bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Warming temperatures and smaller body sizes: synchronous changes in growth of North Sea fishes
Authors: Baudron Alan R. , Needle Coby L. , Rijnsdorp Adriaan D. , Tara Marshall C.
Published: December 2013

Decreasing body size has been proposed as a universal response to increasing temperatures. The physiology behind the response is well established for ectotherms inhabiting aquatic environments: as higher temperatures decrease the aerobic capacity, individuals with smaller body sizes have a reduced risk of oxygen deprivation. However, empirical evidence of this response at the scale of communities and ecosystems is lacking for marine fish species. Here, we show that over a 40‐year period six of eight commercial fish species in the North Sea examined underwent concomitant reductions in asymptotic body size with the synchronous component of the total variability coinciding with a 1–2 °C increase in water temperature. Smaller body sizes decreased the yield‐per‐recruit of these stocks by an average of 23%. Although it is not possible to ascribe these phenotypic changes unequivocally to temperature, four aspects support this interpretation: (i) the synchronous trend was detected across species varying in their life history and life style; (ii) the decrease coincided with the period of increasing temperature; (iii) the direction of the phenotypic change is consistent with physiological knowledge; and (iv) no cross‐species synchrony was detected in other species‐specific factors potentially impacting growth. Our findings support a recent model‐derived prediction that fish size will shrink in response to climate‐induced changes in temperature and oxygen. The smaller body sizes being projected for the future are already detectable in the North Sea.
Genetic variation in Miscanthus × giganteus and the importance of estimating genetic distance thresholds for differentiating clones
Authors: Głowacka Katarzyna , Clark Lindsay V. , Adhikari Shivani , Peng Junhua , Stewart J. Ryan , Nishiwaki Aya , Yamada Toshihiko , Jørgensen Uffe , Hodkinson Trevor R. , Gifford Justin , Juvik John A. , Sacks Erik J.
Published: December 2013

Miscanthus × giganteus (Mxg) is an important bioenergy feedstock crop, however, genetic diversity among legacy cultivars may be severely constrained. Only one introduction from Japan to Denmark of this sterile, triploid, vegetatively propagated crop was recorded in the 1930s. We sought to determine if the Mxg cultivars in North America were all synonyms, and if they were derived from the European introduction. We used 64 nuclear and five chloroplast simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers to estimate genetic similarity for 27 Mxg accessions from North America, and compared them with six accessions from Europe, including the species’ type‐specimen. A subset of accessions was also evaluated by restriction‐site associated DNA sequencing (RAD‐seq). In addition, we assessed the potential of new crosses to increase Mxg genetic diversity by comparing eight new triploid Mxg progeny grown from seed, along with samples of the parental species M. sacchariflorus and M. sinensis. Estimates of genotyping error rates were essential for distinguishing between experimental error and true genotypic differences among accessions. Given differences in estimated error rates and costs per marker for SSRs and RAD‐seq, the former is currently more cost‐effective for determining if two accessions are genetically identical. We concluded that all of the Mxg legacy cultivars were derived via vegetative propagation from a single genet. In contrast with the Mxg legacy cultivars, genetic similarity to the type‐specimen of eight new triploid Mxg progeny ranged from 0.46 to 0.56. Though genetic diversity among the Mxg legacy cultivars is critically low, new crosses can provide much‐needed variation to growers.
Yield‐biodiversity trade‐off in patchy fields of Miscanthus × giganteus
Authors: Dauber Jens , Cass Susannah , Gabriel Doreen , Harte Kate , Åström Sandra , O'Rourke Erin , Stout Jane C.
Published: December 2013

Increasing crop productivity to meet rising demands for food and energy, but doing so in an environmentally sustainable manner, is one of the greatest challenges for agriculture to date. In Ireland, Miscanthus × giganteus has the potential to become a major feedstock for bioenergy production, but the economic feasibility of its cultivation depends on high yields. Miscanthus fields can have a large number of gaps in crop cover, adversely impacting yield and hence economic viability. Predominantly positive effects of Miscanthus on biodiversity reported from previous research might be attributable to high crop patchiness, particularly during the establishment phase. The aim of this research was to assess crop patchiness on a field scale and to analyse the relationship between Miscanthus yield and species richness and abundance of selected taxa of farmland wildlife. For 14 Miscanthus fields at the end of their establishment phase (4–5 years after planting), which had been planted either on improved grassland (MG) or tilled arable land (MT), we determined patchiness of the crop cover, percentage light penetration (LP) to the lower canopy, Miscanthus shoot density and height, vascular plants and epigeic arthropods. Plant species richness and noncrop vegetation cover in Miscanthus fields increased with increasing patchiness, due to higher levels of LP to the lower canopy. The species richness of ground beetles and the activity density of spiders followed the increase in vegetation cover. Plant species richness and activity density of spiders on both MT and MG fields, as well as vegetation cover and activity density of ground beetles on MG fields, were negatively associated with Miscanthus yield. In conclusion, positive effects of Miscanthus on biodiversity can diminish with increasing productivity. This matter needs to be considered when assessing the relative ecological impacts of developing biomass crops in comparison with other land use.
Relational Remembering and Oppression
Authors: Koggel Christine M.
Published: December 2013

