bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Increased rate of day surgery use for inguinal and femoral hernia repair in a decade of hospital admissions in the Veneto Region (north-east Italy): a record linkage study
Authors: Saia Mario , Mantoan Domenico , Buja Alessandra , Bertoncello Chiara , Baldovin Tatjana , Zanardo Chiara , Callegaro Giampietro , Baldo Vincenzo
Published: September 2013

Background

Worldwide, there has been a marked increase in the number of inguinal and femoral hernia repairs performed as day surgery procedures. This study aimed to outline the epidemiology of the procedures for repairing unilateral inguinal and femoral hernia in the Veneto Region, and to analyze the time trends and organizational appropriateness of these procedures.

Methods

Drawing from the anonymous computerized database of hospital discharge records for the Veneto Region, we identified all unilateral groin hernia repair procedures completed in Veneto residents between 2000 and 2009 at both public and accredited private hospitals.

Results

A total 141,329 hernias were repaired in the Veneto Region during the decade considered, with an annual rate of 291.2 per 100,000 population for inguinal hernia (IH) repairs and 11.2 per 100,000 population for femoral hernia (FH) repairs. Day surgery was used more for inguinal than for femoral hernia repairs, accounting for 76% and 43% (p< 0.05), respectively, of all hernia repair procedures completed during the period. The % of other than surgery hospital ordinary admissions (day surgery or ambulatory surgery) during the decade considered rose from 61.7% to 86.7% for IH and from 33.0% to 61.8% for FH.

Conclusions

In the last decade, the Veneto Region has reduced the rate of ordinary hospital admissions for groin hernia repair with a view to improving the efficiency of the hospital network.
Acute adrenal insufficiency following arthroplasty: a case report and review of the literature
Authors: Mandanas Stylianos , Boudina Maria , Chrisoulidou Alexandra , Xinou Katerina , Margaritidou Efterpi , Gerou Spyros , Pazaitou-Panayiotou Kalliopi
Published: September 2013

Background

Acute adrenal insufficiency is a potentially lethal condition rarely caused by bilateral adrenal haemorrhage due to heparin use. Most of the times, it is difficult to establish the diagnosis, as symptoms are not specific. Few cases have been reported in the literature.

Case presentation

A 52-year-old Caucasian woman presented with abdominal pain, vomiting and weakness nine days after arthroplasty and heparin use. Hyperkalemia, low cortisol and high adrenocorticotropic hormone levels were found, indicating adrenal insufficiency. Magnetic resonance imaging of the upper abdomen was compatible with preceding adrenal haemorrhage. Hydrocortisone and fludrocortisone were administered. Review of the literature revealed 36 cases of postoperative adrenal haemorrhage which are presented briefly.

Conclusion

Postoperative acute adrenal insufficiency due to haemorrhage is a rare condition. If patients are treated based on clinical suspicion, they have good chances to survive. Hydrocortisone is given permanently in the majority of the patients.
Cryopreservation the seeds of a Taiwanese terrestrial orchid, Bletilla formosana (Hayata) Schltr. by vitrification
Authors: Hu Wei Hsin , Yang Yue Han , Liaw Song Iuan , Chang Chen
Published: September 2013

Background

The cryopreservation of orchid seeds is an important conservation method, studies of the effects of cryopreservation on the seeds of wild orchids are scant. This investigation was to establish a method for the vitrification and cryopreservation of seeds of B. formosana that may be suitable for the long term storage of Taiwan native orchid germplasm for conservation purposes.

Results

The germination rate and morphological stability of seeds from spontaneous-dehiscent capsules of Bletilla formosana (Hayata) Schltr. were evaluated after cryopreservation by vitrification. The germination rates of cryopreserved seeds varied according to immersion time and the vitrification method used. Seeds that were dehydrated by immersion in loading solution (LS; 2.0 M glycerol, 0.4 M sucrose) for 10 min to 30 min then transferred to plant vitrification solution 2 (PVS2) for 30 min prior to freezing in liquid nitrogen (LN) showed significantly higher germination rates than seeds immersed in PVS2 only. The optimal immersion times were 10 min for LS and 30 min for PVS2, resulting in an in vitro germination rate of 91%. Germination was not observed for cryopreserved seeds that were dehydrated by immersion in LS only. Seed viabilities and germination rates did not vary significantly for cryostorage times from 10 minutes to 1 year.

Conclusions

This study improve, an efficient protocol was established that maintained seed viability and enhanced the germination rates of seeds, compared with previously described cryopreservation methods, and the germinated seeds showed normal morphology of both vegetative and reproductive organs.
Characteristics and outcomes of culture-negative versus culture-positive severe sepsis
Authors: Phua Jason , Ngerng Wang Jee , See Kay Choong , Tay Chee Kiang , Kiong Timothy , Lim Hui Fang , Chew Mei Ying , Yip Hwee Seng , Tan Adeline , Khalizah Haji Jamil , Capistrano Rolando , Lee Kang Hoe , Mukhopadhyay Amartya
Published: September 2013

Introduction

Culture-negative sepsis is a common but relatively understudied condition. The aim of this study was to compare the characteristics and outcomes of culture-negative versus culture-positive severe sepsis.

Methods

This was a prospective observational cohort study of 1001 patients who were admitted to the medical intensive care unit (ICU) of a university hospital from 2004 to 2009 with severe sepsis. Patients with documented fungal, viral, and parasitic infections were excluded.

