bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Executive function in children and adolescents with posttraumatic stress disorder 4 and 12 months after the Sichuan earthquake in China
Authors: Yang Rui , Xiang Yu‐Tao , Shuai Lan , Qian Ying , Lai Kelly Y.C. , Ungvari Gabor S. , Chiu Helen F.K. , Wang Yu‐Feng
Published: June 2013

Background

While several studies have found executive function deficits in adults and maltreated children with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), there are few data on executive function in children and adolescents with PTSD related to natural disasters. The objective of this study was to test executive function changes over time in children and adolescents with PTSD after a magnitude 8.0 earthquake in Sichuan, China.

Method

A sample of 34 children and adolescents with diagnosed PTSD following the Sichuan earthquake and 66 matched controls exposed to the same earthquake but without PTSD participated in the study. Executive function was assessed using a battery of interviewer‐rated neuropsychological tests and the guardian‐rated Behavior Rating Scale of Executive Function (BRIEF) at 4‐ and 12‐month after the earthquake.

Results

Children and adolescents with PTSD performed similar to controls in executive function at 4‐months after the earthquake. Both groups improved significantly in similar domains of cognition during the following 8 months. The PTSD group exhibited daily deficits in emotional control compared with the controls at the 4‐month assessment, but the differences disappeared during the following 8 months.

Conclusions

Children and adolescents with PTSD related to a natural disaster have deficits only in the emotional control domain of executive function compared with controls exposed to the same disaster, but even these deficits did not persist.
Insulin degludec compared with insulin glargine in insulin‐naïve patients with type 2 diabetes: A 26‐week, randomized, controlled, Pan‐Asian, treat‐to‐target trial
Authors: Onishi Yukiko , Iwamoto Yasuhiko , Yoo Soon Jib , Clauson Per , Tamer Søren C , Park Sungwoo
Published: June 2013

Introduction

Insulin degludec (IDeg) is an ultra‐long‐acting basal insulin with a consistent action profile of >42 h. This trial compared the efficacy and safety of IDeg with insulin glargine (IGlar) in insulin‐naïve Asian patients with type 2 diabetes.

Materials and Methods

In this multinational, 26‐week, open‐label, treat‐to‐target trial, 435 participants (202 females, 233 males; mean age 58.6 years; mean body mass index 25 kg/m2; mean glycated hemoglobin [HbA1c] 8.5%) were randomized (2:1) to IDeg or IGlar, each administered once daily with ≥1 oral antidiabetic drug(s) (OAD).

Results

After 26 weeks, HbA1c had decreased by 1.24 and 1.35% in the IDeg and IGlar groups, respectively (treatment difference [IDeg – IGlar] 0.11%, 95% confidence interval [CI] −0.03 to 0.24), confirming non‐inferiority. Rates of overall confirmed hypoglycemia were similar for IDeg and IGlar during the full trial period (3.0 vs 3.7 episodes/patient‐year of exposure [PYE]; rate ratio [RR] 0.82, 95% CI 0.60 to 1.11, P = 0.20), but significantly lower (by 37%) for IDeg during the maintenance period (from week 16 onward; RR 0.63, 95% CI 0.42 to 0.94, P = 0.02). No significant difference in the rate of nocturnal confirmed hypoglycemia was found between IDeg and IGlar in the full trial period (0.8 vs 1.2 episodes/PYE; RR 0.62, 95% CI 0.38 to 1.04, P = 0.07) or maintenance period (RR 0.52, 95% CI 0.27 to 1.00, P = 0.05). Adverse event rates were similar between treatments.

Conclusions

Initiating insulin therapy with IDeg in Asian patients with type 2 diabetes, inadequately controlled with OADs, provides similar improvements in long‐term glycemic control to IGlar, but at a significantly lower rate of overall confirmed hypoglycemia once stable glycemic control and insulin dosing are achieved. This trial was registered with www.clinicaltrials.gov (no. NCT01059799).
Species compositions and ecology of the riverine ichthyofaunas in two Sulawesian islands in the biodiversity hotspot of Wallacea
Authors: Tweedley J. R. , Bird D. J. , Potter I. C. , Gill H. S. , Miller P. J. , O'Donovan G. , Tjakrawidjaja A. H.
Published: June 2013

This account of the riverine ichthyofaunas from the islands of Buton and Kabaena, off south‐eastern mainland Sulawesi, represents the first detailed quantitative checklist and ecological study of the riverine fish faunas in the biological hotspot of Wallacea. The results are based on analysis of samples collected by electrofishing at a wide range of sites from July to September in both 2001 and 2002. While the fauna was diverse, with the 2179 fishes caught comprising 64 species representing 43 genera and 22 families, the catches were dominated by the Gobiidae (26 species and 25% by numbers), Eleotridae (seven species and 27% by numbers), Zenarchopteridae (three species and 22% by numbers) and Anguillidae (two species and 12% by numbers). The most abundant species were the eleotridsEleotrisaff.fusca‐melanosomaandOphieleotrisaff.aporos, the anguillidAnguilla celebesensis, the zenarchopteridsNomorhamphussp. andNomorhamphus ebrardtiiand the gobiidsSicyopterussp. andGlossogobiusaff.celebius‐kokius. The introduced catfishClarias batrachuswas moderately abundant at a few sites. Cluster analysis, allied with the similarity profiles routine SIMPROF, identified seven discrete groups, which represented samples from sites entirely or predominantly in either Buton (five clusters) or Kabaena (two clusters). Species composition was related to geographical location, distance from river mouth, per cent contribution of sand and silt, altitude and water temperature. The samples from the two islands contained only one species definitively endemic to Sulawesi,i.e. N. ebrardtiiand another presumably so,i.e. Nomorhamphussp., contrasting starkly with the 57 species that are endemic to Sulawesi and, most notably, its large central and deep lake systems on the mainland. This accounts for the ichthyofaunas of these two islands, as well as those of rivers in northern mainland Sulawesi and Flores, being more similar to each other than to those of the central mainland lake systems. This implies that the major adaptive radiation of freshwater fishes in Sulawesi occurred in those lacustrine environments rather than in rivers.
What Do We Learn About Gender by Analyzing Housework Separately From Child Care? Some Considerations From Time‐Use Evidence
Authors: Sullivan Oriel
Published: June 2013