This paper begins by discussing Sue Campbell's account of memory as she first developed it in Relational Remembering: Rethinking the Memory Wars and applied it to the context of the false memory debates. In more recent work, Campbell was working on expanding her account of relational remembering from an analysis of personal rememberings to activities of public rememberings in contexts of historic harms and, specifically, harms to Aboriginals and their communities in Canada. The goal of this paper is to draw out the moral and political implications of Campbell's account of relational remembering and thereby to extend its reach and application. As applied to Aboriginal communities, Campbell's account of relational remembering confirms but also explains the important role that Canada's Indian Residential Schools Truth and Reconciliation Commission (IRS TRC) is poised to play. It holds this promise and potential, however, only if all Canadians, Aboriginal and non‐Aboriginal, engage in a process of remembering that is relational and has the goal of building and rebuilding relationships. The paper ends by drawing attention to what relational remembering can teach us about oppression more generally.
Recognition, Desire, and Unjust Sex
Authors: Cahill Ann J.
Published: December 2013

In this article I will revisit the question of what I term the continuum of heteronormative sexual interactions, that is, the idea that purportedly ethically acceptable heterosexual interactions are conceptually, ethically, and politically associated with instances of sexual violence. Spurred by recent work by psychologist Nicola 2005, I conclude that some of my earlier critiques of Catharine MacKinnon's theoretical linkages between sexual violence and normative heterosex are wanting. In addition, neither MacKinnon's theory nor my critique of it seem up to the task of providing an ethical account of the examples of “unjust sex” that Gavey has described. I come to the conclusion that an ethical analysis of sexual interactions requires a focus on sexual desire, but that desire cannot take on the by now heavily criticized role of consent. Rather than looking for the presence or absence of sexual desire prior to sexual encounters as a kind of ethical certification of them, we ought instead to focus on the efficacy of that sexual desire, that is, its ability (or lack thereof) to shape an encounter in substantial and meaningful ways.
“Women Don't Get AIDS, They Just Die From It”: Memory, Classification, and the Campaign to Change the Definition of AIDS
Authors: Shotwell Alexis
Published: December 2013

In this paper, I examine activist group ACT UP's campaign to change the US Centers for Disease Control surveillance case definition of HIV and AIDS. This campaign's effects included a profound shift in how AIDS is understood, and thus in some real way in what it is. I argue that classification should be understood as a political formation with material effects, attending to the words of activists, most of them women, who contested the way AIDS was defined in a moment when no one else thought that definition needed to be changed. I argue that philosopher Sue Campbell's work on the importance of understanding memory and feeling as relational helps understand the histories of death and loss, resistance and fierce joy, crystallized in activist responses to HIV and AIDS.
Mentorship in Method: Philosophy and Experienced Agency
Authors: Harbin Ami
Published: December 2013

Against the background of the exclusion of many feminist methodologies from mainstream philosophy, and in light of the methodological challenges of providing accounts of experience responsive to the lives of agents, in this paper I return to early feminist philosophers of emotion to highlight how they anticipate and respond to methodological criticisms. Sue Campbell (1956–2011) was one philosopher who used methodological quandaries to strengthen her account of the formation and expression of feelings (Campbell 1997). By rereading selected texts together intentionally for their structural and methodological strategies, I emphasize the power of formal characteristics to make insightful claims about experience possible. I consider how feminist philosophers of “experienced agency” can put these strategies to use in facing ongoing methodological criticisms, taking as a case study an account of how it can feel to act responsibly against injustice.
Gender and Geoengineering
Authors: Buck Holly Jean , Gammon Andrea R. , Preston Christopher J.
Published: December 2013

Geoengineering has been broadly and helpfully defined as “the intentional manipulation of the earth's climate to counteract anthropogenic climate change or its warming effects” (Corner and Pidgeon 2010, 26). Although there exists a rapidly growing literature on the ethics of geoengineering, very little has been written about its gender dimensions. The authors consider four contexts in which geoengineering appears to have important gender dimensions: (1) the demographics of those pushing the current agenda, (2) the overall vision of control it involves, (3) the design of the particular technologies, and (4) whom geoengineering will most affect and benefit. After detailing these four gender dimensions, we consider three ways in which the geoengineering discourse could be enriched if it became more sensitive to issues of gender. These include increasing the focus on the concrete other, recognizing the socially transformative potential of geoengineering technologies, and engaging in value‐sensitive design. Although ultimately remaining agnostic on the desirability of geoengineering, the paper brings gender considerations into a discussion from which they have been conspicuously absent.
Telling the History of Self‐Advocacy: A Challenge for Inclusive Research
Authors: Walmsley Jan ,   The Central England People First History Project Team
Published: December 2013

Background

This paper tells the story of Central England People First's (CEPF) History Project.

Method

This was an inclusive research project, owned and controlled by members of CEPF which sought to chart its 21‐year history, 1990–2012.

Results

It illustrates both the strengths of such a project and some of the challenges.

Conclusion

It concludes that using inclusive research methods enabled the story to be told, but that it was less successful in addressing questions about why the organization grew and prospered in the 1990s, only to struggle in its later years, and what this tells us about the conditions which enable self‐advocacy to flourish. The paper was collaboratively written by the CEPF History Project team and an academic ally. Different fonts differentiate the contributions, although it is acknowledged that lots of the ideas were shared.

Accessible Abstract

This paper explores issues in telling the history of self advocacy using inclusive research methods. It explains how and why CEPF recorded its history, what we found out, and some of the questions we have had to think about:

whose voices we hear

what to include, what to leave out

what parts of the research people with learning difficulties can do

what self advocacy means to different people

how to make use of research other people have done.

