bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Brain and mood changes over 2 years in healthy controls and adults with heart failure and ischaemic heart disease
Authors: Almeida Osvaldo P. , Garrido Griselda J. , Etherton‐Beer Christopher , Lautenschlager Nicola T. , Arnolda Leonard , Alfonso Helman , Flicker Leon
Published: March 2013

Aims

Heart failure (HF) has been associated with cognitive dysfunction, a high prevalence of mood disorders, and a relative loss of grey matter in several brain regions. This study aimed to determine if, compared with controls with and without ischaemic heart disease (IHD), adults with HF show evidence of progressive loss of cerebral grey matter, and whether morphological changes are associated with changes in cognition, depression and anxiety symptoms over a follow‐up period of 2 years.

Methods and results

This was a 24‐month longitudinal study of 19 participants with systolic HF, 43 with IHD, and 45 controls. Subjects were older than 45 years and free of cognitive impairment at the start of follow‐up. We acquired magnetic resonance images and used Statistical Parametric Mapping version 8 (SPM8) to investigate changes in the distribution of cerebral grey matter volume over time. We used the Cambridge Cognitive Examination of the Elderly (CAMCOG) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) to assess 2‐year changes in cognitive function and mood. Changes in total grey matter volume and cognitive function were similar across the three study groups, but participants with HF showed evidence of increasing severity of anxiety and depressive symptoms. HF was associated with subtle regional loss of grey matter in the right and left thalamus, left caudate, left and right posterior cingulate, left and right parahippocampal gyri, left superior and middle temporal gyri, and right inferior parietal lobule compared with controls and, to a lesser extent, participants with IHD.

Conclusion

HF and IHD are not associated with a disproportional loss of cerebral grey matter or cognitive decline over 2 years compared with cardiologically healthy controls. Adults with HF experience increasing symptoms of anxiety and depression over 2 years compared with controls, and this increased vulnerability is associated with a relative loss of grey matter in brain regions that are important for the modulation of emotions.
Dehydrotriferulic and Dehydrodiferulic Acid Profiles of Cereal and Pseudocereal Flours
Authors: Jilek Margaret L. , Bunzel Mirko
Published: March 2013

Dehydrooligomers of ferulic acid cross‐link polysaccharides such as arabinoxylans and pectic polysaccharides in cereal and certain pseudocereal grains, affecting physiological effects of these fiber components and their physicochemical properties during food processing. An HPLC‐MS method for the analysis of eight diferulic acids and five triferulic acids in low‐lignin samples such as cereal grains and pseudocereals was developed and validated. This method was applied to the analysis of ester‐linked diferulates and triferulates in maize, popcorn, wheat, rye, oats, barley, buckwheat, and amaranth, giving a complete profile of this set of diferulates and triferulates in cereals and pseudocereals. Triferulic acid contents of the cereal flours are roughly 1/10 of the diferulic acid contents, ranging between 23 (oats) and 161 (popcorn) μg/g of flour, with lower amounts for the pseudocereal flours (1–3 μg/g of flour). Dominating trimers are either the 5‐5/8‐O‐4‐ and/or the 8‐O‐4/8‐O‐4‐regioisomers with lower proportions of 8‐8cyclic/8‐O‐4‐, 8‐5noncyclic/8‐O‐4‐, and 8‐5noncyclic/5‐5‐triferulic acids. A unique diferulate pattern was found for buckwheat, with more than 90% of the dimers being 8‐5‐coupled. Amaranth contains an unusually high proportion of 8‐8cyclic‐diferulate, with 27% of the total dimers, whereas oats and barley show comparably high proportions (23%) of the 8‐8tetrahydrofuran diferulate.
Sclerotinia sclerotiorum Populations Infecting Canola from China and the United States Are Genetically and Phenotypically Distinct
Authors: Attanayake Renuka N. , Carter Patrick A. , Jiang Daohong , del Río-Mendoza Luis , Chen Weidong
Published: March 2013

Genetic and phenotypic diversity and population differentiation of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum isolates infecting canola from China and the United States were investigated. Genetic diversity was assessed with eight microsatellite markers and mycelial compatibility groups (MCGs). Phenotypic diversity was assessed with sensitivity to three fungicides, production of oxalate and sclerotia, growth rate, and virulence on two canola cultivars. No shared MCGs or multilocus haplotypes were detected between the two populations, and populations differed significantly (P < 0.001). Recombination was detected in both populations but was greater in the Chinese population. A polymerase chain reaction detection assay showed that ~60% of the isolates were inversion-plus at the mating type locus. The two populations differed significantly (P < 0.05) for all of the phenotypic traits except for sensitivity to fungicide fluazinam and virulence. Isolates in the Chinese population were unique in several aspects. Despite the phenotypic differentiation, heritabilities of the phenotypic traits were similar for both populations. Significant correlations were found among five phenotypic traits. Cross resistance to benomyl and iprodione was detected. Virulence was not significantly correlated with any other phenotypic trait and had the least heritability. However, both populations were equally virulent on either a susceptible or a moderately resistant canola cultivars.
Single‐Nucleotide Polymorphisms of IL‐10 and IL‐28B as Predictors of the Response of IFN Therapy in HCV Genotype 4–infected Children
Authors: Shaker Olfat G. , Nassar Yasser H. , Nour Zeinab A. , El Raziky Mona
Published: March 2013

Background and Aims:

Single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the IL‐10 gene (−1082 [rs1800896], −819 [rs3021097], and −592 [rs1800872]) and the IL‐28B gene (rs12979860) in adults were shown to be associated with hepatitis C virus (HCV) clearance. The present study aimed to investigate the possible association of SNPs of IL‐10 and IL‐28B in predicting the treatment response of HCV genotype 4 in pediatric patients.

