bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Between stereotype and authenticity
Authors: Starr‐Glass David
Published: November 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide international business students with a deeper appreciation of cross‐culture issues that might impact their future management practice. Specifically, it considers the use of action research as a driver of the learning dynamics of a course in cross‐cultural management.

Design/methodology/approach

The course was designed around core readings and assignments that suggested action research as a way of coming to a more authentic appreciation of cross‐cultural management scenarios. Action research was not, however, formally discussed or introduced. In this initial study, participant reflections were collected and analyzed from a phenomenological perspective.

Findings

Results suggest that students, when forced into situations that required them to explore a new cultural dimension, were able to implicitly use action research models. This led participants to a deeper appreciation of their own national culture (predominantly Russian) and a more nuanced approach to considering novel cross‐cultural contexts.

Research limitations/implications

Lack of experimental controls, pre‐ and post‐testing, and limited sample size all tend to limit the generalizability of the findings. Initial findings, however, do suggest that deeper explorations of national culture might reduce stereotyping.

Practical implications

Limited engagement and stereotyping are often associated with teaching cross‐cultural management. Action research, as a course drive, potentially increases engagement, forces deeper consideration, and allows participants to reflect on their own cross‐cultural experiences. The use of action research may be useful in college‐level programs, study abroad situations, and vocational or institutional cross‐cultural training.

Originality/value

This study argues for more dynamic ways of teaching cross‐cultural competencies. It seeks to move students beyond stereotyping to a more authentic consideration of dealing across national culture boundaries.
Standardized reporting of climate change information in Australia
Authors: Cotter Julie , Najah Muftah , Sophie Wang Shihui
Published: November 2011

Purpose

This paper seeks to explore the gaps between regulatory requirements and authoritative guidance regarding climate disclosure in Australia; reporting practices; and the demands for increased disclosure and standardization of that disclosure.

Design/methodology/approach

The Draft Reporting Framework of the Climate Disclosure Standards Board (CDSB) is used to develop a scoring system against which the climate disclosures of one large Australian company that has received awards for its disclosure record are assessed. Relevant theories of voluntary disclosure are used to explain the findings.

Findings

The results of this analysis indicate an inadequate amount of disclosure in this company's reports about some aspects of climate change impacts and their management. Further, the disclosures that are made tend to lack technical detail and are somewhat skewed towards the more positive aspects of climate change impacts and management.

Research limitations/implications

These findings are based on just one large Australian company that has received commendations for its climate disclosure record, and may therefore not reflect the climate disclosure practices of other Australian companies.

Practical implications

The results of this case study appear to support calls for increased guidelines for the disclosure of climate change related information and greater standardization of reporting. Several potential policy options for doing this are assessed.

Originality/value

The paper uses an objective measure to assess climate change disclosures which was developed for this research. The results are expected to be useful for informing the continuing debate around the regulation of and/or provision of guidance to Australian companies about the disclosure of climate change related information.
Now I have a voice: service user and carer involvement in clinical psychology training
Authors: Holttum Sue , Lea Laura , Morris Di , Riley Linda , Byrne Diana
Published: November 2011

Purpose

This paper aims to describe the challenges and rewards of service user and carer involvement in clinical psychology training as experienced in one training centre.

Design/methodology/approach

After outlining the major challenges of involvement in higher education and in clinical psychology training, the paper describes the work carried out by the authors. Members of the service user and carer advisory group Salomons Advisory Group of Experts by Experience (SAGE) recount their experiences of working with them in clinical psychology and Increasing Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) training. The challenges of inclusion and specific approaches that are used to work with these are explored.

Findings

Members of SAGE have experienced their contributions to the work in positive ways. However, inclusion in this context requires everyone involved to fully acknowledge the social and historical barriers in order to work together to overcome them.

Practical implications

Some of the approaches to meeting the challenges of inclusion in doctoral level clinical training may be applicable in other places.

Social implications

In the authors' experience, true inclusion means openness to the authoritative voices of people not normally viewed as educators. A parallel question is the degree to which professionals feel safe to admit to service user experience or to draw upon other aspects of their personhood while working professionally. This may be crucial for successful partnership.

Originality/value

The authors are still on this journey of inclusion, and hope that by sharing some of their experiences of its complexities that they may help illuminate some elements of others' journeys.
Early resistance of alien and native pines against two native generalist insect herbivores: no support for the natural enemy hypothesis
Authors: Carrillo‐Gavilán Amparo , Moreira Xoaquín , Zas Rafael , Vilà Montserrat , Sampedro Luis
Published: November 2011

1. The natural enemy hypothesis (NEH) predicts that alien plant species might receive less pressure from natural enemies than do related coexisting native plants. However, most studies to date are based on pairs of native and alien species, and the results remain inconclusive. The level of attack by native generalist herbivores can vary considerably between plant species, depending on defensive traits and strategies. Plant defences include preformed constitutive and induced defences that are activated as plastic responses to herbivore attack. However, the efficacy of induced defences could be altered when alien species entering an area are exposed to native enemies.

2. We tested the NEH for several closely related alien and native pines to Europe by examining early anti‐herbivore resistance to damage by two generalist native insect herbivores (Hylobius abietis and Thaumetopoea pityocampa); the differences in constitutive and inducible chemical defences (i.e. non‐volatile resin and total phenolics in the stem and needles); and whether consumption preferences shift after induced defences have been triggered by real herbivory.

