bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evolution, structure and function of mitochondrial carriers: a review with new insights
Authors: Palmieri Ferdinando , Pierri Ciro L. , De Grassi Anna , Nunes‐Nesi Adriano , Fernie Alisdair R.
Published: March 2011

The mitochondrial carriers (MC) constitute a large family (MCF) of inner membrane transporters displaying different substrate specificities, patterns of gene expression and even non‐mitochondrial organelle localization. In Arabidopsis thaliana 58 genes encode these six trans‐membrane domain proteins. The number in other sequenced plant genomes varies from 37 to 125, thus being larger than that of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and comparable with that of Homo sapiens. In addition to displaying highly similar secondary structures, the proteins of the MCF can be subdivided into subfamilies on the basis of substrate specificity and the presence of specific symmetry‐related amino acid triplets. We assessed the predictive power of these triplets by comparing predictions with experimentally determined data for Arabidopsis MCs, and applied these predictions to the not yet functionally characterized mitochondrial carriers of the grass, Brachypodium distachyon, and the alga, Ostreococcus lucimarinus. We additionally studied evolutionary aspects of the plant MCF by comparing sequence data of the Arabidopsis MCF with those of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Homo sapiens, then with those of Brachypodium distachyon and Ostreococcus lucimarinus, employing intra‐ and inter‐genome comparisons. Finally, we discussed the importance of the approaches of global gene expression analysis and in vivo characterizations in order to address the relevance of these vital carrier proteins.
The family of terpene synthases in plants: a mid‐size family of genes for specialized metabolism that is highly diversified throughout the kingdom
Authors: Chen Feng , Tholl Dorothea , Bohlmann Jörg , Pichersky Eran
Published: March 2011

Some plant terpenes such as sterols and carotenes are part of primary metabolism and found essentially in all plants. However, the majority of the terpenes found in plants are classified as ‘secondary’ compounds, those chemicals whose synthesis has evolved in plants as a result of selection for increased fitness via better adaptation to the local ecological niche of each species. Thousands of such terpenes have been found in the plant kingdom, but each species is capable of synthesizing only a small fraction of this total. In plants, a family of terpene synthases (TPSs) is responsible for the synthesis of the various terpene molecules from two isomeric 5‐carbon precursor ‘building blocks’, leading to 5‐carbon isoprene, 10‐carbon monoterpenes, 15‐carbon sesquiterpenes and 20‐carbon diterpenes. The bryophyte Physcomitrella patens has a single TPS gene, copalyl synthase/kaurene synthase (CPS/KS), encoding a bifunctional enzyme producing ent‐kaurene, which is a precursor of gibberellins. The genome of the lycophyte Selaginella moellendorffii contains 18 TPS genes, and the genomes of some model angiosperms and gymnosperms contain 40–152 TPS genes, not all of them functional and most of the functional ones having lost activity in either the CPS‐ or KS‐type domains. TPS genes are generally divided into seven clades, with some plant lineages having a majority of their TPS genes in one or two clades, indicating lineage‐specific expansion of specific types of genes. Evolutionary plasticity is evident in the TPS family, with closely related enzymes differing in their product profiles, subcellular localization, or the in planta substrates they use.
Decoding algal genomes: tracing back the history of photosynthetic life on Earth
Authors: Tirichine Leïla , Bowler Chris
Published: March 2011

The last decade has witnessed outstanding progress in sequencing the genomes of photosynthetic eukaryotes, from major cereal crops to single celled marine phytoplankton. For the algae, we now have whole genome sequences from green, red, and brown representatives, and multiple efforts based on comparative and functional genomics approaches have provided information about the unicellular origins of higher plants, and about the evolution of photosynthetic life in general. Here we present some of the highlights from such studies, including the endosymbiotic origins of photosynthetic protists and their positioning with respect to plants and animals, the evolution of multicellularity in photosynthetic lineages, the role of sex in unicellular algae, and the potential relevance of epigenetic processes in contributing to the adaptation of algae to their environment.
Chloroplast genomes of photosynthetic eukaryotes
Authors: Green Beverley R.
Published: March 2011

Chloroplast genomes have retained a core set of genes from their cyanobacterial ancestor, most of them required for the light reactions of photosynthesis or functions connected with transcription and translation. Other genes have been transferred to the nucleus or were lost in a lineage‐specific manner. The genomes are distinguished by the selection of genes retained, whether or not transcripts are edited, presence/absence of introns and small repeats and their physical organization. Plants and green algae have kept fewer plastid genes than either the red algae or the chromistan algae, which obtained their plastids from red algae by secondary endosymbiosis. Photosynthetic dinoflagellates have the fewest (fewer than 20), but still grow photoautotrophically. All chloroplast genomes map as a circle, but there have been extensive rearrangements of gene order even between related species. Genome sizes vary much more than gene content, depending on the extent of gene duplication and small repeats and the size of intergenic spacers.
Adrenal insufficiency during physiological stress in children after kidney or liver transplantation
Authors: Bilavsky Efraim , Dagan Adi , Yarden‐Bilavsky Havatzelet , Davidovits Miriam , Shapiro Rivka , Mor Eytan , Weintrob Naomi , Amir Jacob , Avitzur Yaron
Published: March 2011

