bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pharmacological characterization of LPS and opioid interactions at the toll‐like receptor 4
Authors: Stevens CW , Aravind S , Das S , Davis RL
Published: October 2012

Background and Purpose

Previous work in our laboratory showed opioid agents inhibit cytokine expression in astrocytes. Recently, Watkins and colleagues hypothesized that opioid agonists activate toll‐like receptor 4 (TLR4) signalling, which leads to neuroinflammation. To test this hypothesis, we characterized LPS and opioid effects on TLR4 signalling in reporter cells.

Experimental Approach

NF‐κB reporter cells expressing high levels of TLR4 were used to compare LPS and opioid effects on NF‐κB activation, a pathway activated by TLR4 stimulation.

Key Results

LPS increased TLR4 signalling in a concentration‐dependent manner and was antagonized by LPS antagonist (LPS‐RS, from Rhodobacter sphaeroides). A concentration ratio analysis showed that LPS‐RS was a competitive antagonist. The opioid agonists, morphine and fentanyl, produced minor activation of TLR4 signalling when given alone. When tested following LPS stimulation, opioid agonists inhibited NF‐κB activation but this inhibition was not blocked by the general opioid antagonist, naloxone, nor by the selective μ opioid receptor antagonist, β‐FNA. Indeed, both naloxone and β‐FNA also inhibited NF‐κB activation in reporter cells. Further examination of fentanyl and β‐FNA effects revealed that both opioid agents inhibited LPS signalling in a non‐competitive fashion.

Conclusions and Implications

These results show that LPS‐RS is a competitive antagonist at the TLR4 complex, and that both opioid agonists and antagonists inhibit LPS signalling in a non‐competitive fashion through a non‐GPCR, opioid site(s) in the TLR4 signalling pathway. If confirmed, existing opioid agents or other drug molecules more selective at this novel site may provide a new therapeutic approach to the treatment of neuroinflammation.
The clinical utility of serum tartrate‐resistant acid phosphatase 5b in the assessment of bone resorption in patients on peritoneal dialysis
Authors: Yamada Shunsuke , Tsuruya Kazuhiko , Yoshida Hisako , Taniguchi Masatomo , Haruyama Naoki , Tanaka Shigeru , Eriguchi Masahiro , Nakano Toshiaki , Kitazono Takanari
Published: October 2012

Objectives

Serum tartrate‐resistant acid phosphatase 5b (TRACP5b) is a bone resorption marker used in the assessment of bone metabolic status. The present study was designed to determine the clinical characteristics and utility of measuring serum TRACP5b levels in peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients.

Design

Cross‐sectional study.

Patients

Forty‐one patients receiving PD treatment in a single centre.

Measurement

Serum levels of the bone turnover markers TRACP5b, N‐terminal cross‐linking telopeptide of type 1 collagen (NTX), bone‐specific alkaline phosphatase (BAP), and parathyroid hormone (PTH) were simultaneously measured. The correlation of serum TRACP5b with other established bone markers was analysed after logarithmic transformation. Multivariate linear regression analysis was performed to examine the effects of both renal and peritoneal Kt/V (an index for solute clearance) for urea on bone markers using age, sex, body mass index, and PTH as covariates. Bone markers were also measured in three patients before and after treatment with cinacalcet hydrochloride, alphacalcidol, and raloxifene hydrochloride.

Results

Log TRACP5b was significantly correlated with log NTX, log BAP and log PTH. In the multivariate analysis, peritoneal Kt/V was not correlated with log NTX, log BAP or log TRACP5b. In contrast, renal Kt/V was significantly correlated with log NTX only. Responses to drug treatment were more accurately determined from serum TRACP5b and BAP than from serum NTX.

Conclusions

Serum TRACP5b and BAP are potentially useful biomarkers for the evaluation of bone turnover in PD patients because they correlate well with other established bone markers and they are not influenced by renal and peritoneal clearances.
Preclinical safety and stability study of a next generation telescope prosthesis for end‐stage macular degeneration
Authors: Rosen Eli , Sachs Dan , Eliahu Shmulik Ben , Assia Ehud I , Kleinmann Guy
Published: October 2012

Background

To assess the surgical procedure, safety and stability of a next generation injectable telescope prosthesis in a rabbit model.

Methods

After removal of the crystalline lenses of eight New Zealand White rabbits, the next generation device was randomly implanted in one eye, and the available telescope prosthesis (Normal device) was implanted in the fellow eye. Operative parameters (incision, capsulorrhexis size and operative time), intraoperative and postoperative complications rates, endothelial cell density changes and the distance between the corneal endothelium and the telescope (central clearance distance) were measured and compared between the groups.

Results

Incision size and capsulorrhexis size were smaller, and operative time was shorter in the next generation group in comparison with the Normal group. No difference was found in the intraoperative and postoperative complication rates between the groups. Endothelial cell density loss observed in the next generation group was less than the loss in the Normal group, but the difference was not significant statistically. The central clearance distance was significantly larger in the next generation group in comparison with the Normal group (P = 0.001).