It raises some new questions about directions for inclusive research.

The Paper was written by the CEPF History team – Craig Hart, Ian Davies, Angela Still and Catherine O'Byrne ‐ working with Jan Walmsley.

We wanted to make it clear what were Jan Walmsley's ideas and what were our ideas. We have done this by writing our ideas in a different font. BUT lots of the ideas belong to all of us.
Transcript level of the porcine ME1 gene is affected by SNP in its 3′UTR, which is also associated with subcutaneous fat thickness
Authors: Bartz M. , Kociucka B. , Mankowska M. , Switonski M. , Szydlowski M.
Published: December 2013

Pork quality depends on multiple factors, including fatty acid composition in muscle and fat tissues. The ME1 gene is a strong candidate for fat accumulation, as it encodes the malic enzyme, which is required for fatty acid synthesis. We identified seven new polymorphisms in 3′UTR of the ME1 gene and moreover confirmed the presence of 4 polymorphisms detected previously. Interestingly, the studied Duroc pigs were monomorphic at all these polymorphic sites, while in 3 other breeds (Pietrain, Polish Landrace and Polish Large White), the polymorphisms were unevenly distributed. One of the novel SNPs (c.*488A>G) was found in the Polish Large White and the Polish Landrace only, and the association studies revealed that it was significantly associated with backfat thickness and average daily weight gain in the Polish Landrace (N = 207) and the Polish Large White (N = 157). This SNP was differently associated with ME1 transcript level in muscle and backfat. The in silico analysis of another novel SNP (c.*548C>T) indicated that it is located within a binding sequence conserved among vertebrates for the miR‐30 family in 3′UTR of the ME1. It was shown that in the longissimus muscle, but not in adipose tissue, CT gilts compared with CC ones had significantly lower levels of the ME1 transcript. This polymorphism, however, was not associated with production traits. Additionally, we observed that transcript level of the ME1 was significantly higher in subcutaneous fat than in the longissimus muscle, as well as both investigated tissues of the Polish Landrace when compared to the other breeds. However, no association was found between this polymorphism and fatty acid profiles. We conclude that the ME1 gene polymorphism (c.*488A>G) is a potential marker for porcine backfat thickness.
Sampling theory and automated simulations for vertical sections, applied to human brain
Authors: CRUZ‐ORIVE L.M. , GELŠVARTAS J. , ROBERTS N.
Published: December 2013

In recent years, there have been substantial developments in both magnetic resonance imaging techniques and automatic image analysis software. The purpose of this paper is to develop stereological image sampling theory (i.e. unbiased sampling rules) that can be used by image analysts for estimating geometric quantities such as surface area and volume, and to illustrate its implementation. The methods will ideally be applied automatically on segmented, properly sampled 2D images – although convenient manual application is always an option – and they are of wide applicability in many disciplines. In particular, the vertical sections design to estimate surface area is described in detail and applied to estimate the area of the pial surface and of the boundary between cortex and underlying white matter (i.e. subcortical surface area). For completeness, cortical volume and mean cortical thickness are also estimated. The aforementioned surfaces were triangulated in 3D with the aid of FreeSurfer software, which provided accurate surface area measures that served as gold standards. Furthermore, a software was developed to produce digitized trace curves of the triangulated target surfaces automatically from virtual sections. From such traces, a new method (called the ‘lambda method’) is presented to estimate surface area automatically. In addition, with the new software, intersections could be counted automatically between the relevant surface traces and a cycloid test grid for the classical design. This capability, together with the aforementioned gold standard, enabled us to thoroughly check the performance and the variability of the different estimators by Monte Carlo simulations for studying the human brain. In particular, new methods are offered to split the total error variance into the orientations, sectioning and cycloid components. The latter prediction was hitherto unavailable – one is proposed here and checked by way of simulations on a given set of digitized vertical sections with automatically superimposed cycloid grids of three different sizes. Concrete and detailed recommendations are given to implement the methods.
Nurses’ Scope of Practice and the Implication for Quality Nursing Care
Authors: Lubbe J.C. (Irene) , Roets Lizeth
Published: December 2013

Purpose

This article provides an overview of the implications for patients’ health status and care needs when assessments are performed by nurses not licensed or competent to perform this task. The Waterlow™ scale (Judy Waterlow, The Nook, Stroke Road, Henlade, TAUNTON, TA3 5LX) scenario is used as a practice example to illustrate this case.

Organizational Construct

The international nursing regulatory bodies, in South Africa called the South African Nursing Council, set the scope of practice wherein nurses are allowed to practice. Different categories of nurses are allowed to practice according to specified competencies, in alignment with their scope of practice.

Methods

A retrospective quantitative study was utilized. A checklist was used to perform an audit on a random sample of 157 out of an accessible population of 849 patient files. Data were gathered in May 2012, and the analysis was done using frequencies and percentages for categorical data. Reliability and validity were ensured, and all ethical principles were adhered to.

Findings

Eighty percent of risk assessments were performed by nurses not licensed or enrolled to perform this task unsupervised. Areas such as tissue malnutrition, neurological deficits, and medication were inaccurately scored, resulting in 50% of the Waterlow™ risk‐assessment scales, as an example, being incorrectly interpreted. This has implications for quality nursing care and might put the patient and the institution at risk.

