bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Identification and Analysis of the Constituents in an Aqueous Extract of Tricholoma Matsutake by HPLC Coupled with Diode Array Detection/Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry
Authors: Ying Xuhui , Ma Jinfang , Liang Qionglin , Wang Yiming , Bai Gang , Luo Guoan
Published: August 2013

The main constituents in an aqueous extract of Tricholoma matsutake (Tm) were identified by high‐performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detection and electrospray ionization time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (HPLC‐DAD/TOF‐MS) and ion trap mass spectrometry (HPLC‐DAD/Trap‐MSn). The main factors in the extraction process which affect the yields of nutrients were optimized by single‐factor experiments and orthogonal experiment design. In total, 12 constituents were identified from the aqueous extract of Tm, including tyrosine, cytidine, uridine, eritadenine, phenylalanine, nicotinamide, inosine, guanosine, tryptophan, adenosine, 5′‐deoxy‐5′‐methylthioadenosine and riboflavin. The optimized extraction conditions were: the ratio of water to sample was 10 : 1 (v/w), Tm was extracted by ultrasonic‐assisted extraction for 10 min, followed by water bath heating at 60 °C for 1 h. Among these extraction factors, the heating temperature is significant based on analysis of variance (ANOVA). The yields of nutrients were affected dramatically at high temperature leading to the loss of nutrients, especially for nucleosides and some amino acids.
Stage 0 sporulation gene A as a molecular marker to study diversity of endospore‐forming Firmicutes
Authors: Wunderlin Tina , Junier Thomas , Roussel‐Delif Ludovic , Jeanneret Nicole , Junier Pilar
Published: August 2013

In this study, we developed and validated a culture‐independent method for diversity surveys to specifically detect endospore‐forming Firmicutes. The global transcription regulator of sporulation (spo0A) was identified as a gene marker for endospore‐forming Firmicutes. To enable phylogenetic classification, we designed a set of primers amplifying a 602 bp fragment of spo0A that we evaluated in pure cultures and environmental samples. The amplification was positive for 35 strains from 11 genera, yet negative for strains from Alicyclobacillus and Sulfobacillus. We also evaluated various DNA extraction methods because endospores often result in reduced yields. Our results demonstrate that procedures utilizing increased physical force improve DNA extraction. An optimized DNA extraction method on biomass pre‐extracted from the environmental sample source (indirect DNA extraction) followed by amplification with the aforementioned primers for spo0A was then tested in sediments from two different sources. Specifically, we validated our culture‐independent diversity survey methodology on a set of 8338 environmental spo0A sequences obtained from the sediments of Lakes Geneva (Switzerland) and Baikal (Russia). The phylogenetic affiliation of the environmental sequences revealed a substantial number of new clades within endospore‐formers. This novel culture‐independent approach provides a significant experimental improvement that enables exploration of the diversity of endospore‐forming Firmicutes.
A comparison of organophosphate degradation genes and bioremediation applications
Authors: Iyer Rupa , Iken Brian , Damania Ashish
Published: August 2013

Organophosphates (OPs) form the bulk of pesticides that are currently in use around the world accounting for more than 30% of the world market. They also form the core for many nerve‐based warfare agents including sarin and soman. The widespread use and the resultant build‐up of OP pesticides and chemical nerve agents has led to the development of major health problems due to their extremely toxic interaction with any biological system that encounters them. Growing concern over the accumulation of OP compounds in our food products, in the soils from which they are harvested and in wastewater run‐off has fuelled a growing interest in microbial biotechnology that provides cheap, efficient OP detoxification to supplement expensive chemical methods. In this article, we review the current state of knowledge of OP pesticide and chemical agent degradation and attempt to clarify confusion over identification and nomenclature of two major families of OP‐degrading enzymes through a comparison of their structure and function. The isolation, characterization, utilization and manipulation of the major detoxifying enzymes and the molecular basis of degradation of OP pesticides and chemical nerve agents are discussed as well as the achievements and technological advancements made towards the bioremediation of such compounds.
Goblet Cell Types in Intestine of Tiger Barb and Black Tetra (Cyprinidae, Characidae: Teleostei)
Authors: Leknes I. L.
Published: August 2013