Conclusions

The next generation telescope was implanted through a smaller incision, with a shorter surgical time and a larger central clearance distance in the rabbit eyes, in comparison with the Normal group. The next generation device may allow reduced trauma to the corneal endothelium, better control during surgery and induce less astigmatism while preserving the optical advantages of the Food and Drug Administration‐approved telescope prosthesis.
Femtosecond laser‐assisted cataract surgery compared with conventional cataract surgery
Authors: Abell Robin G , Kerr Nathan M , Vote Brendan J
Published: October 2012

Background

To investigate the safety and efficacy of the Catalys (Optimedica, Santa Clara, CA, USA) femtosecond laser‐assisted cataract surgery system compared with conventional phacoemulsification cataract extraction.

Design

Prospective, consecutive, parallel cohort study.

Participants

The first 200 eyes undergoing conventional cataract surgery to the first 200 eyes undergoing femtosecond laser‐assisted cataract surgery between April and July 2012.

Methods

Femtosecond laser‐assisted cataract surgery involved anterior capsulotomy and lens fragmentation based on optical coherence tomography‐guided treatment mapping. Conventional cataract surgery involved manual continuous curvilinear capsulorhexis. Both procedures were completed by standard phacoemulsification and insertion of an intraocular lens.

Main Outcome Measures

Effective phacoemulsification time and intraoperative complication rates.

Results

Patient demographics were similar between both groups. There was no statistically significant difference in intraoperative complications between femtosecond laser‐assisted cataract surgery and conventional surgery. There was one posterior capsule rupture in both groups (0.5%; not significant). One hundred per cent of cases treated with the femtosecond laser had a complete capsulotomy. Vacuum time decreased with experience. Effective phacoemulsification time was reduced by 70% in the femtosecond group (P < 0.0001). Twenty‐six cases in the femtosecond group versus one case in the conventional group had 0 effective phacoemulsification time (P < 0.0001).

Conclusion

Femtosecond laser‐assisted cataract surgery appears to be as safe as conventional cataract surgery in the short term and results in significantly lower effective phacoemulsification time. Although it may allow for greater efficiency and decreased postoperative complications, further research is needed into long‐term safety aspects such as corneal endothelial cell loss.
Intravitreal injections: a review of the evidence for best practice
Authors: Fagan Xavier J , Al‐Qureshi Salmaan
Published: October 2012

Intravitreal injection is a common procedure performed by ophthalmologists. It is a quick and targeted treatment for a number of ophthalmic conditions. Despite this, the potential to cause serious complications and patient discomfort cannot be ignored. This article presents the level of evidence in the scientific literature supporting common practices such as location of the procedure, anaesthetic choice, sterile procedure techniques, comparison of some common pharmaceutical agents and the use of antibiotics.
Effect of insurance status on patients admitted for acute diverticulitis
Authors: Mills A. M. , Holena D. N. , Kallan M. J. , Carr B. G. , Reinke C. E. , Kelz R. R.
Published: October 2012

Aim

The study aimed to evaluate the relationship between insurance status and the management and outcome of acute diverticulitis in a nationally representative sample.

Method

A retrospective cohort analysis of a nationally representative sample of 1 031 665 hospital discharges of patients admitted for acute diverticulitis in the 2006–2009 Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS), Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project data set. The main outcome measures included state at presentation (complicated/uncomplicated), management (medical/surgical), time to surgical intervention, type of operation and inpatient death.

Results

In total, 207 838 discharges were identified (including 37.0% with private insurance, 49.3% in Medicare, 5.6% in Medicaid and 5.8% uninsured) representing 1 031 665 total discharges nationally. Medicare patients were more likely to present with complicated diverticulitis compared with private insurance patients (23.8% vs 15.1%). Time to surgical intervention differed by insurance status. After adjusting for patient, hospital and treatment factors, Medicare patients were less likely than those with private insurance to undergo a procedure (Medicare OR = 0.86, 95% CI: 0.82–0.91), while the uninsured were more likely to undergo drainage (OR = 1.30, 95% CI: 1.16–1.46) or a colostomy only (OR = 1.70, 95% CI: 1.24–2.33). All patients without private insurance were more likely to die in hospital (Medicare OR = 1.29, 95% CI: 1.09–1.52; Medicaid OR = 1.55, 95% CI: 1.22–1.97; uninsured OR = 1.41, 95% CI: 1.07–1.87).

Conclusion

In a nationally representative sample of patients with acute diverticulitis, patient management and outcome varied significantly by insurance status, despite adjustment for potential confounders. Providers might need to heighten surveillance for complications when treating patients without private insurance to improve outcome.
Severe cutaneous bacillus Calmette–Guérin infection in immunocompromised children: the relevance of skin biopsy
Authors: Gantzer Amélie , Neven Bénédicte , Picard Capucine , Brousse Nicole , Lortholary Olivier , Fischer Alain , Bodemer Christine , Fraitag Sylvie
Published: October 2012