Bilavsky E, Dagan A, Yarden‐Bilavsky H, Davidovits M, Shapiro R, Mor E, Weintrob N, Amir J, Avitzur Y. Adrenal insufficiency during physiological stress in children after kidney or liver transplantation. Pediatr Transplantation 2011: 15: 314–320. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Abstract:  The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and risk factors of AI in pediatric recipients of kidney or liver transplantation admitted because of a physiological stress episode and to identify patients that might be at risk of adrenal crises by clinical and laboratory parameters at admission. Adrenal function was prospectively evaluated by a standard (250 μg) adrenocorticotropin test in 48 recipients. Data on clinical and laboratory parameters were collected. AI was diagnosed in 11 patients: 10/32 (31.3%) children on long‐term steroid treatment and 1/16 (6.25%) untreated. The only risk factor for AI was corticosteroids cumulative dose of >0.15 mg/kg/day during the last six months (p = 0.02, OR 6.67; 95% CI: 0.97–45.79). No correlation was found between clinical or laboratory signs of adrenal crisis on admission and the presence of AI. None of the patients with AI who did not receive stress dose (n = 8) developed adrenal crisis. AI is relatively common in children receiving prolonged corticosteroid treatment after kidney or liver transplantation. Clinical parameters on admission could not reliably identify patients with AI. Universal administration of a stress dose during physiological stress might not be required. However, at this point, the only method to identify patients that will benefit from a stress dose is through the ACTH test.
Diagnosis and treatment of functional gastrointestinal disorders in the Asia‐Pacific region: A survey of current practices
Authors: Miura Soichiro , Sugano Kentaro , Kinoshita Yoshikazu , Fock Kwong Ming , Goh Khean Lee , Gibson Peter ,   Members of the first Asian‐Pacific Topic Conference organized by the Japanese Society of Gastroenterology and Asian Pacific Association of Gastroenterology
Published: March 2011

Background and Aims:  Functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs), namely functional dyspepsia (FD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are common disorders important to public health in the Asia‐Pacific region. Our objectives were to determine the current practices in diagnosis and management of these disorders in the Asia‐Pacific region.

Methods:  Forty‐three physicians and researchers in FGID who attended the first Asian Pacific Topic Conference at Tokyo in November 2010 were invited to answer a questionnaire. Twenty‐three Japanese doctors and twenty doctors from other Asia‐Pacific Societies answered the questionnaire, which consisted of 60 multiple‐choice questions concerning physician's preferences in diagnosis and management of FGIDs.

Results:  Overall, there were similarities in diagnostic approach, such as differential diagnosis, exclusion of organic diseases, psychophysiological assessment, medical advice or medication with psychological drugs, not only among different Asia‐Pacific region but also between FD and IBS. Several notable differences were seen. For example, general practitioners did not commonly use the term FD or diagnose FD by themselves, while the term IBS was widely used and frequently diagnosed. Sub‐categorization was more common in IBS than FD. There was also a difference between Japan and other Asia‐Pacific region; upper GI endoscopy and blood examination were more common in Japan, while eradication of Helicobacter pylori was more frequently done in other countries. Anti‐secretory drugs for FD and mild laxatives or anti‐diarrheal drug for IBS were frequently used, and prokinetics were used for all patients with FD or IBS. Interestingly, drugs developed in Japan and Chinese herbal medicines were more frequently prescribed in Japan.

Conclusion:  Information obtained in this survey is useful for understanding the most common clinical approaches for FGIDs in the Asia‐Pacific region.
Molecular mechanisms of hepatocarcinogenesis in chronic hepatitis C virus infection
Authors: Yamashita Taro , Honda Masao , Kaneko Shuichi
Published: March 2011

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major cause of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and chronic liver disease worldwide. Recent developments and advances in HCV replication systems in vitro and in vivo, transgenic animal models, and gene expression profiling approaches have provided novel insights into the mechanisms of HCV replication. They have also helped elucidate host cellular responses, including activated/inactivated signaling pathways, and the relationship between innate immune responses by HCV infection and host genetic traits. However, the mechanisms of hepatocyte malignant transformation induced by HCV infection are still largely unclear, most likely due to the heterogeneity of molecular paths leading to HCC development in each individual. In this review, we summarize recent advances in knowledge about the mechanisms of hepatocarcinogenesis induced by HCV infection.
Metabolomic phenotype of gastric cancer and precancerous stages based on gas chromatography time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry
Authors: Yu Lianzhen , Aa Jiye , Xu Jin , Sun Min , Qian Sixuan , Cheng Liping , Yang Shuping , Shi Ruihua
Published: March 2011

Background and Aim:  To study the low‐molecular‐weight metabolites in blood plasma of patients with the progressive disease, gastric cancer, and to characterize different stages from chronic superficial gastritis (CSG) to chronic atrophic gastritis (CAG), intestinal metaplasia (IM), gastric dysplasia (DYS) and finally gastric cancer (GC).

Methods:  We applied gas chromatography time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (GC/TOF‐MS) to determine metabolites levels in plasma obtained from 80 patients including 19 with CSG, 13 with CAG, 10 with IM, 15 with DYS and 22 with GC (nine preoperation and 13 postoperation). Principal component analysis (PCA) and statistics were used to differentiate the stages and to identify the markers of gastric cancer.

Results:  Totally, 223 peaks were detected in GC/TOF‐MS and 72 compounds were authentically identified. CSG showed distinct difference from the other groups of CAG, IM, DYS and GC, whose plots clustered closely. IM clustered closely to GC, suggesting similar metabolic patterns of them. Fifteen identified metabolites contributed most to the differentiating between CSG and GC, and characterized different stages of GC. Statistics revealed elevated levels of 2‐Hydroxybutyrate, pyroglutamate, glutamate, asparagine, azelaic acid, ornithine, urate, 11‐eicosenoic acid, 1‐monohexadecanoylglycerol and γ‐tocopherol, while downregulation of creatinine, threonate in GC group, indicating that GC patients were obviously involved in oxidative stress, and perturbed metabolism of amino acids and fatty acids.