3. We did not find alien pines to be less damaged by two generalist herbivores than native pines were. The constitutive concentration of chemical defences significantly differed among pine species. The concentration of constitutive total phenolics in the stem was greater in native than in alien pines. The opposite trend was found for constitutive total phenolics in the needles. The concentration of chemical defences (non‐volatile resin and total phenolics) in the stem significantly increased after herbivory by H. abietis. Moreover, the induction of total phenolics by H. abietis damage was significantly greater in native pine species than in alien pines. On the other hand, only concentrations of non‐volatile resin in needles significantly increased after herbivory by T. pityocampa, but without significant differences in inducibility between alien and native pines. In cafeteria bioassays, H. abietis consumed the twigs from alien more than those from native species irrespective of prior exposure to the insect. Meanwhile, no differences among range origin were found in the T. pityocampa cafeteria bioassays.

4. Overall, we found no support for the NEH in alien pines to Europe. This suggests that alien pines, in regions where they coexist with native congeners, may be controlled by native generalist herbivores, this being one reason that invasion by alien pines is not frequent in Europe.
Thermal adaptation in endotherms: climate and phylogeny interact to determine population‐level responses in a wild rat
Authors: Glanville Elsa J. , Murray Shauna A. , Seebacher Frank
Published: November 2011

1. The ecology of endotherms is driven by their great energetic need for thermoregulation, which renders mammals and birds particularly vulnerable to environmental temperature and resource fluctuations. Important outstanding questions are whether populations are specialized to their particular climate, and to what extent gene × environment interactions determine thermal responses.

2. Here, we show that phylogenetic relatedness and climate interact to determine metabolic capacities, body temperature and morphology in a wild rat (Rattus fuscipes).

3. Mitochondrial metabolic capacities are greater in warm climate populations, indicating that these responses are not the result of cold adaptation. However, glycolytic capacities, fur thickness and capacity for nonshivering thermogenesis are greater in cool climate populations. In populations from cooler climates, body temperatures are lower, but more variable. Together, these changes lead to substantial energy savings in cool climate populations, although all traits are constrained by phylogenetic relatedness.

4. We demonstrate for the first time that gene × environment interactions determine thermal responses in wild mammal populations, and we suggest that physiological variability among populations may render the species more resilient to climate change because it increases whole‐species performance breadth. Climate envelope modelling is therefore insufficient to predict the future impact of climate change.
The effect of plant architecture on drought resistance: implications for the evolution of semelparity in Erysimum capitatum
Authors: Kim Eunsuk , Donohue Kathleen
Published: November 2011

1. Constraints of resource allocation between reproduction and adult survival have been implicated in much life‐history variation, yet physiological or functional trade‐offs with juvenile survival may be just as important. Here, we examined selection on a juvenile trait that is a key determinant of semelparous (monocarpic) vs. iteroparous (polycarpic) life‐history expression.

2. In Erysimum capitatum, iteroparous plants produce more rosettes at the juvenile stage than do semelparous plants; those rosettes perennate, enabling subsequent reproductive episodes. Thus, the number of rosettes produced before reproduction is a strong determinant of iteroparity. We tested whether increased rosette production compromised juvenile survival under conditions similar to those in which semelparity predominates over iteroparity.

3. Using plants from six natural populations, we tested the association between rosette production and juvenile survival under drought conditions typical of the field sites of semelparous E. capitatum populations. We also manipulated rosette number by physically removing rosettes and examined the effect of rosette removal on drought resistance.

4. Under drought conditions, plants with fewer rosettes had higher survival, and the physical excision of rosettes improved survival (significantly or marginally) under drought stress in five of six natural populations.

5. The lower production of rosettes, typical of semelparous E. capitatum, was associated with increased juvenile survival under drought stress. The results suggest adaptive differentiation of rosette production, at least partially in response to drought stress. Given the role of apical dominance in multiple rosette development, natural selection seems to favour stronger apical dominance under drought conditions. Drought stress is predicted to be more common at high elevation as a result of climate change, and the novel drought stress could increase juvenile mortality of alpine E. capitatum. Because rosette production at the juvenile stage is necessary for iteroparity, these results demonstrate that drought‐induced selection on traits that determine early survival has significant potential to influence the evolution of adult life‐history expression.
F8 and F9 mutations in US haemophilia patients: correlation with history of inhibitor and race/ethnicity
Authors: MILLER C. H. , BENSON J. , ELLINGSEN D. , DRIGGERS J. , PAYNE A. , KELLY F. M. , SOUCIE J. M. , CRAIG HOOPER W. ,   THE HEMOPHILIA INHIBITOR RESEARCH STUDY INVESTIGATORS
Published: November 2011