Results

There were 415 culture-negative patients (41.5%) and 586 culture-positive patients (58.5%). Gram-positive bacteria were isolated in 257 patients, and gram-negative bacteria in 390 patients. Culture-negative patients were more often women and had fewer comorbidities, less tachycardia, higher blood pressure, lower procalcitonin levels, lower Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (median 25.0 (interquartile range 19.0 to 32.0) versus 27.0 (21.0 to 33.0), P = 0.001) and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment scores, less cardiovascular, central nervous system, and coagulation failures, and less need for vasoactive agents than culture-positive patients. The lungs were a more common site of infection, while urinary tract, soft tissue and skin infections, infective endocarditis and primary bacteremia were less common in culture-negative than in culture-positive patients. Culture-negative patients had a shorter duration of hospital stay (12 days (7.0 to 21.0) versus 15.0 (7.0 to27.0), P = 0.02) and lower ICU mortality than culture-positive patients. Hospital mortality was lower in the culture-negative group (35.9%) than in the culture-positive group (44.0%, P = 0.01), the culture-positive subgroup, which received early appropriate antibiotics (41.9%, P = 0.11), and the culture-positive subgroup, which did not (55.5%, P < 0.001). After adjusting for covariates, culture positivity was not independently associated with mortality on multivariable analysis.

Conclusions

Significant differences between culture-negative and culture-positive sepsis are identified, with the former group having fewer comorbidities, milder severity of illness, shorter hospitalizations, and lower mortality.
“The Sign of the Last”: Gender, Material Culture, and Artisanal Nostalgia in The Shoemaker’s Holiday
Authors: Korda Natasha
Published: September 2013

Thomas Dekker’s The Shoemaker’s Holiday (1599) is filled with shoes. Every aspect of shoes’ social lives is enacted onstage: they are manufactured before our eyes, bought and sold, given as gifts, displayed as signs of status, and flaunted as objects of fashion. This essay considers how an investigation of the shoes and other crafted objects staged in the play may shed new light on a neglected economy of female artisanal labor in early modern London and its transformative impact on the material culture of the early modern English stage. Examining a range of evidence, including a shoe found in the Museum of London’s archaeological excavation of the Rose theatre where Dekker’s play was first performed, the essay argues that far from putting us in touch with a bygone artisan’s utopia, Dekker’s play stages a native industry transformed by economic expansion, yet unhobbled by the pressures of foreign trade.
midlife crisisencodes a conserved zinc-finger protein required to maintain neuronal differentiation inDrosophila
Authors: Carney Travis D. , Struck Adam J. , Doe Chris Q.
Published: September 2013

Stem cells generate progeny that undergo terminal differentiation. The initiation and maintenance of the differentiated status is crucial for tissue development, function and homeostasis. Drosophila neural stem cells (neuroblasts) are a model for stem cell self-renewal and differentiation; they divide asymmetrically to self-renew and generate the neurons and glia of the CNS. Here we report the identification of midlife crisis (mdlc; CG4973) as a gene required for the maintenance of neuronal differentiation and for neuroblast proliferation in Drosophila. mdlc encodes a ubiquitously expressed zinc-finger-containing protein with conserved orthologs from yeast to humans that are reported to have a role in RNA splicing. Using clonal analysis, we demonstrate that mdlc mutant neurons initiate but fail to complete differentiation, as judged by the loss of the pro-differentiation transcription factor Prospero, followed by derepression of the neuroblast factors Deadpan, Asense and Cyclin E. RNA-seq shows that loss of Mdlc decreases pros transcript levels and results in aberrant pros splicing. Importantly, misexpression of the full-length human ortholog, RNF113A, completely rescues all CNS defects in mdlc mutants. We conclude that Mdlc plays an essential role in maintaining neuronal differentiation, raising the possibility that RNF113A regulates neuronal differentiation in the human CNS.
Weak Magnetic Field Effects on Silver Dendrite Formation
Authors: Tanimoto Yoshifumi , Udagawa Chikako , Katsuki Akio , Maki Syou , Morimoto Shotaro
Published: September 2013

Effects of a weak magnetic field (<0.1 T) on silver dendrite formation were studied using a ferrite magnet. By application of a 87 mT field, the silver dendrite pattern changed considerably, although chemical yields of formed silver dendrite, formed copper ion, and consumed copper metal decreased very slightly.
Synthesis of Heptaoxazole Macrocyclic Analogues of Telomestatin and Evaluation of Their Telomerase Inhibitory Activities
Authors: Shibata Kazuaki , Yoshida Masahito , Takahashi Takashi , Takagi Motoki , Shin-ya Kazuo , Doi Takayuki
Published: September 2013

We have demonstrated various synthetic routes to heptaoxazole macrocyclic analogues of telomestatin and evaluated their inhibitory activities against telomerase. We synthesized three heptaoxazole macrocycles consisting of different numbers of methyloxazole moieties and another heptaoxazole analogue with a bromooxazole moiety instead of one of the two methyloxazole moieties found in the structure of telomestatin. The bromooxazole analogue underwent Suzuki–Miyaura coupling leading to six analogues having aromatic substituents on the oxazole moiety. The substituents on the oxazole moiety in the heptaoxazole macrocycles, which include a methyl group, a bromine atom, and aromatic substituents, did not affect the inhibitory activity of the overall molecule. In addition, three amine-linked analogues were synthesized by modification of the S-tert-butyl group in the bromooxazole analogue with amine-linked α-bromoacetamides. Notably, one of the amine-linked heptaoxazole analogues exhibited almost the same inhibitory activity as telomestatin.
The structure of halonium ions in superacidic solutions
Authors: Ohta Brian K.
Published: September 2013

