bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparable effects of capsaicin‐containing red pepper sauce and hydrochloric acid on secondary peristalsis in humans
Authors: Chen Chien‐Lin , Yi Chih‐Hsun , Liu Tso‐Tsai
Published: June 2013

Background and Aim

We aimed to evaluate whether acute esophageal instillation of capsaicin and hydrochloric acid had different effects on distension‐induced secondary peristalsis.

Methods

Secondary peristalsis was induced by slow and rapid air injections into the mid‐esophagus after the evaluation of baseline motility in 16 healthy subjects. The effects on secondary peristalsis were determined by esophageal instillation with capsaicin‐containing red pepper sauce (pure capsaicin, 0.84 mg) and hydrochloric acid (0.1 N).

Results

The administration of capsaicin induced a significant increase in the visual analogue scale score for heartburn as compared with hydrochloric acid (P = 0.002). The threshold volume for generating secondary peristalsis during slow and rapid air distensions did not differ between capsaicin and hydrochloric acid infusions. Hydrochloric acid significantly increased the frequency of secondary peristalsis in response to rapid air distension compared with capsaicin infusion (P = 0.03). Pressure wave amplitude during slow air distension was greater with the infusion of hydrochloric acid than capsaicin infusion (P = 0.001). The pressure wave duration during rapid air distension was longer after capsaicin infusion than hydrochloric acid infusion (P = 0.01). The pressure wave amplitude during rapid air distension was similar between capsaicin and hydrochloric acid infusions.

Conclusions

Despite subtle differences in physiological characteristics of secondary peristalsis, acute esophageal instillation of capsaicin and hydrochloric acid produced comparable effects on distension‐induced secondary peristalsis. Our data suggest the coexistence of both acid‐ and capsaicin‐sensitive afferents in human esophagus which produce similar physiological alterations in secondary peristalsis.
Normative data of high‐resolution impedance manometry in the Chinese population
Authors: Shi Yinan , Xiao Yinglian , Peng Sui , Lin Jinkun , Xiong Lishou , Chen Minhu
Published: June 2013

Background and Aim

Current normative data of high‐resolution manometry have been obtained from Western populations, and esophageal motility disorders have been categorized using Chicago classification. However, the utility of high‐resolution impedance manometry (HRiM) in the Chinese population has not been evaluated. The study aimed to investigate the normal reference of esophageal motility in healthy volunteers (as defined by Chicago classification) using HRiM.

Methods

Healthy, fasted volunteers underwent HRiM in a supine position with 10 liquid swallows and 10 viscous swallows. Integrated relaxation pressure (IRP), distal contractile integral (DCI), contractile front velocity (CFV), and distal latency were calculated. The interquartile ranges and the 95th percentile range for each metric were obtained.

Results

Forty‐two healthy volunteers were enrolled with 411 total liquid swallows and 398 viscous swallows available for analysis. A 20.5 mmHg of IRP and a 3195 mmHg·s·cm of DCI as the 95th percentile for liquid swallows were established. Using the reference range defined by Chicago classification, 6.3% (26/411) weak peristalsis and 0.7% (3/411) failed peristalsis for liquid swallows were observed; 12 (28.6%, 12/42) and 2 (4.7%, 2/42) individuals were diagnosed as esophagogastric junction outflow obstruction and weak peristalsis for liquid swallows. Compared with liquid swallows, viscous swallows had a decreased IRP (P = 0.000) and CFV (P = 0.000), and an unchanged DCI (P = 0.211).

Conclusions

HRiM normative data of both liquid and viscous swallows from healthy Chinese volunteers were established. The IRP and CFV were significantly decreased in the viscous swallows compared with those of the liquid swallows.
Endoscopic closure of experimental iatrogenic gastric fundus perforation using over‐the‐scope clips in a surviving canine model
Authors: Zhang Xiu Li , Sun Gang , Tang Ping , Zhang Ru Gang , Yang Yun Sheng
Published: June 2013

Background and Aim

To evaluate the effectiveness and outcomes of endoscopic closure of a gastric fundus perforation using over‐the‐scope clips (OTSCs) system in a surviving canine model.

Methods

Gastric fundus perforations (20‐mm diameter) were created by an endoscopic needle‐knife in six dogs. The perforations then were closed by the OTSC system. Gastroscopy was performed to evaluate the postoperative perforation healing every week. The animals were sacrificed 4 weeks later to examine the possible intraperitoneal complications, and the healing of the perforation was examined histopathologically.

Results

The gastric fundus perforations could primarily be closed using one OTSC in each experimental dog, and the mean time of the procedure was 17.3 ± 7.6 min (9–26 min). All animals survived without postoperative complications. The OTSC retention was observed in one dog at the end of 4 weeks, and the apparent foreign‐body reaction was examined pathologically.

Conclusions

Our surviving animal study demonstrated that the OTSC clip system could reliably close gastric fundus perforations without complications.
Metabolic syndrome profiles, obesity measures and intake of dietary fatty acids in adults: Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study
Authors: Shab‐Bidar S. , Hosseini‐Esfahani F. , Mirmiran P. , Hosseinpour‐Niazi S. , Azizi F.
Published: June 2013

Background

To determine the association between fatty acid intake and the prevalence of risk factors for the metabolic syndrome.