This article presents an overview of the gendered distinctions between housework and child care, illustrating those distinctions through time‐use diary research. Following the logic of the gender structure perspective, I discuss findings that demonstrate differences between the gendered performance of housework and child care at the individual, institutional, and interactional levels of the gender structure. I show that distinguishing between housework and child care at these different levels of analysis aids in developing a more nuanced appreciation of the processes that underpin the gender division of domestic work and care, and I argue that these distinctions have important implications for gender theory and policy.
British Dietetic Association evidence‐based guidelines for the protein requirements of adults undergoing maintenance haemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis
Authors: Naylor H. L. , Jackson H. , Walker G. H. , Macafee S. , Magee K. , Hooper L. , Stewart L. , MacLaughlin H. L. ,   Renal Nutrition Group of the British Dietetic Association
Published: June 2013

Background

Existing nutritional guidelines suggest that protein requirements of adults with stage five chronic kidney disease undergoing haemodialysis (HD) or peritoneal dialysis (PD) are increased as a result of protein losses during dialysis. The present review aimed to update previous guidance and develop evidence‐based practice guidelines on the protein requirements of adults undergoing maintenance dialysis.

Methods

Following a PICO approach (Participants or Population, Intervention or Exposure, Comparison and Outcome), four research questions were formulated to investigate the total protein requirement and protein quality required by adults undergoing HD and PD. A comprehensive, systematic review was undertaken using the databases Medline, EMBASE and the Cochrane Library from 2005 to September 2009 for HD studies and from 1997 to September 2009 for PD studies.

Results

The literature search yielded 2931 studies, which were assessed for inclusion. Following appraisal, 19 studies in HD and 18 studies in PD met the inclusion criteria and were systematically reviewed. Limited good quality evidence supports the recommendations that: (i) adults undergoing maintenance HD require a minimum protein intake of 1.1 g kg−1 ideal body weight (IBW) per day; and (ii) adults undergoing maintenance PD require a minimum protein intake of 1.0–1.2 kg−1 IBW per day, in conjunction with an adequate energy intake. There were no studies that addressed the quality of protein for either HD or PD.

Conclusions

Evidence suggests that nutritional status may be maintained with lower protein intakes than previously recommended. However, the evidence base is limited and further randomised controlled trials are required to establish the optimal protein intake for dialysis patients.
Brazilian keratin hair treatment: a review
Authors: Weathersby Courtney , McMichael Amy
Published: June 2013

Brazilian keratin treatments are widely available products that are used by women all over the world to straighten hair. Marketers of these products claim that the keratin treatments render naturally curly hair more manageable and frizz‐free while enhancing color and shine, giving the hair a healthier appearance. Although widely used, there have been virtually no reports of adverse side effects. Unfortunately, many of the products that are applied by salon professionals contain formaldehyde or its derivatives and are being marketed as safe.
Socio‐cultural differences in Australian primary school children's weight and weight‐related behaviours
Authors: Hardy Louise L , King Lesley , Hector Debra , Baur Louise A
Published: June 2013

Aim

To examine whether there are socio‐cultural differences in overweight/obesity and weight‐related behaviours of Australian primary school children.

Methods

Secondary data analysis of the 2010 NSW Schools Physical Activity and Nutrition Survey (n = 4898). Height and weight were measured. Parents of Year K, 2, 4 children and Year 6 students completed a questionnaire on demographics and weight‐related behaviours. Cardio‐respiratory fitness was assessed by the 20‐meter shuttle run test and categorised as adequately fit or unfit. Children were categorised according to the main cultural/ethnic backgrounds (Middle‐Eastern, Asian and English‐speaking backgrounds) and socio‐economic status (SES) tertile.

Results

Within ethnic groups, SES was associated with weight‐related behaviours, but not consistently, and not with body mass index status. Within ethnic groups, the odds were higher among low SES, compared with high SES to be inactive, unfit and have poorer dietary habits. Weight‐related behaviours among each ethnic group also differed by gender. Compared with low SES children from English‐speaking backgrounds, ethnic boys were two times as likely to be overweight/obese, and the odds were significantly higher among ethnic children to be inactive, unfit and have poor dietary patterns.