Isotopic perturbation of equilibrium was applied to 1,2-bridged halonium ions to determine whether they exist as single symmetric structures or as a rapid equilibrium of asymmetric structures. The observed deuterium isotope shifts are qualitatively and quantitatively consistent with the presence of intrinsic and equilibrium isotope shifts. The presence of equilibrium shifts suggests that these ions exist as a rapid equilibrium of asymmetric structures. Though the asymmetric structures were initially ascribed to β-halocarbenium ions, subsequent computational data suggest that 1,2-bridged halonium ions react with sulfur dioxide (SO2), the experimental solvent. Our current hypothesis is that the equilibrium isotope shifts result from rapid labile addition of SO2 to the halonium ions. Other hypotheses have been invoked to explain the results and are considered in the context of the available data.
Shear-related fibrillogenesis of fibronectin
Authors: Nguyen Huong T.T. , Huynh Khon C. , Scharf Rüdiger E. , Stoldt Volker R.
Published: September 2013

Biomechanical forces can induce the transformation of fibronectin (Fn) from its compact structure to an extended fibrillar state. Adsorption of plasma proteins onto metallic surfaces may also influence their conformation. We used a cone-plate rheometer to investigate the effect of shear and stainless steel on conformational changes of Fn. In control experiments, cones grafted once or twice with polyethylene glycol were used. Plasma Fn was added at concentrations of 50 or 100 μg/ml to bovine serum albumin (BSA)- or Fn-coated plates and subsequently exposed to dynamic shear rates stepwise increasing from 50 to 5000 s-1 within 5 min and subsequently decreasing from 5000 to 50 s-1 within 5 min. The viscosity (mPa s) of Fn solutions was recorded over 10 min. Upon exposure to shear, the viscosity in the sample increased, suggesting conformational changes in Fn. Western blotting and densitometric analyses demonstrated that conformational changes of plasma Fn depended both on shear and protein concentration. However, there was no significant difference in fibril formation between BSA- or Fn-coated plates, suggesting that physical properties of stainless steel and biomechanical forces such as shear can affect the molecular structure of Fn. Our model may provide useful information of surface- and flow-induced alterations of plasma proteins.
Concurrent and simultaneous polydrug use among young Swiss males: use patterns and associations of number of substances used with health issues
Authors: Baggio Stéphanie , Studer Joseph , Mohler-Kuo Meichun , Daeppen Jean-Bernard , Gmel Gerhard
Published: September 2013

Background: Simultaneous polydrug use (SPU) may represent a greater incremental risk factor for human health than concurrent polydrug use (CPU). However, few studies have examined these patterns of use in relation to health issues, particularly with regard to the number of drugs used.

Methods: In the present study, we have analyzed data from a representative sample of 5734 young Swiss males from the Cohort Study on Substance Use Risk Factors. Exposure to drugs (i.e., alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, and 15 other illicit drugs), as well as mental, social and physical factors, were studied through regression analysis.

Results: We found that individuals engaging in CPU and SPU followed the known stages of drug use, involving initial experiences with licit drugs (e.g., alcohol and tobacco), followed by use of cannabis and then other illicit drugs. In this regard, two classes of illicit drugs were identified, including first uppers, hallucinogens and sniffed drugs; and then “harder” drugs (ketamine, heroin, and crystal meth), which were only consumed by polydrug users who were already taking numerous drugs. Moreover, we observed an association between the number of drugs used simultaneously and social issues (i.e., social consequences and aggressiveness). In fact, the more often the participants simultaneously used substances, the more likely they were to experience social problems. In contrast, we did not find any relationship between SPU and depression, anxiety, health consequences, or health.

Conclusions: We identified some associations with SPU that were independent of CPU. Moreover, we found that the number of concurrently used drugs can be a strong factor associated with mental and physical health, although their simultaneous use may not significantly contribute to this association. Finally, the negative effects related to the use of one substance might be counteracted by the use of an additional substance.
Quality of life and self-efficacy beliefs in young adults with cleft lip and palate
Authors: Vezzù Elena , Soresi Salvatore , Ferrari Lea , Nota Laura
Published: September 2013

Background: The present study aims to determine quality of life and self-efficacy beliefs among young adults with cleft lip and palate (CLP), as compared with a control group of young adults without CLP. The study involves two groups of young adults: 48 with CLP and 48 presenting no disability.

Methods: Two questionnaires (Quality of Life Questionnaire and How Much Confidence do I Have in Myself?) were used to assess life satisfaction and self-efficacy beliefs, respectively.

Results: Participants with CLP reported greater quality of life than the participants in the control group, in terms of personal financial situation and self-determination opportunities. Moreover, men with CLP showed higher levels of confidence than women with CLP, and more than all the participants in the control group as a whole in terms of the ability to complete tasks and activities.