Methods

In this population‐based cross‐sectional study, a sample of 2750 Tehranian subjects (44% men and 56% women) aged 20–74 years, who completed a validated food frequency questionnaire, was studied. The metabolic syndrome (MetS) was defined in accordance with the modified guidelines of the National Cholesterol Education Program Adults Treatment Panel III, and waist circumference was coded according to the newly‐introduced cut‐off points for Iranian adults (≥95 cm for both sexes). Metabolic risk factors across quartile categories of each type of dietary fat [total fat intake, total poly‐unsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) intake, total MUFA intake, total saturated fatty acid (SFA) intake expressed as percentage of energy and quartiles of the ratio of polyunsaturated fat to saturated fat (P : S)] were compared.

Results

The mean (SD) ages of participants were 40.8 (14.6) and 38.6 (12.9) years, respectively, for men and women. The mean contribution of fat to energy intake was approximately 26% in men and women. A positive trend over successive quartiles of SFA intake with low‐density lipoprotein‐cholesterol (LDL‐C) and triglyceride, as well as P/S ratio intake with high‐density lipoprotein‐cholesterol (HDL‐C), was found.

An inverse association between HDL‐C with SFA and PUFA intake and a positive association with MUFA and the P/S ratio was found. A significant association of fatty acid consumption and risk of the MetS in this population was observed, except for total PUFA intake.

Conclusions

Special dietary fatty acids are associated with metabolic risk factors among the Iranian population. Because of the high prevalence of cardiovascular disease and MetS, national nutrition policies must be developed accordingly for the modification of dietary fatty acid intake with respect to causation and prevention.
Spiritual But Not Religious? Beyond Binary Choices in the Study of Religion
Authors: Ammerman Nancy T.
Published: June 2013

“Spirituality” often has been framed in social science research as an alternative to organized “religion,” implicitly or explicitly extending theoretical arguments about the privatization of religion. This article uses in‐depth qualitative data from a religiously diverse U.S. sample to argue that this either/or distinction not only fails to capture the empirical reality of American religion, it does no justice to the complexity of spirituality. An inductive discursive analysis reveals four primary cultural “packages,” or ways in which people construct the meaning of spirituality in conversation: a Theistic Package tying spirituality to personal deities, an Extra‐Theistic Package locating spirituality in various naturalistic forms of transcendence, an Ethical Spirituality focusing on everyday compassion, and a contested Belief and Belonging Spirituality tied to cultural notions of religiosity. Spirituality, then, is neither a diffuse individualized phenomenon nor a single cultural alternative to “religion.” Analysis of the contested evaluations of Belief and Belonging Spirituality allows a window on the “moral boundary work” being done through identifying as “spiritual but not religious.” The empirical boundary between spirituality and religion is far more orous than is the moral and political one.
God and Governance: Development, State Capacity, and the Regulation of Religion
Authors: Buckley David T. , Mantilla Luis Felipe
Published: June 2013

In this article, we propose a new approach to an old question: How does development affect religion‐state relations? We argue that because development increases states’ ability to effectively formulate and implement policy, it will be associated with greater state regulation of religion. This stands in contrast to predominant theories that examine development's negative impact on individual religiosity while largely overlooking the impact that development may have on state institutions. We test our theory using data drawn from over 160 countries, and demonstrate that the effect of economic development on state regulation of religion is consistently positive, substantively significant, and robust to alternative measurements and the inclusion of a broad range of controls. Statistical analysis also demonstrates that the correlation between development and state regulation of religion is primarily a result of economic development's impact on state capacity, rather than social dislocation or improved coordination by religious communities. Incorporating state capacity recasts the study of religious regulation—and suggests that economic growth is unlikely to take religion off the political agenda.
Religious Involvement and Depression: Evidence for Curvilinear and Stress‐Moderating Effects Among Young Women in Rural China
Authors: Wei Dedong , Liu Eric Y.
Published: June 2013

Debates about whether the relationship between religiousness and depression is nonlinear have continued, but no definitive conclusions thus far have been drawn. Unlike most previous research in this area, which has been based on U.S. populations, this study focuses on a sample of 882 young rural Chinese women. Results from analyses reveal an inverse U‐shaped relationship between intrinsic religiosity and depression. In addition, results show that intrinsic religiosity and religious activities exacerbate the deleterious effects of particular life events such as childbirth issues and marital conflicts. Implications of the findings for future studies on the subject are discussed.
Evaluation of Four Point‐Of‐Care Glucose Meters in Alpacas
Authors: Beemer O. , Byers S. , Bohn A.
Published: June 2013

Purpose

Hospitalized alpacas are often hyperglycemic requiring frequent blood glucose testing.

Objectives

To compare the performance of 4 brands of glucometers with a laboratory‐based analyzer (LCA) over a range of glucose concentrations in alpacas.

Animals

Four healthy male alpacas.

Methods

A 2‐treatment cross‐over study was utilized. The alpacas were given 0.4 U/kg of regular insulin intravenously and then 500 mg/kg of dextrose intravenously with a 1 week washout period between treatments. Blood samples were collected from 10 minutes before until 6 hours after drug administration. Glucose concentrations were measured in whole blood and plasma samples on 4 glucometers, and serum glucose was measured on an LCA.

