bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Role of verapamil in preventing and treating hypertrophic scars and keloids
Authors: Wang Ru , Mao Yu , Zhang Zhenyu , Li Zhengyong , Chen Junjie , Cen Ying
Published: May 2015

Keloid and hypertrophic scars are difficult to manage and remain a therapeutic challenge. Verapamil has shown a great potential in the management of keloid and hypertrophic scars. Comparing with conventional corticosteroid injections, verapamil could improve the appearance of keloid and hypertrophic scars, and is associated with a lower incidence of adverse effects. Is verapamil an effective alternative modality in the prevention and treatment of keloid and hypertrophic scars? The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of verapamil in preventing and treating keloid and hypertrophic scars. Searches were conducted in Medline, EMbase and Cochrane databases from 1974 to January 2015. The selection of articles was limited to human subjects. Five randomised controlled trials (RCTs) or cluster‐randomised trials or controlled clinical trials (CCTs) comparing the efficacy of verapamil with conventional treatments were identified. The results showed that verapamil could improve keloid and hypertrophic scars, and was not significantly different from conventional corticosteroid injections. Few adverse effects were observed. However, this result should be considered carefully, as most of the included studies have a high risk of bias because of issues with randomization, allocation concealment, blinding, incomplete outcomes and selective reporting. In conclusion, verapamil could act as an effective alternative modality in the prevention and treatment of keloid and hypertrophic scars. More high‐quality, multiple‐centre, large‐sample (RCTs) are required to define the role of verapamil in preventing and treating keloid and hypertrophic scars.
Variables affecting tooth survival and changes in probing depth: a long‐term follow‐up of periodontitis patients
Authors: Saminsky Michael , Halperin‐Sternfeld Michal , Machtei Eli E. , Horwitz Jacob
Published: May 2015

Aim

To retrospectively assess tooth‐survival rate and its association with patient and oral variables in periodontal office patients, followed up to 18 years.

Material and Methods

Patients in a private periodontal office whose files included initial examination (T0), reevaluation (TRe) and ≥10 years after T0 (TF) chartings, and received periodontal therapy and supportive periodontal therapy (SPT) after TRe were included. General health, plaque scores (PI), probing depth (PPD), bleeding on probing (BOP) at six points/tooth, tooth extractions, and SPT visits were extracted from patient files at T0, TRe, and TF. Descriptive statistics and Cox regression analysis were performed.

Results

Fifty patients (mean 26 ± 4 teeth/patient, 1301 teeth) fulfilled inclusion criteria. About 20 and 129 teeth respectively were extracted before/after TRe, 96 of them for periodontal causes. PPD>7 mm at TRe (HR = 17.7, 95%CI 8.6, 36.6), age above 60 years (HR = 3.3, 95%CI 1.5, 7.2), multi‐rooted teeth (HR = 1.9, 95%CI 1.2, 3.1) and SPT<3 times/year (HR = 1.8, 95%CI 1.1, 2.9), were the best prognostic factors for tooth loss during follow‐up. (p < 0.05, Cox regression analysis). A continuous, statistically significant reduction was observed in mean PPD among teeth that survived follow‐up [4.3 ± 1.8 mm, 3.5 ± 1.4 mm, 3.2 ± 1.3 mm, at T0, TRe, TF, respectively. (p < 0.001, Repeated‐measures test)].

Conclusion

Regular SPT was associated with low tooth‐loss rates and continuous reductions in probing depth. PPD after initial therapy, age above 60, multi‐rooted teeth and infrequent SPT were strong negative prognostic factors for long‐term tooth survival among periodontal patients.
Euduboscquella costata n. sp. (Dinoflagellata, Syndinea), an Intracellular Parasite of the Ciliate Schmidingerella arcuata: Morphology, Molecular Phylogeny, Life Cycle, Prevalence, and Infection Intensity
Authors: Jung Jae‐Ho , Choi Jung Min , Coats D. Wayne , Kim Young‐Ok
Published: May 2015

The syndinean dinoflagellate Euduboscquella costata n. sp., an intracellular parasite of the tintinnid ciliate Schmidingerella arcuata, was discovered from Korean coastal water in November of 2013. Euduboscquella costata parasitized in about 62% of the host population, with infection intensity (= number of trophonts in a single host cell) ranging from 1 to 8. Based on morphology and nuclear 18S ribosomal RNA gene sequences, the parasite is new to science. Euduboscquella costata n. sp. had an infection cycle typical of the genus, but had morphological and developmental features that distinguished it from congeneric species. These features include: (1) episome of the trophont with 25–40 grooves converging toward the center of the shield; (2) a narrow, funnel‐shaped lamina pharyngea extending from the margin of the episomal shield to the nucleus; (3) persistence of grooves during extracellular development (sporogenesis); (4) a single food vacuole during sporogenesis; (5) separation of sporocytes early in sporogenesis, regardless of type of spore formed; and (6) dinospore size (ca. 14 μm in length) and shape (bulbous episome with narrower, tapering hyposome). After sporogenesis, E. costata produced four different types of spore that showed completely identical 18S rRNA gene sequences. The gene sequence was completely identical with a previously reported population, Euduboscquella sp. ex S. arcuata, from Assawoman Bay, USA, indicating that the two populations are likely conspecific. Favella ehrenbergii, a widely recorded tintinnid known to host Euduboscquella spp., co‐occurred with S. arcuata, but was not infected by E. costata in field samples or during short‐term, cross‐infection experiments.
Applicability of BALAD score in prognostication of hepatitis B‐related hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Chan Stephen L , Mo Frankie , Johnson Philip , Li Leung , Tang Nelson , Loong Herbert , Chan Anthony W H , Koh Jane , Chan Anthony T C , Yeo Winnie
Published: May 2015

Background and Aims

The BALAD score is developed to provide an objective determination of prognosis for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by incorporating five serum markers, namely albumin, bilirubin, alpha‐fetoprotein (AFP), agglutinin‐reactive alpha‐fetoprotein (AFP‐L3), and des‐γ‐carboxy prothrombin. We aim to study the applicability of BALAD score and prognostication of the three tumor markers in hepatitis B virus‐related HCC.

