bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Substrate Mapping and Ablation for Ventricular Tachycardia: The LAVA Approach
Authors: SACHER FREDERIC , LIM HAN S. , DERVAL NICOLAS , DENIS ARNAUD , BERTE BENJAMIN , YAMASHITA SEIGO , HOCINI MÉLÈZE , HAISSAGUERRE MICHEL , JAÏS PIERRE
Published: October 2014

Substrate Mapping and Ablation

Introduction

Catheter ablation of ventricular tachycardia (VT) is proven effective therapy particularly in patients with frequent defibrillator shocks. However, the optimal endpoint for VT ablation has been debated and additional endpoints have been proposed. At the same time, ablation strategies aiming at homogenizing the substrate of scar‐related VT have been reported.

Methods and Results

Our method to homogenize the substrate consists of local abnormal ventricular activity (LAVA) elimination. LAVA are high‐frequency sharp signals that represent near‐field signals of slowly conducting tissue and hence potential VT isthmuses. Pacing maneuvers are sometimes required to differentiate them from far‐field signals. Delayed enhancement on cardiac MRI and/or wall thinning on multidetector computed tomography are also extremely helpful to identify the areas of interest during ablation.
A strategy aiming at careful LAVA mapping, ablation, and elimination is feasible and can be achieved in about 70% of patients with scar‐related VT. Complete LAVA elimination is associated with a better outcome when compared to LAVA persistence even when VT is rendered noninducible.

Conclusion

This is a simple approach, with a clear endpoint and the ability to ablate in sinus rhythm. This strategy significantly benefits from high‐definition imaging, mapping, and epicardial access.
Repolarization Characteristics in Early Repolarization and Brugada Syndromes: Insight into an Overlapping Mechanism of Lethal Arrhythmias
Authors: TALIB AHMED KARIM , SATO NOBUYUKI , KAWABATA NAOKO , SUGIYAMA EITARO , SAKAMOTO NAKA , TANABE YASUKO , FUJINO TAKAYUKI , TAKEUCHI TOSHIHARU , SAIJO YASUAKI , AKASAKA KAZUMI , KAWAMURA YUICHIRO , HASEBE NAOYUKI
Published: October 2014

Repolarization Indices in ER and Brugada Syndromes

Introduction

We reported impaired QT‐rate dependence in early repolarization syndrome (ERS); however, contemporary data have shown peak incidence of sudden cardiac death (SCD) in ERS and Brugada syndrome (BrS) at mid‐night and early morning. Taken together, we analyzed the nocturnal QT‐rate dependence in both syndromes.

Methods and Results

A total of 172 subjects were enrolled: 11 ERS, 11 BrS patients, 50 subjects with an uneventful ER pattern (ERP), and 100 non‐J‐wave control subjects. Ambulatory ECG‐derived parameters (QT, QTc, and QT/RR slope) and day–night QT difference were analyzed and compared. Among the groups, there was no significant difference in the average QT or QTc; however, the 24‐hour QT/RR slope was significantly smaller in ERS and BrS patients (0.103 ± 0.01 and 0.106 ± 0.01, respectively) than in the control group (0.156 ± 0.03, P < 0.001).

Detailed analysis showed a lower day–night QT difference in ERS and BrS patients (19 ±18.7 and 24 ±14 milliseconds, respectively) than in the controls (40 ± 22 milliseconds, P = 0.007) with the lowest QT/RR slopes seen in the ERS and BrS groups from 0 to 3:00 am (QT/RR; 0.076 ± 0.02 vs. 0.092 ± 0.04 vs. 0.117 ± 0.04, for the ERS, BrS, and controls, respectively, P = 0.004) and from 3 to 6 am (QT/RR 0.074 ± 0.03 vs. 0.079 ± 0.02 vs. 0.118 ± 0.04, P < 0.001).

Conclusion

In a large population of age‐ and gender‐matched groups, both ERS and BrS patients showed attenuated QT‐rate dependence and impaired QT day–night modulation that may provide a baseline reentrant substrate. Importantly, QT/RR maladaptation was most evident at mid‐night and early morning, which may explain the propensity of such patients to develop SCD during this critical period.
Increased Mobilization of Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Patients With Essential Hypertension: The Effect of Left Ventricular Hypertrophy
Authors: Marketou Maria E. , Parthenakis Fragiskos I. , Kalyva Athanasia , Pontikoglou Charalampos , Maragkoudakis Spyros , Kontaraki Joanna E. , Zacharis Evangelos A. , Chlouverakis Gregory , Patrianakos Alexandros , Papadaki Helen A. , Vardas Panos E.
Published: October 2014

Stem cells have great clinical significance in many cardiovascular diseases. However, there are limited data regarding the involvement of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in the pathophysiology of arterial hypertension. The aim of this study was to investigate the circulation of MSCs in patients with essential hypertension. The authors included 24 patients with untreated essential hypertension and 19 healthy individuals. Using flow cytometry, MSCs in peripheral blood, as a population of CD45−/CD34−/CD90+ cells and also as a population of CD45−/CD34−/CD105+ cells, were measured. The resulting counts were translated into the percentage of MSCs in the total cells. Hypertensive patients were shown to have increased circulating CD45−/CD34−/CD90+ compared with controls (0.0069%±0.012% compared with 0.00085%±0.0015%, respectively; P=.039). No significant difference in circulating CD45−/CD34−/CD105+ cells was found between hypertensive patients' and normotensive patients' peripheral blood (0.018%±0.013% compared with 0.015%±0.014%, respectively; P=.53). Notably, CD45−/CD34−/CD90+ circulating cells were positively correlated with left ventricular mass index (LVMI) (r=0.516, P<.001). Patients with essential hypertension have increased circulating MSCs compared with normotensive patients, and the number of MSCs is correlated with LVMI. These findings contribute to the understanding of the pathophysiology of hypertension and might suggest a future therapeutic target.
Bower‐building behaviour is associated with increased sperm longevity in Tanganyikan cichlids
Authors: Morita M. , Awata S. , Yorifuji M. , Ota K. , Kohda M. , Ochi H.
Published: October 2014