Conclusion:  The metabolic phenotype of CSG is significantly different from GC, while that of IM is similar to it. The discriminatory metabolites characterizing progressive stages from CSG to GC might be the potential markers to indicate a risk of GC.
Target biopsy using magnifying endoscopy in clinical management of gastric mucosa‐associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma
Authors: Ono Shouko , Kato Mototsugu , Ono Yuji , Nishida Urara , Yamamoto Keiko , Shimizu Yuichi , Asaka Masahiro
Published: March 2011

Background and Aim:  We have reported the characteristics of magnified endoscopic images of gastric mucosa‐associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma before and after treatment. In this study, we investigated the diagnostic efficacy of magnified endoscopic images for target biopsy and evaluation of clinical remission.

Methods:  Twenty‐one patients diagnosed with localized gastric MALT lymphoma were enrolled. Magnified endoscopy was performed prior to treatment and at a mean period of 1.8 months (1–6 months) after therapy (Helicobacter pylori eradication in 19 patients and radiation therapy in two patients). Microstructural pattern and abnormal vessels in the lesions were assessed, and corpus mucosa without lymphoma was divided into H. pylori‐negative mucosa and H. pylori‐positive mucosa. Biopsy was the gold standard in this study.

Results:  Nonstructural areas with abnormal vessels were observed in all patients before treatment. Fifteen patients achieved pathological complete remission. Disappearance of nonstructural areas and abnormal vessels after therapy was associated with pathological remission. Sensitivities of these findings for diagnosis were 76.9% and 85.7%, respectively, and the specificities were 87.5% and 85.7%, respectively. H. pylori eradication therapy was invalid in three patients with H. pylori‐negative mucosa in magnified images.

Conclusions:  Magnifying endoscopy may be useful for target biopsy of superficial gastric MALT lymphoma in clinical management.
Liver cirrhosis in Malaysia: Peculiar epidemiology in a multiracial Asian country
Authors: Qua Choon‐Seng , Goh Khean‐Lee
Published: March 2011

Background and Aim:  To determine the etiology of liver cirrhosis and risk factors for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in a multiracial Asian population.

Methods:  Consecutive patients with liver cirrhosis presenting to outpatient clinics and inpatient service at the University of Malaya Medical Centre from 1 April 2006 to 31 May 2009 were included.

Results:  A total of 460 patients were included in the study: 317 male patients (68.9%) and 143 female patients (31.1%), with a mean age of 58.8 years (range: 15–87 years). The major causes of cirrhosis were: chronic hepatitis B, n = 212, 46.1%; chronic hepatitis C, n = 85, 18.5%; cryptogenic, n = 71, 15.4%; alcohol, n = 58, 12.6% and autoimmune, n = 9, 2.0%. Alcohol was the main etiology in Indians (51.1%) compared to Malay (0%) and Chinese (4.4%) (both P < 0.001). Hepatitis B was the predominant etiology in Malay (47.9%) and Chinese (58.8%) compared to Indians (5.6%) (both P < 0.001). Hepatitis C cirrhosis was highest in Malays (25.0%). 136 patients (29.6%) had concurrent HCC. Male sex (P < 0.001), age > 60 years (P = 0.014), hepatitis B (P < 0.001), hepatitis C (P = 0.006) and cryptogenic cause (P = 0.002) were found to be independent risk factors for HCC.

Conclusions:  The etiology of cirrhosis has a peculiar pattern based on racial differences in alcohol intake and in the prevalence of hepatitis B.
Transient elastographic evaluation in adult subjects without overt liver disease: Influence of alanine aminotransferase levels
Authors: Kumar Manoj , Sharma Praveen , Garg Hitendra , Kumar Ramesh , Bhatia Vikram , Sarin Shiv K
Published: March 2011

Background and Aim:  Studies on normal values of liver stiffness (LS) in subjects at “low risk” for liver disease are scant. The aim of the present study was to assess liver stiffness values in the subjects without overt liver disease with normal alanine aminotransferases (ALT) and to determine potential factors, which may influence these values with special reference to newly suggested updated upper limits of normal for ALT.

Methods:  Liver stiffness measurements were performed in 445 subjects without overt liver disease (mean age, 41.1 ± 13.6; male, 73.5%) and normal liver enzymes.

Results:  Mean LS value was 5.10 ± 1.19 kPa. LS values were higher in men than in women (5.18 ± 1.67 vs 4.86 ± 1.24 kPa, respectively, P = 0.008); in subjects with higher body mass index (BMI) category (Normal, overweight and obese subjects; 4.10 ± 0.75, 5.08 ± 0.66, and 6.05 ± 1.28 kPa, respectively; P < 0.001); in subjects with metabolic syndrome than in those without (5.63 ± 1.37 vs 5.01 ± 1.14 kPa, P = 0.001); and in subjects with ALT levels more than updated limits of normal compared to subjects with ALT levels less than updated limits of normal (5.68 ± 1.21 vs 4.77 ± 1.05 kPa, P < 0.001). On multiple linear regression, BMI and ALT was found to be significant predictor of LS.