Methods

Patients with newly diagnosed HCC were prospectively enrolled. All of the baseline characteristics and serum albumin and bilirubin level were documented at baseline. The levels of the three tumor markers (AFP, AFP‐L3, and des‐γ‐carboxy prothrombin) were determined in archival serum samples. Patients were followed up for survivals according to local practice. The prognostic performances of the three markers and BALAD score were studied in association with overall survival (OS).

Results

A total of 198 patients with hepatitis B‐related HCC were recruited. AFP and AFP‐L3 levels were independent prognostic factors. The number of elevated tumor markers was also predictive of worse OS. BALAD score could stratify the cohort into different patient groups with distinct median OS. The median OS of BALAD score of 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 was not reached, 26.6, 8.3, 2.6, and 1.9 months, respectively (P < 0.0001). BALAD score could further stratify outcomes in each Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) subgroup. In particular, BALAD score of 3–4 had median OS of 2.6 months only in BCLC stage C patients.

Conclusion

BALAD score is applicable in the population of hepatitis B virus‐related HCC. The combined use of BALAD score and BCLC staging system could help identify more suitable candidates for clinical trial.
Differential regulation of the high‐affinity choline transporter by wild‐type and Swedish mutant amyloid precursor protein
Authors: Cuddy Leah K. , Seah Claudia , Pasternak Stephen H. , Rylett Rebecca Jane
Published: May 2015

The high‐affinity choline transporter (CHT) is responsible for choline uptake into cholinergic neurons, with this being the rate‐limiting step for acetylcholine production. Altering CHT protein disposition directly impacts choline uptake activity and cholinergic neurotransmission. Amyloid precursor protein (APP) interacts with CHT proteins and increases their endocytosis from the cell surface. The goal of this study was to examine regulation of CHT trafficking and activity by wild‐type APP (APPwt) and determine if this differs with Swedish mutant APP (APPSwe) in SH‐SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells. APPSwe differs from APPwt in its trafficking from the cell surface through endosomes. We report for the first time that CHT interacts significantly less with APPSwe than with APPwt. Surprisingly, however, CHT cell surface levels and choline uptake activity are decreased to the same extent and CHT co‐localization to early endosomes increased similarly in cells expressing either APPwt or APPSwe. A critical observation is that CHT co‐immunoprecipitates with βCTF from APPSwe‐expressing cells. We propose that decreased CHT function is mediated differently by APPwt and APPSwe; APPwt interaction with CHT facilitates its endocytosis from the cell surface, whereas the effect of APPSwe on CHT is mediated indirectly potentially by binding to the βCTF fragment or by Aβ released from cells.

image

High‐affinity choline transporter (CHT) takes choline into cholinergic neurons for acetylcholine synthesis. Amyloid precursor protein (APP) interacts with CHT proteins, but this is decreased for Swedish mutant APP (APPSwe). CHT cell surface levels and localization to early endosomes, and choline uptake activity are changed similarly by APPwt or APPSwe. APPSwe mediates effects indirectly potentially by βCTF or Aβ.
“I'll Give You the World”: Socioeconomic Differences in Parental Support of Adult Children
Authors: Fingerman Karen L. , Kim Kyungmin , Davis Eden M. , Furstenberg Frank F. , Birditt Kira S. , Zarit Steven H.
Published: May 2015

Research has shown that parents with higher socioeconomic status provide more resources to their children during childhood and adolescence. The authors asked whether similar effects associated with parental socioeconomic position are extended to adult children. Middle‐aged parents (N = 633) from the Family Exchanges Study reported support they provided to their grown children and coresidence with grown children (N = 1,384). Parents with higher income provided more emotional and material support to the average children. Grown children of parents with less education were more likely to coreside with them. Parental resources (e.g., being married) and demands (e.g., family size) explained these patterns. Of interest is that lower income parents provided more total support to all children (except total financial support). Lower income families may experience a double jeopardy; each grown child receives less support on average, but parents exert greater efforts providing more total support to all their children.
Weekly Cycles in Daily Report Data: An Overlooked Issue
Authors: Liu Yu , West Stephen G.
Published: May 2015

