bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
mRNA blood expression patterns in new‐onset idiopathic pediatric epilepsy
Authors: Greiner Hansel M. , Horn Paul S. , Holland Katherine , Collins James , Hershey Andrew D. , Glauser Tracy A.
Published: November 2012

Purpose:  Determine if blood messenger RNA (mRNA) expression patterns in children with newly diagnosed untreated idiopathic epilepsy are different from those in healthy controls. Determine the differential expression patterns between epilepsy patients with generalized onset or partial onset seizures compared to healthy controls.

Methods:  Whole blood was obtained from otherwise healthy pediatric patients with newly diagnosed untreated idiopathic epilepsy along with healthy pediatric controls. mRNA was isolated and hybridized to Affymetrix HGU 133 2.0+ microarrays. Analysis was performed using Genespring. Differentially expressed gene lists resulted from comparison of (1) epilepsy and control groups and (2) seizure type subgroups with controls. Tissue expression and gene ontology analysis was performed using DAVID.

Key Findings:  Thirty‐seven epilepsy patients and 28 controls were included. Overall, 575 genes were differentially expressed in subjects with epilepsy compared to controls. The generalized seizure subgroup versus control (GvC) gene list and the partial seizure subgroup versus control (PvC) gene list were different (p < 0.05). Tissue expression analysis identified almost half of the genes in GvC and PvC as brain based. Functional group analysis identified several biologically relevant pathways. In GvC, these included mitochondria and lymphocyte activation. In PvC, we identified apoptosis, inflammatory defense, and cell motion pathways.

Significance:  A unique, biologically meaningful mRNA expression pattern is detectable in whole blood of pediatric subjects with new‐onset and untreated epilepsy. This analysis finds many similar pathways to those identified in brain studies examining lesional intractable epilepsy. Blood mRNA expression patterns show promise as a target for biomarker development in pediatric epilepsy.
Alternative tactics in spawning site selection by brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) related to incubation microhabitats in a harsh winter environment
Authors: FRANSSEN JAN , PÉPINO MARC , LAPOINTE MICHEL , MAGNAN PIERRE
Published: November 2012

1. Species with distributions that span a broad range of latitudes may have populations that exhibit distinct life history traits associated with environmental gradients. The majority of previous studies have indicated a strong association between spawning site selection by brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) and the presence of upwelling groundwater, but does this generalisation extend to the thermal regimes experienced at northern sites?

2. We investigated the role of hyporheic flow in redd site selection by brook trout in a relatively high‐latitude boreal system. Hyporheic flows through streambed substratums can be dominated by groundwater or surface water and may be influenced by the presence of morphological features. For autumn spawners such as brook trout, embryos situated in microhabitats where hyporheic flow in the shallow substratum is groundwater dominant (i.e. warmer in winter) are likely to experience accelerated development rates relative to embryos in redds where there is downwelling surface water (i.e. colder in winter).

3. We measured vertical hydraulic gradients (VHG) at the microhabitat scale and spatial and temporal variation in upwelling/downwelling flow and thermal regimes in brook trout spawning/incubation habitats. Additionally, we noted the proximity of redd sites to stream morphological features (e.g. riffle crests).

4. Our results indicate that upwelling flow was not a decisive cue in redd site selection at the microhabitat scale (100 m) as an approximately equal number of redds were situated in microhabitats with upward flow as compared to microhabitats with downward flow through the redd. Redds situated on bedforms with convex longitudinal profiles (e.g. riffle crests, log steps) were associated with downward flow, whereas redds not immediately adjacent to these bedform features were associated with upward flow. Winter streambed temperatures confirmed that both sites with steady upwelling (i.e. warm incubation regime) and downwelling (i.e. cold incubation regime) were indeed selected by spawners.

