bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Li0.97FeII0.79FeIII0.15(PO4), a new oxidized triphylite-type phosphate
Authors: Dal Bo Fabrice , Hatert Frédéric
Published: June 2012

This paper reports a new partially oxidized triphylite-type phosphate (lithium iron phosphate), which has been synthesized hydrothermally at 973 K and 0.1 GPa. The structure is similar to that of natural triphylite, LiFe(PO4), and is characterized by two chains of edge-sharing octahedra parallel to thebaxis. The weakly distortedM1 octahedra contain Li atoms, whereas the more strongly distortedM2 octahedra contain FeIIand FeIIIatoms. Refined site occupancies and bond-valence analysis show the presence of FeIIIand vacancies on theM2 site, mainly explained by the substitution mechanism 3 FeII= 2 FeIII+ vacancies.
Recent advances targeting innate immunity‐mediated therapies against HIV‐1 infection
Authors: Shankar Esaki Muthu , Velu Vijayakumar , Vignesh Ramachandran , Vijayaraghavalu Sivakumar , Rukumani Devi Velayuthan , Sabet Negar Shafiei
Published: June 2012

Early defence mechanisms of innate immunity respond rapidly to infection against HIV‐1 in the genital mucosa. Additionally, innate immunity optimises effective adaptive immune responses against persistent HIV infection. Recent research has highlighted the intrinsic roles of apolipoprotein B mRNA‐editing, enzyme‐catalytic, polypeptide‐like 3G, tripartite motif‐containing protein 5, tetherin, sterile α‐motif and histidine/aspartic acid domain‐containing protein 1 in restricting HIV‐1 replication. Likewise, certain endogenously secreted antimicrobial peptides, namely α/β/θ‐defensins, lactoferrins, secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor, trappin‐2/elafin and macrophage inflammatory protein‐3α are reportedly protective. Whilst certain factors directly inhibit HIV, others can be permissive. Interferon‐λ3 exerts an anti‐HIV function by activating Janus kinase‐signal transducer and activator of transcription‐mediated innate responses. Morphine has been found to impair intracellular innate immunity, contributing to HIV establishment in macrophages. Interestingly, protegrin‐1 could be used therapeutically to inhibit early HIV‐1 establishment. Moreover, chloroquine inhibits plasmacytoid dendritic cell activation and improves effective T‐cell responses. This minireview summarizes the recently identified targets for innate immunity‐mediated therapies and outlines the challenges that lie ahead in improving treatment of HIV infection.
Immunomodulatory properties of Enterococcus faecium JWS 833 isolated from duck intestinal tract and suppression of Listeria monocytogenes infection
Authors: Choi Hyun Jong , Shin Myeong Su , Lee Sang Myeong , Lee Wan Kyu
Published: June 2012

The aim of this study was to evaluate the immunomodulatory properties of Enterococcus faecium JWS 833 (JWS 833) isolated from duck intestine and compare them to those of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG), a proven immunity‐enhancing probiotic. To investigate the immune‐enhancing properties of JWS 833, production of nitric oxide (NO) and cytokines was measured in mouse peritoneal macrophages. In addition, a Listeria monocytogenes challenge model was used in the assessment. It was found that heat‐killed JWS 833 stimulates mouse peritoneal macrophages to produce NO, interleukin‐1 β (IL‐1β) and tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α) and that oral administration of viable JWS833 enhances NO, IL‐1β and TNF‐α synthesis upon L. monocytogenes challenge. Moreover, mice fed with JWS 833 were partially protected against lethal challenge with L. monocytogenes. JWS 833 strain has significantly greater immunostimulatory properties than LGG. Moreover, JWS 833 strain partially protects mice against lethal challenge with L. monocytogenes. JWS 833, a novel strain of E. faecium isolated from duck intestine, is potentially a useful feed supplement for controlling pathogens and enhancing host immune responses.
Climate change, fuel and fire behaviour in a eucalypt forest
Authors: Matthews Stuart , Sullivan Andrew L. , Watson Penny , Williams Richard J.
Published: June 2012

A suite of models was used to examine the links between climate, fuels and fire behaviour in dry eucalypt forests in south‐eastern Australia. Predictions from a downscaled climate model were used to drive models of fuel amount, the moisture content of fuels and two models of forest fire behaviour at a location in western Sydney in New South Wales, Australia. We found that a warming and drying climate produced lower fine fuel amounts, but greater availability of this fuel to burn due to lower moisture contents. Changing fuel load had only a small effect on fuel moisture. A warmer, drier climate increased rate of spread, an important measure of fire behaviour. Reduced fuel loads ameliorated climate‐induced changes in fire behaviour for one model. Sensitivity analysis of the other fire model showed that changes in fuel amount induced changes in fire behaviour of a similar magnitude to that caused directly by sensitivity to climate. Projection of changes in fire risk requires modelling of changes in vegetation as well as changes in climate. Better understanding of climate change effects on vegetation structure is required.
Well‐differentiated and dedifferentiated liposarcomas with prominent myxoid stroma: analysis of 56 cases
Authors: Sioletic Stefano , Dal Cin Paola , Fletcher Christopher D M , Hornick Jason L
Published: June 2012

Aims:  Occasional cases of well‐differentiated and dedifferentiated liposarcoma (LPS) contain myxoid stroma, leading to confusion with other sarcomas. The aim of this study was to analyse the clinicopathological and genetic features of well‐differentiated/dedifferentiated LPS with prominent myxoid stroma.

