bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
First Report of Twig Canker on Peach Caused by Phomopsis amygdali in China
Authors: Dai F. M. , Zeng R. , Lu J. P.
Published: January 2012

During May and June of 2009, canker and twig dieback were observed with 30 to 40% incidence in trees in one peach orchard in Nanhui of Shanghai (cv. YuLu juicy peach) and one orchard (cv. JingXiu yellow peach) in Jiaxin of Zhejiang Province, China. Cankers were generally centrally positioned on the nodes at the base of shoots with sunken, reddish brown/tan-to-silver symptoms. Blight was also observed on a few shoots (1). Five samples were collected from each orchard and isolations were conducted on potato sucrose agar (PSA). Ten isolates were obtained and all had white mycelia on PSA. Black pycnidia, formed in culture, produced two types of conidia: hyaline, fusiform alpha conidia and hyaline, string-like beta conidia. Alpha conidia varied from 5.0 to 6.3 × 1.5 to 2.5 μm and beta conidia ranged from 20 to 25 × 1.2 to 1.5 μm. Morphological characteristics suggested the identity of the fungal isolates to be Phomopsis amygdali. To confirm pathogenicity, an inoculum suspension was made from one isolate (106 conidia/ml) and was sprayed until runoff onto five twigs with buds. Inoculated twigs were maintained at 26°C and 100% relative humidity in a growth chamber with a 12-h period of fluorescent light daily. Twigs inoculated with sterilized water were included as noninoculated controls. After 4 days, dark brown lesions appeared around buds on inoculated twigs. No symptoms were observed on the control twigs. Constriction cankers were reproduced and P. amygdali was reisolated from the lesions. To confirm the identity of the pathogen, total genomic DNA was extracted with the cetyltrimethylammoniumbromide (CTAB) method from the mycelia of two isolates from YuLu juicy peach and Jinxiu yellow peach (2). PCR was performed with universal primers ITS1 (5′-TCCGTAGGTGAACCTGCGG-3′) and ITS4 (5′-TCCTCCGCTTATTGATATGC-3′) to amplify a DNA fragment of approximately 550 bp. The PCR products were purified and sequenced in both directions (Sangon Biotech (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., China). The sequences (GenBank Accession Nos. HQ632013 and HQ632014) shared 98.9% identity with each other (MegAlign software; DNASTAR, Madison, WI). A comparison of these two sequences with those in GenBank showed that the sequences had the highest nucleotide similarity (99%) with P. amygdali isolate FAU1052 from peach in the southeastern United States (Accession No. AF102998). To our knowledge, this is the first report of P. amygdali causing twig canker on peach in China and will provide useful information for developing effective control strategies.

References: (1) D. F. Farr et al. Mycologia 91:1008, 1999. (2) M. A. Saghai-Maroof et al. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 81:8014, 1984.
Toward a Reliable Evaluation of Forecasting Systems for Plant Diseases: A Case Study Using Fusarium Head Blight of Wheat
Authors: Landschoot S. , Waegeman W. , Audenaert K. , Vandepitte J. , Haesaert G. , De Baets B.
Published: January 2012

Despite great efforts to forecast plant diseases, many of the existing systems often fall short in providing farmers with accurate predictions. One of the main problems arises from the existence of year and location effects, so that more advanced procedures are required for evaluating existing systems in an unbiased manner. This paper illustrates the case of Fusarium head blight of winter wheat in Belgium. We present a new cross-validation strategy that enables the evaluation of the predictive performance of a forecasting system for years and locations that are different from the years and locations on which the forecast was developed. Four different cross-validation strategies and five regression techniques are used. The results demonstrated that traditional evaluation strategies are too optimistic in their predictions, whereas the cross-year cross-location validation strategy yielded more realistic outcomes. Using this procedure, the mean squared error increased and the coefficient of determination decreased in predicting disease severity and deoxynivalenol content, suggesting that existing evaluation strategies may generate a substantial optimistic bias. The strongest discrepancies between the cross-validation strategies were observed for multiple linear regression models.
Discovery of Potato Rot Nematode, Ditylenchus destructor, Infesting Garlic in Ontario, Canada
Authors: Yu Q. , Zaida M. A. , Hughes B. , Celetti M.
Published: January 2012

Potato rot nematode, Ditylenchus destructor Thorne, 1945, is a serious nematode pest in a number of root and tube crops, primarily in potatoes, and is an internationally quarantined pest (2). In garlic, it was only reported in Japan (3). In 2011, a survey was conducted for the stem and bulb nematode, Ditylenchus dipsaci (Kühn) Filipjev in Ontario, Canada. PCR analysis revealed that a population of Ditylenchus from one garlic (Allium sativum) bulb sample in a 0.81-ha field (2-acre) in the Ottawa area had a significantly longer ITS1 (approximately 100 bp) than that of D. dipsaci. Subsequent morphology and DNA sequencing concluded that the population was Ditylenchus destructor, a quarantine species in Canada. Twenty females and twenty males were fixed and permanently mounted for morphological studies. The main diagnostic characters matched the description of D. destructor by Thorne (4). The female stylets had strong knobs, 11.1 ± 0.9 (10 to 12) μm long, lateral fields with six distinct lines in the middle section of the body, excretory pore 4.7 ± 1.3 (3 to 6) μm posterior to the hemizonid, esophageal base bulb overlaps dorsally with the intestine, post-vulval uterine sac extends up to two-thirds of the vulva-anus distance, and tail terminus finely rounded. A total of 20 nematode individuals were used for the molecular studies. They had 5-bp differences with the ITS1 (GenBank Accession No. EF208210; 650 bp) sequence of an isolate from Sihong County, China. The sequence of the partial 18S gene (GenBank Accession No. AY593912; 864 bp) was identical to the sequence of an isolate of D. destructor in the Netherlands. The detection of stem and bulb nematode was also confirmed from the field. Infested garlic plants were stunted and the basal bulbs became dark and somewhat rotten. Prior to this finding in Canada, D. destructor was only reported in a few isolated locations in the province of Prince Edward Island (PEI) in 1946 (1). The nematodes in PEI were effectively controlled. Another suspected case in British Columbia was not confirmed since the infested field had been known to be infested with D. dipsaci. To our knowledge, this is the first report of D. destructor on the mainland of Canada. The infested field has been subjected to strict quarantine measures to prevent the spread of the pest.