Disseminated bacillus Calmette‐Guérin infection (BCGitis) is an uncommon condition which is usually associated with primary immunodeficiency. Skin histopathology findings have been described in rare cases only. A retrospective clinicopathological study was performed to assess the potential utility of skin biopsies in the diagnosis, prognosis and follow‐up of these patients. Four cases of disseminated BCGitis in children with Severe Combined ImmunoDeficiency were biopsied before and after Haematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT). The results were compared to the clinical and immunological status of the children. Early skin biopsies revealed either dense dermal infiltration by foamy macrophages filled with acid fast bacilli (AFB) or mycobacterial spindle‐cell pseudotumors rich in AFB. There were no granulomas. These patterns led to the diagnosis of disseminated BCGitis potentially caused by severe immunodeficiency. After HSCT, repeated skin biopsies were performed on persistent or new cutaneous lesions to rule out immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome and to check for tuberculoid granulomas. One patient died of BCGitis combined with graft versus host disease. The 3 others presented with progressive‐onset well differentiated granulomas over a long period and recovered. Skin biopsy is a useful part of the diagnostic workup for disseminated BCGitis, directing the clinician toward severe immunodeficiency. Moreover, skin biopsy may be a useful means of monitoring immune restoration for prognostic purposes.
Eastern Suburbs Banksia Scrub: Rescuing an endangered ecological community
Authors: Perkins Ian , Diamond John , SanRoque Georgina , Raffan Lyn , Digby Bettina , Jensen Peter , Hirschfeld Daniel
Published: October 2012

On‐ground works prove an important mechanism for gaining knowledge about this near‐extinct ecological community, providing new insights into ways to manage and restore it.
Applying the Creating Lasting Family Connections Marriage Enhancement Program to Marriages Affected by Prison Reentry
Authors: Shamblen Stephen R. , Arnold Brooke B. , Mckiernan Patrick , Collins David A. , Strader Ted N.
Published: October 2012

Divorce proportions are currently high in theUSand they are even higher among those who are incarcerated with substance abuse problems. Although much research has examined marital interventions, only two studies have examined marital interventions with prison populations. There is some empirical evidence that incarcerated couples benefit from traditional marital therapy (O'Farrell and Fals‐Stewart, 1999,Addictions: A comprehensive guidebook, New York, Oxford University Press). An adaptation of the evidence‐basedCreatingLastingFamilyConnections program was implemented with 144 married couples, where one spouse was incarcerated, in a southern state with particularly high divorce and incarceration proportions. Results suggested that married men exposed to the program had larger improvements in some relationship skills relative to a convenience sample of men not so exposed. Both husbands and wives exposed to the program exhibited similar and significant increases in relationship skills. The results were comparable to aPrevention andRelationshipEnhancementProgram adaptation for inmates. The implications of the findings for prevention practitioners are discussed.
How is the distal pocket of a heme protein optimized for binding of tryptophan?
Authors: Chauhan Nishma , Basran Jaswir , Rafice Sara A. , Efimov Igor , Millett Elizabeth S. , Mowat Christopher G. , Moody Peter C. E. , Handa Sandeep , Raven Emma L.
Published: October 2012

Indoleamine 2,3‐dioxygenase and tryptophan 2,3‐dioxygenase catalyze the O2‐dependent oxidation of l‐tryptophan to N‐formylkynurenine. Both are heme‐containing enzymes, with a proximal histidine ligand, as found in the globins and peroxidases. From the structural information available so far, the distal heme pockets of these enzymes can contain a histidine residue (in tryptophan 2,3‐dioxygenases), an arginine residue and numerous hydrophobic residues that line the pocket. We have examined the functional role of each of these residues in both human indoleamine 2,3‐dioxygenase and human tryptophan 2,3‐dioxygenase. We found that the distal histidine does not play an essential catalytic role, although substrate binding can be affected by removing the distal arginine and reducing the hydrophobic nature of the binding pocket. We collate the information obtained in the present study with that reported in the available literature to draw comparisons across the family and to provide a more coherent picture of how the heme pocket is optimized for tryptophan binding.
miR‐16 inhibits the proliferation and angiogenesis‐regulating potential of mesenchymal stem cells in severe pre‐eclampsia
Authors: Wang Yaping , Fan Hongye , Zhao Guangfeng , Liu Dan , Du Leilei , Wang Zhiqun , Hu Yali , Hou Yayi
Published: October 2012

Pre‐eclampsia is thought to be a systemic disease of maternal endothelial cell dysfunctions. miRNAs regulate various basic biological functions in cells, including stem cells. Mesenchymal stem cells exist in almost all tissues and are the key cellular source for tissue repair and regeneration. Our aims are to investigate whether miRNAs regulate MSCs in fetal–maternal interfaces to influence the pathogenesis of pre‐eclampsia. The differential expression of miRNAs in decidua‐derived mesenchymal stem cells of all patients with severe pre‐eclampsia (n = 20) and normal groups (n = 20) was first screened by microarray analysis and validated by quantitative real‐time PCR analysis. The integrated bioinformatics analysis showed that miR‐16 showed the highest number of connections in the miRNA GO network and the miRNA gene network. Moreover, over‐expressed miR‐16 inhibited the proliferation and migration of decidua‐derived mesenchymal stem cells and induced cell‐cycle arrest by targeting cyclin E1. Interestingly, over‐expression of miR‐16 by decidua‐derived mesenchymal stem cells reduced the ability of human umbilical vein endothelial cells to form blood vessels and reduced the migration of trophoblast cells. Furthermore, decidua‐derived mesenchymal stem cell‐expressed endothelial growth factor VEGF‐A was involved in migration of trophoblast cells and human umbilical vein endothelial cells as well as tube and network formation. Importantly, the levels of cyclin E1 and VEGF‐A were negatively correlated with the level of miR‐16 expression in decidua‐derived mesenchymal stem cells from the patients with severe pre‐eclampsia. Together, these data suggest that the alteration of miR‐16 expression in decidua‐derived mesenchymal stem cells may be involved in the development of pre‐eclampsia.
Cytokines as diagnostic markers of pulpal inflammation
Authors: ElSalhy M. , Azizieh F. , Raghupathy R.
Published: October 2012