Histochemical properties of goblet cells in intestine of a stomach‐less teleost, tiger barb (Puntius tetrazona), and a stomach‐containing teleost, black tetra (Gymnocorymbus ternetzi), are described and compared. The intestine goblet cells were mostly wide in both species, but in tiger barb, some of them were markedly thinner. In black tetra, all the intestine goblet cells displayed magenta colour after PAS, whereas in the tiger barb, only the thinner goblet cells displayed such affinity. The latter cell type was coloured strongly magenta when the tissue was treated with alcian blue (pH 2.5) followed by PAS, whereas the wide goblet cells in tiger barb and all goblet cells in black tetra displayed mainly a blue colour after such treatment. Further, the goblet cells in both species were coloured cleanly blue after high iron diamine followed by alcian blue (pH 2.5). The intestine goblet cells in both species displayed a moderate affinity to WGA and concanavalin A lectins and no affinity to DBA. Most of the goblet cells displayed no affinity to PNA, but some of them in the tiger barb displayed a moderate or strong affinity to this lectin. The affinity to WGA was somewhat strengthened after pre‐treatment with neuraminidase. These results suggest that tiger barb contains two types or variants of intestinal goblet cells: high numbers of wide cells filled by acidic, non‐sulphated mucin and some thinner cells filled by neutral mucin. The intestine goblet cells in black tetra were filled by variable amounts of neutral and acidic mucin, but the total number of such cells is much less than in tiger barb. The present lectin and neuraminidase results suggest that the intestinal mucins in both species contain significant amounts of N‐acetylglucosamine, sialic acid and glucose/mannose, but seem to lack N‐acetylgalactosamine. However, some of these cells in tiger barb contain moderate to large amounts of galactose. Together, these results suggest significant species‐specific features of the intestine goblet cells and mucin types in tiger barb and black tetra. In conclusion, the present results suggest that the diet and feeding habits in stomach‐less teleosts compared with stomach‐containing teleosts, greatly influence the number of intestine goblet cells and type of mucin in these cells.
Paediatric rhinitis: position paper of the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
Authors: Roberts G. , Xatzipsalti M. , Borrego L. M. , Custovic A. , Halken S. , Hellings P. W. , Papadopoulos N. G. , Rotiroti G. , Scadding G. , Timmermans F. , Valovirta E.
Published: August 2013

Rhinitis is a common problem in childhood and adolescence and impacts negatively on physical, social and psychological well‐being. This position paper, prepared by the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology Taskforce on Rhinitis in Children, aims to provide evidence‐based recommendations for the diagnosis and therapy of paediatric rhinitis. Rhinitis is characterized by at least two nasal symptoms: rhinorrhoea, blockage, sneezing or itching. It is classified as allergic rhinitis, infectious rhinitis and nonallergic, noninfectious rhinitis. Similar symptoms may occur with other conditions such as adenoidal hypertrophy, septal deviation and nasal polyps. Examination by anterior rhinoscopy and allergy tests may help to substantiate a diagnosis of allergic rhinitis. Avoidance of relevant allergens may be helpful for allergic rhinitis (AR). Oral and intranasal antihistamines and nasal corticosteroids are both appropriate for first‐line AR treatment although the latter are more effective. Once‐daily forms of corticosteroids are preferred given their improved safety profile. Potentially useful add‐on therapies for AR include oral leukotriene receptor antagonists, short bursts of a nasal decongestant, saline douches and nasal anticholinergics. Allergen‐specific immunotherapy is helpful in IgE‐mediated AR and may prevent the progression of allergic disease. There are still a number of areas that need to be clarified in the management of rhinitis in children and adolescents.
Intraspecific variation in the skull morphology of the black caiman Melanosuchus niger (Alligatoridae, Caimaninae)
Authors: Foth Christian , Bona Paula , Desojo Julia B.
Published: August 2013

Melanosuchus niger is a caimanine alligatorid widely distributed in the northern region of South America. This species has been the focus of several ecological, genetic and morphological studies. However, morphological studies have generally been limited to examination of interspecific variation among extant species of South American crocodylians. Here, we present the first study of intraspecific variation in the skull of M. niger using a two‐dimensional geometric morphometric approach. The crania of 52 sexed individuals varying in size were analysed to quantify shape variation and to assign observed shape changes to different types of intraspecific variation, that is, ontogenetic variation and sexual dimorphism. Most of the variation in this species is ontogenetic variation in snout length, skull depth, orbit size and the width of the postorbital region. These changes are correlated with bite force performance and probably dietary changes. However, a comparison with previous functional studies reveals that functional adaptations during ontogeny seem to be primarily restricted to the postrostral region, whereas rostral shape changes are more related to dietary shifts. Furthermore, the skulls of M. niger exhibit a sexual dimorphism, which is primarily size‐related. The presence of non‐size‐related sexual dimorphism has to be tested in future examinations.
Morphotypic variability of masticatory surface pattern of molars in the recent and Pleistocene Lemmus and Myopus (Rodentia, Cricetidae) of Europe and Western Siberia
Authors: Ponomarev Dmitry , Puzachenko Andrey , Isaychev Konstantin
Published: August 2013

In this article, we present the results of morphological study, applying multivariate statistical analysis, of seven samples of recent Lemmini species (Lemmus lemmus, L. sibiricus, Myopus schisricolor) and eight samples of the ancient Siberian lemmings from the Middle and Late Pleistocene localities, mainly in northeastern Europe. On the basis of studying variability of masticatory surface pattern of molars, 24 morphotypes have been described. The differences in morphotypes frequencies were found between the recent Myopus and Lemmus and between the two Norwegian lemming samples. There are some indications of an evolutionary trend in molar morphology of the Siberian lemmings of the Middle, Late Pleistocene, and the recent of Eastern Europe. The distinctions, at least, between the Middle Pleistocene and modern lemmings exceed a species level.
The Role of Giant Armadillos (Priodontes maximus) as Physical Ecosystem Engineers
Authors: Desbiez Arnaud Léonard Jean , Kluyber Danilo
Published: August 2013

