bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Overview of clinically approved oral antidiabetic agents for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus
Authors: He Zhi‐Xu , Zhou Zhi‐Wei , Yang Yinxue , Yang Tianxin , Pan Si‐Yuan , Qiu Jia‐Xuan , Zhou Shu‐Feng
Published: October 2014

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is caused by insulin resistance and characterized by progressive pancreatic β‐cell dysfunction. This articles reviews the application and limitations of currently approved oral drugs for the treatment of T2DM. Data were retrieved from the literature and well‐recognized drug‐related databases. Although lifestyle modifications and metformin are the cornerstones of the initial management of T2DM, there is an increasing array of second‐ and third‐line pharmacological agents, including sulphonylureas, insulin, thiazolidinediones and glitazones, α‐glucosidase inhibitors, glucagon‐like peptide‐1 agonists, dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitors and the amylin receptor agonist pramlintide. Current T2DM treatment focuses on reducing blood glucose levels via different mechanisms, including nuclear hormone receptors, nucleic acid binding proteins, transcription factors, voltage‐gated K+ channels, glucosidase, G‐protein‐coupled receptors and non‐receptor serine/threonine protein kinase. Extensive efforts are needed to address the pathogenesis of T2DM, which may facilitate the development of new therapies and the identification of new therapeutic targets to overcome the shortcomings of currently available drugs for T2DM and to achieve therapeutic goals.
Aortic dissection presenting an acute onset of neuroradicular syndrome complicated by coeliac and superior mesenteric artery embolism
Authors: Zeng Lixiong , Yuan Hong , Jiang Weihong , Yang Kan , Zhang Zhihui
Published: October 2014

Aortic dissection is a catastrophic medical emergency with complex and changeable clinical presentations. We report a case of aortic dissection complicated by coeliac and superior mesenteric artery embolism, which is hardly been reported till date.
Design, Synthesis, and Biological Evaluation of Novel 4‐Aminopiperidinyl‐linked 3,5‐Disubstituted‐1,2,6‐thiadiazine‐1,1‐dione Derivatives as HIV‐1 NNRTIs
Authors: Liu Tao , Huang Boshi , Tian Ye , Liang Xin , Liu Hong , Liu Huiqing , Zhan Peng , De Clercq Erik , Pannecouque Christophe , Liu Xinyong
Published: October 2014

Based on the hybridization of the privileged fragments in DABO and DAPY‐typed HIV‐1 NNRTIs, a novel series of 4‐aminopiperidinyl‐linked 3,5‐disubstituted‐1,2,6‐thiadiazine‐1,1‐dione derivatives were designed, synthesized, and evaluated for their in vitro anti‐HIV activities in MT‐4 cells. Most of the target compounds showed weak inhibitory activity against WT HIV‐1. In order to confirm the mode of action of the target compounds, representative compounds Ba8 and Bb8 were selected to perform the HIV‐1 RT inhibitory assay. In this assay, Ba8 and Bb8 displayed good activity with IC50 values of 3.15 and 1.52 μm, respectively. Additionally, preliminary structure–activity relationships (SARs) analysis and molecular docking studies of newly synthesized compounds are also discussed.
Detection of aquaporin‐4 antibody status of Thai patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders using a recombinant Escherichia coli aquaporin‐4 enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay
Authors: Kanjan Kulaya , Siritho Sasitorn , Apiwattanakul Metha , Prayoonwiwat Naraporn , Uawithya Panapat
Published: October 2014

Objectives

Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is a severe inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system. Detection of a highly specific autoantibody to aquaporin‐4 (AQP4) in the serum has been used as a diagnostic marker for NMO. The aim of the present study was to evaluate and validate the enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for detecting AQP4 antibody using recombinant AQP4 antigen expressed on Escherichia coli, and assessing its usefulness in diagnosis of NMO among Thai patients.

Methods

Sera of the 57 patients who attended the neurology service at Siriraj Hospital and were suspected to have central nervous system demyelinating diseases were tested, along with the sera of normal subjects. AQP4 with a green fluorescent tag was expressed on E. coli BL21 DE3 pLysS. Assessment of the AQP4 antibody was carried out using ELISA, and the obtained data were compared with pre‐ and post‐fixed cell‐based indirect immunofluorescence assay (CBA‐kit and Sendai method cell‐based assay), and tissue‐based indirect immunofluorescence assay.

Results

Recombinant AQP4 proteins were successfully expressed in the E. coli. Crude lysates of E. coli expressing full length AQP4 were used as antigens for the patients’ sera in the ELISA. The sensitivity and specificity of the ELISA were 96.7% and 92.3%, respectively, and they were highly correlated (kappa coefficient, 0.894) compared with the Sendai method cell‐based assay.