Patients and Methods:

A restriction fragment length polymorphism‐polymerase chain reaction and real‐time polymerase chain reaction techniques were used to genotype 34 pediatric patients with HCV genotype 4 for IL‐10 and IL‐28B SNPs, respectively. Patients received pegylated interferon‐α/ribavirin for 48 weeks subdivided according to their response to treatment into responders and nonresponders; also, 20 healthy individuals served as controls.

Results:

A significant difference (P < 0.005) was observed in SNP of IL‐28B rs12979860 frequencies between responders and nonresponders. In responders, CC genotype had greater frequency than CT and TT genotypes (60%, 30%, 10%), respectively, with C allele in its homozygous (CC) genotype more likely to respond to treatment than in its homozygous (TT) genotypes. SNPs of IL‐10 at −819 (rs3021097) showed significant differences in their genotype frequencies between responders and nonresponders to therapy, and TT genotype had greater frequency in responders than CT and CC (55%, 20%, 25%), respectively. Genotypes with T allele (CT/TT) showed higher rates of response than those with no T allele (CC).

Conclusions:

SNPs of the IL‐28B gene at (rs12979860) CC genotype as well as the IL‐10 gene SNPs at −819 (rs3021097)TT genotype can be used for predicting response to treatment before patients are prescribed the expensive pegylated interferon‐α/ribavirin therapy.
Emperor penguin body surfaces cool below air temperature
Authors: McCafferty D. J. , Gilbert C. , Thierry A.-M. , Currie J. , Le Maho Y. , Ancel A.
Published: March 2013

Emperor penguins
Aptenodytes forsteri
are able to survive the harsh Antarctic climate because of specialized anatomical, physiological and behavioural adaptations for minimizing heat loss. Heat transfer theory predicts that metabolic heat loss in this species will mostly depend on radiative and convective cooling. To examine this, thermal imaging of emperor penguins was undertaken at the breeding colony of Pointe Géologie in Terre Adélie (66°40′ S 140° 01′ E), Antarctica in June 2008. During clear sky conditions, most outer surfaces of the body were colder than surrounding sub-zero air owing to radiative cooling. In these conditions, the feather surface will paradoxically gain heat by convection from surrounding air. However, owing to the low thermal conductivity of plumage any heat transfer to the skin surface will be negligible. Future thermal imaging studies are likely to yield further insights into the adaptations of this species to the Antarctic climate.
Nonlinear low-frequency gravity waves in a water-filled cylindrical vessel subjected to high-frequency excitations
Authors: Zhou Chunyan , Wang Dajun , Shen Song , Xing Jing Tang
Published: March 2013

In the experiments of a water storage cylindrical shell, excited by a horizontal external force of sufficient large amplitude and high frequency, it has been observed that gravity water waves of low frequencies may be generated. This paper intends to investigate this phenomenon in order to reveal its mechanism. Considering nonlinear fluid–structure interactions, we derive the governing equations and the numerical equations describing the dynamics of the system, using a variational principle. Following the developed generalized equations, a four-mode approximation model is proposed with which an experimental case example is studied. Numerical calculation and spectrum analysis demonstrate that an external excitation with sufficient large amplitude and high frequency can produce gravity water waves with lower frequencies. The excitation magnitude and frequencies required for onset of the gravity waves are found based on the model. Transitions between different gravity waves are also revealed through the numerical analysis. The findings developed by this method are validated by available experimental observations.
The sixteenth century Alderney crystal: a calcite as an efficient reference optical compass?
Authors: Le Floch Albert , Ropars Guy , Lucas Jacques , Wright Steve , Davenport Trevor , Corfield Michael , Harrisson Michael
Published: March 2013

The crystal recently discovered in the 1592 sunken Elizabethan ship is shown to be an Iceland spar. We report that two main phenomena, with opposite effects, explain the good conservation and the evolution of this relatively fragile calcite crystal. We demonstrate that the Ca
2+
–Mg
2+
ion exchanges in such a crystal immersed in sea water play a crucial role by limiting the solubility, strengthening the mechanical properties of the calcite, while the sand abrasion alters the crystal by inducing roughness of its surface. Although both phenomena have reduced the transparency of the Alderney calcite crystal, we demonstrate that Alderney-like crystals could really have been used as an accurate optical sun compass as an aid to ancient navigation, when the Sun was hidden by clouds or below the horizon. To avoid the possibility of large magnetic errors, not understood before 1600, an optical compass could have helped in providing the sailors with an absolute reference. An Alderney-like crystal permits the observer to follow the azimuth of the Sun, far below the horizon, with an accuracy as great as ±1
°
. The evolution of the Alderney crystal lends hope for identifying other calcite crystals in Viking shipwrecks, burials or settlements.
Exponentially accurate uniform asymptotic approximations for integrals and Bleistein's method revisited
Authors: Khwaja Sarah Farid , Olde Daalhuis Adri B.
Published: March 2013