Reference: (1) A. D. Baker et al. Sci. Agric. 26:138, 1946. (2) EPPO. No. 123. Data Sheets on Quarantined Organisms. Bulletin OEPP/EPPO Bull. 8, 1978. (3) T. Fujimura et al. Jpn. J. Nematol. 8:22, 1989. (4) G. Thorne. Proc. Helminthol. Soc. Wash. 12:27, 1945.
FGIDs in Children Are Associated With Many Nonpsychiatric Comorbidities
Authors: Chelimsky Gisela , Safder Shaista , Chelimsky Thomas
Published: January 2012

Functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) are common. The poor health‐related quality of life in FGIDs is a combination of gastrointestinal symptoms and comorbid conditions. We determined by using the Ohio Dysautonomia questionnaire the medical comorbidities in 38 children with FGID. Almost all of the subjects had a comorbid disorder, with orthostatic symptoms in 89%, fainted >3×/lifetime in 17%, headaches with migrainous features in 40%, other types of chronic pain in 50%, and fatigue lasting >6 months in approximately 33%. These findings constitute a critical first step in changing the paradigm of our approach to FGID as a broader systemic disorder, not one limited to the gastrointestinal tract.
HERC2 rs12913832 modulates human pigmentation by attenuating chromatin-loop formation between a long-range enhancer and the OCA2 promoter
Authors: Visser Mijke , Kayser Manfred , Palstra Robert-Jan
Published: January 2012

Pigmentation of skin, eye, and hair reflects some of the most evident common phenotypes in humans. Several candidate genes for human pigmentation are identified. The SNP rs12913832 has strong statistical association with human pigmentation. It is located within an intron of the nonpigment gene HERC2, 21 kb upstream of the pigment gene OCA2, and the region surrounding rs12913832 is highly conserved among animal species. However, the exact functional role of HERC2 rs12913832 in human pigmentation is unknown. Here we demonstrate that the HERC2 rs12913832 region functions as an enhancer regulating OCA2 transcription. In darkly pigmented human melanocytes carrying the rs12913832 T-allele, we detected binding of the transcription factors HLTF, LEF1, and MITF to the HERC2 rs12913832 enhancer, and a long-range chromatin loop between this enhancer and the OCA2 promoter that leads to elevated OCA2 expression. In contrast, in lightly pigmented melanocytes carrying the rs12913832 C-allele, chromatin-loop formation, transcription factor recruitment, and OCA2 expression are all reduced. Hence, we demonstrate that allelic variation of a common noncoding SNP located in a distal regulatory element not only disrupts the regulatory potential of this element but also affects its interaction with the relevant promoter. We provide the key mechanistic insight that allele-dependent differences in chromatin-loop formation (i.e., structural differences in the folding of gene loci) result in differences in allelic gene expression that affects common phenotypic traits. This concept is highly relevant for future studies aiming to unveil the functional basis of genetically determined phenotypes, including diseases.
An ancient genomic regulatory block conserved across bilaterians and its dismantling in tetrapods by retrogene replacement
Authors: Maeso Ignacio , Irimia Manuel , Tena Juan J. , González-Pérez Esther , Tran David , Ravi Vydianathan , Venkatesh Byrappa , Campuzano Sonsoles , Gómez-Skarmeta José Luis , Garcia-Fernàndez Jordi
Published: January 2012

Developmental genes are regulated by complex, distantly located cis-regulatory modules (CRMs), often forming genomic regulatory blocks (GRBs) that are conserved among vertebrates and among insects. We have investigated GRBs associated with Iroquois homeobox genes in 39 metazoans. Despite 600 million years of independent evolution, Iroquois genes are linked to ankyrin-repeat-containing Sowah genes in nearly all studied bilaterians. We show that Iroquois-specific CRMs populate the Sowah locus, suggesting that regulatory constraints underlie the maintenance of the Iroquois–Sowah syntenic block. Surprisingly, tetrapod Sowah orthologs are intronless and not associated with Iroquois; however, teleost and elephant shark data demonstrate that this is a derived feature, and that many Iroquois–CRMs were ancestrally located within Sowah introns. Retroposition, gene, and genome duplication have allowed selective elimination of Sowah exons from the Iroquois regulatory landscape while keeping associated CRMs, resulting in large associated gene deserts. These results highlight the importance of CRMs in imposing constraints to genome architecture, even across large phylogenetic distances, and of gene duplication-mediated genetic redundancy to disentangle these constraints, increasing genomic plasticity.
Chemical Quenching of Singlet Oxygen by Carotenoids in Plants
Authors: Ramel Fanny , Birtic Simona , Cuiné Stéphan , Triantaphylidès Christian , Ravanat Jean-Luc , Havaux Michel
Published: January 2012