Conclusions:  Liver stiffness values in subjects without overt liver disease with normal ALT are influenced by BMI and ALT levels. Subjects with ALT levels less than updated limits of normal have lower LS values as compared to those with higher levels.
Stable nuclear transformation of the diatom Chaetoceros sp.
Authors: Miyagawa‐Yamaguchi Arisa , Okami Takuma , Kira Nozomu , Yamaguchi Haruo , Ohnishi Kouhei , Adachi Masao
Published: March 2011

A nuclear transformation system for the centric diatom Chaetoceros sp. has been established using two plasmids pTpfcp/nat and pTpNR/green fluorescent protein (GFP) that had been used for Thalassiosira pseudonana transformation. These contain the nourseothricin resistance gene (nat) with the fucoxanthin chlorophyll a/c binding protein (fcp) promoter/terminator from T. pseudonana and the enhanced green fluorescent protein gene (egfp), with the nitrate reductase (NR) promoter/terminator from T. pseudonana, respectively. Transformants were recovered in the presence of the antibiotic nourseothricin. One to four copies of both nat and egfp genes were integrated into genomic DNA of the transformants. Transformation efficiency was 1.5–6.0 transformants per 108 cells. This work is the first report of stable genetic transformation of Chaetoceros, which is important as not only a constituent member of marine ecosystem but also feed for aquaculture.
Partenskyella glossopodia (Chlorarachniophyceae) possesses a nucleomorph genome of approximately 1 Mbp
Authors: Ishida Ken‐ichiro , Endo Hiroko , Koike Sayaka
Published: March 2011

The nucleomorph genome size of the recently described chlorarachniophyte Partenskyella glossopodia, which forms an independent lineage in the phylogeny of chlorarachniophytes, was analyzed by pulse‐field gel electrophoresis and Southern hybridization. These analyses showed that the nucleomorph genome of P. glossopodia is composed of three linear chromosomes that are about 445 kbp, 313 kbp, and 275 kbp in size. Thus, the total genome size is approximately 1033 kbp, which is significantly larger than the known size of chlorarachniophyte nucleomorph genomes, i.e. 330–610 kbp. This is the first study to report a nucleomorph genome that reaches approximately 1 Mbp in size.
Sterols of Glaucocystophytes
Authors: Leblond Jeffrey D. , Timofte Hermina Ilea , Roche Shannon A. , Porter Nicole M.
Published: March 2011

Glaucocystophytes are a group of evolutionarily important freshwater algae that have an almost intact cyanobacterium, referred to as a cyanelle, as the photosynthetic organelle. Because of this, they have been the subject of a large number of studies over the past few decades on how a cyanobacterium transitioned into a chloroplast. However, studies on their lipid composition have lagged behind those on other areas of glaucocystophyte cell biology. To this end, we have examined the sterol composition of Cyanophora paradoxa Korshikov and Glaucocystis nostochinearum Itzigsohn in order to identify sterols left unidentified in previous studies. We have found that two isolates of G. nostochinearum and one of C. paradoxa uniformly produced three sterols: 24‐methylcholest‐5‐en‐3β‐ol, 24‐ethylcholesta‐5,22E‐dien‐3β‐ol, and 24‐ethylcholest‐5‐en‐3β‐ol.
The short‐term use of erythropoetin‐stimulating agents: impact on the biochemical recurrence of prostate cancer
Authors: Djavan Bob , Laze Juliana , Eckersberger Elisabeth , Finkelstein Julia , Agalliu Ilir , Lepor Herbert
Published: March 2011

Study Type – Harm (case series)

Level of Evidence 4

What’s known on the subject? and What does the study add?

Erythropoletin‐stimulating agents (ESAs) have been widely prescribed for treating anaemia secondary to advanced maligancies with the objective of reducing the need for red blood cell transfusions and improving the quality of life. However, the risk/benefit of ESAs has recently been questioned and metaanalyses showing that these agents are associated with an increased risk of mortality when chronically administered to patients with advanced/metastatic cancers.

In this study we examined the impact of short‐term preoperative utilization of ESAs on biochemical recurrence – free survival rates after open radical retropubic prostatectomy (ORRP).

OBJECTIVE

To examine the impact of short‐term preoperative utilization of erythropoietin‐stimulating agents (ESAs) on biochemical recurrence (BCR)‐free survival rates after open radical retropubic prostatectomy (ORRP) in light of the fact that the risk/benefit of ESAs has recently been questioned by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) after reports showing a decreased survival.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

From 2000 to 2008, 1567 patients underwent ORRP and 97.5% of these signed informed consent to participate in the New York University Prospective and Longitudinal Outcomes Study.

Of the remaining 1528 patients, 1317 (86%) received preoperative ESA (group 1) and 211 (14%) did not (group 2).

Patients were also classified as having low‐, intermediate‐ or high‐risk disease based on D’Amico risk categories.

Kaplan–Meier survival curves and Cox’s proportional hazard models were used to estimate BCR‐free survival by ESA treatment.

RESULTS

A significant difference was observed for BCR‐free survival between the low‐ and intermediate/high‐risk groups.

There were no statistically significant differences between groups 1 and 2 for BCR‐free survival in the entire study populations and within risk groups.

In addition, Cox regression models showed no statistically significant differences in BCR‐free survival according to preoperative ESA administration in the entire cohort as well as among the low‐ and intermediate/high‐risk groups.

CONCLUSIONS

The short‐term use of ESAs as a preoperative blood management strategy for patients undergoing ORRP has no clinically relevant adverse effects on the biology of prostate cancer.

