bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A New Tonometric Device for Radial Augmentation Index and Subendocardial Viability Ratio: Potential Use in Health Screening
Authors: Wang Jing‐Zhi , Zhang Yong‐Liang , Hu Fu‐Song , He Zi‐Jun , Yang Xian‐Jun , Ma Zu‐Chang , Sun Yi‐Ning
Published: September 2014

Augmentation index (AIx) and subendocardial viability ratio (SEVR) are widely accepted indices of wave reflection and myocardial oxygen demand relative to supply. This study aimed to validate a new tonometric device (IIM‐2010A) for obtaining AIx and SEVR from radial artery. A total of 68 outpatients (32 men and 36 women) aged 20 to 76 years (44.7±16.6 years) recruited from a health screening center participated in the study. AIx was obtained from radial pressure using the HEM‐9000AI and IIM‐2010A devices, while SEVR was measured from carotid pressure with the tonometric method and from radial pressure by the IIM‐2010A device. In a subgroup of 24 patients, the measurements of AIx and SEVR were repeated after an interval of 10 minutes. The correlation of radial AIx between the IIM‐2010A and HEM‐9000AI devices was highly significant (r=0.956, P<.01). Radial SEVR determined from IIM‐2010A was also highly related to carotid SEVR (r=0.864, P<.01), although the value was about 13.1% lower. There was no statistically significant difference between the repeated measurements of both indices. The lower coefficient of variation (2.9% vs 4.3% for AIx, 3.3% vs 4.1% for SEVR) and higher intraclass correlation coefficient (0.96 vs 0.91 for AIx, 0.93 vs 0.86 for SEVR) of IIM‐2010A confirmed better short‐term reproducibility, compared with the HEM‐9000AI device and carotid tonometry. The new tonometric device IIM‐2010A is effective and reproducible in calculating radial AIx and SEVR and has potential use in health screening.
Vildagliptin vs liraglutide as a second‐line therapy switched from sitagliptin‐based regimens in patients with type 2 diabetes: A randomized, parallel‐group study
Authors: Takeshita Yumie , Takamura Toshinari , Kita Yuki , Otoda Toshiki , Kato Ken‐ichiro , Wakakuri Hitomi , Yamada Masayuki , Misu Hirofumi , Matsushima Yukiko , Kaneko Shuichi ,   the Establishment of Rationale for Antiaging Diabetic Medicine (ERA‐DM) Study Chapter 2 Group
Published: September 2014

Introduction

A step‐up strategy for dipeptidyl peptidase (DPP)‐4 inhibitor‐based regimens has not yet been established. In addition, similarities and differences between DPP‐4 inhibitors and glucagon‐like peptide (GLP)‐1 receptor agonists remain to be elucidated in humans. We investigated the pleiotropic effects of vildagliptin vs liraglutide in patients with type 2 diabetes on sitagliptin‐based regimens in an open‐label, randomized, clinical trial.

Materials and Methods

A total of 122 patients with type 2 diabetes that was inadequately controlled by sitagliptin‐based regimens were randomly assigned to either vildagliptin (50 mg, twice daily) or liraglutide treatment (0.9 mg, once daily) for 12 weeks. The primary outcomes were glycated hemoglobin and body mass index.

Results

Both vildagliptin and liraglutide significantly lowered glycated hemoglobin within 12 weeks after switching from sitagliptin, but liraglutide produced a greater reduction (−0.67 ± 0.12% vs −0.36 ± 0.53%). Liraglutide lowered body mass index, whereas vildagliptin did not affect body mass index. Vildagliptin lowered fasting C‐peptide immunoreactivity, but liraglutide did not. Vildagliptin increased serum levels of adiponectin, arachidonic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid, whereas liraglutide had no effect on these levels. Quality of life, assessed using the diabetes treatment satisfaction questionnaire, was not impaired in either group. The most common adverse events were gastrointestinal symptoms, which occurred with similar frequencies in both groups.

Conclusions

Vildagliptin‐mediated improvements in glycemic control did not correlate with indices for insulin secretion and insulin sensitivity. Switching from sitagliptin to liraglutide is useful in managing hyperglycemia and weight. Each agent exerts unique pleiotropic effects. This trial was registered with the University Hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trials Registry (no. 000004953).
Intermediate number of major histocompatibility complex class IIB length variants relates to enlarged perivisceral fat deposits in the blunt‐head cichlid Tropheus moorii
Authors: Hablützel P. I. , Vanhove M. P. M. , Grégoir A. F. , Hellemans B. , Volckaert F. A. M. , Raeymaekers J. A. M.
Published: September 2014

