bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Monitoring Chemotherapeutic Response by Hyperpolarized 13C-Fumarate MRS and Diffusion MRI
Authors: Mignion Lionel , Dutta Prasanta , Martinez Gary V. , Foroutan Parastou , Gillies Robert J. , Jordan Bénédicte F.
Published: November 2013

Targeted chemotherapeutic agents often do not result in tumor shrinkage, so new biomarkers that correlate with clinical efficacy are needed. In this study, we investigated noninvasive imaging protocols to monitor responses to sorafenib, a multikinase inhibitor approved for treatment of renal cell and hepatocellular carcinoma. Healthy cells are impermeable to fumarate, so conversion of this metabolite to malate as detected by 13C-magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) has been suggested as one marker for cell death and treatment response in tumors. Diffusion MRI also has been suggested as a measure of therapy-induced cytotoxic edema because viable cells act as a diffusion barrier in tissue. For these reasons, we assessed sorafenib responses using hyperpolarized 13C-fumarate, diffusion-weighted MRI (DW-MRI) in a xenograft model of human breast cancer in which daily administration of sorafenib was sufficient to stabilize tumor growth. We detected signals from fumarate and malate following intravenous administration of hyperpolarized fumarate with a progressive increase in the malate-to-fumarate (MA/FA) ratio at days 2 to 5 after sorafenib infusion. The apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) measured by DW-MRI increased in the treated group consistent with cytotoxic edema. However, the MA/FA ratio was a more sensitive marker of therapeutic response than ADC, with 2.8-fold versus 1.3-fold changes, respectively, by day 5 of drug treatment. Histologic analyses confirmed cell death in the sorafenib-treated cohort. Notably, 13C-pyruvate-to-lactate conversion was not affected by sorafenib in the breast cancer model examined. Our results illustrate how combining hyperpolarized substrates with DW-MRI can allow noninvasive monitoring of targeted therapeutic responses at relatively early times after drug administration. Cancer Res; 74(3); 686–94. ©2013 AACR.
A Genome-Wide Aberrant RNA Splicing in Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia Identifies Novel Potential Disease Markers and Therapeutic Targets
Authors: Adamia Sophia , Haibe-Kains Benjamin , Pilarski Patrick M. , Bar-Natan Michal , Pevzner Samuel , Avet-Loiseau Herve , Lode Laurence , Verselis Sigitas , Fox Edward A. , Burke John , Galinsky Ilene , Dagogo-Jack Ibiayi , Wadleigh Martha , Steensma David P. , Motyckova Gabriela , Deangelo Daniel J. , Quackenbush John , Stone Richard , Griffin James D.
Published: November 2013

Purpose: Despite new treatments, acute myeloid leukemia (AML) remains an incurable disease. More effective drug design requires an expanded view of the molecular complexity that underlies AML. Alternative splicing of RNA is used by normal cells to generate protein diversity. Growing evidence indicates that aberrant splicing of genes plays a key role in cancer. We investigated genome-wide splicing abnormalities in AML and based on these abnormalities, we aimed to identify novel potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets.

Experimental Design: We used genome-wide alternative splicing screening to investigate alternative splicing abnormalities in two independent AML patient cohorts [Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) (Boston, MA) and University Hospital de Nantes (UHN) (Nantes, France)] and normal donors. Selected splicing events were confirmed through cloning and sequencing analysis, and than validated in 193 patients with AML.

Results: Our results show that approximately 29% of expressed genes genome-wide were differentially and recurrently spliced in patients with AML compared with normal donors bone marrow CD34+ cells. Results were reproducible in two independent AML cohorts. In both cohorts, annotation analyses indicated similar proportions of differentially spliced genes encoding several oncogenes, tumor suppressor proteins, splicing factors, and heterogeneous-nuclear-ribonucleoproteins, proteins involved in apoptosis, cell proliferation, and spliceosome assembly. Our findings are consistent with reports for other malignances and indicate that AML-specific aberrations in splicing mechanisms are a hallmark of AML pathogenesis.

Conclusions: Overall, our results suggest that aberrant splicing is a common characteristic for AML. Our findings also suggest that splice variant transcripts that are the result of splicing aberrations create novel disease markers and provide potential targets for small molecules or antibody therapeutics for this disease. Clin Cancer Res; 20(5); 1135–45. ©2013 AACR.
Detection of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in Primary Care in Salzburg, Austria: Findings from the Real World
Authors: Weiss Gertraud , Steinacher Ina , Lamprecht Bernd , Schirnhofer Lea , Kaiser Bernhard , Sönnichsen Andreas , Studnicka Michael
Published: November 2013

