYP2B6*6/*6) received orally administered bupropion alone and during daily treatment with metamizole 1500 mg day–1 (500 mg tablet taken three times daily) for 4 days. Serial blood samples were obtained up to 48 h after each bupropion dose.

RESULTS After metamizole treatment relative to bupropion alone, the geometric mean ratios (GMRs) and 90% confidence interval (CI) of the AUC(0,∞) ratio of 4‐hydroxybupropion over bupropion were 1.99 (1.57, 2.55) for the CYP2B6*1/*1 group, 2.15 (1.53, 3.05) for the CYP2B6*1/*6 group and 1.86 (1.36, 2.57) for the CYP2B6*6/*6 group. The GMRs and 90% CI of bupropion were 0.695 (0.622, 0.774) for AUC(0,∞) and 0.400 (0.353, 0.449) for Cmax, respectively. The corresponding values for 4‐hydroxybupropion were 1.43 (1.28, 1.53) and 2.63 (2.07, 2.92). The t1/2 value was significantly increased for bupropion and decreased for 4‐hydroxybupropion. The tmax values of bupropion and 4‐hydroxybupropion were both significantly decreased. The mean percentage changes in pharmacokinetic parameters among the CYP2B6 genotype groups were not significantly different.

CONCLUSIONS Oral administration of metamizole for 4 days significantly altered the pharmacokinetics of both bupropion and its active metabolite, 4‐hydroxybupropion, and significantly increased the CYP2B6‐catalyzed bupropion hydroxylation in all of the subjects. Cautions should be taken when metamizole is co‐administered with CYP2B6 substrate drugs.
Traits explain community disassembly and trophic contraction following experimental environmental change
Authors: Lindo Zoë , Whiteley Jonathan , Gonzalez Andrew
Published: April 2012

Many ecosystems are currently undergoing dramatic changes in biodiversity due to habitat loss and climate change. Responses to global change at the community level are poorly understood, as are the impacts of community disassembly on ecosystem‐level processes. Uncertainties remain regarding the patterns of extirpation and persistence under single vs. multiple forms of environmental change. Here, we use a trait‐based and food web approach to examine the effects of experimentally changing moisture, temperature and habitat ‘openness’ on a functionally important group of microarthropods associated with a boreal forest floor bryosphere (detrital moss) system. Overall, the outcome of community disassembly was mediated by the correlation between our environmental factors and species traits, particularly body size. Minor increases in summer temperatures maintained greater species richness, whereas drought stress had a significant negative effect on community‐level abundance and richness. These effects were reflected in modifications to the community‐wide body‐size spectra. Habitat openness alleviated biodiversity loss in the larger‐bodied species of the most abundant taxonomic group, but did not fully mitigate the effects of drought. The most striking result of this experiment was an overall contraction of the food web among persistent species under drought stress (i.e. those not extirpated by environmental change). These results suggest that major changes in boreal microarthropod community structure are likely to occur in response to common forms of global change. Moreover, the contraction in trophic structure even amongst tolerant species suggests that ecosystem function within the bryosphere can be altered by environmental change.
Cassava about‐FACE: Greater than expected yield stimulation of cassava (Manihot esculenta) by future CO2 levels
Authors: Rosenthal David M. , Slattery Rebecca A. , Miller Rebecca E. , Grennan Aleel K. , Cavagnaro Timothy R. , Fauquet Claude M. , Gleadow Roslyn M. , Ort Donald R.
Published: April 2012

Globally, cassava is the second most important root crop after potatoes and the fifth most important crop overall in terms of human caloric intake. In addition to its growing global importance for feed, fuel, and starch, cassava has long been vital to food security in Sub‐Saharan Africa. Climate change is expected to have its most severe impact on crops in food insecure regions, yet little is known about how cassava productivity will respond to climate change. The most important driver of climate change is globally increasing atmospheric CO2 concentration ([CO2]). However, the potential for cassava to enhance food security in an elevated [CO2] world is uncertain as greenhouse and open top chamber (OTC) study reports are ambiguous. Studies have yielded misleading results in the past regarding the effect of elevated [CO2] on crop productivity, particularly in cases where pots restricted sink growth. To resolve these conflicting results, we compare the response of cassava to growth at ambient (ca. 385 ppm) and elevated [CO2] (585 ppm) under field conditions and fully open air [CO2] elevation. After three and half months of growth at elevated [CO2], above ground biomass was 30% greater and cassava root tuber dry mass increased over 100% (fresh weight increased 89%). High photosynthetic rates and photosynthetic stimulation by elevated [CO2], larger canopies, and a large sink capacity all contributed to cassava's growth and yield stimulation. Cassava exhibited photosynthetic acclimation via decreased Rubisco capacity early in the season prior to root tuber initiation when sink capacity was smaller. Importantly, and in contrast to a greenhouse study, we found no evidence of increased leaf N or total cyanide concentration in elevated [CO2]. All of our results are consistent with theoretical expectations; however, the magnitude of the yield increase reported here surpasses all other C3 crops and thus exceeds expectations.
Differences in transcription levels among wild, domesticated, and hybrid Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) from two environments
Authors: DEBES PAUL V. , NORMANDEAU ERIC , FRASER DYLAN J. , BERNATCHEZ LOUIS , HUTCHINGS JEFFREY A.
Published: April 2012