Results

Glucometer performance varied depending on whether glucose concentrations were measured in plasma or whole blood. Based on error grid analysis, the Precision Xtra and One Touch Ultra 2 glucometers were clinically acceptable for testing whole blood samples, whereas the Accu‐Chek Aviva and Nova StatStrip Xpress glucometers were clinically acceptable for testing plasma samples in comparison with serum glucose concentrations determined by the LCA. All glucometers had systematic and proportional biases that varied based on sample type.

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

Human‐based glucometers in alpacas should be used cautiously, particularly at higher blood glucose concentrations. The blood sample type (plasma or whole blood) can alter meter performance when compared with serum glucose concentrations and potentially lead to errors in clinical decisions.
Association between Absolute Tumor Burden and Serum Bone‐Specific Alkaline Phosphatase in Canine Appendicular Osteosarcoma
Authors: Sternberg R.A. , Pondenis H.C. , Yang X. , Mitchell M.A. , O'Brien R.T. , Garrett L.D. , Helferich W.G. , Hoffmann W.E. , Fan T.M.
Published: June 2013

Background

In dogs with appendicular osteosarcoma (OSA), increased pretreatment serum bone‐specific alkaline phosphatase (BALP) activity is a negative prognostic factor, associated with shorter disease‐free intervals and survival times, but a biologic basis for observed differential serumBALPactivities in canineOSApatients remains incompletely defined.

Objective

SerumBALPactivity will correlate with absolute tumor burden in dogs withOSA.

Animals

This study included 96 client‐owned dogs with appendicularOSA.

Methods

In canineOSAcell lines, the expression and membranous release ofBALPwas evaluated in vitro. The correlation between serumBALPactivity and radiographic primary tumor size was evaluated inOSA‐bearing dogs. In dogs developing visceralOSAmetastases, serial changes in serumBALPactivities were evaluated in relation to progression of macroscopic metastases, and visceral metastaticOSAcells were evaluated forBALPexpression.

Results

In vitro,BALPexpression was not associated with either tumorigenic or metastatic phenotype, rather the quantity of membranousBALPreleased was proportional with cell density. In dogs devoid of macroscopic metastases, there was a positive correlation between serumBALPactivity and absolute primary tumor size. In dogs with progressiveOSAmetastases, serum BALP activity increased and coincided with the development of macroscopic metastases.OSAcells derived from visceral metastatic lesions retainedBALPexpression.

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

Tumor burden is a determinant of serumBALPactivity in dogs with appendicularOSA. The association between increased pretreatmentBALPactivity and negative clinical prognosis may simply be attributed to greater initial tumor burden, and consequently more advanced tumor stage.
MMP‐2 is a disease‐modifying gene in primary sclerosing cholangitis
Authors: Sebib Korkmaz Kerem , de Rooij Bert‐Jan F. , van Hoek Bart , Janse Marcel , Coenraad Minneke J. , van der Reijden Johan J. , Weersma Rinse K. , Porte Robert J. , Voorneveld Philip W. , Baranski Andrzej G. , Verspaget Hein W.
Published: June 2013

Abstract

Background

Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the bile ducts, frequently necessitating orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT), often accompanied by inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are associated with fibrotic diseases caused by the involvement in tissue remodelling.

Aim

To evaluate the contribution of MMP‐2 and ‐9 promoter polymorphisms to disease severity in PSC, as assessed by death or need for OLT.

Methods

Matrix metalloproteinase‐2 (−1306 C/T) and ‐9 (−1562 C/T) gene promoter polymorphisms were analyzed in 132 PSC patients. Follow‐up was from onset PSC until death, OLT or end of follow‐up.

Results

Twenty‐year cumulative incidence (CI) of death or OLT for PSC patients with MMP‐2 CT genotype was 86.5% compared to 52.8% for CC genotype (P = 0.030) and reached 100% at 11.3 years for TT genotype. In patients with IBD, CIs were similar: 20‐years CI of death or OLT for MMP‐2 CT genotype was 86.0% compared to 49.0% for CC genotype and 100% at 11.3 years for TT genotype. Patients without IBD showed a similar trend in 20 years CI for MMP‐2 CT (77.8%) compared to CC (57.8%) and CI for TT genotype reached 100% at 9.3 years. Multivariate analysis showed, along with age at diagnosis, a stepwise increase in hazard ratio for MMP‐2 T‐allele polymorphism for death or OLT. MMP‐9 genotype was not associated with disease severity in PSC.

Conclusion

Matrix metalloproteinase‐2 C to T‐1306 gene promoter polymorphism in PSC is an independent risk factor for disease severity as reflected by the need for OLT or disease progression leading to mortality.
Spatial and temporal genetic structure of Symbiodinium populations within a common reef‐building coral on the Great Barrier Reef
Authors: Howells Emily J. , Willis Bette L. , Bay Line K. , van Oppen Madeleine J. H.
Published: June 2013

