bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Testicular histomorphologic and stereological alterations following short‐term treatment with highly active antiretroviral drugs (HAART) in an experimental animal model
Authors: Azu O. O. , Naidu E. C. S. , Naidu J. S. , Masia T. , Nzemande N. F. , Chuturgoon A. , Singh S.
Published: June 2014

The increased accessibility of antiretroviral therapy continues to positively drive the reduction in viral load and survival of patients despite the attendant reproductive toxicities. We propose that testicular damage caused by highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) can be attenuated by antioxidant treatment by investigating the testicular histomorphologic and stereological effects of antiretroviral drugs and its interaction with antioxidants using an experimental animal model. Sprague–Dawley rats were divided into seven groups of six rats per group (A, B… G) using simple random sampling and treated orally with 0.9% normal saline as placebo, a HAART cocktail of stavudine, lamivudine and nevirapine using the adjusted human therapeutic doses of 200, 600 and 350–400 mg/day, respectively, and antioxidants ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and I.M α‐tocopherol (vitamin E). Animals were killed after 4 weeks and testicular tissue harvested and processed for light microscopy and stereological evaluations. The results were interpreted by a Veterinary pathologist blinded to the study. No animal died during the experimental period. The histopathological assessment of the testis of animals treated with placebo, ascorbic acid alone and α‐tocopherol alone as well as vitamin E + HAART displayed normal testicular microanatomy. Groups treated with HAART alone, HAART + vitamin C + vitamin E and vitamins C + HAART showed extensive seminiferous tubular atrophy, necrosis and hypocellularity in the histoarchitectural patterns. While testicular cross‐sectional area of seminiferous tubules remained unaffected by HAART, epithelial heights significantly decreased (p < 0.05) when compared with controls. There was marked (p < 0.05) increased in testicular‐body weight ratio in HAART group. The results show that vitamin E could be useful in protecting testicular tissue from toxicities of HAART regimes as these results mirrors stereological data for the groups. HAART presents with deleterious histopathological changes in the testes causing tubular atrophy with altered morphometric indices. Supplementation with vitamin E appears to be a better adjuvant antioxidant that ameliorates these deleterious effects.
Correlates of low testosterone in men with chronic spinal cord injury
Authors: Barbonetti A. , Vassallo M. R. C. , Pacca F. , Cavallo F. , Costanzo M. , Felzani G. , Francavilla S. , Francavilla F.
Published: June 2014

Although high rates of serum testosterone deficiency have been reported in men with spinal cord injury (SCI), its determinants and attributes are not yet established. The aim of this study was to recognize, among putative determinants and attributes of androgen deficiency, those significantly associated to low testosterone after adjustment for confounders recognizable in men with chronic SCI. A biochemical androgen deficiency (total testosterone <300 ng/dL) was exhibited by 18 of 51 patients (35.3%). Significant correlates of testosterone levels were as follows: weekly leisure time physical activity (LTPA) explored by the LTPA Questionnaire for people with SCI, body mass index (BMI), homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA‐IR), triglycerides and sexual symptoms, explored by the aging males' symptom (AMS) questionnaire. At the multiple linear regression analysis, among putative determinants of low testosterone, only weekly LTPA and BMI exhibited a significant association with testosterone levels, explaining 54.2 and 9.0% of testosterone variability respectively. At the linear regression models, among various putative attributes of androgen deficiency, only lower sexual desire and, at a lesser extent, higher HOMA‐IR, exhibited significant associations with lower testosterone levels, after adjustment for BMI, age, comorbidities and weekly LTPA. In conclusion, poor LTPA, high BMI and low sexual desire are independent predictors of low testosterone in men with chronic SCI. This is relevant to clinical practice, as all these features are routinely assessed in rehabilitation settings for SCI. As poor LTPA and high BMI are modifiable life‐style related risk factors, prospective studies could clarify whether life‐style modification could increase the level of testosterone and improve the low sexual desire, relevant clinical attribute of low testosterone in men with SCI.
Prevalence and predictors of concomitant low sexual desire/interest and new‐onset erectile dysfunction – a picture from the everyday clinical practice
Authors: Salonia A. , Clementi M. C. , Ventimiglia E. , Colicchia M. , Capogrosso P. , Castiglione F. , Castagna G. , Boeri L. , Suardi N. , Cantiello F. , Damiano R. , Montorsi F.
Published: June 2014

Prevalence and risk factors of concomitant primary low sexual desire/interest (LSD/I) and subsequent new‐onset erectile dysfunction (ED) in men have been only partially investigated. We looked at the sociodemographic and clinical predictors of the concomitant condition of primary LSD/I – defined as the reduction in the usual level of SD/I which precedes ED or another sexual dysfunction – and new‐onset ED (LSD/I + ED) in a cohort of consecutive Caucasian‐European patients seeking their first medical help for sexual dysfunction at a single outpatient clinic in the everyday clinical practice setting. Data from 439 sexually active patients were analysed. Health‐significant comorbidities were scored with the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI). Patients' LSD/I were evaluated according to the findings of a comprehensive sexual history. Moreover, patients completed the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF). Descriptive statistics and logistic regression models tested the prevalence and predictors of LSD/I + ED as compared with ED only. Of the 439 men, LSD/I + ED was observed in 33 (4.2%) individuals. One of three men with LSD/I + ED was younger than 40 years. Patients complaining of LSD/I + ED or ED alone did not differ in terms of hormonal milieu. No significant differences emerged between groups in terms of sexual orientation, rates of stable sexual relationships, educational status, recreational habits and comorbid sexual dysfunctions. Patients with LSD/I + ED had significantly lower IIEF‐sexual desire and IIEF‐overall satisfaction scores than ED‐only individuals (all p ≤ 0.003). At multivariable analysis younger age and severe CCI scores emerged as independent predictors of LSD/I + ED (all p ≤ 0.04). These findings showed that primary LSD/I is concomitant with new‐onset ED in less than 5% of men seeking first medical help. Younger age and severe CCI emerged as independent predictors of LSD/I + ED. Patients with both conditions reported an impaired overall sexual satisfaction.
Glans‐reconstruction with preputial flap is superior to primary closure for post‐surgical restoration of male sexual function in glans‐preserving surgery
Authors: Yang J. , Chen J. , Wu X.‐F. , Song N.‐J. , Li Q. , Qiao D. , Zhang J.‐Y. , Song N.‐H.
Published: June 2014