Conclusions

Lower‐category nurses and student nurses should be allowed to perform only tasks within their scope of practice for which they are licensed or enrolled. Nurses with limited formal theoretical training are not adequately prepared to perform tasks unsupervised, even in the current global nursing shortage scenario.

Clinical Relevance

To optimize and ensure safe and quality patient care, risk assessments should be done by a registered professional nurse, who will then coordinate the nursing care of the patient with the assistance of the lower category of nurses.
Perceptions of intimate relationships in partners before and after a patient's myocardial infarction
Authors: Fransson Eleonor I , Arenhall Eva , Steinke Elaine E , Fridlund Bengt , Nilsson Ulrica G
Published: December 2013

Aims and objectives

To describe and explore how partners rate their intimate relationship before and after the patients' first myocardial infarction. A further aim was to investigate the association between partners' rating of their intimate relationship and self‐rated health.

Background

To date, information on how partners experience the intimate relationship before and after a patient's myocardial infarction is sparse.

Design

A descriptive and exploratory design with longitudinal data collection.

Methods

The study comprised 127 partners, aged 34–87 years. Data collection included self‐reported information on socio‐demographic data, intimate relationship and self‐rated health one year before and one year after patients' first myocardial infarction. Intimate relationship was assessed by the Swedish version of the Relationship Assessment Scale. Self‐rated health was evaluated by the EuroQoL visual analogue scale.

Results

In general, partners reported high satisfaction with their intimate relationship both before and after the patients' myocardial infarction. Women reported somewhat lower ratings in their intimate relationship than men before the myocardial infarction. Women increased their ratings after one year, while men on average decreased their ratings. Partners with higher education reported lower ratings for intimate relationship after one year. Those with children living at home rated intimate relationship lower than those without children living at home after one year. Partners' self‐rated health status was stable over time. No significant association between intimate relationship and self‐rated health was found.

Conclusions

This study provides important insights regarding couples' relationships from the perspective of the partner. Socio‐demographic factors such as sex, educational level, having children living at home and employment status may influence how the relationship, from the partners' perspective, is affected by a myocardial infarction event.

Relevance to clinical practice

This study provides insight into how partners rate their intimate relationship and self‐rated health over time before and after patients' myocardial infarction.
The Complete Nucleotide Sequence of the RNA 1 of a Chinese Isolate of Tomato chlorosis virus
Authors: Karwitha Miriam , Feng Zhike , Yao Min , Chen Xiaojiao , Zhang Wenna , Liu Xiaofan , Tao Xiarong
Published: December 2013

Interveinal leaf chlorosis, brittleness, limited necrotic flecking or bronzing developed on greenhouse‐grown tobacco and tomato plants at Nanjing Agricultural University from 2010 to 2013. A positive RT‐PCR using a pair of degenerate primers for Crinivirus confirmed the diseased plants were infected with Tomato chlorosis virus (ToCV). The complete RNA 1 genomic sequence of this ToCV isolate was determined; it comprises of 8596 nucleotides with four open reading frames. Phylogenetic analysis of ToCV isolates from diverse geographical regions categorized the ToCV isolates into two main groups. Group one consisted of Chinese, American‐Florida, Greek and Brazilian isolates, while Group two contained only the Spanish isolate. The first group had two subgroups, one of Chinese and American‐Florida isolates, while the other subgroup had Greek and Brazilian isolates. This is the first study of the complete nucleotide sequence of the RNA 1 of ToCV isolated from China.
Detection and Molecular Variability of Fig Fleck‐Associated Virus and Fig Cryptic Virus in Iran
Authors: Ale‐Agha Ghaffar Nouri , Rakhshandehroo Farshad
Published: December 2013

Forty‐eight fig orchards were surveyed to determine the presence and incidence of Fig cryptic virus (FCV), Fig fleck‐associated virus (FFkaV), Fig leaf mottle‐associated virus 1 (FLMaV‐1), Fig leaf mottle‐associated virus 2 (FLMaV‐2) andFig mosaic virus(FMV) in four provinces of northeast, northwest and central regions of Iran. A total of 197 leaf samples from commercial and outdoor fig gardens were collected in April and September 2012 and tested by reverse‐transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR). Approximately 14.7% of the tested fig trees were infected byFCV,FFkaV andFMVwith a peak of 18% in Tehran province. None of samples was found to be infected withFLMaV‐1 orFLMaV‐2.FFkaV was found in fig trees collected in all the four provinces, but noFCVinfection was found inSemnan province, andFMVwas just occurred inMarkai andTehran. Mixed infections ofFCVwithFFkaV andFMVwere detected in 2.5% of the samples. The sequence of theCPfragment of sixIranianFCVisolates showed 97–99% nucleotide (nt) identity with the referenceFCVisolate, while that of a RdRp and Gp fragments of nineFFkaV and twoFMVIranian isolates showed 87–91% nt and 89–90% identity with the reference isolates, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis grouped theFCVandFFkaV isolates in two distinct clusters, with the Iranian isolates included in both clusters. Results showed genetic diversity among Iranian viruses. Structure and diversity ofFCVandFFkaV populations are discussed.
First Report of Botrytis cinerea Pers. on Salicornia bigelovii Torr. in North‐West México
Authors: Rueda Puente Edgar O. , Hernandez Montiel Luis G. , Holguin Peña Jaime , Murillo Amador Bernardo , Rivas Santoyo Francisco J.
Published: December 2013