The present study supports the use of these agents before the procedure in patients undergoing surgery for localized disease.
Repeat prostate biopsies predict location of index cancer in an active surveillance cohort
Authors: Tseng Kenneth S. , Landis Patricia , Brimo Fadi , Partin Alan W. , Epstein Jonathan I. , Carter H. Ballentine
Published: March 2011

Study Type – Diagnostic (exploratory cohort)

Level of Evidence 2b

What’s known on the subject? and What does the study add?

The accuracy of TRUS‐guided biopsies in identifying the location of an index cancer at surgery is low. When two biopsies show cancer in the same location, the concordance between the biopsy and surgical location of the cancer increases.

OBJECTIVE

• To evaluate the ability of repeat prostate biopsies to determine the location of the index cancer for men on prostate cancer surveillance.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

• Forty‐five men on active surveillance had a record of the locations of their positive diagnostic biopsy, repeat surveillance biopsy and index cancer (i.e. largest cancer) from prostatectomy specimens.

• Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the association between two consecutive needle biopsies showing cancer in an identical location and the outcome of finding the index cancer at the same location as the initial diagnostic biopsy.

RESULTS

• Eighteen of 45 (40%) men ultimately had an index cancer at the same location as their diagnostic biopsy.

• Thirteen men had two consecutive biopsies that showed cancer at the same location each time; nine of these men ultimately had an index cancer at that same location.

• In multivariable logistic regression analysis of men with at least two biopsies, having two initial consecutive biopsies with the same location increased the odds (odds ratio 5.9; 95% CI 1.1–31, P= 0.037) of having an index cancer at the same location as the initial biopsy in a cohort of men on active surveillance.

CONCLUSIONS

• A substantial proportion of men in an active surveillance cohort who undergo prostatectomy ultimately have evidence of an index cancer at the same location as their initial biopsy.

• This is more likely to be the case when a repeat biopsy shows evidence of cancer at the same location.
Birth weight and subsequent risk of obesity: a systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Yu Z. B. , Han S. P. , Zhu G. Z. , Zhu C. , Wang X. J. , Cao X. G. , Guo X. R.
Published: March 2011

This report describes the association between birth weight (BW) and obesity. Screening of 478 citations from five electronic databases resulted in the inclusion of 33 studies, most of medium quality. The meta‐analysis included 20 of these published studies. The 13 remaining articles did not provide sufficient dichotomous data and were systematically reviewed, revealing results consistent with the meta‐analysis. Our results revealed that high BW (>4000 g) was associated with increased risk of obesity (odds ratio [OR], 2.07; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.91–2.24) compared with subjects with BW ≤ 4000 g. Low BW (<2500 g) was associated with decreased risk of obesity (OR, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.46–0.80) compared with subjects with BW ≥ 2500 g. However, when two studies exhibited selection bias were removed, the results indicated no significant association between low BW and obesity (OR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.58–1.04). Sensitivity analyses showed that differences in the study design, sample size and quality grade of the study had an effect on the low BW/obesity association, which low BW was not associated with the risk of obesity in cohort studies, studies with large sample sizes and studies with high quality grades. Pooled results were similar when normal birth weight (2500–4000 g) was used as the reference category. Subgroup analyses based on different growth and developmental stages (pre‐school children, school children and adolescents) also revealed that high BW was associated with increased risk of obesity from childhood to early adulthood. No significant evidence of publication bias was present. These results suggest that high BW is associated with increased risk of obesity and may serve as a mediator between prenatal influences and later disease risk.
MEASURING UP: DASHBOARDING FOR INNOVATORS
Authors: Mullins John , Komisar Randy
Published: March 2011

“If you cannot measure it, you cannot improve it,” remarked Lord Kelvin in the 19th century. Organisations and managers have been heeding his advice ever since. But what does this mean for new ventures?John Mullins and Randy Komisar measure up.
FACE VALUES: THE EUROPEAN
Authors: Crainer Stuart
Published: March 2011

The chairman of Goldman Sachs International, Peter Sutherland is an Irishman who has forged a uniquely eclectic career. He is a lawyer. He is also a politician. He was Attorney General of Ireland in the 1980s and went on to become the EC Commissioner responsible for competition policy. He was then Director General of the World Trade Organisation before holding a number of high profile chairmanships — including BP for more than ten years. Peter Sutherland talked to Stuart Crainer about his career.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: AND THE DECISION IS…
Authors: Botti Simona , Hsee Christopher K.
Published: March 2011

Simona Botti and Christopher K. Hsee, ‘Dazed and confused by choice: How the temporal costs of choice freedom lead to undesirable outcomes’, Organizational Behaviour and Human Decision Processes 112, no. 2, 2010.
The Effect of L2 Proficiency and Study‐Abroad Experience on Pragmatic Comprehension
Authors: Taguchi Naoko
Published: March 2011

