bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nephroureterectomy and Ureteroneocystostomy in an Alpaca With Bilateral Ectopic Ureters Diagnosed by Computed Tomographic Excretory Urography
Authors: Polf Holly D. , Smith Shasta , Simpson Katharine M. , Rochat Mark C.
Published: June 2014

Objective

To report diagnosis and treatment of urinary incontinence in a female Huacaya alpaca.

Study Design

Clinical case report.

Animals

Female intact Huacaya alpaca (n = 1)

Methods

Computed tomographic (CT) excretory urography and vaginourethrography were performed to diagnose the cause of urinary incontinence.

Results

Bilateral ectopic ureters and left hydronephrosis and hydroureter were diagnosed. Left nephroureterectomy and right ureteroneocystostomy were performed with subsequent resolution of clinical signs. Pyelonephritis was identified by culture of the resected left kidney.

Conclusions

CT excretory urography was helpful in the diagnosis of bilateral ectopic ureters in an alpaca and provided information for surgical planning. Surgical repair by ureteroneocystostomy and unilateral nephroureterectomy was successful in resolving clinical signs.
HEROES AND PENTADS: OR HOW INDO-EUROPEAN IS GREEK EPIC?
Authors: ALLEN NICK
Published: June 2014

Students of the narrative content of Greek epic usually ignore the hypothesis that it shares a common origin with the Sanskrit epic, and even Georges Dumézil, the best known Indo-European cultural comparativist of the last century, emphasized the contrast between the two traditions. However, since Dumézil's death, it has been argued that his ‘trifunctional’ theory of Indo-European ideology needs to be subsumed within a pentadic framework. This framework suggests that the sets of protagonists in the Massacre of the Suitors and in the Trojan War are comparable with those at the heart of the Sanskrit Mahābhārata. Despite some blurring, the influence of the pentadic ideology is recognisable in a ‘canonical’ set of Achaean heroes, as regards not only their participation in certain Homeric episodes but also the sequence of their deaths and their relationship to geographical space.
APULIAN VASE-PAINTING BY NUMBERS: SOME THOUGHTS ON THE PRODUCTION OF VASES DEPICTING INDIGENOUS MEN
Authors: HERRING EDWARD
Published: June 2014

This paper examines the place of vases depicting indigenous men in the wider context of Apulian red-figure pottery production. Through an analysis of 13,577 vases, it is shown that those depicting indigenous men were only ever a tiny part of the overall output. The overwhelming majority of surviving Apulian vases lack a proper archaeological provenance, but although this limits certainty, the evidence suggests that the vases in question were primarily used in Central Puglia. The iconography of the vessels shows indigenous men in a positive light, as successful warriors who participated in banqueting and religious rituals. The scenes all have direct parallels in the wider iconography of Apulian red-figure, where Greek men are shown engaged in a similar range of activities. The paper considers why this idealized representation of indigenous male lifestyles is so indebted to Greek culture and argues for the continued importance of local identities.
Paying it forward: how helping others can reduce the psychological threat of receiving help
Authors: Alvarez Katherina , van Leeuwen Esther
Published: June 2014

This paper shows that receiving help could be psychologically harmful for recipients, and passing on help to others after receiving help (“helping forward”) is a good strategy to improve and restore help recipients' self‐competence. Participants (N = 87) received autonomy‐ or dependency‐oriented help and anticipated helping forward or not. Compared to receiving autonomy‐oriented help, receiving dependency‐oriented help negatively affected participants' self‐competence and their evaluation of the helper. Anticipation of future helping increased the liking for and evaluation of the helper. After paying help forward, participants felt more self‐competent than before helping, and this effect was more pronounced among former recipients of dependency‐oriented help. These results show that helping forward can negate the psychological threat associated with receiving help.
Age‐dependent song changes in a closed‐ended vocal learner: elevation of song performance after song crystallization
Authors: Ota Nao , Soma Masayo
Published: June 2014

Birdsong is a sexual signal that serves as an indicator of male quality. There is already abundant evidence that song elaboration reflects early life‐history because early developmental stress affects neural development of song control systems, and leaves irreversible adverse effects on song phenotypes. Especially in closed‐ended vocal learners, song features crystallized early in life are less subject to changes in adulthood. This is why less attention has been paid to lifelong song changes in closed‐ended learners. However, in the eyes of female birds that gain benefits from choosing mates based on male songs, not only past but also current conditions encoded in songs would be meaningful, given that even crystallized songs in closed‐ended learners would not be identical in the long term. In this study, we examine within‐individual song changes in the Java sparrow Lonchura oryzivora, with the aim of shedding light on the relationship between song and long‐term life history. Specifically, we compared song length, tempo, and song complexity measures between the point just after song crystallization and around 1 yr later, and also compared those traits between fathers and sons to clarify the effect of vocal learning. While it is not surprising that song complexity did not differ depending on age or between fathers and sons, we found that song length and tempo increased with age. Follow‐up analyses have revealed that frequency bandwidth and peak frequency of song notes also elevated with age. Our results show that song performance related to motor skills can be improved even after song crystallization. We also suggest that song performance in closed‐ended vocal learners gives a reliable clue for mate choice by reflecting male quality with aging.
Climatic niche breadth and species richness in temperate treefrogs
Authors: Chejanovski Zachary A. , Wiens John J.
Published: June 2014

Aim

Patterns of species richness are often closely linked with climate, but the specific mechanisms by which species' climatic niches underlie large‐scale richness patterns remain poorly understood. It has been hypothesized that reduced temperature seasonality in the tropics promotes the evolution of species with narrow temperature niche breadths, and that this hypothesis helps explain high tropical richness. However, the relationship between species' climatic niche breadths and species richness has yet to be tested. We have addressed this issue using treefrogs (Hylidae) in eastern North America.