We investigated the evolutionary relationship between spawning behaviour and sperm motility traits among Tanganyikan mouth‐brooding cichlid species that have developed diverse mating behaviours and male sexual traits. Mouth‐brooding behaviour is common among these fish, but different species demonstrate a range of spawning behaviours, bower construction, male sexual traits and timing of gamete release. We observed spawning behaviours and compared sperm motility traits of 28 Tanganyikan mouth‐brooding cichlids to elucidate the evolutionary correlations between these traits. Sperm longevity was considerably longer in bower‐building species that construct crater‐shaped spawning sites compared with species that do not build bowers. Male bower builders released sperm in the pit of the bower prior to spawning, and the time from ejaculation to fertilization was longer. Conversely, most mouth‐brooding cichlids deposited semen directly into the female buccal cavity, and spawned eggs were immediately picked up to be placed inside the cavity; thus, the time from ejaculation to fertilization was short. These observations suggest that increased sperm longevity is favoured in bower builders. Comparative phylogenetic analyses suggested that bower‐building behaviour and greater time from ejaculation to fertilization are associated with the extension of sperm longevity, whereas sperm competition rank does not play a major role. In addition, bower‐building behaviour preceded the emergence of increased sperm longevity. These results indicate that the extension of sperm longevity as a result of the emergence of bower builders may have acted as an evolutionary attractor for sperm longevity.
Effect of surface roughness on the hydrophobicity of a denture‐base acrylic resin andCandida albicanscolonization
Authors: de Foggi Camila C. , Machado Ana L. , Zamperini Camila A. , Fernandes Darcy , Wady Amanda F. , Vergani Carlos E.
Published: October 2014

Aim

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of surface roughness (roughness average [Ra]μm) on the hydrophobicity of a denture‐base acrylic resin and the initial adherence and biofilm formation ofCandida albicans(C. albicans).

Methods

Disk‐shaped specimens were divided into six groups: Ra 0.05, Ra 0.2, Ra 0.4, Ra 0.8, Ra 1.5, and Ra 3.0. Water contact angles (WCA) were measured, and the specimens incubated withC. albicansfor 90 min (initial adherence,n = 108) or 48 h (biofilm formation,n = 108). Adhered and biofilm cells were evaluated by c.f.u./mL and 2,3‐bis‐(2‐methoxy‐4‐nitro‐5‐sulfophenyl)‐2H‐tetrazolium‐5‐carboxanilide (XTT), and the correlation between the two methods was evaluated. The surface of the specimens and cells (adhered and biofilm) were also analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM).

Results

Groups Ra 0.05 and 3.0 exhibited the lowest (~75°) and the highest (~100°)WCAmean values, respectively. For both initial adherence and biofilm formation, no statistically‐significant differences were observed among all groups, as determined by c.f.u./mL andXTT. A positive correlation between these two methods was found. SEM analysis showed the presence of scratches and valleys on the acrylic specimens and densely‐packed yeast cells covering the entire surface.

Conclusions

Roughness significantly increased hydrophobicity (WCA), but had no effect on the number and metabolic activity of adherent and biofilm cells ofC. albicans.
Long‐term follow up of post‐surgical tooth autotransplantation: a retrospective study
Authors: Mertens Brenda , Boukari Abdessamad , Tenenbaum Henri
Published: October 2014

Aim

The aim of the present retrospective study was to evaluate the long‐term results of tooth autotransplantation using the survival and success rates of transplanted teeth as outcome variables.

Methods

Thirty patients received a total of 44 transplants of immature teeth from 1987 to 1997. Seventeen of those patients with 25 transplants were recalled 10–20 years after tooth transplantation for complete clinical and radiographic examinations, followed by questionnaires that examined the patients' degrees of satisfaction. The incidence of all types of complications was carefully analyzed. Success was defined as being free of all complications over the entire observation period.

Results

The long‐term survival rate for transplants that were observed after at least 10 years was 96%. The cumulative complication rate (pulpal, periodontal, and operative complication rates) after an observation period of 10–20 years was 38.9%. Therefore, the success rate at 10 years was 61.1%.