Conclusions: Results suggest that people with CLP do not form a homogeneous category but are characterized by a high degree of variability. Further research is necessary to identify the dimensions and factors characterizing people with CLP as well as the health and social services needed to start using assessment instruments that can shed light on these individuals’ experiences.
The “social” in English Language Teaching: abstracted norms versus situated enactments
Authors: Leung Constant
Published: September 2013

The worldwide enterprise of English Language Teaching (ELT) has consciously attended to social rules and conventions in its modelling of language use. In this article I will first examine the theoretical basis of the “social” as it has been understood in influential curriculum discussions and internationally marketed textbooks. It will be shown that there is a tendency to portray social conventions of language use in terms of abstracted and decontextualised native speaker norms. Drawing on data collected in ethnolinguistically diverse school and university classrooms in London, I will illustrate that socially agreeable ways of language use are fluidly and sensitively negotiated in situ by participants. Some of the observations and arguments in this article will resonate with the analytic sensibilities shown in recent research in the fields of English as a Lingua Franca and sociolinguistics. The discussion will conclude with a call for a more empirically oriented approach to conceptualizing the “social” in ELT that takes account of situated language and social practices.
Modellierung und Regelung eines hydraulischen HIL-Simulators zum Test von Herzunterstützungssystemen / Modeling and Control of a Hydraulic Simulator for Ventricular Assist Device Testing
Authors: Heinke Stefanie , Schwandtner Sebastian , Costante Christian , Heyn Hans-Martin , Brendle Christian , Leonhardt Steffen , Walter Marian
Published: September 2013

In diesem Beitrag werden ein Modell und ein Regelkonzept für einen Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL)- Prüfstand zum Testen von Herzunterstützungssystemen vorgestellt. Dieser HIL-Prüfstand simuliert die ein -und auslassseitigen Zustandsgrößen, denen ein Herzunterstützungssystem im Körper ausgesetzt ist, so dass damit schnell und kostengünstig Regelungen von Herzunterstützungssystemen unter hochdynamischen Bedingungen getestet werden können. Die Modellierung des HIL-Prüfstands erfolgt mit den Lagrangeschen Gleichungen 2. Art. Als Regelungsverfahren werden ein LQRRegler und ein PI-Regler in dem Mehrgrößensystem eingesetzt. Zur Evaluation der Regelung werden ventrikuläre und arterielle Drücke aus einer Softwaresimulation des Herzkreislaufsystems auf den HIL-Prüfstand übertragen und erfolgreich nachgebildet.
Künstliches Feedback für Oberschenkelamputierte – Theoretische Analyse / Artificial Feedback for Transfemoral Amputees – Theoretical Analysis
Authors: Pagel Anna , Oes Julian , Pfeifer Serge , Riener Robert , Vallery Heike
Published: September 2013

Dieser Beitrag untersucht auf Basis von Modellen der menschlichen Wahrnehmung den Einfluss künstlichen sensorischen Feedbacks auf posturale Kontrolle und Gangsymmetrie von Oberschenkelamputierten. In der Standphase wird ein vereinfachtes, statisches neuromechanisches Modell verwendet, in der Schwungphase ein Erweitertes Kalman- Filter, das dynamische Effekte berücksichtigt. Die Simulation lässt den Schluss zu, dass Rückmeldung des Fußdruckpunktes während der Standphase die Wahrnehmung verbessern könnte, künstliches Feedback während der Schwungphase jedoch nicht von Vorteil ist. Eine klinische Fallstudie wäre nötig, um die in der Simulation beobachteten Effekte sensorischen Feedbacks in der praktischen Anwendung mit Amputierten zu überprüfen.
The Price of Ritual
Authors: Ackermann Peter
Published: September 2013

Regularly and irregularly occurring events at which surprisingly high degrees of physical and mental energy as well as large quantities of goods and money are required, and need to be procured in forms hardly open to individual choice and deliberation, abound in Japan. The corresponding complex rules are especially conspicuous on the level of direct interpersonal exchange, where the uninterrupted balance between outgoing investment and incoming return on investment is considered essential to maintain the close-knit social order that constitutes not just tradition but quite specifically the normative basis for Japan’s self-image as a leading post-war economic power. In many ways this close-knit order contrasts with concepts we might hold about a modern, pluralistic society. Today we face a situation where the continued propagation of correct rules for supplying goods, money and personal energy stands in increasing conflict with the economic and structural means to do so, and with any calculated interest in specific social contexts thus to be maintained
Can Happiness be Created in Rituals?
Authors: Kellermann Ingrid
Published: September 2013

This article refers to an ethnographical study within the framework of a cross-cultural research project in Germany and Japan. It focuses on the ritual staging and performing of family happiness within two countries: Christmas in Germany and oshogatsu, the turn of the year, in Japan. Happiness is hereby conceived as a particular form of well-being that is (intended) to be evoked during the yearly reunion of the family. Through ritual practice, the family members (re)confirm their family bonds and create their specific idea of family happiness. In the German family outlined below, Christmas Day in Germany happens to be the first Christmas Celebration in the new family constellation for everyone, and the family members are about to perform their future life plan. In Japan, oshogatsu relies on experiences and memories within the particular family constellation which allow an emotional proximity between four generations. The analytical approach reveals the social cultural impact on emotions and their performative and amplifying potential in rituals
Die Organisation von Wohlbefinden in japanischen Kindergärten
Authors: Schubert Volker
Published: September 2013