Conclusion

The results indicate the need for obesity prevention initiatives to specifically target and reach children from low SES and Asian and Middle‐Eastern backgrounds, and the importance of ensuring that such initiatives are culturally appropriate and address relevant issues.
A simple genetic basis for complex social behaviour mediates widespread gene expression differences
Authors: Nipitwattanaphon Mingkwan , Wang John , Dijkstra Michiel B. , Keller Laurent
Published: June 2013

A remarkable social polymorphism is controlled by a single Mendelian factor in the fire ant Solenopsis invicta. A genomic element marked by the gene Gp‐9 determines whether workers tolerate one or many fertile queens in their colony. Gp‐9 was recently shown to be part of a supergene with two nonrecombining variants, SB and Sb. SB/SB and SB/Sb queens differ in how they initiate new colonies, and in many physiological traits, for example odour and maturation rate. To understand how a single genetic element can affect all these traits, we used a microarray to compare gene expression patterns between SB/SB and SB/Sb queens of three different age classes: 1‐day‐old unmated queens, 11‐day‐old unmated queens and mated, fully reproductive queens collected from mature field colonies. The number of genes that were differentially expressed between SB/SB and SB/Sb queens of the same age class was smallest in 1‐day‐old queens, maximal in 11‐day‐old queens and intermediate in reproductive queens. Gene ontology analysis showed that SB/SB queens upregulate reproductive genes faster than SB/Sb queens. For all age classes, genes inside the supergene were overrepresented among the differentially expressed genes. Consistent with the hypothesized greater number of transposons in the Sb supergene, 13 transposon genes were upregulated in SB/Sb queens. Viral genes were also upregulated in SB/Sb mature queens, consistent with the known greater parasite load in colonies headed by SB/Sb queens compared with colonies headed by SB/SB queens. Eighteen differentially expressed genes between reproductive queens were involved in chemical signalling. Our results suggest that many genes in the supergene are involved in regulating social organization and queen phenotypes in fire ants.
We Are Not All ‘Self‐Blind’: A Defense of a Modest Introspectionism
Authors: REY GEORGES
Published: June 2013

Shoemaker (1996) presenteda prioriarguments against the possibility of ‘self‐blindness’, or the inability of someone, otherwise intelligent and possessed of mental concepts, to introspect any of her concurrent attitude states. Ironically enough, this seems to be a position that Gopnik (1993) and Carruthers (2006, 2008, 2009a,b) have proposed as not only possible, but as the actual human condition generally! According to this ‘Objectivist’ view, supposed introspection of one's attitudes is not ‘direct’, but an ‘inference’ of precisely the sort we make about the attitudes of others, an inference that has the advantage in our own case ofonlyour own sensory data and memories, our behavior, and of the context we are in; i.e. we are all substantially self‐ blind. After sorting out a number of methodological and verbal issues, I argue, first, that thea prioriarguments against Objectivism don't succeed, and that Gopnik and Carruthers are right to regard the issue as an empirical one. On the other hand, I think they seriously underestimate the difficulty of establishing Objectivism. It is unlikely there is an inferential procedure from the data of pure sensation, behavior and context to the relevant self‐attributions that would be as spectacularly reliable as people manifestly seem to be. Moreover, there is a simpler model: the mind very likely consists of a panoply of sub‐routines some of whose outputs are ‘tagged’ for their having been so processed, rather in the way that software ‘documents’ are on standard computers. Introspection plausibly consists in a person's simply attending to distinctive constellations of these tags, even though they may lack phenomenal feels. This draws attention to an important independent fact: that much of phenomenology (or ‘what it's like’ to be in a certain state) may be constituted by facts that are not phenomenal.
A two‐component histidine kinase Shk1 controls stress response, sclerotial formation and fungicide resistance in Sclerotinia sclerotiorum
Authors: Duan Yabing , Ge Changyan , Liu Shengming , Wang Jianxin , Zhou Mingguo
Published: June 2013

Fungal histidine kinases (HKs) are involved in osmotic and oxidative stress responses, hyphal development, fungicide sensitivity and virulence. Members of HK class III are known to signal through the high‐osmolarity glycerol mitogen‐activated protein kinase (HOG MAPK). In this study, we characterized the Shk1 gene (SS1G_12694.3), which encodes a putative class III HK, from the plant pathogen Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. Disruption of Shk1 resulted in resistance to phenylpyrrole and dicarboximide fungicides and increased sensitivity to hyperosmotic stress and H2O2‐induced oxidative stress. The Shk1 mutant showed a significant reduction in vegetative hyphal growth and was unable to produce sclerotia. Quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR and glycerol determination assays showed that the expression of SsHOG1 (the last kinase of the Hog pathway) and glycerol accumulation were regulated by the Shk1 gene, but PAK (p21‐activated kinase) was not. In addition, the Shk1 mutant showed no change in virulence. All the defects were restored by genetic complementation of the Shk1 deletion mutant with the wild‐type Shk1 gene. These findings indicate that Shk1 is involved in vegetative differentiation, sclerotial formation, glycerol accumulation and adaption to hyperosmotic and oxidative stresses, and to fungicides, in S. sclerotiorum. Taken together, our results demonstrate, for the first time, the role of two‐component HKs in Sclerotinia.
Diagnosis of dementia as a turning point among Finnish families: A qualitative study
Authors: Pesonen Hanna‐Mari , Remes Anne M. , Isola Arja
Published: June 2013

The experiences of receiving a diagnosis of dementia from the viewpoint of people with dementia and their family members were explored in this study. Purposive sampling was used to recruit people with newly‐diagnosed dementia (n = 8) and their family members (n = 8) from a university hospital's memory clinic in northern Finland. Data were collected using low‐structured interviews, and analyzed using the stages of grounded theory. The diagnosis of dementia was a mutual turning point in the family, and it was experienced and responded to in shared processes within the family. In a changing life situation, close ones became a significant resource, and focus on the present day was emphasized. Individuals with dementia and their family members aimed to live meaningful lives by being active agents. Understanding the individual and shared experiences of both those with dementia and their family members can help health professionals design and carry out tailored early psychosocial interventions for families to assist them to create a shared understanding of living with dementia.
The effect of subambient to elevated atmospheric CO2 concentration on vascular function in Helianthus annuus: implications for plant response to climate change
Authors: Rico Christopher , Pittermann Jarmila , Polley H. Wayne , Aspinwall Michael J. , Fay Phillip A.
Published: June 2013

Plant gas exchange is regulated by stomata, which coordinate leaf‐level water loss with xylem transport. Stomatal opening responds to internal concentrations of CO2 in the leaf, but changing CO2 can also lead to changes in stomatal density that influence transpiration. Given that stomatal conductance increases under subambient concentrations of CO2 and, conversely, that plants lose less water at elevated concentrations, can downstream effects of atmospheric CO2 be observed in xylem tissue?

