bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Technique for office‐based, ultrasonography‐guided percutaneous biopsy of renal cortical neoplasms using a novel transducer for facilitated ultrasound targeting
Authors: Menhadji Ashleigh D. , Nguyen Vien , Okhunov Zhamshid , Bucur Philip , Chu Wing Hong , Cho Jane , Billingsley Jamie , Morrison Debra , Kelly Christopher R. , Landman Jaime
Published: October 2013

Objectives

To help clarify which small renal cortical neoplasms (RCNs) require surgery by using office‐based, ultrasonography‐guided percutaneous renal biopsy.

Patients and Methods

Biopsies were performed using facilitated ultrasound targeting (FUT) technology, which incorporates a needle guide and onscreen beam‐steered technology to permit highly precise needle deployment.

Patient and tumour characteristics, procedure time, complications and biopsy efficacy were documented.

Wong–Baker pain levels were obtained before, during and 1 h after the procedure.

Results

Seven patients underwent biopsy, six for RCNs and one for medical renal disease.

The mean (range) patient age was 68.5 (54–79) years, and the mean (range) tumour diameter was 2.55 (2.0–2.9) cm.

Mean pain levels before, during and 1 h after the procedure were 0, 1.6 and 0.5, respectively.

There were no intra‐ or post‐procedural complications.

Biopsy results were diagnostic in five of the six RCN cases and in the single case of medical renal disease.

Conclusions

Our preliminary experience shows that office‐based percutaneous renal biopsy using a novel transducer for FUT is safe and effective.

An international multicentre study is planned to confirm these preliminary results.
Prevalence of the HOXB13 G84E prostate cancer risk allele in men treated with radical prostatectomy
Authors: Beebe‐Dimmer Jennifer L. , Isaacs William B. , Zuhlke Kimberly A. , Yee Cecilia , Walsh Patrick C. , Isaacs Sarah D. , Johnson Anna M. , Ewing Charles E. , Humphreys Elizabeth B. , Chowdhury Wasim H. , Montie James E. , Cooney Kathleen A.
Published: October 2013

Objective

To determine the prevalence and clinical correlates of the G84E mutation in the homeobox transcription factor, or HOXB13, gene using DNA samples from 9559 men with prostate cancer undergoing radical prostatectomy.

Patients and Methods

DNA samples from men treated with radical prostatectomy at the University of Michigan and John Hopkins University were genotyped for G84E and this was confirmed by Sanger sequencing.

The frequency and distribution of this allele was determined according to specific patient characteristics (family history, age at diagnosis, pathological Gleason grade and stage).

Results

Of 9559 patients, 128 (1.3%) were heterozygous carriers of G84E.

Patients who possessed the variant were more likely to have a family history of prostate cancer than those who did not (46.0 vs 35.4%; P = 0.006).

G84E carriers were also more likely to be diagnosed at a younger age than non‐carriers (55.2 years vs 58.1 years; P < 0.001).

No difference in the proportion of patients diagnosed with high grade or advanced stage tumours according to carrier status was observed.

Conclusions

In the present study, carriers of the rare G84E variant in HOXB13 were both younger at the time of diagnosis and more likely to have a family history of prostate cancer compared with homozygotes for the wild‐type allele.

No significant differences in allele frequency were detected according to selected clinical characteristics of prostate cancer.

Further investigation is required to evaluate the role of HOXB13 in prostate carcinogenesis.
Next‐generation sequencing for mitochondrial disorders
Authors: Carroll C J , Brilhante V , Suomalainen A
Published: October 2013

A great deal of our understanding of mitochondrial function has come from studies of inherited mitochondrial diseases, but still majority of the patients lack molecular diagnosis. Furthermore, effective treatments for mitochondrial disorders do not exist. Development of therapies has been complicated by the fact that the diseases are extremely heterogeneous, and collecting large enough cohorts of similarly affected individuals to assess new therapies properly has been difficult. Next‐generation sequencing technologies have in the last few years been shown to be an effective method for the genetic diagnosis of inherited mitochondrial diseases. Here we review the strategies and findings from studies applying next‐generation sequencing methods for the genetic diagnosis of mitochondrial disorders. Detailed knowledge of molecular causes also enables collection of homogenous cohorts of patients for therapy trials, and therefore boosts development of intervention.

Linked Articles

This article is part of a themed issue on Mitochondrial Pharmacology: Energy, Injury & Beyond. To view the other articles in this issue visit http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bph.2014.171.issue‐8
Fixing frataxin: ‘ironing out’ the metabolic defect in Friedreich's ataxia
Authors: Anzovino A , Lane D J R , Huang M L‐H , Richardson D R
Published: October 2013

The metabolically active and redox‐active mitochondrion appears to play a major role in the cellular metabolism of the transition metal, iron. Frataxin, a mitochondrial matrix protein, has been identified as playing a key role in the iron metabolism of this organelle due to its iron‐binding properties and is known to be essential for iron–sulphur cluster formation. However, the precise function of frataxin remains elusive. The decrease in frataxin expression, as seen in the inherited disorder Friedreich's ataxia, markedly alters cellular and mitochondrial iron metabolism in both the mitochondrion and the cell. The resulting dysregulation of iron trafficking damages affects tissues leading to neuro‐ and cardiodegeneration. This disease underscores the importance of iron homeostasis in the redox‐active environment of the mitochondrion and the molecular players involved. Unravelling the mechanisms of altered iron metabolism in Friedreich's ataxia will help elucidate a biochemical function for frataxin. Consequently, this will enable the development of more effective and rationally designed treatments. This review will focus on the emerging function of frataxin in relation to the observed alterations in mitochondrial iron metabolism in Friedreich's ataxia. Tissue‐specific alterations due to frataxin loss will also be discussed, as well as current and emerging therapeutic strategies.