We conducted this study to investigate whether glans‐reconstruction with preputial flap would be more helpful for post‐operative restoration of patients' sexual potency than primary closure. From 2007 to 2013 at four centres, 46 cases reconstructed with preputial flap and 59 with primary closure were selected for the investigation from 142 consecutive cases of superficial glans cancer, with the largest diameter of lesion ≤2.5 cm, who undergoing glans‐preserving surgery (GPS). Subjective evaluation for patients' sexual performance was investigated using the International Index of Erectile Function‐15. Objective evaluation was carried out by the Audio Visual Sexual Stimulation test with RigiScan‐Plus. The degree of satisfaction for penile appearance and patients' confidence and partners' acceptability for intercourse were evaluated by 5‐point scales. Patients with preputial flap reconstruction showed significant better performance in three domains (orgasmic function, intercourse satisfaction and overall satisfaction, all p < 0.05) and significantly higher ratios of appearance satisfaction (78.3% vs. 57.6%, p = 0.026) and intercourse confidence (69.6% vs. 49.2%, p = 0.035) compared with those undergoing primary closure at post‐operative month 6 ends. Their sexual partners in the preputial flap group also exhibited significantly higher ratios of appearance satisfaction than in the primary closure group (67.4% vs. 42.4%, p = 0.011). Reconstruction with preputial flap contributes to a more acceptable cosmetic appearance of the penis and minimizes post‐operative negative psychological impediments. Patients can benefit more from reconstruction with preputial flap than primary closure. Glans‐reconstruction with preputial flap should be considered the primary reconstruction technique in GPS.
Association between periodontitis and preeclampsia in never‐smokers: a prospective study
Authors: Ha Jung‐Eun , Jun Jong‐Kwan , Ko Hyun‐Joo , Paik Dai‐Il , Bae Kwang‐Hak
Published: June 2014

Aim

The aim of this prospective study was to investigate the relationship between periodontitis and preeclampsia in never‐smokers.

Materials and Methods

Pregnant women were recruited at 21 to 24 weeks of gestation from March 2009 to June 2013. Information on demographics, health behaviours, obstetric history, and systemic diseases that can influence periodontal status and preeclampsia was collected. Full‐mouth periodontal probing was performed by two trained examiners. The inter‐examiner Kappa value was 0.822 for clinical attachment loss (CAL). Periodontitis was defined as clinical periodontal attachment loss (CAL) of 4.0 mm or greater on 2 or more sites not on the same tooth. Information on the occurrence of preeclampsia was collected by five obstetricians.

Results

We studied a total of 283 subjects, comprised of 67 subjects with periodontitis and 216 subjects without periodontitis. Of these, 13 (4.6%) women were diagnosed with preeclampsia. After adjusting for all confounders, the adjusted odds ratio of periodontitis for preeclampsia was 5.56 (95% confidence interval of 1.49–20.71).

Conclusions

There was a significant relationship between periodontitis and the occurrence of preeclampsia among never‐smokers.
Item Response Theory Models for Performance Decline During Testing
Authors: Jin Kuan‐Yu , Wang Wen‐Chung
Published: June 2014

Sometimes, test‐takers may not be able to attempt all items to the best of their ability (with full effort) due to personal factors (e.g., low motivation) or testing conditions (e.g., time limit), resulting in poor performances on certain items, especially those located toward the end of a test. Standard item response theory (IRT) models fail to consider such testing behaviors. In this study, a new class of mixture IRT models was developed to account for such testing behavior in dichotomous and polytomous items, by assuming test‐takers were composed of multiple latent classes and by adding a decrement parameter to each latent class to describe performance decline. Parameter recovery, effect of model misspecification, and robustness of the linearity assumption in performance decline were evaluated using simulations. It was found that the parameters in the new models were recovered fairly well by using the freeware WinBUGS; the failure to account for such behavior by fitting standard IRT models resulted in overestimation of difficulty parameters on items located toward the end of the test and overestimation of test reliability; and the linearity assumption in performance decline was rather robust. An empirical example is provided to illustrate the applications and the implications of the new class of models.
Effect of Insulin‐Induced Hypoglycaemia on the Peripheral Nervous System: Focus on Adaptive Mechanisms, Pathogenesis and Histopathological Changes
Authors: Jensen V. F. H. , Mølck A.‐M. , Bøgh I. B. , Lykkesfeldt J.
Published: June 2014