Location

Eastern North America.

Methods

We characterized climatic niches and niche breadths for all 24 hylid species in eastern North America using temperature and precipitation variables. We then examined the relationships between species richness, climatic niche positions and climatic niche breadths using phylogenetic comparative methods.

Results

Species richness was negatively associated with mean climatic niche breadth, such that high‐richness climates had species with narrower climatic niches. Our results also supported the roles of niche conservatism and the time‐for‐speciation effect in generating the relationship between climate and species richness in the region (more species in warm, wet regions that have been inhabited longer). Importantly, we show that the invasion of low‐richness climates has occurred primarily through recent intraspecific niche expansion into these climates rather than evolution of species that are narrowly specialized for these conditions (although the two hylid clades studied showed somewhat different patterns).

Main conclusions

We found that climatic zones with high species richness contain more species with narrower climatic niche breadths. Our results suggest that this pattern arose because narrow climatic niche breadths restricted the dispersal of most hylid species out of the ancestral, warm, moist climatic zones, allowing more time for speciation to build up higher species richness in these zones.
Bipolar Radiofrequency Catheter Ablation for Refractory Ventricular Outflow Tract Arrhythmias
Authors: TEH ANDREW W. , REDDY VIVEK Y. , KORUTH JACOB S. , MILLER MARC A. , CHOUDRY SUBBARAO , D'AVILA ANDRE , DUKKIPATI SRINIVAS R.
Published: June 2014

Bipolar Ablation for Outflow Tract VT

Introduction

Standard unipolar radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is typically successful in eliminating premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) originating from the ventricular outflow tract region. In a minority of cases, this approach may be ineffective. We report 4 cases where bipolar RFA was attempted after failed unipolar RFA.

Methods

From a total of 73 consecutive PVC ablations, 4 patients underwent bipolar RFA after failed unipolar ablation. Three‐dimensional electroanatomic activation mapping of the right and left ventricular outflow (RVOT and LVOT), coronary sinus, and aortic root was performed.

Results

Mean age was 53 ± 22 years, 3 male. The mean 24‐hour PVC burden in these patients was 33,107 ± 8,712. In 3 of 4 patients, the RVOT activation was earlier than the left side. The earliest activation on the left was in the right coronary cusp in 2 patients and left coronary cusp in 2. Unipolar RFA delivered sequentially at the site of earliest RVOT and then earliest aortic cusp sites failed to eradicate the PVCs in all 4 patients. Subsequently, bipolar RFA was applied between irrigated catheters placed at the earliest RVOT and aortic root sites. This approach eliminated PVCs in 3 of 4 (75%) cases. At a median follow‐up of 4 months, those with successful bipolar RFA had no recurrence of clinical PVCs.

Conclusions

This report demonstrates the potential utility of bipolar RFA in patients with outflow tract PVCs that fail unipolar RFA.
Resveratrol‐enhanced autophagic flux ameliorates myocardial oxidative stress injury in diabetic mice
Authors: Wang Bo , Yang Qing , Sun Yuan‐yuan , Xing Yi‐fan , Wang Ying‐bin , Lu Xiao‐ting , Bai Wen‐wu , Liu Xiao‐qiong , Zhao Yu‐xia
Published: June 2014

Autophagic dysfunction is observed in diabetes mellitus. Resveratrol has a beneficial effect on diabetic cardiomyopathy. Whether the resveratrol‐induced improvement in cardiac function in diabetes is via regulating autophagy remains unclear. We investigated the mechanisms underlying resveratrol‐mediated protection against heart failure in diabetic mice, with a focus on the role of sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) in regulating autophagic flux. Diabetic cardiomyopathy in mice was induced by streptozotocin (STZ). Long‐term resveratrol treatment improved cardiac function, ameliorated oxidative injury and reduced apoptosis in the diabetic mouse heart. Western blot analysis revealed that resveratrol decreased p62 protein expression and promoted SIRT1 activity and Rab7 expression. Inhibiting autophagic flux with bafilomycin A1 increased diabetic mouse mortality and attenuated resveratrol‐induced down‐regulation of p62, but not SIRT1 activity or Rab7 expression in diabetic mouse hearts. In cultured H9C2 cells, redundant or overactive H2O2 increased p62 and cleaved caspase 3 expression as well as acetylated forkhead box protein O1 (FOXO1) and inhibited SIRT1 expression. Sirtinol, SIRT1 and Rab7 siRNA impaired the resveratrol amelioration of dysfunctional autophagic flux and reduced apoptosis under oxidative conditions. Furthermore, resveratrol enhanced FOXO1 DNA binding at the Rab7 promoter region through a SIRT1‐dependent pathway. These results highlight the role of the SIRT1/FOXO1/Rab7 axis in the effect of resveratrol on autophagic flux in vivo and in vitro, which suggests a therapeutic strategy for diabetic cardiomyopathy.
Assessment of Plasmodium falciparum PfMDR1 transport rates using Fluo‐4
Authors: Friedrich O. , Reiling S.J. , Wunderlich J. , Rohrbach P.
Published: June 2014

