bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Structure and diversity of the lobster community on the Amazon continental shelf
Authors: Silva K. C. A. , Cruz R. , Cintra I. H. A. , Abrunhosa F. A.
Published: September 2013

The present study analyses the diversity and community structure of the lobsters captured using bottom trawl shrimp nets at depths of 41 to 626 m during fishery prospection cruises conducted between 1996 and 1998. The study area encompasses the coasts of the Brazilian states of Amapá and Pará, which were divided into two sectors, to the north and to south of Cape North. The 44 lobster specimens identified belonged to nine species: Acanthacaris caeca (A. Milne-Edwards, 1881), Nephropsis aculeata Smith, 1881, Nephropsis rosea Bate, 1888, Palinustus truncatus A. Milne-Edwards, 1880, Panulirus argus (Latreille, 1804), Parribacus antarcticus (Lund, 1793), Polycheles typhlops Heller, 1862, Scyllarides delfosi Holthuis, 1960 and Stereomastis sculpta (Smith, 1880). The specimens were captured preferentially on muddy sand substrates in the northern sector and gravelly and muddy sand in the southern sector. All species were more common in the northern sector during the dry season (June-November), and in the southern sector in the rainy season (December-May).
A Battle for the Skies: Applying the European Emissions Trading System to International Aviation
Authors: Hartmann Jacques
Published: September 2013

The European Union (EU) has long been in a diplomatic row with its main trading partners. The row concerns the EU’s decision to include foreign aircraft emissions within its Emissions Trading System (ETS). Several States have objected to the inclusion as a violation of their sovereignty. The importance of the quarrel can hardly be overestimated: it is the first real clash concerning unilateral measures to combat climate change. By including foreign aircraft emissions within the ETS, the EU has taken unilateral action to prevent international environmental harm. The EU’s action has given rise to some fundamental questions concerning legislative jurisdiction. Moreover, as the impact of climate change becomes more severe, climate change may serve as a pretext for all kinds of protectionist policies. The current quarrel is therefore also one of principle. This article analyses the jurisdictional basis for extending the ETS to extraterritorial flights and the reactions of third States. In doing so, the article reveals fundamental limits in international rules concerning the allocation of competencies between States, especially in relation to the protection of the environment. The article considers these shortcomings in the context of the present case and suggests a new approach to the traditional principles of sovereignty and legislative jurisdiction.
Current Developments: Exceptional Recognition of Governments and Political Parties in Respect of Sovereign Loans: The Greek Case
Authors: Bantekas Ilias
Published: September 2013

The International Monetary Fund and other multilateral lenders committed the Greek government to honour its obligation and adhere to the terms of its loan agreements even after the 2012 elections. This commitment was addressed to the then coalition government in power alone, and hence it is supported that the agreements are not obviously binding on other political parties that were clearly opposed to them. This practice has given rise to a paradigm of government recognition in respect of sovereign loans that excludes those political parties that are subsequently elected into power and which expressed their opposition to the loan agreements. This is particularly true where the agreements in question are odious or bring about a situation that severely affects the enjoyment of fundamental human rights by the local population.
Checklist of earthworms (Oligochaeta: Lumbricidae) from Montenegro: Diversity and biogeographical review
Authors: STOJANOVIĆ MIRJANA , MILUTINOVIĆ TANJA
Published: September 2013

A checklist of the lumbricid earthworms in Montenegro is presented. Comprehensive information on the distribution and habitats of all earthworms is given in order to establish the definitive list of known taxa from Montenegro. The complete list of earthworm taxa of Montenegro comprises 40 species and subspecies, belonging to 12 genera of the family Lumbricidae. The list underlines the diversity of earthworms and provides a general overview of their distribution and zoogeographical type. Our study shows that the degree of endemism is comparatively high, exceeding 20%. Summing up the endemics and the Balkanic species, 42.5% of the total lumbricid fauna shows an autochthonous character.
Extreme Rapid Intensification of Typhoon Vicente (2012) in the South China Sea
Authors: Shieh Owen H. , Fiorino Michael , Kucas Matthew E. , Wang Bin
Published: September 2013

One of the primary challenges for both tropical cyclone (TC) research and forecasting is the problem of intensity change. Accurately forecasting TC rapid intensification (RI) is particularly important to interests along coastlines and shipping routes, which are vulnerable to storm surge and heavy seas induced by intense tropical cyclones. One particular RI event in the western North Pacific Ocean with important scientific implications is the explosive deepening of Typhoon Vicente (2012). Vicente underwent extreme RI in the northern South China Sea just prior to landfall west of Hong Kong, China, with maximum sustained winds increasing from 50 kt (1 kt = 0.51 m s−1) at 0000 UTC 23 July to 115 kt at 1500 UTC 23 July. This increase of 65 kt in 15 h far exceeds established thresholds for TC RI. Just prior to this RI episode, Vicente exhibited a near-90° poleward track shift. The relationship between the track and intensity change is described, and the authors speculate that the passage of an upper-tropospheric (UT) “inverted” trough was a significant influence. An analysis of real-time numerical model guidance is provided and is discussed from an operational perspective, and high-resolution global model analyses are evaluated. Numerical model forecasts of the UT trough interaction with the TC circulation were determined to be a shortcoming that contributed to the intensity prediction errors for Vicente. This case study discusses the importance of considering UT features in TC intensity forecasting and establishes current modeling capabilities for future research.
New and emerging therapies for advanced or metastatic soft tissue sarcoma
Authors: Gettys Suzanne C , Anderson Jaime E , Davis Jennifer E
Published: September 2013