Summary.  Both genetic and treatment‐related risk factors contribute to the development of inhibitors in haemophilia. An inhibitor surveillance system piloted at 12 US sites has the goal of assessing risk factors through prospective data collection. This report examines the relationship of genotype and race/ethnicity to history of inhibitor in a large cohort of US haemophilia patients. Mutation analysis was performed on 676 haemophilia A (HA) and 153 haemophilia B (HB) patients by sequencing, Multiplex Ligation‐dependent Probe Amplification, and PCR for inversions in F8 introns 22 (inv22) and 1 (inv1). Two HB patients with deletions had history of inhibitor. In severe HA, frequency of history of inhibitor was: large deletion 57.1%, splice site 35.7%, inv22 26.8%, nonsense 24.5%, frameshift 12.9%, inv1 11.1% and missense 9.5%. In HA, 19.6% of 321 White non‐Hispanics (Whites), 37.1% of 35 Black non‐Hispanics (Blacks) and 46.9% of 32 Hispanics had history of inhibitor (P = 0.0003). Mutation types and novel mutation rates were similar across ethnicities. When F8 haplotypes were constructed, Whites and Hispanics showed only H1 and H2. Within H1, history of inhibitor was 12.4% in Whites, 40.0% in Blacks (P = 0.009) and 32.4% in Hispanics (P = 0.002). Inhibitor frequency is confirmed to vary by mutation type and race in a large US population. White patients with history of inhibitor did not exhibit rare F8 haplotypes. F8 gene analysis did not reveal a cause for the higher inhibitor frequencies in Black and Hispanic patients.
Consumer–resource coupling in wet–dry tropical rivers
Authors: Jardine Timothy D. , Pettit Neil E. , Warfe Danielle M. , Pusey Bradley J. , Ward Doug P. , Douglas Michael M. , Davies Peter M. , Bunn Stuart E.
Published: November 2011

1. Despite implications for top‐down and bottom‐up control and the stability of food webs, understanding the links between consumers and their diets remains difficult, particularly in remote tropical locations where food resources are usually abundant and variable and seasonal hydrology produces alternating patterns of connectivity and isolation.

2. We used a large scale survey of freshwater biota from 67 sites in three catchments (Daly River, Northern Territory; Fitzroy River, Western Australia; and the Mitchell River, Queensland) in Australia’s wet–dry tropics and analysed stable isotopes of carbon (δ13C) to search for broad patterns in resource use by consumers in conjunction with known and measured indices of connectivity, the duration of floodplain inundation, and dietary choices (i.e. stomach contents of fish).

3. Regression analysis of biofilm δ13C against consumer δ13C, as an indicator of reliance on local food sources (periphyton and detritus), varied depending on taxa and catchment.

4. The carbon isotope ratios of benthic invertebrates were tightly coupled to those of biofilm in all three catchments, suggesting assimilation of local resources by these largely nonmobile taxa.

5. Stable C isotope ratios of fish, however, were less well‐linked to those of biofilm and varied by catchment according to hydrological connectivity; the perennially flowing Daly River with a long duration of floodplain inundation showed the least degree of coupling, the seasonally flowing Fitzroy River with an extremely short flood period showed the strongest coupling, and the Mitchell River was intermediate in connectivity, flood duration and consumer–resource coupling.

6. These findings highlight the high mobility of the fish community in these rivers, and how hydrological connectivity between habitats drives patterns of consumer–resource coupling.
An integrative review of interventions promoting self‐care of patients with heart failure
Authors: Barnason Susan , Zimmerman Lani , Young Lufei
Published: November 2011

Aim and objective.  To examine the interventions used to improve self‐care of heart failure patients. The specific objectives were to examine the efficacy of interventions to improve heart failure self‐care (self‐maintenance and self‐management behaviours) and patient‐related factors such as knowledge about heart failure, self‐efficacy for heart failure self‐care (confidence) and beliefs regarding heart failure self‐care.

Background.  Despite the significant advances in the treatment and management of heart failure, there continues to be poor patient outcomes associated with this clinical syndrome.

Design.  An integrative review.

Method.  A search of MEDLINE, PsychINFO, Cochrane data base of clinical trials and the cumulative index of nursing and allied health literature (CINAHL) databases was conducted using 14 search terms for a period from 2000–2010. Hand searching of reference lists and author lists was also conducted. Nineteen eligible self‐care intervention studies were included in this review.

Results.  Cognitive–behavioural intervention mechanisms were most frequently used to improve patient’s heart failure self‐care. In the majority of the studies, the interventions demonstrated efficacy by improving heart failure patients’ self‐care maintenance and management behaviours. Intervention group subjects, in the majority of studies, had significantly higher levels of knowledge pertaining to heart failure and heart failure related self‐care.

Relevance to clinical practice.  Based on these findings, there are improved patient outcomes when standard patient education for heart failure is augmented using cognitive–behavioural strategies that include additional evidence‐based education and counselling.
Experiences of abdominal massage for constipation
Authors: Lämås Kristina , Graneheim Ulla H , Jacobsson Catrine
Published: November 2011

Aim.  This study aims to illuminate participants’ experiences of receiving abdominal massage for constipation.

Background.  Abdominal massage has been found to decrease the severity of constipation and abdominal pain, but little is known about how patients experience receiving abdominal massage.

Design.  The present study is a qualitative descriptive study, based on individual interviews.

Method.  Nine adults receiving abdominal massage for constipation were invited to participate. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted in Sweden between 2005–2007. The interviews were transcribed and subjected to qualitative content analysis.