Mutations in the multidrug resistance transporter of Plasmodium falciparum PfMDR1 have been implicated to play a significant role in the emergence of worldwide drug resistance, yet the molecular and biochemical mechanisms of this transporter are not well understood. Although it is generally accepted that drug resistance in P. falciparum is partly associated with PfMDR1 transport activity situated in the membrane of the digestive vacuole, direct estimates of the pump rate of this transport process in the natural environment of the intact host–parasite system have never been analysed. The fluorochrome Fluo‐4 is a well‐documented surrogate substrate of PfMDR1 and has been found to accumulate by actively being transported into the digestive vacuole of several parasitic strains. In the present study, we designed an approach to use Fluo‐4 fluorescence uptake as a measure of compartmental Fluo‐4 concentration accumulation in the different compartments of the host–parasite system. We performed a ‘reverse Fluo‐4 imaging' approach to relate fluorescence intensity to changes in dye concentration rather than Ca2+ fluctuations and were able to calculate the overall rate of transport for PfMDR1 in Dd2 parasites. With this assay, we provide a powerful method to selectively measure the effect of PfMDR1 mutations on substrate transport kinetics. This will be of high significance for future compound screening to test for new drugs in resistant P. falciparum strains.
The role of immigration and local adaptation on fine‐scale genotypic and phenotypic population divergence in a less mobile passerine
Authors: García‐Navas V. , Ferrer E. S. , Sanz J. J. , Ortego J.
Published: June 2014

Dispersal and local patterns of adaptation play a major role on the ecological and evolutionary trajectory of natural populations. In this study, we employ a combination of genetic (25 microsatellite markers) and field‐based information (seven study years) to analyse the impact of immigration and local patterns of adaptation in two nearby (< 7 km) blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) populations. We used genetic assignment analyses to identify immigrant individuals and found that dispersal rate is female‐biased (72%). Data on lifetime reproductive success indicated that immigrant females produced fewer local recruits than their philopatric counterparts whereas immigrant males recruited more offspring than those that remained in their natal location. In spite of the considerably higher immigration rates of females, our results indicate that, in absolute terms, their demographic and genetic impact in the receiving populations is lower than that in immigrant males. Immigrants often brought novel alleles into the studied populations and a high proportion of them were transmitted to their recruits, indicating that the genetic impact of immigrants is not ephemeral. Although only a few kilometres apart, the two study populations were genetically differentiated and showed strong divergence in different phenotypic and life‐history traits. An almost absent inter‐population dispersal, together with the fact that both populations receive immigrants from different source populations, is probably the main cause of the observed pattern of genetic differentiation. However, phenotypic differentiation (PST) for all the studied traits greatly exceeded neutral genetic differentiation (FST), indicating that divergent natural selection is the prevailing factor determining the evolutionary trajectory of these populations. Our study highlights the importance of integrating individual‐ and population‐based approaches to obtain a comprehensive view about the role of dispersal and natural selection on structuring the genotypic and phenotypic characteristics of natural populations.
Distinction among North Atlantic cod Gadus morhua stocks by tissue fatty acid profiles
Authors: Joensen H. , Grahl‐Nielsen O.
Published: June 2014

The fatty acid (FA) profiles of the white muscle and heart tissues of cod Gadus morhua from five locations, Faroe Bank, Faroe Plateau, North‐West Iceland, Norway–Barents Sea and Denmark–Skagerrak, were population dependent. The interregional differences of FAs were significantly dissimilar (P < 0·01) in most cases. By way of a rapid and simple analytical method, the stock dependence and harvest location of individual G. morhua were chemometrically determined by multivariate principal component analysis. The difference among the stocks was correlated with the average water temperature at the harvest locations. It thus appears that the tissue FA profile is a phenotypic trait that is partly temperature driven.
An Oral Health Study of Centenarians and Children of Centenarians
Authors: Kaufman Laura B. , Setiono Tiffany K. , Doros Gheorghe , Andersen Stacy , Silliman Rebecca A. , Friedman Paula K. , Perls Thomas T.
Published: June 2014

Objectives

To determine whether oral health is better in centenarians than in a published birth cohort–matched sample and to compare oral health in centenarian offspring with a case‐controlled reference sample.

Design

Observational cross‐sectional study.

Setting

New England Centenarian Study (NECS).

Participants

Seventy‐three centenarians, 467 offspring, and 251 offspring generation‐reference cohort subjects from the NECS.

Measurements

A self‐report questionnaire was administered to measure oral health in all three groups, with edentulous rate as the primary outcome measure. The NECS made information on sociodemographic characteristics and medical history available. Centenarian results were compared with published birth cohort–matched results. Data from offspring and reference cohorts were analyzed to determine differences in oral health and associations between oral health measures and specific medical conditions.