Daily diaries and other everyday experience methods are increasingly used to study relationships between two time‐varying variables X and Y. Although daily data potentially often have weekly cyclical patterns (e.g., stress may be higher on weekdays and lower on weekends), the majority of daily diary studies have ignored this possibility. In this study, we investigated the effect of ignoring existing weekly cycles. We reanalyzed an empirical dataset (stress and alcohol consumption) and performed Monte Carlo simulations to investigate the impact of omitting weekly cycles. In the empirical dataset, ignoring cycles led to the inference of a significant within‐person X–Y relation whereas modeling cycles suggested that this relationship did not exist. Simulation results indicated that ignoring cycles that existed in both X and Y led to bias in the estimated within‐person X–Y relationship. The amount and direction of bias depended on the magnitude of the cycles, magnitude of the true within‐person X–Y relation, and synchronization of the cycles. We encourage researchers conducting daily diary studies to address potential weekly cycles in their data. We provide guidelines for detecting and modeling cycles to remove their influence and discuss challenges of causal inference in daily experience studies.
In vivo Evaluation of Essential Oils and Biocontrol Agents Combined with Hot Water Treatments on Carrot Seeds Against Alternaria radicina
Authors: Lopez‐Reyes Jorge Giovanny , Gilardi Giovanna , Garibaldi Angelo , Gullino Maria Lodovica
Published: May 2015

Seed‐dressing with essential oils from aromatic plants (savoury and thyme) and with antagonistic bacteria strains (Pseudomonas spp.) was tested after a hot water treatment against Alternaria radicina inoculated on carrot seeds. Seed treatments by immersion in water at 55°C for 10 min improved the efficacy on pathogen control of the treatments with biocontrol agent strains more than the efficacy of those with essential oils. Pretreatment with hot water also increased the germination rate of carrot seeds. A mild phytotoxic effect was observed on the germination rate and the fresh biomass obtained from seeds treated with both essential oils. Treatments with essential oils and antagonistic bacteria presented positive results when combined with hot water dipping of seeds on control of A. radicina, but the effect was not completely additive. The formulation and the application method of the non‐chemical products tested are critical on their development as an alternative strategy on seed disinfection.
Incidence, Severity and Prognosis Associated with Hyponatremia in Dogs and Cats
Authors: Ueda Y. , Hopper K. , Epstein S.E.
Published: May 2015

Background

Hyponatremia is a common electrolyte abnormality in human patients and is associated with substantial morbidity and death. The incidence and importance of hyponatremia in dogs and cats has not been determined.

Hypothesis/Objectives

To describe the incidence of and prognosis associated with hyponatremia in dogs and cats at a university teaching hospital.

Animals

Of 16,691 dogs and 4,211 cats with measured blood or serum sodium concentration.

Methods

Retrospective study. Medical records of animals with a blood or serum sodium concentration measured during a 60‐month period were reviewed to determine the severity of hyponatremia and its associated fatality rate. Cases with moderate (11–15 mmol/L below the reference range) or severe hyponatremia (≥16 mmol/L below the reference range) were further reviewed.

Results

Of 4,254 dogs (25.5%) and 2,081 cats (49.4%) were diagnosed with hyponatremia. Case fatality rates of dogs and cats with hyponatremia were 13.7% and 11.9%, respectively, compared to 4.4% and 4.5% with a normal blood or serum sodium concentration (P < 0.0001). The magnitude of hyponatremia was linearly associated with a higher case fatality rate (P < 0.0001). Hyponatremia was associated with a lower case fatality rate than hypernatremia in the same population. Among the animals with moderate or severe hyponatremia, 92.1% of dogs and 90.6% of cats presented with community‐acquired hyponatremia, and 7.9% of dogs and 9.4% of cats developed hospital‐acquired hyponatremia.

Conclusions and clinical importance

Hyponatremia was found commonly in this population and was associated with increased case fatality rate. Presence and severity of hyponatremia might be useful as a prognostic indicator.
What Survey Data Reveal about Price and Wage Rigidity in Portugal
Authors: Martins Fernando
Published: May 2015

This paper exploits the information collected from a survey conducted on a sample of Portuguese firms to study the patterns of firms’ price and wage adjustments and the extent of nominal price and wage rigidities. The evidence shows that the frequency of price changes varies substantially across sectors and depends on the intensity of competition, the share of labor costs and firms’ price reviewing behavior. The results also suggest that the constraint imposed by the presence of downward nominal wage rigidity is less important in firms where the fraction of permanent and high‐skilled workers is lower and the share of flexible pay components is higher.
Hidden Disparities: Decomposing Inequalities in Time Served in California, 1985–2009
Authors: Patterson Evelyn J.
Published: May 2015

While a large literature establishes the racial and ethnic disparities in sentencing, we know comparatively little about the role of race and ethnicity in prison release. Using data from the National Corrections Reporting Program contextualized in California's political and legislative atmosphere, this article explores the role of race and ethnicity in prison release between 1985 and 2009 by studying components of sentencing and release. Limiting the evaluation of disparities to sentencing or time served in prison at release may inadvertently mask racial and ethnic inequities in the judicial process because events and actors can introduce circumstances between sentencing and release from prison that ultimately influence time served. The analysis confirmed that the measures used at the time of sentencing do not provide enough information to determine the differential experiences of groups in the real amount of time served in prison.© 2014 Law and Society Association
Questioning Blackmun's Thesis: Does Uniformity in Sentencing Entail Unfairness?
Authors: Grunwald Ben
Published: May 2015