Results.  Four themes were formulated: ‘being on one’s guard’, ‘becoming embraced by safe hands’, ‘being touched physically and emotionally’ and ‘feeling vulnerable’. The participants reported that they were on guard, i.e. they were sceptical about whether or not abdominal massage was effective and suitable. However, as the massage sessions continued, they found the massage pleasant and began to feel embraced and in safe hands. They described how the abdominal massage made them feel as ‘being touched physically and emotionally’ and their bowel habits were improved. Along with the improvements, their agony was gone and they felt relieved. However, they considered their new condition fragile and they felt vulnerable to relapse.

Conclusions.  Abdominal massage was experienced as pleasurable, and after treatment, the participants felt more comfortable with their bowel function. Participants described abdominal massage as affecting the whole person.

Relevance to clinical practice.  Abdominal massage has been shown to be an effective intervention for constipation. A crucial aspect is that nurses need to be sensitive and respect the intimacy associated with the abdomen.
Pretreatment HBeAg level and an early decrease in HBeAg level predict virologic response to entecavir treatment for HBeAg‐positive chronic hepatitis B
Authors: Kwon J. H. , Jang J. W. , Lee S. , Lee J. , Chung K. W. , Lee Y. S. , Choi J. Y.
Published: November 2011

Summary.  There are few reports on hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) titres during nucleos(t)ide analogues treatment. We investigated the changes in HBeAg levels in patients treated with entecavir and the usefulness of HBeAg quantification for predicting antiviral response. Ninety‐five consecutive HBeAg‐positive patients treated with entecavir for more than 48 weeks were enrolled. Serum levels of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), HBeAg and HBV DNA were assessed at 4‐week intervals to week 24 and thereafter at 12‐week intervals. Virologic response (Y1VR) was defined as an undetectable HBV DNA level at week 48 of therapy. During 48 weeks, HBeAg and HBV DNA level decreased significantly in a biphasic manner and HBsAg level tended to decease. Fifty‐three patients (55.8%) attained Y1VR. Pretreatment HBeAg levels were significantly lower in the Y1VR group than in no Y1VR group. At week 4 and 12 of therapy, 25% and 41.4% of patients showed a decrease of HBeAg levels with >0.5 log10 and >1.0 log10 from baseline, respectively. These patients achieved more Y1VR than those with less decrease of HBeAg levels (97.7%vs 22.2% and 86.2%vs 29.3%, respectively). HBeAg level at week 12 had higher predictive values for Y1VR than HBV DNA level. Multivariate analysis revealed that a pretreatment HBeAg level of <360 PEIU/mL and the reduction in HBeAg level >1.0 log10 at week 12 were associated with Y1VR. These results suggest that pretreatment HBeAg level and an early decrease in HBeAg level are useful measurements for predicting one‐year virologic response during entecavir treatment.
Reconstruction of a beech population bottleneck using archival demographic information and Bayesian analysis of genetic data
Authors: LANDER TONYA A. , ODDOU‐MURATORIO SYLVIE , PROUILLET‐LEPLAT HELENE , KLEIN ETIENNE K.
Published: November 2011

Range expansion and contraction has occurred in the history of most species and can seriously impact patterns of genetic diversity. Historical data about range change are rare and generally appropriate for studies at large scales, whereas the individual pollen and seed dispersal events that form the basis of geneflow and colonization generally occur at a local scale. In this study, we investigated range change in Fagus sylvatica on Mont Ventoux, France, using historical data from 1838 to the present and approximate Bayesian computation (ABC) analyses of genetic data. From the historical data, we identified a population minimum in 1845 and located remnant populations at least 200 years old. The ABC analysis selected a demographic scenario with three populations, corresponding to two remnant populations and one area of recent expansion. It also identified expansion from a smaller ancestral population but did not find that this expansion followed a population bottleneck, as suggested by the historical data. Despite a strong support to the selected scenario for our data set, the ABC approach showed a low power to discriminate among scenarios on average and a low ability to accurately estimate effective population sizes and divergence dates, probably due to the temporal scale of the study. This study provides an unusual opportunity to test ABC analysis in a system with a well‐documented demographic history and identify discrepancies between the results of historical, classical population genetic and ABC analyses. The results also provide valuable insights into genetic processes at work at a fine spatial and temporal scale in range change and colonization.
Unravelling the peculiarities of island life: vicariance, dispersal and the diversification of the extinct and extant giant Galápagos tortoises
Authors: POULAKAKIS NIKOS , RUSSELLO MICHAEL , GEIST DENNIS , CACCONE ADALGISA
Published: November 2011

In isolated oceanic islands, colonization patterns are often interpreted as resulting from dispersal rather than vicariant events. Such inferences may not be appropriate when island associations change over time and new islands do not form in a simple linear trend. Further complexity in the phylogeography of ocean islands arises when dealing with endangered taxa as extinctions, uncertainty on the number of evolutionary ‘units’, and human activities can obscure the progression of colonization events. Here, we address these issues through a reconstruction of the evolutionary history of giant Galápagos tortoises, integrating DNA data from extinct and extant species with information on recent human activities and newly available geological data. Our results show that only three of the five extinct or nearly extinct species should be considered independent evolutionary units. Dispersal from mainland South America started at approximately 3.2 Ma after the emergence of the two oldest islands of San Cristobal and Española. Dispersal from older to younger islands began approximately 1.74 Ma and was followed by multiple colonizations from different sources within the archipelago. Vicariant events, spurred by island formation, coalescence, and separation, contributed to lineage diversifications on Pinzón and Floreana dating from 1.26 and 0.85 Ma. This work provides an example of how to reconstruct the history of endangered taxa in spite of extinctions and human‐mediated dispersal events and highlights the need to take into account both vicariance and dispersal when dealing with organisms from islands whose associations are not simply explained by a linear emergence model.
Pilotin–secretin recognition in the type II secretion system of Klebsiella oxytoca
Authors: Tosi Tommaso , Nickerson Nicholas N. , Mollica Luca , Jensen Malene Ringkjøbing , Blackledge Martin , Baron Bruno , England Patrick , Pugsley Anthony P. , Dessen Andréa
Published: November 2011