Methods and results:  Fifty‐six cases of LPS (22 well‐differentiated; 34 dedifferentiated) with prominent myxoid stroma were evaluated. Most arose in the retroperitoneum, abdominal cavity, or spermatic cord. The mean size was 170 mm. Myxoid LPS‐like plexiform vessels were conspicuous in 11 cases of well‐differentiated LPS. In 22 cases of dedifferentiated LPS, myxofibrosarcoma‐like curvilinear vessels were prominent. In other cases, the myxoid component had variably bland or pleomorphic morphology. By immunohistochemistry, staining for MDM2 was positive in 95% of cases, and CDK4 in 78%. Cytogenetics in 13 cases showed ring and giant marker chromosomes. Fluorescence in‐situ hybridization showed amplification of 12q13–15 in six cases evaluated. Of 30 patients with follow‐up, all but one had local recurrences (up to four), but only one has so far had distant metastases.

Conclusions:  Well‐differentiated/dedifferentiated LPS with prominent myxoid stroma can closely resemble other sarcoma types, especially myxoid LPS and myxofibrosarcoma. The clinical presentation (large retroperitoneal or abdominal tumour) is a clue to the correct diagnosis; the degree of nuclear atypia helps to exclude myxoid LPS. Immunohistochemistry for MDM2 and CDK4 and genetic analysis can be useful to confirm the diagnosis.
The lengths birds will go to avoid incest
Authors: Heinsohn Robert
Published: June 2012

image

[ A southern pied babbler (Turdoides bicolor) subordinate female immediately before dispersal to become dominant in a new group. Dispersal is an important mechanism whereby southern pied babblers avoid inbreeding; though there is no sex‐bias in dispersal distance, individuals move twice as far from birth groups as from subsequent groups. Southern pied babblers are found throughout the Kalahari Desert. A habituated population is intensively studied at the Pied Babbler Research Project, Kuruman River Reserve, Northern Cape, South Africa. Image courtesy Tom Flower. ]

Nelson‐Flower, M.J., Hockey, A.R., O'Ryan, C.O. & Ridley, A.R. (2012) Inbreeding avoidance mechanisms: dispersal dynamics in cooperatively breeding southern pied babblers. Journal of Animal Ecology, 81, 875–882.

Cooperatively breeding species, in which some individuals help others to rear their offspring, face a high risk of inbreeding because of close relatedness within social groups. Many species circumvent this problem via sex‐biased dispersal, in which one sex is more likely to disperse (and to disperse further), while the other stays and helps. In the absence of sex‐biased dispersal, more complex dispersal patterns can arise, based on kin recognition. However, this can also present challenges when dispersal distances are short, leading to clusters of relatives on neighbouring territories. In this issue, Nelson‐Flower et al. (2012) break important new ground by unravelling adaptive incest‐avoidance mechanisms in a cooperatively breeding bird without sex‐biased dispersal. They provide an elegant demonstration of finely tuned dispersal distances together with cognitively based methods for knowing whom to avoid as mates.
Innate immune defence mechanisms of tench, Tinca tinca (L.), naturally infected with the tapeworm Monobothrium wageneri
Authors: DEZFULI B. S. , LUI A. , GIARI L. , CASTALDELLI G. , SHINN A. P. , LORENZONI M.
Published: June 2012

A histochemical and ultrastructural investigation of the cellular inflammatory response within the intestines of tench Tinca tinca L. naturally infected with the caryophyllidean cestode Monobothrium wageneri was conducted and the data obtained compared to those in uninfected counterparts. Cestode infections within the intestines were evident through the appearance of raised inflammatory swellings induced by the deep penetration of their scolices into the intestinal wall. Cestodes typically attached in tight clusters, inducing a massive hyperplastic granulocyte response of mast cells and neutrophils, which were significantly more numerous (P < 0·01) in the intestines of infected (n = 14) than of uninfected (n = 9) tench. Neutrophils were more abundant than mast cells (P < 0·01) in host tissues in close proximity to the parasite tegument. In transmission electron microscopy sections, mast cells and neutrophils were frequently observed in contact with or inside capillaries, and in close proximity to the cestode. Degranulation of both cell types was seen in the submucosa and lamina muscularis, notably in the immediate tissues surrounding the scolex of M. wageneri. No tegumental secretions were seen at the host–parasite interface. Occasional rodlet cells were encountered in the submucosa of infected fish.
Supplement of L‐Arg improves protective immunity during early‐stage Plasmodium yoelii 17XL infection
Authors: ZHU X. , PAN Y. , LI Y. , CUI L. , CAO Y.
Published: June 2012