Results

The edentulous rate of centenarians (36.5%) was lower than that of their birth cohort (46%) when they were aged 65 to 74 in 1971 to 1974 (according to National Center of Health Statistics). Adjusting for confounding factors, the reference cohort was more likely to be edentulous (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 2.78, 95% confidence interval CI = 1.17–6.56), less likely to have all or more than half of their own teeth (AOR = 0.48, 95% CI = 0.3–0.76), and less likely to report excellent or very good oral health (AOR = 0.65, 95% CI = 0.45–0.94) than the centenarian offspring.

Conclusion

Centenarians and their offspring have better oral health than their respective birth cohorts. Oral health may prove to be a helpful marker for systemic health and healthy aging.
Antidepressant Adherence and Risk of Coronary Artery Disease Hospitalizations in Older and Younger Adults with Depression
Authors: Cooper Denise C. , Trivedi Ranak B. , Nelson Karin M. , Reiber Gayle E. , Eugenio Evercita C. , Beaver Kristine A. , Fan Vincent S.
Published: June 2014

Objectives

To assess whether the relationship between antidepressant adherence and coronary artery disease (CAD) hospitalizations varied between older and younger adults with depression.

Design

Retrospective cohort study.

Setting

Department of Veterans Affairs outpatient clinics nationwide.

Participants

Chronically depressed individuals (n = 50,261; aged 20–97) who had been prescribed an antidepressant were identified from records indicating an outpatient clinic visit for depression (index depression visit) during fiscal years 2009 and 2010. Individuals were considered chronically depressed if they had had prior depression visits and treatment for depression within the previous 4 months. The sample was age‐stratified into younger (<65) and older (≥65) groups.

Measurements

After the index depression visit, medication possession ratios were calculated from pharmacy refill data to determine whether participants had 80% or greater adherence to antidepressant refills during a 6‐month treatment observation period. International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, codes were used to derive CAD‐related hospitalizations during the follow‐up period. Mean follow‐up was 24 months. Data were analyzed using Cox proportional hazard models.

Results

Older participants with 80% or greater antidepressant adherence had 26% lower risk of CAD hospitalizations (hazard ratio = 0.74, 95% confidence interval = 0.60–0.93). Antidepressant adherence was not significantly related to CAD hospitalizations in younger adults.

Conclusion

Older adults with chronic depression with 80% or greater antidepressant adherence had significantly lower risk of CAD hospitalizations at follow‐up than those with less than 80% adherence. These preliminary results suggest that older adults with depression may derive cardiovascular benefits from clinical efforts to increase antidepressant adherence.
Optimal Older Adult Emergency Care: Introducing Multidisciplinary Geriatric Emergency Department Guidelines from the American College of Emergency Physicians, American Geriatrics Society, Emergency Nurses Association, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
Authors: Carpenter Christopher R. , Bromley Marilyn , Caterino Jeffrey M. , Chun Audrey , Gerson Lowell W. , Greenspan Jason , Hwang Ula , John David P. , Lyons William L. , Platts‐Mills Timothy F. , Mortensen Betty , Ragsdale Luna , Rosenberg Mark , Wilber Scott
Published: June 2014

In the United States and around the world, effective, efficient, and reliable strategies to provide emergency care to aging adults is challenging crowded emergency departments (EDs) and strained healthcare systems. In response, geriatric emergency medicine clinicians, educators, and researchers collaborated with the American College of Emergency Physicians, American Geriatrics Society, Emergency Nurses Association, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine to develop guidelines intended to improve ED geriatric care by enhancing expertise, educational, and quality improvement expectations, equipment, policies, and protocols. These Geriatric Emergency Department Guidelines represent the first formal society‐led attempt to characterize the essential attributes of the geriatric ED and received formal approval from the boards of directors of each of the four societies in 2013 and 2014. This article is intended to introduce emergency medicine and geriatric healthcare providers to the guidelines while providing recommendations for continued refinement of these proposals through educational dissemination, formal effectiveness evaluations, cost‐effectiveness studies, and eventually institutional credentialing.
Cost–Utility Analysis of a Pharmacotherapy Follow‐Up for Elderly Nursing Home Residents in Spain
Authors: Jódar‐Sánchez Francisco , Martín José J. , López del Amo M. Puerto , García Leticia , Araújo‐Santos José M. , Epstein David
Published: June 2014

Objectives

To compare the cost‐effectiveness of a pharmacotherapy follow‐up for elderly nursing home (NH) residents with that of usual care.

Design

Prospective observational study with a concurrent control group conducted over 12 months.

Setting

FifteenNHs in Andalusia assigned to control (n = 6) or intervention (n = 9).

Participants

Residents aged 65 and older.

Intervention

Pharmacotherapy follow‐up.

Measurements

Negative outcomes associated with medication, health‐related quality of life, cost, quality‐adjusted life‐year (QALY), and incremental cost‐effectiveness ratio (ICER). ICERs were estimated for three scenarios: unadjusted cost perQALY(first scenario), costs adjusted for baseline prescribed medication andQALYs adjusted for baseline utility score (second scenario), and costs andQALYs adjusted for a fuller set of baseline characteristics (third scenario).