A crucial aspect of the functionality of bacterial type II secretion systems is the targeting and assembly of the outer membrane secretin. In the Klebsiella oxytoca type II secretion system, the lipoprotein PulS, a pilotin, targets secretin PulD monomers through the periplasm to the outer membrane. We present the crystal structure of PulS, an all‐helical bundle that is structurally distinct from proteins with similar functions. Replacement of valine at position 42 in a charged groove of PulS abolished complex formation between a non‐lipidated variant of PulS and a peptide corresponding to the unfolded region of PulD to which PulS binds (the S‐domain), in vitro, as well as PulS function in vivo. Substitutions of other residues in the groove also diminished the interaction with the S‐domain in vitro but exerted less marked effects in vivo. We propose that the interaction between PulS and the S‐domain is maintained through a structural adaptation of the two proteins that could be influenced by cis factors such as the fatty acyl groups on PulS, as well as periplasmic trans‐acting factors, which represents a possible paradigm for chaperone–target protein interactions.
Identification of a galactose‐specific flocculin essential for non‐sexual flocculation and filamentous growth in Schizosaccharomyces pombe
Authors: Matsuzawa Tomohiko , Morita Tomotake , Tanaka Naotaka , Tohda Hideki , Takegawa Kaoru
Published: November 2011

Although various mutant strains of the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe exhibit non‐sexual flocculation, little is known about the mechanistic basis for this phenomenon, nor have genes encoding the implicated flocculin been identified. In the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the transcription factor Flo8 controls expression of some of the genes involved in non‐sexual flocculation. We have found that overexpression of S. cerevisiae FLO8 induced non‐sexual flocculation in S. pombe. This non‐sexual flocculation was Ca2+‐dependent, and was inhibited by addition of galactose, but not by mannose, glucose or sucrose. In the FLO8‐overexpressing strain, a gene designated gsf2+ (galactose‐specific flocculation) was specifically induced. The gsf2+ gene was also highly expressed in lkh1Δ, tup12Δ and gsf1 mutants, all of which exhibited non‐sexual flocculation dependent on gsf2+. We show that the N‐terminal region of Gsf2 recognizes galactose in mediating cell–cell interaction. Disruption of gsf2+ also abolished the adhesion phenotype and invasive growth of the wild‐type strain cultured in low ammonium medium. The newly identified flocculin Gsf2 in fission yeast was not only required for non‐sexual flocculation but was also required for adhesion and filamentous growth through recognition of galactose residues on cell surface glycoconjugates.
RNA mimicry, a decoy for regulatory proteins
Authors: Marzi S. , Romby P.
Published: November 2011

Small non‐coding RNA molecules (sRNA) are key regulators participating in complex networks, which adapt metabolism in response to environmental changes. In this issue of Molecular Microbiology, and in a related paper in Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, Moreno et al. (2011) and Sonnleitner et al. (2009) report on novel sRNAs, which act as decoys to inhibit the activity of the master post‐transcriptional regulatory protein Crc. Crc is a key protein involved in carbon catabolite repression that optimizes metabolism improving the adaptation of the bacteria to their diverse habitats. Crc is a novel RNA‐binding protein that regulates translation of multiple target mRNAs. Two regulatory sRNAs in Pseudomonas putida mimic the natural mRNA targets of Crc and counteract the action of Crc by sequestrating the protein when catabolite repression is absent. Crc trapping by a sRNA is a mechanism reminiscent to the regulation of the repressor of secondary metabolites (RsmA) in Pseudomonas, and highlights the suitability of RNA‐dependent regulation to rapidly adjust cell growth in response to environmental changes.
The effects of methane and hydrogen gases produced by enteric bacteria on ileal motility and colonic transit time
Authors: Jahng J. , Jung I. S. , Choi E. J. , Conklin J. L. , Park H.
Published: November 2011

Background  Gases produced by intestinal flora may modulate intestinal motor function in healthy individuals as well as those with functional bowel disease. Methane, produced by enteric bacteria in the human gut, is associated with slowed intestinal transit and constipation. The effects of hydrogen, another main gas produced by bacterial fermentation in the gut, on small bowel and colonic motor function remains unrecognized. Therefore, we set out to investigate whether intestinal gases including methane and hydrogen could influence the small bowel motility and colonic transit.

Methods  Guinea pig ileum was placed in the peristaltic bath with tension transducers attached to measure velocity and amplitude of peristaltic contraction before and after the infusion of control, hydrogen, and methane gases. Also, changes in the intraluminal pressures were monitored before and after the gas infusions.