Soft tissue sarcomas include a rare variety of tumors, which require a multidisciplinary approach to treatment. Patients with advanced or metastatic disease are typically treated with anthracycline-based therapy, but these chemotherapy regimens are associated with poor response rates and average survival duration of one year. Much attention has been turned toward overexpressed gene pathways, and utilizing targeted therapies to inhibit tumor growth. Many new and approved targeted therapies and chemotherapy agents are currently in clinical and preclinical studies for soft tissue sarcoma. As the results of these studies are reported, we hope to see improved response rates and less toxicity, both in the frontline setting and for patients with advanced disease. This article will review the available data for some of the more promising therapies for advanced or metastatic soft tissue sarcomas.
Restoration of angiogenic capacity of diabetes-insulted mesenchymal stem cells by oxytocin
Authors: Kim Yong Sook , Kwon Jin Sook , Hong Moon Hwa , Kang Wan Seok , Jeong Hye-yun , Kang Hye-jin , Jeong Myung Ho , Ahn Youngkeun
Published: September 2013

Background

Angiogenesis is the main therapeutic mechanism of cell therapy for cardiovascular diseases, but diabetes is reported to reduce the function and number of progenitor cells. Therefore, we studied the effect of streptozotocin-induced diabetes on the bone marrow-mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) function, and examined whether diabetes-impaired MSC could be rescued by pretreatment with oxytocin.

Results

MSCs were isolated and cultured from diabetic (DM) or non-diabetic (non-DM) rat, and proliferation rate was compared. DM-MSC was pretreated with oxytocin and compared with non-DM-MSC. Angiogenic capacity was estimated by tube formation and Matrigel plug assay, and therapeutic efficacy was studied in rat myocardial infarction (MI) model.

The proliferation and angiogenic activity of DM-MSC were severely impaired but significantly improved by pretreatment with oxytocin. Krüppel-like factor 2 (KLF2), a critical angiogenic factor, was dramatically reduced in DM-MSC and significantly restored by oxytocin. In the Matrigel plug assay, vessel formation of DM-BMSCs was attenuated but was recovered by oxytocin. In rat MI model, DM-MSC injection did not ameliorate cardiac injury, whereas oxytocin-pretreated DM-MSC improved cardiac function and reduced fibrosis.

Conclusions

Our results show that diabetes influenced MSC by reducing angiogenic capacity and therapeutic potential. We demonstrate the striking effect of oxytocin on stem cell dysfunction and suggest the use of oxytocin as a priming reagent in autologous stem cell therapy.
Expansion of ruminant-specific microRNAs shapes target gene expression divergence between ruminant and non-ruminant species
Authors: Bao Hua , Kommadath Arun , Sun Xu , Meng Yan , Arantes Adriano S , Plastow Graham S , Guan Le Luo , Stothard Paul
Published: September 2013

Background

Understanding how species-specific microRNAs (miRNAs) contribute to species-specific phenotypes is a central topic in biology. This study aimed to elucidate the role of ruminant-specific miRNAs in shaping mRNA expression divergence between ruminant and non-ruminant species.

Results

We analyzed miRNA and mRNA transcriptomes generated by Illumina sequencing from whole blood samples of cattle and a closely related non-ruminant species, pig. We found evidence of expansion of cattle-specific miRNAs by analyzing miRNA conservation among 57 vertebrate species. The emergence of cattle-specific miRNAs was accompanied by accelerated sequence evolution at their target sites. Further, the target genes of cattle-specific miRNAs show markedly reduced expression compared to their pig and human orthologues. We found that target genes with conserved or non-conserved target sites of cattle-specific miRNAs exhibit reduced expression. One of the significantly enriched KEGG pathway terms for the target genes of the cattle-specific miRNAs is the insulin signalling pathway, raising the possibility that some of these miRNAs may modulate insulin resistance in ruminants.

Conclusions

We provide evidence of rapid miRNA-mediated regulatory evolution in the ruminant lineage. Cattle-specific miRNAs play an important role in shaping gene expression divergence between ruminant and non-ruminant species, by influencing the expression of targets genes through both conserved and cattle-specific target sites.
miR-204 mediated loss of Myeloid cell leukemia-1 results in pancreatic cancer cell death
Authors: Chen Zhiyu , Sangwan Veena , Banerjee Sulagna , Mackenzie Tiffany , Dudeja Vikas , Li Xiaowu , Wang Huaizhi , Vickers Selwyn M , Saluja Ashok K
Published: September 2013

Background

Pancreatic cancer is one of the most lethal human malignancies, with an all-stage 5-year survival of <5%, mainly due to lack of effective available therapies. Cancer cell survival is dependent upon up-regulation of the pro-survival response, mediated by anti-apoptotic proteins such as Mcl-1.