Aim

To measure and compare the levels of the cytokines IL‐2, IL‐6, IL‐8, IL‐10, TNF‐α and IFN‐γ in pulpal blood from irreversible pulpitis, asymptomatic caries exposure and normal pulps.

Methodology

Blood was obtained from pulp exposure sites using cotton pellets. Twenty‐five samples were obtained from normal teeth, 40 from asymptomatic caries‐exposed pulps and 43 from irreversible pulpitis teeth. Cytokine levels were determined by high‐sensitivity ELISA. Data were statistically analysed using Kruskal–Wallis and Mann–Whitney U‐tests.

Results

Significantly higher levels (P < 0.05) of IL‐6, IL‐8, IL‐10, TNF‐α and IFN‐γ were detected in caries‐exposed pulps and irreversible pulpitis as compared to normal teeth. IL‐2 and IL‐10 levels were significantly higher (P < 0.05) in caries‐exposed pulps as compared to irreversible pulpitis, whilst IL‐8 was significantly higher (P < 0.001) in irreversible pulpitis as compared to caries‐exposed teeth. Most interestingly, IL‐6/IL‐10 and IL‐8/IL‐10 ratios were significantly higher (P < 0.001) in irreversible pulpitis compared with both caries‐exposed and normal teeth.

Conclusion

Levels of IL‐8 and the ratios of IL‐6/IL‐10 and IL‐8/IL‐10 have the potential to be indicators of pulpal inflammation in caries exposure cases. Cytokine estimation in pulpal blood may help in the diagnosis of pulpal inflammation.
Geographical structure and cryptic lineages within common green iguanas, Iguana iguana
Authors: Stephen Catherine L. , Reynoso Víctor H. , Collett William S. , Hasbun Carlos R. , Breinholt Jesse W.
Published: October 2012

Aim

Our aim was to investigate genetic structure in Neotropical populations of common green iguanas (Iguana iguana) and to compare that structure with past geological events and present barriers. Additionally, we compared levels of divergence between lineages within Iguana with those within closely related genera in the subfamily Iguaninae.

Location

Neotropics.

Methods

DNA sequence data were collected at four loci for up to 81 individuals from 35 localities in 21 countries. The four loci, one mitochondrial (ND4) and three nuclear (PAC, NT3, c‐mos), were chosen for their differences in coalescent and mutation rates. Each locus was analysed separately to generate gene trees, and in combination in a species‐level analysis.

Results

The pairwise divergence between Iguana delicatissima and I. iguana was much greater than that between sister species of Conolophus and Cyclura and non‐sister species of Sauromalus, at both mitochondrial (mean 10.5% vs. 1.5–4%, respectively) and nuclear loci (mean 1% vs. 0–0.18%, respectively). Furthermore, divergences within I. iguana were equal to or greater than those for interspecific comparisons within the outgroup genera. Phylogenetic analyses yielded four strongly supported, geographically defined mitochondrial clades (3.8–5% divergence) within I. iguana. Three of the four clades were found using PAC (0.18–1.65% divergence) and two using NT3 (0.6% divergence) alone. The primary divergence, recovered in three polymorphic loci, was between individuals north and south of the Isthmus of Panama. The southern group was differentiated into clades comprising individuals on either side of the northern Andes, using both PAC and ND4.

Main conclusions

Deep genetic divergences were found within I. iguana that are congruent with past and current geological barriers. These divisions are greater than sister species comparisons in other Iguaninae genera, indicating the possible presence of cryptic species. Geological changes from the mid‐Miocene through the Plio‐Pleistocene have shaped the pattern of divergence in I. iguana. The uplift of the northern Andes presented a barrier between South American I. iguana populations by 4 Ma. Populations north of the Isthmus of Panama form a clade that is distinct from those to the south, and may have expanded northwards following the closing of the Isthmus of Panama 2.5 Ma.
Global biogeographical pattern of swallowtail diversification demonstrates alternative colonization routes in the Northern and Southern hemispheres
Authors: Condamine Fabien L. , Sperling Felix A. H. , Kergoat Gael J.
Published: October 2012

Aim

Swallowtail butterflies (Papilionidae) are a diverse and widespread group of insects that constitute a popular model system for ecological and evolutionary studies. We reconstruct the historical biogeography of Papilionidae to identify the dispersal or vicariance events that best explain their present‐day distribution, and test several proposed biogeographical hypotheses about the processes that shape distribution patterns in cosmopolitan groups.