5. Our observations that spawners utilised both cold‐regime and warm‐regime sites suggests the existence of distinct reproductive tactics related to hyporheic flow patterns in this boreal system. As temperature is the dominant factor controlling rates of embryonic development, the use of spawning microhabitats with distinct thermal regimes implies substantial differences in the timing of hatching and the phenology of emergence.
Genotype modulates age‐related alterations in sensitivity to the aversive effects of ethanol: an eight inbred strain analysis of conditioned taste aversion
Authors: Moore E. M. , Forrest R. D. , Boehm S. L.
Published: November 2012

Adolescent individuals display altered behavioral sensitivity to ethanol, which may contribute to the increased ethanol consumption seen in this age‐group. However, genetics also exert considerable influence on both ethanol intake and sensitivity. Currently there is little research assessing the combined influence of developmental and genetic alcohol sensitivities. Sensitivity to the aversive effects of ethanol using a conditioned taste aversion (CTA) procedure was measured during both adolescence (P30) and adulthood (P75) in eight inbred mouse strains (C57BL/6J, DBA/2J, 129S1/SvImJ, A/J, BALB/cByJ, BTBR T+tf/J, C3H/HeJ and FVB/NJ). Adolescent and adult mice were water deprived, and subsequently provided with access to 0.9% (v/v) NaCl solution for 1 h. Immediately following access mice were administered ethanol (0, 1.5, 2.25 and 3 g/kg, ip). This procedure was repeated in 72 h intervals for a total of five CTA trials. Sensitivity to the aversive effects of ethanol was highly dependent upon both strain and age. Within an inbred strain, adolescent animals were consistently less sensitive to the aversive effects of ethanol than their adult counterparts. However, the dose of ethanol required to produce an aversion response differed as a function of both age and strain.
Comparison of intact polar lipid with microbial community composition of vent deposits of the Rainbow and Lucky Strike hydrothermal fields
Authors: Gibson R. A. , van der Meer M. T. J. , Hopmans E. C. , Reysenbach A.‐L. , Schouten S. , Sinninghe Damsté J. S.
Published: November 2012

The intact polar lipid (IPL) composition of twelve hydrothermal vent deposits from the Rainbow (RHF) and Lucky Strike hydrothermal fields (LSHF) has been investigated in order to assess its utility as a proxy for microbial community composition associated with deep‐sea hydrothermal locations. Gene‐based culture‐independent surveys of the microbial populations of the same vent deposits have shown that microbial populations are different in the two locations and appear to be controlled by the geochemical and geological processes that drive hydrothermal circulation. Large differences in the IPL composition between these two sites are evident. In the ultramafic‐hosted RHF, mainly archaeal‐IPLs were identified, including those known to be produced by hyperthermophilic Euryarchaeota. More specifically, polyglycosyl derivatives of archaeol and macrocyclic archaeol indicate the presence of hyperthermophilic methanogenic archaea in the vent deposits, which are related to members of the Methanocaldococcaceae or Methanococcaceae. In contrast, bacterial IPLs dominate IPL distributions from LSHF, suggesting that bacteria are more predominant at LSHF than at RHF. Bacterial Diacyl glycerol (DAG) IPLs containing phosphocholine, phosphoethanolamine or phosphoglycerol head groups were identified at both vent fields. In some vent deposits from LSHF ornithine lipids and IPLs containing phosphoaminopentanetetrol head groups were also observed. By comparison with previously characterized bacterial communities at the sites, it is likely the DAG‐IPLs observed derive from Epsilon‐ and Gammaproteobacteria. Variation in the relative amounts of archaeal versus bacterial IPLs appears to indicate differences in the microbial community between vent sites. Overall, IPL distributions appear to be consistent with gene‐based surveys.
Constructing Institutional Measures: Indicators of Political and Property Rights inMozambique, 1900–2005
Authors: Luiz John Manuel , Pereira Luis Brites , Oliveira Guilherme
Published: November 2012