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a major public health burden and profoundly affects individuals suffering from the disease. However, the majority of subjects with COPD are still undiagnosed. Objectives: To evaluate COPD prevalence and detection strategies for COPD in the primary-care setting. Methods: The study was conducted in a random sample of general practitioner (GP) offices in Salzburg (Austria). A questionnaire and post-bronchodilator (PBD) spirometry was administered to patients aged ≥40 years. Nonreversible airway obstruction was considered when PBD FEV1/FVC was <0.70. Severity of spirometrically defined COPD was graded according to the GOLD recommendations. Results: 60 GP offices were randomly selected for study participation, however only 30 (50.0%) were willing to participate. 1,230 of 9,820 (12.52%) patients consented to the protocol. Quality of PBD spirometry was evaluated, and 882 (71.7%) met ATS/ERS quality criteria. 7.5% (95% CI: 5.7-9.4%) of the patients had COPD grade II+ (FEV1/FVC <0.7 and FEV1 <80% of predicted), but only 22.4% of them reported a prior physician's diagnosis of COPD. Similar results were seen for the 2005 Salzburg BOLD (Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease) sample with regard to COPD GOLD II+ prevalence (10.7%) and proportion of underdiagnosis (82.3%). Conclusion: COPD in the primary-care setting is as prevalent and underdiagnosed as reported recently for the BOLD study. The surprisingly low participation rate of GPs and patients indicates that prevention of COPD is not a health priority, and that awareness for COPD has to heightened before case-finding strategies will be successful.
High Latency of Tuberculosis Manifestation in a Premature Extremely Low Birth Weight Infant with Favorable Outcome
Authors: Vogel Markus , Schroten Horst , Kahl Philip , Müller Andreas
Published: November 2013

We report a case of possible congenital tuberculosis in a 22+2 weeks, 460 g, vaginally delivered female infant born to a mother suffering from tuberculous endometritis, diagnosed soon after delivery. At 156 days of age, Mycobacterium tuberculosis was detected via PCR from the infant's gastric juice and was subsequently isolated. There was no evidence for horizontal transmission. Mother and child were treated successfully. This case illustrates the possibility of significant latency between infection and clinical manifestation in preterm infants and also emphasizes the need for urgent treatment of neonates in such situations.
Eplerenone-Mediated Aldosterone Blockade Prevents Renal Fibrosis by Reducing Renal Inflammation, Interstitial Cell Proliferation and Oxidative Stress
Authors: Chen Hui , Sun Feng , Zhong Xiaoshi , Shao Yuebin , Yoshimura Ashio , Liu Yan
Published: November 2013

Background/Aims: Prolonged elevation of serum aldosterone leads to renal fibrosis. Inflammation also plays a role in the pathogenesis of renal disease. We used a rat model of interstitial renal fibrosis to test the hypothesis that eplerenone-mediated aldosterone blockade prevents renal fibrosis due to its anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative effects. Methods: Eplerenone (a selective aldosterone blocker) or vehicle (control), was given to male Wistar rats (50 mg/kg, twice daily) for 7 days before unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) and for an additional 28 days after surgery. Body weight, blood pressure, renal histo-morphology, immune-staining for macrophages, monocyte chemotactic protein-1, proliferating cell nuclear antigen, α-smooth muscle actin, and serum and urine markers of renal function and oxidative stress were determined for both groups on 7, 14, and 28 days after surgery. Results: Epleronone had no effect on body weight or blood pressure. However, eplerenone inhibited the development of renal fibrosis, inflammation (macrophage and monocyte infiltration), interstitial cell proliferation, and activation of interstitial cells (α-SMA expression). Epleronone also reduced oxidative stress. Conclusion: The anti-fibrotic effect of eplerenone appears to be unrelated to its effect on blood pressure. Eplerenone inhibits renal inflammation, interstitial cell proliferation, phenotypic changes of interstitial cells, and reduces oxidative stress.
Survival and Neurodevelopmental Outcome of Preterm Infants Born at 22-24 Weeks of Gestational Age
Authors: Ochiai Masayuki , Kinjo Tadamune , Takahata Yasushi , Iwayama Mariko , Abe Takeru , Ihara Kenji , Ohga Shouichi , Fukushima Kotaro , Kato Kiyoko , Taguchi Tomoaki , Hara Toshiro
Published: November 2013

Background: The limits of viability in extremely premature infants are challenging for any neonatologists in developed countries. The neurological development and growth of extremely preterm infants have come to be the emerging issue following the management in the neonatal intensive care unit. Objective: To assess potential associations between changes in practice and survival/neurodevelopmental outcome, and clinical outcomes of extremely preterm infants born at the limit of viability studied in a tertiary center. Study Design: A retrospective study enrolled 51 infants who had no congenital disorders, and were born at 22-24 weeks of gestational age (GA) in 2000-2009 in our institution. Clinical variables and interventions were studied with regard to one-year survival and developmental quotient (DQ) at 3 years of age. Results: The one-year survival rate of 24 preterm infants born in 2005-2009 (79%) was higher than that of the 27 infants born in 2000-2004 (52%, p = 0.04). Infants born after 2005 underwent less tocolysis (54 vs. 94%, p < 0.01) and more frequently antenatal steroid therapy (32 vs. 6%, p = 0.01) than those born before 2004. The post-2005 survivors (n = 19) received more frequently indomethacin therapy (89 vs. 50%, p = 0.03) and early parenteral nutrition (95 vs. 36%, p < 0.01) than the pre-2004 survivors (n = 14). There were no differences in the proportion of infants who attained a DQ of >50 at 3 years of age between pre-2004 (9/13, 69%) and post-2005 groups (10/17, 59%). Multivariate analysis indicated that extremely premature birth at GA <24 weeks was the sole critical factor for a DQ of >50 in survivors. Conclusions: The perinatal care after 2005 improved the overall survival rate, but not the neurological outcome of preterm survivors at the limit of viability. Neurodevelopmental impairments were associated with extremely premature birth at GA <24 weeks.
A de novo 11p13 Microduplication in a Patient with Some Features Invoking Silver-Russell Syndrome
Authors: Palumbo O. , Mattina T. , Palumbo P. , Carella M. , Perrotta C.S.
Published: November 2013