Through their excavations, giant armadillos (Priodontes maximus) alter their physical surroundings and create new habitats, which influence resources for at least 24 other species of vertebrates in the Brazilian Pantanal. The role of this poorly known species as an ecosystem engineer may be of high value to the community of vertebrates.
Diabetes mellitus and risk of cancer in Takayama: A population‐based prospective cohort study in Japan
Authors: Nakamura Kozue , Wada Keiko , Tamai Yuya , Tsuji Michiko , Kawachi Toshiaki , Hori Akihiro , Takeyama Naoharu , Tanabashi Shinobu , Matsushita Shogen , Tokimitsu Naoki , Nagata Chisato
Published: August 2013

Diabetes mellitus (DM) has been reported to be associated with an increased risk of site‐specific cancers; however, few studies have assessed associations of DM with both total and site‐specific cancers in Japan. We examined the association of a history of DM with cancer incidence in a population‐based prospective cohort study in Japan. A total of 14 173 men and 16 547 women over 35 years old, who completed a self‐administered baseline questionnaire in 1992, were followed up for cancer incidence from September 1992 to March 2008. At baseline, 6.3% men and 2.9% women had a history of diabetes. A total of 1974 men and 1514 women were identified as newly diagnosed with cancer. Hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were determined using Cox proportional hazards models. After controlling for potential confounders, men with DM had a modest risk increase of total cancer occurrence compared with those without DM (HR, 1.09; 95% CI, 0.93–1.29). Increased risk of cancer of the liver (HR, 2.18; 95% CI, 1.27–3.74), bile duct (HR, 2.17; 95% CI, 1.01–4.66), and larynx (HR, 3.61; 95% CI, 1.16–11.2) in diabetic men were observed. In women, significant increased risk of total cancer (HR, 1.35; 95% CI, 1.06–1.73) and stomach cancer (HR, 2.15; 95% CI, 1.30–3.54) were observed among diabetic subjects. These data suggest that people with DM may be at increased risk of both total and some site‐specific cancers.
Low hepatitis B vaccine response in children with Down syndrome from Brazil
Authors: Nisihara R. , De Bem R. S. , Negreiros P. H. R. , Utiyama S. R. R. , Oliveira N. P. , Amarante H.
Published: August 2013

Background

It has been reported that vaccination against hepatitis B is less effective among people with Down syndrome than in the general population. We aimed to evaluate the rate of seroconversion to hepatitis B vaccine in children with Down syndrome from Brazil.

Methods

A total of 120 people with Down syndrome were included. All of them received the vaccine at intervals of 0, 30 and 180 days and serum samples were tested for the presence of antibodies to the hepatitis B surface antigen (anti‐HBs) 30 days after the last dose.

Results

In the studied group, 58.3% (70/120) were male and 41.7% (50/120) female, with the median age of 5 years (range 2–15 years). Fifty‐eight of 120 (48.3%) developed anti‐HBs after vaccination. No association was found between gender and/or age and vaccine response.

Conclusions

The low rate of seroconversion in response to hepatitis B vaccine suggests that all patients with Down syndrome immunized against hepatitis B should be followed and monitored by clinicians.
Prevalence and associated factors of emotional and behavioural problems in Chinese school adolescents: a cross‐sectional survey
Authors: Wang J‐N. , Liu L. , Wang L.
Published: August 2013

Background

Emotional and behavioural problems are key health issues in adolescence. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of emotional and behavioural problems in Chinese school adolescents and to explore associated factors.

Methods

This cross‐sectional study was conducted during the period of November/December 2009. A questionnaire including the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) self‐reported version, and the characteristics of child (age, gender, only child and study pressure), parents (parent–adolescent relationship and parental expectations) and families (living area, family structure, socio‐economic status and negative life events) was distributed to our study population. A total of 5220 Chinese adolescents (aged 11–18) from 30 public schools in Liaoning province completed the questionnaire. Multivariate logistic analysis was used to explore the factors associated with emotional and behavioural problems.

Results

The average problem score was 11.28 (SD = 5.86) and the 10.7% scored above the cut‐off for emotional and behavioural problems. Factors that increased the risk of having emotional and behavioural problems were: poor parent–adolescent relationship, experiencing more negative life events, older age, having study pressure, living in rural areas, boys and lower parental expectations.

Conclusions

The prevalence of emotional and behavioural problems among Chinese adolescents was lower level compared with those reported in other countries. We found parent–adolescent relationship, negative life events and age to be the strongest contributing factors of emotional and behavioural problems.
Cost‐effectiveness of ART restorations in elderly adults: a randomized clinical trial
Authors: da Mata Cristiane , Allen Patrick F. , Cronin Michael , O'Mahony Denis , McKenna Gerald , Woods Noel
Published: August 2013

Background

As the world population ages, the requirement for cost‐effective methods of treating chronic disease conditions increases. In terms of oral health, there is a rapidly increasing number of dentate elderly with a high burden of maintenance. Population surveys indicate that older individuals are keeping their teeth for longer and are a higher caries risk group. Atraumatic Restorative Treatment (ART) could be suitable for patients in nursing homes or house‐bound elderly, but very little research has been done on its use in adults.

Objectives

To compare the cost‐effectiveness of ART and a conventional technique (CT) for restoring carious lesions as part of a preventive and restorative programme for older adults.