Carotenoids are considered to be the first line of defense of plants against singlet oxygen (1O2) toxicity because of their capacity to quench 1O2 as well as triplet chlorophylls through a physical mechanism involving transfer of excitation energy followed by thermal deactivation. Here, we show that leaf carotenoids are also able to quench 1O2 by a chemical mechanism involving their oxidation. In vitro oxidation of β-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin by 1O2 generated various aldehydes and endoperoxides. A search for those molecules in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) leaves revealed the presence of 1O2-specific endoperoxides in low-light-grown plants, indicating chronic oxidation of carotenoids by 1O2. β-Carotene endoperoxide, but not xanthophyll endoperoxide, rapidly accumulated during high-light stress, and this accumulation was correlated with the extent of photosystem (PS) II photoinhibition and the expression of various 1O2 marker genes. The selective accumulation of β-carotene endoperoxide points at the PSII reaction centers, rather than the PSII chlorophyll antennae, as a major site of 1O2 accumulation in plants under high-light stress. β-Carotene endoperoxide was found to have a relatively fast turnover, decaying in the dark with a half time of about 6 h. This carotenoid metabolite provides an early index of 1O2 production in leaves, the occurrence of which precedes the accumulation of fatty acid oxidation products.
Localized Iron Supply Triggers Lateral Root Elongation inArabidopsisby Altering the AUX1-Mediated Auxin Distribution
Authors: Giehl Ricardo F.H. , Lima Joni E. , von Wirén Nicolaus
Published: January 2012

Root system architecture depends on nutrient availability, which shapes primary and lateral root development in a nutrient-specific manner. To better understand how nutrient signals are integrated into root developmental programs, we investigated the morphological response of Arabidopsis thaliana roots to iron (Fe). Relative to a homogeneous supply, localized Fe supply in horizontally separated agar plates doubled lateral root length without having a differential effect on lateral root number. In the Fe uptake-defective mutant iron-regulated transporter1 (irt1), lateral root development was severely repressed, but a requirement for IRT1 could be circumvented by Fe application to shoots, indicating that symplastic Fe triggered the local elongation of lateral roots. The Fe-stimulated emergence of lateral root primordia and root cell elongation depended on the rootward auxin stream and was accompanied by a higher activity of the auxin reporter DR5-β-glucuronidase in lateral root apices. A crucial role of the auxin transporter AUXIN RESISTANT1 (AUX1) in Fe-triggered lateral root elongation was indicated by Fe-responsive AUX1 promoter activities in lateral root apices and by the failure of the aux1-T mutant to elongate lateral roots into Fe-enriched agar patches. We conclude that a local symplastic Fe gradient in lateral roots upregulates AUX1 to accumulate auxin in lateral root apices as a prerequisite for lateral root elongation.
4-Pyridone–terephthalic acid–water (2/1/2) and bis(3-hydroxypyridinium) terephthalate
Authors: Staun Selena L. , Oliver Allen G.
Published: January 2012

4-Hydroxypyridine and terephthalic acid cocrystallize as a hydrate, 4-pyridone–terephthalic acid–water (2/1/2), 2C5H5NO·C8H6O4·2H2O, from a methanol–water solution. The molecules form a two-dimensional hydrogen-bonded network resulting in sheets of hydrogen-bonded molecules that lie parallel to the (10\overline 2) plane. In contrast, 3-hydroxypyridine and terephthalic acid form the salt bis(3-hydroxypyridinium) terephthalate, 2C5H6NO+·C8H4O42−, giving rise to two-dimensional hydrogen-bonded sheets extending through the lattice parallel to the (10\overline 2) plane.
Multi‐level analysis of alcohol‐related injury and drinking pattern: emergency department data from 19 countries*†
Authors: Cherpitel Cheryl J. , Ye Yu , Bond Jason , Borges Guilherme , Chou Patricia , Nilsen Per , Ruan June , Xiang Xiaojun
Published: January 2012

Aim  While drinking in the event is an important factor in injury occurrence, the pattern of usual drinking may also be important in risk of injury. Explored here is the relationship of an alcohol‐related injury with an individual usual drinking pattern.

Design  Alcohol‐related injury is examined using hierarchical linear models, taking into account individual usual volume of consumption over the past 12 months, as well as aggregate‐level detrimental drinking pattern (DDP) and alcohol policy measures.

Setting  Data analyzed are from emergency departments (EDs) in 19 countries, comprising three collaborative studies on alcohol and injury, all of which used a similar methodology.

Participants  The sample comprised 14 132 injured drinkers across 46 emergency room (ER) studies.

Measurements  Alcohol‐related injury was measured, separately, by any self‐reported drinking prior to injury, a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) ≥ 0.08 and self‐reported causal attribution of injury to drinking.