Location

World‐wide, with disjunct elements.

Methods

The phylogenetic relationships of 203 swallowtail species were determined by Bayesian inference using DNA data from mitochondrial (COI and COII) and nuclear (EF‐1α) genes. Divergence time estimates were inferred using Bayesian relaxed clock approaches. To investigate competing biogeographical hypotheses, geographical range evolution was reconstructed using recently developed approaches: (1) a Bayesian empirical approach to dispersal–vicariance analysis that takes phylogenetic uncertainty into account, and (2) a likelihood approach implementing the dispersal–extinction–cladogenesis model that uses time‐dependent stratified palaeogeographical matrices.

Results

Our biogeographical results are congruent regardless of the biogeographical approaches or dating estimates used and support the importance of dispersal events in shaping swallowtail distributions. Contrary to common observations for other groups, the origins and diversification of northern taxa are better explained by range expansion through the Bering land bridge than by the Thulean or De Geer routes. We also stress that the seemingly Gondwanan biogeographical pattern in the Southern Hemisphere is more likely to have resulted from multiple, independent, long‐distance dispersals than old vicariance events. The role of alternative colonization routes is also demonstrated for Madagascar, which facilitated multiple stepping‐stone colonizations from India or Southeast Asia to Africa, and also for South America via the Caribbean land bridge.

Main conclusions

Overall, the present geographical distributions of swallowtails can be better explained by dispersal events than by the long‐held view of ancient vicariance events. This biogeographical study represents one of the most comprehensive phylogenetic and biogeographical studies on swallowtails. This work highlights the importance of using novel methodological approaches that provide the robust statistical frameworks needed to distinguish between competing biogeographical hypotheses. We emphasize the value of extensive taxonomic coverage for assessing the direction and frequency of supposedly rare events such as the multiple independent colonizations of Madagascar.
Size and shape estimation of 3‐D convex objects from their 2‐D projections: application to crystallization processes
Authors: PRESLES B. , DEBAYLE J. , PINOLI J.‐C.
Published: October 2012

The aim of this paper is to present a new projective stereological method that enables to estimate the size and the shape of a three‐dimensional convex object from measurements only made on its two‐dimensional projections. To do so, some geometrical and morphometrical measurements on the projected shadows of the three‐dimensional convex object are done and the value of the three‐dimensional convex object size and shape parameters are retrieved using the maximum likelihood estimation method. The proposed method is then applied to estimate three‐dimensional particle size distributions during crystallization processes.
Increased signals from short‐wavelength‐excited fluorescent molecules using sub‐Ti:Sapphire wavelengths
Authors: NORRIS G. , AMOR R. , DEMPSTER J. , AMOS W. B. , MCCONNELL G.
Published: October 2012

We report the use of an all‐solid‐state ultrashort pulsed source specifically for two‐photon microscopy at wavelengths shorter than those of the conventional Ti:Sapphire laser. Our approach involves sum–frequency mixing of the output from an optical parametric oscillator (λ= 1400–1640 nm) synchronously pumped by a Yb‐doped fibre laser (λ= 1064 nm), with the residual pump radiation. This generated an fs‐pulsed output tunable in the red spectral region (λ= 620–636 nm, ∼150 mW, 405 fs, 80 MHz, M2∼ 1.3). We demonstrate the performance of our ultrashort pulsed system using fluorescently labelled and autofluorescent tissue, and compare with conventional Ti:Sapphire excitation. We observe a more than 3‐fold increase in fluorescence signal intensity using our visible laser source in comparison with the Ti:Sapphire laser for two‐photon excitation at equal illumination peak powers of 1.16 kW or less.
TAC7, an essential component of the plastid transcriptionally active chromosome complex, interacts with FLN1, TAC10, TAC12 and TAC14 to regulate chloroplast gene expression in Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Yu Qing‐Bo , Lu Yang , Ma Qian , Zhao Tuan‐Tuan , Huang Chao , Zhao Hui‐Fang , Zhang Xiao‐Lei , Lv Ruo‐Hong , Yang Zhong‐Nan
Published: October 2012

Transcriptionally active chromosome (TAC) is a fraction of protein/DNA complexes with RNA polymerase activity in the plastid. However, the function of most TAC proteins remains unknown. Here, we isolated two allelic mutants of the gene for a TAC component, TAC7, and performed functional analysis in plastid gene expression and chloroplast development in Arabidopsis. tac7‐1 is a mutant with a premature translation termination isolated from a population treated with ethyl methane sulfonate, and tac7‐2 is a transfer‐DNA tagging mutant. Both of them showed an albino phenotype when grown under normal light conditions, and a few appressed membranes were observed inside the defective chloroplasts. These data indicate that TAC7 is important for thylakoid biogenesis. The TAC7 gene encodes an uncharacterized 161 amino acids polypeptide localized in chloroplast. The transcriptional levels of plastid‐encoded polymerase (PEP)‐dependent genes were downregulated in tac7‐2, suggesting that PEP activity was decreased in the mutant. Yeast two‐hybrid assay shows that TAC7 can interact with the four TAC components including FLN1, TAC10, TAC12 and TAC14 which are involved in redox state changes, phosphorylation processes and phytochrome‐dependent light signaling, respectively, These data indicate that TAC7 plays an important role for TAC to regulate PEP‐dependent chloroplast gene expression and chloroplast development.
Leading causes of injury hospitalisation in children aged 0–4 years in New South Wales by injury submechanism: A brief profile by age and sex
Authors: Schmertmann Marcia , Williamson Ann , Black Deborah
Published: October 2012

Aim:  To identify the leading causes of injury in children aged 0–4 years by single year of age using injury submechanisms and present a brief epidemiologic profile of each cause.