Methods

In this randomized clinical trial, 82 patients with carious lesions were randomly allocated to receive either ART or conventional restorations. Treatment costs were measured based on treatment time, materials and labour. For the ART group, the cost of care provided by a dentist was also compared to the cost of having a hygienist to provide treatment. Effectiveness was measured using percentage of restorations that survived after a year.

Results

Eighty‐two patients received 260 restorations, that is, 128 ART and 132 conventional restorations. 91.1% of the restorations were on one surface only. After a year, 252 restorations were assessed in 80 patients. The average cost for ART and conventional restorations was €16.86 and €28.71 respectively; the restoration survival percentages were 91.1% and 97.7%, respectively. This resulted in a cost‐effectiveness ratio of 0.18 (ART) and 0.29 (CT). When the cost of a hygienist to provide ART was inserted in the analysis, the resulting ratio was 0.14.

Conclusions

Atraumatic restorative treatment was found to be a more cost‐effective alternative to treat older adults after 1 year, compared to conventional restorations, especially in out of surgery facilities and using alternative workforce such as hygienists. Atraumatic restorative treatment can be a useful tool to provide dental care for frail and fearful individuals who might not access dental treatment routinely.
Dimorphic HLA-B signal peptides differentially influence HLA-E- and natural killer cell-mediated cytolysis of HIV-1-infected target cells
Authors: Merino A M , Sabbaj S , Easlick J , Goepfert P , Kaslow R A , Tang J
Published: August 2013

As a mechanism of self-protection, signal peptides cleaved from human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I products bind to HLA-E before the complex interacts with the natural killer (NK) cell receptor CD94/NKG2A to inhibit NK-mediated cell lysis. Two types of the signal peptides differ in their position 2 (P2) anchor residue, with P2-methionine (P2-M) having higher HLA-E binding affinity than P2-threonine (P2-T). All HLA-A and HLA-C molecules carry P2-M, whereas HLA-B products have either P2-M or P2-T. Epidemiological evidence suggests that P2-M is unfavourable in the context of HIV-1 infection, being associated with accelerated acquisition of HIV-1 infection in two African cohorts. To begin elucidating the functional mechanism, we studied NK-mediated killing of CD4+ T cells and monocyte-derived macrophages infected with two laboratory-adapted HIV-1 strains and two transmitted/founder (T/F) viruses. In the presence of target cells derived from individuals with the three HLA-B P2 genotypes (M/M, M/T and T/T), NK-mediated cytolysis was elevated consistently for P2-T in a dose-dependent manner for all cell and virus combinations tested (P = 0·008–0·03). Treatment of target cells with an anti-HLA-E monoclonal antibody restored NK-mediated cytolysis of cells expressing P2-M. Observations on cell lysis were also substantiated by measurements of HIV-1 p24 antigen in the culture supernatants. Overall, our experiments indicate that the anti-HIV-1 function mediated by NK cells is compromised by P2-M, corroborating the association of HLA-B genotype encoding P2-M with accelerated HIV-1 acquisition.
Locally Injective Mappings
Authors: Schüller Christian , Kavan Ladislav , Panozzo Daniele , Sorkine‐Hornung Olga
Published: August 2013

Mappings and deformations are ubiquitous in geometry processing, shape modeling, and animation. Numerous deformation energies have been proposed to tackle problems like mesh parameterization and volumetric deformations. We present an algorithm that modifies any deformation energy to guarantee a locally injective mapping, i.e., without inverted elements. Our formulation can be used to compute continuous planar or volumetric piecewise‐linear maps and it uses a barrier term to prevent inverted elements. Differently from previous methods, we carefully design both the barrier term and the associated numerical techniques to be able to provide immediate feedback to the user, enabling interactive manipulation of inversion‐free mappings. Stress tests show that our method robustly handles extreme deformations where previous techniques converge very slowly or even fail. We demonstrate that enforcing local injectivity increases fidelity of the results in applications such as shape deformation and parameterization.
Consolidation of Low‐quality Point Clouds from Outdoor Scenes
Authors: Wang Jun , Xu Kai , Liu Ligang , Cao Junjie , Liu Shengjun , Yu Zeyun , Gu Xianfeng David
Published: August 2013

The emergence of laser/LiDAR sensors, reliable multi‐view stereo techniques and more recently consumer depth cameras have brought point clouds to the forefront as a data format useful for a number of applications. Unfortunately, the point data from those channels often incur imperfection, frequently contaminated with severe outliers and noise. This paper presents a robust consolidation algorithm for low‐quality point data from outdoor scenes, which essentially consists of two steps: 1) outliers filtering and 2) noise smoothing. We first design a connectivity‐based scheme to evaluate outlierness and thereby detect sparse outliers. Meanwhile, a clustering method is used to further remove small dense outliers. Both outlier removal methods are insensitive to the choice of the neighborhood size and the levels of outliers. Subsequently, we propose a novel approach to estimate normals for noisy points based on robust partial rankings, which is the basis of noise smoothing. Accordingly, a fast approach is exploited to smooth noise, while preserving sharp features. We evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed method on the point clouds from a variety of outdoor scenes.
About nothing
Authors: Brower Andrew V. Z. , de Pinna Mario C. C.
Published: August 2013