Grey mould has been detected on Salicornia bigelovii Torr plants in nursery and in the wild in north‐west Mexico. Sampling of the grey mould was performed in the state of Sonora, Mexico, of wild as well as cultivated S. bigelovii plants. The samples were isolated, and based on morphology, the species was identified as Botrytis cinerea Pers. Koch's postulates were fulfilled by pathogenicity tests carried out in plated petri dishes on branches from the 3‐month‐old potted S. bigelovii plants. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the isolation and identification of the fungal pathogen B. cinerea from S. bigelovii in the north‐west Mexico.
Evidence of Alternaria alternata Causing Leaf Spot of Aloe vera in Iran
Authors: Abkhoo Javad , Sabbagh Seyed Kazem
Published: December 2013

A leaf spot and leaf blight disease was observed on Aloe vera plants as small, circular to oval dark brown necrotic sunken spots on leaves. Infected tissues collected from different sites in diseased fields were cultured on potato carrot agar medium, and the pathogen was identified as Alternaria alternata on the basis of morphological and cultural characteristics. The conidiophores were branched, straight, golden brown, smooth‐walled, measuring up to μm long by 3 μm wide with one conidial scar. The conidia were golden brown in colour and produced in long branched chains, obclavate in shape and in short conical flask. Pathogenicity tests conducted on healthy potted aloe plants in a glasshouse showed typical leaf spot symptoms after 4–7 days. The optimal temperature for the growth of A. alternata was 25°C.
Diversification in the South American Pampas: the genetic and morphological variation of the widespread Petunia axillaris complex (Solanaceae)
Authors: Turchetto Caroline , Fagundes Nelson J. R. , Segatto Ana L. A. , Kuhlemeier Cris , Solís Neffa Viviana G. , Speranza Pablo R. , Bonatto Sandro L. , Freitas Loreta B.
Published: December 2013

Understanding the spatiotemporal distribution of genetic variation and the ways in which this distribution is connected to the ecological context of natural populations is fundamental for understanding the nature and mode of intraspecific and, ultimately, interspecific differentiation. The Petunia axillaris complex is endemic to the grasslands of southern South America and includes three subspecies: P. a. axillaris, P. a. parodii and P. a. subandina. These subspecies are traditionally delimited based on both geography and floral morphology, although the latter is highly variable. Here, we determined the patterns of genetic (nuclear and cpDNA), morphological and ecological (bioclimatic) variation of a large number of P. axillaris populations and found that they are mostly coincident with subspecies delimitation. The nuclear data suggest that the subspecies are likely independent evolutionary units, and their morphological differences may be associated with local adaptations to diverse climatic and/or edaphic conditions and population isolation. The demographic dynamics over time estimated by skyline plot analyses showed different patterns for each subspecies in the last 100 000 years, which is compatible with a divergence time between 35 000 and 107 000 years ago between P. a. axillaris and P. a. parodii, as estimated with the IMa program. Coalescent simulation tests using Approximate Bayesian Computation do not support previous suggestions of extensive gene flow between P. a. axillaris and P. a. parodii in their contact zone.
Global distribution, diversity hot spots and niche transitions of an astaxanthin‐producing eukaryotic microbe
Authors: David‐Palma Márcia , Libkind Diego , Sampaio José Paulo
Published: December 2013

Microbes establish very diverse but still poorly understood associations with other microscopic or macroscopic organisms that do not follow the more conventional modes of competition or mutualism.Phaffia rhodozyma, an orange‐coloured yeast that produces the biotechnologically relevant carotenoid astaxanthin, exhibits a Holarctic association with birch trees in temperate forests that contrasts with the more recent finding of aSouthAmerican population associated withNothofagus(southern beech) and with stromata of its biotrophic fungal parasiteCyttariaspp. We investigated whether the association ofPhaffiawithNothofagus–Cyttariacould be expanded to Australasia, the other region of the world whereNothofagusare endemic, studied the genetic structure of populations representing the known worldwide distribution ofPhaffiaand analysed the evolution of the association with tree hosts. The phylogenetic analysis revealed thatPhaffiadiversity inAustralasia is much higher than in other regions of the globe and that two endemic and markedly divergent lineages seem to represent new species. The observed genetic diversity correlates with host tree genera rather than with geography, which suggests that adaptation to the different niches is driving population structure in this yeast. The high genetic diversity and endemism inAustralasia indicate that the genus evolved in this region and that the association withNothofagusis the ancestral tree association. Estimates of the divergence times ofPhaffialineages point to splits that are much more recent than the break‐up of Gondwana, supporting that long‐distance dispersal rather than vicariance is responsible for observed distribution ofP. rhodozyma.
Infective endocarditis prophylaxis
Authors: Diz Dios P
Published: December 2013

Antibiotic prophylaxis for infective endocarditis continues to be administered empirically, although its indications are ever more restrictive. Some expert committees have even suggested that antibiotic prophylaxis is unnecessary, rekindling the controversy between those who defend the scientific evidence and those working in clinical practice; in any case, this proposal will facilitate the undertaking of prospective placebo‐controlled trials, so necessary to resolve this issue. In the meantime, the most prudent approach is to adopt the recommendations proposed by the expert committees in each country.
Cardiac Implantable Electronic Device Reutilization: Battery Life of Explanted Devices at a Tertiary Care Center
Authors: GAKENHEIMER LINDSEY , ROMERO JOSHUA , BAMAN TIMIR S. , MONTGOMERY DAN , SMITH CYDNI A. , ORAL HAKAN , EAGLE KIM A. , CRAWFORD THOMAS
Published: December 2013

Introduction

Prior studies have suggested that pacemaker reuse may be a reasonable alternative to provide device therapy in the low‐ and middle‐income countries. We studied explant indications and remaining battery life of cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) at a tertiary medical center.