Results

Three hundred thirty‐two elderly residents were enrolled: 122 in the control group and 210 in the intervention group. The general practitioner accepted 88.7% (274/309) of pharmacist recommendations. Pharmacist interventions reduced the average number of prescribed medication by 0.47 drugs (P < .001), whereas the average prescribed medication increased by 0.94 drugs in the control group (P < .001). Both groups reported a lower average EuroQol‐5D utility score after 12 months (intervention, −0.0576,P = .002; control, −0.0999,P = .003). For the first scenario, usual care dominated pharmacotherapy follow‐up (was less effective and more expensive). AdjustedICERs were €3,899/QALY($5,002/QALY) for the second scenario and €6,574/QALY($8,433/QALY) for the third scenario. For a willingness to pay of €30,000/QALY($38,487/QALY), the probabilities of the pharmacotherapy follow‐up being cost‐effective were 35% for the first scenario, 78% for the second, and 76% for the third.

Conclusion

Pharmacotherapy follow‐up is considered cost‐effective for elderlyNHresidents in Spain.
Nurses' views of forensic care in emergency departments and their attitudes, and involvement of family members
Authors: Rahmqvist Linnarsson Josefin , Benzein Eva , Årestedt Kristofer
Published: June 2014

Aims and objectives

To describe Nurses' views of forensic care provided for victims of violence and their families in EDs, to identify factors associated with Nurses' attitudes towards families in care and to investigate if these attitudes were associated with the involvement of patients' families in care.

Background

Interpersonal violence has serious health consequences for individuals and family members. Emergency departments provide care for victims of violence, and nurses play a key role in forensic care. However, there is limited knowledge of their views and their involvement of family members.

Design

A cross‐sectional design was used with a sample of all registered nurses (n = 867) in 28 emergency departments in Sweden.

Methods

A self‐report questionnaire, including the instrument Families' Importance in Nursing Care – Nurses' Attitudes, was used to collect data. Descriptive statistics, multiple linear regression and ordinal regression were used to analyse data.

Results

Four hundred and fifty‐seven nurses completed the questionnaire (53%). Most nurses provided forensic care, but few had specific education for this task. Policy documents and routines existed for specific patient groups. Most nurses involved family members in care although education and policy documents rarely included them. Being a woman, policy documents and own experience of a critically ill family member were associated with a positive attitude towards family. A positive attitude towards family members was associated with involving patients' families in care.

Conclusion

Many emergency department nurses provided forensic care without having specific education, and policy documents only concerned women and children. Nurses' positive attitude to family members was not reflected in policies or education.

Relevance to clinical practice

These results can inspire clinical forensic care interventions in emergency departments. Educational efforts for nurses and policies for all groups of victims of violence are needed. Emergency departments may need to rethink how family members are included in their organisation.
Venous air embolism detected on computed tomography of small animals
Authors: Heng H. G. , Ruth J. D. , Lee K.
Published: June 2014

Objective

To describe the prevalence, location and clinical significance of abnormal gas accumulations in dogs and cats detected on computerised tomography images.

Methods

Retrospective evaluation of all canine and feline computed tomography examinations (292 pre‐contrast and 219 post‐contrast) performed in a 12‐month time period. All studies were evaluated for the presence of venous air emboli. The location of intravenous gas was noted and the volume of intravenous air emboli was estimated visually. The medical records of animals with venous air embolism were reviewed for signs of cardiopulmonary complications.

Results

The overall prevalence of air embolism on pre‐ and incidence on post‐contrast images was 4 · 5 and 2 · 3%, respectively. The prevalence of air embolism on pre‐contrast and incidence on post‐contrast thoracic images was 35 · 7 and 14 · 2%, respectively. The volume of venous air was generally small and the most common was in an axillary vein. None of the animals had any cardiopulmonary complications.

Clinical Significance

The presence of small volume venous air embolism on routine computed tomography examinations is a frequent incidental finding that does not appear to cause cardiopulmonary complications.
Noble gases in individual chondrules of the Allende CV3 chondrite
Authors: Miura Yayoi N. , Nagao Keisuke , Kimura Makoto
Published: June 2014

We analyzed noble gases in nine individual chondrules, an assemblage of small chondrules, and four whole‐rock samples of the Allende CV3 chondrite. Major elements were also determined for five chondrules. The cosmic ray exposure ages are calculated from cosmogenic 3He to be 5.17 ± 0.38 and 5.15 ± 0.25 Myr for the averages of the chondrules and whole rocks, respectively, showing no significant pre‐exposure evidence for the studied chondrules. Large amounts of 36Ar, 80,82Kr, and 128Xe produced by neutron capture are observed in most samples; the abundances of these nuclides are correlated among the samples. The epithermal neutron flux and neutron slowing down density are calculated based on [80Kr]n, from which a sample depth of about 30 cm can be calculated. The measured chondrules contain variable amounts of radiogenic 129Xe. The abundance ratios of radiogenic 129Xe to neutron capture–produced 128Xe are rather constant among the studied chondrules; four chondrules give more precise ratios at the high‐temperature fractions, ranging from 1920 ± 80 to 2280 ± 140, which corresponds to a time difference of 3.9 ± 2.4 Myr. It is noticeable that most chondrules also contain 244Pu‐derived fission Xe. The average 244Pu/238U ratio for nine chondrules is 0.0069 ± 0.0018, which agrees well with the preferred ratio reported for chondrites.
Shock and annealing in the amphibole‐ and mica‐bearing R chondrites
Authors: Rubin Alan E.
Published: June 2014