Studying the genetic basis of host–parasite interactions represents an outstanding opportunity to observe eco‐evolutionary processes. Established candidates for such studies in vertebrates are immunogenes of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). The MHC has been reported to reach high intra‐ and interindividual diversity, and a diverse MHC might be advantageous when facing infections from multiple parasites. However, other studies indicated that individuals with an intermediate number of MHC alleles are less infected with parasites or have other fitness advantages. In this study, we assessed the optimal number of MHC alleles in the blunt‐head cichlid Tropheus moorii from Lake Tanganyika. We investigated the influence of the interindividual variation in number of MHC length variants on parasite infection and body condition, measured by the amount of perivisceral fat reserves. Surprisingly, there was no correlation between parasite infection and number of MHC length variants or perivisceral fat deposits. However, the individual number of MHC length variants significantly correlated with the amount of perivisceral fat deposits in males, suggesting that male individuals with an intermediate number of alleles might be able to use their fat reserves more efficiently.
Suckling and Salsolinol Attenuate Responsiveness of the Hypothalamic‐Pituitary‐Adrenal Axis to Stress: Focus on Catecholamines, Corticotrophin‐Releasing Hormone, Adrenocorticotrophic Hormone, Cortisol and Prolactin Secretion in Lactating Sheep
Authors: Hasiec M. , Tomaszewska‐Zaremba D. , Misztal T.
Published: September 2014

In mammals, the responsiveness of the hypothalamic‐pituitary‐adrenal (HPA) axis to stress is reduced during lactation and this mainly results from suckling by the offspring. The suckling stimulus causes a release of the hypothalamic 1‐metyl‐6,7‐dihydroxy‐1,2,3,4‐tetrahydroisoquinoline (salsolinol) (a derivative of dopamine), one of the prolactin‐releasing factors. To investigate the involvement of salsolinol in the mechanism suppressing stress‐induced HPA axis activity, we conducted a series of experiments on lactating sheep, in which they were treated with two kinds of isolation stress (isolation from the flock with lamb present or absent), combined with suckling and/or i.c.v infusion of salsolinol and 1‐methyl‐3,4‐dihydro‐isoqinoline (1‐MeDIQ; an antagonistic analogue of salsolinol). Additionally, a push–pull perfusion of the infundibular nucleus/median eminence (IN/ME) and blood sample collection with 10‐min intervals were performed during the experiments. Concentrations of perfusate corticotrophin‐releasing hormone (CRH) and catecholamines (noradrenaline, dopamine and salsolinol), as well as concentrations of plasma adenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH), cortisol and prolactin, were assayed. A significant increase in perfusate noradrenaline, plasma ACTH and cortisol occurred in response to both kinds of isolation stress. Suckling and salsolinol reduced the stress‐induced increase in plasma ACTH and cortisol concentrations. Salsolinol also significantly reduced the stress‐induced noradrenaline and dopamine release within the IN/ME. Treatment with 1‐MeDIQ under the stress conditions significantly diminished the salsolinol concentration and increased CRH and cortisol concentrations. Stress and salsolinol did not increase the plasma prolactin concentration, in contrast to the suckling stimulus. In conclusion, salsolinol released in nursing sheep may have a suppressing effect on stress‐induced HPA axis activity and peripheral prolactin does not appear to participate in its action.
Drug Eluting Balloon: A Multipurpose Tool for Coronary Revascularization With Optimal Long‐Term Follow‐Up Results
Authors: PASTORMERLO LUIGI EMILIO , CIARDETTI MARCO , TRIANNI GIUSEPPE , RAVANI MARCELLO , SHLUETER MATHIS , VAGHETTI MARCO , COCEANI MICHELE , RIZZA ANTONIO , BERTI SERGIO , PALMIERI CATALDO
Published: September 2014

Aims

This study aimed to evaluate safety and efficacy of drug‐coated balloon (DCB) at long‐term follow‐up; a large series of real‐life patients underwent revascularization with DCB for a wide spectrum of clinical and angiographic situations.

Methods and Results

One hundred ten patients underwent percutaneous revascularization using paclitaxel eluting balloon (Sequent Please, Braun, Germany). End‐points were major adverse cardiac events (MACE; all‐cause death, myocardial infarction [MI], target vessel revascularisation [TVR], and vessel thrombosis). DCB were used for stable angina (58%), unstable angina/nonST elevation MI (31%) and ST elevation MI (11%). DCB were used for in‐stent restenosis (61%), small vessel disease (25%), with bare metal stent (BMS) to avoid long dual antiplatelet therapy (10%) or for impossibility to place a stent (4%). Cumulative MACE at follow‐up (median 23 months, IQR 13–32) was 12.7%, with 8.2% all‐cause death (1 fatal MI), 4.5% TVR, 3.6% TLR, and no vessel thrombosis. Three of four TLRs occurred in patients who received DEB for DES restenosis.

Conclusions

DCB are a very effective tool for a variety of clinical and angiographic situations. DCB use seems to be affected by a low rate of complications and adequate results at long‐term follow‐up.
Effects of phenylalanine and threonine oligopeptides on milk protein synthesis in cultured bovine mammary epithelial cells
Authors: Zhou M. M. , Wu Y. M. , Liu H. Y. , Liu J. X.
Published: September 2014