Patients with Silver-Russell syndrome (SRS) show an intrauterine and postnatal growth restriction associated with a variable spectrum of additional features. Genetic or epigenetic alterations on chromosomes 7 and 11 can be detected in several SRS patients; however, a large fraction of cases remains with unknown genetic etiology. Here, we describe the clinical and molecular findings of a patient with a phenotype invoking SRS showing intrauterine and postnatal growth retardation, psychomotor retardation, relative macrocephaly, slightly triangular face with pointed chin, clinodactyly, and a slight body asymmetry, in whom single-nucleotide polymorphism oligonucleotide array analysis led to the identification of a de novo 11p13 duplication containing many genes that could be functionally related with the observed clinical features. Many deletions of chromosome 11p13, resulting in WAGR (Wilms tumor, aniridia, genital anomalies, mental retardation) syndrome, have been described, while only few duplications spanning the same region have been reported so far. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case presenting a SRS carrier of an 11p13 duplication. We propose candidate genes for the observed traits, and in particular, we discuss the possible role of the involvement of 2 noncoding RNAs in the etiology of the phenotype.
Known players, new interplay in atherogenesis: Chronic shear stress and carbamylated-LDL induce and modulate expression of atherogenic LR11 in human coronary artery endothelium
Authors: Bajar Tarek M. , Winnicki Wolfgang , Gensberger Eva-Theres , Scharrer Susanna I. , Regele Heinz , Aumayr Klaus , Kopecky Chantal , Gmeiner Bernhard M. , Hermann Marcela , Zeillinger Robert , Sengölge Gürkan
Published: November 2013

In this study we examined whether low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor family members represent a link between blood flow characteristics and modified low-density lipoproteins involved in endothelial injury, a pivotal factor in atherogenesis. We demonstrated the expression of pro-atherogenic LDL receptor relative (LR11) for the first time in human coronary artery endothelial cells (HCAEC) in vitro and in vivo. Next, LR11 expression and regulation were explored in HCAEC cultured conventionally or on the inner surface of hollow fiber capillaries under exposure to shear stress for 10 days in the presence or absence of LDL. There was no LR11 expression under static conditions. When exposed to chronic low shear stress (2.5 dynes/cm2) transmembrane and soluble endothelial-LR11 were detected in high levels irrespective of the type of LDL added (carbamylated or native). In contrast, chronic high shear stress (25 dynes/cm2) inhibited the LR11-inducing effect of LDL such that transmembrane and soluble LR11 expression became non-detectable with native LDL. Carbamylated LDL significantly counteracted this atheroprotective effect of high shear stress as shown by lower, yet sustained expression of soluble and transmembrane LR11. Oxidised LDL showed similar effects compared to carbamylated LDL but caused significantly lower LR11 expression under chronic high shear stress. Medium from HCAEC under LR11-inducing conditions enhanced vascular smooth muscle cell migration, which was abrogated by the anti-LR11 antibody. Expression of LR11 depended entirely on p38MAPK phosphorylation. We conclude that coronary endothelial LR11 expression modulated by LDL and chronic shear stress contributes to atherogenesis. LR11 and p38MAPK are potential targets for prevention of atherosclerosis.
Disbalance between mortality and non-fatal vascular events in the CHAMPION-PHOENIX trial: The cangrelor efficacy challenge
Authors: Pokov Alex N. , Fortmann Seth D. , DiNicolantonio James J. , Serebruany Victor L.
Published: November 2013

The recently published, largest trial with cangrelor, the Cangrelor versus Standard Therapy to Achieve Optimal Management of Platelet Inhibition (CHAMPION)-PHOENIX, suggested that the experimental agent significantly reduced the rate of stent thrombosis (ST) and myocardial infarction (MI) during PCI at 48 hours (h) and 30 days. However, the declared impressive cangrelor vascular non-fatal benefit was contradicted by identical deaths at 48 h, and a trend toward excess mortality at 30 days. We analysed the mismatch between outcomes in the CHAMPION-PHOENIX trial. The trial reported identical mortality (18 death in each arm; odds ratio [OR] 1.00 (0.52–1.92); p>0.999) at 48 h, but more deaths, 60 vs 55, after cangrelor at 30 days. There was a significant reduction of ST from 0.8% (n=46) of the patients in the cangrelor group versus 1.4% (n=74) in the clopidogrel group (odds ratio, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.43 to 0.90; p= 0.01) at 48 h, and a persistent but less impressive ST prevention benefit OR of 0.68 (0.50=0.92, p = 0.01) at 30 days. There were also 48 less MI’s following cangrelor usage enforced by a significant difference (odds ratio 0.80 (0.67–0.97) p = 0.02), which was also less prevalent at 30 days (OR 0.82 (0.68–0.98), p = 0.03). The reported ST/MI advantage should result in at least a trend towards numerically less deaths after cangrelor at 30 days follow-up, which was opposite of the results reported in CHAMPION- PHOENIX trial. Efficacy of cangrelor is challenged by the disproportional “reduction” of ST and MI conflicting with identical mortality at 48 h and worsened at day 30 fatalities. The dissociation between vascular mortality and non-fatal vascular ischaemic occlusions, unless compensated by some other unreported cause(s) of death, should be explored and explained. Unadjudicated 30-day outcomes, and all ST types should be fully disclosed. The ongoing FDA cangrelor review should focus on appropriate event count and/or possible mismatch between site-reported and extra adjudicated events in the CHAMPION-PHOENIX trial.
Structure-activity relationship of the pro- and anticoagulant effects of Fucus vesiculosus fucoidan
Authors: Zhang Zhenqing , Till Susanne , Jiang Cong , Knappe Sabine , Reutterer Sabrina , Szabo Christina M. , Dockal Michael , Scheiflinger Friedrich
Published: November 2013