Findings  While individual usual volume strongly predicted an alcohol‐related injury for all three measures, usual drinking pattern also predicted an alcohol‐related injury (controlling for volume), with episodic heavy and frequent heavy drinking both more predictive of alcohol‐related injury than other drinking patterns. When individual usual volume and drinking pattern were controlled, DDP was no longer a significant predictor of alcohol‐related injury. Alcohol policy measures were predictive of both BAC and causal attribution (the stronger the policy the lower the rates of alcohol‐related injury).

Conclusions  Volume of alcohol typically consumed and occurrence of heavy drinking episodes are associated independently with incidence of alcohol‐related injury. The stronger the anti‐alcohol policies in a country, the lower the rates of alcohol‐related injury.
Prescribing of nicotine replacement therapy to cardiovascular disease patients in England
Authors: Langley Tessa E. , Szatkowski Lisa , McNeill Ann , Coleman Tim , Lewis Sarah
Published: January 2012

Aims  In November 2005 the indications for nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) were broadened in the United Kingdom, making all forms available to patients with stable cardiovascular disease (CVD). This study aimed to estimate the effects of this change on prescribing of NRT to CVD patients in England.

Design  Segmented regression analysis of time series of monthly rates of prescribing of NRT.

Setting  A total of 350 general practices in England included in The Health Improvement Network (THIN), a database of UK electronic primary care records.

Participants  All adult patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) or stroke registered with a THIN practice in England.

Measurements  The number of patients per 100 000 with CHD and stroke that received a prescription for NRT each month between January 2002 and June 2009.

Findings  Approximately 1500 per 100 000 smokers with CVD were prescribed NRT per month. Prescribing of NRT to CHD and stroke patients increased until the end of 2005 and subsequently decreased, with no immediate change following the Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Authority (MHRA) licensing change.

Conclusions  Broadening the marketing licence in the United Kingdom for nicotine replacement therapy to allow it to be prescribed to patients with CVD did not increase prescribing rates for this group of patients.
Potency of microbial inocula from bovine faeces and rumen fluid for in vitro digestion of different tropical forage substrates
Authors: Hughes M. , Mlambo V. , Lallo C. H. O. , Jennings P. G. A.
Published: January 2012

In vitro ruminal fermentation techniques rely on the availability of fistulated ruminants for rumen fluid (RF), a major constraint for resource‐poor institutions. An alternative would be to use faecal microbes. This study was therefore designed to compare the potency of fresh bovine faeces against RF as sources of microbial inocula for fermenting six contrasting tropical forages using the Tilley and Terry (Journal of British Grassland Society, 18, 104–111) technique. Faecal inocula were prepared at concentrations of 250 g (Faec250), 300 g (Faec300), 350 g (Faec350), 400 g (Faec400) and 450 g (Faec450) fresh cow faeces per litre bicarbonate buffer. In vitro organic matter digestibility (IVOMD) increased with increasing concentration of faeces at 12‐, 24‐ and 48‐h incubation intervals. All faecal inocula except Faec450 had lower potency when compared with RF at all incubation intervals. Digestibility of forage substrates with Faec450 (533 ± 23 g kg−1 DM IVOMD) was comparable to RF (566 ± 5 g kg−1 DM IVOMD) after 48‐h incubation. Faec450 showed greater potency on more fibrous and low‐protein substrates than RF. The coefficient of determination of the regression models for predicting 12‐, 24‐ and 48‐h RF IVOMD from Faec450 were 0·914, 0·75 and 0·756 respectively. It was concluded that inocula prepared from 450 g cow faeces demonstrated great potential as a substitute and predictor for RF in 48‐h IVOMD assays of tropical forages.
Assessing the potential for nutrient leaching from beneath grazed leguminous swards at four European sites
Authors: Sulas L. , Piluzza G. , Rochon J.J. , Goby J.P. , Greef J.M. , Sölter U. , Headon D. , Scholefield D.
Published: January 2012

This study reports the leaching of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) from beneath grazed leguminous swards established at two Mediterranean and two north‐western European sites. The purpose of the experiment was to provide scientific evidence on whether moderately extensive systems of animal production based on legumes could be environmentally sustainable, to comply with the Water Framework Directive. There were differences in the legume species and the grazing animal between sites, reflecting differences in local management and climatic conditions. There were also differences in the methods used to assess nutrient leaching, again reflecting soil and hydrological conditions present. There were no general differences between the quantities of nutrient leached at Mediterranean and north European sites over the 3 year experiment and these quantities, up to 6 kg ha−1 year−1 for nitrate‐N, were similar to those reported from earlier studies of leaching beneath grass‐white clover swards at temperate sites. Temporal variability in leached nutrient concentrations and amounts was greater at the Mediterranean sites. There were no discernible differences in the effects of sward treatment on leaching. The proportion of N leached in organic combination or as ammonium was greater than with N‐fertilized grass systems. The quantities of P leached were relatively high, ranging from 0·1 to 3 kg ha−1 year−1 for soluble reactive P, reflecting the practice of high levels of fertilizer application to these systems. Reduction of P transfer to water from these systems will be critical for future compliance with the Water Framework Directive.
How far is noninvasive assessment of liver fibrosis from replacing liver biopsy in hepatitis C?
Authors: Sebastiani G. , Alberti A.
Published: January 2012