Key Results  Methane decreased peristaltic velocity and increased contraction amplitude significantly of guinea pig ileum (P < 0.05). The AUC of intraluminal pressure was significantly increased with methane in guinea pig ileum (P < 0.05). In a second experiment, guinea pig colon was placed in the peristaltic bath to measure transit time before and after control, hydrogen, methane, and methane‐hydrogen mixture gas infusions. Hydrogen shortened colonic transit time by 47% in the proximal colon, and by 10% in the distal colon, when compared with baselines (P < 0.05).

Conclusions & Inferences  Methane delayed ileal peristaltic conduction velocity by augmenting contractility. Hydrogen shortened colonic transit, and that effect was more prominent in the proximal colon than distal colon.
Slow gallbladder emptying reverts to normal but small intestinal transit of a physiological meal remains slow in celiac patients during gluten‐free diet
Authors: Benini F. , Mora A. , Turini D. , Bertolazzi S. , Lanzarotto F. , Ricci C. , Villanacci V. , Barbara G. , Stanghellini V. , Lanzini A.
Published: November 2011

Background  Alterations of small intestinal transit and gallbladder (GB) motility have been reported in celiac disease (CD) in studies involving, in most cases, non‐physiological experimental conditions and artificial stimuli to motility. Our aims were to quantitate non‐invasively small intestinal transit time and GB emptying during administration of a physiological and palatable solid meal, and to assess the effect of gluten‐free diet (GFD).

Methods  We simultaneously measured mouth‐to‐cecum transit time (MCTT) using a validated H2 breath test, and GB motility using ultrasonography. We studied CD patients before (n = 19) and during (n = 14) GFD, and healthy volunteers (n = 24) following administration of a physiological solid meal (Kcal 539).

Key Results  Mouth‐to‐cecum transit time was more prolonged in CD (mean ± SEM: 235 ± 96 min) than in controls (169 ± 65 min, P = 0.0039). The GB fasting volume and postprandial residual volume were significantly higher in CD than in controls, and GB emptying constant was slower in CD than in controls. During GFD, GB emptying reverted to normal, but MCTT remained unchanged (229 ± 69 min) and more prolonged in CD than in controls (P = 0.0139). During GFD, duodenal infiltration with lymphocytes and mast cells persisted higher than that in controls, and the number of mast cells lying in proximity of nervous endings did not change.

Conclusions & Inferences  Slow postprandial MCTT in response to a physiological meal does not revert to normal during GFD, an effect mirroring incomplete histopathologic recovery.
Low diversity and fast evolution in the population of Puccinia triticina causing durum wheat leaf rust in France from 1999 to 2009, as revealed by an adapted differential set
Authors: Goyeau H. , Berder J. , Czerepak C. , Gautier A. , Lanen C. , Lannou C.
Published: November 2011

No internationally agreed differential set is available for characterization of virulences in populations of Puccinia triticina causing wheat leaf rust on durum wheat. In a first step, 73 potentially differential host genotypes were tested with 96 durum leaf rust isolates collected in France. A differential set, adapted to the local epidemiological context and useful for comparison with international studies was selected, including French commercial cultivars, Thatcher lines with Lr genes, and international cultivars. In the second step, a sample of 310 isolates collected in France from 1999 to 2009 was characterized on this set. Diversity was very low, as only five pathotypes were distinguished. Genotyping of a subset of 76 isolates according to 20 SSR markers confirmed this low diversity, with 73 isolates belonging to a single dominant genotype. Population was strongly shaped by cultivars, and the findings explain the successive breakdown of resistance sources deployed in French durum wheat cultivars. The gene Lr14a, suggested to be an efficient source of resistance in several European and American countries, was overcome by pathotypes frequent in France since 2000. Postulation of resistance genes in the commercial cultivars led to a proposed simplified version of the differential set. This study, providing new information about leaf rust resistance genes present in the French durum wheat germplasm, highlights the need to diversify sources of resistance to P. triticina in this germplasm. The results are also discussed in terms of relatedness and intercontinental migration of P. triticina on durum wheat.
Sharp‐based marine sandstone bodies in the Mulichinco Formation (Lower Cretaceous), Neuquén Basin, Argentina: remnants of transgressive offshore sand ridges
Authors: SCHWARZ ERNESTO
Published: November 2011