In this article, we focus on the role of political and economic institutions inMozambique's development. We produce a set of institutional indicators forMozambique for the period 1900–2005. The first index tracks political freedoms and is unique in its duration and complexity. The second index is a measure of property rights forMozambique, and such a measure has not existed previously and certainly not for this length of time. The construction of these indices is a painstaking process through historical records but it provides us with a richness of institutional data previously not available. The new institutional indices will allow us to explore the role of the institutional environment in determining economic growth and development inMozambique over time.
The Eroding Effect of Corruption on System Support in Sweden
Authors: Linde Jonas , Erlingsson Gissur Ó
Published: November 2012

Sweden is consistently found at the top in international indices of corruption. In recent years, however, several instances of corruption have been exposed, and surveys show that large shares of Swedish citizens harbor perceptions that public corruption is widespread. Drawing on recent surveys, two questions are asked. First, to what extent do Swedish citizens believe that corruption constitutes a serious problem? Second, how do citizens' evaluations of the extent of public corruption affect support for the democratic system? Approaching the issue from a comparative Nordic perspective, the data indicate that Swedes are considerably more prone to believe that politicians and public officials are corrupt than their Nordic counterparts. The analysis also suggests that such perceptions constitute an important determinant of support for the democratic system. Thus, even in a least likely case of corruption, such as Sweden, growing concerns about corruption has a potential to affect democratic legitimacy negatively.
Metformin: a cheap and well‐tolerated drug that provides benefits for viral infections
Authors: Joven J , Menéndez JA , Fernandez‐Sender L , Espinel E , Rull A , Beltrán‐Debón R , Rodríguez‐Gallego E , Riera‐Borrull M , Pedro‐Botet J , Alonso‐Villaverde C , Camps J , Aragonès G
Published: November 2012

Objectives

Insulin resistance in viral infections is common. We have explored the effectiveness of metformin for alleviating insulin resistance in HIV‐infected patients and assessed the relevance of the ataxia‐telangiectasia mutated (ATM) rs11212617 variant in the clinical response with the rationale that metformin modulates cellular bioenergetics in an ATM‐dependent process.

Methods

HIV‐infected patients (n = 385) were compared with controls recruited from the general population (n = 300) with respect to the genotype distribution of the ATM rs11212617 variant and its influence on selected metabolic and inflammatory variables. We also followed up a subset of male patients with HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) coinfection (n = 47) who were not receiving antiviral treatment and for whom metformin was prescribed for insulin resistance, which tends to have a higher incidence and severity in coinfected patients.

Results

Among the HIV‐infected patients, human cytomegalovirus (91.9%) and HCV (62.3%) coinfections were frequent. Selected metabolic and/or inflammatory variables were significantly altered in infected patients. Treatment with metformin in HIV and HCV coinfected patients was well tolerated and significantly increased the sensitivity of peripheral tissues to insulin. The minor allele (C) of the rs11212617 variant was associated with treatment success and may affect the course of insulin resistance in response to metformin (odds ratio 1.21; 95% confidence interval 1.07–1.39; P = 0.005). There were no differences between treated and untreated patients in viral loads or variables measuring immune defence, indicating that toxicity is unlikely.

Conclusions

We provide novel data suggesting that identification of the ATM rs11212617 variant may be important in assessing the glycaemic response to metformin treatment for insulin resistance in HIV‐infected patients.
Inequalities in HIV disease management and progression in migrants from Latin America and sub‐Saharan Africa living in Spain
Authors: Monge S , Alejos B , Dronda F , Del Romero J , Iribarren JA , Pulido F , Rubio R , Miró JM , Gutierrez F , Del Amo J ,   CoRIS
Published: November 2012

Objectives

The objective of the study was to analyse key HIV‐related outcomes in migrants originating from Latin America and the Spanish‐speaking Caribbean (LAC) or sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA) living in Spain compared with native Spaniards (NSP).

Methods

The Cohort of the Spanish AIDS Research Network (CoRIS) is an open, prospective, multicentre cohort of antiretroviral‐naïve patients representing 13 of the 17 Spanish regions. The study period was 2004–2010. Multivariate logistic or Fine and Gray regression models were fitted as appropriate to estimate the adjusted effect of region of origin on the different outcomes.