Results

Here we show that over-expression of Mcl-1 in pancreatic patient tumor samples is linked to advancement of the disease. We have previously shown that triptolide, a diterpene triepoxide, is effective both in vitro and in vivo, in killing pancreatic cancer cells. Decrease of Mcl-1 levels, either by siRNA or by treatment with triptolide results in cell death. Using pancreatic cancer cell lines, we have shown that miR-204, a putative regulator of Mcl-1, is repressed in cancer cell lines compared to normal cells. Over-expression of miR-204, either by a miR-204 mimic, or by triptolide treatment results in a decrease in Mcl-1 levels, and a subsequent decrease in cell viability. Using luciferase reporter assays, we confirmed the ability of miR-204 to down-regulate Mcl-1 by directly binding to the Mcl-1 3’ UTR. Using human xenograft samples treated with Minnelide, a water soluble variant of triptolide, we have shown that miR-204 is up-regulated and Mcl-1 is down-regulated in treated vs. control tumors.

Conclusion

Triptolide mediated miR-204 increase causes pancreatic cancer cell death via loss of Mcl-1.
Health literacy and ethnic disparities in health-related quality of life among rural women: results from a Chinese poor minority area
Authors: Wang Cuili , Li Hui , Li Lingui , Xu Dongjuan , Kane Robert L , Meng Qingyue
Published: September 2013

Background

We examined the relationship between health literacy (HL) and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) as well as relationship differentials by ethnicity among rural women from a Chinese poor minority area.

Methods

We conducted in-person interviews with 913 rural women aged 23 – 57 (57.5% Hui minorities/42.5% Han ethnicity) enrolled in the Ningxia Women Health Project, gathering data on EQ-5D, self-designed HL, socio-demographic characteristics, and chronic diseases. The extent of impairments in the five dimensions of the EQ-5D was used to measure HRQoL. Factor analysis yielded a single HL factor, which was used as a dichotomous variable in multivariate log-binomial regression models that examined the adjusted association of HL with HRQoL.

Results

Nearly half of the women had no formal education. The most prevalent impairments were pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression (42.42% and 32.09%, respectively). The Hui minorities had 1.65 times higher rates of low HL (defined as less than mean of the factor score for HL) and 1.22 and 1.25 times for pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression impairments, respectively. Low HL was associated with poor HRQoL, with a 23% increase in the prevalence of pain/discomfort impairments after adjusting for socio-demographics. This association was significant in the Hui group (PR=1.30, 95% CI=1.06-1.58) but not for the Han group (PR=0.99, 95% CI=0.76-1.30). HL-stratified analysis revealed modification for ethnic disparities in HRQoL; for pain/discomfort impairments, high HL-PR=0.88 (95% CI=0.71-1.08), low HL-PR=1.24 (95% CI = 1.01-1.52); for anxiety/depression impairments, high HL-PR=0.98 (95% CI=0.73-1.32), low HL-PR=1.44 (95% CI = 1.05-1.98).

Conclusions

Low HL is associated with poor HRQoL across the entire sample and the association may be modified by ethnicity. Similarly, ethnic disparities in HRQoL may be modified by HL, larger in low HL group. Health services should address HL in vulnerable minority women to improve their HRQoL.
Rate-dependent Ca2+ signalling underlying the force-frequency response in rat ventricular myocytes: a coupled electromechanical modeling study
Authors: Krishna Abhilash , Valderrábano Miguel , Palade Philip T , Clark John W
Published: September 2013

Background

Rate-dependent effects on the C
a
2+ sub-system in a rat ventricular myocyte are investigated. Here, we employ a deterministic mathematical model describing various C
a
2+ signalling pathways under voltage clamp (VC) conditions, to better understand the important role of calmodulin (CaM) in modulating the key control variables C
a
2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase-II (CaMKII), calcineurin (CaN), and cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) as they affect various intracellular targets. In particular, we study the frequency dependence of the peak force generated by the myofilaments, the force-frequency response (FFR).

Methods

Our cell model incorporates frequency-dependent CaM-mediated spatially heterogenous interaction of CaMKII and CaN with their principal targets (dihydropyridine (DHPR) and ryanodine (RyR) receptors and the SERCA pump). It also accounts for the rate-dependent effects of phospholamban (PLB) on the SERCA pump; the rate-dependent role of cAMP in up-regulation of the L-type C
a
2+ channel (I

C
a,L
); and the enhancement in SERCA pump activity via phosphorylation of PLB.

Results

Our model reproduces positive peak FFR observed in rat ventricular myocytes during voltage-clamp studies both in the presence/absence of cAMP mediated β-adrenergic stimulation. This study provides quantitative insight into the rate-dependence of C
a
2+-induced C
a
2+-release (CICR) by investigating the frequency-dependence of the trigger current (I

C
a,L
) and RyR-release. It also highlights the relative role of the sodium-calcium exchanger (NCX) and the SERCA pump at higher frequencies, as well as the rate-dependence of sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) C
a
2+ content. A rigorous C
a
2+ balance imposed on our investigation of these C
a
2+ signalling pathways clarifies their individual roles. Here, we present a coupled electromechanical study emphasizing the rate-dependence of isometric force developed and also investigate the temperature-dependence of FFR.