Methods and Results

We conducted a retrospective review of all CIEDs extracted at the University of Michigan between 2007 and 2011. Devices were considered reusable if battery longevity was ≥48 months or >75% battery life was remaining; there was no evidence of electrical malfunction, and they were not under advisory or recall. Eight hundred and one CIEDs were explanted: Medtronic (MDT [Medtronic Inc., Minneapolis, MN, USA]; 454), Boston Scientific (BS [Boston Scientific Corp., Natick, MA, USA])/Guidant (GDT; 255 [Guidant Corp., St. Paul, MN, USA]), St. Jude Medical (SJM; 73 [St. Paul, MN, USA]), and Biotronik (BTK; 15 [Biotronik GmBH, Berlin, Germany]). After eliminating devices explanted for elective replacement indicator (ERI, 541), 51.9% of pacemakers (41/79), 54.2% of implantable cardioverter‐defibrillators (ICDs) (64/118), and 47.6% of cardiac resynchronization therapy and defibrillation (CRT‐D) devices (30/63) had sufficient battery life and no evidence of electrical malfunction to be considered for reuse. A logistic regression analysis found that the indications for device removal independently predicted reusability: upgrade to an ICD (odds ratio [OR] 162.8, P < 0.001) or CRT‐D (OR 63.8, P < 0.001), infection (OR 110.7, P < 0.001), heart transplantation or left ventricular assist device placement (OR 56.6, P < 0.001), and device removal at patient's request (OR 115.4, P < 0.001).

Conclusion

The majority of explanted CIEDs for reasons other than ERI have an adequate battery life and, if proven safe, may conceivably be reutilized for basic pacing in underserved nations where access to this life‐saving therapy is limited.
Discrepancy between Electrical and Mechanical Dyssynchrony in Patients with Heart Failure and an Electrical Disturbance
Authors: FUJIWARA RYUDO , YOSHIDA AKIHIRO , FUKUZAWA KOJI , TAKEI ASUMI , KIUCHI KUNIHIKO , ITOH MITSUAKI , IMAMURA KIMITAKE , SUZUKI ATSUSHI , NAKANISHI TOMOYUKI , YAMASHITA SOICHIRO , MATSUMOTO AKINORI , TANAKA HIDEKAZU , HIRATA KEN‐ICHI
Published: December 2013

Background

Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) improves the survival rates of patients with heart failure, but 30–40% of them do not respond to CRT, partially because of the position of the left ventricular (LV) lead. The relationship between the electrical and mechanical activation of the left ventricle is unknown. The aim of this study was to compare the electrical and mechanical dyssynchrony.

Methods

We inserted electrode catheters into the coronary sinus (CS) and venous branches of the CS during CRT implantations and constructed electroanatomical contact maps in 16 patients using the EnSite NavX™ system. Mechanical activation was evaluated by speckle‐tracking echocardiography and the latest mechanical and electrical sites were compared. The degrees of the electrical and mechanical delays of the implanted LV lead were also compared.

Results

The electroanatomical maps revealed that the latest electrical sites were anterior in one, anterolateral in five, lateral in eight, and posterolateral in two. Echocardiographic imaging revealed that the latest mechanical sites were anteroseptal in two, anterior in four, lateral in five, posterior in two, and inferior in three. The latest electrical and mechanical sites matched in only three patients. The degree of the local mechanical delay for the LV lead was significantly larger in the responders than nonresponders, whereas the local electrical delay did not differ.

Conclusion

A discrepancy between the electrical and mechanical dyssynchrony might affect an adequate LV lead positioning.
RV‐Only Pacing Can Produce a Q Wave in Lead 1 and an R Wave in V1: Implications for Biventricular Pacing
Authors: COOPER JOSHUA M. , PATEL RUTUKE K. , EMMI ANTHONY , WANG YAN , KIRKPATRICK JAMES N.
Published: December 2013

Background

Biventricular (bi‐v) pacing improves congestive heart failure and mortality in patients with left ventricular (LV) dysfunction and electrical dyssynchrony. Effective resynchronization must include an LV pacing contribution to the QRS. Leads 1 and V1 are often exclusively used to verify proper biventricular pacing.

Methods

In 40 patients referred to our cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) optimization clinic, 12‐lead electrocardiograms (ECGs) were obtained during bi‐v pacing, right ventricular (RV)‐only pacing, LV‐only pacing, and a range of atrio‐ventricular and ventriculo‐ventricular intervals. The presenting bi‐v QRS morphology was compared to RV and LV pacing, and RV‐only pacing was evaluated for the presence of a Q wave in lead 1 and an R wave in V1.

Results

In 22 patients (55%), RV pacing produced an initial Q wave in lead 1 and/or R wave in V1, mimicking bi‐v pacing. In three patients, the presenting bi‐v paced ECG looked identical to RV‐only pacing. In 28 patients (70%), LV pacing was advanced by a mean of 30 ms after CRT optimization. Using all 12 ECG leads, especially the precordial leads, was necessary to appreciate the QRS changes that occurred when LV pacing meaningfully contributed to electrical activation.