Results

Of the 6811 subjects in CoRIS, 6278 were NSP (74.2%), LAC (19.4%) or SSA (6.4%). For these patients, the follow‐up time was 15870 person‐years. Compared with NSP, SSA and LAC under 35 years of age had a higher risk of delayed diagnosis [odds ratio (OR) 2.0 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.5–2.8) and OR 1.7 (95% CI 1.4–2.1), respectively], as did LAC aged 35–50 years [OR 1.3 (95% CI 1.0–1.6)]. There were no major differences in time to antiretroviral therapy (ART) requirement or initiation. SSA exhibited a poorer immunological and virological response [OR 0.8 (95% CI 0.7–1.0) and OR 0.7 (95% CI 0.6–0.9), respectively], while no difference was found for LAC. SSA and LAC showed an increased risk of AIDS for ages between 35 and 50 years [OR 2.0 (95% CI 1.1–3.7) and OR 1.6 (95% CI 1.1–2.4), respectively], which was attributable to a higher incidence of tuberculosis. However, no statistically significant differences were observed in mortality.

Conclusions

Migrants experience a disproportionate diagnostic delay, but no meaningful inequalities were identified regarding initiation of treatment after diagnosis. A poorer virological and immunological response was observed in SSA. Migrants had an increased risk of AIDS, which was mainly attributable to tuberculosis.
Prevalence, clinical associations, and impact of intimate partner violence among HIV‐infected gay and bisexual men: a population‐based study
Authors: Siemieniuk RAC , Miller P , Woodman K , Ko K , Krentz HB , Gill MJ
Published: November 2012

Objectives

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a risk factor for HIV infection. Little is known, however, about the prevalence, clinical associations, and impact of IPV among patients living with HIV.

Methods

HIV‐infected gay and bisexual men in Southern Alberta, Canada were screened for IPV between May 2009 and December 2011. The associations with IPV of sociodemographic factors, psychological factors, clinical status, and HIV‐related and HIV‐unrelated hospitalizations, data for which were obtained from a regional database, were evaluated using Poisson regression.

Results

Of 687 gay and bisexual patients, 22.4% had experienced one or several types of IPV. Patients disclosing IPV were more likely to be Aboriginal [adjusted prevalence ratio (APR) = 2.48; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.18–5.20], to be younger (APR/year = 0.97; 95% CI 0.95–0.99), to be victims of childhood abuse (APR = 4.27; 95% CI 2.84–6.41), to be smokers (APR = 2.53; 95% CI 1.59–4.00), to have had depression prior to HIV diagnosis (APR = 1.87; 95% CI 1.10–3.16), to use ongoing psychiatric resources (APR = 3.53; 95% CI 2.05–6.10), to have recently participated in unprotected sex (APR = 2.29; 95% CI 1.10–4.77), and to have poor or fair vs. very good or excellent health‐related quality of life (APR = 2.91; 95% CI 1.57–5.39). IPV was also associated with a higher rate of clinically relevant interruptions in care (APR = 1.95; 95% CI 1.23–3.08), a higher incidence of AIDS among patients presenting early to care (CD4 count ≥ 200 cells/μL; APR = 2.06; 95% CI 1.15–3.69), and an increased rate of HIV‐related hospitalizations [relative risk (RR) = 1.55; 95% CI 0.99–2.33], especially after HIV diagnosis was established (RR = 2.46; 95% CI 1.51–3.99).

Conclusions

The prevalence of IPV is high among HIV‐infected gay and bisexual men and is associated with poor social, psychiatric, and medical outcomes. IPV is an under‐recognized social determinant of health in this community that may be amenable to meaningful clinical interventions.
Possible role of apoptosis in the pathogenesis and clinical evolution of radicular cyst: an immunohistochemical study
Authors: Loreto C. , Galanti C. , Leonardi R. , Musumeci G. , Pannone G. , Palazzo G. , Rusu M. C.
Published: November 2012

Aim

To investigate whether the apoptotic cascade is activated through the extrinsic pathway in epithelial lining and connective tissue of radicular cysts.