This cross‐sectional study examined the effect of general proficiency and study‐abroad experience on pragmatic comprehension in second‐language English. Participants were 25 native English speakers and 64 Japanese college students of English divided into three groups. Group 1 (n = 22) had lower proficiency and no study‐abroad experience. Group 2 (n = 20) and Group 3 (n = 22) had higher proficiency than Group 1 but differed in their study‐abroad experience. Group 2 had no study‐abroad experience, but Group 3 had a minimum of 1 year of study‐abroad experience in an English‐speaking country. They completed a pragmatic listening test measuring their ability to comprehend conventional and nonconventional implicatures. Group performance was compared for the comprehension accuracy scores and response times. There was a significant effect of proficiency on response times but no effect of study‐abroad experience. Comprehension accuracy scores revealed mixed findings. It was advantageous for students to have study‐abroad experience in the comprehension of nonconventional implicatures and routine expressions but not in indirect refusals.
Amphetamine augments action potential‐dependent dopaminergic signaling in the striatum in vivo
Authors: Ramsson Eric S. , Covey Daniel P. , Daberkow David P. , Litherland Melissa T. , Juliano Steven A. , Garris Paul A.
Published: March 2011

J. Neurochem. (2011) 117, 937–948.

Amphetamine (AMPH) is thought to disrupt normal patterns of action potential‐dependent dopaminergic signaling by depleting dopamine (DA) vesicular stores and promoting non‐exocytotic DA efflux. Voltammetry in brain slices concurrently demonstrates these key drug effects, along with competitive inhibition of neuronal DA uptake. Here, we perform comparable kinetic and voltammetric analyses in vivo to determine whether AMPH acts qualitatively and quantitatively similar in the intact brain. Fast‐scan cyclic voltammetry measured extracellular DA in dorsal and ventral striata of urethane‐anesthetized rats. Electrically evoked recordings were analyzed to determine Km and Vmax for DA uptake and vesicular DA release, while background voltammetric current indexed basal DA concentration. AMPH (0.5, 3, and 10 mg/kg i.p.) robustly increased evoked DA responses in both striatal subregions. The predominant contributor to these elevated levels was competitive uptake inhibition, as exocytotic release was unchanged in the ventral striatum and only modestly decreased in the dorsal striatum. Increases in basal DA levels were not detected. These results are consistent with AMPH augmenting action potential‐dependent dopaminergic signaling in vivo across a wide, behaviorally relevant dose range. Future work should be directed at possible causes for the distinct in vitro and in vivo pharmacology of AMPH.
Role of superoxide–nitric oxide interactions in the accelerated age‐related loss of muscle mass in mice lacking Cu,Zn superoxide dismutase
Authors: Sakellariou Giorgos K. , Pye Deborah , Vasilaki Aphrodite , Zibrik Lea , Palomero Jesus , Kabayo Tabitha , McArdle Francis , Van Remmen Holly , Richardson Arlan , Tidball James G. , McArdle Anne , Jackson Malcolm J.
Published: March 2011

Mice lacking Cu,Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1) show accelerated, age‐related loss of muscle mass. Lack of SOD1 may lead to increased superoxide, reduced nitric oxide (NO), and increased peroxynitrite, each of which could initiate muscle fiber loss. Single muscle fibers from flexor digitorum brevis of wild‐type (WT) and Sod1−/− mice were loaded with NO‐sensitive (4‐amino‐5‐methylamino‐2′,7′‐difluorofluorescein diacetate, DAF‐FM) and superoxide‐sensitive (dihydroethidium, DHE) probes. Gastrocnemius muscles were analyzed for SOD enzymes, nitric oxide synthases (NOS), and 3‐nitrotyrosine (3‐NT) content. A lack of SOD1 did not increase superoxide availability at rest because no increase in ethidium or 2‐hydroxyethidium (2‐HE) formation from DHE was seen in fibers from Sod1−/− mice compared with those from WT mice. Fibers from Sod1−/− mice had decreased NO availability (decreased DAF‐FM fluorescence), increased 3‐NT in muscle proteins indicating increased peroxynitrite formation and increased content of peroxiredoxin V (a peroxynitrite reductase), compared with WT mice. Muscle fibers from Sod1−/− mice showed substantially reduced generation of superoxide in response to contractions compared with fibers from WT mice. Inhibition of NOS did not affect DHE oxidation in fibers from WT or Sod1−/− mice at rest or during contractions, but transgenic mice overexpressing nNOS showed increased DAF‐FM fluorescence and reduced DHE oxidation in resting muscle fibers. It is concluded that formation of peroxynitrite in muscle fibers is a major effect of lack of SOD1 in Sod1−/− mice and may contribute to fiber loss in this model, and that NO regulates superoxide availability and peroxynitrite formation in muscle.
Making a drama out of a crisis: representing financial failure, or a tragedy in five acts
Authors: McDowell Linda
Published: March 2011

In popular representations, including journalism, film and drama, a tendency to attribute blame for the recent financial crisis to the greed and venality of individual bankers has been noticeable. In this paper, I explore some of these representations, focusing on the ways in which blame is attributed to the irrational behaviour of actors operating in a heteronormative culture in which masculinity and risk‐taking were, until the crash, highly rewarded. This is a marked shift from earlier claims that the growing reliance on apparently rational mathematical methods of calculating risk would abolish the cycles of boom and bust that characterise financial markets. I argue that the analysis of story‐telling, financial journalism and dramatic representations complements other ways of explaining financial crises, including structural analyses. In an attempt to mirror these representations, I present my arguments as a drama in five acts, before concluding with an assessment of the significance of different narrative representations.
Voices of the Afflicted
Authors: Erickson Carlton K.
Published: March 2011