We obtain new uniform asymptotic approximations for integrals with a relatively exponentially small remainder. We illustrate how these results can be used to obtain remainder estimates in the Bleistein method. The method is created to deal with new types of integrals in which the usual methods for remainder estimates fail. As an application, we obtain an asymptotic expansion for

as

in |ph 
λ
|≤
π
/2 uniformly for large |
z
|.
Rotation, inversion and perversion in anisotropic elastic cylindrical tubes and membranes
Authors: Goriely Alain , Tabor Michael
Published: March 2013

Cylindrical tubes and membranes are universal structural elements found in biology and engineering over a wide range of scales. Working in the framework of nonlinear elasticity, we consider the possible deformations of elastic cylindrical shells reinforced by one or two families of fibres. We consider both small and large deformations and the reduction from thick cylindrical shells (tubes) to thin shells (cylindrical membranes). In particular, a number of universal parameter regimes can be identified where the response behaviour of the cylinder is qualitatively different. This include the possibility of inversion of twist or axial strain when the cylinder is subject to internal pressure.
Fear, food and sexual ornamentation: plasticity of colour development in Trinidadian guppies
Authors: Ruell E. W. , Handelsman C. A. , Hawkins C. L. , Sofaer H. R. , Ghalambor C. K. , Angeloni L.
Published: March 2013

The evolution of male ornamentation often reflects compromises between sexual and natural selection, but it may also be influenced by phenotypic plasticity. We investigated the developmental plasticity of male colour ornamentation in Trinidadian guppies in response to two environmental variables that covary in nature: predation risk and food availability. We found that exposure to chemical predator cues delayed the development of pigment-based colour elements, which are conspicuous to visual-oriented predators. Predator cues also reduced the size of colour elements at the time of maturity and caused adult males to be less colourful. To the best of our knowledge, these findings provide the first example of a plastic reduction in the development of a sexually selected male ornament in response to predator cues. The influence of predator cues on ornamentation probably affects individual fitness by reducing conspicuousness to predators, but could reduce attractiveness to females. Reduced food availability during development caused males to delay the development of colour elements and mature later, probably reflecting a physiological constraint, but their coloration at maturity and later in adulthood was largely unaffected, suggesting that variation in food quantity without variation in quality does not contribute to condition dependence of the trait.
Duplication and concerted evolution in a master sex determiner under balancing selection
Authors: Privman Eyal , Wurm Yannick , Keller Laurent
Published: March 2013

Thetransformer(tra) gene is a key regulator in the signalling hierarchy controlling all aspects of somatic sexual differentiation inDrosophilaand other insects. Here, we show that six of the seven sequenced ants have two copies oftra. Surprisingly, the two paralogues are always more similar within species than among species. Comparative sequence analyses indicate that this pattern is owing to the ongoing concerted evolution after an ancestral duplication rather than independent duplications in each of the six species. In particular, there was strong support for inter-locus recombination between the paralogues of the antAtta cephalotes. In the five species where the location of paralogues is known, they are adjacent to each other in four cases and separated by only few genes in the fifth case. Because there have been extensive genomic rearrangements in these lineages, this suggests selection acting to conserve their synteny. In three species, we also find a signature of positive selection in one of the paralogues. In three bee species where information is available, thetragene is also duplicated, the copies are adjacent and in at least one species there was recombination between paralogues. These results suggest that concerted evolution plays an adaptive role in the evolution of this gene family.
The scent of inbreeding: a male sex pheromone betrays inbred males
Authors: van Bergen Erik , Brakefield Paul M. , Heuskin Stéphanie , Zwaan Bas J. , Nieberding Caroline M.
Published: March 2013

Inbreeding depression results from mating among genetically related individuals and impairs reproductive success. The decrease in male mating success is usually attributed to an impact on multiple fitness-related traits that reduce the general condition of inbred males. Here, we find that the production of the male sex pheromone is reduced significantly by inbreeding in the butterfly
Bicyclus anynana
. Other traits indicative of the general condition, including flight performance, are also negatively affected in male butterflies by inbreeding. Yet, we unambiguously show that only the production of male pheromones affects mating success. Thus, this pheromone signal informs females about the inbreeding status of their mating partners. We also identify the specific chemical component (hexadecanal) probably responsible for the decrease in male mating success. Our results advocate giving increased attention to olfactory communication as a major causal factor of mate-choice decisions and sexual selection.
Biogeography and body size shuffling of aquatic salamander communities on a shifting refuge
Authors: Bonett Ronald M. , Trujano-Alvarez Ana Lilia , Williams Michael J. , Timpe Elizabeth K.
Published: March 2013

Freshwater habitats of coastal plains are refugia for many divergent vertebrate lineages, yet these environments are highly vulnerable to sea-level fluctuations, which suggest that resident communities have endured dynamic histories. Using the fossil record and a multi-locus nuclear phylogeny, we examine divergence times, biogeography, body size evolution and patterns of community assembly of aquatic salamanders from North American coastal plains since the Late Cretaceous. At least five salamander families occurred on the extensive Western Interior Coastal Plain (WICP), which existed from the Late Cretaceous through the Eocene. Four of these families subsequently colonized the emergent Southeastern Coastal Plain (SECP) by the Early Oligocene to Late Miocene. Three families ultimately survived and underwent extensive body size evolutionin situon the SECP. This included at least two major size reversals in recent taxa that are convergent with confamilial WICP ancestors. Dynamics of the coastal plain, major lineage extinctions and frequent extreme changes in body size have resulted in significant shuffling of the size structure of aquatic salamander communities on this shifting refuge since the Cretaceous.
Thylakoid Terminal Oxidases Are Essential for the CyanobacteriumSynechocystissp. PCC 6803 to Survive Rapidly Changing Light Intensities
Authors: Lea-Smith David J. , Ross Nic , Zori Maria , Bendall Derek S. , Dennis John S. , Scott Stuart A. , Smith Alison G. , Howe Christopher J.
Published: March 2013