Linked Articles

This article is part of a themed issue on Mitochondrial Pharmacology: Energy, Injury & Beyond. To view the other articles in this issue visit http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bph.2014.171.issue‐8
Novel vasocontractile role of the P2Y14 receptor: characterization of its signalling in porcine isolated pancreatic arteries
Authors: Alsaqati M , Latif M L , Chan S L F , Ralevic V
Published: October 2013

Background and Purpose

The P2Y14 receptor is the newest member of the P2Y receptor family; it is Gi/o protein‐coupled and is activated by UDP and selectively by UDP‐glucose and MRS2690 (2‐thiouridine‐5′‐diphosphoglucose) (7–10‐fold more potent than UDP‐glucose). This study investigated whether P2Y14 receptors were functionally expressed in porcine isolated pancreatic arteries.

Experimental Approach

Pancreatic arteries were prepared for isometric tension recording and UDP‐glucose, UDP and MRS2690 were applied cumulatively after preconstriction with U46619, a TxA2 mimetic. Levels of phosphorylated myosin light chain 2 (MLC2) were assessed with Western blotting. cAMP concentrations were assessed using a competitive enzyme immunoassay kit.

Key Results

Concentration‐dependent contractions with a rank order of potency of MRS2690 (10‐fold) > UDP‐glucose ≥ UDP were recorded. These contractions were reduced by PPTN {4‐[4‐(piperidin‐4‐yl)phenyl]‐7‐[4‐(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]‐2‐naphthoic acid}, a selective antagonist of P2Y14 receptors, which did not affect responses to UTP. Contraction to UDP‐glucose was not affected by MRS2578, a P2Y6 receptor selective antagonist. Raising cAMP levels and forskolin, in the presence of U46619, enhanced contractions to UDP‐glucose. In addition, UDP‐glucose and MRS2690 inhibited forskolin‐stimulated cAMP levels. Removal of the endothelium and inhibition of endothelium‐derived contractile agents (TxA2, PGF2α and endothelin‐1) inhibited contractions to UDP glucose. Y‐27632, nifedipine and thapsigargin also reduced contractions to the agonists. UDP‐glucose and MRS2690 increased MLC2 phosphorylation, which was blocked by PPTN.

Conclusions and Implications

P2Y14 receptors play a novel vasocontractile role in porcine pancreatic arteries, mediating contraction via cAMP‐dependent mechanisms, elevation of intracellular Ca2+ levels, activation of RhoA/ROCK signalling and MLC2, along with release of TxA2, PGF2α and endothelin‐1.
Phylogeny of Geophilomorpha (Chilopoda) inferred from new morphological and molecular evidence
Authors: Bonato Lucio , Drago Leandro , Murienne Jérôme
Published: October 2013

To address the phylogenetic relationships of the centipede order Geophilomorpha (more than 1000 species), we have reinterpreted and expanded the knowledge on their morphological disparity, and have doubled the amount of molecular data available. We performed maximum parsimony and maximum likelihood analyses, using 195 phylogenetically informative morphological characters for 80 species, and DNA sequences of 28S, 18S, 16S rRNA and COI for up to 48 species. We found strong support for the monophyly of Geophilomorpha, the basal dichotomy between Adesmata and Placodesmata = Mecistocephalidae, and the basal dichotomy within Adesmata between two clades that are recognized here as superfamilies Himantarioidea and Geophiloidea. With respect to the families currently in use, Himantarioidea comprises three well supported clades corresponding to (i) Oryidae, (ii) Himantariidae, and (iii) Schendylidae s.l. including Ballophilidae; Geophiloidea comprises another three supported clades corresponding to (iv) a new family Zelanophilidae, (v) Gonibregmatidae s.l. including Eriphantidae and Neogeophilidae, and (vi) Geophilidae s.l. including Aphilodontidae, Dignathodontidae, Linotaeniidae, and Macronicophilidae.
Integration of No‐Take Marine Reserves in the Assessment of Data‐Limited Fisheries
Authors: Wilson Jono R. , Valencia Sarah R. , Kay Matthew C. , Lenihan Hunter S.
Published: October 2013

No‐take marine reserves show great promise as conservation tools, yet the integration of reserves into assessment models for data‐limited fisheries management is just emerging. We develop a framework for integrating marine reserves into two data‐limited assessment models: spawning potential ratio (SPR) and yield per recruit (YPR). We use Monte Carlo simulation to test the applicability of the framework to a sedentary species with a dispersive larval stage under process and observation uncertainties. The reserve‐based approach increased estimates of spawning potential while reducing YPR and had a consistent estimation bias of less than 15%. Using the framework, we assessed a commercial fishery targeting grass rockfish (Sebastes rastrelliger) in southern California, USA and found that inclusion of reserves reduced the probability of overfishing. The reserve‐based assessment approach may create win–win policy solutions for conservation and fisheries objectives in many nearshore fisheries with well‐enforced marine reserves that target sedentary species with a dispersive larval stage.
Rapid on‐site assessment of specimens by biomedical scientists improves the quality of head and neck fine needle aspiration cytology
Authors: Breeze J. , Poller D. N. , Gibson D. , Tilley E. A. , Cooke L. , Soar E. , Repanos C.
Published: October 2013