Conclusion

The present study confirms that transplanted teeth have a high long‐term survival rate and a lower long‐term success rate. This procedure should be recommended and carried out in appropriate patients when necessary because it is the most biological approach, even though it is highly sensitive to technique.
Attachment‐Based Family Therapy With a 13‐Year‐Old Girl Presenting With High Risk for Suicide
Authors: Krauthamer Ewing E. Stephanie , Levy Suzanne A. , Boamah‐Wiafe Linda , Kobak Roger , Diamond Guy
Published: October 2014

This article describes the application of Attachment‐Based Family Therapy (ABFT) to the treatment of a 13‐year‐old female adolescent presenting with high risk of suicide, complicated by a history of depression and sexual trauma. The article begins with an overview of ABFT, including (a) how attachment theory guides treatment; (b) the structure of the clinical model; and (c) the data that provide empirical support. A case example is then presented that exemplifies the primary clinical procedures used to reach therapeutic goals in ABFT, including attachment repair and autonomy/competence promotion. Weekly changes in suicide ideation and depression scores are presented. The article concludes with a discussion about implications for family‐based treatment of suicidal youth.
Five‐Factor Model Personality Traits and the Objective and Subjective Experience of Body Weight
Authors: Sutin Angelina R. , Terracciano Antonio
Published: October 2014

Research on personality and adiposity has focused primarily on middle‐aged and older adults. The present research sought to (a) replicate these associations in a young adult sample, (b) examine whether sex, race, or ethnicity moderate these associations, and (c) test whether personality is associated with the subjective experience of body weight and discrepancies between perceived and actual weight. Participants (N = 15,669; Mage = 29; 53% female; ∼40% ethnic/racial minority) from Wave 4 of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health completed a Five‐Factor Model personality measure and reported their weight, height, and perception of weight category (e.g., overweight); trained staff measured participants’ height, weight, and waist circumference. Conscientiousness was associated with healthier weight, with a nearly 5 kg difference between the top and bottom quartiles. Neuroticism among women and Extraversion among men were associated with higher adiposity. Neuroticism was also associated with misperceived heavier weight, whereas Extraversion was associated with misperceived taller and leaner. The associations were similar across race/ethnic groups. Personality is associated with objective and subjective adiposity in young adulthood. Although modest, the effects are consistent with life span theories of personality, and the misperceptions are consistent with the conceptual worldviews associated with the traits.
On Being the Same in Different Places: Evaluating Frame‐of‐Reference Effects Across Two Social Contexts
Authors: Kurtz John E. , Palfrey Amy Pastva
Published: October 2014

Frame‐of‐reference (FOR) effects in personality assessment are demonstrated when self‐rated items oriented to specific contexts (e.g., workplace) show better predictive validity than noncontextualized items. Empirical support of FOR effects typically relies on job performance ratings or academic grades for criteria. The current study evaluates FOR effects using ratings of personality provided by informants from the home or school context. Items from the NEO Five‐Factor Inventory (NEO‐FFI; Costa & McCrae, 1992) were contextualized to the home and school contexts to create NEO‐Home and NEO‐School versions. One hundred fifty‐eight college students completed the NEO‐Home and NEO‐School questionnaires, and 161 college students completed the standard, noncontextualized NEO‐FFI. All participants recruited one peer from college and at least one parent to complete standard rater versions of the NEO‐FFI. Contextualized self‐ratings did not show FOR effects. NEO‐Home self‐ratings did not correlate higher with parent ratings than with peer ratings, and NEO‐School self‐ratings did not correlate higher with peer ratings than with parent ratings. Standard NEO‐FFI self‐ratings generally showed higher self‐informant agreement with both types of informants than contextualized self‐ratings. The pattern of correlations suggests that validity is enhanced more by specific trait‐informant combinations than by the contextualization of items to social contexts.
Qualitative description of dental hygiene practices within oral health and dental care perspectives of Mexican‐American adults and teenagers
Authors: Maupome Gerardo , Aguirre‐Zero Odette , Westerhold Chi
Published: October 2014

Objectives

The objectives of this study were to identify dental hygiene themes voiced by adults and teenagers of Mexican origin [or Mexican Americans (MAs)] and place these themes within the larger landscape of oral health and dental care perceptions.

Methods

Interviews with urban‐based MAs were analyzed to identify barriers, beliefs, and behaviors influencing engagement in dental hygiene practices.

Results

Adult (n = 16, ages 33–52) and teenage (n = 17, ages 14–19) MAs reported themes pertaining to structural factors (financial and economic‐related barriers, the dual challenges of reduced access to care vis‐à‐vis successfully navigating the dental care system, and the effects of reduced social support derived from migration) and to individual factors (different agendas between MAs and health systems for dental care utilization and indications for oral self‐care, including limited dental hygiene instruction from professionals and larger impacts from school‐based and mass media). Also, prior experiences with dental hygiene, prevention, and associated themes were characterized by a range of attitudes from fatalistic to highly determined agency. Good family upbringing was instrumental for appropriate dental hygiene, anteceding good oral health; and outlining a loose structure of factors affecting oral health such as diet, having “weak” teeth, or personal habits.

Conclusions

Themes from adults and teenagers in the Midwest United States were generally similar to other groups of MA parents and younger children. Dental hygiene was not salient relative to other oral health and dental care matters. Several opportunities for improvement of knowledge and enhancing motivation for dental hygiene practices were identified, both within and outside professional resources.
The functional phonological unit of Japanese‐English bilinguals is language dependent: Evidence from masked onset and mora priming effects
Authors: Ida Keisuke , Nakayama Mariko , Lupker Stephen J.
Published: October 2014

Speech production research has shown that Japanese monolingual speakers use mora‐sized phonological units, not phoneme‐sized units, when phonologically encoding Japanese words. Recent bilingual research has indicated that proficient Japanese‐English bilinguals nevertheless use phoneme‐sized units when phonologically encoding English words, suggesting that use of a phonological unit that is smaller than that of their L1 develops with increasing proficiency in English. The purpose of the present research was to determine whether proficient Japanese‐English bilinguals also begin to use the smaller, phoneme‐sized units when producing Japanese words. In a masked priming naming task, proficient Japanese‐English bilinguals produced a significant masked onset priming effect for English words, confirming that they do use phoneme‐sized units when phonologically encoding in English (L2). These bilinguals, however, showed only mora‐based facilitation for Japanese words in an experiment involving only Japanese words. These results suggest that proficient bilinguals use different unit sizes depending on the language being produced, and that for bilinguals whose L1 and L2 have different unit sizes, the phonological encoding process is at least somewhat different in their two languages.
Young children produce categorical false recall without activation of the lure items
Authors: Nabeta Tomohiro , Wakabayashi Sumino , Park Shin‐Young , Kamigaki Akiko , Yamazaki Akira
Published: October 2014