Cyanobacteria perform photosynthesis and respiration in the thylakoid membrane, suggesting that the two processes are interlinked. However, the role of the respiratory electron transfer chain under natural environmental conditions has not been established. Through targeted gene disruption, mutants of Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 were generated that lacked combinations of the three terminal oxidases: the thylakoid membrane-localized cytochrome c oxidase (COX) and quinol oxidase (Cyd) and the cytoplasmic membrane-localized alternative respiratory terminal oxidase. All strains demonstrated similar growth under continuous moderate or high light or 12-h moderate-light/dark square-wave cycles. However, under 12-h high-light/dark square-wave cycles, the COX/Cyd mutant displayed impaired growth and was completely photobleached after approximately 2 d. In contrast, use of sinusoidal light/dark cycles to simulate natural diurnal conditions resulted in little photobleaching, although growth was slower. Under high-light/dark square-wave cycles, the COX/Cyd mutant suffered a significant loss of photosynthetic efficiency during dark periods, a greater level of oxidative stress, and reduced glycogen degradation compared with the wild type. The mutant was susceptible to photoinhibition under pulsing but not constant light. These findings confirm a role for thylakoid-localized terminal oxidases in efficient dark respiration, reduction of oxidative stress, and accommodation of sudden light changes, demonstrating the strong selective pressure to maintain linked photosynthetic and respiratory electron chains within the thylakoid membrane. To our knowledge, this study is the first to report a phenotypic difference in growth between terminal oxidase mutants and wild-type cells and highlights the need to examine mutant phenotypes under a range of conditions.
A Nostoc punctiforme Sugar Transporter Necessary to Establish a Cyanobacterium-Plant Symbiosis
Authors: Ekman Martin , Picossi Silvia , Campbell Elsie L. , Meeks John C. , Flores Enrique
Published: March 2013

In cyanobacteria-plant symbioses, the symbiotic nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterium has low photosynthetic activity and is supplemented by sugars provided by the plant partner. Which sugars and cyanobacterial sugar uptake mechanism(s) are involved in the symbiosis, however, is unknown. Mutants of the symbiotically competent, facultatively heterotrophic cyanobacterium Nostoc punctiforme were constructed bearing a neomycin resistance gene cassette replacing genes in a putative sugar transport gene cluster. Results of transport activity assays using 14C-labeled fructose and glucose and tests of heterotrophic growth with these sugars enabled the identification of an ATP-binding cassette-type transporter for fructose (Frt), a major facilitator permease for glucose (GlcP), and a porin needed for the optimal uptake of both fructose and glucose. Analysis of green fluorescent protein fluorescence in strains of N. punctiforme bearing frt::gfp fusions showed high expression in vegetative cells and akinetes, variable expression in hormogonia, and no expression in heterocysts. The symbiotic efficiency of N. punctiforme sugar transport mutants was investigated by testing their ability to infect a nonvascular plant partner, the hornwort Anthoceros punctatus. Strains that were specifically unable to transport glucose did not infect the plant. These results imply a role for GlcP in establishing symbiosis under the conditions used in this work.
Arabidopsis and Brachypodium distachyon Transgenic Plants Expressing Aspergillus nidulans Acetylesterases Have Decreased Degree of Polysaccharide Acetylation and Increased Resistance to Pathogens
Authors: Pogorelko Gennady , Lionetti Vincenzo , Fursova Oksana , Sundaram Raman M. , Qi Mingsheng , Whitham Steven A. , Bogdanove Adam J. , Bellincampi Daniela , Zabotina Olga A.
Published: March 2013

The plant cell wall has many significant structural and physiological roles, but the contributions of the various components to these roles remain unclear. Modification of cell wall properties can affect key agronomic traits such as disease resistance and plant growth. The plant cell wall is composed of diverse polysaccharides often decorated with methyl, acetyl, and feruloyl groups linked to the sugar subunits. In this study, we examined the effect of perturbing cell wall acetylation by making transgenic Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) and Brachypodium (Brachypodium distachyon) plants expressing hemicellulose- and pectin-specific fungal acetylesterases. All transgenic plants carried highly expressed active Aspergillus nidulans acetylesterases localized to the apoplast and had significant reduction of cell wall acetylation compared with wild-type plants. Partial deacetylation of polysaccharides caused compensatory up-regulation of three known acetyltransferases and increased polysaccharide accessibility to glycosyl hydrolases. Transgenic plants showed increased resistance to the fungal pathogens Botrytis cinerea and Bipolaris sorokiniana but not to the bacterial pathogens Pseudomonas syringae and Xanthomonas oryzae. These results demonstrate a role, in both monocot and dicot plants, of hemicellulose and pectin acetylation in plant defense against fungal pathogens.
Empty Pericarp5Encodes a Pentatricopeptide Repeat Protein That Is Required for Mitochondrial RNA Editing and Seed Development in Maize
Authors: Liu Yu-Jun , Xiu Zhi-Hui , Meeley Robert , Tan Bao-Cai
Published: March 2013