We approached this problem by evaluating leaf stomatal density, xylem transport, xylem anatomy and resistance to cavitation in Helianthus annuus plants grown under three CO2 regimes ranging from pre‐industrial to elevated concentrations.

Xylem transport, conduit size and stomatal density all increased at 290 ppm relative to ambient and elevated CO2 concentrations. The shoots of the 290‐ppm‐grown plants were most vulnerable to cavitation, whereas xylem cavitation resistance did not differ in 390‐ and 480‐ppm‐grown plants.

Our data indicate that, even as an indirect driver of water loss, CO2 can affect xylem structure and water transport by coupling stomatal and xylem hydraulic functions during plant development. This plastic response has implications for plant water use under variable concentrations of CO2, as well as the evolution of efficient xylem transport.
Nucleocytoplasmic partitioning of tobacco N receptor is modulated by SGT1
Authors: Hoser Rafał , Żurczak Marek , Lichocka Małgorzata , Zuzga Sabina , Dadlez Michal , Samuel Marcus A. , Ellis Brian E. , Stuttmann Johannes , Parker Jane E. , Hennig Jacek , Krzymowska Magdalena
Published: June 2013

SGT1 (Suppressor of G2 allele of SKP1) is required to maintain plant disease Resistance (R) proteins with Nucleotide‐Binding (NB) and Leucine‐Rich Repeat (LRR) domains in an inactive but signaling‐competent state. SGT1 is an integral component of a multi‐protein network that includes RACK1, Rac1, RAR1, Rboh, HSP90 and HSP70, and in rice the Mitogen‐Activated Protein Kinase (MAPK), OsMAPK6. Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) N protein, which belongs to the Toll‐Interleukin Receptor (TIR)‐NB‐LRR class of R proteins, confers resistance to Tobacco Mosaic Virus (TMV).

Following transient expression in planta, we analyzed the functional relationship between SGT1, SIPK – a tobacco MAPK6 ortholog – and N, using mass spectrometry, confocal microscopy and pathogen assays.

Here, we show that tobacco SGT1 undergoes specific phosphorylation in a canonical MAPK target‐motif by SIPK. Mutation of this motif to mimic SIPK phosphorylation leads to an increased proportion of cells displaying SGT1 nuclear accumulation and impairs N‐mediated resistance to TMV, as does phospho‐null substitution at the same residue. Forced nuclear localization of SGT1 causes N to be confined to nuclei.

Our data suggest that one mode of regulating nucleocytoplasmic partitioning of R proteins is by maintaining appropriate levels of SGT1 phosphorylation catalyzed by plant MAPK.
Magnesium Adjunctive Therapy in Atrial Arrhythmias
Authors: GANGA HARSHA V. , NOYES ADAM , WHITE CHARLES MICHAEL , KLUGER JEFFREY
Published: June 2013

Magnesium (Mg) is an important intracellular ion with cardiac metabolism and electrophysiologic properties. A large percentage of patients with arrhythmias have an intracellular Mg deficiency, which is out of line with serum Mg concentrations, and this may explain the rationale for Mg's benefits as an atrial antiarrhythmic agent. A current limitation of antiarrhythmic therapy is that the potential for cardiac risk offsets some of the benefits of therapy. Mg enhances the balance of benefits to harms by enhancing atrial antiarrhythmic efficacy and reducing antiarrhythmic proarrhythmia potential as well as providing direct antiarrhythmic efficacy when used as monotherapy in patients undergoing cardiothoracic surgery.
Prophylactic High‐Dose Oral‐N‐Acetylcysteine Does Not Prevent Atrial Fibrillation after Heart Surgery
Authors: KAZEMI BABAK , AKBARZADEH FARIBORZ , SAFAEI NASER , YAGHOUBI ALIREZA , SHADVAR KAMRAN , GHASEMI KAMRAN
Published: June 2013

Aims

Postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) following cardiac surgery is a frequent complication with multifactorial etiologies. Recently inflammation due to enhanced oxidative stress has been implicated in its pathogenesis. N‐acetylcysteine (NAC) is a promising and novel antioxidant agent. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of high‐dose oral‐NAC for prevention of POAF.

Methods

Two hundred and forty patients were randomized in this prospective, double blind placebo‐controlled trial to either 1,200‐mg oral‐NAC two times a day (n = 120) or placebo (n = 120) starting 48 hours before and up to 72 hours after open heart surgery.

Results

The mean age was about 60 years, and 75% were male. Patients in the NAC group were older, with higher percentage of acute coronary syndrome, hypercholesterolemia, and left internal mammary artery use. Coronary involvement and hypertension were more prevalent in the placebo group. All other baseline patient characteristics were similar between groups. Overall POAF developed in 13.8% of the patients. There was no difference in the incidence of POAF between the NAC vs placebo groups (11.7% vs 15.8%, respectively; P = 0.34). Postoperative hospital stay, morbidity, and mortality were similar in both groups.