Objective

Immediate rapid on‐site assessment (ROSA) of fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) specimens by biomedical scientists (BMS), the UK equivalent of cytotechnologists, or by pathologists may improve specimen quality and cellular adequacy rates for lymph node, head and neck and thyroid FNAC. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of introducing ROSA by BMS in an outpatient clinic setting.

Methods

The adequacy rate and sensitivity of histological diagnosis for lymph node, thyroid and salivary gland FNAC samples were determined before and after the introduction of BMS ROSA. The additional financial costs and time required to perform this service were also estimated.

Results

Thirty‐one patients underwent ultrasound (US)‐guided FNAC with ROSA and 151 without. ROSA reduced the number of FNAC insufficient in quality for diagnosis from 43% to 19% (P = 0.0194). The estimated additional cost for pathology per patient for ROSA was between £52.05 and £70.74, equivalent to €65.40/US $83.90 and €88.89/US $114.0, respectively, an increase of between 28% and 49% from the original cost. ROSA necessitated an additional 6 minutes clinic time per patient, reducing the number of patients that could be seen in an average clinic from 13 to 10 as well as requiring increased laboratory time for FNAC slide assessment.

Conclusion

ROSA by suitably trained biomedical scientists and with appropriate consultant pathologist support can improve the quality of FNAC sampling for head and neck lesions. Although ROSA resulted in both additional financial and time costs, these are more than likely to be offset by a reduction in patients returning to clinic for repeat FNAC or undergoing unnecessary surgery.
Does clenching reduce indirect head acceleration during rugby contact?
Authors: Hasegawa Ken , Takeda Tomotaka , Nakajima Kazunori , Ozawa Takamitsu , Ishigami Keiichi , Narimatsu Keishiro , Noh Kwantae
Published: October 2013

Background

Concussions are common among athletes, with the potential to cause memory‐related, physical, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral damage. A concussion is an acceleration/deceleration injury resulting from direct and indirect biomechanical forces transmitted to the cerebral tissues. From a sports dentistry viewpoint, increased mastication muscle activity or clenching due to the presence of a mouthguard may enhance cervical muscle activity, thereby reducing damage following impact. This relationship has not been previously investigated in the context of rugby. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of voluntary clenching on indirect head acceleration during attack‐ and defense‐related drills.

Materials and methods

A total of 12 high school rugby players participated in the study. Linear acceleration of the head was measured using an accelerometer that took measurements in three axes. Masseter and sternocleidomastoid muscle activities were measured using wireless electromyography. These data were synchronized using digital video imaging software for analysis. The study protocol was approved by the Tokyo Dental College Ethics Committee.

Results and Conclusions

Within the limitations of this study, the following results were obtained: the activities performed during rugby practice involved relatively small indirect head acceleration and masseter and sternocleidomastoid muscle activities. After the young male rugby players were instructed to clench their masseter muscles, a marked decrease in head acceleration was observed.
Biodiversity of traits and species both show weak responses to hydromorphological alteration in lowland river macroinvertebrates
Authors: Feld Christian K. , de Bello Francesco , Dolédec Sylvain
Published: October 2013

Lotic ecosystems worldwide are being increasingly modified hydromorphologically, for example, by damming, fragmentation, flow regulation and channel modification. Serious threats to riverine biodiversity are suspected, yet available field data are few and rarely address the various taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic components of biodiversity.

We examined benthic macroinvertebrate diversity along a gradient of hydromorphological alteration across 65 lowland river sites in the Netherlands, Germany and Poland. We calculated eight metrics describing taxonomic diversity (richness, rarefied richness, Shannon's and Simpson's diversity, Pielou's evenness), functional diversity (mean trait diversity) and phylogenetic diversity (mean taxonomic distinctness and its variance).

Threshold Indicator Taxa ANalysis (TITAN) and Non‐metric Multidimensional Scaling (NMS) showed detailed changes in taxonomic and trait composition, respectively, with increasing hydromorphological alteration. TITAN revealed a gradual turnover under increasing impact in which taxon losses were almost balanced by gains. NMS illustrated a high degree of concordance in the traits possessed by the taxa lost and gained at the gradient's end points.

Although a biologically meaningful hydromorphological gradient was evident, the biodiversity response was modest (Spearman's ρ < |0.32| for all metrics). Pielou's evenness and mean taxonomic distinctness actually increased at impaired sites.

Our results suggest that taxonomic and trait replacement with hydromorphological alteration is not followed by changes in whole‐community diversity. This implies some redundancy in these systems, with ecologically similar species replacing those lost through environmental change.