MIL 11207 (R6) and LAP 04840 (R6) contain hornblende and phlogopite; MIL 07440 (R6) contains accessory titan‐phlogopite and no hornblende. All three meteorites have been shocked: MIL 11207 contains extensive sulfide veins, pyroxene that formed from dehydrated hornblende, and an extensive network of plagioclase glass; MIL 07440 contains chromite‐plagioclase assemblages, chromite veinlets and blebs, pincer‐shaped plagioclase patches, but no sulfide veins; LAP 04840 contains olivine grains with chromite‐bleb‐laden cores and opaque‐free rims, rare grains of pyroxene that formed from dehydrated hornblende, and no sulfide veins. These meteorites appear to have been heated to maximum temperatures of approximately 700–900 °C under conditions of moderately high PH2O (perhaps 250–500 bars). All three samples underwent postshock annealing. During this process, olivine crystal lattices healed (giving the rocks the appearance of shock‐stage S1), and diffusion of Fe and S from thin sulfide veins to coarse sulfide grains caused the veins to disappear in MIL 07440 and LAP 04840. This latter process apparently also occurred in most S1–S2 ordinary chondrites of high petrologic type. The pressure–temperature conditions responsible for forming the amphibole and mica in these rocks may have been present at depths of a few tens of kilometers (as suggested in the literature). A giant impact or a series of smaller impacts would then have been required to excavate the hornblende‐ and biotite‐bearing rocks and bring them closer to the surface. It was in that latter location where the samples were shocked, deposited in a hot ejecta blanket of low thermal diffusivity, and annealed.
Multiple recognition of RXLR effectors is associated with nonhost resistance of pepper against Phytophthora infestans
Authors: Lee Hyun‐Ah , Kim Shin‐Young , Oh Sang‐Keun , Yeom Seon‐In , Kim Saet‐Byul , Kim Myung‐Shin , Kamoun Sophien , Choi Doil
Published: June 2014

Nonhost resistance (NHR) is a plant immune response to resist most pathogens. The molecular basis of NHR is poorly understood, but recognition of pathogen effectors by immune receptors, a response known as effector‐triggered immunity, has been proposed as a component of NHR.

We performed transient expression of 54 Phytophthora infestansRXLR effectors in pepper (Capsicum annuum) accessions. We used optimized heterologous expression methods and analyzed the inheritance of effector‐induced cell death in an F2 population derived from a cross between two pepper accessions.

Pepper showed a localized cell death response upon inoculation with P. infestans, suggesting that recognition of effectors may contribute to NHR in this system. Pepper accessions recognized as many as 36 effectors. Among the effectors, PexRD8 and Avrblb2 induced cell death in a broad range of pepper accessions. Segregation of effector‐induced cell death in an F2 population derived from a cross between two pepper accessions fit 15 : 1, 9 : 7 or 3 : 1 ratios, depending on the effector.

Our genetic data suggest that a single or two independent/complementary dominant genes are involved in the recognition of RXLR effectors. Multiple loci recognizing a series of effectors may underpin NHR of pepper to P. infestans and confer resistance durability.
Molecular evidence for ancient relicts of arctic‐alpine plants in East Asia
Authors: Ikeda Hajime , Yakubov Valentin , Barkalov Vyacheslav , Setoguchi Hiroaki
Published: June 2014

Following climate cooling at the end of the Tertiary, arctic‐alpine plants attained most of their extant species diversity. Because East Asia was not heavily glaciated, the importance of this region as a location for the long‐term persistence of these species and their subsequent endemism during the Pleistocene was proposed in early discussions of phytogeography. However, this hypothesis remains to be fully tested.

Here, we address this hypothesis by elucidating the phylogenetic history of Phyllodoce (Ericaceae).

A phylogenetic tree based on multiple nuclear loci revealed that Phyllodoce nipponica was not derived from widespread species such as the arctic‐alpine Phyllodoce caerulea, but rather represented an independent lineage sister to the clade of widespread relatives. Molecular dating indicated a mid‐Pleistocene divergence of P. nipponica.

These findings exclude the hypothesis that P. nipponica was derived from an arctic‐alpine species that extended its range southwards during recent glacial periods. Instead, our results support the hypothesis that P. nipponica is an ancestral species which persisted in the Japanese archipelago during the mid‐ and late Pleistocene. Our findings demonstrate support for the early proposal and shed light on the importance of the Japanese archipelago for the evolution and persistence of arctic‐alpine species.
Root exudation of phytosiderophores from soil‐grown wheat
Authors: Oburger Eva , Gruber Barbara , Schindlegger Yvonne , Schenkeveld Walter D. C. , Hann Stephan , Kraemer Stephan M. , Wenzel Walter W. , Puschenreiter Markus
Published: June 2014

For the first time, phytosiderophore (PS) release of wheat (Triticum aestivum cv Tamaro) grown on a calcareous soil was repeatedly and nondestructively sampled using rhizoboxes combined with a recently developed root exudate collecting tool. As in nutrient solution culture, we observed a distinct diurnal release rhythm; however, the measured PS efflux was c. 50 times lower than PS exudation from the same cultivar grown in zero iron (Fe)‐hydroponic culture.

Phytosiderophore rhizosphere soil solution concentrations and PS release of the Tamaro cultivar were soil‐dependent, suggesting complex interactions of soil characteristics (salinity, trace metal availability) and the physiological status of the plant and the related regulation (amount and timing) of PS release.