Escaped domesticated individuals can introduce disadvantageous traits into wild populations due to both adaptive differences between population ancestors and human‐induced changes during domestication. In contrast to their domesticated counterparts, some endangered wild Atlantic salmon populations encounter during their marine stage large amounts of suspended sediments, which may act as a selective agent. We used microarrays to elucidate quantitative transcriptional differences between a domesticated salmon strain, a wild population and their first‐generation hybrids during their marine life stage, to describe transcriptional responses to natural suspended sediments, and to test for adaptive genetic variation in plasticity relating to a history of natural exposure or nonexposure to suspended sediments. We identified 67 genes differing in transcription level among salmon groups. Among these genes, processes related to energy metabolism and ion homoeostasis were over‐represented, while genes contributing to immunity and actin‐/myosin‐related processes were also involved in strain differentiation. Domestic–wild hybrids exhibited intermediate transcription patterns relative to their parents for two‐thirds of all genes that differed between their parents; however, genes deviating from additivity tended to have similar levels to those expressed by the wild parent. Sediments induced increases in transcription levels of eight genes, some of which are known to contribute to external or intracellular damage mitigation. Although genetic variation in plasticity did not differ significantly between groups after correcting for multiple comparisons, two genes (metallothionein and glutathione reductase) tended to be more plastic in response to suspended sediments in wild and hybrid salmon, and merit further examination as candidate genes under natural selection.
Regulation of Helicobacter pylori adherence by gene conversion
Authors: Talarico Sarah , Whitefield Shawn E. , Fero Jutta , Haas Rainer , Salama Nina R.
Published: April 2012

Genetic diversification of Helicobacter pylori adhesin genes may allow adaptation of adherence properties to facilitate persistence despite host defences. The sabA gene encodes an adhesin that binds sialyl‐Lewis antigens on inflamed gastric tissue. We found variability in the copy number and locus of the sabA gene and the closely related sabB and omp27 genes due to gene conversion among 51 North American paediatric H. pylori strains. We determined that sabB to sabA gene conversion is predominantly the result of intra‐genomic recombination and RecA, RecG and AddA influence the rate at which it occurs. Although all clinical strains had at least one sabA gene copy, sabA and sabB were lost due to gene conversion at similar rates in vitro, suggesting host selection to maintain the sabA gene. sabA gene duplication resulted in increased SabA protein production and increased adherence to sialyl‐Lewis antigens and mouse gastric tissue. In conclusion, gene conversion is a mechanism for H. pylori to regulate sabA expression level and adherence.
Intragastric pressure as a determinant of food intake
Authors: Janssen P. , Verschueren S. , Tack J.
Published: April 2012

Background  Different studies indicated a correlation between intragastric pressure (IGP) and satiation. Our aim was to investigate this correlation while artificially increasing the IGP.

Methods  In 12 fasted healthy volunteers an infusion catheter and a manometry probe were positioned intragastrically. Intragastric pressure was increased using a custom‐made belt before or progressively during intragastric nutrient infusion. Nutrient drink (1.5 kcal mL−1) was intragastrically infused at 60 mL min−1. The subjects scored satiation using a 6‐point Likert scale until maximum, when the infusion ended and the belt was released. Results are presented as mean ± S.E.M. and compared using a paired t‐test.