Fucoidan is a highly complex sulfated polysaccharide commonly extracted from brown seaweed. In addition to their many biological activities, fucoidans have recently been demonstrated to inhibit or increase coagulation at different concentration ranges. Their structural features, i.e. molecular weight (Mw), Mw distribution, degree of sulfation, monosaccharide composition, and different linkages, are known to affect these activities. Therefore, structure-activity relationship (SAR) analysis of fucoidan is crucial for its potential use as a procoagulant. In this study, Fucus vesiculosus (F.v.) fucoidan was fractionated by charge and size as well as over- and desulfated to different degrees to yield preparations with various structural properties. The fractions’ pro- and anticoagulant activities were assessed by calibrated automated thrombography (CAT) and activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) assays. Binding to and inhibition of the anticoagulant protein tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI) and the ability to activate coagulation via the contact pathway were also investigated. This paper discusses the impact of charge density, size, and sugar composition on fucoidan’s pro- and anticoagulant activities. Fucoidan requires a minimal charge density of 0.5 sulfates per sugar unit and a size of 70 sugar units to demonstrate desired procoagulant activities for improvement of haemostasis in factor VIII/factor IX-deficient plasma.
Effect of Niacin on High-Density Lipoprotein Apolipoprotein A-I Kinetics in Statin-Treated Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Pang Jing , Chan Dick C. , Hamilton Sandra J. , Tenneti Vijay S. , Watts Gerald F. , Barrett P. Hugh. R.
Published: November 2013

Objective—

To investigate the effect of extended-release (ER) niacin on the metabolism of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) apolipoprotein A-I (apoA-I) in men with type 2 diabetes mellitus on a background of optimal statin therapy.

Approach and Results—

Twelve men with type 2 diabetes mellitus were recruited for a randomized, crossover design trial. Patients were randomized to rosuvastatin or rosuvastatin plus ER niacin for 12 weeks and then crossed over to the alternate therapy after a 3-week washout period. Metabolic studies were performed at the end of each treatment period. HDL apoA-I kinetics were measured after a standardized liquid mixed meal and a bolus injection of d3-leucine for 96 hours. Compartmental analysis was used to model the data. ER niacin significantly decreased plasma triglyceride, plasma cholesterol, non-HDL cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and apoB (all
P
<0.05) and significantly increased HDL cholesterol and apoA-I concentrations (
P
<0.005 and
P
<0.05, respectively). ER niacin also significantly increased HDL apoA-I pool size (6088±292 versus 5675±305 mg;
P
<0.001), and this was attributed to a lower HDL apoA-I fractional catabolic rate (0.33±0.01 versus 0.37±0.02 pools/d;
P
<0.005), with no significant changes in HDL apoA-I production (20.93±0.63 versus 21.72±0.85 mg/kg per day;
P
=0.28).

Conclusions—

ER niacin increases HDL apoA-I concentration in statin-treated subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus by lowering apoA-I fractional catabolic rate. The effect on HDL metabolism was independent of the reduction in plasma triglyceride with ER niacin treatment. Whether this finding applies to other dyslipidemic populations remains to be investigated.
Multiple-Site Activation of the Cysteinyl Leukotriene Receptor 2 Is Required for Exacerbation of Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury
Authors: Ni Nathan C. , Ballantyne Laurel L. , Mewburn Jeffrey D. , Funk Colin D.
Published: November 2013

Objective—

Transgenic overexpression of the human cysteinyl leukotriene receptor 2 (CysLT
2
R) in murine endothelium exacerbates vascular permeability and ischemia/reperfusion injury. Here, we explore the underlying mechanisms of CysLT
2
R activation-mediated inflammation and delineate the relative contributions of endogenous murine CysLT
2
R and the transgene-derived receptor.

Approach and Results—

We created a novel mouse with only endothelial-expressed CysLT
2
R (endothelium-targeted overexpression mice [EC]/CysLT
2
R-knockout mice [KO]) by crossing EC with KO to dissect the role of endothelial CysLT
2
R in tissue injury. Surprisingly, we discovered that damage in EC/KO mice was not elevated (24% versus 47% EC) after ischemia/reperfusion. We examined vascular permeability and leukocyte recruitment/rolling responses in the cremaster vasculature after cysteinyl leukotriene (cysLT) stimulation. Mice possessing transgenic endothelial CysLT
2
R overexpression, whether EC or EC/KO, when stimulated with cysLTs, exhibited vascular hyperpermeability, declining leukocyte flux, and a transient increase in slow-rolling leukocyte fraction. Mice lacking endogenous CysLT
2
R (both KO [20±3 cells/min] EC/KO [24±3]) showed lower-rolling leukocyte flux versus wild-type (38±6) and EC (35±6) mice under unstimulated conditions. EC/KO mice differed from EC counterparts in that vascular hyperpermeability was not present in the absence of exogenous cysLTs.