Individuals who study a list of words that are all related to another word that is not presented (a lure word) sometimes produce a false memory of having studied the lure word. The false memories are observed in lists of words that are in the same category as (category list) or associated with (associative list) a word that was not presented in an attempt to elicit false recall. The present study investigated whether young children create these types of false recall. Following the study of a categorical list, false recall was elicited in young children to the same degree as in adults, but studying an associative list elicited false recall only in adults. Furthermore, categorically related lure words did not have a priming effect in young children. These results suggest that the categorical false recall is produced via a different mechanism from the associative false recall.
Pharmacokinetics of a low dose and FDA‐labeled dose of diclazuril administered orally as a pelleted topdressing in adult horses
Authors: Hunyadi L. , Papich M. G. , Pusterla N.
Published: October 2014

The purpose of this study was to determine the pharmacokinetics of the FDA‐approved labeled dose of diclazuril and compare it to a low dose in plasma and CSF in adult horses. During each research period, six healthy adult horses received 0.5 mg/kg of 1.56% diclazuril pellets (ProtazilTM, Merck Animal Health) compared to the approved labeled dose of 1 mg/kg orally once in two separate phases. A dose of 0.5 mg/kg was calculated to each horse's weight. Blood was then collected immediately before diclazuril administration and then at regular intervals up to a 168 h. After the last blood collection following the single dose at hour 168, a once daily oral dose was administered for the next 10 days to ensure the drug's concentration reached steady‐state. To determine the CSF concentration at steady‐state, CSF samples were collected after the 9th oral dose. Blood was then collected after the 10th dose and then at regular intervals up to 168 h. A washout period of 4 weeks was allowed before repeating this protocol for the FDA‐labeled dose at 1 mg/kg. Plasma and CSF samples were analyzed by high‐pressure liquid chromatography. A one‐compartment pharmacokinetic model with first‐order oral absorption was fitted to the single administration data. Steady‐state pharmacokinetics was performed using noncompartmental analysis for steady‐state analysis. The mean (standard deviation) concentration of diclazuril in CSF following the low dose was 26 ng/mL (5 ng/mL), while CSF in the FDA‐labeled dose was 25 ng/mL (4 ng/mL), P = 0.3750. Substantial accumulation in plasma occurred at steady‐state after the 10th dose for both doses. The results of this study show that diclazuril pellets given at the approved label dose and a lower dose both produce similar plasma drug concentrations at steady‐state and attain plasma and CSF concentrations known to inhibit Sarcocystis neurona in cell culture.
Property and Power: MPs' Assets and Support for Democratization in the 1867 Reform Act
Authors: Bronner Laura
Published: October 2014

Influential theories of democratization emphasize elites' fear of the redistributive consequences of democratic reform as an important limit on democratization. They also argue that landowners are more likely than capital owners to fear redistribution, as their assets are less mobile and thus more vulnerable to expropriation. To test these claims on the micro level, this article uses the 1867 U.K. Reform Act, which doubled the enfranchised population to include much of the urban working class, as a case study. Using an original dataset on the members of the 1865–68 House of Commons, this article finds that in fact, the most substantively important variable for votes on democratization was partisanship, which has been neglected by the distributional conflict literature. Material interests, particularly landowning, do matter, but they are crucially mediated by strategic partisan electoral concerns.
Franchise Extension and the British Aristocracy
Authors: Berlinski Samuel , Dewan Torun , Van Coppenolle Brenda
Published: October 2014

Using evidence from the Second Reform Act, introduced in the United Kingdom in 1867, we analyze the impact of extending the vote to the unskilled urban population on the composition of the Cabinet and the background characteristics of Members of Parliament. Exploiting the sharp change in the electorate caused by franchise extension, we separate the effect of reform from that of underlying constituency‐level traits correlated with the voting population. Our results are broadly supportive of a claim first made by Laski (1928): there is no causal effect of the reform on the political role played by the British aristocracy.
Electoral Security as a Determinant of Legislator Activity, 1832–1918: New Data and Methods for Analyzing British Political Development
Authors: Eggers Andrew C. , Spirling Arthur
Published: October 2014

We consider the relationship between a Member of Parliament's electoral environment and his strategic choice of legislative activities between the First and Fourth Reform Acts inBritain. We argue that voters and party institutions put cross‐cutting pressures on members during this time, and that legislators calibrated their behavior in accordance with the marginality of their seat. We gather a massive new dataset documentingMPs’ biographical information, electoral records, roll calls, and speeches. The extent ofMPs’ speech making and voting (our measures of legislative activity) vary with electoral security in ways consistent with our theoretical priors for Westminster systems.
A phylogenetic perspective on species diversity, β‐diversity and biogeography for the microbial world
Authors: Barberán Albert , Casamayor Emilio O.
Published: October 2014