In flowering plants, RNA editing is a posttranscriptional mechanism that converts specific cytidines to uridines in both mitochondrial and plastidial transcripts, altering the information encoded by these genes. Here, we report the molecular characterization of the empty pericarp5 (emp5) mutants in maize (Zea mays). Null mutation of Emp5 results in abortion of embryo and endosperm development at early stages. Emp5 encodes a mitochondrion-targeted DYW subgroup pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) protein. Analysis of the mitochondrial transcripts revealed that loss of the EMP5 function abolishes the C-to-U editing of ribosomal protein L16 at the rpl16-458 site (100% edited in the wild type), decreases the editing at nine sites in NADH dehydrogenase9 (nad9), cytochrome c oxidase3 (cox3), and ribosomal protein S12 (rps12), and surprisingly increases the editing at five sites of ATP synthase F0 subunit a (atp6), apocytochrome b (cob), nad1, and rpl16. Mutant EMP5-4 lacking the E+ and DYW domains still retains the substrate specificity and editing function, only at reduced efficiency. This suggests that the E+ and DYW domains of EMP5 are not essential to the EMP5 editing function but are necessary for efficiency. Analysis of the ortholog in rice (Oryza sativa) indicates that rice EMP5 has a conserved function in C-to-U editing of the rice mitochondrial rpl16-458 site. EMP5 knockdown expression in transgenics resulted in slow growth and defective seeds. These results demonstrate that Emp5 encodes a PPR-DYW protein that is required for the editing of multiple transcripts in mitochondria, and the editing events, particularly the C-to-U editing at the rpl16-458 site, are critical to the mitochondrial functions and, hence, to seed development in maize.
Allosteric Regulation of Transport Activity by Heterotrimerization of Arabidopsis Ammonium Transporter Complexes in Vivo
Authors: Yuan Lixing , Gu Riliang , Xuan Yuanhu , Smith-Valle Erika , Loqué Dominique , Frommer Wolf B. , von Wirén Nicolaus
Published: March 2013

Ammonium acquisition by plant roots is mediated by AMMONIUM TRANSPORTERs (AMTs), ubiquitous membrane proteins with essential roles in nitrogen nutrition in all organisms. In microbial and plant cells, ammonium transport activity is controlled by ammonium-triggered feedback inhibition to prevent cellular ammonium toxicity. Data from heterologous expression in yeast indicate that oligomerization of plant AMTs is critical for allosteric regulation of transport activity, in which the conserved cytosolic C terminus functions as a trans-activator. Employing the coexpressed transporters AMT1;1 and AMT1;3 from Arabidopsis thaliana as a model, we show here that these two isoforms form functional homo- and heterotrimers in yeast and plant roots and that AMT1;3 carrying a phosphomimic residue in its C terminus regulates both homo- and heterotrimers in a dominant-negative fashion in vivo. 15NH4  + influx studies further indicate that allosteric inhibition represses ammonium transport activity in roots of transgenic Arabidopsis expressing a phosphomimic mutant together with functional AMT1;3 or AMT1;1. Our study demonstrates in planta a regulatory role in transport activity of heterooligomerization of transporter isoforms, which may enhance their versatility for signal exchange in response to environmental triggers.
MAP18 Regulates the Direction of Pollen Tube Growth in Arabidopsis by Modulating F-Actin Organization
Authors: Zhu Lei , Zhang Yan , Kang Erfang , Xu Qiangyi , Wang Miaoying , Rui Yue , Liu Baoquan , Yuan Ming , Fu Ying
Published: March 2013

For fertilization to occur in plants, the pollen tube must be guided to enter the ovule via the micropyle. Previous reports have implicated actin filaments, actin binding proteins, and the tip-focused calcium gradient as key contributors to polar growth of pollen tubes; however, the regulation of directional pollen tube growth is largely unknown. We reported previously that Arabidopsis thaliana MICROTUBULE-ASSOCIATED PROTEIN18 (MAP18) contributes to directional cell growth and cortical microtubule organization. The preferential expression of MAP18 in pollen and in pollen tubes suggests that MAP18 also may function in pollen tube growth. In this study, we demonstrate that MAP18 functions in pollen tubes by influencing actin organization, rather than microtubule assembly. In vitro biochemical results indicate that MAP18 exhibits Ca2+-dependent filamentous (F)-actin-severing activity. Abnormal expression of MAP18 in map18 and MAP18 OX plants was associated with disorganization of the actin cytoskeleton in the tube apex, resulting in aberrant pollen tube growth patterns and morphologies, inaccurate micropyle targeting, and fewer fertilization events. Experiments with MAP18 mutants created by site-directed mutagenesis suggest that F-actin-severing activity is essential to the effects of MAP18 on pollen tube growth direction. Our study demonstrates that in Arabidopsis, MAP18 guides the direction of pollen tube growth by modulating actin filaments.
Epidemiological investigation of a temporal increase in atonic postpartum haemorrhage: a population‐based retrospective cohort study
Authors: Mehrabadi A , Hutcheon JA , Lee L , Kramer MS , Liston RM , Joseph KS
Published: March 2013

Objective

Increases in atonic postpartum haemorrhage (PPH) have been reported from several countries in recent years. We attempted to determine the potential cause of the increase in atonic and severe atonic PPH.