The results highlight how whole‐community‐based diversity, although frequently calculated and interpreted for decades in ecology and conservation biology, is not the all‐purpose concept to detect and assess the various facets of biodiversity loss. Therefore, we suggest that concerted effort is needed to develop and test novel indicators of biodiversity, capable of detecting biodiversity loss, or other changes, in response to the main environmental stressors of lotic ecosystems.
The relative contributions of refugium types to the persistence of benthic invertebrates in a seasonal snowmelt flood
Authors: Sueyoshi Masanao , Nakano Daisuke , Nakamura Futoshi
Published: October 2013

Flow refugia, characterised by low hydraulic stress during a flood, are key habitats that contribute to the persistence of benthic invertebrate. We investigated the use of different refugium types distributed across stream and floodplains and clarified which refugia contributed most to the persistence of assemblage and population during a seasonal snowmelt flood.

We sampled invertebrates and measured physical variables from six or nine types of channel units (‘riffle’, ‘run ‘, ‘lateral pool’, ‘backwater’, ‘abandoned pool’ and ‘tributary’ at base flow, plus ‘fast inundated area’, ‘slow inundated area’ and ‘side channel’ at high flow) at four times (before, during, immediately after and after a flood). We analysed the use of refugia by assemblages, species with different ecological ‘lifestyles’ (a classification into different modes of mobility: burrower, climber, sprawler, clinger and swimmer) and populations.

Total density and species richness decreased significantly with flooding in riffles, runs and lateral pools. In contrast, total density and species richness did not change significantly in the other six types of channel units; therefore, these were distinguished as refugia. Among the six refugia, backwaters, tributaries and slow inundated areas had higher total densities than other refugia. The densities of the five lifestyles also decreased with flooding in riffles, runs and lateral pools. During flooding, high densities in backwaters and slow inundated areas were common for all lifestyles, whereas densities in other refugia varied with lifestyle.

The results for five common species showed that refugium use is species‐dependent. The mayfly Paraleptophlebia japonica (Leptophlebiidae) and the cased caddisfly Neophylax ussuriensis (Uenoidae) were more numerous in refugia during flooding and recovered rapidly after flooding. In contrast, the mayfly Epeorus latifolium (Heptageniidae) and the net‐spinning caddisfly Hydropsyche orientalis (Hydropsychidae) were rare in all types of channel units during and immediately after flooding. The cased caddisfly Allomyia delicatula (Apataniidae) was specific to tributaries and persisted throughout the research period.

Although some species did not use refugia effectively, various species with different mobility and ecological traits did persist and were found in refugia. Specifically, habitats with slowly flowing water that were spatially close to the main channel favoured the persistence of benthic invertebrates.
Responses of stream fish populations to farming intensity and water abstraction in an agricultural catchment
Authors: Lange Katharina , Townsend Colin R. , Gabrielsson Rasmus , Chanut Pierre C. M. , Matthaei Christoph D.
Published: October 2013

Agriculture affects streams worldwide, and multiple stressors are usually at work. The effects of farming intensification in the catchment are likely to interact with flow reduction due to abstraction for irrigation, but their combined effects on fish communities are unknown.

In a low‐rainfall, agricultural catchment, we sampled instream physicochemistry and fish populations (non‐native brown trout,Salmo trutta, and native upland bullies,Gobiomorphus breviceps, dominated the fish communities) at 36 stream sites chosen to cover wide gradients of % Farming Intensity (%FI) (% catchment in ‘high‐producing exotic grassland’) and % Water Abstraction (%WA) (estimated from a published hydrological model). These landscape variables were not well correlated, allowing us to unravel their individual and combined effects.

Presence of trout was best described by an additive multiple‐stressor model consisting of a unimodal response to %FI and a negative response to %WA. Trout density only showed a negative response to %FI. Upland bullies were unrelated to either landscape variable.

When populations were modelled using instream variables, trout presence was negatively related to fine sediment depth, while density was negatively related to both sediment depth and total nitrogen (themselves closely related to %FI). Upland bully presence and density showed unimodal responses to just total nitrogen. Ammonium concentration was the only measured instream variable related to %WA.

The final models for instream stressors explained more of the variation in fish density, whereas the final models for landscape stressors explained more of the variation in fish presence.

Overall, farming intensity showed stronger negative relationships with fish populations than water abstraction, and fish were absent from stream reaches whose upstream catchments contained more than 40% high‐producing exotic grassland. Resource managers considering intensifying water abstraction or agriculture in low‐rainfall river catchments should be aware of the interplay between these two agricultural stressors.
The importance of biotic interactions and local adaptation for plant response to environmental changes: field evidence along an elevational gradient
Authors: Grassein Fabrice , Lavorel Sandra , Till‐Bottraud Irène
Published: October 2013