Key Results  When the belt was tightened before the nutrient infusion, fasting IGP was significantly increased (13.6 ± 1.3 vs 9.6 ± 0.9 mmHg; P < 0.05) but no differences in satiation could be observed. When progressively tightening the belt during nutrient infusion the IGP increased with 0.43 ± 0.04 mmHg per minute while in control experiments this was 0.28 ± 0.05 mmHg per minute (P < 0.01). During the latter experiment satiation linearly increased with 0.35 ± 0.03 and 0.29 ± 0.02 units per minute until maximal satiation (P < 0.01) while maximum volume consumed was 926 ± 66 and 1095 ± 82 mL when progressively increasing the IGP vs control respectively (P < 0.01).

Conclusions & Inferences  These findings indicate that IGP per se does not affect satiation but that a gradual IGP increase during food intake is associated with decreased food intake, indicating that gastric accommodation is an important determinant of food intake.
The bHLH transcription factor MdbHLH3 promotes anthocyanin accumulation and fruit colouration in response to low temperature in apples
Authors: XIE XING‐BIN , LI SHEN , ZHANG RUI‐FEN , ZHAO JING , CHEN YING‐CHUN , ZHAO QIANG , YAO YU‐XIN , YOU CHUN‐XIANG , ZHANG XIAN‐SHENG , HAO YU‐JIN
Published: April 2012

Low environmental temperatures promote anthocyanin accumulation and fruit colouration by up‐regulating the expression of genes involved in anthocyanin biosynthesis and regulation in many fruit trees. However, the molecular mechanism by which fruit trees regulate this process in response to low temperature (LT) remains largely unknown. In this study, the cold‐induced bHLH transcription factor gene MdbHLH3 was isolated from an apple tree and was found to interact physically and specifically through two regions (amino acids 1–23 and 186–228) at the N terminus with the MYB partner MdMYB1 (allelic to MdMYB10). Subsequently, MdbHLH3 bound to the promoters of the anthocyanin biosynthesis genes MdDFR and MdUFGT and the regulatory gene MdMYB1 to activate their expression. Furthermore, the MdbHLH3 protein was post‐translationally modified, possibly involving phosphorylation following exposure to LTs, which enhanced its promoter‐binding capacity and transcription activity. Our results demonstrate the molecular mechanism by which MdbHLH3 regulates LT‐induced anthocyanin accumulation and fruit colouration in apple.
The role of dexamethasone in the treatment of bacterial meningitis – a systematic review
Authors: BORCHORST S. , MØLLER K.
Published: April 2012

Corticosteroids are used as an adjunct to antibiotics in the treatment of bacterial meningitis in an attempt to attenuate the intrathecal inflammatory response and thereby reduce mortality and morbidity. The purpose of the present paper is to provide a review of clinical studies of corticosteroids in the treatment of bacterial meningitis. Relevant literature was found in PubMed, the Cochrane databases, and references in studies. Forty‐four publications of relevance were identified, comprising 29 publications of randomised studies, 10 publications reporting either non‐ or quasi‐randomised studies, and five reporting retrospective studies, and nine meta‐analyses. Taken together, dexamethasone treatment may be associated with a lower mortality in adults and fewer neurological and auditory sequelae in adults and children from high‐income countries, in particular in adults suffering from pneumococcal meningitis. In contrast, studies conducted in developing countries have yielded less favourable results.
Darwinian transformation of a ‘scarcely nutritious fluid’ into milk
Authors: HOLT C. , CARVER J. A.
Published: April 2012

In an early challenge to an aspect of Darwin’s theory of natural selection, Jackson Mivart contended that milk could not have evolved ‘from a scarcely nutritious fluid from an accidentally hypertrophied cutaneous gland’. The evolutionary change from a gland secretion to milk involves an increase in calcium and protein concentrations by up to 100‐ and 1000‐fold, respectively. Even so, the challenge, we suggest, is not just a problem of scale. An increase in the concentrations of calcium and phosphate brings an increased risk of calcification of the secretory gland because calcium phosphate is highly insoluble. In addition, two of the four constituent milk casein proteins (κ and αS2) aggregate to produce toxic amyloid fibrils. It is proposed that both problems were solved through the cosecretion of ancestral β‐ and κ‐caseins to form a stable amorphous aggregate of both proteins with sequestered amorphous calcium phosphate, that is, a primordial casein micelle. Evolutionarily, a gradual increase in the concentration of casein micelles could therefore produce progressively more nutritious fluids for the neonate without endangering the reproductive potential of the mother.
Reduced inbreeding depression in peripheral relative to central populations of a monocarpic herb
Authors: BARRINGER B. C. , KULKA E. A. , GALLOWAY L. F.
Published: April 2012