There is an increasing interest to combine phylogenetic data with distributional and ecological records to assess how natural communities arrange under an evolutionary perspective. In the microbial world, there is also a need to go beyond the problematic species definition to deeply explore ecological patterns using genetic data. We explored links between evolution/phylogeny and community ecology using bacterial 16S rRNA gene information from a high‐altitude lakes district data set. We described phylogenetic community composition, spatial distribution, and β‐diversity and biogeographical patterns applying evolutionary relatedness without relying on any particular operational taxonomic unit definition. High‐altitude lakes districts usually contain a large mosaic of highly diverse small water bodies and conform a fine biogeographical model of spatially close but environmentally heterogeneous ecosystems. We sampled 18 lakes in the Pyrenees with a selection criteria focused on capturing the maximum environmental variation within the smallest geographical area. The results showed highly diverse communities nonrandomly distributed with phylogenetic β‐diversity patterns mainly shaped by the environment and not by the spatial distance. Community similarity based on both bacterial taxonomic composition and phylogenetic β‐diversity shared similar patterns and was primarily structured by similar environmental drivers. We observed a positive relationship between lake area and phylogenetic diversity with a slope consistent with highly dispersive planktonic organisms. The phylogenetic approach incorporated patterns of common ancestry into bacterial community analysis and emerged as a very convenient analytical tool for direct inter‐ and intrabiome biodiversity comparisons and sorting out microbial habitats with potential application in conservation studies.
Analytical monitoring of brain activities for thalamotomy related with pathophysiology of parkinsonian motor symptoms
Authors: Miyashita Nobuo , Narabayashi Yohsuke , Oshima Tomokazu
Published: October 2014

Background

We monitor brain activities in thalamotomy for Parkinson's disease by a bipolar concentric microelectrode.

Aim

The present study aimed to standardize the quantitative monitoring for targeting and for pathophysiological analysis.

Methods

To show the process of data analysis, we selected 20 patients who gave informed consent for thalamotomy. The cases were divided into group I with rigidity, but no tremor (n = 10), and the group II with rigidity and tremor (n = 10). Most patients suffered from bradykinesia. We monitored the electromyograms of the neck and limb muscles. Brain activities were sampled as the electrode passed through the caudate and thalamic nuclei, divided into filtered local field potentials and multiple unit spikes, and rated at different depths by the summed periods in percent occupied by the component wavelets of field potentials at 3–7, 7–13, 13–27 and 27–80 Hz.

Results

Analysis was summarized by the depth distribution histograms of dominant wavelet compositions. The 13–27‐Hz activities were exaggerated in the caudate, thalamic ventroanterior and ventrolateral nuclei. The 3–7‐Hz activities time‐locked with tremor were exaggerated in the nucleus ventralis intermedius. Group I cases showed little 3–7‐Hz activities. Thermolesion in the thalamus with those highly‐rated activities alleviated tremor and rigidity, but spared most bradykinesia.

Conclusion

The standardized analysis suggests that the thalamic 3–7‐Hz and 13–27‐Hz activities serve as the quantitative markers of pathophysiology representing tremor and rigidity, respectively.
Macrophage migration inhibitory factor –173G/C gene polymorphism increases the risk of renal disease: A meta‐analysis
Authors: Tong Xiang , He Jie , Liu Sitong , Peng Shifeng , Yan Zhipeng , Zhang Yonggang , Fan Hong
Published: October 2014

Aim

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) –173G/C (rs755622) gene polymorphism has been associated with renal disease risk. However, lots of studies have reported inconclusive results. Therefore, we performed a meta‐analysis to investigate the relationship between MIF –173G/C gene polymorphism and renal disease susceptibility.

Methods

We conducted a search in PubMed, Embase (OvidSP), Wanfang databases and China National Knowledge Internet (CNKI) up to 20 June 2014. Odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were used to test the association. Statistical analyses were performed with STATA version 11.0 software.

Results

In total, 2755 participants from eight case–control studies were included in this meta‐analysis. The pooled results indicated the significant association between MIF −173G/C polymorphism and renal disease risk (CC + CG vs GG, OR = 1.77, P < 0.01; C vs G, OR = 3.94, P < 0.01). In the subgroup analysis, a significant relationship of MIF −173G/C gene polymorphism and renal disease risk in Asians and Caucasians were observed. Additionally, we found that the heterozygote (CG) may strongly increase renal disease risk in children, while the homozygote (CC) may increase the renal disease susceptibility more significantly in adults. Surprisingly, the results found a significant association between MIF −173G/C polymorphism and glucocorticoid resistance in child patients with idiopathic nephrotic syndrome (INS) (C vs G, OR: 3.83, P < 0.01).

Conclusion

This study suggested that MIF −173G/C gene polymorphism may increase risk of renal disease, especially in children. Furthermore, the meta‐analysis also indicated that this gene polymorphism may increase risk of glucocorticoid resistance in child patients with INS.
New ghrelin agonist, HM01 alleviates constipation and L‐dopa‐delayed gastric emptying in 6‐hydroxydopamine rat model of Parkinson's disease
Authors: Karasawa H. , Pietra C. , Giuliano C. , Garcia‐Rubio S. , Xu X. , Yakabi S. , Taché Y. , Wang L.
Published: October 2014

Background

Constipation and L‐dopa‐induced gastric dysmotility are common gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms in Parkinson's disease (PD). We investigated the novel ghrelin agonist, HM01 influence on GI motor dysfunctions in 6‐hydroxydopamine (6‐OHDA) rats.