Summary.  Chronic hepatitis C represents a major cause of progressive liver disease that can eventually evolve into cirrhosis and its end‐stage complications. Formation and accumulation of fibrosis in the liver is the common pathway that leads to evolutive liver disease. Precise staging of liver fibrosis is essential for patient management in clinical practice because the presence of bridging fibrosis represents a strong indication for antiviral therapy, while cirrhosis requires a specific follow‐up. Liver biopsy has always represented the standard of reference for assessment of hepatic fibrosis, but it has limitations: it is invasive, costly and prone to sampling errors. Recently, blood markers and instrumental methods have been proposed for the noninvasive assessment of liver fibrosis in hepatitis C. However, international guidelines do not recommend the widespread use of noninvasive methods for liver fibrosis in clinical practice. This is because of, in some cases, unsatisfactory accuracy and incomplete validation of others. Some studies suggest that the effectiveness of noninvasive methods for assessing liver fibrosis may increase when they are combined, and a number of sequential and synchronous algorithms have been proposed for this purpose, with the aim of reducing rather than substituting liver biopsies. This may represent a rational and reliable approach for implementing noninvasive assessment of liver fibrosis in clinical practice. It could allow more comprehensive first‐line screening of liver fibrosis in hepatitis C than would be feasible with liver biopsy alone.
Severe anaemia related to oseltamivir during treatment of chronic hepatitis C: a new drug interaction?
Authors: Simón‐Talero M. , Buti M. , Esteban R.
Published: January 2012

Summary.  Treatment for hepatitis C virus is often complicated by anaemia from ribavirin‐related haemolysis and bone marrow suppression because of peginterferon alfa. An extensive literature search revealed no reports of drug interactions between ribavirin and oseltamivir. We report the case of a patient with chronic hepatitis C infection who developed severe anaemia during antiviral treatment with peginterferon alfa/ribavirin when oseltamivir was added to treat influenza. The adverse events related to ribavirin and drug–drug interactions during therapy for hepatitis C are discussed.
Steatosis and insulin resistance in response to treatment of chronic hepatitis C
Authors: Negro F.
Published: January 2012

Summary.  This review will focus on the impact of steatosis and insulin resistance on the response to antiviral therapy for chronic hepatitis C. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is known to have direct and/or indirect effects on lipid and glucose metabolism, leading to, among other disturbances, steatosis and insulin resistance, respectively. Some of these disturbances have a marked HCV genotype distribution. For example, on average, patients with HCV genotype 3 have the highest prevalence and severity of viral fatty liver. On the other hand, the current global spread of the metabolic syndrome represents a formidable cofactor of morbidity in HCV‐related chronic liver disease. Thus, the pathogenesis of steatosis and insulin resistance in patients with chronic hepatitis C may often be dual, i.e. viral and metabolic. This distinction is relevant because the effect (if any) of steatosis or insulin resistance on the response to antiviral agents seems to depend on their pathogenesis. Accumulating data suggest that viral fatty liver may not impact on response to therapy, while metabolic steatosis does. Similarly, viral insulin resistance may not reduce the rate of response to therapy to the same extent that metabolic insulin resistance does. Some implications for patient management are discussed.
Thymosin alpha‐1 with peginterferon alfa‐2a/ribavirin for chronic hepatitis C not responsive to IFN/ribavirin: an adjuvant role?
Authors: Ciancio A. , Andreone P. , Kaiser S. , Mangia A. , Milella M. , Solà R. , Pol S. , Tsianos E. , De Rosa A. , Camerini R. , McBeath R. , Rizzetto M.
Published: January 2012

Summary.  This study was conducted to determine whether the adding thymosin alpha‐1 to standard of care for re‐treatment of nonresponding hepatitis C infections can improve sustained viral response (SVR) rates. Patients (n = 552) with hepatitis C infections not responding to the combination of Peginterferon alfa‐2a or 2b with ribavirin (RBV)were randomized to receive peginterferon alfa‐2a 180 mg/week with RBV 800–1200 mg/daily plus either thymosin alpha‐1 1.6 mg SC twice weekly (n = 275) or placebo (n = 277) for 48 weeks. Eighty‐eight per cent of patients had HCV genotype 1, 6.6% type 4, 2.2% type 2 and 3.6% type 3. SVR rates in the intention to treat population were similar between thymosin alpha‐1 and placebo (12.7%vs 10.5%; P = 0.407). Among patients who completed all 48 weeks of therapy, the SVR rate was significantly higher in the thymosin alpha‐1 group at 41.0% (34/83) compared with 26.3% (26/99) in the placebo group (P = 0.048). No significant difference was observed between treatment groups in the incidence of adverse events. The addition of thymosin alpha‐1 to the standard of care did not increase the on‐treatment HCV viral response. Thymosin alpha‐1 seems to play no role in the primary therapy of the disease. This study raises the hypothesis that thymosin alpha‐1 may have a secondary therapeutic role as an adjuvant in the prevention of relapses in patients achieving a virologic response during therapy.
Selective spinal anesthesia for outpatient transurethral prostatectomy (TURP): randomized controlled comparison of chloroprocaine with lidocaine
Authors: VAGHADIA H. , NEILSON G. , LENNOX P. H.
Published: January 2012

Background

This is a study comparing two short‐acting local anesthetics lidocaine and 2‐chloroprocaine in combination with fentanyl, to provide selective spinal anesthesia for outpatient transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP).