Our results demonstrate that carbon and energy investment into Fe acquisition under natural growth conditions is significantly smaller than previously derived from zero Fe‐hydroponic studies. Based on experimental data, we calculated that during the investigated period (21–47 d after germination), PS release initially exceeded Fe plant uptake 10‐fold, but significantly declined after c. 5 wk after germination.

Phytosiderophore exudation observed under natural growth conditions is a prerequisite for a more accurate and realistic assessment of Fe mobilization processes in the rhizosphere using both experimental and modeling approaches.
Trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias
Authors: Eller M , Goadsby PJ
Published: June 2014

The trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias (TACs) are a group of primary headache disorders characterised by lateralized symptoms: prominent headache and ipsilateral cranial autonomic features, such as conjunctival injection, lacrimation and rhinorrhea. The TACs are: cluster headache (CH), paroxysmal hemicrania (PH), short‐lasting unilateral neuralgiform headache attacks with conjunctival injection and tearing (SUNCT)/short‐lasting neuralgiform headache attacks with cranial autonomic features (SUNA) and hemicrania continua (HC). Their diagnostic criteria are outlined in the International Classification of Headache Disorders, third edition‐beta (ICHD‐IIIb). These conditions are distinguished by their attack duration and frequency, as well as response to treatment. HC is continuous and by definition responsive to indomethacin. The main differential when considering this headache is chronic migraine. Other TACs are remarkable for their short duration and must be distinguished from other short‐lasting painful conditions, such as trigeminal neuralgia and primary stabbing headache. Cluster headache is characterised by exquisitely painful attacks that occur in discrete episodes lasting 15–180 min a few times a day. In comparison, PH occurs more frequently and is of shorter duration, and like HC is responsive to indomethacin. SUNCT/SUNA is the shortest duration and highest frequency TAC; attacks can occur over a hundred times every day.
Association between Ablation Technology and Asymptomatic Cerebral Injury Following Atrial Fibrillation Ablation
Authors: GUIJIAN LIU , WENQING ZHU , XINGGANG WANG , YING YU , MINGHUI LI , YEQING XIE , RUIZHEN CHEN , JUNBO GE
Published: June 2014

Background

Asymptomatic cerebral injury (ACI) detected by diffusion‐weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) following atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation has been reported recently. The purpose of this study was to provide an overview of the incidence of ACI detected by MRI following AF ablation and to explore the association between ablation technology and ACI by systematically reviewing published trials.

Methods and Results

PubMed, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library Databases were systematically searched for studies exploring ACI detected by MRI following AF ablation. Incidence of ACI, odds ratios, and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were pooled. We identified 21 eligible studies. The combined ACI incidence across all studies was 15.9% (95% CI: 0.124–0.202). We also did a subgroup analysis stratified by different technologies. The incidence of ACI stratified by ablation technology was 13.0%, 27.6%, 12.5%, 17.3%, and 32.6% of the irrigated radiofrequency (RF), multielectrode‐phased RF pulmonary vein ablation catheter (PVAC), cryoballoon, laser balloon, and nMARQTM groups, respectively.

Conclusions

The incidence of ACI following AF ablation with PVAC was higher than with other technologies. Uninterrupted oral anticoagulant (OAC) during the procedure could lower the incidence of ACI. It seems prudent not to interrupt OACs during the procedure. In addition, intraprocedural activated clotting time was associated with ACI. Different MRI diagnostic criteria for ACI also influenced the results. To facilitate the future research, a generally accepted definition for silent cerebrovascular ischemia suitable to different kinds of MRI is needed.
A dominant mutation in tyrp1A leads to melanophore death in zebrafish
Authors: Krauss Jana , Geiger‐Rudolph Silke , Koch Iris , Nüsslein‐Volhard Christiane , Irion Uwe
Published: June 2014

Melanin biosynthesis in vertebrates depends on the function of three enzymes of the tyrosinase family, tyrosinase (Tyr), tyrosinase‐related protein 1 (Tyrp1), and dopachrome tautomerase (Dct or Tyrp2). Tyrp1 might play an additional role in the survival and proliferation of melanocytes. Here, we describe a mutation in tyrp1A, one of the two tyrp1 paralogs in zebrafish, which causes melanophore death leading to a semi‐dominant phenotype. The mutation, an Arg‐>Cys change in the amino‐terminal part of the protein, is similar to mutations in humans and mice where they lead to blond hair (in melanesians) or dark hair with white bases, respectively. We demonstrate that the phenotype in zebrafish depends on the presence of the mutant protein and on melanin synthesis. Ultrastructural analysis shows that the melanosome morphology and pigment content are altered in the mutants. These structural changes might be the underlying cause for the observed cell death, which, surprisingly, does not result in patterning defects.
Differences in visible light‐induced pigmentation according to wavelengths: a clinical and histological study in comparison with UVB exposure
Authors: Duteil Luc , Cardot‐Leccia Nathalie , Queille‐Roussel Catherine , Maubert Yves , Harmelin Yona , Boukari Fériel , Ambrosetti Damien , Lacour Jean‐Philippe , Passeron Thierry
Published: June 2014