The interpretation of sharp‐based shallow‐marine sandstone bodies encased in offshore mudstones, particularly transgressive units, has been a subject of recent debate. This contribution provides a multiple‐dataset approach and new identification criteria which could help in the recognition of transgressive offshore sandstone bodies worldwide. This study integrates sedimentology, ichnology, taphonomy and palaeoecology of Mulichinco Formation strata in the central Neuquén Basin (Argentina) in order to describe and interpret sharp‐based sandstone bodies developed in ramp‐type marine settings. These bodies are sandwiched between finer‐grained siliciclastics beneath and thin carbonates above. The underlying sediments comprise progradational successions from offshore mudstones to offshore transition muddy sandstones, grading occasionally into lower shoreface sandstones. The surfaces capping the regressive siliciclastics are flat and regionally extensive, and are demarcated by skeletal concentrations and a Glossifungites suite; they are also marked by sandstone rip‐up clasts, with encrustations and borings on all sides. These surfaces are interpreted as composite discontinuities, cut during a relative sea‐level fall and remodelled during the initial transgression. The overlying transgressive sandstone bodies are 3 to 7 m thick, >4 km long and about three times longer than wide; they are composed of fine‐grained sandstones with little lateral change in grain size. Cross‐stratification and/or cross‐lamination are common, typically with smaller‐scale structures and finer grain size towards the top. Large‐scale, low‐angle (5° to 8°) inclined stratification is also common, dipping at ca 30° with respect to body elongation and dominant currents. These sandstone bodies are interpreted as offshore sand ridges, probably developed under the influence of tidal currents. Intense burrowing is typical at the top of each unit, suggesting an abandonment stage. Final deactivation favoured colonization by epibenthic‐dominated communities and the formation of skeletal‐rich limestones during the latest transgressive conditions. As partial reworking of pre‐existing ridges occurred during this stage, the Mulichinco sandstone bodies are considered the remnants of transgressive offshore sand units.
A Solanum lycopersicum catechol‐O‐methyltransferase involved in synthesis of the flavor molecule guaiacol
Authors: Mageroy Melissa H. , Tieman Denise M. , Floystad Abbye , Taylor Mark G. , Klee Harry J.
Published: November 2011

O‐methyltransferases (OMT) are important enzymes that are responsible for the synthesis of many small molecules, which include lignin monomers, flavonoids, alkaloids, and aroma compounds. One such compound is guaiacol, a small volatile molecule with a smoky aroma that contributes to tomato flavor. Little information is known about the pathway and regulation of synthesis of guaiacol. One possible route for synthesis is via catechol methylation. We identified a tomato O‐methyltransferase (CTOMT1) with homology to a Nicotiana tabacum catechol OMT. CTOMT1 was cloned from Solanum lycopersicum cv. M82 and expressed in Escherichia coli. Recombinant CTOMT1 enzyme preferentially methylated catechol, producing guaiacol. To validate the in vivo function of CTOMT1, gene expression was either decreased or increased in transgenic S. lycopersicum plants. Knockdown of CTOMT1 resulted in significantly reduced fruit guaiacol emissions. CTOMT1 overexpression resulted in slightly increased fruit guaiacol emission, which suggested that catechol availability might limit guaiacol production. To test this hypothesis, wild type (WT) and CTOMT1 that overexpress tomato pericarp discs were supplied with exogenously applied catechol. Guaiacol production increased in both WT and transgenic fruit discs, although to a much greater extent in CTOMT1 overexpressing discs. Finally, we identified S. pennellii introgression lines with increased guaiacol content and higher expression of CTOMT1. These lines also showed a trend toward lower catechol levels. Taken together, we concluded that CTOMT1 is a catechol‐O‐methyltransferase that produces guaiacol in tomato fruit.
Identification of kinase substrates by bimolecular complementation assays
Authors: Pusch Stefan , Harashima Hirofumi , Schnittger Arp
Published: November 2011

As a consequence of the transient nature of kinase–substrate interactions, the detection of kinase targets, although central for understanding many biological processes, has remained challenging. Here we present a straightforward procedure that relies on the comparison of wild type with activation‐loop mutants in the kinase of interest by bimolecular complementation assays. As a proof of functionality, we present the identification and in vivo confirmation of substrates of the major cell‐cycle kinase in Arabidopsis, revealing a direct link between cell proliferation and the control of the redox state.
Immunohistochemical profile of cytokeratins in pseudoepitheliomatous hyperplasia of cutaneous Leishmaniasis
Authors: Viana Agostinho G. , Domingos Patrícia L. B. , Kaminagakura Estela , Botelho Ana C. C. , Martelli Hercílio , Bonan Paulo R. F.
Published: November 2011

Background  The purpose of this study was to evaluate the immunohistochemical profile of cytokeratins (Ck) in pseudoepitheliomatous hyperplasia of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL).

Methods  The tissue samples, with pseudoepitheliomatous hyperplasia, were collected from 37 patients (age 6–85 years old) with indolent ulcers in skin confirmed as CL. The lesions were submitted to immunolabeling for Ck pairs 4–13, 5–14, and 6–16.

Results  In the 37 CL cases, Ck4 and Ck13 staining were, in the majority of cases, negative. Of them, 33 and 35 cases were negative for Ck4 and Ck13, respectively. The Ck4 immunostaining was found in basal and parabasal layers, and Ck13 was viewed in the basal compartment of epithelium. Ck5 was found in 29 cases distributed homogeneously in all layers. Ck14 and Ck6 were found in all samples in all layers, and Ck16 was positive for all cases but heterogeneously found in the basal layer.

Conclusion  In summary, we noticed that the pattern of some Ck staining in pseudoepitheliomatous hyperplasia in CL lesions revealed intense epithelial reinforcement, protection, and proliferation.
Hypopigmented papules on the upper trunk and forearm of a young man
Authors: Abadi Rami , Ishak Rim , Abbas Ossama
Published: November 2011

What is your diagnosis?
Pityriasis rubra pilaris: the clinical context of acantholysis and other histologic features
Authors: Ko Christine J. , Milstone Leonard M. , Choi Jaehyuk , McNiff Jennifer M.
Published: November 2011

Background  Acantholysis has been described in biopsies of pityriasis rubra pilaris (PRP), but this has not been emphasized in the dermatology literature. It is helpful for dermatologists to associate acantholysis with PRP in the correct clinical setting.