Methods

In this prospective, randomized double‐blind study, selective spinal anesthesia was performed in 40 American Society of Anesthesiologists I‐III outpatients undergoing TURP using either 40 mg of chloroprocaine mixed with 12.5 μg of fentanyl (n = 20) or 35 mg of lidocaine mixed with 12.5 μg of fentanyl (n = 20). The primary outcome was duration of spinal block. Secondary outcomes were time to reach T10 (onset), time to maximal level, duration above T10 and lidocaine 3, maximal level of block, and adverse effects.

Results

The median (minimum, maximum) onset time was 4 (1, 16) and 3 (2, 10) min for chloroprocaine and lidocaine, respectively. Time to maximal level was 20 (17, 29) and 22 (16, 26) min for chloroprocaine and lidocaine, respectively. Mean maximal level was T7‐T8 for both agents. Duration of block above T10 was 54 (28, 88) and 63 (31, 87) min for chloroprocaine and lidocaine, respectively. Duration of block above lidocaine 3 was 93 (56, 218) and 98 (58, 151) min for chloroprocaine and lidocaine, respectively. There was no statistical difference between the two groups with respect to these clinical end points. Four patients in the lidocaine group developed transient neurological symptoms. One patient in the chloroprocaine group developed a cauda equina‐like syndrome but recovered fully after several weeks.

Conclusions

Selective spinal anesthesia with chloroprocaine and lidocaine for TURP yielded comparable results for clinical characteristics. Further research on transient neurological symptom and cauda equina risk with chloroprocaine is warranted.
Quantitative genetics of behavioural reaction norms: genetic correlations between personality and behavioural plasticity vary across stickleback populations
Authors: DINGEMANSE N. J. , BARBER I. , WRIGHT J. , BROMMER J. E.
Published: January 2012

Behavioural ecologists have proposed various evolutionary mechanisms as to why different personality types coexist. Our ability to understand the evolutionary trajectories of personality traits requires insights from the quantitative genetics of behavioural reaction norms. We assayed > 1000 pedigreed stickleback for initial exploration behaviour of a novel environment, and subsequent changes in exploration over a few hours, representing their capacity to adjust their behaviour to changes in perceived novelty and risk. We found heritable variation in both the average level of exploration and behavioural plasticity, and population differences in the sign of the genetic correlation between these two reaction norm components. The phenotypic correlation was not a good indicator of the genetic correlation, implying that quantitative genetics are necessary to appropriately evaluate evolutionary hypotheses in cases such as these. Our findings therefore have important implications for future studies concerning the evolution of personality and plasticity.
Repeated Recent Aggressive Encounters Do Not Affect Behavioral Consistency in Male Siamese Fighting Fish
Authors: Dzieweczynski Teresa L. , Sullivan Kalyn R. , Forrette Lindsay M. , Hebert Olivia L.
Published: January 2012

Consistent individual differences in behavior suggest that individuals respond in a predictable and repeatable manner in a specific situation while differing from other individuals. Male Siamese fighting fish exhibit consistent individual differences in decision‐making strategies when they encounter a receptive female and a rival male simultaneously. However, whether these differences are altered by recent experience is unknown. We examined the influence of repeated aggressive encounters on behavioral consistency and decision‐making. Males were presented with paired female–male dummies prior to any aggressive experiences to obtain a baseline measure. Next, males either won or lost three consecutive contests against rivals and then received the paired female–male dummies after each of these encounters. Overall levels of highly aggressive behaviors were affected by contest outcome, while levels of female‐directed were not. Not surprisingly, winning a fight led to an increase in male‐directed bites, an overtly aggressive behavior that only occurs after fights have escalated. Fighting a male before encountering the dummies caused males to perform more tail beats to the dummy male, perhaps as a result of increased motivation. Males exhibited similar levels of repeatability and used the same strategies when faced with conflicting stimuli regardless of fighting experience. Thus, while winning or losing a fight impacts overall aggression, it does not influence behavioral consistency. This study demonstrates that consistent individual differences and decision‐making strategies may be resistant to recent aggressive experiences, even over a period of days.
Conservative management of pelvi‐ureteric junction obstruction (PUJO): is it appropriate and if so what duration of follow‐up is needed?
Authors: Malki Manar , Linton Kate D. , Mackinnon Rory , Hall James
Published: January 2012

Study Type – Therapy (case series)

Level of Evidence 4

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

Although most pelvi‐ureteric junction obstruction (PUJO) is probably congenital in aetiology, it often presents later in life. PUJO can be diagnosed during investigation of urological symptoms, or imaging for other reasons. It is thought that in the absence of infectious complications that PUJO in adults is a benign condition. Unfortunately, there is a paucity of data in this field, and in patients who have no indication for intervention; it is unclear how long they should be followed up. We also do not know how often renography should be performed during their follow‐up.

The present study suggests discharging patients with minimally symptomatic and or asymptomatic PUJO at 2 years from diagnosis if they do not have symptomatic or renographic deterioration. Large multicentre prospective studies would be contributory to help elucidate further how we should be treating minimally symptomatic PUJO.

OBJECTIVE

To establish whether it is safe to manage minimally symptomatic and asymptomatic pelvi‐ureteric junction obstruction (PUJO) conservatively.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

In all, 50 patients with PUJO diagnosed with dynamic renography, and monitored with at least two renograms.