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of phenylalanine (Phe) and threonine (Thr) oligopeptides on αs1 casein gene expression and milk protein synthesis in bovine mammary epithelial cells. Primary mammary epithelial cells were obtained from Holstein dairy cows and incubated in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium‐F12 medium (DMEM/F12) containing lactogenic hormones (prolactin and glucocorticoids). Free Phe (117 μg/ml) was substituted partly with peptide‐bound Phe (phenylalanylphenylalanine, phenylalanyl threonine, threonyl‐phenylalanyl‐phenylalanine) in the experimental media. After incubation with experimental medium, cells were collected for gene expression analysis and medium was collected for milk protein or amino acid determination. The results showed that peptide‐bound Phe at 10% (11.7 μg/ml) significantly enhanced αs1 casein gene expression and milk protein synthesis as compared with equivalent amount of free Phe. When 10% Phe was replaced by phenylalanylphenylalanine, the disappearance of most essential amino acids increased significantly, and gene expression of peptide transporter 2 and some amino acid transporters was significantly enhanced. These results indicate that the Phe and Thr oligopeptides are important for milk protein synthesis, and peptide‐bound amino acids could be utilised more efficiently in milk protein synthesis than the equivalent amount of free amino acids.
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) variants fluctuate in paired plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells among patient cohorts during different chronic hepatitis B (CHB) disease phases
Authors: Coffin C. S. , Osiowy C. , Gao S. , Nishikawa S. , van der Meer F. , van Marle G.
Published: September 2014

Hepatitis B virus is classically considered a hepatotropic virus but also infects peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Chronic hepatitis B has different disease phases modulated by host immunity. We compared HBV variability, drug resistance and immune escape mutations in the overlapping HBV polymerase/surface gene in plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells in different disease phases. Plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated from 22 treatment naïve patient cohorts (five inactive, six immune‐active, nine HBeAg negative and two immune‐tolerant). HBV was genotyped via line probe assay, hepatitis B surface antigen titres were determined by an in‐house immunoassay, and HBV DNA was quantified by kinetic PCR. The HBV polymerase/surface region, including full genome in some, was PCR‐amplified and cloned, and ~20 clones/sample were sequenced. The sequences were subjected to various mutational and phylogenetic analyses. Clonal sequencing showed that only three of 22 patients had identical HBV genotype profiles in both sites. In immune‐active chronic hepatitis B, viral diversity in plasma was higher compared with peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Mutations at residues, in a minority of clones, associated with drug resistance, and/or immune escape were found in both compartments but were more common in plasma. Immune escape mutations were more often observed in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of immune‐active CHB carriers, compared with other disease phases. During all CHB disease phases, differences exist between HBV variants found in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and plasma. Moreover, these data indicate that HBV evolution occurs in a compartment and disease phase‐specific fashion.
Adenovirus: an emerging factor in red squirrel Sciurus vulgaris conservation
Authors: Everest David J. , Shuttleworth Craig M. , Stidworthy Mark F. , Grierson Sylvia S. , Duff J. Paul , Kenward Robert E.
Published: September 2014

Adenovirus is an emerging threat to red squirrel Sciurus vulgaris conservation, but confirming clinically significant adenovirus infections in red squirrels is challenging. Rapid intestinal autolysis after death in wild animals frequently obscures pathology characteristic of the disease in animals found dead.

We review the available literature to determine current understanding of both subclinical and clinically significant adenovirus infections in free‐living wild and captive red squirrel populations.

Benefits of scientific testing for adenovirus incorporating both transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technologies are compared and contrasted. We favour viral particle detection using TEM in animals exhibiting enteropathy at post‐mortem and the use of PCR to detect subclinical cases where no enteric abnormalities are observed.

Adenoviral infections associated with re‐introduction studies are evaluated by examination of sporadic cases in wild populations and of data from captive collections used to service such studies.

The paucity of data available on adenovirus infection in grey squirrel Sciurus carolinensis populations is documented, and we highlight that although subclinical virus presence is recorded in several locations in Great Britain and in Italy, no clinically significant disease cases have been detected in the species thus far.

Current speculation about potential interspecific infection between sciurids and other woodland rodents such as wood mice Apodemus sylvaticus is examined. Where subclinical adenovirus presence has been detected in sympatric populations using the same point food sources, husbandry methods may be used to diminish the potential for cross‐infection.

Our findings highlight the importance of controlling disease in red squirrel populations by using clearly defined scientific methods. In addition, we propose hypothetical conservation benefits of restricting contact rates between red squirrels and sympatric grey squirrels and of limiting competition from other woodland rodent species.
Gastrointestinal microbiota of wild and inbred individuals of two house mouse subspecies assessed using high‐throughput parallel pyrosequencing
Authors: Kreisinger Jakub , Čížková Dagmar , Vohánka Jaroslav , Piálek Jaroslav
Published: September 2014

The effects of gastrointestinal tract microbiota (GTM) on host physiology and health have been the subject of considerable interest in recent years. While a variety of captive bred species have been used in experiments, the extent to which GTM of captive and/or inbred individuals resembles natural composition and variation in wild populations is poorly understood. Using 454 pyrosequencing, we performed 16S rDNA GTM barcoding for 30 wild house mice (Mus musculus) and wild‐derived inbred strain mice belonging to two subspecies (M. m. musculus and M. m. domesticus). Sequenced individuals were selected according to a 2 × 2 experimental design: wild (14) vs. inbred origin (16) and M. m. musculus (15) vs. M. m. domesticus (15). We compared alpha diversity (i.e. number of operational taxonomic units – OTUs), beta diversity (i.e. interindividual variability) and microbiota composition across the four groups. We found no difference between M. m. musculus and M. m. domesticus subspecies, suggesting low effect of genetic differentiation between these two subspecies on GTM structure. Both inbred and wild populations showed the same level of microbial alpha and beta diversity; however, we found strong differentiation in microbiota composition between wild and inbred populations. Relative abundance of ~ 16% of OTUs differed significantly between wild and inbred individuals. As laboratory mice represent the most abundant model for studying the effects of gut microbiota on host metabolism, immunity and neurology, we suggest that the distinctness of laboratory‐kept mouse microbiota, which differs from wild mouse microbiota, needs to be considered in future biomedical research.
Against Division: Consciousness, Information and the Visual Streams
Authors: Wu Wayne
Published: September 2014