Many temperate taxa were confined to warmer latitudes during the last glacial maximum. As their ranges expanded when climates warmed, genetic drift and inbreeding in relatively small peripheral populations are expected to have reduced genetic diversity and the segregating genetic load. Therefore, inbreeding depression in peripheral populations might be lower than in centrally located sites. We evaluated the consequences of inbreeding for fitness traits in six central and six northern peripheral populations of the herbCampanulastrum americanum. Inbreeding reduced performance for all traits. Inbreeding depression in peripheral populations was lower than in central populations. This difference increased across the life cycle from similar levels for germination, to central populations having three times the inbreeding depression for adult traits. Geographical patterns of inbreeding depression suggest that mating system variation and potential future mating system evolution in many temperate taxa might reflect, at least in part, nonequilibrium conditions associated with historic range changes.
In vitro antifungal activity of Indian liposomal amphotericin B against clinical isolates of emerging species of yeast and moulds, and its comparison with amphotericin B deoxycholate, voriconazole, itraconazole and fluconazole
Authors: Rudramurthy Shivaprakash M. , Jatana Manu , Singh Rachna , Chakrabarti Arunaloke
Published: April 2012

FungisomeTM is a liposomal preparation of amphotericin B (AMB), already marketed in India. However, its antifungal activity has not been evaluated against a wide range of fungal pathogens. The study was planned to elucidate the in vitro antifungal activity of FungisomeTM against wide range of fungi and compare it with AMB deoxycholate (AMB‐d), voriconazole (VOR), itraconazole (ITR) and fluconazole (FLU). Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of the drugs were determined for 262 clinical fungal isolates, including yeast, dimorphic and filamentous fungi, by broth microdilution method approved by Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute, USA (yeast, M27‐A3; filamentous fungi, M38‐A2). The MIC90s of FungisomeTM were 0.125, 0.5 and 0.25 mg l−1 against yeast, filamentous and dimorphic fungi respectively. In comparison, MIC90s of AMB‐d, FLU, ITR and VOR were 1, 1 and 1 mg l−1 (AMB‐d), 4, 64 and 64 mg l−1 (FLU), 1, 16 and 16 mg l−1 (ITR) and 0.5, 4 and 16 mg l−1 (VOR) against yeast, filamentous and dimorphic fungi respectively. The MIC of FungisomeTM was two to 16‐fold lower than AMB‐d. These results reveal an efficient in vitro activity of FungisomeTM.
Addition of a low dose of rimonabant to orlistat therapy decreases weight gain and reduces adiposity in dietary obese rats
Authors: Zaitone Sawsan A , Essawy Soha
Published: April 2012

The aim of the present study was to determine whether the addition of a subeffective dose of rimonabant (1 mg/kg) to orlistat would be beneficial in the treatment of diet‐induced obesity in rats compared with orlistat monotherapy.

Male rats were divided into five groups: (i) rats fed a low‐fat diet for 4 months; (ii) rats fed a high‐fat diet (HFD) for 4 months and treated daily with vehicle (0.2% Tween‐80 solution); (iii) orlistat (10 mg/kg per day)‐treated HFD‐fed rats; (iv) rimonabant (1 mg/kg per day)‐treated HFD‐fed rats; and (v) HFD‐fed rats treated with a combination of orlistat plus rimonabant. Fasting blood glucose, serum insulin, leptin and adiponectin levels were measured. Liver and adiposity indices were calculated and liver and adipose tissues were processed for histological examination.

Over the 4 months of the study, vehicle‐treated HFD‐fed rats exhibited increased cumulative food intake, bodyweight and liver and adiposity indices. Moreover, vehicle‐treated HFD‐fed rats exhibited a deterioration in liver function and an abnormal lipid profile. Insulin resistance and serum leptin were increased in this group, whereas serum adiponectin levels were decreased. Orlistat monotherapy or combination therapy with orlistat plus rimonabant improved all these parameters.