The dinoflagellate photosymbiont Symbiodinium plays a fundamental role in defining the physiological tolerances of coral holobionts, but little is known about the dynamics of these endosymbiotic populations on coral reefs. Sparse data indicate that Symbiodinium populations show limited spatial connectivity; however, no studies have investigated temporal dynamics for in hospite Symbiodinium populations following significant mortality and recruitment events in coral populations. We investigated the combined influences of spatial isolation and disturbance on the population dynamics of the generalist Symbiodinium type C2 (ITS1 rDNA) hosted by the scleractinian coral Acropora millepora in the central Great Barrier Reef. Using eight microsatellite markers, we genotyped Symbiodinium in a total of 401 coral colonies, which were sampled from seven sites across a 12‐year period including during flood plume–induced coral bleaching. Genetic differentiation of Symbiodinium was greatest within sites, explaining 70–86% of the total genetic variation. An additional 9–27% of variation was explained by significant differentiation of populations among sites separated by 0.4–13 km, which is consistent with low levels of dispersal via water movement and historical disturbance regimes. Sampling year accounted for 6–7% of total genetic variation and was related to significant coral mortality following severe bleaching in 1998 and a cyclone in 2006. Only 3% of the total genetic variation was related to coral bleaching status, reflecting generally small (8%) reductions in allelic diversity within bleached corals. This reduction probably reflected a loss of genotypes in hospite during bleaching, although no site‐wide changes in genetic diversity were observed. Combined, our results indicate the importance of disturbance regimes acting together with limited oceanographic transport to determine the genetic composition of Symbiodinium types within reefs.
Characterization of IBS‐like symptoms in patients with ulcerative colitis in clinical remission
Authors: Jonefjäll B. , Strid H. , Öhman L. , Svedlund J. , Bergstedt A. , Simren M.
Published: June 2013

Background

Gastrointestinal symptoms compatible with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) are common in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. It has been suggested that these symptoms are a reflection of occult inflammation rather than coexisting IBS. The aim of this study was to characterize IBS‐like symptoms in patients with Ulcerative Colitis (UC) in clinical remission by assessing inflammatory markers, psychological symptoms, and quality of life.

Methods

Ninety‐four patients with new onset of UC were followed prospectively during 3 years with yearly follow‐up visits. The patients completed self‐administrated questionnaires. Fecal calprotectin was used as an inflammatory biomarker. Remission was defined as a total Mayo‐score ≤2 and an endoscopic subscore ≤1, with no relapse during the 3‐month period prior to visit.

Key Results

The prevalence of patients that fulfilled Rome II criteria for IBS among UC patients in remission was 11% at visit 1, 23% at visit 2, and 17% at visit 3. When comparing UC patients in remission with and without IBS‐like symptom, patients with IBS‐like symptoms had more severe gastrointestinal symptoms, tendencies toward more severe psychological symptoms and reduced levels of quality of life, but the calprotectin levels did not differ between the two groups.

Conclusions & Inferences

IBS‐like symptoms are common in patients with UC in clinical remission and these fluctuate over time. The symptoms are associated with poor psychological well‐being and reduced quality of life, and do not seem to be a reflection of low‐grade inflammatory activity.
Involvement of lipoprotein PpiA of Streptococcus gordonii in evasion of phagocytosis by macrophages
Authors: Cho K. , Arimoto T. , Igarashi T. , Yamamoto M.
Published: June 2013

Streptococcus gordonii is a commensal gram‐positive bacterium that resides in the human oral cavity, and is one of the most common causes of infective endocarditis (IE). Bacterial surface molecules play an important role in establishing IE, and several S. gordonii proteins have been implicated in binding to host cells during the establishment of IE. In this study, we identified a putative lipoprotein, peptidyl‐prolyl cis/trans isomerase (PpiA), and clarified its role in evasion of phagocytosis by macrophages. Attenuation of the gene encoding prolipoprotein diacylglyceryl transferase (Lgt) altered the localization of PpiA from the cell surface to the culture supernatant, indicating that PpiA is lipid‐anchored in the cell membrane by Lgt. Both human and murine macrophages showed higher phagocytic activity towards ppiA and lgt mutants than the wild‐type, indicating that the presence of PpiA suppresses phagocytosis of S. gordonii. Human macrophages treated with dextran sulfate had significantly impaired phagocytosis of S. gordonii, suggesting that class A scavenger receptors in human macrophages are involved in the phagocytosis of S. gordonii. These results provide evidence that S. gordonii lipoprotein PpiA plays an important role in inhibiting phagocytic engulfment and in evasion of the host immune response.
Gene use restriction technologies for transgenic plant bioconfinement
Authors: Sang Yi , Millwood Reginald J. , Neal Stewart Jr C.
Published: June 2013

The advances of modern plant technologies, especially genetically modified crops, are considered to be a substantial benefit to agriculture and society. However, so‐called transgene escape remains and is of environmental and regulatory concern. Genetic use restriction technologies (GURTs) provide a possible solution to prevent transgene dispersal. Although GURTs were originally developed as a way for intellectual property protection (IPP), we believe their maximum benefit could be in the prevention of gene flow, that is, bioconfinement. This review describes the underlying signal transduction and components necessary to implement any GURT system. Furthermore, we review the similarities and differences between IPP‐ and bioconfinement‐oriented GURTs, discuss the GURTs’ design for impeding transgene escape and summarize recent advances. Lastly, we go beyond the state of the science to speculate on regulatory and ecological effects of implementing GURTs for bioconfinement.
Modelling stomatal conductance in response to environmental factors
Authors: BUCKLEY THOMAS N. , MOTT KEITH A.
Published: June 2013