Is it possible to organize well-being in an educational setting? The paper examines some possible conditions and forms by using the example of Japanese preschools and tries to track down the logic of the organization of well-being. Playful, but systematically learned selective rituals and routines, the specific handling of conflicts and the restraint of the educators create an environment, in which the children are able not only to play enthusiastically, but also to adjust their common activities to a large extent on their own. Well-being in a relaxed and happy social coexistence in the group - on the one hand an indispensable condition for all further educational processes, on the other hand also end in itself - is staged as joint task, for which everybody should try for together.
Wisdom on the Pursuit of Happiness in Daily Life.
Authors: Suzuki Shoko
Published: September 2013

The aim of this paper is to provide perspectives on conducting an international comparative study of happiness. This comparative survey, which the Free University of Berlin, Germany, and Kyoto University began jointly in 2008, is a truly international, interdisciplinary research project that designated Japan and Germany as sites for anthropological fieldwork where experts in philosophy, sociology, and pedagogy would jointly tackle the same field. Employing a historical and cultural anthropology perspective, this research project starts with the assumption not to seek to identify a model of happiness or well-being that goes beyond history and culture. Rather, the main focus of the research has been on how happiness and well-being are constructed in interactions among family members in the course of their various daily practices as well as in the ritual practices involved in families celebrating a festive occasion. First, in addressing family happiness, we examined the Christmas period for German households as typical seasonal festivity celebrated by families.
From Fighting to Joy in Kendo
Authors: Potrafki Jörg
Published: September 2013

To trace joyful emotions in the practice of the Japanese art of fencing is quiet complicate and uncommon. As a former martial art Kendo is straightly connected with the mortal sword fighting of the Middle Ages. Today the fight with sharp swords has been replaced by a competition trough using the sportive protection armor and bamboo sword. The serious contest between the opponents with the reference to the life-or-death constellation of ancient times marks the activity in Kendo. The primary aim is the verification of the individual development, arising from the combination of an adult character and sportive skills. At the highest level of Kendo the development of a positive personal relation to the partner is being created via the hard and battlesome competition. Under specified conditions the fight yells harmony and empathy in a social interaction through the body activity of two individuals.
Leptin receptor maintains cancer stem-like properties in triple negative breast cancer cells
Authors: Zheng Qiao , Banaszak Lauren , Fracci Sarah , Basali Diana , Dunlap Sarah M , Hursting Stephen D , Rich Jeremy N , Hjlemeland Anita B , Vasanji Amit , Berger Nathan A , Lathia Justin D , Reizes Ofer
Published: September 2013

Despite new therapies, breast cancer continues to be the second leading cause of cancer mortality in women, a consequence of recurrence and metastasis. In recent years, a population of cancer cells has been identified, called cancer stem cells (CSCs) with self-renewal capacity, proposed to underlie tumor recurrence and metastasis. We previously showed that the adipose tissue cytokine LEPTIN, increased in obesity, promotes the survival of CSCsin vivo. Here, we tested the hypothesis that the leptin receptor (LEPR), expressed in mammary cancer cells, is necessary for maintaining CSC-like and metastatic properties. We silenced LEPR via shRNA lentivirus transduction and determined that the expression of stem cell self-renewal transcription factorsNANOG,SOX2, andOCT4(POU5F1) is inhibited. LEPR-NANOG signaling pathway is conserved between species because we can rescueNANOGexpression in humanLEPR-silenced cells with the mouseLepR. Using a NANOG promoter GFP reporter, we showed thatLEPRis enriched in NANOG promoter active (GFP+) cells. In lineage tracing studies, we showed that the GFP+ cells divide in a symmetric and asymmetric manner.LEPR-silenced MDA-MB-231 cells exhibit a mesenchymal to epithelial transition morphologically, increasedE-CADHERINand decreasedVIMENTINexpression compared with control cells. Finally, LEPR-silenced cells exhibit reduced cell proliferation, self-renewal in tumor sphere assays, and tumor outgrowth in xenotransplant studies. Given the emergence ofNANOGas a pro-carcinogenic protein in multiple cancers, these studies suggest that inhibition ofLEPRmay be a promising therapeutic approach to inhibitNANOGand thereby neutralize CSC functions.
The influence of antenatal exposure to phthalates on subsequent female reproductive development in adolescence: a pilot study
Authors: Hart Roger , Doherty Dorota A , Frederiksen Hanne , Keelan Jeffrey A , Hickey Martha , Sloboda Deborah , Pennell Craig E , Newnham John P , Skakkebaek Niels E , Main Katharina M
Published: September 2013