Conclusions

The detection of AQP4 antibodies with ELISA using recombinant E. coli AQP4 antigen provides highly sensitive and specific diagnoses for Thai spectrum disorders patients. This method should be used as an economically viable alternative routine screening test for patients whose clinical symptoms suggest NMO.
Gestational stress induces persistent depressive‐like behavior and structural modifications within the postpartum nucleus accumbens
Authors: Haim Achikam , Sherer Morgan , Leuner Benedetta
Published: October 2014

Postpartum depression (PPD) is a common complication following childbirth experienced by one in every five new mothers. Pregnancy stress enhances vulnerability to PPD and has also been shown to increase depressive‐like behavior in postpartum rats. Thus, gestational stress may be an important translational risk factor that can be used to investigate the neurobiological mechanisms underlying PPD. Here we examined the effects of gestational stress on depressive‐like behavior during the early/mid and late postpartum periods and evaluated whether this was accompanied by altered structural plasticity in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), a brain region that has been linked to PPD. We show that early/mid (postpartum day 8) postpartum female rats exhibited more depressive‐like behavior in the forced swim test as compared with late postpartum females (postpartum day 22). However, 2 weeks of restraint stress during pregnancy increased depressive‐like behavior regardless of postpartum timepoint. In addition, dendritic length, branching and spine density on medium spiny neurons in the NAc shell were diminished in postpartum rats that experienced gestational stress although stress‐induced reductions in spine density were evident only in early/mid postpartum females. In the NAc core, structural plasticity was not affected by gestational stress but late postpartum females exhibited lower spine density and reduced dendritic length. Overall, these data not only demonstrate structural changes in the NAc across the postpartum period, they also show that postpartum depressive‐like behavior following exposure to gestational stress is associated with compromised structural plasticity in the NAc and thus may provide insight into the neural changes that could contribute to PPD.
Reinnervated nerves contribute to the secretion function and regeneration of denervated submandibular glands in rabbits
Authors: Zhang Si‐en , Su Yu‐xiong , Zheng Guang‐sen , Liang Yu‐jie , Liao Gui‐qing
Published: November 2014

This study aimed to investigate the contribution of redistributed nerves in the secretory function and regeneration of a denervated submandibular gland (SMG). The postganglionic parasympathetic and sympathetic denervated SMGs of rabbits were wrapped in polyester or acellular dermal matrices to block nerve regeneration either partially or completely. Submandibular glands were removed 4, 8, 16, and 24 wk after the operation and examined histologically. Furthermore, the aquaporin‐5 (AQP5), muscarinic‐3 (M3), and β1‐adrenergic receptors were evaluated by immunofluorescence and western blot analysis. After denervation, salivary flow was decreased and acinar cells were atrophic, and the expression levels of the M3, β1‐adrenergic, and AQP5 receptors were decreased. However, both impaired secretion function and atrophic parenchyma were gradually ameliorated with the growing redistribution of parasympathetic and sympathetic nerves. Apoptosis was markedly inhibited and expression of the M3, β1‐adrenergic, and AQP5 receptors was increased after reinnervation. In contrast, SMGs without reinnervated nerves maintained hyposecretion and atrophic parenchyma. In conclusion, reinnervated nerves in a rabbit's denervated SMG played an important role in the secretion function and regeneration of SMGs via up‐regulation of the expression of neurotransmitter receptors and AQP5.
Does Measuring L2 Utterance Fluency Equal Measuring Overall L2 Proficiency? Evidence From Five Languages
Authors: Baker‐Smemoe Wendy , Dewey Dan P. , Bown Jennifer , Martinsen Rob A.
Published: November 2014

The current study examined the relationship between overall second language (L2) proficiency and utterance fluency measures for several L2s in order to determine whether utterance measures can be used to predict L2 proficiency. The study measured the speech rate, number of hesitations, number and length of pauses, number and length of runs, and number of false starts using excerpts from 126 ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interviews (OPIs) spoken by 86 participants. Forty of the participants provided pre‐ and post‐OPI speech samples, which also allowed examination of changes over time. All 86 participants were native English speakers who spoke L2 French, German, Japanese, Arabic, or Russian. They ranged in proficiency from Novice Mid to Superior. Results suggested that some L2 utterance fluency measures correlated significantly with overall L2 proficiency for all L2s, but data also revealed some differences across L2s. These differences hinged partly on the L2's relative difficulty for native English speakers. Results suggested that it might be feasible to use specific fluency measures to estimate proficiency, in particular at higher levels, but that fine‐grained sublevel estimates would not be recommended, in particular at the Novice and Intermediate levels.
Dynamic Processes of Speech Development by Seven Adult Learners of Japanese in a Domestic Immersion Context
Authors: Fukuda Makiko
Published: October 2014

The present study revealed the dynamic process of speech development in a domestic immersion program by seven adult beginning learners of Japanese. The speech data were analyzed with fluency, accuracy, and complexity measurements at group, interindividual, and intraindividual levels. The results revealed the complex nature of language development among and within individuals. The reasons for such dynamicity and pedagogical implications are discussed.
World Language Teacher Candidate Performance on edTPA: An Exploratory Study
Authors: Hildebrandt Susan A. , Swanson Pete
Published: November 2014