In light of recent terminological controversy, this article reviews cladistic conceptions of character states coded as absences, symplesiomorphies, and secondary losses. The first section addresses absence as a question of ontology vs. epistemology. The second and third sections address the evidentiary status of symplesiomorphy in cladistics, the fourth contrasts primitive absence with secondary loss, and the fifth clarifies the meaning of “grouping”. While secondary losses (reversals) are often synapomorphies, symplesiomorphies (“absent” or otherwise) have no evidentiary import to cladistic hypotheses of relationship. Thus, we argue that identifying symplesiomorphic character states as “homologous” is conceptually vacuous, because they are either synapomorphies (homologues) of more inclusive taxa, or complementary absences that unite no group.
Evoked pressure curves from the external anal sphincter following transcranial magnetic stimulation in healthy volunteers and patients with faecal incontinence
Authors: Paris G. , Chastan N. , Gourcerol G. , Verin E. , Menard J. F. , Michot F. , Weber J. , Leroi A. M.
Published: August 2013

Aim

The hypothesis was tested that evoked pressure curves (EPCs) after transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) would provide additional neuropathophysiological information on the descending pathways to the external anal sphincter (EAS) in patients with faecal incontinence (FI).

Method

Twenty‐five healthy subjects and 69 patients with FI were investigated. TMS was applied to the vertex, and EPCs were recorded with a probe placed through the EAS. TMS was performed with the EAS at rest and during contraction (facilitated responses). At least three responses were recorded for each modality. Clinical data and anorectal manometric, electrophysiological perineal and transanal ultrasound recordings were compared with respect to the EPC results.

Results

There was no statistically significant difference between the EPCs of healthy subjects and FI patients. Twenty‐three per cent of the FI patients had abnormal EPC latencies, with significantly lower voluntary contraction amplitudes (P = 0.03) and significantly higher rectal sensation (P = 0.04) than the other group. We found no significant difference between FI patients with and without abnormal EPC latencies in terms of clinical characteristics and electrophysiological and endoanal ultrasound parameters. There was no difference in the identified causes of the FI between the two groups.

Conclusion

As abnormal EPC latencies were found in 23% of FI patients with no known central neurological disease, abnormal EPC latencies might reveal undetected lesions of descending pathways in patients with FI.
All Giraffes Have Female‐Specific Properties: Influence of Grammatical Gender on Deductive Reasoning About Sex‐Specific Properties in German Speakers
Authors: Imai Mutsumi , Schalk Lennart , Saalbach Henrik , Okada Hiroyuki
Published: August 2013

Grammatical gender is independent of biological sex for the majority of animal names (e.g., any giraffe, be it male or female, is grammatically treated as feminine). However, there is apparent semantic motivation for grammatical gender classes, especially in mapping human terms to gender. This research investigated whether this motivation affects deductive inference in native German speakers. We compared German with Japanese speakers (a language without grammatical gender) when making inferences about sex‐specific biological properties. We found that German speakers tended to erroneously draw inferences when the sex in the premise and grammatical gender of the target animal agreed. An over‐generalization of the grammar–semantics mapping was found even when the sex of the target was explicitly indicated. However, these effects occurred only when gender‐marking articles accompanied the nouns. These results suggest that German speakers project sex‐specific biological properties onto gender‐marking articles but not onto conceptual representations of animals per se.
Singular Clues to Causality and Their Use in Human Causal Judgment
Authors: White Peter A.
Published: August 2013

It is argued that causal understanding originates in experiences of acting on objects. Such experiences have consistent features that can be used as clues to causal identification and judgment. These are singular clues, meaning that they can be detected in single instances. A catalog of 14 singular clues is proposed. The clues function as heuristics for generating causal judgments under uncertainty and are a pervasive source of bias in causal judgment. More sophisticated clues such as mechanism clues and repeated interventions are derived from the 14. Research on the use of empirical information and conditional probabilities to identify causes has used scenarios in which several of the clues are present, and the use of empirical association information for causal judgment depends on the presence of singular clues. It is the singular clues and their origin that are basic to causal understanding, not multiple instance clues such as empirical association, contingency, and conditional probabilities.
Membrane cut‐off does not influence results regarding the measurement of small molecules – a comparative study between 20‐ and 100‐kDa catheters in hepatic microdialysis
Authors: D'souza Melroy A , Ravn Anna , Jorns Carl , Nowak Greg , Isaksson Bengt
Published: August 2013

Background

Microdialysis is a method used to monitor hepatic tissue metabolism. Membranes with a molecular cut‐off of 20 kilodalton (kDa) are currently used to measure the small metabolites glucose, glycerol, lactate and pyruvate. Using membranes with higher cut‐off such as 100 kDa allows the possibility of measuring larger molecules but may affect results regarding small molecules. The aim was to compare microdialysis catheters with a cut‐off of 20 and 100 kDa in the measurement of small molecules in a pig liver model.

Methods

Four microdialysis catheters were inserted into the liver of each pig used in the experiment (n = 6). Two catheters with cut‐off of 20 kDa were perfused with Ringer acetate, and two catheters with cut‐off of 100 kDa: one perfused with Ringer acetate and one with hydroxyethyl starch (Voluven) at a flow rate of 0·3 μl min−1. Dialysate samples were collected at 40‐min intervals and analysed for glucose, glycerol, lactate and pyruvate.