Conclusions—

These results indicate that endothelial and nonendothelial CysLT
2
R niches have separate roles in mediating inflammatory responses. Endothelial receptor activation results in increased vascular permeability and leukocyte slow-rolling, facilitating leukocyte transmigration. Nonendothelial receptors, likely located on resident/circulating leukocytes, facilitate endothelial receptor activation and leukocyte transit. Activation of both receptor populations is required for injury exacerbation.
Delta-6-desaturase Links Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Metabolism With Phospholipid Remodeling and Disease Progression in Heart Failure
Authors: Le Catherine H. , Mulligan Christopher M. , Routh Melissa A. , Bouma Gerrit J. , Frye Melinda A. , Jeckel Kimberly M. , Sparagna Genevieve C. , Lynch Joshua M. , Moore Russell L. , McCune Sylvia A. , Bristow Michael , Zarini Simona , Murphy Robert C. , Chicco Adam J.
Published: November 2013

Background—

Remodeling of myocardial phospholipids has been reported in various forms of heart failure for decades, but the mechanism and pathophysiological relevance of this phenomenon have remained unclear. We examined the hypothesis that δ-6 desaturase (D6D), the rate-limiting enzyme in long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis, mediates the signature pattern of fatty acid redistribution observed in myocardial phospholipids after chronic pressure overload and explored plausible links between this process and disease pathogenesis.

Methods and Results—

Compositional analysis of phospholipids from hearts explanted from patients with dilated cardiomyopathy revealed elevated polyunsaturated fatty acid product/precursor ratios reflective of D6D hyperactivity, manifesting primarily as lower levels of linoleic acid with reciprocally higher levels of arachidonic and docosahexaenoic acids. This pattern of remodeling was attenuated in failing hearts chronically unloaded with a left ventricular assist device. Chronic inhibition of D6D in vivo reversed similar patterns of myocardial polyunsaturated fatty acid redistribution in rat models of pressure overload and hypertensive heart disease and significantly attenuated cardiac hypertrophy, fibrosis, and contractile dysfunction in both models. D6D inhibition also attenuated myocardial elevations in pathogenic eicosanoid species, lipid peroxidation, and extracellular receptor kinase 1/2 activation; normalized cardiolipin composition in mitochondria; reduced circulating levels of inflammatory cytokines; and elicited model-specific effects on cardiac mitochondrial respiratory efficiency, nuclear factor κ B activation, and caspase activities.

Conclusions—

These studies demonstrate a pivotal role of essential fatty acid metabolism in myocardial phospholipid remodeling induced by hemodynamic stress and reveal novel links between this phenomenon and the propagation of multiple pathogenic systems involved in maladaptive cardiac remodeling and contractile dysfunction.
Vitamin C Intake, Circulating Vitamin C and Risk of Stroke: A Meta‐Analysis of Prospective Studies
Authors: Chen Guo‐Chong , Lu Da‐Bing , Pang Zhi , Liu Qing‐Fang
Published: November 2013

Background

Though vitamin C supplementation has shown no observed effects on stroke prevention in several clinical trials, uncertainty remains as to whether long‐term, low‐dose intake influences the development of stroke among general populations. Furthermore, the association between circulating vitamin C and the risk of stroke is also unclear. For further clarification of these issues, we conducted a meta‐analysis of prospective studies.

Methods and Results

PubMed and
EMBASE
databases were searched, and the bibliographies of the retrieved articles were also reviewed to identify eligible studies. Summary relative risk (
RR
s) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (
CI
s) were computed with a random‐effects model. The summary
RR
for the high‐versus‐low categories was 0.81 (95%
CI
: 0.74 to 0.90) for dietary vitamin C intake (11 studies), and 0.62 (95%
CI
: 0.49 to 0.79) for circulating vitamin C (6 studies). The summary
RR
for each 100 mg/day increment in dietary vitamin C was 0.83 (95%
CI
: 0.75 to 0.93) (10 studies), and for each 20 μmol/L increment in circulating vitamin C was 0.81 (95%
CI
: 0.75 to 0.88) (5 studies). Few studies reported results for vitamin C supplements (
RR
for high‐versus‐low intake=0.83, 95%
CI
: 0.62 to 1.10, 3 studies).

Conclusions

This meta‐analysis suggests significant inverse relationships between dietary vitamin C intake, circulating vitamin C, and risk of stroke.
Reproductive aspects and adaptive relative growth of the tropical crab Goniopsis cruentata
Authors: de Lira José J.P.R. , Calado Tereza C. dos S.
Published: November 2013

The knowledge of reproductive traits is essential to the comprehension of the evolution of life history and population dynamics of a species. Here, we evaluate morphological maturity, relative growth, fecundity, relationship between size and fecundity, brood loss, and seasonal variation of brood size in the crab Goniopsis cruentata. Crabs were collected during a period of one year in a tropical mangrove, Northeast Brazil. Males matured at smaller sizes than females. Compared to other studies, this result indicates that there appears to be no pattern of sexual maturity between the sexes in this species, with both sexes maturing earlier or later. The relative growth of the gonopod length (males) and abdomen width and length (males and females) is clearly related to different sex roles, i.e., incubating eggs in females and maximizing the number of mates in males. Fecundity increased with female size and was similar to the fecundity of previous studies with the same species. Egg number of females incubating early-stage eggs was higher than those incubating late-stage eggs, indicating loss of eggs during embryogenesis. Fecundity of females occurring in the dry season was higher than that of females occurring in the rainy season, indicating seasonal variation of brood size.
Rehabilitating Theoretical Wisdom
Authors: Walker Matthew D.
Published: November 2013