Milner and Goodale's influential account of the primate cortical visual streams involves a division of consciousness between them, for it is the ventral stream that has the responsibility for visual consciousness. Hence, the dorsal visual stream is a ‘zombie’ stream. In this article, I argue that certain information carried by the dorsal stream likely plays a central role in the egocentric spatial content of experience, especially the experience of visual spatial constancy. Thus, the dorsal stream contributes to a pervasive feature of consciousness.
Differential Ineffability and the Senses
Authors: Levinson Stephen C. , Majid Asifa
Published: September 2014

Ineffability, the degree to which percepts or concepts resist linguistic coding, is a fairly unexplored nook of cognitive science. Although philosophical preoccupations with qualia or nonconceptual content certainly touch upon the area, there has been little systematic thought and hardly any empirical work in recent years on the subject. We argue that ineffability is an important domain for the cognitive sciences. For examining differential ineffability across the senses may be able to tell us important things about how the mind works, how different modalities talk to one another, and how language does, or does not, interact with other mental faculties.
Animal Mindreading: A Defense of Optimistic Agnosticism
Authors: Lurz Robert W. , Kanet Sharisse , Krachun Carla
Published: September 2014

We recommend the attitude of optimistic agnosticism toward animal mindreading: suspending acceptance until tests succeed in overcoming Povinelli's problem, and being optimistic about the feasibility of such tests. Fletcher and Carruthers argue for sufficient reasons to accept animal mindreading; we find their arguments unconvincing. Points they raise against the behavior‐reading theory apply equally to mindreading theory, and their claims of greater parsimony are unfounded. Premature acceptance of mindreading could inhibit the search for innovative ways to overcome longstanding methodological problems. Optimistic agnosticism, in contrast, encourages the pursuit of approaches that can lead to important insights about animal social cognition.
Reduced susceptibility to Fusarium head blight in Brachypodium distachyon through priming with the Fusarium mycotoxin deoxynivalenol
Authors: Blümke Antje , Sode Björn , Ellinger Dorothea , Voigt Christian A.
Published: September 2014

The fungal cereal pathogen Fusarium graminearum produces deoxynivalenol (DON) during infection. The mycotoxin DON is associated with Fusarium head blight (FHB), a disease that can cause vast grain losses. Whilst investigating the suitability of Brachypodium distachyon as a model for spreading resistance to F. graminearum, we unexpectedly discovered that DON pretreatment of spikelets could reduce susceptibility to FHB in this model grass. We started to analyse the cell wall changes in spikelets after infection with F. graminearum wild‐type and defined mutants: the DON‐deficient Δtri5 mutant and the DON‐producing lipase disruption mutant Δfgl1, both infecting only directly inoculated florets, and the mitogen‐activated protein (MAP) kinase disruption mutant Δgpmk1, with strongly decreased virulence but intact DON production. At 14 days post‐inoculation, the glucose amounts in the non‐cellulosic cell wall fraction were only increased in spikelets infected with the DON‐producing strains wild‐type, Δfgl1 and Δgpmk1. Hence, we tested for DON‐induced cell wall changes in B. distachyon, which were most prominent at DON concentrations ranging from 1 to 100 ppb. To test the involvement of DON in defence priming, we pretreated spikelets with DON at a concentration of 1 ppm prior to F. graminearum wild‐type infection, which significantly reduced FHB disease symptoms. The analysis of cell wall composition and plant defence‐related gene expression after DON pretreatment and fungal infection suggested that DON‐induced priming of the spikelet tissue contributed to the reduced susceptibility to FHB.
Mice with experimental antiphospholipid syndrome display hippocampal dysfunction and a reduction of dendritic complexity in hippocampal CA1 neurones
Authors: Frauenknecht Katrin , Katzav Aviva , Weiss Lavi Ronen , Sabag Avishag , Otten Susanne , Chapman Joab , Sommer Clemens J.
Published: September 2014

Aims

The antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is an autoimmune disease characterized by high titres of auto‐antibodies (aPL) leading to thrombosis and consequent infarcts. However, many affected patients develop neurological symptoms in the absence of stroke. Similarly, in a mouse model of this disease (eAPS), animals consistently develop behavioural abnormalities despite lack of ischemic brain injury. Therefore, the present study was designed to identify structural alterations of hippocampal neurones underlying the neurological symptoms in eAPS.

Methods

Adult female Balb/C mice were subjected to either induction of eAPS by immunization with β2‐Glycoprotein 1 or to a control group. After sixteen weeks animals underwent behavioural and cognitive testing using Staircase test (experiment 1 and 2) and Y‐maze alternation test (experiment 1) and were tested for serum aPL levels (both experiments). Animals of experiment 1 (n = 7/group) were used for hippocampal neurone analysis using Golgi‐Cox staining. Animals of experiment 2 (n = 7/group) were used to analyse molecular markers of total dendritic integrity (MAP2), presynaptic plasticity (synaptobrevin 2/VAMP2) and dendritic spines (synaptopodin) using immunohistochemistry.