Methodology

Fifteen radicular cysts were fixed in formalin, embedded in paraffin wax and processed for immunohistochemistry to evaluate the expression of polyclonal antibodies against Tumour necrosis factor–related apoptosis‐inducing ligand (TRAIL), DR5 and caspase‐3. Immunocomplexes were treated with the secondary antibodies and finally detected using the avidin–biotin–peroxidase complex. Immunoreactivity was visualized by development with 3,3′‐diaminobenzidine. Data were analysed using the Mann–Whitney U‐test; P < 0.05 was considered significant.

Results

The three antibodies were detected in connective tissue fibroblasts of all radicular cysts; TRAIL and DR5 immunoexpression was significantly greater (P < 0.05) compared with that of caspase‐3. The three antibodies were also expressed in almost all epithelial layers and in endothelial cells of newly formed vessels.

Conclusion

The involvement of apoptosis in the pathogenesis of radicular cysts, demonstrated by the immunoexpression patterns of TRAIL, DR5 and caspase‐3 in lining epithelium and connective tissue, may explain their bland clinical aggressiveness and slow, benign evolution.
Ex vivo killing of Enterococcus faecalis and mixed plaque bacteria in planktonic and biofilm culture by modified photoactivated disinfection
Authors: Stojicic S. , Amorim H. , Shen Y. , Haapasalo M.
Published: November 2012

Aim

To compare the efficacy of conventional and modified photoactivated disinfection (PAD) against Enterococcus faecalis and mixed plaque bacteria in suspension and biofilms.

Methodology

Enterococcus faecalis (four strains) and mixed plaque bacteria from three adult volunteers were suspended in water, added to methylene blue (MB, 15 μmol L−1), MB mixed with 0.5% hydrogen peroxide and 0.05% chlorhexidine (CHX), MB mixed with 0.5% hydrogen peroxide and 0.05% EDTA or MB mixed with 0.05% EDTA and 0.05% CHX and exposed to laser irradiation from 10 s to 5 min. After exposure, samples were taken, serially diluted and grown aerobically and anaerobically on Tryptic Soy Agar plates or on blood agar plates for 24 and 72 h, respectively. For biofilm experiments, E. faecalis and mixed plaque biofilms were grown on sterile hydroxyapatite (HA) discs coated overnight with bovine dermal collagen type I for 3 weeks. After exposure to MB or MB and low concentration of EDTA with either hydrogen peroxide or CHX, the percentage of killed bacteria by PAD was evaluated using viability staining and confocal laser scanning microscope. For statistical analysis, one‐way analysis of variance was performed.

Results

Conventional PAD killed from 90.76% to 100% E. faecalis for 3 min, but failed to kill all plaque bacteria even after 5 min of laser irradiation. In modified PAD, up to 100% of suspended E. faecalis and mixed plaque bacteria were killed after 1 min and 30 s of irradiation. Up to twenty times more biofilm bacteria were killed by modified PAD than by conventional PAD with 15 μmol L−1 MB (P < 0.001) and up to eight times more than 2% CHX (P < 0.001) and 1% sodium hypochlorite (P < 0.001).

Conclusion

Modified PAD was superior to conventional PAD against planktonic and biofilm bacteria.
Mushroom body‐preferential expression of proteins/genes involved in endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+‐transport in the worker honeybee (Apis melliferaL.) brain
Authors: Uno Y. , Fujiyuki T. , Morioka M. , Kubo T.
Published: November 2012