Insulin‐induced hypoglycaemia (IIH) is a common acute side effect in type 1 and type 2 diabetic patients, especially during intensive insulin therapy. The peripheral nervous system (PNS) depends on glucose as its primary energy source during normoglycaemia and, consequently, it may be particularly susceptible toIIHdamage. Possible mechanisms for adaption of thePNStoIIHinclude increased glucose uptake, utilisation of alternative energy substrates and the use of Schwann cell glycogen as a local glucose reserve. However, these potential adaptive mechanisms become insufficient when the hypoglycaemic state exceeds a certain level of severity and duration, resulting in a sensory‐motor neuropathy with associated skeletal muscle atrophy. Large myelinated motor fibres appear to be particularly vulnerable. Thus, although thePNSis not an obligate glucose consumer, as is the brain, it appears to be more prone toIIHthan the central nervous system when hypoglycaemia is not severe (blood glucose level ≤ 2 mm), possibly reflecting a preferential protection of the brain during periods of inadequate glucose availability. With a primary focus on evidence from experimental animal studies investigating nondiabeticIIH, the present review discusses the effect ofIIHon thePNSwith a focus on adaptive mechanisms, pathogenesis and histological changes.
CEO Succession Mechanisms, Organizational Context, and Performance: A Socio‐Emotional Wealth Perspective on Family‐Controlled Firms
Authors: Minichilli Alessandro , Nordqvist Mattias , Corbetta Guido , Amore Mario Daniele
Published: June 2014

This article extends the literature on CEO succession and financial performance by addressing corporate owners' mixed motives and desires to protect their interest in being in business. We draw on a Socio‐Emotional Wealth (SEW) perspective to investigate how the choice of one of three succession mechanisms – relay succession, ‘horse races’ among internal CEO candidates, and hiring from outside – may effectively balance trade‐offs between corporate owners' non‐financial SEW motives and the firm's financial performance. We find that implementing one of these succession mechanisms reduces the negative impact that typically characterizes CEO transitions in family firms. We also show that family presence on the board of directors offsets the benefits of having selected these balancing succession mechanisms, in either placing too much emphasis on SEW, or creating negative dynamics that make the chosen succession mechanisms less effective.
Parental Influence on Friendships Between Native and Immigrant Adolescents
Authors: Smith Sanne , Maas Ineke , van Tubergen Frank
Published: June 2014

Parental influence on friendships between native (N = 5,683) and immigrant (N = 3,371) adolescents (aged ± 15) was investigated with the CILS4EU data of pupils in German and Dutch school classes (N = 446) and parents. The researchers examined whether parents affect friendships across group boundaries by shaping the structural opportunities to establish out‐group friends and their children's out‐group attitudes. The results show that if parents have more out‐group friends and if they consider it less important to maintain in‐group traditions, their children have more out‐group friends. Part of this relationship is mediated by children's out‐group attitudes. Some evidence is found that the opportunity structure mediates the relationship between parental characteristics and adolescent out‐group friendship.
Are vitamin D levels affected by acute bacterial infections in children?
Authors: Binfield Alex , Aird Carolyn , Murdoch David R , Elder Peter , Walls Tony
Published: June 2014

Aims

Vitamin D deficiency is associated with infectious diseases; however, it is not known whether vitamin D levels are affected by acute infection. Our aim was to establish whether 25‐hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) levels taken during an acute bacterial infection are representative of baseline levels.

Methods

Thirty children between 6 months and 15 years of age with proven bacterial infections presenting to a tertiary paediatric referral centre had 25OHD levels taken during their acute infection and again 1 month later provided that they had recovered from their infection, had no subsequent infections and had not been taking vitamin supplements. 25OHD levels were measured by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry.

Results

Mean 25OHD at enrolment was 67.5 nmol/L (standard deviation (SD) 22.0), and mean 25OHD at 1 month follow up was 72.7 nmol/L (SD 25.8) (paired t‐test P = 0.25). C‐reactive protein levels were recorded in 29/30 patients at enrolment (mean 85.1 mg/L, SD 83.5) and 25/30 patients at follow‐up (mean 4.0 mg/L, SD 3.3) (paired t‐test P = 0.002). The ethnicity of the participants was New Zealand European or European Other, 26; Samoan, 2; Maori, 1; and Chinese, 1.

Conclusions

In children, 25OHD levels are not affected by acute bacterial infections; 25OHD levels taken during acute bacterial infection are representative of baseline levels. 25OHD levels collected during acute bacterial infection provide reliable information for case‐control studies.
Localization of the Androgen-Synthesizing Enzymes, Androgen Receptor, and Sex Steroids in the Vagina: Possible Implications for the Treatment of Postmenopausal Sexual Dysfunction
Authors: Bertin Jonathan , Dury Alain Y. , Ouellet Johanne , Pelletier Georges , Labrie Fernand
Published: June 2014

Introduction

To better understand the mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of the intravaginal administration of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) observed in postmenopausal women on sexual dysfunction.

Aims

To identify the distribution of the androgen-synthesizing enzymes as well as androgen receptor (AR) and measure steroid levels in the monkey vagina.

Methods

The cynomolgus monkey (Macaca fascicularis), the closest model to the human, has been used to measure the expression levels of steroidogenic enzymes and androgen receptor by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (n = 4), confirmed by immunohistochemistry, and immunofluorescence (n = 3). DHEA and its androgenic metabolites were quantified by LC-MS/MS (n = 4).