Conclusions

Our model provides mechanistic biophysically based explanations for the rate-dependence of CICR, generating useful and testable hypotheses. Although rat ventricular myocytes exhibit a positive peak FFR in the presence/absence of beta-adrenergic stimulation, they show a characteristic increase in the positive slope in FFR due to the presence of Norepinephrine or Isoproterenol. Our study identifies cAMP-mediated stimulation, and rate-dependent CaMKII-mediated up-regulation of I

C
a,L
as the key mechanisms underlying the aforementioned positive FFR.
The PKR activator, PACT, becomes a PKR inhibitor during HIV-1 replication
Authors: Clerzius Guerline , Shaw Eileen , Daher Aïcha , Burugu Samantha , Gélinas Jean-François , Ear Thornin , Sinck Lucile , Routy Jean-Pierre , Mouland Andrew J , Patel Rekha C , Gatignol Anne
Published: September 2013

Background

HIV-1 translation is modulated by the activation of the interferon (IFN)-inducible Protein Kinase RNA-activated (PKR). PKR phosphorylates its downstream targets, including the alpha subunit of the eukaryotic translation Initiation Factor 2 (eIF2α), which decreases viral replication. The PKR Activator (PACT) is known to activate PKR after a cellular stress. In lymphocytic cell lines, HIV-1 activates PKR only transiently and not when cells replicate the virus at high levels. The regulation of this activation is due to a combination of viral and cellular factors that have been only partially identified.

Results

PKR is transiently induced and activated in peripheral blood mononuclear cells after HIV-1 infection. The addition of IFN reduces viral replication, and induces both the production and phosphorylation of PKR. In lymphocytic Jurkat cells infected by HIV-1, a multiprotein complex around PKR contains the double-stranded RNA binding proteins (dsRBPs), adenosine deaminase acting on RNA (ADAR)1 and PACT. In HEK 293T cells transfected with an HIV-1 molecular clone, PACT unexpectedly inhibited PKR and eIF2α phosphorylation and increased HIV-1 protein expression and virion production in the presence of either endogenous PKR alone or overexpressed PKR. The comparison between different dsRBPs showed that ADAR1, TAR RNA Binding Protein (TRBP) and PACT inhibit PKR and eIF2α phosphorylation in HIV-infected cells, whereas Staufen1 did not. Individual or a combination of short hairpin RNAs against PACT or ADAR1 decreased HIV-1 protein expression. In the astrocytic cell line U251MG, which weakly expresses TRBP, PACT mediated an increased HIV-1 protein expression and a decreased PKR phosphorylation. In these cells, a truncated PACT, which constitutively activates PKR in non-infected cells showed no activity on either PKR or HIV-1 protein expression. Finally, PACT and ADAR1 interact with each other in the absence of RNAs.

Conclusion

In contrast to its previously described activity, PACT contributes to PKR dephosphorylation during HIV-1 replication. This activity is in addition to its heterodimer formation with TRBP and could be due to its binding to ADAR1. HIV-1 has evolved to replicate in cells with high levels of TRBP, to induce the expression of ADAR1 and to change the function of PACT for PKR inhibition and increased replication.
Molecular and phylogenetic analysis of the porcine kobuvirus VP1 region using infected pigs from Sichuan Province, China
Authors: Chen Lei , Zhu Ling , Zhou Yuan-cheng , Xu Zhi-wen , Guo Wan-zhu , Yang Wen-yu
Published: September 2013

Background

Porcine kobuvirus (PKoV) is a member of the Kobuvirus genus within the Picornaviridae family. PKoV is distributed worldwide with high prevalence in clinically healthy pigs and those with diarrhea.

Methods

Fecal and intestinal samples (n = 163) from pig farms in Sichuan Province, China were obtained to determine the presence of PKoV using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction assays. Specific primers were used for the amplification of the gene encoding the PKoV VP1 protein sequence. Sequence and phylogenetic analyses were conducted to clarify evolutionary relationships with other PKoV strains.

Results

Approximately 53% (87/163) of pigs tested positive for PKoV. PKoV was widespread in asymptomatic pigs and those with diarrhea. A high prevalence of PKoV was observed in pigs younger than 4 weeks and in pigs with diarrhea. Phylogenetic analysis of 36 PKoV VP1 protein sequences showed that Sichuan PKoV strains formed four distinct clusters. Two pigs with diarrhea were found to be co-infected with multiple PKoV strains. Sequence and phylogenetic analyses revealed diversity within the same host and between different hosts. Significant recombination breakpoints were observed between the CHN/SC/31-A1 and CHN/SC/31-A3 strains in the VP1 region, which were isolated from the same sample.

Conclusion

PKoV was endemic in Sichuan Province regardless of whether pigs were healthy or suffering from diarrhea. Based on our statistical analyses, we suggest that PKoV was the likely causative agent of high-mortality diarrhea in China from 2010. For the first time, we provide evidence for the co-existence of multiple PKoV strains in one pig, and possible recombination events in the VP1 region. Our findings provide further insights into the molecular properties of PKoV, along with its epidemiology.
Pathways to psychiatric care in urban north China: a general hospital based study
Authors: Zhang Weijun , Li Xuemei , Lin Yan , Zhang Xiulan , Qu Zhiyong , Wang Xiaohua , Xu Huiwen , Jiao Alvina , Guo Mengqi , Zhang Yurong , Li Yafang , Tian Donghua
Published: September 2013

Background

Pathway studies highlight the help-seeking behaviors of patients with physical and mental illnesses. A number of studies in this field have been completed in various parts of the world. The purpose of this study is to explore the characteristics of the help-seeking pathways of patients with mental illness from urban north China at Mental Health Professional (MHP).