To identify the molecular characteristics specific to the mushroom body (MB, a higher processing centre) neurones in the honeybee brain, we previously used proteomics to identify proteins that are preferentially expressed in these MBs. Here we continued our proteomic analysis to show that reticulocalbin, which is involved in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) Ca2+ transport, is also preferentially expressed in the MBs in the honeybee brain. Gene expression analysis revealed that reticulocalbin is preferentially expressed in the large‐type Kenyon cells, which are MB‐intrinsic neurones. In addition, the gene for the ryanodine receptor, which is also involved in ER Ca2+ transport, was also preferentially expressed in the large‐type Kenyon cells. In contrast, the expression of three other ER‐related genes, protein disulphide isomerase, sec61 and erp60, was not enriched in the MBs. These findings further support the notion that the function of ER Ca2+‐signalling, but not the mere intracellular density of ER, is specifically enhanced in the large‐type Kenyon cells in the honeybee brain.
Between Control and Assistance: The Problem of European Accommodation Centres for Asylum Seekers
Authors: Szczepanikova Alice
Published: November 2012

Accommodation centres are much more than means of securing asylum seekers’ housing needs. They are an embodiment of asylum and immigration policies. To understand these policies and their effects on asylum seekers, we need to ask what interests different institutional actors have in keeping asylum seekers in the centres. Based on the study of accommodation centres in the Czech Republic, in this paper I argue that the centres serve as tools of migration control. The prolonged confinement of a highly diverse group of people produced by the interconnectedness between asylum and immigration policies leads to asylum seekers’ disillusionment about the asylum procedure and nourishes various illicit activities. The centres enable state institutions to determine the nature of assistance available to asylum seekers, including legal aid provided by non‐governmental organizations. By actively promoting the image of accommodation centres as benign places, the state also controls the dominant representation of refugee reception. In everyday practices in the centres, control and assistance are closely intertwined and produce an oppressive environment that engenders asylum seekers’ dependency.
Infants' Transitions out of a Fussing/Crying State Are Modifiable and Are Related to Weight Status
Authors: Anzman‐Frasca Stephanie , Liu Siwei , Gates Kathleen M. , Paul Ian M. , Rovine Michael J. , Birch Leann L.
Published: November 2012

Currently, about 10% of infants have a weight for length greater than the 95th percentile for their age and sex, which puts them at risk for obesity as they grow. In a pilot obesity prevention study, primiparous mothers and their newborn infants were randomly assigned to a control group or a Soothe/Sleep intervention. Previously, it has been demonstrated that this intervention contributed to lower weight‐for‐length percentiles at 1 year; the aim of the present study was to examine infant behavior diary data collected during the intervention. Markov modeling was used to characterize infants' patterns of behavioral transitions at ages 3 and 16 weeks. Results showed that heavier mothers were more likely to follow their infants' fussing/crying episodes with a feeding. The intervention increased infants' likelihood of transitioning from a fussing/crying state to an awake/calm state. A shorter latency to feed in response to fussing/crying was associated with a higher subsequent weight status. This study provides preliminary evidence that infants' transitions out of fussing/crying are characterized by inter‐individual differences, are modifiable, and are linked to weight outcomes, suggesting that they may be promising targets for early behavioral obesity interventions, and highlighting the methodology used in this study as an appropriate and innovative tool to assess the impact of such interventions.
Spouses' experience of caregiving for cancer patients: a literature review
Authors: Li Q.P. , Mak Y.W. , Loke A.Y.
Published: November 2012

Background

The spouse is generally the primary informal caregiver for cancer patients. Many studies have explored the experience of caregiving for cancer patients, but it is unclear whether there are gender differences in the spousal caring experience for cancer patients.

Aim

This review describes the recent published research on the stress process of spousal caregiving experience for cancer patients, and aims to identify any gender differences in the caregiving experience.

Methods

Electronic, manual and author's searches were conducted. Articles included were published in English and Chinese, from January 2000 to March 2012. Study population is couples coping with cancer. Focus is on caregiving experience for spouse with cancer, and findings include both male and female spousal caregivers in quantitative studies. The databases searched included MEDLINE, CINAHL, Science Citation Index Expanded, Scopus, PsycINFO and the China Academic Journal Full‐text Database. The key search terms used were ‘cancer’ or ‘oncology’ or ‘carcinoma’ AND ‘caregiver’ or ‘caregiving’ or ‘carer’ AND ‘gender differences’ or ‘gender’ AND ‘spouse’ or ‘couple’ or ‘partner’. Spousal caregiving experiences of cancer patients were explored by adopting the ‘stress process’ of the Cancer Family Caregiving Experience Model from the gender perspective.