L‐arginine (L‐Arg), the precursor of nitric oxide (NO), plays multiple important roles in nutrient metabolism and immune regulation. L‐Arg supplement serves as a potential adjunctive therapy for severe malaria, because it improves NO bioavailability and reverses endothelial dysfunction in severe malaria patients. In this study, we investigated the effect of dietary L‐Arg supplement on host immune responses during subsequent malaria infection using the Plasmodium yoelii 17XL – BALB/c mouse model. We have shown that pretreatment of mice with L‐Arg significantly decreased parasitemia and prolonged the survival time of mice after infection. L‐Arg supplement led to significant increases in activated CD4+T‐bet+IFN‐γ+ T cells and F4/80+CD36+ macrophages during early‐stage infection, which were accompanied by enhanced synthesis of IFN‐γ, TNF‐α and NO by spleen cells. Moreover, L‐Arg‐pretreated mice developed more splenic myeloid and plasmacytoid dendritic cells with up‐regulated expression of MHC II, CD86 and TLR9. In comparison, L‐Arg treatment did not change the number of regulatory T cells and the level of anti‐inflammatory cytokine IL‐10. Taken together, our results showed that L‐Arg pretreatment could improve the protective immune response in experimental malaria infection in mice, which underlines potential importance of L‐Arg supplement in malaria‐endemic human populations.
Quantitative levels of Deficiens and Globosa during late petal development show a complex transcriptional network topology of B function
Authors: Manchado‐Rojo María , Delgado‐Benarroch Luciana , Roca María J. , Weiss Julia , Egea‐Cortines Marcos
Published: June 2012

The transcriptional network topology of B function in Antirrhinum, required for petal and stamen development, is thought to rely on initial activation of transcription of DEFICIENS (DEF) and GLOBOSA (GLO), followed by a positive autoregulatory loop maintaining gene expression levels. Here, we show that the mutant compacta (co), whose vegetative growth and petal size are affected, plays a role in B function. Late events in petal morphogenesis such as development of conical cell area and scent emissions were reduced in co and def nicotianoides (def nic), and absent in co def nic double mutants, suggesting a role for CO in petal identity. Expression of DEF was down‐regulated in co but surprisingly GLO was not affected. We investigated the levels of DEF and GLO at late stages of petal development in the co, def nic and glo‐1 mutants, and established a reliable transformation protocol that yielded RNAi‐DEF lines. We show that the threshold levels of DEF or GLO required to obtain petal tissue are approximately 11% of wild‐type. The relationship between DEF and GLO transcripts is not equal or constant and changes during development. Furthermore, down‐regulation of DEF or GLO does not cause parallel down‐regulation of the partner. Our results demonstrate that, at late stages of petal development, the B function transcriptional network topology is not based on positive autoregulation, and has additional components of transcriptional maintenance. Our results suggest changes in network topology that may allow changes in protein complexes that would explain the fact that not all petal traits appear early in development.
Identification of a novel KCNQ1 mutation in a large Saudi family with long QT syndrome: clinical consequences and preventive implications
Authors: Shinwari ZMA , Al‐Hazzani A , Dzimiri N , Tulbah S , Mallawi Y , Al‐Fayyadh M , Al‐Hassnan ZN
Published: June 2012

Congenital long QT syndrome (LQTS) is an inherited potentially fatal arrhythmogenic disorder that is characterized by prolonged corrected QT (QTc) interval. Mutations in three genes (KCNQ1, KCNH2, and SCN5A) account for the majority of the cases. However, 10 other genes are now known to be implicated in LQTS. In this work, we describe the clinical and molecular analysis in a large Saudi family with LQTS. Screening KCNQ1, KCNH2, and SCN5A genes in the proband, who presented with syncope, led to the identification of a heterozygous mutation (p.H258P) in KCNQ1. An extended clinical and genetic screening of the family identified 11 other members who were carriers for this mutation. All identified carriers had prolonged QTc intervals; yet, only two were symptomatic. Screening the family members for three LQTS modifiers (rs4657139 and rs16847548 in NOS1AP and KCNE1‐D85N) did not reveal a correlation with symptoms or QTc intervals. The electrocardiographic and molecular analysis stratified seven carriers at high risk of a cardiac event as they had a QTc of ≥500 ms and were carriers of a KCNQ1 mutation. Our work illustrates the importance of extended family screening in LQTS to identify silent carriers and hence adopt the most appropriate therapeutic and preventive intervention.
Heterochronically early decline of Hox expression prior to cartilage formation in the avian hindlimb zeugopod
Authors: Kamiyama Namiko , Seki Ryohei , Yokoyama Hitoshi , Tamura Koji
Published: June 2012

The fibula, a zeugopod bone in the hindlimb, exhibits various morphologies in tetrapod species. The fibula in some species has a similar length with the other zeugopod element, the tibia, while other species have obvious differences in the sizes of the two elements. In the avian hindlimb, for example, the fibula is extremely short, thin, and truncated. Basic morphology of the fibula is established during development, and cartilage primordium of the bone emerges in a certain region defined by a distinct combination of expression of Hox genes (Hox code). In order to elucidate how the different morphologies are produced from a region that is defined as the fixed Hox code, we examined spatial and temporal patterns of Hoxd11/Hoxd12 expression in the developing limb bud, which defines the region from which the fibula emerges, in comparison with the sites of precartilaginous mesenchymal condensations representing regions for cartilage formation among chick, mouse, and gecko embryos. We found that in the chick hindlimb, expression of Hoxd11/Hoxd12 decreased and disappeared from the presumptive zeugopod region before cartilage formation. This heterochronically early decline of expression of Hox genes is strongly correlated with the peculiar trait of the fibula in the avian hindlimb, since in the other species examined, expression of those genes continued after the onset of cartilage formation. This is morphological phenotype‐related because the early disappearance was not seen in the chick forelimb. Our results suggest that temporal change of the Hox code governs diversification in morphology of homologous structures among related species.
Photographical History, Everyday Life, and Memory: Wang Anyi as a Storyteller
Authors: WANG BAN
Published: June 2012