Main Outcome Measures

The presence of SRD5A1, SRD5A2, HSD17B3, AR as well as nerve fibers (PGP 9.5) was investigated, and steroid levels were measured.

Results

AR is widely distributed within the vaginal epithelium and also in the lamina propria with a lower expression in the muscularis layer and blood vessel walls. Androgen-forming enzymes, on the other hand, are expressed in the vaginal stratified squamous epithelium at a relatively high level where they are uniformly distributed from the basal membrane up to the superficial keratinized cells. The enzymes are at a lower level in blood vessel walls and zona muscularis where nerve fibers are localized. DHEA and its androgen metabolites are present at biologically significant concentrations in the monkey vagina.

Conclusion

The enzymes responsible for androgen formation as well as AR are at the highest level in the superficial layer of the stratified epithelium and muscularis layers of the vagina. These data provide a potential explanation for the described role of androgens in regulating vaginal lubrication, smooth muscle activity, blood flow, and the neuronal activity potentially involved in the correction of sexual dysfunction.
Correlation between Erection Hardness Score and Nocturnal Penile Tumescence Measurement
Authors: Matsuda Yohei , Hisasue Shin-ichi , Kumamoto Yoshiaki , Kobayashi Ko , Hashimoto Kohei , Sato Yoshikazu , Masumori Naoya
Published: June 2014

Introduction

The Erection Hardness Score (EHS) and the Sexual Health Inventory for men (SHIM) are patient-reported outcome scoring systems for erectile function. It is unclear which is more reliable for predicting the objective erectile function.

Aim

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the EHS could predict objective erectile function by measuring the maximal penile circumferential change (MPCC) with an erectometer.

Methods

The study included 98 patients who visited our clinic from 2005 to 2010. The erectile function was evaluated using the SHIM, EHS, and MPCC. The MPCC was measured with the largest circumferential change of three consecutive occurrences of nocturnal penile tumescence (NPT) determined using the erectometer.

Main Outcome Measures

We defined erectile dysfunction (ED) as MPCC < 20 mm and carried out multivariate analysis using logistic regression analysis to clarify the predictors for ED, with the variables including age, the SHIM score, and the EHS. We compared the tendency for MPCC ≥ 20 mm when EHS was 3 or more with that when EHS was 2 or less.

Results

The median age of the patients was 59.5 years (range 18–83). In logistic regression analysis, the EHS was the only predictor for ED with MPCC < 20 mm. The mean EHS in the MPCC < 20 mm group was 1.64 ± 0.20 (mean ± SEM) and that in the MPCC ≥ 20 mm group was 2.46 ± 0.13 (P = 0.0018). There was a correlation between the EHS and the MPCC (correlation coefficient = 0.33). In comparison with the group having an EHS of 2 or less, that with an EHS of 3 or more tended to have MPCC ≥ 20 mm (P = 0.013).

Conclusions

The EHS was correlated with the MPCC. The EHS represents the objective erectile function shown by the measurement of NPT.
The Paris CM chondrite: Secondary minerals and asteroidal processing
Authors: Marrocchi Yves , Gounelle Matthieu , Blanchard Ingrid , Caste Florent , Kearsley Anton T.
Published: June 2014

We report a petrographic and mineralogical survey of Paris, a new CM chondrite considered to be the least‐altered CM identified so far (Hewins et al. ). Compared to other CMs, Paris exhibits (1) a higher concentration of Fe‐Ni metal beads, with nickel contents in the range 4.1–8.1 wt%; (2) the systematic presence of thin lamellae and tiny blebs of pentlandite in pyrrhotite grains; and (3) ubiquitous tochilinite/cronstedtite associations with higher FeO/SiO2 and S/SiO2 ratios. In addition, Paris shows the highest concentration of trapped 36Ar reported so far for a CM chondrite (Hewins et al. ). In combination with the findings of previous studies, our data confirm the reliability of (1) the alteration sequence based on the chemical composition of tochilinite/cronstedtite associations to quantify the fluid alteration processes and (2) the use of Cr content variability in type II ferroan chondrule olivine as a proxy of thermal metamorphism. In contrast, the scales based on (1) the Fe3+ content of serpentine in the matrix to estimate the degree of aqueous alteration and (2) the chemical composition of Fe‐Ni metal beads for quantifying the intensity of the thermal metamorphism are not supported by the characteristics of Paris. It also appears that the amount of trapped 36Ar is a sensitive indicator of the secondary alteration modifications experienced by chondrites, for both aqueous alteration and thermal metamorphism. Considering Paris, our data suggest that this chondrite should be classified as type 2.7 as it suffered limited but significant fluid alteration and only mild thermal metamorphism. These results point out that two separated scales should be used to quantify the degree of the respective role of aqueous alteration and thermal metamorphism in establishing the characteristics of CM chondrites.
“Suffering Twice”: The Gender Politics of Cesarean Sections in Taiwan
Authors: Kuan Chen‐I
Published: June 2014