Conclusions

Because of LV pacing latency, some patients require an earlier LV offset to achieve proper resynchronization pacing. Commonly used ECG criteria cannot verify meaningful LV pacing contribution during biventricular pacing because RV‐only pacing often creates a Q wave in lead 1 and/or R wave in V1. The full 12‐lead ECG during biventricular pacing should be compared with isolated RV and LV pacing to verify that LV pacing is properly contributing to the QRS.
The Effect of Open‐Irrigated Radiofrequency Catheter Ablation of Atrial Fibrillation on Left Atrial Pressure and B‐Type Natriuretic Peptide
Authors: SEILER JENS , STEVEN DANIEL , ROBERTS‐THOMSON KURT C. , INADA KEIICHI , TEDROW USHA B. , MICHAUD GREGORY F. , STEVENSON WILLIAM G.
Published: December 2013

Background

Open‐irrigated radiofrequency catheter ablation (oiRFA) of atrial fibrillation (AF) imposes a volume load and risk of pulmonary edema. We sought to assess the effect of volume administration during ablation on left atrial (LA) pressure and B‐type natriuretic peptide (BNP).

Methods

LA pressure was measured via transseptal sheath at the beginning and end of 44 LA ablation procedures in 42 patients. BNP plasma levels were measured before and after 10 procedures.

Results

A median of 3,255 (interquartile range [IQR], 2,014)‐mL saline was administered during the procedure. During LA ablation, the median fluid balance was +1,438 (IQR, 1,109) mL and LA pressure increased by median 3.7 (IQR, 5.9) mm Hg (P < 0.001). LA pressure did not change in the 19 procedures with furosemide administration (median ΔP = −0.3 [IQR, 7.1] mm Hg, P = 0.334). The correlation of LA pressure and fluid balance was weak (rs = 0.383, P = 0.021). BNP decreased in all four procedures starting in AF or atrial tachycardia and then converting to sinus rhythm (P = 0.068), and increased in all six procedures starting and finishing in sinus rhythm (P = 0.028). After ablation, symptomatic volume overload responding to diuresis occurred in three patients.

Conclusions

A substantial intravascular volume load during oiRFA can be absorbed with little change in LA pressure, such that LA pressure is not a reliable indicator of the fluid balance. Subsequent redistribution of the volume load imposes a risk after the procedure. Conversion to sinus rhythm may improve ability to acutely accommodate the volume load.
Proximity of Pacemaker and Implantable Cardioverter‐Defibrillator Leads to Coronary Arteries as Assessed by Cardiac Computed Tomography
Authors: PANG BENJAMIN J. , JOSHI SUBODH B. , LUI ELAINE H. , TACEY MARK A. , ALISON JEFF , SENEVIRATNE SUJITH K. , CAMERON JAMES D. , MOND HARRY G.
Published: December 2013

Introduction

There have been rare case reports of damage to adjacent coronary arteries by screw‐in pacemaker and implantable cardioverter‐defibrillator (ICD) leads. Our aim was to assess the proximity of pacemaker and ICD leads to the major coronary anatomy using cardiac computed tomography (CT).

Methods

Cardiac CT images were retrospectively analyzed to assess the spatial relationship of device lead tips to the major coronary anatomy.

Results

Fifty‐two right ventricular (RV) leads (17 apical, 35 nonapical) and 35 right atrial (RA) leads were assessed. Leads on the RV antero‐septal junction (20 of 52) were close (median 4.7 mm) to, and orientated toward, the left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery. RA leads in the anterior (26 of 35) and lateral (seven of 35) walls of the RA appendage were not close to (16.9 ± 7.7 mm and 18.9 ± 12.4 mm, respectively) and directed away from the right coronary artery. However, an RA lead adjacent to the superior border of the tricuspid valve was 4.3 mm from the right coronary artery and an RA lead on the medial wall of the RA appendage was 1.6 mm away from the aorta. An RV pacemaker lead in the lateral wall of the RV inlet was 3.4 mm from the right coronary artery.

Conclusions

In our cohort, a majority of RV leads were on the antero‐septal junction and close to the overlying LAD coronary artery. RA leads adjacent to the tricuspid valve or on the medial RA appendage were in close proximity to the right coronary artery and aorta, respectively.
Immunization with Brugia malayi Hsp70 protects mice against Litomosoides sigmodontis challenge infection
Authors: Hartmann W. , Singh N. , Rathaur S. , Brenz Y. , Liebau E. , Fleischer B. , Breloer M.
Published: December 2013