Methods

The pathway diagrams, which accounted for more than five percent of patients, were documented for 441 subjects using the translated version of the World Health Organization (WHO) pathway encounter form. The patterns and durations of care-seeking were analyzed in different diagnostic groups. The χ2-test and the Mann-Whitney U test were employed, as needed.

Results

Respondents visited the MHP through a variety of pathways. Approximately three-quarters of the patients took an indirect pathway (74.8% vs 25.2%, χ2 = 108.8,p < 0.0001), and on average, each patient consulted 3.4 caregivers. The vast majority of patients first visited local tertiary general hospitals (56.4%vs4.1%, χ2 = 138.3,p < 0.0001) or local secondary general hospitals (24.8%vs4.1%, χ2 = 40.96,p < 0.0001). However, only 9.6% of patients were diagnosed with mental disorders for the patients who first visited non-psychiatric hospitals. Of the patients who first contacted with psychiatry hospital, 55.6% received a professional diagnosis and finally reached the MHP because of the poor treatment or high-cost medical care.

Conclusions

The majority of patients seek other pathways than to go to MHP directly and this may be due to stigma, and/or lack of knowledge. The study gives emphasis on the importance of improving skills and knowledge that will facilitate the recognition of psychiatric disorders in the community health centers, the general hospitals system and by private practitioners. The pathway described by this study may be helpful while preparing mental health programs in the future.
Comparative proteomics analysis of normal and memory-deficient Drosophila melanogaster heads
Authors: Lee Tian-Ren , Lee Hsiao-Yun , Huang Shun-Hong , Chan Hsin-Tzu , Lyu Ping-Chiang , Chan Hong-Lin
Published: September 2013

Background

Learning and memory are extremely complex and dynamic processes. Proteins that participate in memory formation are strictly regulated by various pathways and may require protein synthesis and/or post-translational modifications. To examine the formation of memory, Drosophila was genetically engineered with the mutated memory-related gene, Amn

X8
, which induces normal learning and memory behavior within the first 30 min of training. However, the process through which learning occurred could not be retained after the 30 min of training, indicating that these mutants possessed deficits in middle-term memory. A proteomics platform based on two-dimensional differential gel electrophoresis and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry was employed to examine the head proteome alterations between the wild-type 2u strain and the memory-deficient mutant Amn

X8
strain.

Results

The results indicated that 30 differentially expressed head proteins that mainly function in metabolic pathways and cell structure/cytoskeleton proteins were involved in memory formation. A bioinformatics analysis demonstrated that mitochondrial proteins had critical roles in modulating this process.

Conclusions

This is the first study of a comparative head proteomics analysis of a memory mutant strain and a normal control fruit fly strain. The fundamental proteomics analysis provides potential candidates for further elucidation of the biological mechanism of the memory formation process in Drosophila.
Methotrexate treatment of FraX fibroblasts results in FMR1 transcription but not in detectable FMR1 protein levels
Authors: Brendel Cornelia , Mielke Benjamin , Hillebrand Merle , Gärtner Jutta , Huppke Peter
Published: September 2013

Background

Fragile X syndrome is caused by the loss of FMRP expression due to methylation of the FMR1 promoter. Treatment of fragile X syndrome patients’ lymphoblastoid cells with 5-azadeoxycytidine results in demethylation of the promoter and reactivation of the gene. The aim of the study was to analyze if methotrexate, an agent which also reduces DNA methylation but with less toxicity than 5-azadeoxycytidine, has therapeutic potential in fragile X syndrome.

Methods

Fibroblasts of fragile X syndrome patients were treated with methotrexate in concentrations ranging from 1 to 4 μg/ml for up to 14 days. FMR1 and FMRP expression were analyzed by quantitative PCR and western blotting.

Results

FMR1 mRNA was detected and levels correlated positively with methotrexate concentrations and time of treatment, but western blotting did not show detectable FMRP levels.

Conclusions

We show that it is possible to reactivate FMR1 transcription in fibroblasts of fragile X syndrome patients by treatment with methotrexate. However, we were not able to show FMRP expression, possibly due to the reduced translation efficacy caused by the triplet repeat extension. Unless FMR1 reactivation is more effective in vivo our results indicate that methotrexate has no role in the treatment of fragile X syndrome.
Osteoradionecrosis of the mandible: A case series at a single institution
Authors: Gevorgyan Artur , Wong Kevin , Poon Ian , Blanas Nick , Enepekides Danny J , Higgins Kevin M
Published: September 2013

Background

Osteoradionecrosis (ORN) defines exposed irradiated bone, which fails to heal over a period of 3–6 months without evidence of residual or recurrent tumor. In the previous decades, a staging and treatment protocol suggested by Marx, has dominated the approach to ORN. However, recently this paradigm is shifting. The purpose of this study was to evaluate our institutional experience in managing ORN through a retrospective review of case series from a large urban academic cancer centre.

Methods

A retrospective chart review was conducted to include all ORN cases from 2003 to 2009 diagnosed at the Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery and the Department of Dentistry. The staging of ORN was assessed as affected by tumor site, tumor stage, radiotherapy modality and dose, chemotherapy, dental work, and time to diagnosis. The effectiveness of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO) and surgery in the management of ORN was evaluated.