Federal and state legislation continues to promote teacher accountability in the United States. The new edTPA, a subject‐specific teacher performance assessment, is purported to measure beginning teacher readiness and is being pilot tested and implemented for licensure and certification decisions across the country. In this exploratory quantitative study, the researchers examined edTPA scores of 21 world language teacher candidates from two teacher preparation programs and compared those results to the cut scores for the states of Washington and New York. Results indicated that participants performed best in the planning section and were most challenged by the assessment section. This research has implications for teacher certification candidates, world language teacher preparation programs, policy makers, and other stakeholders.
Disparate effects of global‐change drivers on mountain conifer forests: warming‐induced growth enhancement in young trees vs. CO2 fertilization in old trees from wet sites
Authors: Camarero J. Julio , Gazol Antonio , Galván Juan Diego , Sangüesa‐Barreda Gabriel , Gutiérrez Emilia
Published: November 2014

Theory predicts that the postindustrial rise in the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere (ca) should enhance tree growth either through a direct fertilization effect or indirectly by improving water use efficiency in dry areas. However, this hypothesis has received little support in cold‐limited and subalpine forests where positive growth responses to either rising ca or warmer temperatures are still under debate. In this study, we address this issue by analyzing an extensive dendrochronological network of high‐elevation Pinus uncinata forests in Spain (28 sites, 544 trees) encompassing the whole biogeographical extent of the species. We determine if the basal area increment (BAI) trends are linked to climate warming and increased ca by focusing on region‐ and age‐dependent responses. The largest improvement in BAI over the past six centuries occurred during the last 150 years affecting young trees and being driven by recent warming. Indeed, most studied regions and age classes presented BAI patterns mainly controlled by temperature trends, while growing‐season precipitation was only relevant in the driest sites. Growth enhancement was linked to rising ca in mature (151–300 year‐old trees) and old‐mature trees (301–450 year‐old trees) from the wettest sites only. This finding implies that any potential fertilization effect of elevated ca on forest growth is contingent on tree features that vary with ontogeny and it depends on site conditions (for instance water availability). Furthermore, we found widespread growth decline in drought‐prone sites probably indicating that the rise in ca did not compensate for the reduction in water availability. Thus, warming‐triggered drought stress may become a more important direct driver of growth than rising ca in similar subalpine forests. We argue that broad approaches in biogeographical and temporal terms are required to adequately evaluate any effect of rising ca on forest growth.
Rebuilding the ship at sea: super‐diversity, person and conduct in eastern Oslo
Authors: ERIKSEN THOMAS HYLLAND
Published: October 2014

Researchers on transnationalism and migration in contemporary Europe often insufficiently communicate or even neglect the major shift between the first and second generation. Using empirical material from eastern Oslo, I argue that the dominant conceptualization of the self, of personhood, has shifted from a chiefly sociocentric to a chiefly egocentric form of selfhood, with important consequences for the process of integration into Norwegian society. At the same time, this change in personhood, a result of wide‐ranging participation in the institutions of majority society, does not per se lead to a weakening of religious or ethnic identity, although they are now reflexively chosen and not adhered to as a duty or social obligation. This process of individualization creates a situation of multiple, complex adaptations rather than one of stable, coherent diasporic populations, one where even conservative traditions have to be chosen actively because they no longer recommend themselves. Members of the second generation are compelled to balance the demands of two social ontologies, one emphasizing security and group cohesion, the other favouring freedom and individuality.
Peroxin Pex14p is the key component for coordinated autophagic degradation of mammalian peroxisomes by direct binding to LC3‐II
Authors: Jiang Li , Hara‐Kuge Sayuri , Yamashita Shun‐ichi , Fujiki Yukio
Published: October 2014

Pexophagy can be experimentally induced in mammalian cells by removing the culture serum. Pex14p, a peroxisomal membrane protein essential for matrix protein import in docking of soluble receptor Pex5p, is involved in the mammalian autophagic degradation of peroxisomes and interacts with the lipidated form of LC3, termed LC3‐II, an essential factor for autophagosome formation, under the starvation condition in CHO‐K1 cells. However, molecular mechanisms underlying the Pex14p‐LC3‐II interaction remain largely unknown. To verify whether Pex14p directly binds LC3‐II, we reconstituted an in vitro conjugation system for synthesis of LC3‐II. We show here that Pex14p directly interacts with LC3‐II via the transmembrane domain of Pex14p. Pex5p competitively inhibited this interaction, implying that Pex14p preferentially binds to Pex5p under the nutrient‐rich condition. Moreover, a Pex5p mutant defective in PTS1‐protein import lost its affinity for Pex14p under the condition of nutrient deprivation, thereby more likely explaining why Pex14p prefers to interact with LC3‐II under the starvation condition in vivo. Together, these results suggest that Pex14p is a unique factor that functions in the dual processes in peroxisomal biogenesis and degradation with the coordination of Pex5p in response to the environmental changes.
Weak impact of tourism activities on biodiversity in a subterranean hotspot of endemism and its implications for the conservation of cave fauna
Authors: Faille Arnaud , Bourdeau Charles , Deharveng Louis
Published: October 2014

La Verna chamber (France, western Pyrenees), the largest underground chamber in France, hosts 18 species of endemic hypogean invertebrates, all highly modified (troglobitic). It was recently opened for tourism activities.

To estimate the risks incurred by its fauna in this new environmental context, we conducted a 3‐year survey of the terrestrial fauna of the cave, focusing on the four steno‐endemic species of beetles present.

We established five sampling spots in the chamber that were monitored every 3 to 4 months during 3 years.