The addition of the low subeffective dose of rimonabant to orlistat therapy ameliorated HFD‐induced obesity to a much greater extent than orlistat monotherapy. This combination showed better weight control and metabolic profile compared with orlistat alone. Therefore, the results of the present study encourage reassessment of the use of a low dose of rimonabant to potentiate the effect of orlistat in the clinical management of obesity if proper clinical safety data are available.
Mastectomy flap design: the ‘waisted teardrop’ and a method to reduce the lateral fold
Authors: Thomas Rebecca , Mouat Christine , King Burton
Published: April 2012

Background:  There are various methods to design mastectomy flaps but few are standardized. Lateral skin folds or ‘dog ears’ are a common, unsightly and uncomfortable consequence following a surgery in overweight patients.

Methods:  We describe a simple technique for designing mastectomy flaps and a method to eliminate the lateral dog ear.

Conclusion:  The design is easy to apply and may enable standardization. Heuristics of mastectomy design should be standardized and included in surgical training.
Transcranial magnetic stimulation reveals modulation of corticospinal excitability when observing actions with the intention to imitate
Authors: Hardwick Robert M. , McAllister Craig J. , Holmes Paul S. , Edwards Martin G.
Published: April 2012

Studies using transcranial magnetic stimulation have demonstrated that action observation can modulate the activity of the corticospinal system. This has been attributed to the activity of an ‘action observation network’, whereby premotor cortex activity influences corticospinal excitability. Neuroimaging studies have demonstrated that the context in which participants observe actions (i.e. whether they simply attend to an action, or observe it with the intention to imitate) modulates action observation network activity. The study presented here examined whether the context in which actions were observed revealed similar modulatory effects on corticospinal excitability. Eight human participants observed a baseline stimulus (a fixation cross), observed actions in order to attend to them, or observed the same actions with the intention to imitate them. Whereas motor evoked potentials elicited from the first dorsal interosseus muscle of the hand were facilitated by attending to actions, observing the same actions in an imitative capacity led to no facilitation effect. Furthermore, no motor facilitation effects occurred in a control muscle. Electromyographic data collected when participants physically imitated the observed actions revealed that the activity of the first dorsal interosseus muscle increased significantly during action execution compared with rest. These data suggest that an inhibitory mechanism acts on the corticospinal system to prevent the immediate overt imitation of observed actions. These data provide novel insight into the properties of the human action observation network, demonstrating for the first time that observing actions with the intention to imitate them can modulate the effects of action observation on corticospinal excitability.
Surgical treatment of epibulbar melanocytomas by complete excision and homologous corneoscleral grafting in dogs: 11 cases
Authors: Maggio Federica , Pizzirani Stefano , Peña Teresa , Leiva Marta , Pirie Christopher G.
Published: April 2012

Objective  The aim of the study was to evaluate the efficacy, outcome, and complications following penetrating sclerokeratoplasty and frozen homologous corneoscleral grafting for the management of extensive canine epibulbar melanocytomas.

Methods  Medical records of canine patients treated at three different veterinary hospitals between 1999 and 2010 were reviewed. Signalment, location and extent of melanocytomas, recurrence rate, and early and late complications were reported. Patients were re‐examined postoperatively to provide follow‐up information.

Results  Patients included one intact male, three castrated males, six intact females, and one spayed female, with a median age of 5 years (range, 3–9). German Shepherds were overrepresented. Tumors extended from 2 to 4 clock hours at the limbus and up to 17 mm from clear cornea to globe equator. One case showed iridocorneal angle invasion; corneal involvement was present in all cases, and lipid keratopathy was present in four cases. In two cases, there was incomplete resection owing to tumor extent. Follow‐up time ranged from 3 to 72 months (median, 17 months), with one case of intraocular tumor progression. Early complications included anterior uveitis (11/11), intracameral fibrin (5/11), hyphema (4/11), corneal edema (4/11), exuberant corneal granulation tissue (2/11), focal retinal edema (1/11), dyscoria (1/11), and partial suture dehiscence (1/11). Late complications included corneal fibrosis and/or pigmentation (11/11), faint anterior cortical cataracts (3/11), and lipid keratopathy (1/11). Vision was retained in all cases.

Conclusions  This technique offers a surgically challenging but effective treatment for extensive epibulbar melanocytomas. In this case series, complications were mild and transient, with preservation of ocular anatomy and function.
A case of oculo‐cerebral B‐cell lymphoma in a cat
Authors: Giordano Cristina , Giudice Chiara , Bellino Claudio , Borrelli Antonio , D’Angelo Antonio , Gianella Paola
Published: April 2012

Purpose To describe a case of a cat with primary B‐cell lymphoma affecting the eye and brain and which shared features similar to oculo‐cerebral lymphoma in humans.