Results

Fourteen cases of ORN were documented (incidence 0.84%). Primary subsites included tonsils, tongue, retromolar trigone, parotid gland, soft palate and buccal mucosa. There were 5 (35.7%) stage 1, 3 (21.4%) stage 2, and 6 (42.9%) stage 3 cases. ORN severity was not significantly associated with gender, smoking, alcohol use, tumor site, T stage, N stage, AJCC stage, or treatment modality (radiation alone, surgery with adjuvant radiation or adjuvant chemoradiation). Patients treated with intensity-modulated radiotherapy developed less severe ORN compared to those treated with conventional radiotherapy (p < 0.015). ORN stage did not correlate with radiation dose. In one patient only dental procedures were performed following radiation and could be implicated as the cause of ORN. HBO therapy failed to prevent ORN progression. Surgical treatment was required for most stage 2 (partial resections and free tissue transfers) and stage 3 patients (mandibulectomies and free tissue transfers, including two flaps in one patient). At an average follow up of 26 months, all patients were cancer-free, and there was no evidence of ORN in 84% of patients.

Conclusions

In early ORN, we advocate a conservative approach with local care, while reserving radical resections with robust reconstruction with vascularized free tissue for advanced stages.
Does production of oil palm, soybean, or jatropha change biodiversity and ecosystem functions in tropical forests
Authors: Savilaakso Sini , Laumonier Yves , Guariguata Manuel R , Nasi Robert
Published: September 2013

Background

Biofuels, or fuels derived from transformation of biological matter, are hailed by some as a promising source of renewable energy potentially reducing greenhouse gas emissions. A widespread adoption of biofuels will however present its own set of challenges and consequences. Direct or indirect land use change due to expansion of feedstock cultivation can cause deforestation and forest degradation leading to biodiversity losses and other environmental concerns like soil degradation and erosion, water pollution and scarcity, and the risk of crop species invading natural ecosystems.

Although biofuel production is currently not the main use of palm oil and soybean and hence, has so far contributed only little to the land-use change patterns, it has been predicted to grow. Therefore, it is important to know the potential consequences of the expansion of biofuel cultivation may have for biodiversity in order to provide policy guidance.

Methods/design

In this review, we will assess the current state of knowledge of the impact of three first generation biofuel crops - oil palm, soybean, and jatropha - on the biodiversity and ecosystem functions of the tropical forests. We will look at the additional comparison of impacts from industrial versus smallholder plantations, and will compare the mitigation potential of different standards related to biofuel production. We will consider both qualitative and quantitative primary studies as well as descriptive reports that compare land conversion for target crop production with other land uses or land cover types. Both before/after and site comparison studies will be included, and biodiversity indicators to be assessed are species richness, abundance, and plant and animal community composition. If there is enough data, quantitative meta-analysis will be performed. Otherwise results will be summarized narratively.
Investigation of the painting materials in Zhongshan Grottoes(Shaanxi, China)
Authors: Egel Ellen , Simon Stefan
Published: September 2013

This paper reports on the characterization of paint samples from polychrome sculptures in the main cave of the Zhongshan Grottoes, China. Optical Microscopy (OM), Environmental Scanning Electron Microscopy in combination with Energy Dispersive X-ray analysis (ESEM/EDX), Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy were carried out in order to study the stratigraphy of the sculptural polychromy and to determine the painting materials.

Minium Pb3O4 and mercury sulphide HgS, cinnabar or its synthetic form vermilion were found as red pigments. Two mixtures were used to produce a rose color: lead white Pb3 (CO3)2 (OH)2 with minium and hematite added to gypsum. Yellow was attributed to an ochre. The green paint layer has been identified as botallackite [Cu2(OH)3Cl], an isomer of atacamite and paratacamite. Copper oxalate was also found in this green paint layer and calcium oxalate were detected in a numerous of paint layers without restriction to any specific colors.

Pigments and their use as mixture or as overlapping different paint layers in Zhongshan Grottoes were identified on a selected number of samples. Over painted areas could be identified and two reasons could explained the blackening of the paintings: a loss of the fragilized colored paint layer, which make the underneath black paint layer visible and a darkening of the upper paint layer, due to the burning of the candles in the temple.

Furthermore, FTIR analysis performed on the samples give the indication of an oily binder.
Biochemical and kinetic characterisation of a novel xylooligosaccharide-upregulated GH43 β-d-xylosidase/α-l-arabinofuranosidase (BXA43) from the probiotic Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BB-12
Authors: Viborg Alexander Holm , Sørensen Kim Ib , Gilad Ofir , Steen-Jensen Daniel Bisgaard , Dilokpimol Adiphol , Jacobsen Susanne , Svensson Birte
Published: September 2013

The Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BB-12 gene BIF_00092, assigned to encode a β-d-xylosidase (BXA43) of glycoside hydrolase family 43 (GH43), was cloned with a C-terminal His-tag and expressed in Escherichia coli. BXA43 was purified to homogeneity from the cell lysate and found to be a dual-specificity exo-hydrolase active on para-nitrophenyl-β-d-xylopyranoside (p NPX), para-nitrophenyl-α-L-arabinofuranoside (p NPA), β-(1 → 4)-xylopyranosyl oligomers (XOS) of degree of polymerisation (DP) 2–4, and birchwood xylan. A phylogenetic tree of the 92 characterised GH43 enzymes displayed five distinct groups (I − V) showing specificity differences. BXA43 belonged to group IV and had an activity ratio for p NPA:p NPX of 1:25. BXA43 was stable below 40°C and at pH 4.0–8.0 and showed maximum activity at pH 5.5 and 50°C. K
m and k
cat for p NPX were 15.6 ± 4.2 mM and 60.6 ± 10.8 s-1, respectively, and substrate inhibition became apparent above 18 mM p NPX. Similar kinetic parameters and catalytic efficiency values were reported for β-d-xylosidase (XynB3) from Geobacillus stearothermophilus T‒6 also belonging to group IV. The activity of BXA43 for xylooligosaccharides increased with the size and was 2.3 and 5.6 fold higher, respectively for xylobiose and xylotetraose compared to p NPX. BXA43 showed clearly metal inhibition for Zn2+ and Ag+, which is different to its close homologues. Multiple sequence alignment and homology modelling indicated that Arg505Tyr506 present in BXA43 are probably important for binding to xylotetraose at subsite +3 and occur only in GH43 from the Bifidobacterium genus.
Mechanical properties of shale-gas reservoir rocks — Part 1: Static and dynamic elastic properties and anisotropy
Authors: Sone Hiroki , Zoback Mark D.
Published: September 2013

Understanding the controls on the elastic properties of reservoir rocks is crucial for exploration and successful production from hydrocarbon reservoirs. We studied the static and dynamic elastic properties of shale gas reservoir rocks from Barnett, Haynesville, Eagle Ford, and Fort St. John shales through laboratory experiments. The elastic properties of these rocks vary significantly between reservoirs (and within a reservoir) due to the wide variety of material composition and microstructures exhibited by these organic-rich shales. The static (Young’s modulus) and dynamic (P- and S-wave moduli) elastic parameters generally decrease monotonically with the clay plus kerogen content. The variation of the elastic moduli can be explained in terms of the Voigt and Reuss limits predicted by end-member components. However, the elastic properties of the shales are strongly anisotropic and the degree of anisotropy was found to correlate with the amount of clay and organic content as well as the shale fabric. We also found that the first-loading static modulus was, on average, approximately 20% lower than the unloading/reloading static modulus. Because the unloading/reloading static modulus compares quite well to the dynamic modulus in the rocks studied, comparing static and dynamic moduli can vary considerably depending on which static modulus is used.
Cyprus's Financial Crisis and the Threat to the Euro
Authors: Georgiou George C.
Published: September 2013

This essay analyzes Cyprus's financial crisis and its potential threat to the eurozone. The focus is on the economic consequences of the terms of the bailout agreement dictated by the Troika or Eurogroup for the Cyprus economy as well as its significance for any future bailouts. Given the insignificant size of the Cypriot economy for the eurozone as a whole, the Cyprus case was treated more as a political exercise and held up as an example for other eurozone members rather than seen as a serious economic threat, while little attention was given to its potential as a precedent for future bailouts.
The Price of Liberalization: Smallholder Coffee Producers in the Era of Globalization
Authors: Crumley Michele L.
Published: September 2013

Coffee is the second most traded commodity in the world, and it is one of the leading exports for eighteen sub-Saharan African countries. Seventy percent of coffee is grown by smallholder farmers. As global trade of coffee has grown, have smallholder coffee farmers benefited from increased internationalization of their economies? Liberal economic theory suggests that pressures caused by the internationalization of an economy widely affect preferences, institutions, and policies. This essay examines whether smallholder coffee farmers have wanted or been able to benefit from free trade and whether they support institutions that support greater free trade. Liberal economic theory emphasizes that producers and consumers change preferences as a result of internationalization of economies, so the response of smallholder farmers should be similar in all coffee-exporting countries. This essay finds that the theoretical model requires modifications for fully understanding coffee producers' preferences. Increases in retail prices were not reflected at the farm gate level. Moreover, the theory does not account for variables such as the International Coffee Agreement, international financial institutions, and fair trade, which influence price signals and opportunity costs.
A salp bloom (Tunicata, Thaliacea) along the Apulian coast and in the Otranto Channel between March-May 2013
Authors: Boero Ferdinando , Belmonte Genuario , Bracale Roberta , Fraschetti Simonetta , Piraino Stefano , Zampardi Serena
Published: September 2013

Between March-May 2013 a massiveSalpa maximabloom was recorded by a citizen science study along the Ionian and Adriatic coast of the Salento peninsula (Italy). Citizen records were substantiated with field inspections along the coast and during an oceanographic campaign in the Otranto Channel.

Salps clogged nets, impairing fishing activities along the coast. Swimmers were scared by the gelatinous appearance of the salps, and thought they were jellyfish. At the end of the bloom the dead bodies of the colonies, that were up to 6-7 m long, were accumulated along the coast and stirred by the waves, forming foams along dozens of kilometers of coast. The bloom also occurred at the Tremiti Islands, north of the Gargano Peninsula. The possible impacts of such events on the  functioning of pelagic systems are discussed.
Accuracy of internet images of glenoid labral injuries
Authors: Freeman R , Ashouri F , Papanikitas J , Ricketts D
Published: September 2013

Introduction

The internet is a convenient source of health information used widely by patients and doctors. Previous studies have found that the written information provided was often inaccurate. There is no literature regarding the accuracy of medical images on the internet. The aim of this study was to assess the accuracy of internet images of injuries to the glenoid labrum following shoulder dislocation.