We hypothesised that antenatal exposure to ubiquitous phthalates may lead to an earlier menarche and a lower prevalence of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and polycystic ovarian morphology (PCO) in adolescence. The Western Australian Pregnancy Cohort (Raine) Study recruited 3000 women at 18 weeks of gestation in 1989–1991, 1377 had antenatal serum stored without thawing at −80 °C. An unselected subset was evaluated in the early follicular phase for PCO and PCOS by ultrasound and serum evaluation in adolescence. Serum was analysed for anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), inhibin B, sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), testosterone, androstenedione and DHEAS. Four hundred microlitres of the frozen maternal serum underwent isotope-diluted liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry, with preceding enzymatic deconjugation followed by solid-phase extraction to determine phthalate exposure. Two hundred and forty four girls attended assessment and most common phthalate metabolites were detectable in the majority of the 123 samples available. Several phthalates were negatively associated with maternal SHBG, and associations with maternal androgens were less consistent. The sum of the metabolites of di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate was associated with a non-significant tendency towards an earlier age at menarche (P=0.069). Uterine volume was positively associated with mono-(carboxy-iso-octyl) phthalate (P=0.018). Exposure to monoethyl phthalate (MEP) and the sum of all phthalate metabolites (Σall phth.m) were protective against PCOS in adolescence (P=0.001 andP=0.005 respectively). There were negative associations of MEP with PCO (P=0.022) and of MEP with serum AMH (P=0.031). Consequently, our data suggest that antenatal exposure to environmental phthalates may be associated with oestrogenic and/or anti-androgenic reproductive effects in adolescent girls.
Hot Regions of Noninterfering Crossovers Coexist with a Nonuniformly Interfering Pathway inArabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Basu-Roy Sayantani , Gauthier Franck , Giraut Laurène , Mézard Christine , Falque Matthieu , Martin Olivier C
Published: September 2013

In most organisms that have been studied, crossovers formed during meiosis exhibit interference: nearby crossovers are rare. Here we provide an in-depth study of crossover interference in Arabidopsis thaliana, examining crossovers genome-wide in >1500 backcrosses for both male and female meiosis. This unique data set allows us to take a two-pathway modeling approach based on superposing a fraction p of noninterfering crossovers and a fraction (1 − p) of interfering crossovers generated using the gamma model characterized by its interference strength nu. Within this framework, we fit the two-pathway model to the data and compare crossover interference strength between chromosomes and then along chromosomes. We find that the interfering pathway has markedly higher interference strength nu in female than in male meiosis and also that male meiosis has a higher proportion p of noninterfering crossovers. Furthermore, we test for possible intrachromosomal variations of nu and p. Our conclusion is that there are clear differences between left and right arms as well as between central and peripheral regions. Finally, statistical tests unveil a genome-wide picture of small-scale heterogeneities, pointing to the existence of hot regions in the genome where crossovers form preferentially without interference.
Late Ordovician conulariids from Manitoba, Canada
Authors: Robson Sean P. , Young Graham A.
Published: September 2013

Six species of conulariids, assigned to four genera, were recovered from the type locality of the Cat Head Member of the Red River Formation in southern Manitoba, Canada. These are middle Katian (Late Ordovician) in age. The most abundant conulariid species from this locality,Conularia porcella, is new, and is represented by 21 specimens. Additionally, 28 three-dimensionally preserved micromorphic conulariids, assigned toEoconulariaaff.loculata, were recovered using acetic acid preparation from limestone samples of late Katian (Late Ordovician) age. These samples had been collected from Churchill, northern Manitoba, by the Geological Survey of Canada's J. B. Tyrrell in 1894. These taxa are unusually abundant for conulariids, which are normally represented by only a few specimens from any given locality, and this abundance may be a reflection of the exceptional preservation at these two localities.
The Cenozoic gonyaulacacean dinoflagellate genera Operculodinium Wall, 1967 and Protoceratium Bergh, 1881 and their phylogenetic relationships
Authors: Paez-Reyes Manuel , Head Martin J.
Published: September 2013

To clarify the systematic positions of the important gonyaulacacean genera Operculodinium Wall, 1967 emend. Matsuoka et al., 1997 and Protoceratium Bergh, 1881, we present in detail the tabulation of the Oligocene–Pleistocene, thermophilic, cyst-defined species Operculodinium bahamense Head in Head and Westphal, 1999 emend., and the extant, cosmopolitan, theca-defined species Protoceratium reticulatum (Claparède and Lachmann, 1859) Bütschli, 1885. Both species have a sexiform hyposomal tabulation, and L-type (Protoceratium reticulatum) or modified L-type (Operculodinium bahamense) ventral organization. Protoceratium reticulatum has dextral torsion of the hypotheca, requiring assignation of the genus to the subfamily Cribroperidinioideae Fensome et al., 1993, whereas Operculodinium bahamense has neutral torsion requiring assignation to the subfamily Leptodinioideae Fensome et al., 1993. The stratigraphic range of this subfamily is now extended upwards to the lower Pleistocene. Paradoxically, Protoceratium reticulatum produces a cyst whose morphology is circumscribed by the cyst-defined genus Operculodinium, either implying polyphyletic origins for this genus or that combinations of ventral organization and torsion used to subdivide the family Gonyaulacaceae cannot always be applied rigidly. In detail, Operculodinium bahamense is shown to have an unusual ventral tabulation in which the first apical plate contacts the apical pore complex but not the sulcus. The new term “episert” is proposed to describe this plate relationship, which appears to have evolved independently in several lineages of the suborder Gonyaulacineae.
Sharks and rays (Chondrichthyes, Elasmobranchii) from the late Miocene Gatun Formation of Panama
Authors: Pimiento Catalina , González-Barba Gerardo , Ehret Dana J. , Hendy Austin J. W. , MacFadden Bruce J. , Jaramillo Carlos
Published: September 2013