Methods:  Hospitalisation data for New South Wales from 1999 to 2009 were used to identify the leading causes of injury for children aged 0–4 years by single year of age. For each leading cause, rates over time and by sex were calculated by single year of age. Associated age and sex risk ratios were estimated.

Results:  The leading causes of injury for children aged <1, 1 and 2 years were falls while being carried, burns by hot non‐aqueous substances and poisoning by other and unspecified pharmaceutical substances, respectively. Falls involving playground equipment ranked first for children aged 3–4 years. Each leading injury cause exhibited an age pattern that remained stable over time and by sex. Age predicted falls while being carried and both age and sex predicted the remaining leading injury causes, with age and sex interacting to predict burns by hot non‐aqueous substances.

Conclusions:  Epidemiologic analysis using single‐year age intervals and injury submechanisms results in a clearer picture of injury risk for young children. The findings of this study provide detailed information regarding the leading causes of hospitalised injury in young children by age and sex. Child health‐care providers can use this information to focus discussions of child development and injury risk with families of young children and suggest appropriate prevention measures in terms of a child's age and sex.
Effects of mucilage on seed germination of the desert ephemeral plant Plantago minutaPall. under osmotic stress and cycles of wet and dry conditions
Authors: Zhang Cui Ping , Wu Chen Xi , Song Yong Chun , Tian Chang Yan , Feng Gu
Published: October 2012

To test the role of the seed mucilage of Plantago minuta Pall. in regulating germination under osmotic stress and cycles of hydration and dehydration, two experiments were carried out using seeds with intact mucilage and mucilage‐free seeds. In Experiment 1 seeds were immersed in a range of iso‐osmotic polyethylene glycol solutions (−1.15 to 0 MPa) for 14 days; any ungerminated seeds were transferred to deionized water to investigate the recovery germination. In Experiment 2 seeds were immersed in deionized water for 24 h, and were then incubated on filter paper for an additional 13 days to ensure complete desiccation before reimbibition to test the germination recovery percentage. Under mild osmotic stress (−0.73 to 0 MPa), the intact seeds with mucilage were shown to have higher germination rates than the mucilage‐free seeds, indicating that the mucilage led to a “fast sprouting” germination strategy under mild osmotic stress. However, when seeds were exposed to high osmotic stress (−1.15 MPa), the mucilage apparently slowed the germination rate, resulting in a “risk‐balancing” germination strategy. Extreme drought induced by polyethylene glycol solution and the desiccation pretreatment accelerated germination rates compared to non‐pretreated seeds; both germination potential and recovery percentage of the mucilage seeds were significantly higher than that of the mucilage‐free seeds. Our results revealed that the seed mucilage of P. minuta plays a crucial role in regulating seed germination rates and the germination strategies adopted by controlling seed water absorption when the seeds experience different osmotic stresses or alternating wet and dry conditions.
Perceived family functioning in depressed Chinese couples: A cross‐sectional study
Authors: Wang Jikun , Zhao Xudong
Published: October 2012

This study investigated family functioning in Chinese couples with a first episode of major depression, and in normal controls, and examined the association between depression severity and family impairment. Seventy‐four patients with a first episode of major depression and 73 normal controls, together with their respective spouses, were assessed using the Family Assessment Device and Beck Depression Inventory. Patients with a first episode of major depression reported significantly higher Family Assessment Device scores for all dimensions compared with normal controls. Beck Depression Inventory scores were positively associated with Family Assessment Device scores for patients with a first episode of major depression for five dimensions, but not for affective responsiveness and affective involvement. A first episode of major depression was thus associated with impaired family functioning in Chinese families, and depression severity was positively associated with family impairment for the depressed patients. These findings indicate the importance of including family interventions in the treatment of Chinese patients with a first episode of major depression.
Genetic counseling: A survey to explore knowledge and attitudes of Italian nurses and midwives
Authors: Godino Lea , Turchetti Daniela , Skirton Heather
Published: October 2012