It is commonly believed among criminal justice scholars that sentencing guidelines increase uniformity in sentencing at the cost of fairness. They reason that guideline systems rarely take all relevant case characteristics into consideration, and as a result, impose sentences in particular cases that are biased relative to the ideal or best sentence. This bias effect is one of the primary theoretical and practical challenges faced by courts and sentencing commissions in the last 30 years, and provides one of the strongest arguments against mandatory sentencing guidelines. This article identifies a second effect of guidelines on fairness, which has not been sufficiently acknowledged by the scholarly literature: the variance effect increases the fairness of sentences directly by increasing uniformity. This article uses statistical simulation to examine the relationship between the variance effect and the bias effect. The results provide substantial evidence that the variance effect is comparatively large, and that it may often outweigh the negative effects of bias. Under these conditions, sentencing guidelines will both increase uniformity and increase fairness.
Diversity of genetic backgrounds modulating the durability of a major resistance gene. Analysis of a core collection of pepper landraces resistant to Potato virus Y
Authors: Quenouille Julie , Saint‐Felix Ludovic , Moury Benoit , Palloix Alain
Published: May 2015

The evolution of resistance‐breaking capacity in pathogen populations has been shown to depend on the plant genetic background surrounding the resistance genes. We evaluated a core collection of pepper (Capsicum annuum) landraces, representing the worldwide genetic diversity, for its ability to modulate the breakdown frequency by Potato virus Y of major resistance alleles at the pvr2 locus encoding the eukaryotic initiation factor 4E (eIF4E). Depending on the pepper landrace, the breakdown frequency of a given resistance allele varied from 0% to 52.5%, attesting to their diversity and the availability of genetic backgrounds favourable to resistance durability in the plant germplasm. The mutations in the virus genome involved in resistance breakdown also differed between plant genotypes, indicating differential selection effects exerted on the virus population by the different genetic backgrounds. The breakdown frequency was positively correlated with the level of virus accumulation, confirming the impact of quantitative resistance loci on resistance durability. Among these loci, pvr6, encoding an isoform of eIF4E, was associated with a major effect on virus accumulation and on the breakdown frequency of the pvr2‐mediated resistance. This exploration of plant genetic diversity delivered new resources for the control of pathogen evolution and the increase in resistance durability.
Hyperuricaemia is associated with renal damage independently of hypertension and intrarenal renin‐angiotensin system activation, as well as their circadian rhythms
Authors: Ohashi Naro , Ishigaki Sayaka , Isobe Shinsuke , Tsuji Naoko , Iwakura Takamasa , Ono Masafumi , Tsuji Takayuki , Sakao Yukitoshi , Kato Akihiko , Yasuda Hideo
Published: May 2015

Aim

Both hyperuricaemia and activation of the intrarenal renin‐angiotensin system (RAS) play an important role in the development of hypertension and renal damage. However, it has not been clear whether hyperuricaemia is associated with renal damage due to hypertension or intrarenal RAS activation, as well as their circadian rhythms.

Methods

We recruited 43 chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients who did not receive RAS blockers and antihyperuricaemic drugs, and investigated the relationship among serum uric acid (sUA) levels, the circadian rhythm of urinary angiotensinogen (U‐AGT) excretion levels, and the levels of albuminuria (U‐ACR) and proteinuria (U‐P/Cr).

Results

sUA levels were significantly associated with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) (P = 0.002), systolic blood pressure (SBP) (daytime, P = 0.031), and U‐ACR (daytime, P = 0.006 and nighttime, P = 0.008) and U‐P/Cr (daytime, P = 0.017 and nighttime, P = 0.013). However, there were no significant differences between sUA levels and SBP in nighttime and U‐AGT excretion levels in both time periods. Multiple regression analyses for sUA levels were performed using age, sex, eGFR and each parameter (SBP, U‐AGT/Cr, U‐ACR or U‐P/Cr). sUA levels were not associated with SBP or U‐AGT/Cr in both time periods. sUA levels tended to correlate with U‐P/Cr levels in nighttime, and were significantly associated with U‐P/Cr in daytime (P = 0.026) and U‐ACR in daytime (P = 0.017) and nighttime (P = 0.046). Moreover, no significant differences were found between sUA levels and night‐to‐day ratios of some parameters.

Conclusion

These data suggest that hyperuricaemia is associated with renal damage, independently of hypertension and intrarenal RAS activation, as well as their circadian rhythms.
Comparison of renal outcomes in off‐pump versus on‐pump coronary artery bypass grafting: A systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Cheungpasitporn Wisit , Thongprayoon Charat , Kittanamongkolchai Wonngarm , Srivali Narat , O'Corragain Oisin A , Edmonds Peter J , Ratanapo Supawat , Spanuchart Ittikorn , Erickson Stephen B
Published: May 2015

Aim

The objective of this meta‐analysis was to compare the effects of off‐pump and on‐pump coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) on acute kidney injury (AKI) and the need of dialysis after surgery.

Methods

Comprehensive literature searches for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of CABG with on‐pump and off‐pump was performed using MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials Systematic Reviews and clinicaltrials.gov from inception through September 2014. Primary outcomes were the incidence of AKI and the need of dialysis. Mortality was assessed among the studies that reported renal outcomes. Pooled risk ratios (RRs) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated using a random‐effect, generic inverse variance method.

Results

Thirty‐three RCTs with 17 322 patients were enrolled in our study. Patients in the off‐pump CABG group had overall lower incidence of AKI (19.1%) compared with the on‐pump CABG group (22.2%). There was a protective effect of off‐pump CABG on the incidence of AKI compared with the on‐pump CABG group (RR: 0.87; 95% CI: 0.77–0.98). However, there was no significant difference in the need for dialysis in the off‐pump group compared with the on‐pump group (RR: 0.84; 95% CI 0.63–1.13). Within the selected trials, post hoc analysis assessing the mortality outcome demonstrated a pooled RR of 0.97 (95% CI, 0.77–1.23) in off‐pump versus on‐pump CABGs.