Our results did not detect any negative impact of the tourism activity on cave biodiversity. Neither the number of observed specimens nor the species richness decreased in the control spots.

The huge size of the chamber is assumed to prevent significant microclimatic changes and the presence of very large boulders and cracks is assumed to offer plenty of suitable spaces, which allow invertebrates to escape local disturbance and illumination.

In spite of the high vulnerability of cave organisms, disturbance of cave habitats does not necessarily result in biodiversity decrease, if the cave disturbance is limited in duration, intensity, and spatial coverage with respect to the cave size.
An integrative review of fathers' experiences during pregnancy and childbirth
Authors: Poh H.L. , Koh S.S.L. , He H.‐G.
Published: October 2014

Background

While fathers are increasingly expected to participate during their partners' pregnancies and childbirth and many studies have reported their experiences during these periods, no review studies have examined fathers' experiences and needs during pregnancy and childbirth together.

Aim

To provide an overview of evidence on fathers' experiences and needs during their partners' pregnancies and childbirth to identify any gaps in the existing literature and practice.

Methods

An integrative literature review was performed to analyse and synthesize fathers' experiences and/or needs during pregnancy and/or childbirth based on articles published in CINAHL, PubMed, Scopus, PsycINFO and Web of Science databases between the years 2002 and 2012. Only articles found in the National University of Singapore's online library collection were retrieved.

Results

Altogether, 25 studies (six quantitative and 19 qualitative studies) that reported fathers' experiences during pregnancy (n = 8), childbirth (n = 13) or during both periods (n = 4) were reviewed. Fathers experienced mixed feelings both during pregnancy and childbirth. They required support from their partners and healthcare professionals and wanted to be informed, involved and respected. However, more studies are needed to explore this phenomenon in different cultural contexts or care models.

Conclusion

This review provides evidence for healthcare professionals to pay more attention to fathers when delivering perinatal care. Sociocultural‐sensitive interventions should be developed to facilitate a smoother transition to fatherhood.

Implications for nursing and health policy

Father‐specific information should be given to prepare fathers for pregnancy and childbirth. Healthcare professionals and policymakers should take fathers' feelings and concerns into consideration and provide family‐centred care to the couple during the antenatal and intrapartum periods.
North or south? Niche separation of endemic red‐legged kittiwakes and sympatric black‐legged kittiwakes during their non‐breeding migrations
Authors: Orben Rachael A. , Irons David B. , Paredes Rosana , Roby Daniel D. , Phillips Richard A. , Shaffer Scott A.
Published: October 2014

Aim

Species that breed sympatrically often occupy different foraging niches to mitigate competition for prey. When resource availability declines at the end of the breeding season, some animals migrate to regions with more favourable environmental conditions. When these life‐history traits combine, foraging habitat preferences may continue to influence migration patterns and habitat utilization. The Bering Sea is home to the red‐legged kittiwake (RLKI),Rissa brevirostris, which is endemic, and the black‐legged kittiwake (BLKI),Rissa tridactyla, which has a circumpolar breeding distribution. Since the 1970s, numbers ofRLKIs at the largest colony have declined and then recovered, whilst theBLKIpopulation has remained stable. Knowledge of the migration ecology of kittiwakes is key to understanding differences in population trajectories, and predicting possible future responses of these species to climate change.

Location

Pribilof Islands, Bering Sea, subarctic North Pacific.

Methods

Using geolocation loggers, we tracked adultRLKIs andBLKIs during their non‐breeding migrations. We used iterative methods to assess suitable sample sizes for determining space use. Kittiwakes are surface foragers; therefore we used wet–dry data to distinguish active foraging behaviour and to test the species' responses to environmental conditions. Stable isotope ratios of feathers grown during the non‐breeding period were used to assess dietary niche.

Results

RLKIs remained largely in the Bering Sea, where they experienced colder conditions and shorter days; individual birds used multiple habitats, including the continental shelves, the sea‐ice edge and pelagic waters. In contrast,BLKIs migrated to the subarctic North Pacific, where they dispersed laterally across the basin; the majority of birds travelled to the western subarctic.RLKIs spent less time actively foraging thanBLKIs, and consumed higher trophic‐level prey.

Main conclusions

The disparate wintering ranges and foraging behaviour ofBLKIs andRLKIs suggest distinct environmental factors drive variation in overwinter survival. A strong association with sea ice, and specialization both in diet and foraging behaviour, may makeRLKIs particularly vulnerable to climatic change.
Fibroblast growth factor‐2 promotes healing of surgically created periodontal defects in rats with early, streptozotocin‐induced diabetes via increasing cell proliferation and regulating angiogenesis
Authors: Bizenjima Takahiro , Seshima Fumi , Ishizuka Yoichi , Takeuchi Takahiro , Kinumatsu Takashi , Saito Atsushi
Published: October 2014

Aim

To evaluate the effects of fibroblast growth factor (FGF)‐2 on the healing of surgical periodontal defects in rats with early, streptozotocin‐induced diabetes.

Materials and Methods

Fifty Wistar rats were assigned to streptozotocin‐induced diabetes or non‐diabetes group. Periodontal defects were surgically created at maxillary first molars. Defects were treated with hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) or FGF‐2 with HPC. Defect fill was evaluated by microcomputed tomography. Histological and immunohistochemical analyses were performed.