Given the importance of theoretical wisdom (sophia) in Aristotle’s account of the human good, it is striking that contemporary virtue ethicists have been virtually silent about this intellectual virtue and what contribution (if any) it makes – or could make – toward human flourishing. In this paper, I examine, and respond to, two main worries that account for theoretical wisdom’s current marginality. Along the way, I sketch a neo-Aristotelian conception of theoretical wisdom, and argue that this intellectual virtue is more central to the concerns of contemporary virtue ethicists than it has perhaps so far seemed.
Stauroneis lacusvulcani sp. nov. (Bacillariophyceae), a new diatom from volcanic lakes in northeastern China
Authors: RIOUAL PATRICK , GAO QIANG , PENG YUMEI , CHU GUOQIANG
Published: November 2013

Stauroneis lacusvulcani sp. nov. is described from two small volcanic lakes in northeastern China. The morphology of S. lacusvulcani is illustrated with light and scanning electron micrographs and discussed in comparison with several species of the Stauroneis gracilior group. S. lacusvulcani can be distinguished by the size of the valves and its long-protracted and strongly capitate apices. Diatom analysis of the sedimentary record from Lake Xiaolongwan (Jilin Province) showed that this new species was most abundant during the early Holocene (~8950 to 10,640 yrs BP).
Notes on the genus Gymneia (Lamiaceae: Ocimeae, Hyptidinae) with two new species from Brazil
Authors: HARLEY R.M.
Published: November 2013

Two new species of Gymneia from Brazil, G. moniliformis and G. chapadensis are described and illustrated, and details of habitat and conservation status included. Morphological relationships to other species of the genus are given, and inflorescence structure of the genus discussed.
A revision of the New World sharpshooter genus Xyphon Hamilton (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Cicadellinae)
Authors: CATANACH THERESE A. , DIETRICH CHRIS H. , WOOLLEY JAMES B.
Published: November 2013

A phylogenetic analysis of Xyphon was completed using 45 adult morphological characters and 1,076 base pairs of the mtDNA gene NADH dehydrogenase 1. Multiple specimens, representative of the range of morphological variation found in each previously described species, were scored for the morphological data matrix to test the monophyly of each species. These tests supported the following synonymies: Xyphon gillettei (Ball, 1901) to include X. balli (Knull, 1940) syn. nov.; and X. reticulatum (Signoret, 1854) to include X. diductum (Fowler, 1900) syn. nov., X. dyeri (Gibson, 1919) syn. nov., and X. sagittiferum (Uhler, 1895) syn. nov. Parsimony and Bayesian techniques were used to infer relationships among species, resulting in almost identical tree topologies. In all analyses Xyphon was monophyletic and Draeculacephala was its sister genus although clade support for Xyphon was generally low. The analyses suggest that a clade comprising X. flaviceps (Riley) and X. fulgidum (Nottingham) is sister to the remainder of the genus, and a clade comprising X. gillettei and X. spadice sp. nov. was sister to a clade containing X. triguttatum (Nottingham), X. nudum (Nottingham), and X. reticulatum. The six currently recognized species, including X. spadice sp. nov., are described and illustrated and a key to adult Xyphon is provided.
Mooreonuphis vespa, a new brooding species of Onuphidae (Annelida) from northern Spain (Bay of Biscay)
Authors: ARIAS ANDRÉS , PAXTON HANNELORE , ANADÓN NURIA
Published: November 2013

A new species of the genus Mooreonuphis Fauchald, 1982 collected from the Cantabrian shelf (Bay of Biscay) is described. Mooreonuphis vespa sp. nov. constitutes the first record of this genus in European waters and is characterised by: conspicuous dark brown transverse segmental pigment bands; antennae and palps with 3–5 basal ceratophoral rings and a very long distal ring; unusually long and slender peristomial and dorsal cirri; simple branchiae from chaetiger 17–19. We present observations on its reproductive biology (including brooding behaviour) and remark on the biogeography of the genus.
Beyond institutional individualism: Agentic individualism and the individuation process in Chilean society
Authors: Araujo Kathya , Martuccelli Danilo
Published: November 2013

The sociological study of individuation processes in modern occidental societies has mobilized the thesis of institutional individualism as a key concept. This article argues that this thesis may not be appropriate to understand societies with different cultural traditions and institutional practices. Based upon the results of qualitative research conducted in Chile the article discusses the existence of a specific path to individuation in this society. The data show the analytical preeminence within the individuation process in Chile of a group of competences that must be generated and developed in confronting social life itself. Individuation leads in Chile to the constitution of relational hyper-actors based upon four dimensions: self-effort, abilities, interpersonal relationships and pragmatic consistency. This is what we propose to understand as agentic individualism.
Roads and the Raj: The politics of road building in colonial Naga Hills, 1860s–1910s
Authors: Dzuvichu Lipokmar
Published: November 2013