Results

eAPS mice developed increased aPL titres and presented with abnormal behaviour and impaired short term memory. Further, they revealed a reduction of dendritic complexity of hippocampal CA1 neurones as reflected by decreased dendritic length, arborization and spine density, respectively. Additional decrease of the spine‐associated protein expression of Synaptopodin points to dendritic spines as major targets in the pathological process.

Conclusion

Reduction of hippocampal dendritic complexity may represent the structural basis for the behavioural and cognitive abnormalities of eAPS mice.
Lost in translation? Moving contingency management and cognitive behavioral therapy into clinical practice
Authors: Carroll Kathleen M.
Published: September 2014

In the treatment of addictions, the gap between the availability of evidence‐based therapies and their limited implementation in practice has not yet been bridged. Two empirically validated behavioral therapies, contingency management (CM) and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), exemplify this challenge. Both have a relatively strong level of empirical support but each has weak and uneven adoption in clinical practice. This review highlights examples of how barriers to their implementation in practice have been addressed systematically, using the Stage Model of Behavioral Therapies Development as an organizing framework. For CM, barriers such as cost and ideology have been addressed through the development of lower‐cost and other adaptations to make it more community friendly. For CBT, barriers such as relative complexity, lack of trained providers, and need for supervision have been addressed via conversion to standardized computer‐assisted versions that can serve as clinician extenders. Although these and other modifications have rendered both interventions more disseminable, diffusion of innovation remains a complex, often unpredictable process. The existing specialty addiction‐treatment system may require significant reforms to fully implement CBT and CM, particularly greater focus on definable treatment goals and performance‐based outcomes.
Food allergy in South African children with atopic dermatitis
Authors: Gray Claudia L. , Levin Michael E. , Zar Heather J. , Potter Paul C. , Khumalo Nonhlanhla P. , Volkwyn Lucia , Fenemore Bartha , du Toit George
Published: September 2014

Background

The prevalence of food allergy in South Africa is unknown, but previously thought to be rare in black South Africans. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of, and risk factors for, IgE‐mediated food allergy in South African children with atopic dermatitis (AD).

Methodology

This was a prospective, observational study in a paediatric university hospital in Cape Town. Children with AD, aged 6 months to 10 yrs, were randomly recruited from the dermatology clinic. They were assessed for sensitization and allergy by questionnaire, skin prick tests, Immuno Solid Phase Allergen Chip (ISAC) test and incremental food challenges.

Results

100 participants (59 black Africans and 41 of mixed race) were enrolled, median age 42 months. There were high overall rates of food sensitization (66%) and food allergy (40%). Egg (25%) and peanut (24%) were the most common allergies. Black participants had comparable sensitization (69% vs. 61%) but lower allergy rates (34% vs. 46%) than mixed race participants. This was especially evident for peanut allergy (15% Blacks vs. 37% mixed race allergic to peanut, p = 0.01). Early‐onset AD (<6 months), severe eczema, and young age <2 yrs were significant risk factors for food allergy.

Conclusion

The prevalence of food allergy is unexpectedly high in South African children with AD, and comparable with food allergy rates in patients with AD in developed countries. There are ethnic differences, with significantly lower peanut allergy rates in Blacks compared to mixed race patients. These results are not generalizable to an unselected South African population, which requires further study.
Risk factors and markers of asthma control differ between asthma subtypes in children
Authors: Nordlund Björn , Melén Erik , Schultz Erica S. , Grönlund Hans , Hedlin Gunilla , Kull Inger
Published: September 2014

Background

There is limited understanding about risk factors for asthma, and few studies have presented an overall picture of factors associated with asthma subtypes in schoolchildren. The aim of this study was to evaluate risk factors and markers of asthma control associated with asthma subtypes up to preadolescence.

Methods

A Swedish birth cohort of 3015 children was followed for 12 yr using repeated parental questionnaires. At 8 yr, clinical investigation was performed, specifically evaluating lung function, allergic sensitization (IgE > 0.35 kUA/l), and body mass index (BMI). Children were categorized into three subtypes: transient asthma – asthma at 4 and 8, but not at 12 yr (n = 71), late‐onset asthma – asthma at 12 yr, but not earlier (n = 103), and persistent asthma – asthma at 4, 8 and 12 yr (n = 125).

Results

At 8 yr of age, high BMI (>85th percentile), sensitization, and rhinitis were significantly associated with late‐onset asthma (p < 0.05). Prominent risk factors at birth associated with persistent, but not late‐onset asthma, were male sex, tobacco exposure and, heredity for atopy (p < 0.05). Children with persistent asthma were also found to have significantly reduced lung function at 8 yr of age, more eczema/rhinitis, and were more atopic than non‐asthmatics (p < 0.05). For persistent asthma, symptoms changed from 8 to 12 yr, with fewer nocturnal symptoms, less healthcare utilization, and less frequent wheeze at 12 yr (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

Risk factors differ between asthma subtypes and markers of asthma control vary with age up to preadolescence.
Epithelial basement membrane thickening is related to TGF‐Beta 1 expression in children with chronic respiratory diseases
Authors: Hoňková Lenka , Uhlík Jiří , Beránková Katarína , Svobodová Tamara , Pohunek Petr
Published: September 2014

Background

The complex structural changes of bronchial mucosa, known as remodelling, have been considered unique and typical for asthma. However, similar changes were recently found in other chronic respiratory diseases. The aim of this study was to compare basement membrane (BM) thickness and the number of transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF‐β1) positive epithelial cells in children with asthma, cystic fibrosis (CF), primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) and healthy controls.