In the past, genetic services were delivered to a limited number of families with rare conditions. However, genomics is now being applied to both inherited and common diseases in a range of healthcare settings, and there is a greater need for nurses to understand the basic concepts of genetic health care. The aim of this cross‐sectional survey was to explore the understanding and attitudes of Italian nurses toward genetic health care. A questionnaire was completed by 102 nurses and midwives (85% response rate). Of these, 61% believed that genetic counseling was only an informative and advisory process, and 53.9% could not specify to whom the counseling was aimed. When asked to identify nurses’ role in genetic health care, 62% of the respondents believed they had no role, although 28% believed that nurses could provide information, support, and counseling. These findings indicate that nurses have only partial knowledge of the issues surrounding genetic health care. To prepare nurses for the post‐genomic era, improved genetic education at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels is required.
Mitigating the impacts of rainforest roads in Queensland’s Wet Tropics: Effective or are further evaluations and new mitigation strategies required?
Authors: Goosem Miriam
Published: October 2012

Summary  Research into mitigation of the ecological impacts of rainforest roads in North Queensland has a long history, commencing during the formative years of Australian road ecology. In Queensland’s Wet Tropics and throughout Australia, installation of engineered structures to ameliorate ecological road impacts is now common during larger construction projects, but unusual in smaller road projects. Retro‐fitting of engineering solutions to roads that are causing obvious impacts is also uncommon. Currently, Australian mitigation measures concentrate on two important impacts: road mortality and terrestrial habitat fragmentation. Unfortunately, other important ecological impacts of roads are seldom addressed. These include edge effects, traffic disturbance, exotic invasions and fragmentation of stream habitats. In North Queensland, faunal underpasses and canopy bridges across rainforest roads have been monitored over long periods. These structures are used frequently by multiple individuals of various species, implying effectiveness for movements and dispersal of many generalist and specialised rainforest animals. However, without addressing population and genetic implications, assessment of effectiveness of these connectivity structures is not holistic. These aspects need sufficient long‐term funding to allow similar systematic monitoring before and after construction. Throughout Australia, more holistic approaches to mitigation of road impacts would routinely examine population and genetic connectivity, consider mitigation against more ecological impacts where appropriate and include landscape‐scale replication.
Deciduous sapling responses to season and large herbivores in a semi‐arid African savanna
Authors: SCOGINGS PETER F. , MAMASHELA THANDEKA C. , ZOBOLO ALPHEUS M.
Published: October 2012

Impacts of large herbivores (>5 kg) on woody plants in African savannas are potentially most severe among plants shorter than 1.6 m. It is well established that severe browsing leads to longer shoots, yet prevents saplings from recruiting into adult size‐classes in African savannas. Increased shoot length, indicating faster shoot growth, is often associated with reduced concentrations of tannins and increased nutrient concentrations, suggesting carbon limitation. We hypothesized that, on average, large herbivores suppress stem height or circumference, but increase shoot length. We also hypothesized that if there were concomitant positive effects on nutrients, or negative effects on tannin concentrations, they would be greatest early in the wet season. We sampled saplings of four deciduous woody species (Acacia grandicornuta, Dichrostachys cinerea, Combretum apiculatum and Grewia flavescens) at different stages of the wet season in a large‐scale, long‐term herbivore exclusion experiment in Kruger National Park, South Africa. Plant height, shoot length and stem circumference were generally not adversely affected by large herbivores, suggesting C limitation is rarely present among deciduous saplings in semi‐arid African savannas, allowing them to tolerate browsing. Time since first rainfall emerged as a predominant factor consistently affecting nutrient and tannin concentrations, rather than large herbivores. Nitrogen and phosphorus generally decreased (by 20–50%), while condensed tannin concentration increased (150–350%) during the wet season, except for one species. We postulate that A. grandicornuta is less prone than other species to accumulating tannins during the wet season because of high investment of C in spines. Although nutrient and tannin concentrations were generally not affected by large herbivores, species‐specific responses were evident very early in the wet season, which is when herbivore populations are most likely to be affected by differential forage quality among plants.
Importance of serrated polyps in colorectal carcinogenesis
Authors: Liang Jennifer J. , Bissett Ian , Kalady Matthew , Bennet Ana , Church James M.
Published: October 2012

Colorectal cancer is an invasive neoplasm of the glandular epithelium of the colon and rectum that begins in a precursor lesion and expands to replace its lesion of origin. The majority of colorectal cancers arise from an adenoma, and the ‘adenoma to carcinoma’ pathway has been acknowledged for decades. More recently, another precursor lesion has been recognized: the serrated polyp. Serrated polyps are characterized by a sawtooth appearance of the crypt epithelium resulting from failure of apoptosis and a build‐up of aging colonocytes. Although initially felt to be innocent of involvement in colorectal carcinogenesis, some types of serrated polyp are being increasingly recognized as precursor lesions, prone to develop into cancer, and likely to be a cause of ‘missed’ or interval cancers after colonoscopic screening. It is essential that gastrointestinal specialists appreciate the clinical significance of these lesions and what that means for colorectal cancer screening, and prevention. The purpose of this review is to highlight the importance serrated lesions of the colon and rectum, and to summarize current opinion on their natural history, diagnosis, surveillance and treatment.
A social relational critique of the biomedical definition and treatment of ADHD; ethical practical and political implications
Authors: Wilson Jim
Published: October 2012