Results

Compared to vehicle alone, FGF‐2 treatment yielded significantly greater bone volume and trabecular thickness in diabetes group. Diabetes group displayed reduced new bone formation and significantly longer epithelial down‐growth compared to non‐diabetes group. In diabetes group, FGF‐2 treatment increased PCNA‐positive cells and new bone formation after 2 weeks and suppressed epithelial down‐growth, but new cementum formation was minimal even after 4 weeks. In diabetes group, overexpression of vascular endothelial growth factor was evident in cells within connective tissue, and no significant enhancement was observed by FGF‐2 treatment. FGF‐2 increased the expression of α‐smooth muscle actin in diabetes group.

Conclusions

Treatment of surgical periodontal defects in diabetic rats with the single application of FGF‐2 provided beneficial effects primarily on new bone formation via increasing cell proliferation and regulating angiogenesis.
Impaired neutrophil directional chemotactic accuracy in chronic periodontitis patients
Authors: Roberts Helen M. , Ling Martin R. , Insall Robert , Kalna Gabriela , Spengler Julia , Grant Melissa M. , Chapple Iain L.C.
Published: October 2014

Aim

To investigate the chemotactic accuracy of peripheral blood neutrophils from patients with chronic periodontitis compared with matched healthy controls, before and after non‐surgical periodontal therapy.

Material & Methods

Neutrophils were isolated from patients and controls (n = 18) by density centrifugation. Using the Insall chamber and video microscopy, neutrophils were analysed for directional chemotaxis towards N‐formyl‐methionyl‐leucyl‐phenylalanine [fMLP (10 nM), or CXCL8 (200 ng/ml)]. Circular statistics were utilized for the analysis of cell movement.

Results

Prior to treatment, neutrophils from patients with chronic periodontitis had significantly reduced speed, velocity and chemotactic accuracy compared to healthy controls for both chemoattractants. Following periodontal treatment, patient neutrophils continued to display reduced speed in response to both chemoattractants. However, velocity and accuracy were normalized for the weak chemoattractant CXCL8 while they remained significantly reduced for fMLP.

Conclusions

Chronic periodontitis is associated with reduced neutrophil chemotaxis, and this is only partially restored by successful treatment. Dysfunctional neutrophil chemotaxis may predispose patients with periodontitis to their disease by increasing tissue transit times, thus exacerbating neutrophil‐mediated collateral host tissue damage.
Annual Research Review: Attachment disorders in early childhood – clinical presentation, causes, correlates, and treatment
Authors: Zeanah Charles H. , Gleason Mary Margaret
Published: October 2014

Background

Though noted in the clinical literature for more than 50 years, attachment disorders have been studied systematically only recently. In part because of the ubiquity of attachments in humans, determining when aberrant behavior is best explained as an attachment disorder as opposed to insecure attachment has led to some confusion. In this selective review, we consider the literature on reactive attachment disorder and disinhibited social engagement disorder and describe an emerging consensus about a number of issues, while also noting some areas of controversy and others where we lack clear answers. We include a brief history of the classification of the disorders, as well as measurement issues. We describe their clinical presentation, causes and vulnerability factors, and clinical correlates, including the relation of disorders to secure and insecure attachment classifications. We also review what little is known and what more we need to learn about interventions.

Methods

We conducted a literature search using PubMed, PsycINFO, and Cochrane Library databases, using search terms ‘reactive attachment disorder,’ ‘attachment disorder,’ ‘indiscriminate behavior,’ ‘indiscriminate friendliness,’ ‘indiscriminate socially disinhibited reactive attachment disorder,’ ‘disinhibited social engagement disorder,’ and ‘disinhibited social behavior.’ We also contacted investigators who have published on these topics.

Findings

A growing literature has assessed behaviors in children who have experienced various types of adverse caregiving environments reflecting signs of putative attachment disorders, though fewer studies have investigated categorically defined attachment disorders. The evidence for two separate disorders is considerable, with reactive attachment disorder indicating children who lack attachments despite the developmental capacity to form them, and disinhibited social engagement disorder indicating children who lack developmentally appropriate reticence with unfamiliar adults and who violate socially sanctioned boundaries.

Conclusions

Although many questions remain to be answered, especially regarding appropriate interventions, we know considerably more about attachment disorders than we did only a decade ago.
Getting started in mapping‐by‐sequencing
Authors: Candela Héctor , Casanova‐Sáez Rubén , Micol José Luis
Published: October 2014