Methods

A total of 58 children (11.1 ± 3.9 yr, 55% males) were enrolled in this cross‐sectional study. Endobronchial biopsy was performed in 27 children with asthma, 12 with CF, 12 with PCD and in 7 control patients. We studied the samples using light microscopy to assess BM width, the number of TGF‐β1 positive epithelial cells and their correlation.

Results

We found increased BM thickness (6.65 ± 1.22 μm vs. 2.93 ± 0.75 μm, p < 0.01) and a higher number of TGF‐β1 positive epithelial cells (61.39 ± 19.03 vs. 21.57 ± 12.58, p < 0.01) in children with chronic respiratory diseases compared to controls. There was no difference in these parameters between asthma, CF and PCD. A positive correlation between BM thickness and the number of TGF‐β1 positive cells was observed in all groups including controls (r = 0.84, p < 0.01).

Conclusions

Increased BM thickness and number of TGF‐β1 positive epithelial cells were found in children with asthma, CF and PCD. The number of TGF‐β1 positive cells correlated positively with the BM thickness in all groups. We suggest that this might be a common generic feature of bronchial remodelling in chronic respiratory diseases.
Cross‐sectional association of dietary patterns with asthma and atopic sensitization in childhood – in a cohort study
Authors: Patel Sumaiya , Custovic Adnan , Smith Jaclyn A. , Simpson Angela , Kerry Gina , Murray Clare S.
Published: September 2014

Background

Many studies have investigated individual nutrients or foods as risk factors for allergic disease, but few have studied dietary patterns. We aimed to use principal component analysis (PCA) to determine dietary patterns in school age children and examine associations between these dietary patterns and wheeze, asthma and sensitization.

Methods

Participants in a population‐based birth cohort attended review clinics at ages 8 and 11 yr. A validated questionnaire was interviewer‐administered to collect information on parentally reported symptoms and doctor‐diagnosed asthma. Atopic sensitization was ascertained by skin‐prick tests. Current asthma was defined as doctor‐diagnosed asthma and wheezing in the previous 12 months. A validated semi‐quantitative food frequency questionnaire was completed at age 8 yr, and PCA was used to determine dietary patterns.

Results

Principal component analysis identified three dietary components, which based on their characteristics we termed as Traditional (mixed meat, fish, fruit and vegetables), Western (predominantly high fat content, processed foods) and Other (predominantly grains and nuts) dietary patterns. High adherence to the Western diet pattern was significantly associated with doctor‐diagnosed asthma and current asthma at age 8 yr [aOR (95% CI): 2.19 (1.20–4.01), p = 0.01; 2.59 (1.15–5.81), p = 0.02; respectively]. A similar association was found for current asthma at age 11 yr [aOR (95% CI): 2.20 (1.07–4.51), p = 0.03]. There was no evidence of an association between dietary patterns and current wheeze and allergic sensitization at either age 8 or 11 yr.

Conclusion

School age children adhering strongly to a Western diet, high in fat and processed foods, had a higher risk of current asthma and doctor‐diagnosed asthma.
Analgesic effect and adverse events of dexmedetomidine as additive for pediatric caudal anesthesia: a meta‐analysis
Authors: Tong Yao , Ren Hao , Ding Xibing , Jin Shuqing , Chen Zhixia , Li Quan
Published: September 2014

Background

Dexmedetomidine has become a popular additive for regional anesthesia. Aim of this meta‐analysis was to assess the effect of this additive on the duration of postoperative analgesia and possible adverse events in pediatrics undergoing orchidopexy or lower abdominal surgery.

Methods

The literature databases of PubMed, Google Scholar, and Cochrane Library were searched for randomized, controlled trials (RCTs). Odds ratio (OR), weighted mean difference (WMD), and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using the RevMan software, version 5.2, for data synthesis and statistical analysis, which in accordance with the PRISMA statement.

Results

Six RCTs were selected for this meta‐analysis, involving a total of 328 pediatric patients. There was a significant longer duration of caudal analgesia (time to first analgesic requirements) in patients receiving dexmedetomidine with CA compared with CA alone (WMD: −8.21 h; 95% CI: −11.40 to −5.02; P < 0.00001). Side effects in these two groups were comparable (OR: 1.02; 95% CI: 0.51–2.04; P = 0.95). Subgroup analysis indicated there was no significant difference in hemodynamic changes during operation (WMD: 1.78; 95% CI: −3.20 to 6.77; P = 0.48) and the emergence time (time from the end of surgery to opening the eyes on calling) after surgery (WMD: 0.47 min; 95% CI: −5.27 to 6.22; P = 0.87).