Women's pursuit of medical interventions in childbirth has been a challenging issue in feminist and medical anthropological research on the medicalization of reproduction. This article addresses the gender politics surrounding maternal requests for cesarean sections in Taiwan. Since the 1990s, Taiwanese cesarean rates have been reported as among the highest in the world. That is not the case now, yet they are still perceived as such, and the current rate of 37% is indeed high by any standards. The government and public discourses attribute the high cesarean rate to women's demand for this intervention. However, my ethnographic research indicates that the Taiwanese hospital birthing system leads to the prevalence of cesareans, and that women's requests for them constitute strategic responses to the system and its existing high cesarean rates. Using women's attempt to avoid “suffering twice” as an example, I argue that maternal requests for cesareans often lie at the intersection between their restricted control over childbirth and their agency within the medical system.
The Doctrine of God in San Juan de la Cruz
Authors: Williams A. N.
Published: June 2014

Juan de la Cruz is often read as the exponent of apophaticism par excellence and as primarily concerned with spiritual experience and ascetical instruction. Arguably, he is neither. His doctrine of God attests to both the cataphatic and systematic character of his thought. Via examination of key attributes of divine nature such as simplicity, infinity, wisdom, beauty and love, both the scriptural and Thomistic roots of his theology are revealed. His systematic theology is inseparable from his spiritual theology and spiritual teaching, because the ground of both is a doctrine of God that describes the telos of spiritual aspiration.
Information, behaviour and population dynamics
Authors: Lister Bradford C.
Published: June 2014

Animals must make decisions such as where and when to forage based on imperfect information about their variable world. A growing number of authors have addressed the information problem and its relation to behaviour, learning, cognition and evolution. Few studies, however, have analyzed how the quality of information available for decision making affects population growth and dynamics. Here I utilize stochastic dynamic models, statistical decision theory, and projection matrices to show how information affects patch choice and how these choices in turn affect fitness and population growth. The value of information, in terms of its impact on ﬁtness, depends on an organism's state and changes during the organism's life span. The relationship between a population's rate of increase and uncertainty about optimal patch choice amongst its members is concave with the positive effects of reduced uncertainty diminishing rapidly as individuals become more knowledgeable about their environment. The implications of these results for understanding populations and communities of interacting species are discussed.
Designing a safe and sustainable pediatric neurosurgical practice: the English experience
Authors: Young Amber E.
Published: June 2014

The 2001 Report of the Public Inquiry into children's heart surgery at the Bristol Royal Infirmary 1984–1995 stated that there must be standards for hospitals as a whole and that hospitals, which do not meet these standards, should not be able to offer services within the National Health Service (NHS). In 2013, agreed standards for pediatric neurosurgery were produced. Between 2001 and 2013 several key documents were published, which formed the background to the review that produced these standards:, the ‘Safe and Sustainable’ review. The process had the mission statement, ‘Safe, sustainable and world class. Not ordinary, OK or just good enough.’ In April 2013, the new commissioning structure of NHS England came into being. Clinical Reference Groups (reporting directly into the new structure) and pediatric neurosurgical operational delivery networks are taking the Safe and Sustainable pediatric neurosurgery standards and models of care into practice in England. Effective outcome data collection will allow us to assess whether these networks will improve equity of access for English children to world‐class pediatric neurosurgical care and reduce the variation in outcomes seen at the present time.
Child and family adjustment following pediatric solid organ transplantation: Factors to consider during the early years post‐transplant
Authors: Brosig Cheryl , Pai Ahna , Fairey Elise , Krempien Jennifer , McBride Michael , Lefkowitz Debra S.
Published: June 2014

Adjusting to life after transplant can be challenging to pediatric solid organ transplant recipients and their families. In this review, we discuss a number of important factors to consider during the first 2–3 yr after transplant (defined as the “early years”), including transitioning from hospital to home, returning to physical activity, feeding and nutrition, school reentry, potential cognitive effects of transplant, family functioning, and QOL. We highlight steps that providers can take to optimize child and family adjustment during this period.
The influence of diet on the duration and thermal sensitivity of development in the linden bug Pyrrhocoris apterusL. (Heteroptera: Pyrrhocoridae)
Authors: Lopatina Elena B. , Kutcherov Dmitry A. , Balashov Sergei V.
Published: June 2014

Temperature and nutrition are crucial environmental variables that determine rates of growth and development in insects. However, the simultaneous effect of these factors on life‐history traits is rarely addressed. In the present study, the influence of two diets (linden fruit and sunflower seeds) on the duration of immature stages and thermal reaction norms for development is tested in the bug Pyrrhocoris apterus L. (Heteroptera: Pyrrhocoridae). Eggs and larvae are reared at five constant temperatures (20, 22, 24, 26 and 28 °C) under an LD 20 : 4 h photocycle. Development rates deviate from linearity in the studied thermal range, especially in larvae; therefore, a nonlinear (power‐law) approximation is also attempted. Parental diet causes no change in thermal reaction norms for egg development. However, the progeny of sunflower‐fed bugs are more variable in terms of their development time, suggesting a transgenerational effect. Larval mortality rates increase in cooler conditions and are always higher on sunflower seeds. This is accompanied by more variable, less temperature‐dependent and generally slower larval development. A review of previously published case studies on temperature–diet interactions in the control of insect development leads to two general conclusions. First, there are two approaches for assessing the temperature‐dependent development in insects: one based on the concept of the sum of degree‐days and the other based on the concept of reaction norm. Despite an obvious non‐exclusiveness, the two approaches appear to have developed in isolation from each other. Second, three principal patterns of temperature–diet interactions can be recognized. The pattern found in P. apterus (the direct effects of diet are stronger at higher temperatures and much weaker or absent at lower temperatures) appears to be the most widespread.
The source of Guillaume Postel's 1553 Zohar Latin translation
Authors: Meroz R. , Weiss J.
Published: June 2014