RESULTS

In all, 19 patients were totally asymptomatic, while 31 patients had minimal symptoms at time of diagnosis.

The mean follow‐up was 53 months.

During the course of follow‐up 10 of the 50 patients deteriorated.

All patients who had asymptomatic renographic deterioration, deteriorated within 2 years of diagnosis.

Eight of the 10 patients that deteriorated needed pyeloplasty and two nephrectomy.

CONCLUSIONS

Conservative management of patients with minimally symptomatic and asymptomatic PUJO is safe.

Discharging patients could be considered at 2 years from diagnosis, if they remain renographically stable and asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic.
Current status of molecular markers for prognostication and outcome in invasive bladder cancer
Authors: Gakis Georgios , Schwentner Christian , Todenhöfer Tilman , Stenzl Arnulf
Published: January 2012

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

Currently, prognostication of patients with invasive BC is hampered owing to the inadequacy of standard clinicopathological risk factors to predict accurately individual treatment outcomes. This review provides a comprehensive albeit brief overview on current studies elucidating the potential role of different molecular markers to close this gap of evidence. It focusses on biostatistical considerations in the interpretation of study results which are essential to provide meaningful clinical conclusions for an individual patient.

OBJECTIVE

To improve prognostication and the management of patients with invasive bladder cancer (BC).

METHODS

Standard clinicopathological risk factors are not reliably enough to accurately predict outcomes in patients after radical treatment and guide clinicians for recommending selectively the use of adjuvant therapies.

With detailed insights into the molecular pathology of BC, biomarkers have come to the fore of researchers as a potential tool to close this gap of evidence.

However, their definitive role in the diagnostic and therapeutic management of patients with invasive BC has not clearly been addressed so far.

RESULTS

Invasive BC are an extremely heterogenenous group of malignancies which are characterized by multiple genetic alterations involved in the carcinogenesis and development of metastatic spread. Thus, it is questionable whether any single marker will provide superior prognostication compared with a combination of markers.

Current studies evaluating the predictive value of a multitude of markers have used high‐throughput technologies and investigated the gain in predictive accuracy within new nomograms which encompass well‐established clinicopathological and novel putative molecular parameters. p53 overexpression was found to be associated with increased risk of recurrence in urothelial and non‐urothelial cancer. In pT1 disease, the combination of p53, p21 and p16 as well as epigenetic alterations of myopodin expression has been shown to provide improved prognostication, and this might help to advocate more selectively the use of early radical treatment.

After the bladder‐sparing approach, p53 and p21 overexpression indicate decreased probability of long‐term bladder preservation. Additionally, altered retinoblastoma expression is associated with improved survival after adjuvant chemotherapy.

To provide meaningful conclusions for individual prognosis and the need of adjuvant treatment, biostatistical pitfalls in the analysis and interpretation of results have to be taken into account.

CONCLUSIONS

Different molecular markers have the potential to improve prognostication of patients with invasive BC and provide improved evidence for targeted therapy in the neoadjuvant, adjuvant and metastatic setting.

However, in order to advocate their routine clinical use on a sound scientific basis prospective data are still necessary.
Diet and its role in interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) and comorbid conditions
Authors: Friedlander Justin I. , Shorter Barbara , Moldwin Robert M.
Published: January 2012

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

Nearly 90% of patients with interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) report sensitivities to a wide variety of dietary comestibles. Current questionnaire‐based literature suggests that citrus fruits, tomatoes, vitamin C, artificial sweeteners, coffee, tea, carbonated and alcoholic beverages, and spicy foods tend to exacerbate symptoms, while calcium glycerophosphate and sodium bicarbonate tend to improve symptoms. At present we recommend employing a controlled method to determine dietary sensitivities, such as an elimination diet, in order to identify sensitivities while at the same time maintain optimal nutritional intake.

We review current literature with regard to diet's effect upon IC/BPS and common comorbidities (irritable bowel syndrome, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, neuropathic pain, vulvodynia, and headache) with a focus upon questionnaire‐based investigations. We discuss the pathologic mechanisms that may link diet and IC/BPS related‐pain, concentrating upon specific comestibles such as acidic foods, foods high in potassium, caffeine, and alcohol.

Up to 90% of patients with interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) report sensitivities to a wide variety of comestibles.

Pathological mechanisms suggested to be responsible for the relationship between dietary intake and symptom exacerbation include peripheral and/or central neural upregulation, bladder epithelial dysfunction, and organ ‘cross‐talk’, amongst others.

Current questionnaire‐based data suggests that citrus fruits, tomatoes, vitamin C, artificial sweeteners, coffee, tea, carbonated and alcoholic beverages, and spicy foods tend to exacerbate symptoms, while calcium glycerophosphate and sodium bicarbonate tend to improve symptoms.

Specific comestible sensitivities varied between patients and may have been influenced by comorbid conditions.

This suggests that a controlled method to determine dietary sensitivities, such as an elimination diet, may play an important role in patient management.
Surgical simulators in urological training – views of UK Training Programme Directors
Authors: Forster James A. , Browning Anthony J. , Paul Alan B. , Biyani C. Shekhar
Published: January 2012

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

The role of surgical simulators is currently being debated in urological and other surgical specialties. Simulators are not presently implemented in the UK urology training curriculum. The availability of simulators and the opinions of Training Programme Directors' (TPD) on their role have not been described.