Conclusions

Our study demonstrates a beneficial effect of off‐pump CABG on the incidence of AKI. However, our meta‐analysis does not show benefits of the need of dialysis or survival among patients undergoing off‐pump CABG.
Do species of Crataegus sect. Sanguineae occur in Iran?
Authors: Hamzeh'ee Behnam , Attar Farideh , Zieliński Jerzy , Assareh Mohammad Hasan , Mozaffarian Valliolah
Published: May 2015

Results of a revision of Iranian species of Crataegus section Sanguineae are presented here. Previously, two species of this section, C. sanguinea Pall. and C. babakhanloui Khat., were reported from Iran. However, detailed analyses of morphological and micro‐morphological characteristics, as well as phytogeographical data, could not confirm this information; herbarium specimens recognised as C. sanguinea appeared to be C. pentagyna Waldst. & Kit. (C. sect. Pentagynae), while C. babakhanloui should be included in the C. section Crataegus. The section Sanguineae is represented in Iran only by C. wattiana Hemsl. & Lace, the presence of which is reported here for the first time.
Lineage‐specific gene radiations underlie the evolution of novel betalain pigmentation in Caryophyllales
Authors: Brockington Samuel F. , Yang Ya , Gandia‐Herrero Fernando , Covshoff Sarah , Hibberd Julian M. , Sage Rowan F. , Wong Gane K. S. , Moore Michael J. , Smith Stephen A.
Published: May 2015

Betalain pigments are unique to the Caryophyllales and structurally and biosynthetically distinct from anthocyanins. Two key enzymes within the betalain synthesis pathway have been identified: 4,5‐dioxygenase (DODA) that catalyzes the formation of betalamic acid and CYP76AD1, a cytochrome P450 gene that catalyzes the formation of cyclo‐DOPA.

We performed phylogenetic analyses to reveal the evolutionary history of the DODA and CYP76AD1 lineages and in the context of an ancestral reconstruction of pigment states we explored the evolution of these genes in relation to the complex evolution of pigments in Caryophylalles.

Duplications within the CYP76AD1 and DODA lineages arose just before the origin of betalain pigmentation in the core Caryophyllales. The duplications gave rise to DODA‐α and CYP76AD1‐α isoforms that appear specific to betalain synthesis. Both betalain‐specific isoforms were then lost or downregulated in the anthocyanic Molluginaceae and Caryophyllaceae.

Our findings suggest a single origin of the betalain synthesis pathway, with neofunctionalization following gene duplications in the CYP76AD1 and DODA lineages. Loss of DODA‐α and CYP76AD1‐α in anthocyanic taxa suggests that betalain pigmentation has been lost twice in Caryophyllales, and exclusion of betalain pigments from anthocyanic taxa is mediated through gene loss or downregulation. [Correction added after online publication 13 May 2015: in the last two paragraphs of the Summary the gene name CYP761A was changed to CYP76AD1.]
Phytase activity in lichens
Authors: Higgins Niall F. , Crittenden Peter D.
Published: May 2015

Phytase activity was investigated in 13 lichen species using a novel assay method. The work tested the hypothesis that phytase is a component of the suite of surface‐bound lichen enzymes that hydrolyse simple organic forms of phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) deposited onto the thallus surface.

Hydrolysis of inositol hexaphosphate (InsP6, the substrate for phytase) and appearance of lower‐order inositol phosphates (InsP5–InsP1), the hydrolysis products, were measured by ion chromatography. Phytase activity in Evernia prunastri was compared among locations with contrasting rates of N deposition.

Phytase activity was readily measurable in epiphytic lichens (e.g. 11.3 μmol InsP6 hydrolysed g−1 h−1 in Bryoria fuscescens) but low in two terricolous species tested (Cladonia portentosa and Peltigera membranacea). Phytase and phosphomonoesterase activities were positively correlated amongst species. In E. prunastri both enzyme activities were promoted by N enrichment and phytase activity was readily released into thallus washings. InsP6 was not detected in tree canopy throughfall but was present in pollen leachate.

Capacity to hydrolyse InsP6 appears widespread amongst lichens potentially promoting P capture from atmospheric deposits and plant leachates, and P cycling in forest canopies. The enzyme assay used here might find wider application in studies on plant root–fungal–soil systems.
Characterization of an inducible C2H2‐type zinc finger transcription factor VuSTOP1 in rice bean (Vigna umbellata) reveals differential regulation between low pH and aluminum tolerance mechanisms
Authors: Fan Wei , Lou He Qiang , Gong Yu Long , Liu Mei Ya , Cao Meng Jie , Liu Yu , Yang Jian Li , Zheng Shao Jian
Published: May 2015

The rice bean (Vigna umbellata) root apex specifically secretes citrate through expression activation of Vigna umbellata Multidrug and Toxic Compound Extrusion 1 (VuMATE1) under aluminum (Al3+) stress. However, the underlying mechanisms regulating VuMATE1 expression remain unknown.