Postmodernists view all reality as representation and visual spectacle. This essay challenges this claim through film analysis of third world cinema and by tracing the tension between photography and history to the earlier debate of modernity in Siegfried Kracauer's work. The essay goes on to show the possibility of historically grounded visual images. By looking at the Chinese novelist Wang Anyi's photo narratives, the essay argues for a photographical image capable of fostering a sense of history deeply rooted in everyday life, communal practice, and social reality. Instead of being the inauthentic mirror of consumer culture, the photographical image is integral to historical imagination, narratives of everyday practice, and cultural memory.
Triple bottom line – a vaulting ambition?
Authors: Tullberg Jan
Published: June 2012

Triple bottom line has been a popular slogan hinting at introducing a model to evaluate environmental and social impact. Just hinting, without delivering, can be seen as misleading, but the expressed ambition might deserve to be pursued rather than abandoned. Here, a sketchy model is developed about how to construct a net value that has an informative and relevant content. The problems and benefits of this model should be judged in comparison with the problems and benefits of the more fragmented and inexplicit evaluation of an approach following the Global Reporting Initiative and other accounting guidelines. From the long list of desired actions by companies, there is a need to make priorities in a rational and explicit way. The triple bottom line is a candidate for becoming such a much‐missed priority model.
Social Issues, Authoritarianism, and Ideological Conceptualization: How Policy Dimensions and Psychological Factors Influence Ideological Labeling
Authors: Devine Christopher J.
Published: June 2012

Ideology's crucial theoretical and empirical role in explaining political behavior makes it imperative that scholars understand how individuals conceptualize and apply ideological labels. The existing literature on this topic is quite limited, however, because it relies almost exclusively upon data from the 1970s and 1980s, and it does not examine how psychological factors influence conceptualizations of ideological labels. This article uses data from two original laboratory experiments to test the relative impact of four major policy dimensions on participants' evaluations of candidate ideology and to test authoritarianism's role in shaping ideological conceptualization. These analyses indicate that individuals most often define liberalism and conservatism primarily in terms of social policies closely associated with religious values, each of which invert traditional ideological orientations toward the appropriate size and role of government. The causal mechanism shaping this relationship is authoritarianism, because, I argue, the religious social policy dimension most clearly evokes the deep‐seated value conflicts associated with an authoritarian view of political conflict.
Social Dominance Orientation and John Henryism at the Intersection of Race and Class
Authors: Sanders Melissa R. , Mahalingam Ramaswami
Published: June 2012

Three studies were conducted to explore the relationship between social dominance orientation (SDO) and John Henryism (JH). Each study was framed using an intersectionality perspective which predicted that specific combinations of social identities would impact endorsement of SDO and JH in unique ways. We hypothesized that upper‐class non‐Whites would be higher in SDO and lower in JH than any other class/race identity combination. As predicted, a Class × Race interaction emerged for both SDO and JH in Study 1 (N = 387), with upper‐class non‐Whites displaying the highest levels of SDO and the lowest levels of JH. Study 2 (N = 340) replicated these findings and also explored the impact of context‐level class on SDO and JH. Using a qualitative method, in Study 3 (N = 23) we found that upper‐class non‐Whites described their social class positions in ways highly consistent with SDO, whereas middle/working‐class non‐Whites described their experiences in ways consistent with JH.
Class, Power and Inequality in Rural Areas: Beyond Social Exclusion?
Authors: Shucksmith Mark
Published: June 2012

This article reviews approaches to the study of poverty, inequality and social exclusion in rural areas and seeks to relate these to new directions in class analysis and to ideas of place and hyper‐mobility. The article is primarily conceptual, drawing on Bourdievian approaches to class analysis and suggesting a new research agenda on class and inequality in rural areas. Specifically, the article argues that there is a need to research not only the ways in which those in similar social positions construct place and rurality, but also how these discursive and symbolic constructions are enlisted in class formation and domination. How does rurality itself become a vehicle for increasing and storing inequality and thence for its intergenerational transmission?
The First Rotavirus Vaccine and the Politics of Acceptable Risk
Authors: SCHWARTZ JASON L.
Published: June 2012

Context:Vaccination in the United States is a frequent source of controversy, with critics alleging failures by public health officials to adequately identify, monitor, and respond to risks associated with vaccines. In response to these charges, the case of RotaShield, a vaccine withdrawn in 1999 following confirmation of a serious adverse event associated with its use, is regularly invoked as evidence of the effectiveness of current vaccine safety activities.

Methods:This article examines the history of RotaShield, with particular attention paid to decision making regarding its use in the United States and internationally. I reviewed and analyzed federal advisory committee meeting transcripts, international conference reports, government and scientific publications, media coverage, and other primary and secondary source materials. I also conducted six semistructured interviews with former senior officials and advisory committee members at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who participated in decisions regarding the vaccine.

Findings:Decision making regarding RotaShield, including the ultimate withdrawal of its recommendation for use, was shaped significantly by government health officials’ concern for preserving public confidence in overall U.S. vaccination efforts amid several unrelated vaccine risk controversies ongoing at that time. This attention to public perception and external pressures occurred in tandem with the evaluation of the quantitative evidence regarding the magnitude and severity of the risk associated with the vaccine. The decisions made in the United States resulted in foreseen but unintended consequences for international use of the vaccine, including in nations where the profile of risks and potential benefits was dramatically different.