Methods

HM01 pharmacological profiles were determined in vitro and in vivo in rats. We assessed changes in fecal output and water content, and gastric emptying (GE) in 6‐OHDA rats treated with orogastric (og) HM01 and L‐dopa/carbidopa (LD/CD, 20/2 mg/kg). Fos immunoreactivity (ir) cells in specific brain and lumbosacral spinal cord were quantified.

Key Results

HM01 displayed a high binding affinity to ghrelin receptor (Ki: 1.42 ± 0.36 nM), 4.3 ± 1.0 h half‐life and high brain/plasma ratio. 6‐OHDA rats had reduced daily fecal output (22%) and water intake (23%) compared to controls. HM01 (3 and 10 mg/kg) similarly reversed the decreased 4‐h fecal weight and water content in 6‐OHDA rats. Basal GE was not modified in 6‐OHDA rats, however, LD/CD (once or daily for 8 days) delayed GE in 6‐OHDA and control rats that was prevented by HM01 (3 mg/kg acute or daily before LD/CD). HM01 increased Fos‐ir cell number in the area postrema, arcuate nucleus, nucleus tractus solitarius, and lumbosacral intermediolateral column of 6‐OHDA rats where 6‐OHDA had a lowering effect compared to controls.

Conclusions & Inferences

6‐OHDA rats display constipation‐ and adipsia‐like features of PD and L‐dopa‐inhibited GE. The new orally active ghrelin agonist, HM01 crosses the blood–brain barrier and alleviates these alterations suggesting a potential benefit for PD with GI disorders.
MAN3 gene regulates cadmium tolerance through the glutathione‐dependent pathway in Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Chen Jian , Yang Libo , Gu Ju , Bai Xiaoya , Ren Yongbin , Fan Tingting , Han Yi , Jiang Li , Xiao Fangming , Liu Yongsheng , Cao Shuqing
Published: October 2014

Pollution of soil by the heavy metal cadmium (Cd) is a global environmental problem. The glutathione (GSH)‐dependent phytochelatin (PC) synthesis pathway is one of the most important mechanisms contributing to Cd accumulation and tolerance. However, the regulation of this pathway is poorly understood.

Here, we identified an Arabidopsis thaliana cadmium‐tolerant dominant mutant xcd1‐D (XVE system‐induced cadmium‐tolerance 1) and cloned XCD1 gene (previously called MAN3), which encodes an endo‐β‐mannanase. Overexpression of MAN3 led to enhanced Cd accumulation and tolerance, whereas loss‐of‐function of MAN3 resulted in decreased Cd accumulation and tolerance. In the presence of estradiol, enhanced Cd accumulation and tolerance in xcd1‐D was associated with GSH‐dependent, Cd‐activated synthesis of PCs, which was correlated with coordinated activation of gene expression.

Cd stress‐induced expression of MAN3 and the consequently increased mannanase activity, led to increased mannose content in cell walls. Moreover, mannose treatment not only rescued the Cd‐sensitive phenotype of the xcd1‐2 mutant, but also improved the Cd tolerance of wild‐type plants. Significantly, this mannose‐mediated Cd accumulation and tolerance is dependent on GSH‐dependent PC concentrations via coordinated control of expression of genes involved in PC synthesis.

Our results suggest that MAN3 regulates the GSH‐dependent PC synthesis pathway that contributes to Cd accumulation and tolerance in A. thaliana by coordinated control of gene expression.
Best practice guidelines on publishing ethics: a publisher's perspective, 2nd edition
Authors: Graf Chris , Deakin Lisa , Docking Martine , Jones Jackie , Joshua Sue , McKerahan Tiffany , Ottmar Martin , Stevens Allen , Wates Edward , Wyatt Deborah
Published: October 2014

Wiley has updated its publishing ethics guidelines, first published in 2006. The new guidelines provide guidance, resources, and practical advice on ethical concerns that arise in academic publishing for editors, authors, and researchers, among other audiences. New guidance is also included on whistle blowers, animal research, clinical research, and clinical trial registration, addressing cultural differences, human rights, and confidentiality. The guidelines are uniquely interdisciplinary and were reviewed by 24 editors and experts chosen from the wide range of communities that Wiley serves. The new guidelines are also published in Advanced Materials, Headache, International Journal of Clinical Practice, Social Science Quarterly, and on the website http://exchanges.wiley.com/ethicsguidelines.
Taxonomy of the proterosuchid archosauriforms (Diapsida: Archosauromorpha) from the earliest Triassic of South Africa, and implications for the early archosauriform radiation
Authors: Ezcurra Martín D. , Butler Richard J.
Published: October 2014