Predicting the response of species to environmental changes is a great and on‐going challenge for ecologists, and this requires a more in‐depth understanding of the importance of biotic interactions and the population structuration in the landscape. Using a reciprocal transplantation experiment, we tested the response of five species to an elevational gradient. This was combined to a neighbour removal treatment to test the importance of local adaptation and biotic interactions. The trait studied was performance measured as survival and biomass. Species response varied along the elevational gradient, but with no consistent pattern. Performance of species was influenced by environmental conditions occurring locally at each site, as well as by positive or negative effects of the surrounding vegetation. Indeed, we observed a shift from competition for biomass to facilitation for survival as a response to the increase in environmental stress occurring in the different sites. Unlike previous studies pointing out an increase of stress along the elevation gradient, our results supported a stress gradient related to water availability, which was not strictly parallel to the elevational gradient. For three of our species, we observed a greater biomass production for the population coming from the site where the species was dominant (central population) compared to population sampled at the limit of the distribution (marginal population). Nevertheless, we did not observe any pattern of local adaptation that could indicate adaptation of populations to a particular habitat. Altogether, our results highlighted the great ability of plant species to cope with environmental changes, with no local adaptation and great variability in response to local conditions. Our study confirms the importance of taking into account biotic interactions and population structure occurring at local scale in the prediction of communities’ responses to global environmental changes.
Perfusion Computed Tomography Thresholds Defining Ischemic Penumbra and Infarct Core: Studies in a Rat Stroke Model
Authors: McLeod D. D. , Parsons M. W. , Hood R. , Hiles B. , Allen J. , McCann S. K. , Murtha L. , Calford M. B. , Levi C. R. , Spratt N. J.
Published: October 2013

Background

Perfusion computed tomography is becoming more widely used as a clinical imaging tool to predict potentially salvageable tissue (ischemic penumbra) after ischemic stroke and guide reperfusion therapies.

Aims

The study aims to determine whether there are important changes in perfusion computed tomography thresholds defining ischemic penumbra and infarct core over time following stroke.

Methods

Permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion was performed in adult outbred Wistar rats ( n = 6) and serial perfusion computed tomography scans were taken every 30 mins for 2 h. To define infarction thresholds at 1 h and 2 h post-stroke, separate groups of rats underwent 1 h ( n = 6) and 2 h ( n = 6) of middle cerebral artery occlusion followed by reperfusion. Infarct volumes were defined by histology at 24 h. Co-registration with perfusion computed tomography maps (cerebral blood flow, cerebral blood volume, and mean transit time) permitted pixel-based analysis of thresholds defining infarction, using receiver operating characteristic curves.

Results

Relative cerebral blood flow was the perfusion computed tomography parameter that most accurately predicted penumbra (area under the curve = 0·698) and also infarct core (area under the curve = 0·750). A relative cerebral blood flow threshold of < 75% of mean contralateral cerebral blood flow most accurately predicted penumbral tissue at 0·5 h (area under the curve = 0·660), 1 h (area under the curve = 0·659), 1·5 h (area under the curve = 0·636), and 2 h (area under the curve = 0·664) after stroke onset. A relative cerebral blood flow threshold of < 55% of mean contralateral most accurately predicted infarct core at 1 h (area under the curve = 0·765) and at 2 h (area under the curve = 0·689) after middle cerebral artery occlusion.

Conclusions

The data provide perfusion computed tomography defined relative cerebral blood flow thresholds for infarct core and ischemic penumbra within the first two hours after experimental stroke in rats. These thresholds were shown to be stable to define the volume of infarct core and penumbra within this time window.
The case for nurses as central providers of health and social care services for ex‐offenders: a discussion paper
Authors: Eshareturi Cyril , Serrant‐Green Laura , Bayliss‐Pratt Lisa , Galbraith Victoria
Published: October 2013

Aims

A discussion on the case for nurse‐led community delivery of health and social care interventions to ex‐offenders.

Background

Ex‐offenders re‐enter their communities with limited pre‐release preparation for the continuity of access to health care once outside prison. Once released, these individuals become hard to reach, do not consider health a priority and consequently use services to address their health and social care needs in a crisis‐led way. Nevertheless, how nurses can best support these health‐excluded group of individuals in the community remains vague and requires discussion.

Design

Discussion paper.

Data sources

Several databases were searched for papers published in English from 1990–2012 using the Population, Intervention and Outcome framework to help structure search.

Discussion

It is argued that current dominant discourses around equity of care are contradicted in the provision of health and social care services to ex‐offenders in the community. Effective engagement with community interventions may be achieved if ex‐offenders maintain contact with frontline providers who can support both their structural and health needs.

Implication for nursing

Nurses are uniquely positioned to initiate and sustain contact with ex‐offenders, intervening at points of greatest need in the community to address the socially significant health and social care issues that plague them.

Conclusion

The use of nurses in the provision of health and social care interventions to ex‐offenders is a strategy, which could increase equity in access to health care, reduce reoffending and improve both the health and life chances of these individuals.
Creating False Images: Stream Restoration in an Urban Setting
Authors: Cockerill Kristan , Anderson William P.
Published: October 2013

Stream restoration has become a multibillion dollar business with mixed results as to its efficacy. This case study utilizes pre‐ and post‐monitoring data from restoration projects on an urban stream to assess how well stream conditions, publicly stated project goals, and project implementation align. Our research confirms previous studies showing little communication among academic researchers and restoration practitioners as well as provides further evidence that restoration efforts tend to focus on small‐scale, specific sites without considering broader land use patterns. This study advances our understanding of restoration by documenting that although improving ecological conditions is a stated goal for restoration projects, the implemented measures are not always focused on those issues that are the most ecologically salient. What these projects have accomplished is to protect the built environment and promote positive public perception. We argue that these disconnects among publicized goals for restoration, the implemented features, and actual stream conditions may create a false image of what an ecologically stable stream looks like and therefore perpetuate a false sense of optimism about the feasibility of restoring urban streams.
A Multi‐Scale Analysis of Single‐Family Residential Water Use in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area
Authors: Ouyang Yun , Wentz Elizabeth A. , Ruddell Benjamin L. , Harlan Sharon L.
Published: October 2013