Stomata are an attractive system for modellers for many reasons, and the literature contains a large number of papers describing models that predict stomatal conductance as a function of environmental factors. The approaches and goals of these models vary considerably. This review summarizes these different approaches and discusses their strengths and weaknesses with a focus on mechanistically based models. The critical unresolved questions are highlighted and placed in the context of current research on stomatal physiology. Finally, directions for future research are considered.
How do trees die? A test of the hydraulic failure and carbon starvation hypotheses
Authors: SEVANTO SANNA , MCDOWELL NATE G. , DICKMAN L. TURIN , PANGLE ROBERT , POCKMAN WILLIAM T.
Published: June 2013

Despite decades of research on plant drought tolerance, the physiological mechanisms by which trees succumb to drought are still under debate. We report results from an experiment designed to separate and test the current leading hypotheses of tree mortality. We show that piñon pine (Pinus edulis) trees can die of both hydraulic failure and carbon starvation, and that during drought, the loss of conductivity and carbohydrate reserves can also co‐occur. Hydraulic constraints on plant carbohydrate use determined survival time: turgor loss in the phloem limited access to carbohydrate reserves, but hydraulic control of respiration prolonged survival. Our data also demonstrate that hydraulic failure may be associated with loss of adequate tissue carbohydrate content required for osmoregulation, which then promotes failure to maintain hydraulic integrity.
Response to competition of bulbous geophyteAllium oleraceumdiffering in ploidy level
Authors: Fialová M. , Duchoslav M.
Published: June 2013

Experimental studies that explore the possible causes of ploidy distributions and niche differentiation are rare. Increased competitive ability may be advantageous for survival in dense vegetation and may strongly affect local and regional abundances of cytotypes and potentially contribute to invasion success. We compared survival, growth and reproduction of plants originating from bulbils of three cytotypes (2n = 4x, 5x, 6x) ofAllium oleraceumgrowing with and without a competitor (Arrhenatherum elatius). There was a strong negative effect of competition but no effect of ploidy or ploidy × competition on survivorship, height and total dry mass ofA. oleraceum,i.e. no support for different competitive abilities of the ploidy levels. However, slightly different responses of populations to competition treatments within all cytotypes suggest differentiation within cytotypes. Under competition, plant survivorship was low, surviving plants were small, had low dry mass and produced neither sexual nor asexual propagules. Without competition, plant survivorship was high, and cytotypes differed in three traits after 2 year's growth: dry mass of flowers, number of flowers and ratio of the dry mass of sexual to asexual propagules all decreased with increasing ploidy level. We additionally tested tetra‐ and pentaploids as to whether plants originating from different types of propagule (bulbils, seeds) differ in survivorship, growth and reproduction when growing with and without a competitor. Plants originating from bulbils had higher survivorship, were more robust, flowered earlier and produced more propagules when compared to plants originating from seeds and grown without competition. Under competition, differences in performance between plants originating from seeds and bulbils mostly disappeared, with higher survivorship only for plants originating from bulbils.
Coordinated action of β‐galactosidases in the cell wall of embryonic axes during chickpea germination and seedling growth
Authors: Hernández‐Nistal J. , Martín I. , Dopico B. , Labrador E.
Published: June 2013

The plant cell wall is a dynamic structure whose constant modification is necessary for plant cells to grow and divide. In the cell walls of chickpea (Cicer arietinum) there are at least four β‐galactosidases, whose presence and location in embryonic axes during the first 48 h of seed imbibition are discussed in this paper. We examined their roles as cell wall‐modifying enzymes in germinative and/or post‐germinative events. At the start of germination, only βV‐Gal, and to a lesser extent βIV‐Gal, appear in the axes before rupture of the testa, suggesting they are related to germination sensu stricto. Once the testa has broken, the four β‐galactosidases are involved in growth and differentiation of the axes. Immunolocation of the different proteins in axes, which in part confirms previous results in seedlings and plants, allows assignment of post‐germinative roles to βI‐Gal and βIII‐Gal as cell wall modifiers in vascular tissue elements. βIV‐Gal and βV‐Gal participate in the initial events of germination in which cell walls are involved: βV‐Gal in cell proliferation, detachment of root cap cells and initial vascular tissue differentiation; both of them in xylem maturation; and βIV‐Gal in thickening of the primary cell wall. Together with other cell wall‐modifying enzymes, such as expansins and XTH, chickpea galactosidases might function in a sequential order in turnover of the primary cell wall, allowing the elongation of embryonic axes during seed germination.
First reports of Pseudo‐nitzschia micropora and P. hasleana (Bacillariaceae) from the Southern Hemisphere: Morphological, molecular and toxicological characterization
Authors: Ajani Penelope , Murray Shauna , Hallegraeff Gustaaf , Brett Steve , Armand Leanne
Published: June 2013

Pseudo‐nitzschia H. Peragallo is a marine diatom genus found worldwide in polar, temperate, subtropical and tropical waters. It includes toxigenic representatives that produce domoic acid (DA), a neurotoxin responsible for Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning. In this study we characterized two species of Pseudo‐nitzschia collected from Port Stephens and the Hawkesbury River (south eastern Australia) previously unreported from Australian waters. Clonal isolates were sub‐sampled for (i) light and transmission electron microscopy; (ii) DNA sequencing, based on the nuclear‐encoded partial large subunit ribosomal RNA gene and internal transcribed spacer (ITS)‐ITS1, 5.8S and ITS2 rDNA regions and, (iii) DA production as measured by liquid chromatography‐mass spectrometry. Morphological and molecular data unambiguously revealed the species to be Pseudo‐nitzschia micropora Priisholm, Moestrup & Lundholm (Port Stephens) and Pseudo‐nitzschia hasleana Lundholm (Hawkesbury River). This is the first report of the occurrence of these species from the Southern Hemisphere and the first report of P. micropora in warm‐temperate waters. Cultures of P. micropora, tested for DA production for the first time, proved to be non‐toxic. Similarly, no detectable toxin concentrations were observed for P. hasleana. Species resolution and knowledge on the toxicity of local Pseudo‐nitzschia species has important implications for harmful algal bloom monitoring and management.
Gorillas in the closet? Public and private actors in the enforcement of transnational private regulation
Authors: Verbruggen Paul
Published: June 2013