In 1547, while in Venice, Guillaume Postel purchased a Zohar manuscript from Daniel Bomberg. That Zohar copy was the one he studied together with Mother Johanna and the one he used as the source for his Latin translation of this treatise. That Zohar copy has most probably not survived, and as a result, hitherto no information regarding its unique structure, contents or wording has been available. Fortunately enough we were able to use both the strategy of the ‘Zohar HaRaki'a’ project conducted by Ronit Meroz as well as the data accumulated in it; thus we could locate an almost identical cognate of that lost manuscript in MS Parma Palatina 2718. It is impossible to determine with certainty whether Postel's original was copied directly or indirectly from MS Parma, or from a different source belonging to this family. In any event, as Postel's Zohar manuscript itself is not accessible, it is henceforth possible to make use of MS Parma to offer us a Zoharic text which is almost identical, in both structure and wording, to Postel's original.
Inherent Costs and Interdependent Impacts of Infrastructure Network Resilience
Authors: Baroud Hiba , Barker Kash , Ramirez‐Marquez Jose E. , Rocco Claudio M.
Published: June 2014

Recent studies in system resilience have proposed metrics to understand the ability of systems to recover from a disruptive event, often offering a qualitative treatment of resilience. This work provides a quantitative treatment of resilience and focuses specifically on measuring resilience in infrastructure networks. Inherent cost metrics are introduced: loss of service cost and total network restoration cost. Further, “costs” of network resilience are often shared across multiple infrastructures and industries that rely upon those networks, particularly when such networks become inoperable in the face of disruptive events. As such, this work integrates the quantitative resilience approach with a model describing the regional, multi‐industry impacts of a disruptive event to measure the interdependent impacts of network resilience. The approaches discussed in this article are deployed in a case study of an inland waterway transportation network, the Mississippi River Navigation System.
Motives for sports participation as predictions of self‐reported outcomes after anterior cruciate ligament injury of the knee
Authors: Roessler K. K. , Andersen T. E. , Lohmander S. , Roos E. M.
Published: June 2014

Aim of the study was to access how individual's motives for participation in sports impact on self‐reported outcomes 2 years after an anterior cruciate ligament injury. Based on a longitudinal cohort study, this secondary analysis present data from theKneeAnteriorCruciateLigament,Nonsurgical versusSurgicalTreatment (KANON) study, a randomized controlled trial. At baseline, 121 patients recorded in an initial questionnaire that their motives for sports participation fell into four categories: achievement, health, social integration, or fun and well‐being. These four categories were used as variables in the analyses. All 121 subjects completed the 2‐year follow‐up. The largest improvement was seen in theKneeInjury andOsteoarthritisOutcomeScore (KOOS) subscalesports and recreation function, with an effect size of 2.43.KOOS sports and recreation functionwas also the subscale score best predicted by the motives for sports participation. Baseline motivesachievementandfun and well‐beingpredicted worse levels of pain and function 2 years after the injury, even after adjusting for age, gender, treatment and baseline scores. Psychological aspects, such as motives for participation in sport, can be factors in predicting of patient‐reported outcomes 2 years after injury. Evaluating motives for sports participation may help predict the outcome 2 years afterACLinjury.
Morphometric analysis and taxonomic revision of AnisopteromalusRuschka (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea: Pteromalidae) – an integrative approach
Authors: BAUR HANNES , KRANZ‐BALTENSPERGER YVONNE , CRUAUD ASTRID , RASPLUS JEAN‐YVES , TIMOKHOV ALEXANDER V. , GOKHMAN VLADIMIR E.
Published: June 2014

We use an integrative taxonomic approach to revise the genus Anisopteromalus. In particular, we apply multivariate ratio analysis (MRA), a rather new statistical method based on principal component analysis (PCA) and linear discriminant analysis (LDA), to numerous body measurements and combine the data with those from our molecular analysis of Cytb and ITS2 genetic markers (on a subset of species) and all available published data on morphology, karyology, behaviour, host associations and geographic distribution. We demonstrate that the analysis of quantitative characters using MRA plays a major role for the integration of name‐bearing types and thus for the association of taxa with names. Six species are recognized, of which two are new: A. cornis Baur sp.n. and A. quinarius Gokhman & Baur sp.n. For Anisopteromalus calandrae (Howard), a well‐known, cosmopolitan parasitoid of stored‐product pests, we have selected a neotype to foster continuity and stability in the application of this important name. The species was sometimes confused with the related A. quinarius sp.n., another cosmopolitan species that is frequently encountered in similar environments. We also show that several species originally described or later put under Anisopteromalus actually belong to different genera: Cyrtoptyx camerunus (Risbec) comb.n.; Meraporus glaber (Szelényi) comb.n.; Dinarmus schwenkei (Roomi, Khan & Khan) comb.n. Neocatolaccus indicus Ayyar & Mani is confirmed as a junior synonym of Oxysychus sphenopterae (Ferrière) syn.n. and Anisopteromalus calandrae brasiliensis (Domenichini) stat.rev. must be considered as a valid but doubtful taxon.