Conclusions

Prophylactic high‐dose oral‐NAC begun 2 days before open heart surgery and continued for 5 days, and had no significant effect on the incidence of POAF, in‐hospital stay, and postoperative morbidity or mortality.
Different FCER1A polymorphisms influence IgE levels in asthmatics and non‐asthmatics
Authors: Potaczek Daniel P. , Michel Sven , Sharma Vishwas , Zeilinger Sonja , Vogelberg Christian , von Berg Andrea , Bufe Albrecht , Heinzmann Andrea , Laub Otto , Rietschel Ernst , Simma Burkhard , Frischer Thomas , Genuneit Jon , Illig Thomas , Kabesch Michael
Published: June 2013

Background

Recently, three genome‐wide association studies (GWAS) demonstrated FCER1A, the gene encoding a ligand‐binding subunit of the high‐affinity IgE receptor, to be a major susceptibility locus for serum IgE levels. The top association signal differed between the two studies from the general population and the one based on an asthma case–control design. In this study, we investigated whether different FCER1A polymorphisms are associated with total serum IgE in the general population and asthmatics specifically.

Methods

Nineteen polymorphisms were studied in FCER1A based on a detailed literature search and a tagging approach. Polymorphisms were genotyped by the Illumina HumanHap300Chip (6 polymorphisms) or MALDI‐TOF MS (13 polymorphisms) in at least 1303 children (651 asthmatics) derived from the German International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood II and Multicentre Asthma Genetics in Childhood Study.

Results

Similar to two population‐based GWAS, the peak association with total serum IgE was observed for SNPs rs2511211, rs2427837, and rs2251746 (mean r2 > 0.8), with the lowest p‐value of 4.37 × 10−6. The same 3 polymorphisms showed the strongest association in non‐asthmatics (lowest p = 0.0003). While these polymorphisms were also associated with total serum IgE in asthmatics (lowest p = 0.003), additional polymorphisms (rs3845625, rs7522607, and rs2427829) demonstrated associations with total serum IgE in asthmatics only (lowest p = 0.01).

Conclusions

These data suggest that FCER1A polymorphisms not only drive IgE levels in the general population but that specific polymorphisms may also influence IgE in association with asthma, suggesting that disease‐specific mechanisms in IgE regulation exist.
Local atopy is more relevant than serum sIgE in reflecting allergy in childhood adenotonsillar hypertrophy
Authors: Zhang Xiaowen , Sun Baoqing , Li Shuai , Jin Hui , Zhong Nanshan , Zeng Guangqiao
Published: June 2013

Background

There was a lack of convincing evidence supporting the influence of allergy on the adenotonsillar hypertrophy (ATH). We investigated the presence of specific IgE (sIgE) in the serum and adenotonsillar tissues in children with ATH.

Methods

A Pharmacia ImmunoCAP system was used to test sIgE against 31 allergens in the serum in 83 children with ATH before adenotonsillectomy. sIgE against 15 representative allergens were detected in adenotonsillar tissues from 20 of those children.

Results

A total of 51 (61.45%) children had positive serum sIgE. 20 children with ATH had positive sIgE to more than two allergens at both tonsils and adenoids, although half of them were serum sIgE negative. The percentage of subjects with positive sIgE expression in adenoids and tonsils was 50.0% and 42.9%, respectively, among the subjects with positive serum sIgE expression. Of subjects with negative serum sIgE expression, local sIgE was detected in 36.0% of adenoids and 43.8% of tonsils, respectively. The rate of sIgE presence in local tissue (adenoids or tonsils) was significantly higher than that seen in the serum.

Conclusion

This study provided evidence that there was an important role for allergic inflammation in the ATH. The inconsistency in sIgE expression between adenotonsillar and serum suggests a role of local atopy in childhood ATH.
Mild hypothermia increases pulmonary anti‐inflammatory response during protective mechanical ventilation in a piglet model of acute lung injury
Authors: Cruces Pablo , Erranz Benjamín , Donoso Alejandro , Carvajal Cristóbal , Salomón Tatiana , Torres María Fernanda , Díaz Franco
Published: June 2013

Background

The effects of mild hypothermia (HT) on acute lung injury (ALI) are unknown in species with metabolic rate similar to that of humans, receiving protective mechanical ventilation (MV). We hypothesized that mild hypothermia would attenuate pulmonary and systemic inflammatory responses in piglets with ALI managed with a protective MV.

Methods

Acute lung injury (ALI) was induced with surfactant deactivation in 38 piglets. The animals were then ventilated with low tidal volume, moderate positive end‐expiratory pressure (PEEP), and permissive hypercapnia throughout the experiment. Subjects were randomized to HT (33.5°C) or normothermia (37°C) groups over 4 h. Plasma and tissue cytokines, tissue apoptosis, lung mechanics, pulmonary vascular permeability, hemodynamic, and coagulation were evaluated.

Results

Lung interleukin‐10 concentrations were higher in subjects that underwent HT after ALI induction than in those that maintained normothermia. No difference was found in other systemic and tissue cytokines. HT did not induce lung or kidney tissue apoptosis or influence lung mechanics or markers of pulmonary vascular permeability. Heart rate, cardiac output, oxygen uptake, and delivery were significantly lower in subjects that underwent HT, but no difference in arterial lactate, central venous oxygen saturation, and coagulation test was observed.