Results

Compared to the other catheters, the 100‐kDa catheters perfused with Ringer acetate tended to measure higher dialysate concentrations of the small molecules, the difference reaching statistical significance in the case of pyruvate. Concentrations measured by the 100‐kDa catheters perfused with Voluven were, however, comparable to the 20‐kDa catheters.

Conclusions

Microdialysis catheters with membrane cut‐off of 20 and 100 kDa can be used equally in hepatic microdialysis for the monitoring of glucose, glycerol, lactate and pyruvate, and lactate/pyruvate ratio if a high osmotic solution (Voluven) is used to perfuse the 100‐kDa catheters.
Revisions to the international guidelines on the diagnosis and therapy of chronic urticaria
Authors: Maurer Marcus , Magerl Markus , Metz Martin , Zuberbier Torsten
Published: August 2013

At the end of 2012, more than 300 participants discussed and agreed on the update of the international guidelines on urticaria at the 4th International Consensus Meeting (URTICARIA 2012). Currently, the recommendations are in the final process of international coordination. In preparation for the update, questions were prepared by an expert panel; this was followed by a systematic literature search. The questions and the resulting recommendations were discussed by the participants and decided upon in an open vote. Consensus was defined as at least 75% agreement. The updated guidelines will modify and improve the currently available guidelines in various areas, especially in therapy.

For the treatment of chronic urticaria, the new algorithm recommends a three‐step process starting with a standard dose of a non‐sedating H1 antihistamine. If there is an insufficient treatment response, the dosage should be increased up to four times. In, therapy refractory patients, omalizumab, cyclosporine A, or montelukast are advised in the third step. Short‐term corticosteroid treatment for a maximum of 10 days may be considered. H2 antihistamines and dapsone, which were included in the previous version of the guidelines, are absent in the updated and revised version because of changes in the evidence level.
Guidelines for Improving the Power Values of Statistical Tests for Nonresponse Bias Assessment in OM Research
Authors: Clottey Toyin , Benton W. C.
Published: August 2013

The assessment of nonresponse bias in survey‐based empirical studies plays an important role in establishing the credibility of research results. Statistical methods that involve the comparison of responses from two groups (e.g., early vs. late respondents) on multiple characteristics, which are relevant to the study, are frequently utilized in the assessment of nonresponse bias. We consider the concepts of individual and complete statistical power used for multiple testing and show their relevance for determining the number of statistical tests to perform when assessing nonresponse bias. Our analysis of factors that influence both individual and complete power levels, yielded recommendations that can be used by operations management (OM) empirical researchers to improve their assessment of nonresponse bias. A power analysis of 61 survey‐based research papers published in three prestigious academic operations management journals, over the last decade, showed the occurrence of very low (<0.4) power levels in some of the statistical tests used for assessing nonresponse bias. Such low power levels can lead to erroneous conclusions about nonresponse bias, and are indicators of the need for more rigor in the assessment of nonresponse bias in OM research.
Lessons from the 2008 Financial Crisis: Policy Responses to External Shocks inUruguay
Authors: Estrades Carmen , Llambí Cecilia
Published: August 2013

The 2008 global economic crisis affected theUruguayan economy through two main channels: collapse in global trade and drop in capital flows. In response to the crisis, theUruguayan government increased public consumption and investment and expanded social benefits to unemployed workers. We apply a computable general equilibrium model linked to microsimulations to analyze the distributional impacts of these policies and assess their effectiveness. We find that an increase in public investment was the only policy effective in mitigating the negative impact of the crisis on extreme poverty. The other policies reinforced the negative impact of the crisis on the poor. All three policies are costly and have an important impact on macroeconomic variables and the structure of production and export, while they have only slight or negative results on poverty and household income. More focalized policies, such as direct cash transfers, might have better results in terms of cost‐benefit.
Comparison of insulin degludec with insulin glargine in insulin‐naive subjects with Type 2 diabetes: a 2‐year randomized, treat‐to‐target trial
Authors: Rodbard H. W. , Cariou B. , Zinman B. , Handelsman Y. , Philis‐Tsimikas A. , Skjøth T. V. , Rana A. , Mathieu C. ,   The BEGIN Once Long Trial Investigators
Published: August 2013

Aims

The aim of this study was to compare long‐term safety and efficacy of the basal insulin analogue degludec with glargine in insulin‐naive subjects with Type 2 diabetes.

Methods

This open‐label trial included a 52‐week core period followed by a 52‐week extension. Participants were randomized 3:1 to once‐daily degludec or glargine, administered with metformin ± dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 inhibitors. Basal insulin was titrated to target pre‐breakfast plasma glucose 3.9–4.9 mmol/l.