This published work has been registered in ZooBank, http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:BDFE96D3‐D0F4‐4012‐90F5‐9A087F7F5864.
Small kernel 1 encodes a pentatricopeptide repeat protein required for mitochondrial nad7 transcript editing and seed development in maize (Zea mays) and rice (Oryza sativa)
Authors: Li Xiao‐Jie , Zhang Ya‐Feng , Hou Mingming , Sun Feng , Shen Yun , Xiu Zhi‐Hui , Wang Xiaomin , Chen Zong‐Liang , Sun Samuel S.M. , Small Ian , Tan Bao‐Cai
Published: June 2014

RNA editing modifies cytidines (C) to uridines (U) at specific sites in the transcripts of mitochondria and plastids, altering the amino acid specified by the DNA sequence. Here we report the identification of a critical editing factor of mitochondrial nad7 transcript via molecular characterization of a small kernel 1 (smk1) mutant in Zea mays (maize). Mutations in Smk1 arrest both the embryo and endosperm development. Cloning of Smk1 indicates that it encodes an E‐subclass pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) protein that is targeted to mitochondria. Loss of SMK1 function abolishes the C → U editing at the nad7‐836 site, leading to the retention of a proline codon that is edited to encode leucine in the wild type. The smk1 mutant showed dramatically reduced complex–I assembly and NADH dehydrogenase activity, and abnormal biogenesis of the mitochondria. Analysis of the ortholog in Oryza sativa (rice) reveals that rice SMK1 has a conserved function in C → U editing of the mitochondrial nad7‐836 site. T‐DNA knock‐out mutants showed abnormal embryo and endosperm development, resulting in embryo or seedling lethality. The leucine at NAD7‐279 is highly conserved from bacteria to flowering plants, and analysis of genome sequences from many plants revealed a molecular coevolution between the requirement for C → U editing at this site and the existence of an SMK1 homolog. These results demonstrate that Smk1 encodes a PPR‐E protein that is required for nad7‐836 editing, and this editing is critical to NAD7 function in complex‐I assembly in mitochondria, and hence to embryo and endosperm development in maize and rice.
Survivin inhibition via EZN‐3042 in canine lymphoma and osteosarcoma
Authors: Shoeneman J. K. , Ehrhart E. J. , Charles J. B. , Thamm D. H.
Published: June 2014

Canine lymphoma (LSA) and osteosarcoma (OS) have high mortality rates and remain in need of more effective therapeutic approaches. Survivin, an inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP) family member protein that inhibits apoptosis and drives cell proliferation, is commonly elevated in human and canine cancer. Survivin expression is a negative prognostic factor in dogs with LSA and OS, and canine LSA and OS cell lines express high levels of survivin. In this study, we demonstrate that survivin downregulation in canine LSA and OS cells using a clinically applicable locked nucleic acid antisense oligonucleotide (EZN‐3042, Enzon Pharmaceuticals, Piscataway Township, NJ, USA) inhibits growth, induces apoptosis and enhances chemosensitivity in vitro, and inhibits survivin transcription and protein production in orthotopic canine OS xenografts. Our findings strongly suggest that survivin‐directed therapies might be effective in treatment of canine LSA and OS and support evaluation of EZN‐3042 in dogs with cancer.
Expression of fibroblast growth factor 23 by canine soft tissue sarcomas
Authors: Hardcastle M. R. , Dittmer K. E.
Published: June 2014

Tumour‐induced osteomalacia (TIO) is a rare paraneoplastic syndrome of humans. Some mesenchymal tumours (often resembling haemangiopericytomas) express molecules that normally regulate phosphorus metabolism; most frequently, fibroblast growth factor 23. Patients develop renal phosphate wasting and inappropriately low serum concentrations of 1, 25 (OH)2 vitamin D3, leading to osteomalacia. Surgical removal of the tumour is curative. The authors examined expression of canine fibroblast growth factor 23 in 49 soft tissue sarcomas, and control tissues from normal adult dogs. RNA extracted from bone or formalin‐fixed, paraffin‐embedded tissues was analysed by end point and quantitative reverse transcriptase‐polymerase chain reaction. Fibroblast growth factor 23 expression was detected in bone, lung, kidney, lymph node and thymus. Fifteen of 49 sarcomas (31%) expressed fibroblast growth factor 23, three of these had high relative expression and some features resembling phosphatonin‐expressing mesenchymal tumours of humans. Further work is required to determine whether TIO may occur in dogs.
THE CAREER PATH CHOICES OF VETERINARY RADIOLOGISTS
Authors: Jelinski Murray D. , Silver Tawni I.
Published: June 2014

Concerns of a shortage of board certified specialists willing to work in academia have shadowed the medical and veterinary communities for decades. As a result, a number of studies have been conducted to determine how to foster, attract, and retain specialists in academia. More recently, there has been a growing perception that it is difficult for academic institutions to hire board certified veterinary radiologists. The objective of this study was to describe the career paths (academia vs. private sector) of veterinary radiologists and to determine what factors influenced their career path decisions. A mixed mode cross‐sectional survey was used to survey ACVR radiologists and residents‐in‐training, 48% (255/529) of which responded. There was a near unidirectional movement of radiologists from academia to the private sector: 45.7% (59/129) of the respondents who began their careers in academia had switched to the private sector while only 8% (7/88) had left the private sector for academia. If a shortage of academic radiologists exists, then perhaps the issue should be framed as a problem with retention vs. recruitment. The most influential factors in the decision to leave academia were remuneration (wages and benefits), lack of interest/enjoyment in research, geographical location, and family considerations. It is salient that average salaries increased by twofold after leaving academia for the private sector.
Plasticity of epithelial stem cells in tissue regeneration
Authors: Blanpain Cédric , Fuchs Elaine
Published: June 2014

The versatility of epithelial stem cells

Stem cells are very important in the maintenance of our bodies' tissues and organs. Blanpain and Fuchs review how different populations of naturally lineage-restricted epithelial stem cells and committed progenitors can also display remarkable plasticity. These cells can reacquire long-term self-renewing capacities and multilineage differentiation potential during physiological and regenerative conditions. These abilities depend on whether the stem cell remains within its resident niche or has been mobilized to repair a wound. Such cellular plasticity has implications for regenerative medicine and for cancer.