We isolated and characterized a gene encoding Sensitive to Proton Rhizotoxicity1 (STOP1)‐like protein, VuSTOP1, from rice bean. The role of VuSTOP1 in regulating VuMATE1 expression was investigated using the yeast one‐hybrid assay. We characterized the function of VuSTOP1 in Al3 + ‐ and H+‐tolerance using in planta complementation assays.

We demonstrated that VuSTOP1 has transactivation potential. We found that VuSTOP1 expression is inducible by Al3+ and H+ stress. However, although VuSTOP1 binds to the promoter of VuMATE1, the inconsistent tissue localization patterns of VuSTOP1 and VuMATE1 preclude VuSTOP1 as the major factor regulating VuMATE1 expression. In addition, when a protein translation inhibitor increased expression of VuSTOP1, VuMATE1 expression was inhibited. In planta complementation assay demonstrated that VuSTOP1 could fully restore expression of genes involved in H+ tolerance, but could only partially restore expression of AtMATE.

We conclude that VuSTOP1 plays a major role in H+ tolerance, but only a minor role in Al3+ tolerance. The differential transcriptional regulation of VuSTOP1 and VuMATE1 reveals a complex regulatory system controlling VuMATE1 expression.
Frugivore diversity increases frugivory rates along a large elevational gradient
Authors: Ferger Stefan W. , Dulle Hamadi I. , Schleuning Matthias , Böhning‐Gaese Katrin
Published: May 2015

The effect of biodiversity on ecosystem functioning is increasingly well understood, but it has mainly been studied in small‐scale experiments of plant‐based ecosystem functions. In contrast, the relevance of biodiversity for animal‐mediated ecosystem functions like seed dispersal still poses an important gap in ecological knowledge. In particular, it is little understood how avian diversity affects frugivory rates, one of the most important parameters of seed dispersal rates, along large environmental gradients. Even less is known about the environmental context dependence of the frugivore–frugivory relationship. We used artificial fruits to analyze experimentally how the abundance and richness of three avian frugivore guilds (with incrementally more stringent classifications of frugivory) contributed to frugivory rates across 13 different habitat types along an elevational gradient from 870 to 4550 m a.s.l. at Mt Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. We further investigated how environmental context, in terms of local vegetation structure and natural fruit availability, modified the relationship between frugivores and frugivory rates. Our results demonstrate that the positive effect of avian diversity on frugivory rates holds along a large elevational gradient. We found marked differences in frugivory rates among the 13 habitat types, which were strongly related to the abundance and richness of obligate frugivorous birds. Vegetation structure had no significant effect on frugivory rates. An intermediate abundance of natural fruits enhanced frugivory rates, but this effect did not alter the positive frugivore–frugivory relationship. These results emphasize the fundamental importance of obligate frugivore diversity for frugivory rates and suggest that the positive effect of biodiversity on ecosystem functioning holds along large environmental gradients.
Patients with single ventricle physiology undergoing noncardiac surgery are at high risk for adverse events
Authors: Brown Morgan L. , DiNardo James A. , Odegard Kirsten C.
Published: May 2015

Background

Patients with single ventricle physiology are at increased anesthetic risk when undergoing noncardiac surgery.

Objective

To review the outcomes of anesthetics for patients with single ventricle physiology undergoing noncardiac surgery.

Methods

This study is a retrospective chart review of all patients who underwent a palliative procedure for single ventricle physiology between January 1, 2007 and January 31, 2014. Anesthetic and surgical records were reviewed for noncardiac operations that required sedation or general anesthesia. Any noncardiac operation occurring prior to completion of a bidirectional Glenn procedure was included. Diagnostic procedures, including cardiac catheterization, insertion of permanent pacemaker, and procedures performed in the ICU, were excluded.

Results

During the review period, 417 patients with single ventricle physiology had initial palliation. Of these, 70 patients (16.7%) underwent 102 anesthetics for 121 noncardiac procedures. The noncardiac procedures included line insertion (n = 23); minor surgical procedures such as percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy or airway surgery (n = 38); or major surgical procedures including intra‐abdominal and thoracic operations (n = 41). These interventions occurred on median day 60 of life (1–233 days). The procedures occurred most commonly in the operating room (n = 79, 77.5%). Patients’ median weight was 3.4 kg (2.4–15 kg) at time of noncardiac intervention. In 102 anesthetics, 26 patients had an endotracheal tube or tracheostomy in situ, 57 patients underwent endotracheal intubation, and 19 patients had a natural or mask airway. An intravenous induction was performed in 77 anesthetics, an inhalational induction in 17, and a combination technique in 8. The median total anesthetic time was 126 min (14–594 min). In 22 anesthetics (21.6%), patients were on inotropic support upon arrival; an additional 24 patients required inotropic support (23.5%), of which dopamine was the most common medication. There were 10 intraoperative adverse events (9.8%) including: arrhythmias requiring treatment (n = 4), conversion from sedation to a general anesthetic (n = 2), difficult airway (n = 1), inadvertent extubation with desaturation and bradycardia (n = 1), hypotension and desaturation (n = 1), and cardiac arrest (n = 1). Postoperative events (<48 h) included ST segment changes requiring cardiac catheterization (n = 1), and cardiorespiratory arrest (n = 1). Age, size, gender, type of cardiac palliation, patient location, procedure location, and type of procedure were not associated with adverse outcome. After 62 anesthetics (60.8%), patients went postoperatively to the cardiac ICU. There were no deaths at 48 h.