This paper examines to what extent the background presence of state regulatory capacity – at times referred to as the “regulatory gorilla in the closet” – is a necessary precondition for the effective enforcement of transnational private regulation. By drawing on regulatory regimes in the areas of advertising and food safety, it identifies conditions under which (the potential of) public regulatory intervention can bolster the capacity of private actors to enforce transnational private regulation. These involve the overlap between norms, objectives, and interests of public and private regulation; the institutional design of regulatory enforcement; compliance with due process standards; and information management and data sharing. The paper argues that while public intervention remains important for the effective enforcement of transnational private regulation, governmental actors – both national and international – should create the necessary preconditions to strengthen private regulatory enforcement, as it can also enhance their own regulatory capacity, in particular, in transnational contexts.
Relationship between airway pathophysiology and airway inflammation in older asthmatics
Authors: Porsbjerg Celeste M. , Gibson Peter G. , Pretto Jeffrey J. , Salome Cheryl M. , Brown Nathan J. , Berend Norbert , King Gregory G.
Published: June 2013

Background and objective

Asthma‐related morbidity is greater in older compared with younger asthmatics. Airway closure is also greater in older asthmatics, an observation that may be explained by differences in airway inflammation. We hypothesized that in older adult patients with asthma, neutrophil airway inflammation increases airway closure during bronchoconstriction, while eosinophil airway inflammation increases airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR).

Methods

Asthmatic subjects (n = 26), aged ≥55 years (68% female), were studied, and AHR to 4.5% saline challenge was measured by the response–dose ratio (%fall in forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1)/mg saline). Airway closure was assessed during bronchoconstriction percent change in forced vital capacity (FVC)/percent change in FEV1 (i.e. Closing Index). Airway inflammation was assessed by induced sputum and exhaled nitric oxide (eNO).

Results

Mean patient age was 67 years (confidence interval: 63–71) with a mean FEV1 of 78 % predicted (confidence interval: 70–85%). AHR correlated with sputum eosinophils (r = 0.68, P = 0.005) and eNO (r = 0.71, P < 0.001), but not with neutrophils or neutrophil mediators. The Closing Index correlated with total sputum neutrophils (r = 0.66, P = 0.005), neutrophil elastase, matrix metalloproteinase‐9 and interleukin‐8 (all P < 0.05). Further, FEV1/FVC and residual volume/total lung capacity at rest correlated with neutrophil elastase (r = –0.46 and 0.66 respectively, P < 0.05) but not with eosinophils or eNO.

Conclusions

In older patients with asthma, airway inflammatory cells are linked to abnormal airway physiology. Eosinophilic airway inflammation is associated with AHR while neutrophilic inflammation may be an important determinant of airflow limitation at rest and airway closure during bronchoconstriction. The clinical implications of these findings remain to be determined.
Andrei Bitov's Pushkin House: A Critical Analysis of the Late Soviet Hero
Authors: KOMAROMI ANN
Published: June 2013

This article analyzes Bitov's Pushkin House in light of discussions of the French nouveau roman and Alain Robbe‐Grillet's theory of the new novel. The goal is to define Bitov's technique as neo‐avant‐garde, rather than postmodernist or neo‐modernist, in order to show how Bitov used avant‐garde techniques in combination with elements of the novelistic tradition to express–and create–new relations between the Soviet person and the world. This approach sheds light on Bitov's innovative use of collage to produce a rough verbal and narrative surface in the novel. It emphasizes also the contradictory psychology of protagonist Lyova as constructed by Bitov in the novel on the basis of classic psychological prose updated for the late Soviet period.
Russian Empire of Pop: Post‐Socialist Nostalgia and Soviet Retro at the “New Wave” Competition
Authors: PLATT KEVIN M. F.
Published: June 2013

The article is an analysis of the “New Wave International Competition of Young Performers of Popular Music,” a televised spectacle in the music format of “estrada” (“stage song”), that has been held in Jurmala, Latvia, since 2002. The competition is discussed in terms of the history of its Soviet predecessor, the “Jurmala” competition that was held from 1985–1989 in the same concert hall, involving many of the same figures who organized “New Wave.” Originally a showcase for “all‐union” culture and interethnic relations in the mode of the “friendship of peoples,” in its last two years, that earlier competition became a stage for agitation in connection with national independence movements. In this light, the contemporary “New Wave” competition may be seen as a form of memory project. Eliding the separatist politics of the last years of “Jurmala,”“New Wave” reconstitutes the “friendship of peoples” model of multiethnic Russophone culture in which Russians are first among equals, for a television audience that encompasses not only Russia but many of the former Soviet and former socialist states. In some ways, this is a form of cultural imperialism, a projection of Russian soft power that matches projections of hard power into the ostensible Russian “sphere of influence.” Yet despite the aspiration to unification of the post‐Soviet and post‐Socialist audience, the competition may take on distinct political and cultural significance in various locations. In Latvia, it may represent a clever marketing move, taking advantage of the demand for ironically inflected “Soviet nostalgia.” In Russia, the project should be viewed not as “nostalgia,” a term that may properly be applied to projects relating to scenes of cultural life that are truly past, but rather as “soviet retro”–dedicated to the recovery of modes of political and cultural life that are still meaningful and subject to revival.
Inter‐parent Aggression as a Precursor to Disengagement Coping in Emerging Adulthood: The Buffering Role of Friendship Competence
Authors: Brown Casey L. , Oudekerk Barbara A. , Szwedo David E. , Allen Joseph P.
Published: June 2013