Proterosuchidae is one of the first clades of Archosauriformes (archosaurs and closely related species) to appear in the fossil record, with the richest sample of the group coming from the Lystrosaurus Assemblage Zone (earliest Triassic) of South Africa. Four nominal proterosuchid species were described from South Africa during the twentieth century (Proterosuchus fergusi, Chasmatosaurus vanhoepeni, Chasmatosaurus alexanderi and Elaphrosuchus rubidgei), but interpretations of their taxonomy have been widely disparate. The most recent taxonomic revision concluded that P. fergusi is the only valid species and that the other nominal species are junior subjective synonyms of this taxon. This proposal was based on the interpretation that anatomical differences between the nominal species could be explained as a result of ontogenetic changes and/or post‐mortem deformation. The recent discoveries of multiple new South African proterosuchid specimens provide an impetus to revisit their taxonomy. Based upon a comprehensive re‐examination of all known specimens, as well as examination of other proterosuchid taxa in collections worldwide, we conclude that the holotype of Proterosuchus fergusi is undiagnostic. As a result, we propose a neotype (RC 846) for the species. ‘Chasmatosaurus vanhoepeni’ and ‘Elaphrosuchus rubidgei’ are considered subjective junior synonyms of P. fergusi. ‘Chasmatosaurus’ alexanderi is considered a valid species, for which we propose the new combination P. alexanderi comb. nov. A third species, P. goweri sp. nov., is erected on the basis of a single specimen (NMQR 880). All three species recognized here are taxonomically distinct from a previously described archosauriform maxilla from the lower Lystrosaurus AZ. As a result, we recognize a minimum of four archosauriform species following the Permo‐Triassic mass extinction in South Africa. Our results suggest a greater species richness of earliest Triassic archosauriforms than previously appreciated, but that archosauriform morphological disparity remained low and did not expand until the late Early Triassic – early Mid‐Triassic.
A crown‐group demosponge from the early Cambrian Sirius Passet Biota, North Greenland
Authors: Botting Joseph P. , Cárdenas Paco , Peel John S.
Published: October 2014

Calibration of the divergence times of sponge lineages and understanding of their phylogenetic history are hampered by the difficulty in recognizing crown versus stem groups in the fossil record. A new specimen from the lower Cambrian (Series 2, Stage 3; approximately 515 Ma) Sirius Passet Biota of North Greenland has yielded a diagnostic spicule assemblage of the extant demosponge lineages Haploscleromorpha and/or Heteroscleromorpha. The specimen has disarticulated approximately in situ, but represents an individual sponge that possessed monaxon spicules combined with a range of slightly smaller sigma, toxa and unique spiral morphologies. The combination of spicule forms, together with their relatively large size, suggests that the sponge represents the stem lineage of Haploscleromorpha + Heteroscleromorpha. This is the first crown‐group demosponge described from the early Cambrian and provides the most reliable calibration point currently available for phylogenetic studies.
Self‐compassion training for binge eating disorder: A pilot randomized controlled trial
Authors: Kelly Allison C. , Carter Jacqueline C.
Published: October 2014

Objectives

The present pilot study sought to compare a compassion‐focused therapy (CFT)‐based self‐help intervention for binge eating disorder (BED) to a behaviourally based intervention.

Design

Forty‐one individuals with BED were randomly assigned to 3 weeks of food planning plus self‐compassion exercises; food planning plus behavioural strategies; or a wait‐list control condition.

Methods

Participants completed weekly measures of binge eating and self‐compassion; pre‐ and post‐intervention measures of eating disorder pathology and depressive symptoms; and a baseline measure assessing fear of self‐compassion.

Results

Results showed that: (1) perceived credibility, expectancy, and compliance did not differ between the two interventions; (2) both interventions reduced weekly binge days more than the control condition; (3) the self‐compassion intervention reduced global eating disorder pathology, eating concerns, and weight concerns more than the other conditions; (4) the self‐compassion intervention increased self‐compassion more than the other conditions; and (5) participants low in fear of self‐compassion derived significantly more benefits from the self‐compassion intervention than those high in fear of self‐compassion.

Conclusions

Findings offer preliminary support for the usefulness of CFT‐based interventions for BED sufferers. Results also suggest that for individuals to benefit from self‐compassion training, assessing and lowering fear of self‐compassion will be crucial.

Practitioner points

Individuals with BED perceive self‐compassion training self‐help interventions, derived from CFT, to be as credible and as likely to help as behaviourally based interventions.

The cultivation of self‐compassion may be an effective approach for reducing binge eating, and eating, and weight concerns in individuals with BED.

Teaching individuals with BED CFT‐based self‐help exercises may increase their self‐compassion levels over a short period of time.

It may be important for clinicians to assess and target clients' fear of self‐compassion for clients to benefit from self‐compassion training interventions.
Two autopsy cases of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) in Japan: A pathognomonic histological feature and unique complication of SFTS
Authors: Hiraki Tsubasa , Yoshimitsu Makoto , Suzuki Tadaki , Goto Yuko , Higashi Michiyo , Yokoyama Seiya , Tabuchi Tomohisa , Futatsuki Takahiro , Nakamura Kentaro , Hasegawa Hideki , Saijo Masayuki , Kakihana Yasuyuki , Arima Naomichi , Yonezawa Suguru
Published: October 2014

We report two autopsy cases of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) with a high fatality rate in aged Japanese patients. Both cases were caused by a tick‐bite. The pathognomonic histological feature was necrotizing lymphadenitis of systemic lymphoid tissue with SFTS viruses and SFTSV‐RNA copies. Marked fungal infections were also observed in the lungs of both patients. Since cellular immune function may be suppressed in SFTS patients, physicians should be aware of possible fungal infections.
Topographic recordings of auditory evoked potentials to speech: Subcortical and cortical responses
Authors: Bellier Ludovic , Bouchet Patrick , Jeanvoine Arnaud , Valentin Olivier , Thai‐Van Hung , Caclin Anne
Published: October 2014

Topographies of speech auditory brainstem response (speech ABR), a fine electrophysiological marker of speech encoding, have never been described. Yet, they could provide useful information to assess speech ABR generators and better characterize populations of interest (e.g., musicians, dyslexics). We present here a novel methodology of topographic speech ABR recording, using a 32‐channel low sampling rate (5 kHz) EEG system. Quality of speech ABRs obtained with this conventional multichannel EEG system were compared to that of signals simultaneously recorded with a high sampling rate (13.3 kHz) EEG system. Correlations between speech ABRs recorded with the two systems revealed highly similar signals, without any significant difference between their signal‐to‐noise ratios (SNRs). Moreover, an advanced denoising method for multichannel data (denoising source separation) significantly improved SNR and allowed topography of speech ABR to be recovered.
Greek literacy in sixteenth‐century England
Authors: Lazarus Micha
Published: October 2014