Conclusions:As enthusiasm for evidence‐based decision making grows throughout medicine and public health, greater explicit attention should be directed to the processes by which decision makers and their expert advisers evaluate such evidence and translate it into regulation and policy by means of qualitative judgments.
The Work of the Trinity and the Knowledge of God in Augustine's De Trinitate
Authors: Westerholm Martin
Published: June 2012

This article seeks to set forth the contribution that book 8 of Augustine's De Trinitate makes to our understanding of Augustine's way of knowing and the structure of the De Trinitate. With regards to Augustine's way of knowing, I argue that, in contrast to the results to which the epistemological Christocentrism of Barthian theology can lead, Augustine is able to present an account of the knowledge of God that remains faithful to the witness of Scripture by building his account around the work of each person of the Trinity. With regards to the structure of the De Trinitate, I propose that Augustine's concern in De Trinitate 8 with vain mental images shows that the search for the true image of God in the second half of the De Trinitate is motivated by a concern for the way in which the imagination responds to teaching about the Trinity.
Prevention of postpartum haemorrhage with sublingual misoprostol or oxytocin: a double‐blind randomised controlled trial
Authors: Bellad MB , Tara D , Ganachari MS , Mallapur MD , Goudar SS , Kodkany BS , Sloan NL , Derman R
Published: June 2012

Please cite this paper as: Bellad M, Tara D, Ganachari M, Mallapur M, Goudar S, Kodkany B, Sloan N, Derman R. Prevention of postpartum haemorrhage with sublingual misoprostol or oxytocin: a double‐blind randomised controlled trial. BJOG 2012;119:975–986.

Objective  Sublingual misoprostol produces a rapid peak concentration, and is more effective than oral administration. We compared the postpartum measured blood loss with 400 μg powdered sublingual misoprostol and after standard care using 10 iu intramuscular (IM) oxytocin.

Design  Double‐blind randomised controlled trial.

Setting  A teaching hospital: J N Medical College, Belgaum, India.

Sample  A cohort of 652 consenting eligible pregnant women admitted to the labour room.

Methods  Subjects were assigned to receive the study medications and placebos within 1 minute of clamping and cutting the cord by computer‐generated randomisation. Chi‐square and bootstrapped Student’s t‐tests were used to test categorical and continuous outcomes, respectively.

Main outcome measures  Measured mean postpartum blood loss and haemorrhage (PPH, loss ≥500 ml), >10% pre‐ to post‐partum decline in haemoglobin, and reported side effects.

Results  The mean blood loss with sublingual misoprostol was 192 ± 124 ml (n = 321) and 366 ± 136 ml with oxytocin IM (n = 331, P ≤ 0.001). The incidence of PPH was 3.1% with misoprostol and 9.1% with oxytocin (P = 0.002). No woman lost ≥1000 ml of blood. We observed that 9.7% and 45.6% of women experienced a haemoglobin decline of >10% after receiving misoprostol and oxytocin, respectively (P ≤ 0.001). Side effects were significantly greater in the misoprostol group than in the oxytocin group.

Conclusion  Unlike other studies, this trial found sublingual misoprostol more effective than intramuscular oxytocin in reducing PPH, with only transient side effects being greater in the misoprostol group. The sublingual mode and/or powdered formulation may increase the effectiveness of misoprostol, and render it superior to injectable oxytocin for the prevention of PPH. Further research is needed to confirm these results.
The effect of different alcohol drinking patterns in early to mid pregnancy on the child’s intelligence, attention, and executive function
Authors: Kesmodel US , Bertrand J , Støvring H , Skarpness B , Denny CH , Mortensen EL ,   the Lifestyle During Pregnancy Study Group
Published: June 2012

Please cite this paper as: Kesmodel U, Bertrand J, Støvring H, Skarpness B, Denny C, Mortensen E, the Lifestyle During Pregnancy Study Group. The effect of different alcohol drinking patterns in early to mid pregnancy on the child’s intelligence, attention, and executive function. BJOG 2012;119:1180–1190.

Objective  To conduct a combined analysis of the estimated effects of maternal average weekly alcohol consumption, and any binge drinking, in early to mid pregnancy on general intelligence, attention, and executive function in 5‐year‐old children.

Design  Follow‐up study.

Setting  Neuropsychological testing in four Danish cities 2003–2008.

Population  A cohort of 1628 women and their children sampled from the Danish National Birth Cohort.

Methods  Participants were sampled based on maternal alcohol consumption during early pregnancy. At age 5 years, the children were tested for general intelligence, attention, and executive function. The three outcomes were analysed together in a multivariate model to obtain joint estimates and P values for the association of alcohol across outcomes. The effects of low to moderate alcohol consumption and binge drinking in early pregnancy were adjusted for a wide range of potential confounding factors.

Main outcome measures  Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence—Revised (WPPSI‐R), the Test of Everyday Attention for Children at Five (TEACh‐5), and the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Functions (BRIEF) scores.

Results  Multivariate analyses showed no statistically significant effects arising from average weekly alcohol consumption or any binge drinking, either individually or in combination. These results replicate findings from separate analyses of each outcome variable.