Design

Population‐based retrospective cohort study.

Setting

British Columbia, Canada, 2001–2009.

Population

All women with live births or stillbirths.

Methods

Detailed clinical information was obtained for 371 193 women from the British Columbia Perinatal Data Registry. Outcomes of interest were atonic PPH and severe atonic PPH (atonic PPH with blood transfusion ≥1 unit; atonic PPH with blood transfusion ≥3 units or procedures to control bleeding), whereas determinants studied included maternal characteristics (e.g. age, parity, and body mass index) and obstetrics practice factors (e.g. labour induction, augmentation, and caesarean delivery). Year‐specific unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios for the outcomes were compared using logistic regression.

Main outcome measures

Atonic PPH and severe atonic PPH.

Results

Atonic PPH increased from 4.8% in 2001 to 6.3% in 2009, atonic PPH with blood transfusion ≥1 unit increased from 16.6 in 2001 to 25.5 per 10 000 deliveries in 2009, and atonic PPH with blood transfusion ≥3 units or procedures to control bleeding increased from 11.9 to 17.6 per 10 000 deliveries. The crude 34% (95% CI 26–42%) increase in atonic PPH between 2001 and 2009 remained unchanged (42% increase, 95% CI 34–51%) after adjustment for determinants of PPH. Similarly, adjustment did not explain the increase in severe atonic PPH.

Conclusions

Changes in maternal characteristics and obstetric practice do not explain the recent increase in atonic and severe atonic PPH.
Metabolic syndrome and the risk for recurrent pre‐eclampsia: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Stekkinger E , Scholten RR , van der Vlugt MJ , van Dijk APJ , Janssen MCH , Spaanderman MEA
Published: March 2013

Objective

To compare the prevalence of recurrent pre‐eclampsia between women who have and do not have metabolic syndrome when non‐pregnant.

Design

Retrospective cohort study.

Setting

Three tertiary referral hospitals in the Netherlands.

Population

Formerly pre‐eclamptic women.

Methods

The presence or absence of metabolic syndrome was assessed in 480 women at least 6 months after their first pre‐eclamptic pregnancy using World Health Organization criteria. We compared the prevalence of recurrent pre‐eclampsia in the subsequent pregnancy, calculating odds ratios (OR), adjusted for confounders.

Main outcome measure

Recurrence of pre‐eclampsia in the subsequent pregnancy.

Results

Subsequent pregnancy outcome data were available for 197 women. Forty women had metabolic syndrome after previous pregnancy (20%). The prevalence of recurrent pre‐eclampsia was 18/40 (45%) in women with metabolic syndrome versus 27/157 (17%) in women without metabolic syndrome; OR 3.94 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.86–8.33, adjusted OR 3.77 (95% CI 1.61–8.81). The risk of recurrent pre‐eclampsia increased with each extra component of the metabolic syndrome from 11.8% for absent components up to 43.9% for three or more (P for trend < 0.001).

Conclusions

Interpregnancy metabolic syndrome predisposes to recurrent pre‐eclampsia.
TARGET CHOICE DURING EXTREME EVENTS: A DISCRETE SPATIAL CHOICE MODEL OF THE 2011 LONDON RIOTS
Authors: BAUDAINS PETER , BRAITHWAITE ALEX , JOHNSON SHANE D.
Published: March 2013

Riots are extreme events, and much of the early research on rioting suggested that the decision making of rioters was far from rational and could only be understood from the perspective of a collective mind. In the current study, we derive and test a set of expectations regarding rioter spatial decision making developed from theories originally intended to explain patterns of urban crime when law and order prevail—crime pattern and social disorganization theory—and consider theories of collective behavior and contagion. To do this, we use data for all riot‐related incidents that occurred in London in August 2011 that were detected by the police. Unlike most studies of victimization, we use a random utility model to examine simultaneously how the features of the destinations selected by rioters, the origins of their journeys, and the characteristics of the offenders influence offender spatial decision making. The results demonstrate that rioter target choices were far from random and provide support for all three types of theory, but for crime pattern theory in particular. For example, rioters were more likely to engage in the disorder close to their home location and to select areas that contained routine activity nodes and transport hubs, and they were less likely to cross the Thames River. In terms of contagion, rioters were found to be more likely to target areas that had experienced rioting in the previous 24 hours. From a policy perspective, the findings provide insight into the types of areas that may be most vulnerable during riots and why this is the case, and when particular areas are likely to be at an elevated risk of this type of disorder.
Enhanced activities of reproductive system in male rat treated with male silkworm pupae extract
Authors: Kwon Mu‐Gil , Kim Deuk‐Su , Lee Jeong‐Hwan , Park Se‐Ra , Ahn Junsik , Kim Joo‐Sung , Ko Kinarm , Park Sungsu , Kang Young‐Sun , Choo Young‐Kug , Ko Kisung
Published: March 2013