Objective  This study aims to further elucidate the clinical context and associated histologic features of acantholysis in PRP.

Methods  Eight cases of PRP with acantholysis, 16 other cases of PRP, 26 cases of psoriasis, and 17 cases of erythroderma of different causes were studied in an academic setting.

Results  The presence of acantholysis initially confounded the diagnosis in two cases of PRP. Acantholysis was focal or extensive and resembled Darier’s disease, Hailey–Hailey disease, or pemphigus vulgaris. Acantholysis was seen in biopsies from early, isolated papulosquamous lesions from the trunk as well as from erythroderma. By comparison, 26 cases of psoriasis and 17 cases of erythroderma showed only focal acantholysis in two cases of erythroderma.

Conclusions  Acantholysis is a histologic feature of PRP and can serve as a histologic clue to the diagnosis of PRP before the onset of erythroderma. Eosinophils and/or a lichenoid infiltrate may also be evident.
Central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia – an approach to diagnosis and management
Authors: Summers Pamela , Kyei Angela , Bergfeld Wilma
Published: November 2011

Central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia (CCCA) occurs primarily in African–American women and is the most common cause of scarring hair loss in this population. Since the mid 20th century, hair care practices of African–American women have been associated with CCCA, although there is developing evidence that the etiology of CCCA may be multifactorial. Clinically diagnosing CCCA may be challenging because it can resemble female pattern hair loss, alopecia areata, lichen planopilaris, or telogen effluvium. Therapeutic options are limited, thus the goal of treatment is to prevent progression of disease because once scar formation occurs, it is irreversible.
DFNB49 is an important cause of non‐syndromic deafness in Czech Roma patients but not in the general Czech population
Authors: Šafka Brožková D , Laštůvková J , Štěpánková H , Krůtová M , Trková M , Myška P , Seeman P
Published: November 2011

Šafka Brožková D, Laštůvková J, Štěpánková H, Krůtová M, Trková M, Myška P, Seeman P. DFNB49 is an important cause of non‐syndromic deafness in Czech Roma patients but not in the general Czech population.

Due to endogamy, the Roma have a higher risk for autosomal recessive (AR) disorders. We used homozygosity mapping on single‐nucleotide polymorphism chips in one Czech Roma consanguineous family with non‐syndromic hearing loss (NSHL). The second largest homozygous region in a deaf patient was mapped to the previously reported DFNB49 region. The MARVELD2 gene was recently reported as a causal gene for NSHL DFNB49. Sequencing of the MARVELD2 gene revealed a previously reported homozygous mutation c.1331+2 T>C (IVS4 + 2 T>C) in the deaf child. Subsequently, the same mutation was found in two more Roma families from an additional 19 unrelated Czech Roma patients with deafness tested for the MARVELD2 gene. To explore the importance of MARVELD2 mutations and DFNB49 for the general Czech and Central European population with early hearing loss we also tested 40 unrelated Czech patients with AR NSHL. No pathogenic mutation in the MARVELD2 gene was found in a group of 40 Czech non‐Roma patients. Mutations in the MARVELD2 gene seem to be a significant cause of early NSHL in Czech Roma and this gene should be tested in this group of patients after GJB2.
Tissue gas tensions and tissue metabolites for detection of organ hypoperfusion and ischemia
Authors: WÆLGAARD L. , DAHL B. M. , KVARSTEIN G. , TØNNESSEN T. I.
Published: November 2011

Background

The aim of this study was to evaluate how tissue gas tensions and tissue metabolites measured in situ can detect hypoperfusion and differentiate between aerobic and anaerobic conditions during hemorrhagic shock. We hypothesized that tissue PCO2 (PtCO2) would detect hypoperfusion also under aerobic conditions and detect anaerobic metabolism concomitantly with or earlier than other markers.

Methods

Prospective experimental animal study with eight anesthetized pigs subjected to a continuous blood loss ∼ 8% of total blood volume per hour until death. We measured cardiac index, organ blood flows, and tissue levels of PO2, PCO2, glucose, pyruvate, lactate, and glycerol in intestine, liver, kidney, and skeletal muscle.

Results

With reduction in blood flow to the organs under aerobic conditions, PtCO2 increased ∼ 1–4 kPa from baseline. With the onset of tissue hypoxia there was a pronounced increase of PtCO2, lactate, lactate‐pyruvate (LP) ratio, and glycerol. Tissue pH and bicarbonate decreased significantly, indicating that metabolic acid was buffered by bicarbonate to generate CO2.

Conclusion

Moderate tissue hypoperfusion under aerobic conditions is associated with increased PtCO2, in contrast to metabolic parameters of ischemia (lactate, LP ratio, and glycerol) which remain low. From the onset of ischemia there is a much more rapid and pronounced increase in PtCO2, lactate, and LP ratio. PtCO2 can be used as a marker of hypoperfusion under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions; it gives an earlier warning of hypoperfusion than metabolic markers and increases concomitantly with or earlier than other markers at the onset of tissue anaerobiosis.