Héctor Candela

José Luis Micol

Next‐generation sequencing (NGS) technologies allow the cost‐effective sequencing of whole genomes and have expanded the scope of genomics to novel applications, such as the genome‐wide characterization of intraspecific polymorphisms and the rapid mapping and identification of point mutations. Next‐generation sequencing platforms, such as the Illumina HiSeq2000 platform, are now commercially available at affordable prices and routinely produce an enormous amount of sequence data, but their wide use is often hindered by a lack of knowledge on how to manipulate and process the information produced. In this review, we focus on the strategies that are available to geneticists who wish to incorporate these novel approaches into their research but who are not familiar with the necessary bioinformatic concepts and computational tools. In particular, we comprehensively summarize case studies where the use of NGS technologies has led to the identification of point mutations, a strategy that has been dubbed “mapping‐by‐sequencing”, and review examples from plants and other model species such as Caenorhabditis elegans, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Drosophila melanogaster. As these technologies are becoming cheaper and more powerful, their use is also expanding to allow mutation identification in species with larger genomes, such as many crop plants.
What Couples Say about Their Recovery of Sexual Intimacy after Prostatectomy: Toward the Development of a Conceptual Model of Couples' Sexual Recovery after Surgery for Prostate Cancer
Authors: Wittmann Daniela , Carolan Marsha , Given Barbara , Skolarus Ted A. , Crossley Heather , An Lawrence , Palapattu Ganesh , Clark Patricia , Montie James E.
Published: October 2014

Introduction

Interventions designed to help couples recover sexual intimacy after prostatectomy have not been guided by a comprehensive conceptual model.

Aim

We examined a proposed biopsychosocial conceptual model of couples' sexual recovery that included functional, psychological, and relational aspects of sexuality, surgery-related sexual losses, and grief and mourning as recovery process.

Methods

We interviewed 20 couples preoperatively and 3 months postoperatively. between 2010 and 2012. Interviews were analyzed with Analytic Induction qualitative methodology, using NVivo software. Paired t-tests described functional assessment data. Study findings led to a revised conceptual model.

Main Outcome Measures

Couples' experiences were assessed through semi-structured interviews; male participants' sexual function was assessed with the Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite and female participants' sexual function with the Female Sexual Function Index.

Results

Preoperatively, 30% of men had erectile dysfunction (ED) and 84% of partners were postmenopausal. All valued sexual recovery, but worried about cancer spread and surgery side effects. Faith in themselves and their surgeons led 90% of couples to overestimate erectile recovery. Postoperatively, most men had ED and lost confidence. Couples' sexual activity decreased. Couples reported feeling loss and grief: cancer diagnosis was the first loss, followed by surgery-related sexual losses. Couples' engagement in intentional sex, patients' acceptance of erectile aids, and partners' interest in sex aided the recovery of couples' sexual intimacy recovery. Unselfconscious sex, not returning to erectile function baseline, was seen as the end point. Survey findings documented participants' sexual function losses, confirming qualitative findings.

Conclusions

Couples' sexual recovery requires addressing sexual function, feelings about losses, and relationship simultaneously. Perioperative education should emphasize the roles of nerve damage in ED and grief and mourning in sexual recovery.
Effects of obesity on the association between long‐term sleep apnea treatment and changes in interleukin‐6 levels: the Icelandic Sleep Apnea Cohort
Authors: Arnardottir Erna S. , Lim Diane C. , Keenan Brendan T. , Maislin Greg , Benediktsdottir Bryndis , Juliusson Sigurdur , Pack Allan I. , Gislason Thorarinn
Published: October 2014

The aim of this study was to evaluate changes in interleukin (IL)‐6 and soluble IL‐6 receptor levels in obstructive sleep apnea patients and assess the role of positive airway pressure treatment and obesity on these changes. A total of 309 newly diagnosed subjects with sleep apnea from the Icelandic Sleep Apnea Cohort were referred for treatment and reassessed at a 2‐year follow‐up. Full treatment was defined objectively as use ≥4 h day−1 and ≥20 days month−1. At the 2‐year follow‐up, there were 177 full users, 44 partial users and 88 non‐users. The mean change in biomarker levels from baseline to the 2‐year follow‐up was assessed in a primary model that included adjustment for baseline biomarker levels, baseline body mass index and change in body mass index, as well as after adjustment for numerous relevant covariates. No significant overall difference in IL‐6 level change was found among full, partial and non‐users. However, in severely obese patients (body mass index ≥35), a significant increase in IL‐6 levels during the 2‐year period was found in partial and non‐users, compared to no change in full users. Results were attenuated in a smaller propensity score matched subsample, although similar trends were observed. No differences were found in soluble IL‐6 receptor levels between full users and non‐users, after adjustment for confounders. In conclusion, among untreated obese sleep apnea patients, IL‐6 levels increase substantially during 2 years, while adherence to positive airway pressure treatment may prevent further increases in this inflammatory biomarker.
Sleep quality is negatively related to video gaming volume in adults
Authors: Exelmans Liese , Van den Bulck Jan
Published: October 2014

Most literature on the relationship between video gaming and sleep disturbances has looked at children and adolescents. There is little research on such a relationship in adult samples. The aim of the current study was to investigate the association of video game volume with sleep quality in adults via face‐to‐face interviews using standardized questionnaires. Adults (n = 844, 56.2% women), aged 18–94 years old, participated in the study. Sleep quality was measured using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and gaming volume was assessed by asking the hours of gaming on a regular weekday (Mon–Thurs), Friday and weekend day (Sat–Sun). Adjusting for gender, age, educational level, exercise and perceived stress, results of hierarchical regression analyses indicated that video gaming volume was a significant predictor of sleep quality (β = 0.145), fatigue (β = 0.109), insomnia (β = 0.120), bedtime (β = 0.100) and rise time (β = 0.168). Each additional hour of video gaming per day delayed bedtime by 6.9 min (95% confidence interval 2.0–11.9 min) and rise time by 13.8 min (95% confidence interval 7.8–19.7 min). Attributable risk for having poor sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index > 5) due to gaming >1 h day was 30%. When examining the components of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index using multinomial regression analysis (odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals), gaming volume significantly predicted sleep latency, sleep efficiency and use of sleep medication. In general, findings support the conclusion that gaming volume is negatively related to the overall sleep quality of adults, which might be due to underlying mechanisms of screen exposure and arousal.
Losing, but Accepting: Legitimacy, Positivity Theory, and the Symbols of Judicial Authority
Authors: Gibson James L. , Lodge Milton , Woodson Benjamin
Published: October 2014