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), its existence and treatment, is a contentious matter. The dominant view in medicine considers that ADHD is a psychiatric disorder. My position is to challenge this from a social relational orientation. I explore here a critique of the psychiatric disease model of causation and treatment, particularly the use of medication. A series of prejudices based on a political and social constructionist orientation are offered to address the ethics, politics and practice implications of the practitioner critical of the biomedical model of diagnosis and treatment especially the use of medication. This device is employed in order to invite critical reflection and further debate in a field dominated by the medical and genetic arguments in support of ADHD as a psychiatric disease. The implications of more open debate are explored, together with directions for more politically and ethically informed practice with children and their families.
Contextualism and the Knowledge Norms
Authors: Blome‐Tillmann Michael
Published: October 2012

Epistemic contextualism is widely believed to be incompatible with the recently popular view that knowledge is the norm of assertion, practical reasoning, or belief. I argue in this article that the problems arising for contextualism from the mentioned normative views are only apparent and can be resolved by acknowledging the fairly widespread phenomenon of non‐obvious context‐sensitivity (recently embraced by even some of contextualism's most ardent former critics). Building on recent insights about non‐obvious context‐sensitivity, the article outlines an independently attractive contextualist account of the mentioned epistemic norms and provides a solution to the puzzles they give rise to in a contextualist framework.
From Self‐Respect to Respect for Others
Authors: Cureton Adam
Published: October 2012

The leading accounts of respect for others usually assume that persons have a rational nature, which is a marvelous thing, so they should be respected like other objects of ‘awesome’ value. Kant's views about the ‘value’ of humanity, which have inspired contemporary discussions of respect, have been interpreted in this way. I propose an alternative interpretation in which Kant proceeds from our own rational self‐regard, through our willingness to reciprocate with others, to duties of respect for others. This strategy, which shares some similarities with moral contractualism, offers a way to justify other‐regarding moral requirements from self‐regarding rational dispositions.
Properties in a Contingentist's Domain
Authors: Miller Kristie
Published: October 2012

This article attempts to make sense of property contingentism, the view that the metaphysical nature of properties is contingent. That is, it is contingent whether properties are universals or tropes or some other kind of entity. The article argues that even if one thinks that necessities are exhausted by conceptual truths and a posteriori necessities, the sort of methodology that can lead one to endorse contingentism in various domains in metaphysics does not give us good grounds to suppose that the nature of properties is contingent.
Long‐term child follow‐up after large obstetric randomised controlled trials for the evaluation of perinatal interventions: a systematic review of the literature
Authors: Teune MJ , van Wassenaer AG , Malin GL , Asztalos E , Alfirevic Z , Mol BWJ , Opmeer BC
Published: October 2012

Background  Although the hope is that many perinatal interventions are performed with an ultimate aim to improve the long‐term health and development of the child, long‐term outcome is rarely used as a primary end‐point in perinatal randomised controlled trials (RCTs).

Objective  To evaluate how often and with which tools long‐term follow‐up is performed after large obstetric RCTs.

Search strategy  We searched the Cochrane Library for Cochrane reviews published by the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group for reviews on interventions that aimed to improve neonatal outcome.

Selection criteria  Reviews on perinatal interventions that were not performed to improve the condition of the neonate were excluded. We limited our review to RCTs with more than 350 participating women. For each included study, we checked in Web of Science as to whether the researchers had reported on follow‐up in subsequent publications.

Data collection and analysis  Relevant information was extracted from these RCTs by two reviewers using a predefined data collection sheet. All information was analysed using SPSS 17.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA).

Main results  We studied 212 reviews including 1837 RCTs on perinatal interventions, 249 (14%) of which included 350 participants. Only 40 of 249 RCTs (16%) followed the children after discharge from the hospital to evaluate the effect of a specific perinatal intervention. The number of RCTs with long‐term follow‐up remained stable, with 10 of 67 RCTs (15%) reporting follow‐up before 1990, 17 of 115 (15%) between 1990 and 2000, and 13 of 67 (19%) after 2000 (P = 0.68).

Conclusions  Only a small minority of large perinatal RCTs report the long‐term follow‐up of the child. Future obstetric RCTs should consider performing long‐term follow‐up at the start of the trial.
Performance of the fullPIERS model in predicting adverse maternal outcomes in pre‐eclampsia using patient data from the PIERS (Pre‐eclampsia Integrated Estimate of RiSk) cohort, collected on admission
Authors: Payne B , Hodgson S , Hutcheon JA , Joseph KS , Li J , Lee T , Magee LA , Qu Z , von Dadelszen P ,   for the PIERS Study Group
Published: October 2012

The fullPIERS (Pre‐eclampsia Integrated Estimate of RiSk) model is a promising tool for the prediction of adverse outcomes in pre‐eclampsia, developed using the worst values for predictor variables measured within 48 hours of admission. We reassessed the performance of fullPIERS using predictor variables obtained within 6 and 24 hours of admission, and found that the stratification capacity, calibration ability, and classification accuracy of the model remained high. The fullPIERS model is accurate as a rule‐in test for adverse maternal outcome, with a likelihood ratio of 14.8 (95% CI 9.1–24.1) or 17.5 (95% CI 11.7–26.3) based on 6‐ and 24‐hour data, respectively, for the women identified to be at highest risk (predicted probability ≥30%).