Recent scholarship has focused on close engagements with Greek literature in sixteenth‐century England, but must still contend with the conventional belief that Elizabethans had negligible Greek. The standard accounts on which this belief is based, however, have not kept pace with the last thirty years of developments in the history of Renaissance education; moreover, they have consistently evaluated Greek literacy by the incommensurate standards of Greek philological scholarship. This review of the multiform evidence of Greek language training in the sixteenth century suggests that Greek literacy was in fact more widespread and advanced in England than has been allowed, and establishes a new baseline and chronology of linguistic access for English readers in the period.
Assessment of Suicidal Youth in the Emergency Department
Authors: Berk Michele S. , Asarnow Joan R.
Published: October 2014

Accurate evaluation of suicidal adolescents in the emergency department (ED) is critical for safety and linkage to follow‐up care. We examined self‐reports of 181 adolescents who presented to an ED with suicidal ideation (SI) or a suicide attempt (SA). Parents also completed self‐reports. Results showed fair agreement between parents and youth on the reason for the ED visit (e.g., SI vs. SA) and greater agreement between independent judges and youths than between judges and parents. In accordance with accepted definitions of suicide attempts (e.g., Crosby, Ortega, & Melanson, 2011; O'Carroll, Berman, Maris, Moscicki, Tanney, & Silverman, 1996, p. 237; Posner, Oquendo, Gould, Stanley, & Davies, 2007, p. 1035; Silverman, Berman, Sanddal, O'Carroll, & Joiner, 2007, p. 248), most youth with SA as the reason for the ED visit reported some intent to die associated with the attempt. Finally, youth presenting to the ED with SA did not differ clinically from youth presenting with SI, and almost half of youths with SI reported past suicide attempts. These results highlight the need to emphasize adolescents' reports in clinical decision making, suggest adolescents' defined suicide attempts similarly to published definitions, and show that assessment of past SAs, as well as present suicidal thoughts and behaviors, is critical in determining future risk.
Best Practice Guidelines on Publishing Ethics: A Publisher's Perspective, 2nd Edition*
Authors: Graf Chris , Deakin Lisa , Docking Martine , Jones Jackie , Joshua Sue , McKerahan Tiffany , Ottmar Martin , Stevens Allen , Wates Edward , Wyatt Deborah
Published: October 2014

Wiley has updated its publishing ethics guidelines, first published in 2006. The new guidelines provide guidance, resources, and practical advice on ethical concerns that arise in academic publishing for editors, authors, and researchers, among other audiences. New guidance is also included on whistle blowers, animal research, clinical research, and clinical trial registration, addressing cultural differences, human rights, and confidentiality. The guidelines are uniquely interdisciplinary, and were reviewed by 24 editors and experts chosen from the wide range of communities that Wiley serves. They are also published in Advanced Materials, Headache, Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, International Journal of Clinical Practice, and on the website http://exchanges.wiley.com/ethicsguidelines.
A molecular phylogeny of Eumorpha (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae) and the evolution of anti‐predator larval eyespots
Authors: PONCE FRANCESCA V. , BREINHOLT JESSE W. , HOSSIE THOMAS , BARBER JESSE R. , JANZEN DANIEL H. , HALLWACHS WINNIE , KAWAHARA AKITO Y.
Published: October 2014

Many insects possess conspicuous external circular ring markings that resemble the eye of a vertebrate. These ‘eyespots’ typically function to startle or otherwise deter predators, but few studies have examined how eyespots have evolved. We study the evolution of the posterior larval eyespot in the charismatic New World hawkmoth genus Eumorpha. While Eumorpha has a range of posterior larval eyespot shapes and sizes, little is known of how this trait has evolved because phylogenetic relationships of Eumorpha remain largely unknown. In this study, we included 62 individuals from 23 of 26 described Eumorpha species, and sequenced four genes (CAD, EF‐1α, Wingless and COI), totaling 3773 base pairs. Maximum likelihood and Bayesian phylogenetic methods produced largely congruent trees with well‐supported relationships. Our analyses reveal that Eumorpha probably had an ancestor with a posterior larval eyespot and that the eyespot was subsequently lost in at least three lineages. Eumorpha appears to have originated in Central and South America and expanded its distribution to North America.
Association between HLA‐DR4 haplotypes and tuberculin skin test response in the Aché population
Authors: Lindenau J. D. , Guimarães L. S. P. , Hurtado A. M. , Hill K. R. , Tsuneto L. T. , Salzano F. M. , Petzl‐Erler M. L. , Hutz M. H.
Published: October 2014

The human leukocyte antigen (HLA) system has a major role in the regulation of the immune response as it is involved in the defense against pathogens. Evidence for association with tuberculosis (TB) is more consistent for class II than for class I HLA genes. TB is important among indigenous peoples in South America, not only because of its historical role in regional depopulation, but also because it is still widespread. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of HLA class II alleles, haplotypes and genotypes and tuberculin skin test response (TST) in 76 individuals of the Aché population. Poisson Regression was employed to assess risk genotypes. DRB1*04, DQA1*03 and DQB1*03:02 were associated with TST response in this population.