Methods A 13‐year‐old castrated male Persian cat presented with clinical signs of anterior uveitis and increased intraocular pressure (IOP) in the left eye (OS). A complete diagnostic work‐up was declined, and left‐eye enucleation was performed. The globe was submitted for histopathology. One week after surgery, the cat became inappetent, hypothermic, and aggressive. Euthanasia was requested by the owner, and a necropsy was permitted.

Results Histopathology of the enucleated globe revealed an extensive neoplastic infiltration consistent with large‐cell lymphoma, affecting the anterior uvea, neuroretina and optic nerve. At necropsy, all organs were unremarkable except for the brain, where there was a neoplastic cell population consistent with that described in the left eye, infiltrated and expanded meninges, and perivascular spaces. Immunohistochemically, the neoplastic cells were positive for B‐cell marker (CD20) and negative for T‐cell marker (CD3). Histology and immunophenotyping suggested a diagnosis of primary central nervous system and ocular large B‐cell lymphoma.

Discussion The lymphoma in this cat resembled oculo‐cerebral lymphoma in humans, sharing similar clinical features and histopathological findings, including the perivascular pattern of neoplastic cell infiltration. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first description of a primary oculo‐cerebral B‐cell lymphoma in a cat.
Supposed primary conjunctival lymphoma in a dog
Authors: Olbertz Letícia , Lima Leandro , Langohr Ingeborg , Werner Juliana , Teixeira Leandro , Montiani‐Ferreira Fabiano
Published: April 2012

A 7‐year‐old, male mixed‐breed dog was presented for evaluation of a well‐delineated, pink, oval and slightly firm mass with a smooth regular surface that was expanding approximately 60% of the lower eyelid conjunctiva and the lateral canthus. The dog had a supposed primary B‐cell lymphoma at the temporal canthus of the upper eyelid conjunctiva of the same eye that had been removed approximately 3 years earlier. No metastases were detected at either presentation. Histologically, the conjunctival lamina propria was effaced by a well‐delineated, unencapsulated and expansile highly cellular neoplasm composed of sheets of round cells that were immunohistochemically positive for CD20 and CD79a negative for CD3. Based on the microscopic and immunohistochemical findings, a diagnosis of supposed primary B cell conjunctival lymphoma was made. Primary ocular and adnexal ocular lymphomas in dogs are rarely reported and their behavior is poorly characterized. Further tumor recurrence was not observed one year post operatively. This case was considered unusual because of its conjunctival involvement and the clinical course with recurrence after three years of a surgical therapeutic procedure.
The relationship between anogenital distance and the efficacy of varicocele repair
Authors: Eisenberg Michael L. , Shy Michael , Herder Danielle , Walters R. Chanc , Lipshultz Larry I.
Published: April 2012

Study Type – Therapy (case series)

Level of Evidence 4

What's known on the subject? and What does the study add?

Anogenital distance (AGD) is a marker of genital development and adult testicular function. To date, there is no data on the clinical utility of using such an anthropomorphic variable.

About 30% of men will have no improvement in semen parameters after varicocele repair. It is currently difficult to assess which patients are most likely to benefit from surgical repair. The present study showed that men with a longer AGD had a higher likelihood of improvement after varicocelectomy. As such, AGD may allow clinicians to better counsel men on the efficacy of varicocele repair.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate whether anogenital distance (AGD) can identify men most likely to show improved semen parameters after varicocele ligation, as AGD has been shown to correlate with intrinsic adult testicular function.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Men with varicoceles who were evaluated at a men's reproductive health clinic in Houston were recruited.

AGD (the distance from the posterior aspect of the scrotum to the anal verge) was measured using digital callipers.

Logistic regression was used to compare outcomes after stratifying men based on AGD.

RESULTS

In all, 46 men with a mean (sd) age of 33.1 (6.3) years with postoperative semen data were recruited.

Semen concentration, motility, and total motile sperm count all showed significant improvement postoperatively (P < 0.01).

While 48% of men with a shorter AGD had improvements in sperm concentration postoperatively, 84% of men with a longer AGD improved (P= 0.01).

There was a trend toward a lower percentage of men (62% vs 84%) with shorter AGDs showing improvements in total motile sperm count (P= 0.09).

CONCLUSION

AGD may provide a novel metric to assess intrinsic testicular function and predict efficacy of varicocele repair.