How is it that the U.S. Supreme Court is capable of getting most citizens to accept rulings with which they disagree? This analysis addresses the role of the symbols of judicial authority and legitimacy—the robe, the gavel, the cathedral-like court building—in contributing to this willingness of ordinary people to acquiesce to disagreeable court decisions. Using an experimental design and a nationally representative sample, we show that exposure to judicial symbols (1) strengthens the link between institutional support and acquiescence among those with relatively low prior awareness of the Supreme Court, (2) has differing effects depending upon levels of preexisting institutional support, and (3) severs the link between disappointment with a disagreeable Court decision and willingness to challenge the ruling. Since symbols influence citizens in ways that reinforce the legitimacy of courts, the connection between institutional attitudes and acquiescence posited by Legitimacy Theory is both supported and explained.
Justice, Context, and Violence: Law Enforcement Officers on Why They Torture
Authors: Wahl Rachel
Published: October 2014

How do police explain their support for torture? Findings from 12 months of fieldwork with police in India complicate previous researchers’ claims that violence workers tend to morally disengage and blame circumstances for their actions. The officers in this study engage in moral reflection on torture, drawing on their beliefs about human nature and justice to explain their support for it. They admit that they use torture more widely than their own conceptions of justice allow, but see this as an imperfect implementation of their principles rather than as a violation of them. Previous research on the spread of human rights norms has focused on how these norms can be adapted to the local beliefs that support them, rather than on understanding the beliefs that conflict with human rights. I argue that illuminating the self-understanding of state actors who support or engage in torture is crucial to building theory on why such violence occurs, as well as to designing interventions to prevent it.
Trapped in Resistance: Collective Struggle through Welfare Fraud in Israel
Authors: Regev-Messalem Shiri
Published: October 2014

This paper offers a qualitative empirical examination of the noncompliance of Israeli female welfare recipients with welfare laws and authorities. The paper demonstrates that their behavior, defined as “welfare fraud” by the law, is a limited form of collective resistance to the Israeli welfare state. Although the acts of welfare fraud that the women in my study engaged in entail a political claim against the state, the relationship between these acts and notions of collectivity is very constricted in form. The women's collectivity is shown to be constrained by the welfare authorities' invasive and pervasive investigation practices and methods. Due to fear of disclosure to the authorities, the women emerged as deliberately isolating themselves from their immediate environment and potential members of their like-situated collective. This weakens the connection between the women's acts of resistance and their collectivity, and prevents their acts of resistance from driving social change, trapping them in their harsh conditions and existence.
The socio‐genetics of a complex society: female gelada relatedness patterns mirror association patterns in a multilevel society
Authors: Snyder‐Mackler Noah , Alberts Susan C. , Bergman Thore J.
Published: November 2014

Multilevel societies with fission–fusion dynamics—arguably the most complex animal societies—are defined by two or more nested levels of organization. The core of these societies are modular social units that regularly fission and fuse with one another. Despite convergent evolution in disparate taxa, we know strikingly little about how such societies form and how fitness benefits operate. Understanding the kinship structure of complex societies could inform us about the origins of the social structure as well as about the potential for individuals in these societies to accrue indirect fitness benefits. Here, we combined genetic and behavioural data on geladas (Theropithecus gelada), an Old World Monkey, to complete the most comprehensive socio‐genetic analysis of a multilevel society to date. In geladas, individuals in the core social ‘units’, associate at different frequencies to form ‘teams’, ‘bands’ and, the largest aggregations, ‘communities’. Units were composed of closely related females, and females remained with their close kin during permanent fissions of units. Interestingly, female–female relatedness also significantly predicted between‐unit, between‐team and between‐band association patterns, while male–male relatedness did not. Thus, it is likely that the socio‐genetic structure of gelada society results from females maintaining associations with their female relatives during successive unit fissions—possibly in an attempt to balance the direct and indirect fitness benefits of group living. Overall, the persistence of associations among related females across generations appears to drive the formation of higher levels of gelada society, suggesting that females seek kin for inclusive fitness benefits at multiple levels of gelada society.
Injection of corticotropin‐releasing hormone into the amygdala aggravates visceral nociception and induces noradrenaline release in rats
Authors: Su J. , Tanaka Y. , Muratsubaki T. , Kano M. , Kanazawa M. , Fukudo S.
Published: October 2014

Background

Corticotropin‐releasing hormone (CRH) and its receptor 1 (CRH‐R1) play an important role in the colonic response to stress. The central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) is a major extrahypothalamic site that contains a large number of neurons expressing both CRH and CRH‐R1. Here, we verified the hypothesis that CRH in the CeA sensitizes visceral nociception via CRH‐R1 with release of noradrenaline, dopamine, and serotonin (5‐HT) in the CeA.