This article looks at the historical importance of borderland routes, the way they were laid out, built and monitored, and the changing role of hill communities in this colonial enterprise. It argues that road building provided a crucial site upon which plots of empire building could unfold in the Naga Hills. This was a space, which had to be constituted through the politics of access. Access routes intensified the colonial state’s ability to penetrate, control and incorporate ‘unstable’ peripheral areas and its inhabitants into the imperial domain. Road building was then woven into a complex network of colonial practices such as military surveillance, taxation, population enumeration and the subordination of the hill populace as ‘coolies’. However, British officials could not have simply re-shaped the landscape, framed policies and establish its domination from above. To do so, they had to engage with the existing ‘traditional’ structures and institutions, whereby they had to create and draw upon native agents in the form of gaonburras (village headmen) and dobhashis (interpreters) who came to hold considerable stake in their imperial project.
Book Review: Bacteriology in British India Laboratory Medicine and the Tropics
Authors: Ramanna Mridula
Published: November 2013

PRATIK CHAKRABARTI, Bacteriology in British India Laboratory Medicine and the Tropics, New York: University of Rochester Press, 2012, pp. 304.
Book Review: Becoming a Borderland: Space and Identity in Colonial Northeastern India
Authors: Ludden David
Published: November 2013

SANGHAMITRA MISRA, Becoming a Borderland: Space and Identity in Colonial Northeastern India, London and New Delhi: Routledge, 2011, pp. 236.
Book Review: Sentiment and Self, Richard Blechynden’s Calcutta Diaries, 1791–1822 and Sex and Sensibility, Richard Blechynden’s Calcutta Diaries, 1791–1822
Authors: Datta Partho
Published: November 2013

PETER ROBB, Sentiment and Self, Richard Blechynden’s Calcutta Diaries, 1791–1822, Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2011, pp. 259, and PETER ROBB, Sex and Sensibility, Richard Blechynden’s Calcutta Diaries, 1791–1822, Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2011, pp. 260.
Book Review: Muslim Devotional Art in India
Authors: Freitag Sandria
Published: November 2013

YOUSUF SAEED, Muslim Devotional Art in India, New Delhi: Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group, 2012, pp. 209.
Book Review: Berenike and the Ancient Maritime Spice Route
Authors: Subramanian Lakshmi
Published: November 2013

STEVEN E. SIDEBOTHAM, Berenike and the Ancient Maritime Spice Route, Berkeley: University of California Press, 2011, pp. 434.
Blame It on the Norm
Authors: Polonioli Andrea
Published: November 2013

In this paper, I provide a qualified defense of the claim that cognitive biases are not necessarily signs of irrationality, but rather the result of using normative standards that are too narrow. I show that under certain circumstances, behavior that violates traditional norms of rationality can be adaptive. Yet, I express some reservations about the claim that we should replace our traditional normative standards. Furthermore, I throw doubt on the claim that the replacement of normative standards would license optimistic verdicts about human rationality.
Productivity and Wages: What Grows for Workers without Power and Institutions
Authors: Kerswell Timothy
Published: November 2013

The neoclassical model of wages suggests that wages are set according to the marginal productivity of workers. The article consists of international comparisons and analysis of the Indian labour market based on a set of structural and political variables. In questioning the validity of the neoclassical model, it is argued that variables such as the strength of trade unions, the size of the informal sector and national rates of poverty are better explanations for wage levels. Therefore, to improve wages and conditions, workers and their representatives must address the structural and institutional factors which determine wages.
Conservation-induced Displacement: The Anatomy of a Win–Win Solution
Authors: Kabra Asmita
Published: November 2013

India’s wildlife conservation strategy relies on creating ‘inviolate’ protected areas (PAs) free from human disturbance, using policing of PAs and physical displacement of human populations as the preferred tools to do so. Conservation-induced displacement causes not just loss of livelihood and dwellings but also increases vulnerability and impoverishment risks of displaced people. By and large, the state’s record of rehabilitating people displaced from PAs has been quite dismal in India. This article examines a rare case of conservation-induced displacement and resettlement where the livelihood outcomes for the displaced people are said to be positive. The relocation of over 400 households from the Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary in Karnataka in the late 1990s has been held up as a case where both conservation goals and local people’s livelihoods gained from displacement. The success of Bhadra has inspired a spate of calls by conservationists in India to use village relocation as a ‘win-win’ opportunity to attain simultaneously the goals of wildlife conservation and poverty alleviation for forest-dwelling communities. This article delves into the process and politics of displacement, resettlement and rehabilitation in Bhadra from the point of view of examining this claim and assessing its replicability elsewhere.
Democracy, Pluralism and the Religious Minorities: The Muslim Question in India
Authors: Thakur Manish K.
Published: November 2013