Studies that evaluate determinants of residential water demand typically use data from a single spatial scale. Although household‐scale data are preferred, especially when econometric models are used, researchers may be limited to aggregate data. There is little, if any, empirical analysis to assess whether spatial scale may lead to ecological fallacy problems in residential water use research. Using linear mixed‐effects models, we compare the results for the relationship of single‐family water use with its determinants using data from the household and census tract scales in the city of Phoenix. Model results between the household and census tract scale are similar suggesting the ecological fallacy may not be significant. Common significant determinants on these two spatial scales include household size, household income, house age, pool size, irrigable lot size, precipitation, and temperature. We also use city/town scale data from the Phoenix metropolitan area to parameterize the linear mixed‐effects model. The difference in the parameter estimates of those common variables compared to the first two scales indicates there is spatial heterogeneity in the relationship between single‐family water use and its determinants among cities and towns. The negative relationship between single‐family house density and residential water use suggests that residential water consumption could be reduced through coordination of land use planning and water demand management.
Intrahepatic interleukin‐17+T cells and FoxP3+ regulatory T cells cooperate to promote development and affect the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Huang Yong , Wang Fengmei , Wang Yijun , Zhu Zhengyan , Gao Yingtang , Ma Zhe , Xu Ruicheng , Du Zhi
Published: October 2013

Background and Aim

Recent studies have shown that imbalance between tumor‐infiltrating interleukin (IL)‐17+ T cells and regulatory T cells (Tregs) is an important regulator of progression in various cancers, but little is known regarding this imbalance in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This study explored the role of imbalance between IL‐17+ T cells and Tregs in the immunopathogenesis of HCC in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) infection.

Methods

Fifty‐six of patient‐matched tumors and peritumoral surgical specimens from 56 patient with HCC and 136 liver biopsies specimens from 46 patients with CHB, 37 with atypical hyperplasia (AH), and 53 with HCC were enrolled. The expressions of IL‐17, FoxP3, CD4, and CD8 in liver tissue were measured by immunochemistry for the evaluation of liver‐infiltrating lymphocytes.

Results

The density of liver infiltrated FoxP3+ Tregs was increased in a stepwise manner from CHB to AH then HCC, while there was a decreasing trend for the density of IL‐17+ T cells and CD8+ T cells. In surgical specimens of less differentiated HCC, the quantity of tumor‐infiltrating FoxP3+ Tregs was significantly lower and IL‐17+ T cells and CD8+ T cells were significantly higher. Additionally, peritumoral IL‐17+ T cells were increased in poorly differentiated HCC. High intratumoral FoxP3+ Tregs with high intratumoral IL‐17+ T cells showed a significantly lower overall survival (OS) and disease‐free survival (DFS) compared with other groups (OS, P = 0.033; DFS, P = 0.004). High intratumoral FoxP3+ Tregs with high peritumoral IL‐17+ T cells showed a significantly lower survival rate compared with other groups (OS, P < 0.001 and DFS, P < 0.001).

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that intrahepatic IL‐17+ T cells and FoxP3+ Tregs may cooperate to promote the progression of HCC.
Don't End Up in the Fields: Identity Construction among Mexican Adolescent Immigrants, their Parents, and Sociocontextual Processes
Authors: Maciel Jose A. , Knudson‐Martin Carmen
Published: October 2013

This grounded theory study of 16 Mexican immigrant adolescents and 20 of their parents examines how they construct relational identities within their families, at school, with friends, and in the larger society. Results focus on a core identity bind faced by the adolescents: immigration messages from parents that say, “don't be like me” and the societal message, “you're not like us.” Response to this bind was guided by two contrasting sets of identity narratives: Empowering narratives invited an intentional approach to school and life choices. Restricting narratives maintained an ambivalent approach to school and life choices. Resolution of the identity bind was a collective, ongoing process that has implications for Mexican immigrant families and the professionals who work with them.
“It's a Struggle but I Can Do It. I'm Doing It for Me and My Kids”: The Psychosocial Characteristics and Life Experiences of At‐Risk Homeless Parents in Transitional Housing
Authors: Holtrop Kendal , McNeil Sharde' , McWey Lenore M.
Published: October 2013

Families experiencing homelessness face a number of risks to their psychosocial health and well‐being, yet few studies have examined the topic of parenting among homeless families. The purpose of this multimethod, descriptive study was to acquire a better understanding of the psychosocial status and life experiences of homeless parents residing in transitional housing. Quantitative data were collected from 69 parents and primary caregivers living in a transitional housing community, with a cohort of 24 participants also contributing qualitative data. The quantitative results suggest risk associated with depression, parenting stress, and negative parenting practices. The qualitative findings highlight five themes that convey both the challenges faced by homeless parents as well as the resilience they display in spite of such adversity. These results extend current scholarship on homeless families with children and can better inform how couple and family therapists work with this at‐risk population.
Beyond the mitochondrion: cytosolic PINK1 remodels dendrites through Protein Kinase A
Authors: Dagda Ruben K. , Pien Irene , Wang Ruth , Zhu Jianhui , Wang Kent Z. Q. , Callio Jason , Banerjee Tania Das , Dagda Raul Y. , Chu Charleen T.
Published: October 2013