The late Miocene Gatun Formation of northern Panama contains a highly diverse and well sampled fossil marine assemblage that occupied a shallow-water embayment close to a purported connection between the Pacific and Atlantic (Caribbean) oceans. However, the diverse chondrichthyan fauna has been poorly documented. Based on recent field discoveries and further analysis of existing collections, the chondrichthyan fauna from this unit comprises at least 26 taxa, of which four species are extinct today. The remaining portion of the total chondrichthyan biodiversity has affinities with modern taxa and is therefore comprised of long-lived species. Based on known records of the modern geographic distribution range of the Gatun chondrichthyans, the fauna has mixed biogeographic affinities suggesting that around 10 million yr ago, a connection likely occurred between the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. Given the known habitat preferences for modern chondrichthyans, the Gatun fauna was primarily adapted to shallow waters within the neritic zone. Finally, comparisons of Gatun dental measurements with other faunas suggest that many of the taxa have an abundance of small individuals, in agreement with previous studies that proposed this area as a paleonursery habitat for the speciesCarcharocles megalodon.
Deep genetic divergence within a “living fossil” brachiopod Lingula anatina
Authors: Yang Shujuan , Lai Xulong , Sheng Guilian , Wang Shuoshuo
Published: September 2013

The geographic population patterns of Lingula anatina across the Indo-West Pacific region are analyzed based on mitochondrial COI and nuclear EF-1α gene sequences. Compared with the remarkable morphological stasis, genetic evidence of extant Lingula species displays deep genetic divergence. Three distinct COI lineages were detected for L. anatina, one of which is from Qinhuangdao (Hebei, China, Bohai Sea), the other two from Beihai (Guangxi, China, Gulf of Tonkin). Individuals from South Japan have a very close relationship with one of the two COI lineages found in Beihai, which is also supported by EF-1α results, suggesting a relatively recent migration between South China Sea and East China Sea. Genetic distances between the three lineages of L. anatina are rather high (8.9%, 8.6%, and 2.7%), and those between L. anatina and L. adamsi is much higher (44.5%), compared to other marine invertebrates. Both tectonic evolution and the repeated Quaternary glaciations have contributed to the complex phylogeographic pattern found in these recent Lingula anatina populations.
The orientation of strophomenid brachiopods on soft substrates
Authors: Plotnick Roy E. , Dattilo Benjamin F. , Piquard Daniel , Bauer Jennifer , Corrie Joshua
Published: September 2013

Strophomenid brachiopods have long been interpreted as “snowshoe” strategists, with their flattened concavo-convex valves providing resistance to foundering in very soft sediments. There has been a sharp difference of opinion in whether the shells were oriented with their convex or their concave surface in contact with the sediment. This study, along with independent evidence from sedimentology, ichnology, and morphology, indicates that the strophomenids lived with their shells concave down (convex up). Experiments indicate the force required to push shells into soft cohesive muds is much greater for the convex up than for the convex down orientation. Forces also increase with shell curvature. All measured forces greatly exceed estimates of the downward force exerted by the weight of the shell, indicating that foundering resistance may not have been the key functional requirement. Instead, a convex up orientation would have provided resistance to overturning in currents, in particular if the valves gaped widely. The “snowshoe” may not be the relevant paradigm for the shell morphology of these forms. An alternative is that they functioned more as a tip-resistant base, similar to those of garden umbrellas or stanchions.
Partial skeleton of a bony-toothed bird from the late Oligocene/early Miocene of Oregon (USA) and the systematics of Neogene Pelagornithidae
Authors: Mayr Gerald , Goedert James L. , McLeod Samuel A.
Published: September 2013

A partial skeleton of a pelagornithid bird found in latest Oligocene or earliest Miocene marine strata in Oregon consists of a pelvis fragment, thoracic vertebrae, and leg bones of a single individual. It is the most completely preserved pelagornithid from the late Oligocene/early Miocene, and one of the few bony-toothed birds from this time period in general. The new fossil is from the Nye Mudstone and shows some previously unknown features that contribute to a better understanding of the osteology of pelagornithids. Because Paleogene and late Neogene pelagornithids differ in several osteological features and the temporally intermediate forms are poorly known, it further bridges a gap in our knowledge of character evolution in pelagornithids. The interrelationships within Pelagornithidae are still poorly resolved, but we detail that a clade of Neogene species, which the Oregon pelagornithid is not part of, can be supported by a derived morphology of the femur. To ease description of Neogene pelagornithids, we synonymizePalaeochenoidesShufeldt, 1916 andTympanonesiotesHopson, 1964 withPelagornisLartet, 1857, and suggest classification of all Neogene pelagornithids in the latter taxon.
Trends in Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Infant Mortality Rates in the United States, 1989–2006
Authors: Rossen Lauren M. , Schoendorf Kenneth C.
Published: September 2013

Objectives. We sought to measure overall disparities in pregnancy outcome, incorporating data from the many race and ethnic groups that compose the US population, to improve understanding of how disparities may have changed over time.

Methods. We used Birth Cohort Linked Birth–Infant Death Data Files from US Vital Statistics from 1989–1990 and 2005–2006 to examine multigroup indices of racial and ethnic disparities in the overall infant mortality rate (IMR), preterm birth rate, and gestational age–specific IMRs. We calculated selected absolute and relative multigroup disparity metrics weighting subgroups equally and by population size.