A male silkworm pupae extract with herbal mixtures such as Rubus coreanus Miquel, Chinese matrimony vine Acanthopanax senticosus and tocopherol can be effectively used to recover or boost stamina. In this study, the effect of the male silkworm pupae extract on the reproductive system of Sprague–Dawley male rats was investigated. No clinical symptoms, and no dying or dead animals were found among experimental male silkworm larvae extract, male silkworm pupae extract and control rat groups during the study. No significant differences were found in body weights, feed or water consumption, or macroscopic examination among the three groups. No lesion was found upon necropsy. However, sperm in the group treated with male silkworm pupae extract were significantly more active than sperm in the control group. Sperm counts in both male groups treated with male silkworm larvae extract and male silkworm pupae extract were significantly higher than sperm counts in the control group. Analysis of phospholipid–hydroperoxide glutathione peroxidase (PHGPx) gene expression showed that the male silkworm pupae extract increased expression in testes by 26.7%. This study shows that the male silkworm pupae extract has potential to be used to enhance the function of the human reproductive system.
Effect of Immobilization and Salt Concentration on the Growth Dynamics of Escherichia coli K12 and Salmonella Typhimurium
Authors: Boons Kathleen , Van Derlinden Eva , Mertens Laurence , Peeters Vicky , Van Impe Jan F.
Published: March 2013

Up to now, it is generally observed that (i) the microbial growth domain is confined by structure‐induced stress, or (ii) a solid(‐like) environment can enhance microbial survival/growth. In most studies in solid(‐like) systems, structure is induced by the addition of gelatin. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of other structure‐inducing components on the growth dynamics. Both single and binary gel systems are used. Growth is studied when simultaneously exposed to salt stress. Experiments are performed in spectrophotometer tubes, filled with 1 mL of liquid, or structured inoculated brain heart infusion. Four different (combinations of) gelling agents are tested, that is, gelatin, xanthan gum, a 50% combination of xanthan gum and gelatin, and a 50% combination of carrageenan and gelatin. Experiments determine the growth behavior of both Escherichia coli (0% to 0.5% and 1%, 2%, 3%, 4%, and 5% NaCl) and Salmonella Typhimurium (0%, 1%, 2%, 3%, 4%, and 5% NaCl) at 23.5 and 27 °C. By means of plate counting, the growth dynamics are determined. At the studied conditions, growth of E. coli and Salmonella Typhimurium seems independent of the type of structure‐inducing component. However, at higher concentrations of salt (>2%), lag phases are typically shorter in solid(‐like) systems than in liquid media. For the conditions tested, the effect of a structured environment on growth rate and maximal cell density can be neglected.
Influence of the Colloidal Structure of Dairy Gels on Milk Fat Fusion Behavior: Quantification of the Liquid Fat Content by In Situ Quantitative Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (isq 1H NMR)
Authors: Bouteille Romain , Perez Jeanne , Khifer Farid , Jouan‐Rimbaud‐Bouveresse Delphine , Lecanu Bruno , This Hervé
Published: March 2013

Dairy gels (DG), such as yoghurts, contain both solid and liquid fats at the time of consumption, as their temperature rises to anything between 10 and 24 °C after being introduced into the mouth at 4 °C. The mass ratio between solid and liquid fats, which depends on the temperature, impacts the organoleptic properties of DG. As the ordinary methods for determining this ratio can only be applied to samples consisting mainly in fat materials, a fat extraction step needs to be added into the analytical process when applied to DG, which prevents the study of the potential impact of their colloidal structure on milk fat fusion behavior. In situ quantitative proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (isq 1H NMR) was investigated as a method for direct measurements in DG: at temperatures between 20.0 and 70.0 °C, the liquid fat content and the composition of triacylglycerols of the liquid phase (in terms of alkyl chains length) were determined. Spectra of isolated milk fat also enable the quantification of the double bonds of triacylglycerols. Statistical tests showed no significant difference between isolated milk fat and milk fat inside a DG in terms of melting behavior: the fat globule membrane does not seem to have a significant influence on the fat melting behavior.
Application of liquid‐based cytology test of bronchial lavage fluid in lung cancer diagnosis
Authors: Yang Yang , Zhang Xiuwei , Lu Jianbao , Zarogoulidis Paul , Wang Xin'an , Huang Haidong
Published: March 2013

The aim of this study was to compare the diagnostic significance of the liquid‐based cytologic test (LCT) and conventional smear (CS) in bronchial lavage fluid (BLF) in lung cancer patients, as well as the evaluation of LCT applications in BLF for different types of lung cancer. A total of 210 patients were divided into two groups of LCT and CS. The positive rates of the two groups were compared by stratified analysis of different bronchoscopic appearances. The positive rate of LCT and CS groups was 35.84% and 11.835%, respectively, which indicated a statistical significance between the two groups (P < 0.001). Furthermore, the detection rate of squamous carcinoma in the LCT group was (72.7%), which was higher than that of the CS group (41.7%) (P = 0.041). However, there was no difference between the biopsy and biopsy combined with LCT groups (P = 0.417), in terms of direct bronchoscopic appearance. We concluded that LCT was superior to CS in BLF that was acquired by bronchoscopy from lung cancer patients. Moreover, LCT was better than CS in diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma. LCT could be used as an important complement of bronchoscope biopsy and could have the potential to be widely applied.
Experimental insights into age‐exacerbated cognitive dysfunction after peripheral surgery
Authors: Fidalgo Antonio R.
Published: March 2013