The subcellular compartmentalization of kinase activity allows for regulation of distinct cellular processes involved in cell differentiation or survival. The PTEN‐induced kinase 1 (PINK1), which is linked to Parkinson's disease, is a neuroprotective kinase localized to cytosolic and mitochondrial compartments. While mitochondrial targeting of PINK1 is important for its activities regulating mitochondrial homeostasis, the physiological role of the cytosolic pool of PINK1 remains unknown. Here, we demonstrate a novel role for cytosolic PINK1 in neuronal differentiation/neurite maintenance. Over‐expression of wild‐type PINK1, but not a catalytically inactive form of PINK1(K219M), promoted neurite outgrowth in SH‐SY5Y cells and increased dendritic lengths in primary cortical and midbrain dopaminergic neurons. To identify the subcellular pools of PINK1 involved in promoting neurite outgrowth, we transiently transfected cells with PINK1 constructs designed to target PINK1 to the outer mitochondrial membrane (OMM‐PINK1) or restrict PINK1 to the cytosol (ΔN111‐PINK1). Both constructs blocked cell death associated with loss of endogenous PINK1. However, transient expression of ΔN111‐PINK1, but not of OMM‐PINK1 or ΔN111‐PINK1(K219M), promoted dendrite outgrowth in primary neurons, and rescued the decreased dendritic arborization of PINK1‐deficient neurons. Mechanistically, the cytosolic pool of PINK1 regulated neurite morphology through enhanced anterograde transport of dendritic mitochondria and amplification of protein kinase A‐related signaling pathways. Our data support a novel role for PINK1 in regulating dendritic morphogenesis.

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Mutations in PINK1 cause recessive Parkinson's disease, but the neuronal function(s) of the PINK1 protein remain elusive. We found that cytosolic PINK1 promotes neuronal differentiation in naïve cells, reversing dendritic shortening and cell death in Pink1−/− neurons, by increasing PKA activity and mitochondrial transport to dendrites. Release of processed PINK1 from healthy mitochondria may serve as a pro‐differentiation signal in cortical and dopaminergic neurons.
Repeated monitoring of corneal nerves by confocal microscopy as an index of peripheral neuropathy in type‐1 diabetic rodents and the effects of topical insulin
Authors: Chen Debbie K. , Frizzi Katie E. , Guernsey Lucie S. , Ladt Kelsey , Mizisin Andrew P. , Calcutt Nigel A.
Published: October 2013

We developed a reliable imaging and quantitative analysis method for in vivo corneal confocal microscopy (CCM) in rodents and used it to determine whether models of type 1 diabetes replicate the depletion of corneal nerves reported in diabetic patients. Quantification was reproducible between observers and stable across repeated time points in two rat strains. Longitudinal studies were performed in normal and streptozotocin (STZ)‐diabetic rats, with innervation of plantar paw skin quantified using standard histological methods after 40 weeks of diabetes. Diabetic rats showed an initial increase, then a gradual reduction in occupancy of nerves in the sub‐basal plexus so that values were significantly lower at week 40 (68 ± 6%) than age‐matched controls (80 ± 2%). No significant loss of stromal or intra‐epidermal nerves was detected. In a separate study, insulin was applied daily to the eye of control and STZ‐diabetic mice and this treatment prevented depletion of nerves of the sub‐basal plexus. Longitudinal studies are viable in rodents using CCM and depletion of distal corneal nerves precedes detectable loss of epidermal nerves in the foot, suggesting that diabetic neuropathy is not length dependent. Loss of insulin‐derived neurotrophic support may contribute to the pathogenesis of corneal nerve depletion in type 1 diabetes.
Curcumin potentiates the anti-arthritic effect of prednisolone in Freund's complete adjuvant-induced arthritic rats
Authors: Kuncha Madhusudana , Naidu Vegi Ganga Modi , Sahu Bidya Dhar , Gadepalli Shankar Ganesh , Sistla Ramakrishna
Published: October 2013

Objectives

The present study was aimed at investigating the effect of curcumin in combination with prednisolone for the effective treatment of arthritis with reduced side effects when glucocorticoids therapy is indicated.

Methods

Arthritis was induced in wistar rats by subplantar injection of Freund's complete adjuvant, and animals were observed for the symptoms of arthritis during the period of 21 days. Combined treatment of curcumin with various doses of prednisolone (1.25, 2.5 and 5 mg/kg) was evaluated in order to ascertain the efficacy and toxicity induced by steroid.

Key findings

Arthritic animals showed significant increase in tumour necrosis factor-α and IL-1β levels in paw tissue and IL-1β in serum. Combined therapy of curcumin with low doses of prednisolone showed pronounced beneficial effect on joint swelling, leucocyte count and biochemical parameters compared with prednisolone groups. Among the different doses used in the study, prednisolone at 1.25 mg/kg in combination with curcumin showed beneficial anti-arthritic activity and also reduced the steroid toxicity. This is evidenced by increase in body weight, low toxicity to immune organs, reduction in leucocyte count, increase in spleen anti-oxidant enzymes and potent inhibition of cytokines in combination group.