Over the past 10 years, I have been privileged to conduct educational forums for audiences containing many recovering alcoholics or otherwise chemically dependent persons. In these forums about the addictive diseases and their treatment and research possibilities, significant interaction with the audience members occurs. During these interactions, certain anecdotal phenomena seem to predominate. The repetitive nature of these reports suggests the need for systematic investigation. As with editorial comments in major medical journals, observed phenomena and unanswered questions from those afflicted can be valuable in the generation of testable hypotheses. Perhaps the ideas presented herein will be useful in the development of future research on alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence.
Decreases in Dopamine Receptors but not in Dopamine Transporters in Alcoholics
Authors: Volkow Nora D. , Wang Gene‐Jack , Fowler Joanna S. , Logan Jean , Hitzemann Robert , Ding Yu‐Shin , Pappas Naomi , Shea Colleen , Piscani Kathleen
Published: March 2011

It has been hypothesized that ethanol's actions on the dopamine (DA) system may participate in addiction. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the DA system in the brain of alcoholics. We evaluated 10 alcoholics and 17 nonalcoholics using positron emission tomography and [11C]raclopride to measure DA D2 receptors. In addition, in 5 of the alcoholics and 16 of the nonalcoholics, we also measured DA transporters with [11C]d‐threo methylphenidate. The ratio of the distribution volumes in striatum to that In cerebellum, which corresponds to Bmax/Kd+ 1, was used as model parameter of DA D2 receptor and transporter availability. Dopamine D2 receptor availability (Bmax/Kd) was significantly lower in alcoholics (2.1 ± 0.5) than in nonalcoholics (2.7 ± 0.6) (p < 0.05) and was not correlated with days since last alcohol use. Alcoholics showed DA transporter values similar to those in nonalcoholics. The ratio of DA D2 receptor to transporter availability was significantly higher in nonalcoholics (1.4 ± 0.1) than in alcoholics (1.1 ± 0.1) (p < 0.005). Alcoholics showed significant reductions in D2 receptors (postsynaptic marker) but not in DA transporter availability (presynaptic marker) when compared with nonalcoholics. Because D2 receptors in striatum are mainly localized in γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA) cells these results provide evidence of GABAergic involvement in the dopaminergic abnormalities seen in alcoholics.
Barriers for Nurses to Safe Medication Management in Nursing Homes
Authors: Dilles Tinne , Elseviers Monique M. , Van Rompaey Bart , Van Bortel Lucas M. , Stichele Robert R. Vander
Published: March 2011

Purpose: This study aims to identify and compare the relevance of barriers that nurses in nursing homes experience in medication management in Belgium.

Design: The mixed‐method study started with an expert meeting in November 2008 and was followed by a cross‐sectional survey in February–March 2009, questioning 246 nurses and 270 nurse assistants in 20 nursing homes.

Methods: Twelve nurses represented nursing homes in an expert meeting and listed all barriers that might cause suboptimal medication management. Based on the results, a survey was developed in which respondents could indicate whether they were involved in a particular stage of the medication process and if yes, rate the relevance of the barriers in that stage on a continuous scale, varying from 1 =no barrier to 10 =strong barrier. Barriers scored 7 or more were defined as strong.

Findings: Nurses experienced a large number of barriers to safe medication management related to the nurse, organization, interdisciplinary cooperation, or to the patient and family. In preparing medication, medication administration and monitoring, being interrupted, not knowing enough on interactions, and barriers in interdisciplinary cooperation caused the most hindrance. In general, barriers in medication monitoring scored the strongest.

Conclusions: In order to improve safe medication management by tailored interventions in nursing homes, through the use of a standard questionnaire, nurses and nurse assistants can give an overview of barriers they experience and rate their relevance. Nurses and nurse assistants had different opinions on the relevance of barriers, especially in the stage of medication monitoring. Job expectations in medication management were not always clear, creating additional barriers in medication safety.

Clinical Relevance: This study provides an overview of potential barriers to safe medication management in nursing homes, which can be addressed in practice. The relevance scoring of the barriers enables prioritization.
Variation in thrips species composition in field crops and implications for tomato spotted wilt epidemiology in North Carolina
Authors: Eckel Craig S. , Cho Kijong , Walgenbach James F. , Kennedy George G. , Moyer James W.
Published: March 2011

Thrips were surveyed in tomato spotted wilt‐susceptible crops in five areas across North Carolina. Tomato, pepper, and tobacco plants in commercial fields were sampled and 30 species of thrips were collected over a 3‐year period. The most common species overall was Frankliniella tritici (Fitch). The most common thrips species that are known to vector Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus (TSWV) were F. fusca (Hinds), and F. occidentalis (Pergande). Relatively low numbers of Thrips tabaci Lindeman, another reported vector, were collected. The spatial and temporal occurrence of vectors varied with sampling method, crop species, region of North Carolina, and localized areas within each region. In a laboratory experiment, no difference was detected between the ability of F. fusca and F. occidentalis to acquire and transmit a local isolate of TSWV. Based on vector efficiency and occurrence, F. fusca is considered the most important vector of TSWV in tobacco, whereas both F. fusca and F. occidentalis are important vectors of TSWV in tomato and pepper.
Influence of temperature and vapor pressure deficit on the rate of predation by the predatory mite, Amblyseius cucumeris, on Frankliniella occidentalis
Authors: Shipp J. L. , Ward K. I. , Gillespie T. J.
Published: March 2011