Here I comment on the recent contribution by Barrientos et al. J. Neurosci. 32, 14641–14648 (2012) addressing treatment possibilities for surgery‐induced cognitive dysfunction. It has been over 15 years since the publication of a landmark study that indicated age as a major risk factor for postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) (Moller et al., Lancet 351, 857–861 1998). With increasing life expectancy, surgical procedures conducted in elderly persons are becoming more common. The prevalence of POCD may mean that some patients will exchange the incapacitating condition that led them to surgery in the first instance for another such condition, which has been created by the surgical procedure itself. The report by Barrientos and collaborators (2012) is a timely and welcome study that further examines treatment possibilities for surgery‐induced cognitive dysfunction. Future studies should address issues such as intensity and onset of inflammation within the brain and additional treatments possibilities beyond IL‐1‐ra.
Worship Associations in Taiwan
Authors: Koo Hui‐Wen
Published: March 2013

We analyse why Taiwanese families during the Ch'ing Dynasty still held communal assets vested in worship associations (chi ssu kung yeh) even after the division of family assets. Our analysis shows that worship associations benefitted the living as well as the dead. Although the high cost of managing common assets meant the associations were established infrequently, they arose often in a response to clan feuds and served as martial‐style corporations for the protection of family property before the twentieth century.
Anticoagulation With Fondaparinux for Hemodiafiltration in Patients With Heparin‐Induced Thrombocytopenia: Dose‐Finding Study and Safety Evaluation
Authors: Mahieu Elien , Claes Kathleen , Jacquemin Marc , Evenepoel Pieter , Op De Beek Karel , Bogaert Anne‐Marie , Kuypers Dirk , Verhamme Peter , Meijers Björn
Published: March 2013

The optimal anticoagulation regimen for hemodialysis (HD) in patients with heparin‐induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) has not been defined. Hemodiafiltration (HDF) adds a large convective component to HD, thereby changing the pharmacokinetics of most anticoagulants. Data on coagulation regimens for HDF are scant. We therefore aimed to study the feasibility, effectiveness, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of fondaparinux anticoagulation in HDF. This was a prospective observational dose‐finding study. Patients were started on fondaparinux at a dose of 0.05 mg/kg postdialysis body weight. Per protocol dose escalation was performed when significant clotting was observed and reduced when the anti‐Xa activity postdialysis exceeded 0.4 IU/mL. Dose adjustments were made by steps of 0.01 mg/kg postdialysis weight. Anti‐Xa activity was measured using a chromogenic method calibrated with low‐molecular‐weight heparin and validated against fondaparinux‐calibrated anti‐Xa activity. Four patients with HIT were followed for 160 sessions in total. At the end of the dose titration study, three patients ended at a maintenance dose of 0.03 mg/kg and one patient at 0.04 mg/kg of fondaparinux. Significant bleeding attributable to fondaparinux did not occur. The occurrence of clotting increased parallel to the reduction of fondaparinux dose, from 0/53 and 0/15 sessions at the higher doses (0.04 and 0.05 mg/kg) to 3/75 (4%) at 0.03 mg/kg and 1/17 (6%) at 0.02 mg/kg. Fondaparinux may be safely used and provides adequate anticoagulation for HDF in patients with HIT. We recommend to adjust dosage of fondaparinux to body weight and to initiate therapy at a dose of 0.03 mg/kg to prevent accumulation. Dose titration can be achieved by targeting postdialysis anti‐Xa activity.
Childhood lung function and the association with β2‐adrenergic receptor haplotypes
Authors: Torjussen Tale M , Munthe‐Kaas Monica C , Mowinckel Petter , Carlsen Kai‐Håkon , Undlien Dag E , Lødrup Carlsen Karin C
Published: March 2013

Aim

To determine associations between ADRB2 polymorphisms and lung function through childhood, and possible modification by gender, pet keeping or tobacco smoke.

Methods

Four ADRB2 single nucleotide polymorphisms (rs1042711, rs1042713, rs1042714 and rs1800888) were genotyped in 953 children from the prospective birth cohort ‘Environment and Childhood Asthma’ study and analysed for association with flow‐volume parameters at birth (tidal breathing) and at 10 years of age (maximally forced), stratified by environmental exposures.

Results

The risk of reduced lung function was reduced in 10‐year‐old children carrying the most common ADRB2 haplotype (CGGC) (OR 0.45 (95% CI 0.25, 0.82)), whereas there was no association between lung function at birth and ADRB2 haplotypes. Tobacco smoke exposure, gender and pet keeping did not significantly interact with the haplotypes in influencing lung function.

Conclusion

This study demonstrates a possible protective effect by the ADRB2 haplotype I (CGGC) on reduced FEV1 in 10‐year‐old children, whereas no ADRB2 geno‐/haplotypes were significantly associated with neonatal lung function. The ADRB2 gene thus appears to contribute to lung function development in childhood, independently of smoking, pets and gender.
Severe infections caused by Panton–Valentine leukocidin‐positive Staphylococcus aureus in infants: report of three cases and review of literature
Authors: Montagnani Carlotta , Cocchi Priscilla , Bianchi Leila , Resti Massimo , de Martino Maurizio , Galli Luisa
Published: March 2013

We report three cases of severe infections in infants caused by Panton–Valentine leukocidin positive Staphylococcus aureus and evolved with a positive outcome. The literature of Panton–Valentine leukocidin positive Staphylococcus aureus infections in infants is reviewed.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that a prompt identification of Panton–Valentine leukocidin positive Staphylococcus aureus and an appropriate therapy can reduce mortality and long‐term sequelae. Further research is needed to specify features of Panton–Valentine leukocidin positive Staphylococcus aureus infections in infants.