In the present questionnaire‐based survey, the trainees of most, but not all, UK TPDs had access to laparoscopic simulators, and that all responding TPDs thought that simulators improved laparoscopic training. We hope that the present study will be a positive step towards making an agreement to formally introduce simulators into the UK urology training curriculum.

To discuss the current situation on the use of simulators in surgical training. To determine the views of UK Urology Training Programme Directors (TPDs) on the availability and use of simulators in Urology at present, and to discuss the role that simulators may have in future training. An online‐questionnaire survey was distributed to all UK Urology TPDs. In all, 16 of 21 TPDs responded. All 16 thought that laparoscopic simulators improved the quality of laparoscopic training. The trainees of 13 TPDs had access to a laparoscopic simulator (either in their own hospital or another hospital in the deanery). Most TPDs thought that trainees should use simulators in their free time, in quiet time during work hours, or in teaching sessions (rather than incorporated into the weekly timetable). We feel that the current apprentice‐style method of training in urological surgery is out‐dated. We think that all TPDs and trainees should have access to a simulator, and that a formal competency based simulation training programme should be incorporated into the urology training curriculum, with trainees reaching a minimum proficiency on a simulator before undertaking surgical procedures.
The Significance of Insecure and Disorganized Attachment for Children’s Internalizing Symptoms: A Meta‐Analytic Study
Authors: Groh Ashley M. , Roisman Glenn I. , van IJzendoorn Marinus H. , Bakermans‐Kranenburg Marian J. , Fearon R. Pasco
Published: January 2012

This meta‐analytic review examines the association between attachment and internalizing symptomatology during childhood, and compares the strength of this association with that for externalizing symptomatology. Based on 42 independent samples (N = 4,614), the association between insecurity and internalizing symptoms was small, yet significant (d = 0.15, CI 0.06∼0.25) and not moderated by assessment age of internalizing problems. Avoidance, but not resistance (d = 0.03, CI −0.11∼0.17) or disorganization (d = 0.08, CI −0.06∼0.22), was significantly associated with internalizing symptoms (d = 0.17, CI 0.03∼0.31). Insecurity and disorganization were more strongly associated with externalizing than internalizing symptoms. Discussion focuses on the significance of attachment for the development of internalizing versus externalizing symptomatology.
Does Citizenship Education Make Young People Better-Engaged Citizens?
Authors: Tonge Jon , Mycock Andrew , Jeffery Bob
Published: January 2012

Citizenship education has been a compulsory feature of the curriculum in secondary schools in England since 2002. However, its future may be uncertain amid inter-party disputes over the utility of such teaching. Moreover, there are substantial concerns over the breadth, aims and reach of the Citizenship curriculum. There is a lack of clarity over whether good citizenship can be taught and dispute over whether it can or should go beyond bolstering civil engagement (volunteering) and improving civic (political) activity. This article assesses the motivations for the introduction of Citizenship and the extent to which it has become a politicised panacea to a range of emerging policy challenges. Then, using survey data gathered for the Youth Citizenship Commission, established under the previous government to encourage community and democratic participation by young people, the article tests whether citizenship education is making a difference to the engagement of young people in the civil and political spheres. It assesses which categories of young people have been most influenced by – and which remain impervious to – citizenship education.
MUTUAL LEARNING IN DUTCH‐MOROCCAN AND DUTCH‐TURKISH MUNICIPAL PARTNERSHIPS
Authors: VAN EWIJK EDITH
Published: January 2012

This paper focuses on mutual learning (learning by both involved parties) in Dutch‐Moroccan and Dutch‐Turkish municipal partnerships. This is particularly relevant as strengthening local governance is high on the agenda of both migrant source and destination countries and the body of knowledge on mutual learning in municipal partnerships is limited. After describing the national and local policy context, the paper presents an analysis of knowledge exchanges and learning at the level of local government and other society actors in the Netherlands, Turkey and Morocco. The results show that involved actors in the three countries learned in different ways within these partnerships. The international exchanges also helped strengthening connections between local government and non‐governmental actors in the involved countries. The potential for mutual learning was however not fully utilised due to the absence of clear learning strategies, existing language barriers and the lack of strategic involvement of other actors.
Itineraries of Peace through Tourism: Excavating Territorial Attachments across the Arab/Israeli Frontier
Authors: Hazbun Waleed
Published: January 2012

This essay examines the efforts between Israel and Jordan in the wake of their 1994 peace treaty to promote peace, economic cooperation, and cross‐cultural understanding through tourism. It argues these efforts failed, in part, because the resulting cross‐border travel experiences defined the border as a marker of difference between two seemingly internally homogeneous territorial nation states, while opponents of peace successfully portrayed the resulting cross‐border flows as threats to their own society’s economy and security. To suggest an alternative itinerary for peace through tourism, the essay considers the 1994 travelogue by Egyptian playwright Ali Salem describing his drive through Israel and the West Bank. Salem’s experiences, such as meeting Egyptian Jews and Palestinian citizens of Israel, recognize the existing, but overlooked, ways that Arab and Israeli societies live in states that possess overlapping cultures with interwoven histories and territorial attachments. The essay concludes that tourism based on such itineraries may contribute to the pluralization of politics and identities within each state needed to promote peaceful coexistence between Arabs and Israelis.