Results

At end of treatment (104 weeks), mean HbA1c reductions were similar for degludec and glargine; estimated treatment difference between degludec and glargine was 1 mmol/mol (95% CI −1 to 3) [0.07% (95% CI −0.07 to 0.22)], P = 0.339 in the extension trial set (degludec 551, glargine 174), comprising subjects who completed core trial and continued into the extension trial. Overall confirmed hypoglycaemia rates (1.72 vs. 2.05 episodes/patient‐year), rates of adverse events possibly or probably related to trial product (0.19 events/patient‐year), weight gain (2.7 vs. 2.4 kg) and mean daily insulin doses (0.63 U/kg) were similar between treatments in the safety analysis set (degludec 766, glargine 257) comprising all treated subjects. Rates of nocturnal confirmed hypoglycaemia (0.27 vs. 0.46 episodes/patient‐year; P = 0.002) and severe hypoglycaemia (0.006 vs. 0.021 episodes/patient‐year, P = 0.023) were significantly lower with degludec for the safety analysis set (analysis based on intention‐to‐treat full analysis set comprising all randomized subjects).

Conclusions

In Type 2 diabetes, insulin degludec in combination with oral anti‐diabetic drugs, safely and effectively improves long‐term glycaemic control, with a significantly lower risk of nocturnal hypoglycaemia as compared with glargine.
Medical and psychological outcomes for young adults with Type 1 diabetes: no improvement despite recent advances in diabetes care
Authors: Johnson B. , Elliott J. , Scott A. , Heller S. , Eiser C.
Published: August 2013

Aim

To assess medical and psychological outcomes among young people with Type 1 diabetes and to compare medical outcomes with a previous audit.

Methods

An observational study in two diabetes clinics for young adults (aged 16–21 years) in Sheffield, UK. Young people (n = 96: 81.4% response rate) with Type 1 diabetes (diagnosed > 6 months) completed measures of depressive symptoms, anxiety and disordered eating and consented for their medical records to be consulted.

Results

Mean HbA1c (86 ± 23 mmol/mol; 10.0 ± 2.1%); was comparable with that reported previously and considerably higher than recommended (< 58 mmol/mol or 7.5%). Screening rates were improved and non‐attendance was lower than previously reported, but levels of non‐proliferative retinopathy have increased. Microvascular complications are present in 46.9% of those diagnosed more than 7 years. Elevated levels of disordered eating were reported by 35.1%. Those scoring above cut‐off levels for clinical anxiety (26.6%) and depression (10.9%) are comparable with other work with young people with Type 1 diabetes.

Conclusions

Despite technological advances and improvements to delivery of care, HbA1c remain above recommended levels in a significant proportion of young people, many of whom already have microvascular complications. We need to learn from European centres who achieve better results, improve transition from paediatric care, integrate mental health support with diabetes care provision and take into account young people's views about clinic.
Patients with Type 1 diabetes consuming alcoholic spirits have an increased risk of microvascular complications
Authors: Harjutsalo V. , Feodoroff M. , Forsblom C. , Groop P.‐H. ,   the FinnDiane Study Group
Published: August 2013

Aims

Our aim was to evaluate the effect of the amount of alcohol consumption and the type of beverage on the risk of diabetic nephropathy and severe diabetic retinopathy.

Methods

The alcohol consumption data were available from 3608 patients with Type 1 diabetes participating in the Finnish Diabetic Nephropathy Study (FinnDiane). We assessed the cross‐sectional association between alcohol consumption and diabetic nephropathy as well as retinopathy. Patients were divided into different groups according to the amount of alcohol and the type of beverage they were consuming.

Results

In the multivariate analysis, the odds ratio for nephropathy was 1.39 (95% CI 1.05–1.84) for abstainers and 2.44 (95% CI 1.49–3.99) for former users compared with light consumers. The results were similar in retinopathy, with an odds ratio of 1.42 (95% CI 1.11–1.82) for abstainers and 1.73 (95% CI 1.07–2.79) for former users. No difference between light consumers and moderate or heavy consumers was observed. Compared with wine drinkers, men consuming mostly alcoholic spirits had a higher risk of nephropathy with an odds ratio of 2.80 (95% CI 1.15–6.81). In women, there was no difference in the risk of nephropathy between the different beverage types. Alcoholic spirit consumers had a higher risk of retinopathy with an odds ratio of 2.32 (95% CI 1.35–4.00). There was no difference between wine and beer consumers.

Conclusions

Alcoholic spirit drinkers carry a higher risk of nephropathy and severe retinopathy compared with wine drinkers. Lifelong abstainers and former users of alcohol have a higher risk of nephropathy and severe retinopathy compared with light consumers.
Three‐Dimensional Speckle Tracking Echocardiography for the Evaluation of the Infarct Size and Segmental Transmural Involvement in Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Zhu Wenhui , Liu Wengang , Tong Yan , Xiao Jidong
Published: August 2013

Purpose

To compare parameters between three‐dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (3DSTE) and delayed enhancement magnetic resonance imaging (DE‐MRI) for estimating myocardial infarct size, peak systolic strain, and transmural involvement of infarct segments in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI).

Methods

Delayed enhancement MRI was conducted to determine myocardial infarction (MI) position, size, and transmural involvement in 26 patients with AMI. 3DSTE was conducted to measure global peak systolic strain in the left ventricle and to estimate longitudinal, circumferential, and radial peak systolic strain in papillary muscle segments. Conventional echocardiography was used to calculate the wall‐motion score index (WMSI) and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF).