Conclusion

We observed no mortality during or after noncardiac surgery in a high‐risk subgroup of palliated cardiac patients with single ventricle physiology. However, 11.8% of patients had an adverse event associated with their anesthetic.
The effects of bispectral index monitoring on hemodynamics and recovery profile in developmentally delayed pediatric patients undergoing dental surgery
Authors: Sargin Mehmet , Uluer Mehmet Selcuk , Ozmen Sadık
Published: May 2015

Background

General anesthesia is often preferred for dental surgery or rehabilitation in developmentally delayed pediatric patients. Bispectral index monitoring is used to monitor the depth of anesthesia and to ensure early recovery. However, studies on the topic in developmentally delayed pediatric patients are limited.

Aim

To evaluate the effects of Bispectral Index Scale (BIS) on hemodynamics and recovery profile in developmentally delayed pediatric patients undergoing dental surgery.

Methods

Forty children between the ages of 6–16 years were studied in this prospective and randomized study. The children were randomized into two groups. In Group 1 (n = 20), general anesthesia was maintained with 1–2 minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) of sevoflurane in oxygen by standard practice. In Group 2 (n = 20), the depth of anesthesia was monitored by BIS. BIS values were continuously recorded from awake status to tracheal extubation. The duration of the surgical procedure, anesthesia, postanesthesia care unit (PACU) stay was noted. To evaluate recovery profile, time to spontaneous ventilation, extubation, open eyes, and PACU discharge were also noted.

Results

There were significant differences between recovery times and Non‐communicating Children's Pain Checklist – Postoperative Version (NCCPC‐PV) scores of two groups. Time to spontaneous ventilation [Difference in means (95% CI); 3.17 (1.79–4.54) P < 0.001], extubation [Difference in means (95% CI); 3.13 (1.66–4.60) P < 0.001], open eyes [Difference in means (95% CI); 3.97 (2.34–5.59) P < 0.001], and PACU stay time [Difference in means (95% CI); 23.55 (18.08–29.01) P < 0.001] were significantly shorter in Group 2.

Conclusion

In conclusion, results suggest that routine BIS monitoring may be beneficial due to its favorable effects on the recovery profile in developmentally delayed pediatric patients.
Zoster Immunoglobulin‐VF: A Potential Treatment for Molluscum Contagiosum in Immunosuppressed Children
Authors: Maiolo Corinne , Marshman Gillian
Published: May 2015

We present a brief observational report of clearance of significant molluscum contagiosum infection in a child taking methotrexate after one dose of intramuscular zoster immunoglobulin‐VF (human) and suggest that this may indicate a potential new treatment option.
Stomatal closure of Pelargonium × hortorum in response to soil water deficit is associated with decreased leaf water potential only under rapid soil drying
Authors: Boyle Richard K. A. , McAinsh Martin , Dodd Ian C.
Published: May 2015

Soil water deficits applied at different rates and for different durations can decrease both stomatal conductance (gs) and leaf water potential (Ψleaf). Understanding the physiological mechanisms regulating these responses is important in sustainable irrigation scheduling. Glasshouse‐grown, containerized Pelargonium × hortorum BullsEye plants were irrigated either daily at various fractions of plant evapotranspiration (100, 75 and 50% ET) for 20 days or irrigation was withheld for 4 days. Xylem sap was collected and gs and Ψleaf were measured on days 15 and 20, and on days 16–19 for the respective treatments. Xylem sap pH and NO3− and Ca2+ concentrations did not differ between irrigation treatments. Xylem abscisic acid (ABA) concentrations ([ABA]xyl) increased within 24 h of irrigation being withheld whilst gs and Ψleaf decreased. Supplying irrigation at a fraction of daily ET produced a similar relationship between [ABA]xyl and gs, but did not change Ψleaf. Treatment differences occurred independently of whether Ψleaf was measured in whole leaves with a pressure chamber, or in the lamina with a thermocouple psychrometer. Plants that were irrigated daily showed lower [ABA]xyl than plants from which irrigation was withheld, even at comparable soil moisture content. This implies that regular re‐watering attenuates ABA signaling due to maintenance of soil moisture in the upper soil levels. Crucially, detached leaves supplied with synthetic ABA showed a similar relationship between [ABA]xyl and gs as intact plants, suggesting that stomatal closure of P. hortorum in response to soil water deficit is primarily an ABA‐induced response, independent of changes in Ψleaf.
New product development resource forecasting
Authors: Hird Abigail , Mendibil Kepa , Duffy Alex , Whitfield Robert Ian
Published: May 2015

Forecasting resource requirements for new product development (NPD) projects is essential for both strategic and tactical planning. Sophisticated, elegant planning tools to present data and inform decision‐making do exist. However, in NPD, such tools run on unreliable, estimation‐based resource information derived through undefined processes.