Results

Twenty‐five articles were identified and included in this review. It was revealed that female spousal caregivers perceived higher level negative experience in caregiving, such as lower mental health, lower physical health, poorer health‐related quality of life, lower life satisfaction and decreased marital satisfaction than male spousal caregivers. However, female spousal caregivers are more likely to experience personal growth than male spousal caregivers.

Conclusion

This review identified that female spousal caregivers for cancer patients had higher levels of negative experience in caregiving. A better understanding of the spousal caregiving experience will provide healthcare professionals with the information needed to develop interventions to support and prepare spousal caregivers to care for their loved ones with cancer.
Factors influencing adolescents' oral health‐related quality of life (OHRQoL)
Authors: Foster Page Lyndie A. , Thomson W. Murray , Ukra Ali , Farella Mauro
Published: November 2012

Background

OHRQoL comprises an apparently complex array of biological and psychological aspects of oral health.

Aim

To determine the relative contribution of sociodemographic, psychosocial, or clinical characteristics to OHRQoL in adolescents.

Design

A cross‐sectional study of Dunedin adolescents was carried out. Each participant completed a self‐administered questionnaire and underwent a clinical examination. Information collected included sociodemographic characteristics (sex, ethnicity, and household deprivation), psychosocial characteristics (self‐esteem, psychological well‐being, somatisation, and self‐perception scores for body image), and clinical measures (DMFS and Dental Aesthetic Index). OHRQoL was measured using the 16‐item impact short‐form CPQ11–14 questionnaire. Linear regression analyses used the CPQ11–14 as the dependent variable, with independent variables entered in related groups.

Results

Three hundred and fifty‐three children (48.4% females) took part, representing a 58.8% response rate. Linear regression modelling of the CPQ11–14 score showed that sociodemographic characteristics were predictors, but the model's overall explanatory power was low (R2 = 0.05). This increased slightly with inclusion of the clinical variables. When the psychosocial variables were added, however, the R2 increased to 0.50; all psychosocial variables (except self‐esteem) were strongly associated with the CPQ11–14 score. Psychological well‐being was the strongest predictor.

Conclusion

Psychosocial characteristics are important contributors to OHRQoL in adolescents and appear to be more important than sociodemographic or clinical characteristics.
Children's understandings and motivations surrounding novelty sweets: a qualitative study
Authors: Stewart Kate F. , Fairchild Ruth M. , Jones Rhiannon J. , Hunter Lindsay , Harris Carole , Morgan Maria Z.
Published: November 2012

Background

Novelty sweets resemble or can be used as toys, are brightly coloured, with striking imagery, and sold at pocket money prices. They encourage regular consumption as packaging can be resealed, leading to prolonged exposure of these high‐sugar and low pH products to the oral tissues, risk factors for dental caries and erosion, respectively.

Aim

To determine how children conceptualise novelty sweets and their motivations for buying and consuming them.

Design

Focus groups conducted using a brief schedule of open‐ended questions, supported by novelty sweets used as prompts in the latter stages. Participants were school children (aged 9–10) from purposively selected state primary schools in Cardiff, UK.

Results

Key findings related to the routine nature of sweet eating; familiarity with and availability of novelty sweets; parental awareness and control; lack of awareness of health consequences; and the overall appeal of novelty sweets.