Conclusions

Mild hypothermia induced a local anti‐inflammatory response in the lungs, without affecting lung function or coagulation, in this piglet model of ALI. The HT group had lower cardiac output without signs of global dysoxia, suggesting an adaptation to the decrease in oxygen uptake and delivery. Studies are needed to determine the therapeutic role of HT in ALI.
Embedded Definite Descriptions: A Novel Solution to a Familiar Problem
Authors: Pupa Francesco
Published: June 2013

Paul Elbourne claims that Russellians cannot accommodate the behavior of certain embedded definite descriptions. Since Fregeans can handle such descriptions, Elbourne urges theorists to reject Russell's theory in favor of Frege's. Here, I show that such descriptions pose no threat to Russellianism. These descriptions, I argue, are neutral between the two camps.
New candidates for mechano‐sensitive channels potentially involved in gravity sensing in Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Iida H. , Furuichi T. , Nakano M. , Toyota M. , Sokabe M. , Tatsumi H.
Published: June 2013

The mechano‐sensitive channels of plants may sense increases in tension induced by mechanical stimuli, such as touch, wind and turgor pressure, and a gravitational stimulus. Recent studies have identified plant homologues of the bacterial mechano‐sensitive channel MscS, which is gated by membrane tension and reduces intracellular osmolality by releasing small osmolytes from bacterial cells. However, the physiological roles of these homologues have not yet been clearly elucidated, and only two of them have been shown to be involved in the protection of osmotically stressed plastids in Arabidopsis thaliana. We identified another group of candidates for mechano‐sensitive channels in Arabidopsis, named MCA1 and MCA2, whose homologues are exclusively found in plant genomes. MCA1 and MCA2 are composed of 421 and 416 amino acid residues, respectively, share 73% homology in their amino acid sequences, and are not homologous to any known ion channels or transporters. Our structural study revealed that the N‐terminal region (one to 173 amino acids) of both proteins was necessary and sufficient for Ca2+ influx activity. Interestingly, this region had one putative transmembrane segment containing an Asp residue whose substitution mutation abolished this activity. Our physiological study suggested that MCA1 expressed at the root tip was required for sensing the hardness of the agar medium or soil. In addition, MCA1 and MCA2 were shown to be responsible for hypo‐osmotic shock‐induced increases in [Ca2+]cyt. Thus, both proteins appear to be involved in the process of sensing mechanical stresses. We discussed the possible role of both proteins in sensing mechanical and gravitational stimuli.
Seasonal changes in temperature response of photosynthesis and its contribution to annual carbon gain in Daphniphyllum humile, an evergreen understorey shrub
Authors: Katahata S.‐I. , Han Q. , Naramoto M. , Kakubari Y. , Mukai Y.
Published: June 2013

We evaluated seasonal variation in photosynthetic temperature dependence and its contribution to annual carbon gain in an evergreen understorey shrub, Daphniphyllum humile Maxim, growing at the forest border and in the understorey of a deciduous forest. Plants at both sites exhibited similar optimal temperatures for photosynthesis (Topt). The activation energy for ribulose‐1,5‐bisphosphate (RuBP) carboxylation (HaV) at both sites tended to be higher in summer than in spring or autumn, suggesting that HaV may be the controlling factor in the Topt shift in D. humile. In contrast to the seasonal changes in Topt, the maximum photosynthetic rate at the optimal temperature (Popt) differed between the two sites: it was lower in autumn than in summer at the forest border, but was the same in summer and autumn in the understorey. In the understorey plants, nitrogen content (Narea) increased in autumn, but this was not the case for forest border plants. In addition, Rubisco content increased significantly in autumn in the understorey leaves but decreased distinctly in forest border leaves. Increased Narea and Rubisco in understorey leaves resulted in increased in photosynthesis in autumn. Annual carbon gain was 30.8 mol·m−2 in forest border leaves and 5.8 mol·m−2 in understorey leaves. Carbon gain in understorey leaves during the short period after overstorey leaf fall and before snow accumulation was approximately 49% of annual carbon gain. Furthermore, autumn carbon gain calculated using activation energy of summer with autumn photosynthetic parameters underestimated the autumn carbon gain by as much as 31%. In conclusion, photosynthetic temperature acclimation may be a key factor in increasing annual carbon gain in understorey D. humile.
The psychophysiology of mixed emotional states
Authors: Kreibig Sylvia D. , Samson Andrea C. , Gross James J.
Published: June 2013

How to conceptualize mixed emotional states is a central issue in the field of affective science. Nondifferentiation, additive, and emergence accounts of mixed emotions make divergent predictions regarding physiological responses in mixed emotions. To test these predictions, 43 women watched film clips that elicited amusement, disgust, or mixed emotions while feeling self‐report, facial electromyography, cardiovascular, electrodermal, and respiratory measures were assessed. Simultaneous self‐reports of amusement and disgust confirmed elicitation of a mixed emotional state. Physiologically, mixed emotions differed from pure amusement and pure disgust both in intensity and pattern. This suggests a distinct physiological response of the mixed emotional state, as predicted by the emergence account of mixed emotions. Implications for emotion theory and research are discussed.
The Komsomol's Village Vanguard: Youth and Politics in the NEP Countryside
Authors: TIRADO ISABEL
Published: June 2013