Using multi‐informant data drawn from a prospective study involving 184 youth, mother‐perpetrated and father‐perpetrated partner aggression during early adolescence (the age of 13) was examined as a predictor of five types of disengagement coping strategies in emerging adulthood (the age of 21): behavioral disengagement, mental disengagement, denial, substance use, and restraint. The ability to develop close friendships, or friendship competence, was examined as a moderator of these links. Results suggest that inter‐parent aggression in early adolescence can predict reliance on disengagement coping 8 years later, but that friendship competence can buffer against the reliance on disengagement coping. Moreover, close friendship competence was not directly related to partner aggression by mothers or fathers, suggesting that friendship competence develops along an independent developmental track and thus may truly serve as a buffer for young adults with a history of exposure to inter‐parent aggression.
Constructing Unemployment: Britain and France in Historical Perspective
Authors: Whiteside Noel
Published: June 2013

Unemployment emerged as a specific social issue in the late‐19th century, but the nature of the threat it posed and the governing instruments available to address it varied widely. Using Britain and France as strongly contrasting cases, this article demonstrates the variable and historically contingent constructions of unemployment as a problem, and demonstrates how policy to address it was developed using administrative agencies that embodied specific, normative visions of how society and employment should operate. The different governing trajectories through which the issue was tackled is analyzed in terms of the context within which the problem of unemployment originally emerged. The article demonstrates the socio‐political nature of unemployment's construction and, with reference to recent labour market change, questions its utility as a means of assessing economic or social well‐being.
Complete Analytical Expression of the Stiffness Matrix of Angular Contact Ball Bearings
Authors: Noel David , Ritou Mathieu , Furet Benoit , Le Loch Sebastien
Published: June 2013

Angular contact ball bearings are predominantly used for guiding high speed rotors such as machining spindles. For an accurate modeling, dynamic effects have to be considered, most notably in the bearings model. The paper is based on a dynamic model of angular contact ball bearings. Different kinematic hypotheses are discussed. A new method is proposed for the computation of the stiffness matrix: a complete analytical expression including dynamic effects is presented in order to ensure accuracy at high shaft speed. It is demonstrated that the new method leads to the exact solution, contrary to the previous ones. Besides, the computational cost is similar. The new method is then used to investigate the consequence of the kinematic hypotheses on bearing stiffness values. Last, the relevance of this work is illustrated through the computation of the dynamic behavior of a high speed milling spindle. The impact of this new computation method on the accuracy of a finite element spindle model is quantified.
In Vivo Phosphoproteomics Analysis Reveals the Cardiac Targets of β-Adrenergic Receptor Signaling
Authors: Lundby Alicia , Andersen Martin N. , Steffensen Annette B. , Horn Heiko , Kelstrup Christian D. , Francavilla Chiara , Jensen Lars J. , Schmitt Nicole , Thomsen Morten B. , Olsen Jesper V.
Published: June 2013

Analysis of phosphorylated proteins from the hearts of mice given drugs targeting β-adrenergic receptors may aid in treating heart disease.
Circadian Learning
Authors: Ferrarelli Leslie K.
Published: June 2013

Transcription-dependent and -independent mechanisms regulated by diurnal glucocorticoid oscillations promote memory formation and retention.
Multiple Genetic Pathways Involving Amino Acid Position 143 of HIV-1 Integrase Are Preferentially Associated with Specific Secondary Amino Acid Substitutions and Confer Resistance to Raltegravir and Cross-Resistance to Elvitegravir
Authors: Huang Wei , Frantzell Arne , Fransen Signe , Petropoulos Christos J.
Published: June 2013

Y143C,R substitutions in HIV-1 integrase define one of three primary raltegravir (RAL) resistance pathways. Here we describe clinical isolates with alternative substitutions at position 143 (Y143A, Y143G, Y143H, and Y143S [Y143A,G,H,S]) that emerge less frequently, and we compare the genotypic and phenotypic profiles of these viruses to Y143C,R viruses to reconcile the preferential selection of Y143C,R variants during RAL treatment. Integrase amino acid sequences and RAL susceptibility were characterized in 117 patient isolates submitted for drug resistance testing and contained Y143 amino acid changes. The influence of specific Y143 substitutions on RAL susceptibility and their preferential association with particular secondary substitutions were further defined by evaluating the composition of patient virus populations along with a large panel of site-directed mutants. Our observations demonstrate that the RAL resistance profiles of Y143A,G,H,S viruses and their association with specific secondary substitutions are similar to the well-established Y143C profile but distinct from the Y143R profile. Y143R viruses differ from Y143A,C,G,H,S viruses in that Y143R confers a greater reduction in RAL susceptibility as a single substitution, consistent with a lower resistance barrier. Among Y143A,C,G,H,S viruses, the higher prevalence of Y143C viruses is the result of a lower genetic barrier than that of the Y143A,G,S viruses and a lower resistance barrier than that of the Y143H viruses. In addition, Y143A,C,G,H,S viruses require multiple secondary substitutions to develop large reductions in RAL susceptibility. Patient-derived viruses containing Y143 substitutions exhibit cross-resistance to elvitegravir.
Analysis of the Small RNA Transcriptional Response in Multidrug-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus after Antimicrobial Exposure
Authors: Howden Benjamin P. , Beaume Marie , Harrison Paul F. , Hernandez David , Schrenzel Jacques , Seemann Torsten , Francois Patrice , Stinear Timothy P.
Published: June 2013