Methods

The Google and Bing search engines were used to find images of Bankart, Perthes and anterior labroligamentous periosteal sleeve avulsion (ALPSA) lesions. Three independent reviewers assessed the accuracy of image labelling.

Results

Of images labelled ‘Bankart lesion’, 30% (9/30) were incorrect while ‘Perthes lesion’ images were incorrect in 15% of cases (9/60) and 4% of ‘ALPSA lesion’ images were incorrect (2/46). There was good interobserver reliability (kappa = 0.81). Labelling accuracy was better on educational sites than on commercial sites (6% vs 25% inaccurate, p=0.0013).

Conclusions

Caution is recommended when interpreting non-peer reviewed images on the internet.
Anatomy Teaching in Malawi
Authors: Brueton Richard , Howard Eric
Published: September 2013

As the bus from Lilongwe to Blantyre careered bumpily south, darkness fell rapidly and I began to wonder whether this was really such a good idea. It was eight years since I had been in Malawi, where I worked as an orthopaedic surgeon from 2002 to 2005. Having subsequently returned to the UK and spent the past five years working for the nHS, I had reinvented myself as an anatomist. this involved anatomy demonstrating at University College London and Imperial College, teaching on the London deanery MRCS programme and also on Professor Vishy Mahadevan's MRCS course.
The world's biggest surgical problem
Authors: Lavy Christopher , Tavares Sandra , Roberts Jane
Published: September 2013

No, it is not deep vein thrombosis, nor is it revalidation or commissioning, or even publication of individual surgeons' results. The world's biggest surgical problem is the fact that most people in the world who need an operation are unlikely to get it, nor will they ever see a trained surgeon.
The RCS in China
Authors: Lamont Peter , Yerokhina Anna , Getty John
Published: September 2013

Starting in 2009, China is now in the middle of major healthcare reforms as it seeks to modernise its clinical services. The scale of the reforms is enormous, with over 5,000 acute care hospitals and no system of general practice serving a population of over 1.3 billion people. Minimally invasive surgery has been slow to develop but is now a rapidly expanding area, particularly in GI and thoracic surgery. There is currently large demand for training courses in minimally invasive surgery, as the Chinese embrace new technologies and the accompanying clinical and cost benefits.
RCS Education – providing courses internationally
Authors: Alexander Francine
Published: September 2013

RCS Education has a long history of providing courses internationally. Currently RCS courses are being delivered in Australia, Sharjah, Malaysia, Greece, Jordan and Italy and discussions are underway with several other countries. We aim to provide courses or activities appropriate to local circumstances that are sustainable and delivered by local faculty. We therefore work with institutions or organisations to identify the type of course needed to meet the needs of local surgeons and those local surgeons who have the potential to become course directors and faculty. Often there is an existing course that is relevant – if not, we can customise or offer a bespoke solution.
the role of the Faculty of dental Surgery in supporting training opportunities for international postgraduate dentists in the UK
Authors: Wilson Margaret , Sutcliffe Neil
Published: September 2013

The Faculty of dental Surgery (FDS) of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, under successive deans, has a long history of supporting training opportunities for overseas dentists who wish to access training in the UK. This support takes many forms and includes provision of examinations, lectures and courses.
Current Practice in Paediatric Orthopaedic Trauma Care: A Retrospective Comparison Study
Authors: Penn JW , Clarke NMP
Published: September 2013

Accidental injury has been demonstrated repeatedly to be the leading cause of morbidity, mortality and hospital admission in children aged 5–16 years in the UK, with an estimated annual cost of £200 million. The past 40 years have seen an increase in paediatric fracture rates by at least 30 per cent, as reflected by increased hospital admission rates. This illustrates the continuation of a trend identified by a large swedish study of more than 8,000 paediatric fractures between the years 1950 and 1979, which showed a doubling of the incidence of fractures for boys and girls below the age of 16 during the course of this 30-year period.
Fungal endophytes of the seagrasses Halodule wrightii and Thalassia testudinum in the north-central Gulf of Mexico
Authors: Mata Juan Luis , Cebrián Just
Published: September 2013

The purpose of this note is to communicate the diversity of endophytic fungi isolated from living leaves of Halodule wrightii and Thalassia testudinum, two ubiquitous seagrasses in the north-central Gulf of Mexico. Fungi were isolated from surface-sterilized leaf fragments of the two plants that had been inoculated onto seawater malt extract agar. Leaves of T. testudinum harbored slightly more endophyte taxa than those of H. wrightii. Trichocladium alopallonellum and 10 other fungal taxa are new records for H. wrightii. No distinct seasonal pattern in fungal filamentous growth was observed; however, our evidence suggests peak activity may take place in spring.
Structural snapshot of cyclic nucleotide binding domains from cyclic nucleotide-sensitive ion channels
Authors: Schünke Sven , Stoldt Matthias
Published: September 2013

Cyclic nucleotide-binding domains (CNBDs) that are present in various channel proteins play crucial roles in signal amplification cascades. Although atomic resolution structures of some of those CNBDs are available, the detailed mechanism by which they confer cyclic nucleotide-binding to the ion channel pore remains poorly understood. In this review, we describe structural insights about cyclic nucleotide-binding-induced conformational changes in CNBDs and their potential coupling with channel gating.