A mixture of youth vanguardism and class politics shaped the particular identity of the rural Komsomol during NEP. Rural komsomols repudiated village traditions and “backwardness” and embraced instead a purposeful life dedicated to service to the Party and to the countryside's economic, cultural, and social progress. They committed to self‐improvement in order to become forward‐looking Soviet peasants, bearers of socialist modernity. The activism and dedication of rural activists allowed the Komsomol to become one of the most important Communist organizations in the first decade of Soviet power. Yet within a few years, these inroads in rural areas would be undermined by the anti‐rural sentiments that swept the urban‐dominated Communist organizations, the Komsomol included. Based on archival research, the article looks at NEP politics and documents the evolving relationship between rural youth activists and the Komsomol organization, and between the Komsomol and the Party and the state.
Muscle size and arterial stiffness after blood flow‐restricted low‐intensity resistance training in older adults
Authors: Yasuda T. , Fukumura K. , Fukuda T. , Uchida Y. , Iida H. , Meguro M. , Sato Y. , Yamasoba T. , Nakajima T.
Published: June 2013

Previous studies have shown that blood flow‐restricted low‐intensity resistance training (BFR‐RT) causes muscle hypertrophy while maintaining arterial function in young adults. We examined the effects of BFR‐RT on muscle size and arterial stiffness in older adults. Healthy subjects (ages 61–84 years) were divided into BFR‐RT (n = 9) or non‐training control (CON; n = 10) groups. The BFR‐RT group performed 20% and 30%, respectively, of one‐repetition maximal (1‐RM) knee extension and leg press exercises, 2 days/wk for 12 weeks. The BFR‐RT group wore elastic cuffs (120–270 mmHg) on both legs during training. Magnetic resonance imaging‐measured muscle cross‐sectional area (CSA), 1‐RM strength, chair stand (CS) test, and cardio‐ankle vascular index testing (CAVI), an index of arterial stiffness, were measured before and 3–5 days after the final training session. Muscle CSA of the quadriceps (8.0%), adductors (6.5%), and gluteus maximus (4.4%), leg extension and leg press 1‐RM strength (26.1% and 33.4%), and CS performance (18.3%) improved (P < 0.05) in the BFR‐RT group, but not in the CON group. In CAVI testing, there were no changes in both two groups. In conclusion, BFR‐RT improves muscle CSA as well as maximal muscle strength, but does not negatively affect arterial stiffness or humeral coagulation factors in older adults.
Technology, Trade Costs and Export Sophistication
Authors: Weldemicael Ermias
Published: June 2013

This paper uses a disaggregated version of the Eaton and Kortum (Econometrica, 70, 2002, 1741) model to analyse the relative importance of technology and trade costs for export sophistication and welfare in a general equilibrium framework. It uses a structural estimation method to identify key parameters of the model that fit the observed trade pattern. The calibrated parameters vary across commodities consistent with their expected level of sophistication. The results are robust to alternative specifications of the calibration. Using fitted data, it also show that export sophistication is highly correlated with GDPper capita. Overall, the parameters are comparable with estimates from other studies. Finally, counterfactual experiments are conducted to quantify the effects of changes in technology and trade costs for the countries in the bottom quintile. The findings imply that these countries have a huge technological disadvantage, particularly in more sophisticated commodities.
Business Cycles Synchronicity and Income Levels: Has Globalisation Brought us Closer Than Ever?
Authors: Jean Louis Rosmy , Simons Daniel
Published: June 2013

Research on business cycle linkages shows a tendency to model countries of relatively the same income levels jointly. However, the issue of whether these countries move along the same business cycles has not been formally investigated in the literature. In this paper, we take this approach and investigate whether each group of countries follows its own dynamics and is therefore subjected to the same business cycle and whether these cycles are independent of each other across income groups. Results indicate that high income per capita countries (HICs) tend to be guided by stronger similarity in business cycles than countries in the middle (MICs) and low income (LICs) groups. In search for an explanation of the business cycles synchronicity observed, panel data analysis was explored. The results from the robust fixed effects estimation show neither trade openness nor shocks to consumption underlie international business cycle synchronization, but rather shocks to oil prices.
Automorphisms of Drinfeld half-spaces over a finite field
Authors: Rémy Bertrand , Thuillier Amaury , Werner Annette
Published: June 2013

We show that the automorphism group of Drinfeld’s half-space over a finite field is the projective linear group of the underlying vector space. The proof of this result uses analytic geometry in the sense of Berkovich over the finite field equipped with the trivial valuation. We also take into account extensions of the base field.
Rationality problems and conjectures of Milnor and Bloch–Kato
Authors: Asok Aravind
Published: June 2013

We show how the techniques of Voevodsky’s proof of the Milnor conjecture and the Voevodsky–Rost proof of its generalization the Bloch–Kato conjecture can be used to study counterexamples to the classical Lüroth problem. By generalizing a method due to Peyre, we produce for any prime number $\ell $ and any integer $n\geq 2$, a rationally connected, non-rational variety for which non-rationality is detected by a non-trivial degree $n$ unramified étale cohomology class with $\ell $-torsion coefficients. When $\ell = 2$, the varieties that are constructed are furthermore unirational and non-rationality cannot be detected by a torsion unramified étale cohomology class of lower degree.
Acetylation of Ets-1 Is the Key to Chromatin Remodeling for
miR-192
Expression
Authors: Dong Zheng
Published: June 2013

New insight into epigenetic mechanisms regulating microRNA expression in kidney fibrosis.
Persistence, Immune Response, and Antigenic Variation of Mycoplasma genitalium in an Experimentally Infected Pig-Tailed Macaque (Macaca nemestrina)
Authors: Wood Gwendolyn E. , Iverson-Cabral Stefanie L. , Patton Dorothy L. , Cummings Peter K. , Cosgrove Sweeney Yvonne T. , Totten Patricia A.
Published: June 2013