Conclusions  The present study contributes comprehensive methodological and statistical approaches that should be incorporated in future studies of low to moderate alcohol consumption and binge drinking during pregnancy. Furthermore, as no safe level of drinking during pregnancy has been established, the most conservative advice for women is not to drink alcohol during pregnancy. However, the present study suggests that small volumes consumed occasionally may not present serious concern.
DECISION‐MAKING AND MOTIVATION TO PARTICIPATE IN BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH IN SOUTHWEST NIGERIA
Authors: OSAMOR PAULINE E. , KASS NANCY
Published: June 2012

Motivations and decision‐making styles that influence participation in biomedical research vary across study types, cultures, and countries. While there is a small amount of literature on informed consent in non‐western cultures, few studies have examined how participants make the decision to join research. This study was designed to identify the factors motivating people to participate in biomedical research in a traditional Nigerian community, assess the degree to which participants involve others in the decision‐making process, and examine issues of autonomy in decision‐making for research. A descriptive cross‐sectional study was conducted with 100 adults (50 men, 50 women) in an urban Nigerian community who had participated in a biomedical research study. Subjects were interviewed using a survey instrument.

Two‐thirds of the respondents reported participating in the biomedical study to learn more about their illness, while 30% hoped to get some medical care. Over three‐quarters (78%) of participants discussed the enrolment decision with someone else and 39% reported obtaining permission from a spouse or family member to participate in the study. Women were more than twice as likely as men to report obtaining permission from someone else before participating. More specifically, half of the female participants reported seeking permission from a spouse before enrolling. The findings suggest that informed consent in this community is understood and practised as a relational activity that involves others in the decision making process. Further studies are needed in non‐Western countries concerning autonomy, decision‐making, and motivation to participate in research studies.
The age‐related increase in low‐grade systemic inflammation (Inflammaging) is not driven by cytomegalovirus infection
Authors: Bartlett David B. , Firth Charlotte M. , Phillips Anna C. , Moss Paul , Baylis Daniel , Syddall Holly , Sayer Avan A. , Cooper Cyrus , Lord Janet M.
Published: June 2012

Aging is accompanied by the development of low‐grade systemic inflammation, termed ‘inflammaging’, characterized by raised serum C‐reactive protein (CRP) and pro‐inflammatory cytokines. Importantly, inflammaging is implicated in the pathogenesis of several of the major age‐related diseases including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and dementia and is associated with increased mortality. The incidence of infection with the persistent herpes virus cytomegalovirus (CMV) also increases with age. Cross‐sectional studies have proposed CMV infection as a significant driver of inflammaging, but a definitive case for CMV as a causative agent in inflammaging has not yet been made. We studied longitudinally 249 subjects (153 men, 96 women) who participated in the Hertfordshire Ageing Study at baseline (1993/5, mean age 67·5 years) and at 10 year follow‐up. At both times, anthropometric measurements were made and subjects provided blood samples for analysis of inflammatory status and CMV seropositivity. In the cohort as a whole, serum CRP (P < 0·02) and pro‐inflammatory cytokines TNFα (P < 0·001) and IL‐6 (P < 0·001) were increased between baseline and follow‐up sampling whereas levels of the anti‐inflammatory cytokine IL‐10 were decreased (P < 0·001). These changes to cytokine status over time occurred equally in the 60% of subjects who were seropositive for CMV at baseline and follow‐up, the 8% who were CMV negative at baseline but who became CMV positive by the 10 year follow‐up, and also in the 32% who were CMV seronegative throughout. We conclude that CMV infection is not a primary causative factor in the age‐related increase in systemic inflammation.
Natural dye–surfactant interactions: thermodynamic and surface parameters
Authors: Chandravanshi Shalini , Upadhyay Santosh K
Published: June 2012

The interaction of two Indian natural dyes, namely madder (Rubia cordifolia) and mallow (Punica granatum), with cationic surfactant cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide and anionic surfactant sodium lauryl sulphate, has been studied. Spectrophotometric data showed a strong interaction between the natural dyes and the surfactants. The critical micelle concentration of the surfactants, determined by measurement of specific conductance and surface tension, was found to decrease on the addition of natural dyes in an aqueous solution of surfactants. The thermodynamic and surface parameters for the interaction have been evaluated.
Risks and benefits of invasive epilepsy surgery workup with implanted subdural and depth electrodes
Authors: Wellmer Jörg , von der Groeben Ferdinand , Klarmann Ute , Weber Christian , Elger Christian E. , Urbach Horst , Clusmann Hans , von Lehe Marec
Published: June 2012

Purpose:  In patients with pharmacoresistant focal‐onset seizures, invasive presurgical workup can identify epilepsy surgery options when noninvasive workup has failed. Yet, the potential benefit must be balanced with procedure‐related risks. This study examines risks associated with the implantation of subdural strip and grid, and intracerebral depth electrodes. Benefit of invasive monitoring is measured by seizure outcomes. Diagnostic procedures made possible by electrode implantation are described.

Methods:  Retrospective evaluation of invasive workups in 242 epilepsy surgery candidates and additional 18 patients with primary brain tumors implanted for mapping only. Complications are scaled in five grades of severity. A regression analysis identifies risk factors for complications. Outcome is classified according to Engel’s classification.