Results

Left ventricular strain parameters and LVEF were statistically significantly lower in patients with large‐size MI than in those with small‐size MI. Global longitudinal strain (GLS) and global circumferential strain (GCS) were significantly lower in patients with moderate‐size MIs than in those with small‐size MIs. All parameters except ejection fraction (EF) were lower in patients with large‐size MI compared with those with moderate‐size MI (P < 0.05). Pearson analysis revealed that left ventricular GCS, GLS, GRS, WMSI, and LVEF of AMI patients correlated with the myocardial infarct area (MIA) measured by MRI (r = 0.86, 0.81, −0.71, 0.64, and −0.66, respectively; all P‐values <0.01). Transmural infarct segments exhibited significantly lower longitudinal, circumferential, and radial strains than normal segments (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

These findings indicate that 3DSTE can distinguish between MIs of different infarct sizes, and may provide an indirect means for the accurate determination of transmural involvement in infarct segments.
Do chemical signals mediate reproductive behavior of Trupanea vicina, an emerging pest of ornamental marigold production in California?
Authors: Zunic Kosi Alenka , Chinta Satya P. , Headrick David , Cokl Andrej , Millar Jocelyn G.
Published: August 2013

A variety of signals mediate reproductive behaviors of Tephritidae, and studies of such behaviors have focused predominantly on economically important tephritid pest species. Trupanea vicina (Wulp) (Diptera: Tephritidae: Tephritinae), an Asteraceae‐feeding fruit fly, was not considered a pest until recently, when large populations developed on marigolds in California (USA) nurseries. Understanding courtship behavior and the signals that mediate mating behavior in T. vicina could produce leads for new methods of controlling this emerging pest species. Most of the sexual behaviors observed in T. vicina were expressed by males and reflected the general characteristics of known reproductive behaviors in the genus Trupanea. Analyses of headspace volatiles indicated the presence of almost exclusively one male‐specific compound, 1‐nonanol. Age‐related changes were observed in the amount but not in the composition of the male‐produced volatiles. Aerations of males showed no diel periodicity in 1‐nonanol production, but an increase after mating. Solid‐phase microextraction wipe samples from various body parts of male T. vicina showed that 1‐nonanol was concentrated on the abdomens of males exhibiting pleural distension. Laboratory bioassays failed to detect any strong attraction of either sex to synthetic 1‐nonanol. Although the functional role of 1‐nonanol in T. vicina's biology is not yet clear, we suggest that it must have some role in the life history of this species, given the relatively large amounts in which it is produced, and the specialized structures used in its production and release. Analysis of cuticular hydrocarbons extracted from males and females showed pronounced sexual dimorphism in the cuticular lipid profiles, suggesting that these compounds may have a role as short‐range and contact pheromones.
Honey bee colonies from different races show variation in defenses against the varroa mite in a ‘common garden’
Authors: Kence Meral , Oskay Devrim , Giray Tugrul , Kence Aykut
Published: August 2013

Honey bee [Apis mellifera L. (Hymenoptera: Apidae)] genetic diversity may be the key to responding to novel health challenges faced by this important pollinator. In this study, we first compared colonies of four honey bee races, A. m. anatoliaca, A. m. carnica, A. m. caucasica, and A. m. syriaca from Turkey, with respect to honey storage, bee population size, and defenses against varroa. The mite Varroa destructor Anderson & Trueman (Acari: Varroidae) is an important pest of honey bee colonies. There are genetic correlates with two main defenses of bees against this parasite: hygienic behavior, or removing infested brood, and grooming, which involves shaking and swiping off mites and biting them. In the second part of this study, we examined the relationship of these two types of defenses, hygiene and grooming, and their correlation with infestation rates in 32 genetically diverse colonies in a ‘common garden’ apiary. Mite biting was found to be negatively correlated with mite infestation levels.
Postural threat differentially affects the feedforward and feedback components of the vestibular‐evoked balance response
Authors: Osler Callum J. , Tersteeg M. C. A. , Reynolds Raymond F. , Loram Ian D.
Published: August 2013

Circumstances may render the consequence of falling quite severe, thus maximising the motivation to control postural sway. This commonly occurs when exposed to height and may result from the interaction of many factors, including fear, arousal, sensory information and perception. Here, we examined human vestibular‐evoked balance responses during exposure to a highly threatening postural context. Nine subjects stood with eyes closed on a narrow walkway elevated 3.85 m above ground level. This evoked an altered psycho‐physiological state, demonstrated by a twofold increase in skin conductance. Balance responses were then evoked by galvanic vestibular stimulation. The sway response, which comprised a whole‐body lean in the direction of the edge of the walkway, was significantly and substantially attenuated after ~800 ms. This demonstrates that a strong reason to modify the balance control strategy was created and subjects were highly motivated to minimise sway. Despite this, the initial response remained unchanged. This suggests little effect on the feedforward settings of the nervous system responsible for coupling pure vestibular input to functional motor output. The much stronger, later effect can be attributed to an integration of balance‐relevant sensory feedback once the body was in motion. These results demonstrate that the feedforward and feedback components of a vestibular‐evoked balance response are differently affected by postural threat. Although a fear of falling has previously been linked with instability and even falling itself, our findings suggest that this relationship is not attributable to changes in the feedforward vestibular control of balance.