More than 1·5 billion people are at risk of being infected with filarial nematodes worldwide. Therapy and control of transmission are mainly based on mass drug distribution. As these drugs have to be administered annually or biannually and might be loosing their efficacy, a vaccine against filariae is an alternative approach to chemotherapy. In the current study, we have analysed the potential of Brugia malayi heat shock protein 70 (BmHsp70) as a vaccine candidate in a murine helminth infection. Immunization of BALB/c mice with alum‐precipitated recombinant BmHsp70 conferred partial protection against subsequent challenge infection with the rodent parasite Litomosoides sigmodontis. Immunization resulted in reduced numbers of larvae in the pleural cavity as well as reduced numbers of circulating microfilariae. Reduced parasite burden was associated with high titres of BmHsp70‐specific antibodies and increased production of type I and II cytokines in response to L. sigmodontis antigen and BmHsp70. In summary, the immunization with BmHsp70 induced cellular and humoral immune responses and partially protected against L. sigmodontis in a challenge infection. Therefore, we hypothesize that BmHsp70 might be considered as a potential vaccine candidate for reduction in the incidence of B. malayi infections in future studies.
Dorsoventral asymmetry of photosynthesis and photoinhibition in flag leaves of two rice cultivars that differ in nitrogen response and leaf angle
Authors: Kumagai Etsushi , Hamaoka Norimitsu , Araki Takuya , Ueno Osamu
Published: December 2013

Rice is believed to show photosynthetic symmetry between adaxial and abaxial leaf sides. To verify this, we re‐examined dorsoventral asymmetry in photosynthesis, chlorophyll fluorescence and anatomical traits in flag leaves of two Oryza sativa cultivars that differ in nitrogen (N) response and in leaf angle: ‘Akenohoshi’, a cultivar that can adapt to low‐N (LN), with low leaf angle (more erect leaves), and ‘Shirobeniya’, a cultivar that is unable to adapt to LN, with higher leaf angle. Plants were grown under standard‐N (SN) and LN conditions. LN leaves of both cultivars became more erect than SN, but LN Akenohoshi still had more erect ones than Shirobeniya. Contrary to results of previous studies, leaves of both cultivars showed an asymmetry in photosynthetic rate between adaxial and abaxial sides (higher on the adaxial side) under SN. SN leaves of both cultivars showed lower susceptibility to photoinhibition on the adaxial side than on the abaxial side. However, leaves of Akenohoshi showed less asymmetry in these traits under LN than under SN, whereas leaves of Shirobeniya had similar degrees of asymmetry in these traits under both SN and LN. Both cultivars also showed dorsoventral asymmetry in anatomical traits of mesophyll tissue regardless of N level, but the degree of asymmetry was lower in LN Akenohoshi. These data reveal that rice leaves exhibit dorsoventral asymmetry in photosynthetic and anatomical features, and that the degree of asymmetry varies with cultivar and N level. It is suggested that lower leaf angles (particularly in Akenohoshi) in the presence of LN represent a light acclimation to prevent photoinhibition.
An Introduction to the Properties of Silica Glass in Ballistic Applications
Authors: Walley S. M.
Published: December 2013

The purpose of this review is to introduce the interested reader to the literature on the use of silica glasses in ballistic applications. These applications include optically transparent windows (where their amorphous nature, appropriate band gap, and cheapness make them ideal window materials) as well as layers in opaque armours designed to be resistant to shaped charges. In the latter application, their increase in volume (bulking) on fracture disrupts the shaped charge jet. Other topics covered in this review include low‐velocity damage by windborne debris, liquid and solid impact, dynamic methods of testing (Hopkinson pressure bar, Taylor impact, and plate impact shock loading), and constitutive models. The use of glass as a shaped charge is also discussed.
A Novel Experimental Strategy for the Production of Thoracolumbar Burst Fractures Coupled with a Biomechanical Analysis by using Non‐invasive Optical Methods
Authors: Germaneau A. , Saget M. , D'Houtaud S. , Vandeuvre T. , Doumalin P. , Dupré J.‐C. , Hesser F. , Brémand F. , Maxy P. , Rigoard P.
Published: December 2013

This work presents a novel methodology to generate in vitro burst fracture of spinal segments in conditions closest to trauma. Validation of this new experimental method of burst fracture production is aligned with an original experimental biomechanical analysis method. To pre‐select the vertebral level of the burst fracture generation, a slight vertebral body embrittlement is envisaged.

Experimental tests were performed on two groups of ovine spinal segments. An Izod impact machine was used to generate burst fracture. In one group of spinal segments, the central vertebra of each specimen was embrittled by holes of 0.8 mm diameter before impact. Both groups of spinal segments (with embrittlement and without embrittlement) were impacted and fractured. X‐ray tomography was used to confirm burst fracture morphological characterization for both groups. Furthermore, to follow the mechanical response of each group, strain values were determined during impact by using non‐invasive optical methods, and the compression consequences were recorded using a high‐speed digital camera in real time. All fractured specimens were found to have the expected burst fracture configuration. Strain measurements allowed us to study the mechanical behaviour of spinal disks and determine the strain value (at least 5%) required to cause a burst fracture.
Analysis of a Hybrid PV/T Concept Based on Wavelength Selective Films
Authors: Ulavi Tejas U. , Davidson Jane H. , Hebrink Tim
Published: December 2013

The technical performance of a non-tracking hybrid PV/T concept that uses a wavelength selective film is modeled. The wavelength selective film is coupled with a compound parabolic concentrator to reflect and concentrate the infrared portion of the solar spectrum onto a tubular absorber while transmitting the visible portion of the spectrum to an underlying thin-film photovoltaic module. The optical performance of the CPC/selective film is obtained through Monte Carlo Ray-Tracing. The CPC geometry is optimized for maximum total energy generation for a roof-top application. Applied to a rooftop in Phoenix, Arizona USA, the hybrid PV/T provides 20% more energy compared to a system of the same area with independent solar thermal and PV modules, but the increase is achieved at the expense of a decrease in the electrical efficiency from 8.8% to 5.8%.