Conclusions

Dexmedetomidine as an additive to local anesthetic provides a significantly longer postoperative analgesia with comparable adverse effects and hemodynamic changes, when compared to local anesthetics alone. There were insufficient data of the effects of different concentrations of dexmedetomidine; further studies are required to explore this issue.
Z‐values of tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion in Japanese children
Authors: Hashimoto Ikuo , Watanabe Kazuhiro , Kaneda Hisashi
Published: September 2014

Background

The aim of this study was to establish growth‐related standard values and z‐values for tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) for Japanese children.

Method

We examined 953 consecutive healthy children and adolescents, ranging from newborn to 22.7 years of age (mean age, 4.4 ± 4.0 years). TAPSE was measured as the longitudinal tricuspid valve annular motion from the apex on M‐mode echocardiography. The right ventricular (RV) stroke volume (RVSV) divided by the body surface area (RVSV/BSA) was used as an independent indicator of body size. RVSV was determined from the recordings of the ejection blood flow velocity and the diameter at the level of the pulmonary orifice in the RV outflow tract.

Results

TAPSE had positive correlations with age and BSA, ranging from 6.0 to 31.4 mm (mean, 19.1 ± 4.4 mm). The z‐values ranged from −3.63 to 3.17. There was no significant difference in TAPSE between the genders (male, 19.0 ± 4.6 mm; female, 19.1 ± 4.2 mm). The z‐values positively correlated with RVSV/BSA.

Conclusions

Growth‐related normal TAPSE was studied in healthy Japanese children to obtain the TAPSE z‐value. TAPSE z‐value is one of the parameters that can be used to assess RV systolic function independent of body size.
Psychosocial difficulties in adolescent and young adult survivors of childhood cancer
Authors: Takei Yuko , Ogata Akiko , Ozawa Miwa , Moritake Hiroshi , Hirai Kei , Manabe Atsushi , Suzuki Shin‐ichi
Published: September 2014

Background

With a large number of children surviving cancer worldwide, numerous investigations have assessed psychological and social adjustment among childhood cancer survivors. According to these studies, it is unclear whether childhood cancer survivors successfully adjust to daily life after being discharged from hospital, especially for adolescent and young adult survivors who have unique needs and concerns. The primary aim of this study was to identify the factors underlying psychosocial difficulties faced by adolescent and young adult survivors in their day‐to‐day lives after being discharged from hospital.

Methods

Semi‐structured interviews were conducted. Twenty‐five childhood cancer survivors were recruited from two regional cancer institutions in Japan. Content analysis was applied to the responses.

Results

Nineteen attributes were extracted and classified into four categories as follows: physical difficulties, interpersonal difficulties, behavioral difficulties, and uncertainty about the future. The attributes indicated by >50% of the participants were “I am worried about not feeling well,” “I have difficulty continuing treatment in daily life,” “I have difficulty moving my body,” “I have to be absent from school or work because of illness,” and “I am left behind academically.”

Conclusions

This study identified important factors of psychosocial day‐to‐day difficulties. Clinically, these results suggest that it is important to watch for these signs and to provide early support to survivors so that their daily life and development are not hindered by the treatment and its side‐effects, and to offer long‐term support focusing on individual patient characteristics such as sex, age, and cancer history.
For fear of popular politics? Public attention and the delegation of authority to the United States executive branch
Authors: Lavertu Stéphane
Published: September 2014

Legislators are thought to delegate policymaking authority to administrative actors either to avoid blame for controversial policy or to secure policy outcomes. This study tests these competing perspectives and establishes that public attention to policymaking is a powerful predictor of the extent to which significant United States statutes delegate authority to the executive branch. Consistent with the policy‐concerns perspective, by one calculation statutes dealing with high‐attention issues entail 48 percent fewer delegating provisions than statutes dealing with low‐attention issues – a far stronger relationship than is typically found in the delegation literature. As per the blame‐avoidance perspective, a number of additional analyses yield results consistent with the notion that fears about future public attention motivate statutory delegation if legislative conflict is sufficiently great. Overall, however, the results suggest that conflict typically is not sufficiently great and that legislators are generally more inclined to limit statutory delegation when the public is paying attention.
The Role of Institutions and Capital in Intersectoral Collaboration: Infection and Immunity Research and Development Collaboration in Vancouver
Authors: Lander Bryn
Published: September 2014

Collaborations between and within sectors are common and crucial to the creation and transfer of knowledge. It is often unclear who is involved in the collaboration, and with whom and why they are collaborating. I studied reasons for collaboration and how capital and institutions affect collaboration through a mixed methods analysis of infection and immunity research and development collaborations in Vancouver, Canada between individuals affiliated with universities, firms, and health‐care organizations. I found that both capital and institutions were important in collaboration decisions. Collaboration worked as a balancing act between capital and institutions. Potential collaborators needed to offer different capital to the collaboration while supporting the dominant institutions of potential collaborators. Participants' organizational and sectoral affiliations influenced available capital and dominant institutions. These findings help policy makers understand collaboration dynamics between sectors and how translation can occur between universities, firms, and health‐care organizations.
Support for International Collaboration in Research: The Role of the Overseas Offices of Basic Science Funders
Authors: Sergi Brian , Parker Rachel , Zuckerman Brian
Published: September 2014