Key Findings:  Complications of any type were documented in 23% of patients, and complications requiring surgical revision in 9%. We did not find permanent morbidity or mortality. Major risk factor for complications was the implantation of grids and the implantation of electrode assemblies comprising strip and grid electrodes. Depth electrodes were significantly correlated with a lower risk. Tumors were not correlated with higher complication rates. Chronic invasive monitoring of 3–40 days allowed seizure detection in 99.2% of patients with epilepsy and additional extensive mapping procedures. Patients with epilepsy with follow‐up >24 months (n = 165) had an Engel class 1a outcome in 49.7% if epilepsy surgery was performed, but only 6.3% when surgery was rejected.

Significance:  The benefit of chronic invasive workup outweighs its risks, but complexity of implantations should be kept to a minimum.
Long‐term cardiac rhythm and repolarization abnormalities in refractory focal and generalized epilepsy
Authors: Nei Maromi , Sperling Michael R. , Mintzer Scott , Ho Reginald T.
Published: June 2012

This prospective study evaluated 19 individuals with refractory focal or generalized epilepsy utilizing an implantable cardiac loop recorder. Recording averaged 15 months (range 12–19 months) in 18 patients and 1.5 months in one patient. A median of 37 seizures per patient (range 3–657) occurred, with 1,477 seizures total. Cardiac arrhythmias and repolarization abnormalities occurred frequently (in 42% of patients) in refractory epilepsy, particularly during generalized tonic–clonic and tonic seizures. Patients with Lennox‐Gastaut syndrome may be at high risk for cardiac abnormalities.
Robust Testing of the Utility‐based High‐technology Product Sales Forecasting Models Proposed by Decker and Gnibba‐Yukawa (2010)
Authors: Goodwin Paul , Meeran Sheik
Published: June 2012

Decker and Gnibba‐Yukawa (2010) propose an elegant utility‐based model for forecasting the sales of high‐technology products and suggest that the model yields forecasts that are highly accurate. However, this finding is based on forecasts for a total of only six holdout observations shared across three products. This number of observations is insufficient for reliable inferences to be drawn about the accuracy of a method and the use of such a small data set runs counter to an accepted principle of forecast evaluation. The authors’ proposed model was tested on more extensive data and sensitivity analysis applied to the results. No evidence was found that the utility‐based model could outperform a relatively simple extrapolative model despite the much greater effort involved in applying the proposed model. In addition, the utility‐based model is only applicable for forecasting sales during a narrow interval in a product's life cycle and requires several periods of historic sales data before it can be implemented. It also depends heavily on the accurate estimates of parameters that are determined outside the model (and which may depend on difficult judgments by managers) and assumes that consumers or households will only purchase the product once between the launch date and the forecast horizon. In light of this, it is argued that the utility‐based model is likely to have limited usefulness as a sales forecasting tool.
Exercise and physical activity in the prevention of pre‐eclampsia: systematic review
Authors: KASAWARA KARINA TAMY , NASCIMENTO SIMONY LIRA DO , COSTA MARIA LAURA , SURITA FERNANDA GARANHANI , E SILVA JOÃO LUIZ PINTO
Published: June 2012

Exercise and physical activity have been studied and suggested as a way to reduce or minimize the effects of pre‐eclampsia. Our aim was to evaluate the association between exercise and/or physical activity and occurrence of pre‐eclampsia. We conducted electronic searches without year of publication and language limitations. This was a systematic review designed according to PRISMA. Different databases accessed were as follows: PubMed®; Latin‐American and Caribbean Literature in Health Sciences (LILACS); Scientific Electronic Library On‐line (SciELO); Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro); and ISI web of KnowledgeSM. The Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) were as follows: (“exercise” OR “motor activity” OR “physical activity”) AND (“pre‐eclampsia” OR “eclampsia” OR “hypertension, pregnancy‐induced”). Inclusion criteria were studies conducted in adults who were engaged in some physical activity. The selection and methodological evaluation were carried out by two independent reviewers. Risk assessment was made by the odds ratio (OR) and incidence of pre‐eclampsia in the population who performed physical activity/exercise. A total of 231 articles were found, 214 of which were excluded based on title and full‐text, so that 17 remained. Comparison of six case–control studies showed that physical activity had a protective effect on the development of pre‐eclampsia [OR 0.77, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.64–0.91, p < 0.01]. The 10 prospective cohort studies showed no significant difference (OR 0.99, 95% CI 0.93–1.05, p= 0.81). The only randomized clinical trial showed a protective effect on the development of pre‐eclampsia in the stretching group (OR 6.34, 95% CI 0.72–55.37, p= 0.09). This systematic review indicates a trend toward a protective effect of physical activity in the prevention of pre‐eclampsia.
A 3‐year prospective study of implant‐supported, single‐tooth restorations of all‐ceramic and metal‐ceramic materials in patients with tooth agenesis
Authors: Hosseini Mandana , Worsaae Nils , Schiødt Morten , Gotfredsen Klaus
Published: June 2012

Objectives

The purpose of this clinical study was to describe outcome variables of all‐ceramic and metal‐ceramic implant‐supported, single‐tooth restorations.