The critical role of noncoding small RNAs (sRNAs) in the bacterial response to changing conditions is increasingly recognized. However, a specific role for sRNAs during antibiotic exposure has not been investigated in
Staphylococcus aureus
. Here, we used Illumina RNA-Seq to examine the sRNA response of multiresistant sequence type 239 (ST239)
S. aureus
after exposure to four antibiotics (vancomycin, linezolid, ceftobiprole, and tigecycline) representing the major classes of antimicrobials used to treat methicillin-resistant
S. aureus
(MRSA) infections. We identified 409 potential sRNAs and then compared global sRNA and mRNA expression profiles at 2 and 6 h, without antibiotic exposure and after exposure to each antibiotic, for a vancomycin-susceptible strain (JKD6009) and a vancomycin-intermediate strain (JKD6008). Exploration of this data set by multivariate analysis using a novel implementation of nonnegative matrix factorization (NMF) revealed very different responses for mRNA and sRNA. Where mRNA responses clustered with strain or growth phase conditions, the sRNA responses were predominantly linked to antibiotic exposure, including sRNA responses that were specific for particular antibiotics. A remarkable feature of the antimicrobial response was the prominence of antisense sRNAs to genes encoding proteins involved in protein synthesis and ribosomal function. This study has defined a large sRNA repertoire in epidemic ST239 MRSA and shown for the first time that a subset of sRNAs are part of a coordinated transcriptional response to specific antimicrobial exposures in
S. aureus
. These data provide a framework for interrogating the role of staphylococcal sRNAs in antimicrobial resistance and exploring new avenues for sRNA-based antimicrobial therapies.
Potent Rifamycin-Sparing Regimen Cures Guinea Pig Tuberculosis as Rapidly as the Standard Regimen
Authors: Dutta Noton K. , Alsultan Abdullah , Gniadek Thomas J. , Belchis Deborah A. , Pinn Michael L. , Mdluli Khisimuzi E. , Nuermberger Eric L. , Peloquin Charles A. , Karakousis Petros C.
Published: June 2013

Strategies involving new drug combinations, as well as new uses of existing drugs, are urgently needed to reduce the time required to cure patients with drug-sensitive or multidrug-resistant (MDR) tuberculosis (TB). We compared the sterilizing activity of the standard first-line antitubercular regimen, rifampin-isoniazid-pyrazinamide (RHZ), with that of the novel regimen PA-824–moxifloxacin–pyrazinamide (PaMZ), which is currently being studied in clinical trials (NCT01498419), in the guinea pig model of chronic TB infection, in which animals develop necrotic granulomas histologically resembling their human counterparts. Guinea pigs were aerosol infected with ∼2 log
10
bacilli of wild-type
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
H37Rv, and antibiotic treatment was initiated 6 weeks after infection. Separate groups of animals received RHZ, PaMZ, or single or two-drug components of the latter regimen administered at human-equivalent doses 5 days/week for a total of 8 weeks. Relapse rates were assessed 3 months after discontinuation of treatment to determine the sterilizing activity of each combination regimen. PaMZ given at human-equivalent doses was safe and well tolerated for the entire treatment period and rendered guinea pig lungs culture negative more rapidly than RHZ did. After 1 month of treatment, 80% and 50% of animals in the RHZ and PaMZ groups, respectively, had lung culture-positive relapse. Both combination regimens prevented microbiological relapse when administered for a total of 2 months. Our data support the use of PaMZ as a novel isoniazid- and rifamycin-sparing regimen suitable for treatment of both drug-sensitive TB and MDR-TB.
Successfully treated bilateral renal artery stenosis in a patient with coronary artery disease
Authors: Gunduz Yasemin , Akdemir Ramazan , Sahinkus Salih , Vatan Mehmet Bulent
Published: June 2013

Renal artery stenosis (RAS) is the most common cause of secondary hypertension and accounts for approximately 1–3% of all causes of hypertension. Over 90% of RASs are caused by atherosclerosis; atherosclerotic RAS is increasingly common in aging populations, particularly elderly people with diabetes, hyperlipidaemia, aortoiliac occlusive disease, coronary artery disease or hypertension. Three therapeutic options are currently available for patients with renovascular hypertension: medical antihypertensive therapy, surgical revascularisation and transluminal angioplasty including stent implantation. We present in this report a male patient with bilateral severe ostial stenosis and coronary artery disease, and who was successfully treated with renal stent implantation in one session.