Methods

In male Wistar rats, visceral sensitivity was quantified by recording the visceromotor response to colorectal distension (CRD) with administration of vehicle, CRH, or the CRH‐R1 antagonist CP‐154526+ CRH or CRH‐R1 antagonist CP‐154526 alone into the CeA. Simultaneously, extracellular levels of noradrenaline, dopamine, and 5‐HT were measured in the CeA using microdialysis. All data were obtained under restraint conditions.

Key Results

Administration of CRH into the CeA significantly increased the number of abdominal muscle contractions in response to CRD. CP‐154526 significantly blocked the number of abdominal muscle contractions in response to CRD with the administration of CRH into the CeA. Noradrenaline in the CeA was increased by CRD, further increased by CRH, and inhibited by CRH‐R1 antagonist. Dopamine in the CeA was also exaggerated by CRH but was not inhibited by CRH‐R1 antagonist. 5‐HT in the CeA was unchanged.

Conclusions & Inferences

These results suggest that CRH in the CeA sensitizes visceral nociception via CRH‐R1 with release of noradrenaline.
Stereotyping or Projection? How White and Black Voters Estimate Black Candidates' Ideology
Authors: Lerman Amy E. , Sadin Meredith L.
Published: October 2014

In studying the electoral fortunes of Black candidates, scholars have almost exclusively focused on White voters' attitudes. In this article, we employ a set of randomized experiments and nationally representative survey data to examine how both Black and White voters evaluate the ideology of racially diverse candidates. In line with previous research, we find evidence that White voters stereotype Black candidates as being more liberal than White candidates in three of our four tests. In contrast, we find that Black voters—particularly those who identify as politically conservative—project their own ideology onto Black candidates. These findings have electoral importance because, as we show, vote choice for both Blacks and Whites is substantially mediated by perceived ideological distance from a candidate. These findings also enable us to better understand the manner in which Black voters navigate a trade‐off between descriptive and substantive representation.
Pregnancy and HIV disease progression: a systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Calvert Clara , Ronsmans Carine
Published: October 2014

Objective

To assess whether pregnancy accelerates HIV disease progression.

Methods

Studies comparing progression to HIV‐related illness, low CD4 count, AIDS‐defining illness, HIV‐related death, or any death in HIV‐infected pregnant and non‐pregnant women were included. Relative risks (RR) for each outcome were combined using random effects meta‐analysis and were stratified by antiretroviral therapy (ART) availability.

Results

15 studies met the inclusion criteria. Pregnancy was not associated with progression to HIV‐related illness [summary RR: 1.32, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.66–2.61], AIDS‐defining illness (summary RR: 0.97, 95%CI: 0.74–1.25) or mortality (summary RR: 0.97, 95%CI: 0.62–1.53), but there was an association with low CD4 counts (summary RR: 1.41, 95%CI: 0.99–2.02) and HIV‐related death (summary RR: 1.65, 95%CI: 1.06–2.57). In settings where ART was available, there was no evidence that pregnancy accelerated progress to HIV/AIDS‐defining illnesses, death and drop in CD4 count. In settings without ART availability, effect estimates were consistent with pregnancy increasing the risk of progression to HIV/AIDS‐defining illnesses and HIV‐related or all‐cause mortality, but there were too few studies to draw meaningful conclusions.

Conclusions

In the absence of ART, pregnancy is associated with small but appreciable increases in the risk of several negative HIV outcomes, but the evidence is too weak to draw firm conclusions. When ART is available, the effects of pregnancy on HIV disease progression are attenuated and there is little reason to discourage healthy HIV‐infected women who desire to become pregnant from doing so.
Human Brucella canis Infection and Subsequent Laboratory Exposures Associated with a Puppy, New York City, 2012
Authors: Dentinger C. M. , Jacob K. , Lee L. V. , Mendez H. A. , Chotikanatis K. , McDonough P. L. , Chico D. M. , De B. K. , Tiller R. V. , Traxler R. M. , Campagnolo E. R. , Schmitt D. , Guerra M. A. , Slavinski S. A.
Published: November 2014

Human Brucella canis infection incidence is unknown. Most identified cases are associated with pet dogs. Laboratory‐acquired infections can occur following contact with Brucella spp. We identified a paediatric B. canis case, the source and other exposed persons. A 3‐year‐old New York City child with fever and dyspnoea was hospitalized for 48 h for bronchiolitis. After her admission, blood culture grew B. canis, she was prescribed anti‐microbials and recovered. B. canis was also isolated from blood of the child's pet dog; these isolates were genetically similar. The dog originated from an Iowa breeding facility which was quarantined after identification of the dog's infection. Additionally, 31 laboratory workers were exposed and subsequently monitored for symptoms; 15 completed post‐exposure prophylaxis. To our knowledge, this is the first report strongly suggesting B. canis zoonotic transmission to a child in the United States, and highlights the need for coordinated control policies to minimize human illness.