The internationalization of science has prompted major science funding agencies to seek to further international cooperation in basic research through the use of outposts based outside of the agency's home country. While these offices are all international in scope, the strategies and utilization of these offices vary. This paper begins by outlining the motivations and theoretical framework for international offices, drawing specifically from a proximity theory of relationships. Subsequently the paper presents a typology of activities that fall under the rubric of international engagement in science. We will then critically examine the international offices of four leading basic research funding agencies and attempt to characterize and describe the distinct models that these agencies employ. Building from the models of organization, the paper closes with a discussion of the impacts of these overseas offices as well as other policy implications from the use of different engagement strategies in fostering international collaboration.
Coordination‐Mix: The Hidden Face ofSTIPolicy
Authors: Magro Edurne , Navarro Mikel , Zabala‐Iturriagagoitia Jon Mikel
Published: September 2014

This paper sheds light on the policy coordination concept and explores its implications for science, technology, and innovation (STI) policies at the regional level. In particular it analyzes whether systemic and complexSTIpolicies entail a larger and more complex need for coordination. We contribute to the literature by developing a conceptual framework that brings together insights from institutional and public policy theories with concepts fromSTIpolicy and regional innovation systems. This model is evidenced in theBasqueCountry (Spain). The paper introduces the concept of “coordination‐mix,” which is defined as the combination of mechanisms that respond to the coordination failures that are derived from a complex policy setting where multiple instruments from different domains, levels, and actors coexist. It also complements the literature with a third policy dimension, the multi‐layer, which adds to the multi‐level and policy‐mix dimensions already established in theSTIpolicy realm.
When the High Road Becomes the Low Road: The Limits of High‐Technology Competition inFinland
Authors: Ornston Darius
Published: September 2014

Globalization has generated increasing interest in technology‐intensive industries as a way to sustain national economic competitiveness. High‐technology growth is often conceptualized as a “high road” to prosperity, more amenable to private–public, industry–labor, and interfirm cooperation than tax, regulatory, or cost competitive strategies. While specialization in technology‐intensive industries does deliver several benefits, this article usesFinland's successful transformation into a high‐technology economy to highlight the significant economic and political risks associated with this strategy. Economically, movement into electronics exposedFinland to cost competition and disruptive technological innovations. Politically, high‐technology competition weakened the solidaristic ties that characterized postwar capitalism and the coordinating capacities that underpinned economic growth. In short, high‐technology growth exacerbated the problems it was supposed to solve. The article concludes by generalizing the argument to several non‐Nordic states.
Dynamic Response of Nano‐Scale Core‐Shell Rubber Toughened Sandwich Composites
Authors: Gardner N. , Gupta S. , Shukla A. , Nolet S.
Published: September 2014

High‐pressure shock performance of sandwich composites consisting of nano‐scale core‐shell rubber (CSR) toughened E‐glass Vinyl‐Ester face‐sheets and CorecellTM A500 (Gurit (USA) Inc., Bristol, Rhode Island, USA) foam was studied using a shock tube apparatus. The core material and thickness, as well as overall specimen dimensions, were held constant, with the only difference arising in the resin system used during the infusion. The non‐core‐shell rubber toughened resin system (Non‐CSR) consisted of a vinyl‐ester resin only, while the CSR toughened resin consisted of the same vinyl‐ester resin, but with Kane Ace MX 153 CSR particles added to the vinyl‐ester resin system. Prior to the shock tube experiments, the quasi‐static and dynamic constitutive behaviour of the face‐sheets (tensile/compressive) and foam (compressive) was evaluated. During the shock tube testing, a high‐speed photography system coupled with the optical technique of digital image correlation was utilized to capture the real‐time deformation process, as well as mechanisms of failure in the sandwich composites. Post‐mortem analysis was also carried out to evaluate the overall shock performance of these configurations. Results indicated that adding CSR particles to sandwich composites aids in dispersing the initial shock wave loading, thus reducing the overall deflection, strain, and velocity and improving the overall blast resistance of the structure.
Validity in World City Network Measurements
Authors: Neal Zachary
Published: September 2014

In the literature on world city networks, there has been a proliferation of both theories and measurement methodologies, but relatively little attention to the linkage between theory and measurement. In this paper, I review the interlocking world city network model (IWCNM) and three additional bipartite projection‐based measures of the world city network, considering which theoretical conception of the ‘world city network’ construct each can validly measure. I introduce a new Stata command, onemode, to compute these four measures, and use them to produce world city networks from three publicly available datasets on advanced producer services, international organisations, and engineering and architecture firms. The results suggest that each projection‐based measure is potentially valid, but only for a corresponding understanding of the world city network. Researchers are encouraged to clearly define what they mean when invoking the phrase ‘the world city network,’ and only then selecting a measurement that is valid.
A Research Odyssey: from Interlocking Network Model to Extraordinary Cities
Authors: Taylor Peter J.
Published: September 2014

The paper charts a personal research journey that begins with the specification of the interlocking network model for cities and concludes with interpretation of cities as truly extraordinary. Three products of this model are discussed. First, this very specific model has generated a mini‐literature on cities in globalisation and this is briefly outlined. Second, the model has been interpreted as a generic description of inter‐city relations – central flow theory – and this is illustrated using historical examples. Third, there is a discussion of criticisms of the model and the relevance of green networks of extraordinary cities for thinking about the future of humanity.