The visible light spectrum is wide, and it can be hypothesized that all the wavelengths between 400–700 nm do not induce the same photobiological effects on pigmentation. We assessed the potential pro‐pigmenting effects of two single wavelengths located at both extremities of the visible spectrum: the blue/violet line (λ = 415 nm) and the red line (λ = 630 nm). We made colorimetric, clinical, and histological assessments with increasing doses of those lights on healthy volunteers. Then, we compared these irradiations to non‐exposed and UVB‐exposed skin. Colorimetric and clinical assessments showed a clear dose effect with the 415‐nm irradiation, in both skin type III and IV subjects, whereas the 630 nm did not induce hyperpigmentation. When compared to UVB irradiation, the blue–violet light induced a significantly more pronounced hyperpigmentation that lasted up to 3 months. Histological examination showed a significant increase of keratinocyte necrosis and p53 with UVB, as compared to 415‐ and 630‐nm exposures.
Kinematics and Subpopulations’ Structure Definition of Blue Fox (Alopex lagopus) Sperm Motility using the ISAS®V1 CASA System
Authors: Soler C , García A , Contell J , Segervall J , Sancho M
Published: June 2014

Contents

Over recent years, technological advances have brought innovation in assisted reproduction to the agriculture. Fox species are of great economical interest in some countries, but their semen characteristics have not been studied enough. To advance the knowledge of function of fox spermatozoa, five samples were obtained by masturbation, in the breeding season. Kinetic analysis was performed usingISAS®v1 system. Usual kinematic parameters (VCL,VSL,VAP,LIN,STR,WOB,ALHandBCF) were considered. To establish the standardization for the analysis of samples, the minimum number of cells to analyse and the minimum number of fields to capture were defined. In the second step, the presence of subpopulations in blue fox semen was analysed. The minimum number of cells to test was 30, because kinematic parameters remained constant along the groups of analysis. Also, the effectiveness ofISAS®D4C20 counting chamber was studied, showing that the first five squares presented equivalent results, while in the squares six and seven, the kinematic parameters showed a reduction in all of them, but not in the concentration or motility percentage. Kinematic variables were grouped into two principal components (PC). A linear movement characterizedPC1, whilePC2 showed an oscillatory movement. Three subpopulations were found, varying in structure among different animals.
Ghrelin Accelerates In Vitro Maturation of Bovine Oocytes
Authors: Dovolou E , Messinis IE , Periquesta E , Dafopoulos K , Gutierrez‐Adan A , Amiridis GS
Published: June 2014

Contents

Ghrelin, apart from its metabolic role, is nowadays considered as a basic regulator of reproductive functions of mammals, acting at central and gonadal levels. Here, we investigated for possible direct actions of ghrelin on in vitro maturation of bovine oocytes and for its effects on blastocyst yield and quality. In experiment 1, cumulus oocyte complexes (COCs) were matured in the presence of four different concentrations of ghrelin (0, 200, 800 and 2000 pg/ml). In vitro fertilization and embryo culture were carried out in the absence of ghrelin, and blastocyst formation rates were examined on days 7, 8 and 9. In experiment 2, only the 800 pg/ml dose of ghrelin was used. Four groups of COCs were matured for 18 or 24 h (C18, Ghr18, C24 and Ghr24), and subsequently, they were examined for oocyte nuclear maturation and cumulus layer expansion; blastocysts were produced as in experiment 1. The relative mRNA abundance of various genes related to metabolism, oxidation, developmental competence and apoptosis was examined in snap‐frozen cumulus cells, oocytes and day‐7 blastocysts. In experiment 1, ghrelin significantly suppressed blastocyst formation rates. In experiment 2, more ghrelin‐treated oocytes matured for 18 h reached MII compared with controls, while no difference was observed when maturation lasted for 24 h. At 18 and 24 h, the cumulus layer was more expanded in ghrelin‐treated COCs than in the controls. The blastocyst formation rate was higher in Ghr18 (27.7 ± 2.4%) compared with Ghr24 (17.5 ± 2.4%). Differences were detected in various genes’ expression, indicating that in the presence of ghrelin, incubation of COCs for 24 h caused over‐maturation (induced ageing) of oocytes, but formed blastocysts had a higher hatching rate compared with the controls. We infer that ghrelin exerts a specific and direct role on the oocyte, accelerating its maturational process.
Romantic Relationships and Criminal Desistance: Pathways and Processes
Authors: Wyse Jessica J. B. , Harding David J. , Morenoff Jeffrey D.
Published: June 2014

In dominant theories of criminal desistance, marital relationship formation is understood to be a key “turning point” away from deviant behavior. Empirical studies supporting this claim have largely focused on the positive role of marriage in men's desistance from crime, and relatively few studies have examined the role that nonmarital relationships may play in desistance. Drawing on 138 longitudinal in‐depth interviews with 22 men and women reentering society from prison, this article extends the scope of desistance research by additionally considering the significance of more fleeting and fluid relationships, and the diverse processes through which romantic relationships of all sorts are linked with criminal behaviors. We present an empirically based typology detailing six processes, grouped within three conceptual categories, through which romantic relationships had their effects. These pathways include material circumstances, social bonds and interactions, and emotional supports and stressors. We also consider gender differences in these processes. While more tenuous bonds to marginally conventional partners would seem to exert little effect, as one of the few relationships and social roles available to many former prisoners, we found that they wielded important influence, if not always in a positive direction.