Science
, this issue p.
10.1126/science.1242281
Anxiety-like behavior in crayfish is controlled by serotonin
Authors: Fossat Pascal , Bacqué-Cazenave Julien , De Deurwaerdère Philippe , Delbecque Jean-Paul , Cattaert Daniel
Published: June 2014

The crayfish that was afraid of the dark

We tend to assume that complex emotions, such as anxiety, only occur in mammals or other cognitively complex vertebrates. But a heightened sense of awareness and the avoidance of novel or dangerous environments could be helpful for any animal species. Fossat
et al.
show that crayfish exposed to a stressful electric field refuse to enter dark arms in a light/dark maze, even after the electric field has been removed. The animals calmed down when they were injected with an anxiolytic drug used to treat anxiety in humans, and they entered the dark as normal. The stressed animals had increased levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin in the brain, and injections of serotonin induced anxiety-like behavior in control animals. Thus, these invertebrates display a primitive form of anxiety that shares a mechanism with the more complex emotions displayed by vertebrates.

Science
, this issue p.
1293
Parasympathetic neurons originate from nerve-associated peripheral glial progenitors
Authors: Dyachuk Vyacheslav , Furlan Alessandro , Shahidi Maryam Khatibi , Giovenco Marcela , Kaukua Nina , Konstantinidou Chrysoula , Pachnis Vassilis , Memic Fatima , Marklund Ulrika , Müller Thomas , Birchmeier Carmen , Fried Kaj , Ernfors Patrik , Adameyko Igor
Published: June 2014

Exploiting nervous paths already traveled

The parasympathetic nervous system helps regulate the functions of many tissues and organs, including the salivary glands and the esophagus. To do so, it needs to reach throughout the body, connecting central systems to peripheral ones. Dyachuk
et al.
and Espinosa-Medina
et al.
explored how these connections are established in mice (see the Perspective by Kalcheim and Rohrer). Progenitor cells that travel along with the developing nerves can give rise to both myelinforming Schwann cells and to parasympathetic neurons. That means the interacting nerves do not have to find each other. Instead, the beginnings of the connections are laid down as the nervous system develops.

Science
, this issue p.
82
, p.
87
; see also p.
32
Interactions between RNA polymerase and the “core recognition element” counteract pausing
Authors: Vvedenskaya Irina O. , Vahedian-Movahed Hanif , Bird Jeremy G. , Knoblauch Jared G. , Goldman Seth R. , Zhang Yu , Ebright Richard H. , Nickels Bryce E.
Published: June 2014

Pausing for control of gene expression

Pausing during gene transcription can play a critical role in gene regulation. Vvedenskaya
et al.
mapped pause sites across the whole genome in actively growing
Escherichia coli
(see the Perspective by Roberts). Thousands of undocumented pause sites were identified across well-transcribed genes, allowing the definition of a consensus pause sequence that is dependent on specific interactions of RNA polymerase with the DNA template and nascent RNA transcript.

Science
, this issue p.
1285
; see also p.
1226
Ecological and evolutionary effects of fragmentation on infectious disease dynamics
Authors: Jousimo Jussi , Tack Ayco J. M. , Ovaskainen Otso , Mononen Tommi , Susi Hanna , Tollenaere Charlotte , Laine Anna-Liisa
Published: June 2014

Many connections are not always bad for health

Contrary to expectations, highly connected populations can experience less impact from infectious disease than isolated groups. What happens to pathogens in natural populations has been poorly studied, because they rarely cause devastating disease outbreaks. Thanks to a long-term study of an inconspicuous fungal-plant disease system, we have now gained some surprising insights. During a 12-year study, Jousimo
et al.
discovered that clustered and linked host-plant patches showed lower levels of fungal damage and higher fungal extinction rates than more distant patches (see the Perspective by Duffy). This phenomenon is explained by high gene flow and rapid evolution of host resistance within the connected patches. Populations of the modest weed
Plantago
, growing on the Åland Islands in the Baltic, were less than 10% infected by the
Podosphaera
mildew fungus in any given year, but infection turnover was high. These findings have broad implications for ecology, disease biology, conservation, and agriculture.

Science
, this issue p.
1289
; see also p.
1229
Response to Comment on “Specific and nonhepatotoxic degradation of nuclear hepatitis B virus cccDNA”
Authors: Xia Yuchen , Lucifora Julie , Reisinger Florian , Heikenwalder Mathias , Protzer Ulrike
Published: June 2014

Chisari
et al
. challenge our central conclusion that the hepatitis B virus (HBV) persistent form, the covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA), is degraded in a noncytotoxic and specific fashion in the nucleus of infected hepatocytes. Specificity of the assays used, exclusion of cell division or death, and activity of APOBEC3 deaminases in the nucleus, however, were addressed in the paper.