Conclusion

Therefore, combined treatment of curcumin with low doses of prednisolone may find therapeutic use in arthritis.
Human Rights Prosecutions and the Participation Rights of Victims in Latin America
Authors: Michel Verónica , Sikkink Kathryn
Published: October 2013

Since the 1980s, there has been a significant rise in domestic and international efforts to enforce individual criminal accountability for human rights violations through trials, but we still lack complete explanations for the emergence of this trend and the variation observed in the use of human rights prosecutions in the world. In this article, we examine the role that procedural law has had in allowing societal actors to influence in this rising trend for individual criminal accountability. We do this by focusing on participation rights granted to victims, such as private prosecution in criminal cases. Based on an exploration of an original database on human rights prosecutions in Latin America and fieldwork research in three countries, we argue that private prosecution is the key causal mechanism that allows societal actors to fight in domestic courts for individual criminal accountability for human rights violations.
What Happens to Law in a Refugee Camp?
Authors: Holzer Elizabeth
Published: October 2013

How do people living in a refugee camp engage with legal practices, discourses, and institutions? Critics argue that refugee camps leave people in “legal limbo” depriving them of the “right to have rights” despite the presence of international humanitarian actors and the entitlements enshrined in international law. For that reason, refugee camps have become a highly visible symbol of failed human rights campaigns. In contrast, I found in an ethnography of the Buduburam Refugee Camp in Ghana, West Africa, that although people living as refugees faced chronic insecurity and injustice, they engaged extensively with several different facets of the law. I illuminate three interrelated dimensions of their experiences: (1) their development as international legal subjects; (2) their alienation from domestic legal institutions; and (3) their agency within the legal field. The article contributes to the research agenda on law in humanitarian settings an empirically grounded account of the subjective dimensions of legal alienation and mobilization in a refugee camp. More broadly, it contributes to international human rights debates by theorizing a mixed outcome of international human rights campaigns: the emergence of wards of international law, people deeply embedded in the international legal system, but alienated from local law.
Effects of parasitism on aphid nutritional and protective symbioses
Authors: Martinez Adam J. , Weldon Stephanie R. , Oliver Kerry M.
Published: October 2013

Insects often carry heritable symbionts that negotiate interactions with food plants or natural enemies. All pea aphids, Acyrthosiphon pisum, require infection with the nutritional symbiont Buchnera, and many are also infected with Hamiltonella, which protects against the parasitoid Aphidius ervi. Hamiltonella‐based protection requires bacteriophages called APSEs with protection levels varying by strain and associated APSE. Endoparasitoids, including A. ervi, may benefit from protecting the nutritional symbiosis and suppressing the protective one, while the aphid and its heritable symbionts have aligned interests when attacked by the wasp. We investigated the effects of parasitism on the abundance of aphid nutritional and protective symbionts. First, we determined strength of protection associated with multiple symbiont strains and aphid genotypes as these likely impact symbiont responses. Unexpectedly, some A. pisum genotypes cured of facultative symbionts were resistant to parasitism and resistant aphid lines carried Hamiltonella strains that conferred no additional protection. Susceptible aphid clones carried protective strains. qPCR estimates show that parasitism significantly influenced both Buchnera and Hamiltonella titres, with multiple factors contributing to variation. In susceptible lines, parasitism led to increases in Buchnera near the time of larval wasp emergence consistent with parasite manipulation, but effects were variable in resistant lines. Parasitism also resulted in increases in APSE and subsequent decreases in Hamiltonella, and we discuss how this response may relate to the protective phenotype. In summary, we show that parasitism alters the within‐host ecology of both nutritional and protective symbioses with effects likely significant for all players in this antagonistic interaction.
Phosphorylation of a p38‐like MAPK is involved in sensing cellular redox state and drives atypical tubulin polymer assembly in angiosperms
Authors: LIVANOS PANTELIS , GALATIS BASIL , GAITANAKI CATHERINE , APOSTOLAKOS PANAGIOTIS
Published: October 2013

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) imbalance is a stressful condition for plant cells accompanied by dramatic changes in tubulin cytoskeleton. Here, evidence is provided that alterations in ROS levels directly interfere with the phosphorylation state of a p38‐like MAPK in the angiosperms Triticum turgidum and Arabidopsis thaliana. Both oxidative stress generators and chemicals inducing ROS scavenging or decreasing ROS production resulted in the accumulation of a phospho‐p46 protein similar to p38‐MAPK. Importantly, the rhd2 A. thaliana mutants exhibited a remarkable increase in levels of phospho‐p46. The presence of the p38‐MAPK inhibitor SB203580 attenuated the response to ROS disturbance, prevented microtubule disappearance and resulted in a dramatic decrease in the number of atypical tubulin polymers. Moreover, in roots treated simultaneously with substances inducing ROS overproduction and others resulting in low ROS levels, phospho‐p46 levels and the organization of tubulin cytoskeleton were similar to controls. Collectively, our experimental data suggest, for the first time in plants, that p46 functions as a putative sensor of redox state, the activation of which initiates downstream signalling events leading to microtubule disruption and subsequent assembly of atypical tubulin polymers. Thus, p46 seems to participate in perception of ROS homeostasis disturbance as well as in cellular responses to redox imbalance.