On the basis of a critical examination of the report of the high-level committee on the social, economic and educational status of Muslims in India (also known as the Sachar Committee Report) and the Justice Ranganath Misra Commission Report, the article foregrounds issues relating to the perceived appeasement, marginalisation, discrimination and social exclusion of Muslims in India. Despite being the largest religious minorities group in the country, the reports show them to be the most deprived of India’s social groups and communities, with an appalling social, occupational and economic profile. Whereas a very large section of the Indian Muslim population is being left behind in the drive towards development, they equally bear the wrath of right-wing Hindu fundamentalist groups that perceive them as anti-nationalists and cultural outsiders. These identity-related issues offer us an opportunity to address the public policy challenges of ‘mainstreaming’ and inclusiveness of a minority group in a multicultural national setting. Specifically, this article looks at the ways and means of enhancing diversity in different spaces by way of public policy interventions and the challenges therein. Viewed thus, the article proposes to anchor the conceptual richness of the debate surrounding pluralism, democracy and citizenship to the realist world of public policy-making. In a related vein, it goes beyond an understanding of the formal processes and procedures of the acquisition of citizenship rights and focuses on substantive sources of mainstreaming and political exclusion. In the process, it revisits our conceptualisation of the cultural ingredients of a democratic nation-state, albeit from the perspective of a numerically preponderant (but otherwise powerless) minority. Through its analytical focus on the largest religious minorities group in India, the article intends to illuminate the complex political debates about minority rights in a democratic polity.
Tourism as an Additional Source of Rural Livelihoods: An Experience from Two Villages of Rajasthan
Authors: Roy Animesh
Published: November 2013

The study has been carried out in two villages of Rajasthan—Oriya village in Mount Abu and Laxmon Ki Basti in Jaisalmer subdivision. In spite of being closely located to two tourist spots (Mount Abu and Sam Desert), the livelihood of the two villagers has shown vastly different patterns of development. While the inhabitants of Laxmon ki Basti are vulnerable and exposed to a variety of risks due to the low endowment of physical resources, low level of human capital (education and skills) and lack of proper institutional development, the quality of life is comparatively far superior for the residents of Oriya village. The study attempts to analyse the impact of tourism on livelihood patterns of the working population of these two villages. It is of special significance as an important source of economic activity for a majority of the working population in Laxmon ki Basti, although camel safari is seasonal and depends on the influx of tourists.
Book Review: Indigenous Roots of Feminism, Culture, Subjectivity and Agency
Authors: Mohanty Bidyut
Published: November 2013

Jasbir Jain, Indigenous Roots of Feminism, Culture, Subjectivity and Agency, New Delhi: SAGE Publications, 2011, pp. vii + 341, ₹695.
Book Review: Those Who Did Not Die: Impact of the Agrarian Crisis on the Women in Punjab
Authors: Nagalia Shubhra
Published: November 2013

Ranjana Padhi, Those Who Did Not Die: Impact of the Agrarian Crisis on the Women in Punjab, 2012, New Delhi: SAGE Publications, pp. 228, ₹650.
Book Review: Radical Rabindranath: Nation, Family and Gender in Tagore’s Fiction and Films
Authors: Priyadarshini Anamika
Published: November 2013

Sanjukta Dasgupta, Sudeshna Chakravarti and Mary Mathew, Radical Rabindranath: Nation, Family and Gender in Tagore’s Fiction and Films, New Delhi: Orient BlackSwan, 2013, pp. 343, ₹695.
Book Review: The Politics of Poverty: Planning India’s Development
Authors: Dasgupta Zico
Published: November 2013

D. K. Rangnekar, The Politics of Poverty: Planning India’s Development, New Delhi: SAGE Publications, 2012, pp. 256, ₹695.
A Cultural Crossroads at the “Bloody Angle”
Authors: Chen Michelle
Published: November 2013

In the early twentieth century in New York City, the tongs of Chinatown established themselves as one of the most resilient, and clever, organized crime enterprises in Lower Manhattan. Through spectacular violence and shrewd political dealings, they survived by adapting to, and helping to shape, the evolution of Chinese America. Groups like the Hip Sings and On Leongs, inspiring awe and fear, spiced a chaotic urban stew in which race, class, and politics bubbled into a peculiarly American amalgam. But the tongs were never mere street criminals. These sophisticated organizations represented a formative period in New York’s Chinatown and the Chinese American community. Though rooted in Chinese culture, the tong was a uniquely American response to the racist oppression and political disenfranchisement of the Chinese, who were criminalized and legally excluded under immigration codes until the 1940s. The changes that the tongs underwent, in both their public image and their economic and political activities, reflected evolving, often contradictory, relationships with local law enforcement, civil society, and transnational political movements. Previous scholarship on the tongs is sparse, yet the tong wars appear in numerous literary, cultural, and analytical works on Chinese American history. The article examines the histories of two rival tongs with similar political underpinnings, the Hip Sings (協勝堂) and On Leongs (安良堂), who negotiated cultural and political boundaries to build power in the emerging Chinese American community. During the Exclusion Era, which lasted roughly from the late 1800s through 1943, the tongs consolidated their power by curating elements of tradition and Western urban society. In response to local, national, and global social change, the tongs continually honed and recast their public roles in Chinatown as the community came of age in modern America.
The Motivating Operation and Negatively Reinforced Problem Behavior
Authors: Langthorne Paul , McGill Peter , Oliver Chris
Published: November 2013

The concept of motivational operations exerts an increasing influence on the understanding and assessment of problem behavior in people with intellectual and developmental disability. In this systematic review of 59 methodologically robust studies of the influence of motivational operations in negative reinforcement paradigms in this population, we identify themes related to situational and biological variables that have implications for assessment, intervention, and further research. There is now good evidence that motivational operations of differing origins influence negatively reinforced problem behavior, and that these might be subject to manipulation to facilitate favorable outcomes. There is also good evidence that some biological variables warrant consideration in assessment procedures as they predispose the person’s behavior to be influenced by specific motivational operations. The implications for assessment and intervention are made explicit with reference to variables that are open to manipulation or that require further research and conceptualization within causal models.