Mycoplasma genitalium
is a sexually transmitted pathogen associated with several acute and chronic reproductive tract disease syndromes in men and women. To evaluate the suitability of a pig-tailed macaque model of
M. genitalium
infection, we inoculated a pilot animal with
M. genitalium
strain G37 in the uterine cervix and in salpingeal pockets generated by transplanting autologous Fallopian tube tissue subcutaneously. Viable organisms were recovered throughout the 8-week experiment in cervicovaginal specimens and up to 2 weeks postinfection in salpingeal pockets. Humoral and cervicovaginal antibodies reacting to MgpB were induced postinoculation and persisted throughout the infection. The immunodominance of the MgpB adhesin and the accumulation of
mgpB
sequence diversity previously observed in persistent human infections prompted us to evaluate sequence variation in this animal model. We found that after 8 weeks of infection, sequences within
mgpB
variable region B were replaced by novel sequences generated by reciprocal recombination with an archived variant sequence located elsewhere on the chromosome. In contrast,
mgpB
region B of the same inoculum propagated for 8 weeks
in vitro
remained unchanged. Notably, serum IgG reacted strongly with a recombinant protein spanning MgpB region B of the inoculum, while reactivity to a recombinant protein representing the week 8 variant was reduced, suggesting that antibodies were involved in the clearance of bacteria expressing the original infecting sequence. Together these results suggest that the pig-tailed macaque is a suitable model to study
M. genitalium
pathogenesis, antibody-mediated selection of antigenic variants
in vivo
, and immune escape.
Use of the AngioJet percutaneous thrombectomy system for the treatment of acute Budd-Chiari syndrome
Authors: Doyle Adam , Nicoll Amanda , Dowling Richard
Published: June 2013

A 31-year-old woman presented to our emergency department with an acute liver injury secondary to acute Budd-Chiari (BC) syndrome from hepatic vein thrombosis. After a thorough discussion of the risks involved, we proceeded to treatment with a novel approach, performing a mechanical hepatic vein thrombectomy with the AngioJet percutaneous thrombectomy system. Restoration of hepatic vein flow was confirmed with on-table Doppler ultrasound. There were no complications following the procedure. The patient was initiated on anticoagulation, and showed progressive clinical and laboratory improvement. She was discharged home on day 20 with normal liver function and biochemistry. This is the first reported case of successful mechanical thrombectomy in acute BC syndrome without the addition of angioplasty or chemical thrombolysis.
Normal functioning single system ectopic ureter draining into a Gartner’s cyst: laparoscopic management
Authors: Prakash Jai , Singh Bhupendra Pal , Sankhwar Satyanarayan , Goel Apul
Published: June 2013

Association of single system ectopic ureter with normal functioning bilateral kidney and absence of congenital anomalies is very rarely reported in the literature. We are reporting for the first time a case of this type of anomaly in which uretral ectopia was draining into a Gartner's cyst and was managed by laparoscopy. A 16 year girl presented with normal voiding with continuous dribbling since birth. Voiding cystourethrogram, intravenous urogram, cystovaginoscopy and retrograde contrast study confirmed the diagnosis. Ultrasound of the whole abdomen and physical examination ruled out any associated congenital anomalies. Transperitoneal laparoscopic ureteric reimplantation was performed and distal stump was ligated. On follow-up at 3 months she was completely dry; her vaginoscopy showed disappearance of cystic bulge and her voiding cystourethrogram showed normal study without any reflux. When single system ectopic ureter opens into small-to-moderate size wide opened mouth vaginal Gartner's cyst, laparoscopic ureteric reimplantation and ligation of distal stump is an appropriate procedure.
Aesthetic management of a complicated crown fracture: a multidisciplinary approach
Authors: Maitin Nitin , Maitin Shipra , Rastogi Khushboo , Bhushan Rajarshi
Published: June 2013

A predictable aesthetic restoration is not limited to the restored teeth; it has to include the gingival unit and its interface with the teeth involved. Orthodontic forced eruption may be a suitable approach without risking the aesthetic appearance in tooth fracture below the gingival attachment or alveolar bone crest. It is a well-documented clinical method for altering the relation between a non-restorable tooth and its attachment apparatus, elevating sound tooth material from within the alveolar socket to create a ferrule effect which is considered to be crucial for the optimal biomechanical behaviour of restored teeth. This report presents the reconstruction of a traumatised and fractured left maxillary lateral incisor by building a cast core with a cast post to perform orthodontic extrusion before placing porcelain fused to metal crown as the final restoration.
Percutaneous ablation of functioning adenoma in a patient with a single adrenal gland
Authors: Nunes Thiago Franchi , Szejnfeld Denis , Xavier Ana Carolina Wanderley , Goldman Suzan Menasce
Published: June 2013

The conventional treatment of functioning adrenal adenomas is laparoscopic resection. Since the 1990s, radiofrequency ablation has been increasingly applied to the treatment of tumours of the liver, lungs and musculoskeletal system. However, the use of radiofrequency ablation to treat adrenal nodules is still an uncommon procedure, particularly in aldosterone-producing adenomas. We report the case of a 35-year-old male patient with resistant hypertension, hypokalaemia and aldosterone-producing adenoma in a single adrenal gland. The patient underwent CT-guided percutaneous radiofrequency ablation. Clinical, laboratory and MRI follow-up data indicated excellent response to treatment. This case report is the first in the literature to describe the use of CT-guided percutaneous radiofrequency ablation in the treatment of a functioning adrenal adenoma in a patient with a single adrenal gland.