This paper establishes that existing methods do not provide transparent, consistent, timely or accurate resource planning information, highlighting the need for a new approach to resource forecasting, specifically in the field of NPD. The gap between the practical issues and available methods highlights the possibility of developing a novel design of experiments approach to create resource forecasting models.
Coupling the Biophysical and Social Dimensions of Wildfire Risk to Improve Wildfire Mitigation Planning
Authors: Ager Alan A. , Kline Jeffrey D. , Fischer A. Paige
Published: May 2015

We describe recent advances in biophysical and social aspects of risk and their potential combined contribution to improve mitigation planning on fire‐prone landscapes. The methods and tools provide an improved method for defining the spatial extent of wildfire risk to communities compared to current planning processes. They also propose an expanded role for social science to improve understanding of community‐wide risk perceptions and to predict property owners’ capacities and willingness to mitigate risk by treating hazardous fuels and reducing the susceptibility of dwellings. In particular, we identify spatial scale mismatches in wildfire mitigation planning and their potential adverse impact on risk mitigation goals. Studies in other fire‐prone regions suggest that these scale mismatches are widespread and contribute to continued wildfire dwelling losses. We discuss how risk perceptions and behavior contribute to scale mismatches and how they can be minimized through integrated analyses of landscape wildfire transmission and social factors that describe the potential for collaboration among landowners and land management agencies. These concepts are then used to outline an integrated socioecological planning framework to identify optimal strategies for local community risk mitigation and improve landscape‐scale prioritization of fuel management investments by government entities.
A Transport and Lairage Model for Salmonella Transmission Between Pigs Applicable to EU Member States
Authors: Simons R. R. L. , Hill A. A. , Swart A. , Kelly L. , Snary E. L.
Published: May 2015

A model for the transmission of Salmonella between finisher pigs during transport to the abattoir and subsequent lairage has been developed, including novel factors such as environmental contamination and the effect of stress, and is designed to be adaptable for any EU Member State (MS). The model forms part of a generic farm‐to‐consumption model for Salmonella in pigs, designed to model potentially important risk factors and assess the effectiveness of interventions. In this article, we discuss the parameterization of the model for two case study MSs. For both MSs, the model predicted an increase in the average MS‐level prevalence of Salmonella‐positive pigs during both transport and lairage, accounting for a large amount of the variation between reported on‐farm prevalence and reported lymph‐node prevalence at the slaughterhouse. Sensitivity analysis suggested that stress is the most important factor during transport, while a number of factors, including environmental contamination and the dose‐response parameters, are important during lairage. There was wide variation in the model‐predicted change in prevalence in individual batches; while the majority of batches (80–90%) had no increase, in some batches the increase in prevalence was over 70% and in some cases infection was introduced into previously uninfected batches of pigs. Thus, the model suggests that while the transport and lairage stages of the farm‐to‐consumption exposure pathway are unlikely to be responsible for a large increase in average prevalence at the MS level, they can have a large effect on prevalence at an individual‐batch level.
Measurement and Allocation of Capital Inputs With Taxes: A Sensitivity Analysis for OECD Countries
Authors: Fatica Serena
Published: May 2015

Taxes affect the measurement of capital inputs. The paper provides an assessment of these impacts in a cross‐country framework where heterogeneity of corporate taxation across industries and asset types is accounted for. The results show that taxes change the relative prices of capital types, which, in turn, has implications on the estimated capital quality and reallocation effects in the traditional growth accounting framework. Omitting tax parameters is a source of mismeasurement, particularly when the rental price of capital assets is constructed using an external rate of return, leading to biased capital costs and profits rates. It is shown that differential taxation results in a deadweight loss in terms of misallocated capital inputs, predominantly due to composition effects within industries.
Mobility, white bodies and desire: Euro‐American women in Jakarta
Authors: Fechter Anne‐Meike
Published: May 2015

This paper illustrates how cultural logics of desire are being transformed in the context of the global economy refashioning intimate lives. Exploring the experiences of Euro‐American female professionals in Jakarta, it suggests that they become uncomfortably visible as ‘white bodies’; their desirability appears compromised, especially given Orientalist discourses which valorise Asian women's bodies. At the same time, women's position as well‐paid employees generates a contradictory logic of desire: the ‘ego‐boost’ they experience at work may intensify their demands on the masculinity and enlightened views of potential partners, thus rendering Indonesian men, with their perceived bodily effeminacy and ‘traditional values’ unattractive. As one response to the lack of desirability, some women engage in a moral discourse that casts Indonesian women whom they consider ‘bargirls’, as well as the Euro‐American men they attract, as morally deficient. The paper thus provides an alternative perspective on reconfigurations of desire in the context of global gendered mobility.
Transfusion e‐learning for junior doctors: the educational role of ‘LearnBloodTransfusion’
Authors: Graham J. E.
Published: May 2015

Objectives

To critically analyse the educational role of ‘LearnBloodTransfusion’ (LBT) in enabling junior doctors to be safe transfusion practitioners.

Background

Computer assisted learning, or e‐learning, enables the educational needs of learners to be flexibly met. Education and learning in the health service is necessary to ensure appropriate skills, behaviours and training are provided, to assure excellence in healthcare delivery. LBT is a computer‐assisted learning programme that has been designed to meet the needs of practitioners involved in the transfusion process. It is widely adopted across the NHS and within undergraduate medical training.

Method

Critical analysis of LBT relating to learning outcomes, assessment tools and functionality, as pertaining to the transfusion curriculum for junior doctors.

Results

Learning outcomes of LBT adhere to Bloom's taxonomy, addressing cognitive, psycho‐motor and affective domains of learning. LBT flexibly meets differing styles, strategies and levels of learning although there is scope to enhance the computer‐facilitated flexibility of this learning tool. LBT is unable to address the complex clinical reasoning skills or clinical competency required by doctors in the transfusion process.

Conclusion

LBT uses effective educational methodology to deliver the transfusion curriculum to junior doctors although LBT must be complemented by additional methods of learning to ensure clinical competency.