Results. Overall IMR decreased on the absolute scale, but increased on the population-weighted relative scale. Disparities in the preterm birth rate decreased on both the absolute and relative scales, and across equally weighted and population-weighted indices. Disparities in preterm IMR increased on both the absolute and relative scales.

Conclusions. Infant mortality is a common bellwether of general and maternal and child health. Despite significant decreases in disparities in the preterm birth rate, relative disparities in overall and preterm IMRs increased significantly over the past 20 years.
Exploring Risk Factors in Latino Cardiovascular Disease: The Role of Education, Nativity, and Gender
Authors: Dinwiddie Gniesha Y. , Zambrana Ruth E. , Garza Mary A.
Published: September 2013

Objectives. We examined 3 cardiovascular disease risk factors by nativity and gender, evaluating evidence for education and health behaviors in explaining the “Hispanic Health Paradox.”

Methods. We analyzed 2001–2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data for adults (n = 6032) to compare hypertension, high waist circumference, and diabetes for US- and foreign-born Mexican men and women. We controlled for age, depression, and health insurance.

Results. Cardiovascular disease risk factors differed by education, nativity, and gender. Higher education was associated with higher odds of hypertension and high waist circumference for men and women regardless of nativity. As education increased, the odds of diabetes increased for US-born women, showing a gradient for this population. Finally, foreign-born Mexican women with 5 to 19 years in the United States conferred the highest odds of having diabetes, whereas foreign-born men with less than 5 years in the United States had the lowest odds for high waist circumference and presence of diabetes.

Conclusions. Results contest assumptions of the Hispanic Health Paradox and suggest new approaches. New research can yield accurate information to ensure the development of appropriate interventions, decreasing health disparities endemic to a subgroup of Latinos.
Local Tobacco Control: Application of the Essential Public Health Services Model in a County Health Department’s Efforts to Put It Out Rockland
Authors: Lieberman Lisa , Diffley Una , King Sandy , Chanler Shelley , Ferrara Maryanne , Alleyne Oscar , Facelle Joan
Published: September 2013

In 2000, Rockland County, a small suburban county north of New York City, dedicated $1 million of its Master Settlement Agreement funds to a comprehensive tobacco control program, Put It Out Rockland. Developed and implemented by the county health department, this program used an essential public health services model and an ongoing financial investment, within the context of strong statewide tobacco control efforts, to lower adult smoking rates to 9.7% and to reduce both smoking among youths and exposure to secondhand smoke over the ensuing decade. By combining state funds and local dollars for a total of $6.75 cost per capita, this comprehensive effort yielded 11 000 fewer smokers and translated to a potential savings of more than $24 million for the county.
Excess Infant Mortality Among Native Hawaiians: Identifying Determinants for Preventive Action
Authors: Hirai Ashley H. , Hayes Donald K. , Taualii Maile M. , Singh Gopal K. , Fuddy, ACSW Loretta J.
Published: September 2013

Objectives. We identified potential determinants and cause-specific sources of excess infant mortality among Native Hawaiians.

Methods. We compared infant mortality rates among Native Hawaiians and Whites by using data from the 2002 to 2009 Hawai’i State Linked Birth/Infant Death Cohort File. We evaluated the components of excess infant mortality by age and underlying cause of death as well as maternal sociodemographic, behavioral, and chronic condition disparities.

Results. The Native Hawaiian infant mortality rate was more than twice that for Whites (7.9 vs 3.5/1000 live births). Excess Native Hawaiian infant mortality was equally apportioned to neonatal and postneonatal deaths. Preterm-related causes of death accounted for 43.9% of the infant mortality disparity, followed by sudden unexpected infant death (21.6%) and injury (5.6%). In multivariable models, maternal educational inequality accounted for the largest portion of the neonatal mortality disparity (20.9%); younger maternal age (12.2%) and smoking (9.5%) were the only significant contributors to the postneonatal mortality disparity.

Conclusions. Addressing educational inequalities, promoting safe sleep practices, and reducing smoking among Native Hawaiian mothers would help to eliminate excess infant mortality.
Creating a Transdisciplinary Research Center to Reduce Cardiovascular Health Disparities in Baltimore, Maryland: Lessons Learned
Authors: Cooper Lisa A. , Boulware L. Ebony , Miller Edgar R. , Golden Sherita Hill , Carson Kathryn A. , Noronha Gary , Huizinga Mary Margaret , Roter Debra L. , Yeh Hsin-Chieh , Bone Lee R. , Levine David M. , Hill-Briggs Felicia , Charleston Jeanne , Kim Miyong , Wang Nae-Yuh , Aboumatar Hanan , Halbert Jennifer P. , Ephraim Patti L. , Brancati Frederick L.
Published: September 2013

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) disparities continue to have a negative impact on African Americans in the United States, largely because of uncontrolled hypertension. Despite the availability of evidence-based interventions, their use has not been translated into clinical and public health practice. The Johns Hopkins Center to Eliminate Cardiovascular Health Disparities is a new transdisciplinary research program with a stated goal to lower the impact of CVD disparities on vulnerable populations in Baltimore, Maryland. By targeting multiple levels of influence on the core problem of disparities in Baltimore, the center leverages academic, community, and national partnerships and a novel structure to support 3 research studies and to train the next generation of CVD researchers. We also share the early lessons learned in the center’s design.