The influence of temperature and vapor pressure deficit (VPD) on the rate of predation by the predatory mite, Amblyseius cucumeris (Oudemans) on Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) was determined under controlled laboratory conditions. The survival of first instars of F. occidentalis was initially determined by themselves. Then the number of first instars that were killed by a single female adult of A. cucumeris was determined for the same density of thrips. The differences in the mortality between the two experiments were used to calculate the rate of predation by A. cucumeris under a range of temperature and VPD regimes. Rate of predation was expressed as the number of thrips killed per h to account for the different time periods that the trials lasted. A quadratic model was fitted to the data. At a constant temperature, the rate of predation decreased with increasing VPD for VPDs ≤ 1.24 to 1.44 kPa. Above these VPDs, the rate of predation started to increase again. At a constant VPD, the rate of predation decreased slightly at the lower temperatures and increased at the higher temperatures. The rate of change was dependent upon the VPD. By using the quadratic model, the rate of predation can be predicted for the range of hygrothermal conditions that would be encountered in the greenhouse. The optimal condition for maximum rate of predation by A. cucumeris on first instars of F. occidentalis in the greenhouse is a VPD ≤ 0.75 kPa at the recommended production temperatures and VPDs (17 to 25°C and ≤ 1.5 kPa).
A matrix model for studying tsetse fly populations
Authors: Jarry M. , Khaladi M. , Gouteux J.‐P.
Published: March 2011

Some characteristics of tsetse fly population dynamics were investigated using a matrix model. To take into account the peculiarities of the tsetse fly life cycle, the classic Leslie model was modified. Our model integrated the physiological age group of Glossina females, the pupal and adult survival rate and the pupal life span. The limit of the growth rate was studied and the results were satisfactory when compared with data of tsetse fly mass rearing. The effect of adult and pupal survival rates on the growth rate was examined and confirmed the importance of adult survival. The sensitivity analysis showed that the growth rate was particularly sensitive to change in the survival rate of young nulliparous females. This matrix model, directly accessible to the experimenter, enhanced our understanding of tsetse population dynamics.
The inhibitory effects of the cysteine protease inhibitor, oryzacystatin, on digestive proteases and on larval survival and development of the southern corn rootworm (Diabrotica undecimpunctata howardi)
Authors: Edmonds Heather S. , Gatehouse Laurence N. , Hilder Vaughan A. , Gatehouse John A.
Published: March 2011

At least eight proteolytic activities have been identified in the midgut contents of larval Southern corn rootworm (Diabrotica undecimpunctata howardi). Around 70% of protease activity could be arrested by the cysteine protease inhibitors E‐64 and chicken egg‐white cystatin, while the aspartic acid protease inhibitor pepstatin caused 30% inhibition. The cysteine protease activity was found to be highly sensitive to inhibition by both chicken egg‐white cystatin and the rice cystatin, oryzacystatin I. Oryzacystatin I, expressed as a fully functional fusion protein inE. coli, was found to strongly inhibit larval gut protease activity. This recombinant oryzacystatin, incorporated into artificial diet at concentrations of 10 mM and above, caused significant decreases in larval survival and weight gain. E‐64 was also shown to cause a significant antimetabolicin vivoeffect. These results demonstrate the great potential for cysteine protease inhibitors, such as oryzacystatin, as tools for exploitation in the control of the Southern corn rootworm.
The effect of nitrogen fertilizer applied to Euphorbia pulcherrima on the parasitization of Bemisia argentifolii by the parasitoid Encarsia formosa
Authors: Bentz Jo‐Ann , Reeves James , Barbosa Pedro , Francis Barry
Published: March 2011

More wasps of Encarsia formosa Gahan (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) were found on fertilized poinsettias, Euphorbia pulcherrima (Willd.) (Euphorbiaceae), than on non‐fertilized plants. Parasitization of Bemisia argentifolii Bellows & Perring (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) by E. formosa was higher on plants treated with calcium nitrate than with ammonium nitrate or on control plants. In a no‐choice test, host feeding by E. formosa was higher when hosts were on fertilized plants than when hosts were on control plants. The nitrogen content of whitefly pupae reared on plants treated with ammonium nitrate was higher than those on calcium nitrate‐treated plants.

Variability in the parasitization of B. argentifolii by E. formosa appears to be due to host plant‐mediated differences in the whiteflies. E. formosa may be influenced by the nutritional suitability of the host, which influences whether wasps continue to oviposit, feed, or disperse.
The perception of genetic similarity by the solitary parthenogenetic parasitoid Venturia canescens, and its effects on the occurrence of superparasitism
Authors: Marris Gay C. , Hubbard Stephen F. , Scrimgeour Charles
Published: March 2011

Observations of oviposition patterns adopted by uniparental lines of the solitary parthenogenetic endoparasitoid Venturia canescens Gravenhorst (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) reveal that the occurrence of superparasitism is influenced by the genealogical relationship between adult wasps and conspecific progeny which they encounter within parasitized hosts (larvae of the Indian meal moth Plodia interpunctella Hübner (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)): the closer the relationship, the lower the occurrence of superparasitism. This behaviour has an adaptive interpretation because it allows Venturia to avoid selective penalties incurred when larval offspring compete with genetically similar progeny. Venturia's ability to discriminate between her own eggs, those of her relatives, and those of other conspecifics is mediated by a chemical marker produced by Dufour's gland, an accessory of the adult female's reproductive system. This conclusion is supported by chemical analyses which reveal that, while Dufour's glands from unrelated females show highly significant variation between the spectra of volatile hydrocarbons contained in their respective secretions, closely‐related females show negligible differences in their chemical constitutions. These findings lend further weight to current theory that superparasitism can be deliberately deployed as an adaptive part of a wasp's behavioural repertoire, and also identify the physiological mechanism by which such an oviposition response may be achieved.