Materials and methods

A total of 59 patients (mean age: 27.9 years) with tooth agenesis and treated with 98 implant‐supported single‐tooth restorations were included in this study. Two patients did not attend baseline examination, but all patients were followed for 3 years. The implants supported 52 zirconia, 21 titanium and 25 gold alloy abutments, which retained 64 all‐ceramic and 34 metal‐ceramic crowns. At baseline and 3‐year follow‐up examinations, the biological outcome variables such as survival rate of implants, marginal bone level, modified Plaque Index (mPlI), modified Sulcus Bleeding Index (mBI) and biological complications were registered. The technical outcome variables included abutment and crown survival rate, marginal adaptation of crowns, cement excess and technical complications. The aesthetic outcome was assessed by using the Copenhagen Index Score, and the patient‐reported outcomes were recorded using the OHIP‐49 questionnaire. The statistical analyses were mainly performed by using mixed model of ANOVA for quantitative data and PROC NLMIXED for ordinal categorical data.

Results

The 3‐year survival rate was 100% for implants and 97% for abutments and crowns. Significantly more marginal bone loss was registered at gold‐alloy compared to zirconia abutments (P = 0.040). The mPlI and mBI were not significantly different at three abutment materials. The frequency of biological complications was higher at restorations with all‐ceramic restorations than metal‐ceramic crowns. Loss of retention, which was only observed at metal‐ceramic crowns, was the most frequent technical complication, and the marginal adaptations of all‐ceramic crowns were significantly less optimal than metal‐ceramic crowns (P = 0.020). The professional‐reported aesthetic outcome demonstrated significantly superior colour match of all‐ceramic over metal‐ceramic crowns (P = 0.015). However, no significant differences in the other aesthetic parameters at various restoration materials were registered. After 3 years, the patient‐reported outcome variables at different restoration materials were not significantly different.

Conclusion

The biological outcomes at the zirconia and metal abutments were comparable. All‐ceramic crowns demonstrated better colour match, but higher frequency of marginal discrepancy compared to metal‐ceramic crowns. Generally, the patients noticed no difference in aesthetic outcome of all‐ceramic and metal‐ceramic restorations.
Setae from the pine processionary moth (Thaumetopoea pityocampa) contain several relevant allergens
Authors: Rodriguez‐Mahillo Ana Isabel , Gonzalez‐Muñoz Miguel , Vega José María , López Juan Antonio , Yart Annie , Kerdelhué Carole , Camafeita Emilio , Garcia Ortiz José Carlos , Vogel Heiko , Petrucco Toffolo Edoardo , Zovi Daniel , Battisti Andrea , Roques Alain , Moneo Ignacio
Published: June 2012

Background. Pine processionary larvae produce urticating hairs (setae) that serve for protection against predators. Setae induce cutaneous reactions in animals and humans. The presence of toxic or allergic mechanisms is a matter of debate.

Objectives. To detect the presence of allergens in setae and to characterize them.

Materials and methods. Setae extracts were characterized by gel staining and immunoblot, with sera from patients with immediate reactions and positive prick test reactions, as well as a rabbit antiserum raised against setae. Setae proteins were fractionated by high‐performance liquid chromatography. The most relevant allergen was analysed by matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry (MS), and its sequence was deduced from an expressed sequence tag bank.

Results. Setae contained at least seven different allergens. The most intense detection corresponded to a protein of MW ∼ 14 000 that was similar to thaumetopoein, a previously described protein with mast cell‐degranulating properties. MALDI‐MS‐based de novo sequencing provided a partial amino acid sequence different from that of the previously described allergen Tha p 1, and it was named Tha p 2. This allergen was detected in 61% of patients, and it is therefore a new major caterpillar allergen.

Conclusions. Penetration of the setae from the pine processionary caterpillar delivers their allergenic content in addition to causing mechanical or toxic injury.
Identification and characterization of a gene encoding a UBX domain‐containing protein in the migratory locust, Locusta migratoria manilensis
Authors: He Zheng‐Bo , Xie Yu , Si Feng‐Ling , Chen Bin
Published: June 2012

Ubiquitin regulatory X (UBX) domain‐containing proteins are believed to function as cofactors for p97/CDC48, an adenosine triphosphatase shown to be involved in multiple cellular processes. In the present study, a full‐length complementary DNA (cDNA) of UBX domain‐containing gene, termed LmUBX1, was cloned from Locusta migratoria manilensis and characterized, using random amplification of cDNA ends polymerase chain reaction (RACE PCR), sequence analysis and quantitative real‐time PCR. LmUBX1, 1 600 bp in length, is predicted to encode a 446‐amino acid protein with a predicted molecular weight of 51.18 kDa that contains a central PUB domain and a carboxy‐terminal UBX domain. Homology analysis revealed that LmUBX1 has higher similarity to the known UBX domain‐containing proteins from insects than from other species. Moreover, based on sequence characteristics and phylogenetic relationships, it is suggested that LmUBX1 can be classified into the UBXD1 subfamily. Expression analysis founded that LmUBX1 exhibited significant expression variations at different developmental stages and in different tissues, suggesting that the expression of LmUBX1 was highly regulated. Interestingly, its messenger RNA transcript was more abundant in ovary and testis than in other tissues examined, suggesting that it may have more important roles in the reproductive system. In addition, LmUBX1 was differentially expressed in gregarious and solitary locusts and was significantly up‐regulated in third and fifth instars of gregarious locusts, implying that LmUBX1 was also likely involved in the phase polyphenisms in L. migratoria manilensis. To our knowledge, this is the first report of cloning of a full‐length cDNA of UBX domain‐containing gene from L. migratoria manilensis.