Conclusions

Parents reported vagueness regarding consumption habits and permissiveness about any limits they set may have diluted the concept of treats. Flexible permissiveness to sweet buying applied to sweets of all kinds. Parents' reported lack of familiarity with novelty sweets combined with their low cost, easy availability, high sugar content, and acidity give cause for concern.
Influenza in pregnancy
Authors: Memoli Matthew J. , Harvey Hillery , Morens David M. , Taubenberger Jeffery K.
Published: November 2012

Please cite this paper as: Memoli et al. (2012) Influenza in pregnancy. Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses 00(00), 000–000.

The 2009 pandemic served as a strong reminder that influenza‐induced disease can have a great impact on certain at‐risk populations and that pregnant women are one such important population. The increased risk of fatal and severe disease in these women was appreciated more than 500 years ago, and during the last century, pregnant women and their newborns have continued to be greatly affected by both seasonal and pandemic influenza. In this review, we briefly discuss the data collected both before and after the 2009 pandemic as it relates to the impact of influenza on pregnant women and their fetuses/newborns, as well as risk variables, clinical features, clues to pathophysiologic mechanisms, and approaches to treatment and prevention.
Carnivores and carotenoids are associated with adaptive behavioural divergence in a radiation of gall midges
Authors: HEATH JEREMY J. , WELLS BRENDA , CIPOLLINI DON , STIREMAN JOHN O.
Published: November 2012

1. Adaptive divergence in sympatry is supposed to be inhibited by the homogenizing role of gene flow. However, studies continue to uncover examples of sympatric divergence. In this study, two divergent phenotypes in a complex of four syntopic gall midge morphotypes [nominallyAsteromyia carboniferaOsten Saken, Diptera: Cecidomyiidae: Alycaulini] are characterised. The first is a behavioural phenotype governing within‐host tissue preference and the second is a trait governing accessory‐gland carotenoid quality and quantity.

2. One gall morphotype (crescents) lay most of their eggs on mature tissue whereas the other three gall morphotypes oviposit only on young emerging leaves. Ecological maintenance of this divergent trait appears to be driven by enemy‐reduced space. That is, nearly 40% of the crescent morphotype galls that develop high on the plant are attacked by the egg parasitoidPlatygaster solidaginisAshmed, whereas those low on the plant are relatively protected.

3. All morphotypes contain carotenoids in their accessory glands, but the quality and quantity of these pigments differs significantly between the morphotypes and is positively associated with the probability of parasitism byP. solidaginis.

4. Larval salivary glands also contain carotenoids and the plant hormone abscisic acid, which in plants is synthesized from carotenoid precursors and is involved in regulating plant defences. This hormone may facilitate gall development and influence gall morphology.

5. Ecological fitness trade‐offs between carotenoids, parasitoid attack, and plant resistance may be fostering adaptive divergence in ovipositional phenotypes and sympatric speciation in this complex of gall midge morphotypes.
Communication through in‐person interpreters: a qualitative study of home care providers' and social workers' views
Authors: Brämberg Elisabeth B , Sandman Lars
Published: November 2012

Aims and objectives

To describe the experiences of home care providers and social workers in communication, via in‐person interpreters, with patients who do not share a common language, and to offer suggestions for practice based on this description.

Background

The use of interpreters is essential for successful communication to provide equal access to health care for patients not sharing a common language with care providers. Successful bilingual communication is probably even more complex within the home care services with its focus on medical treatment, care and daily support in relation to the more exclusive focus on medical treatment within hospital care.

Design

An explorative, qualitative, descriptive study.

Methods

Data were collected in seven focus group interviews. A total of 27 persons, working as registered nurses, assistant nurses and social workers in municipal home care, participated. The analysis was inspired by inductive content analysis.

Results

The results express a traditional view on interpretation where the in‐person interpreter is supposed to act to a greater or lesser extent as an objective and neutral conduit or communicator of what is said. The interpreter is also expected to observe when medical terms and other concepts need to be explained, which thus exceeds the basic role as a communicator of what was said.

Conclusions

This study emphasises the need to view the interpreter as an active and explicit party in a three‐way communication.

Relevance to clinical practice

Viewing the interpreter as an active and explicit party in a three‐way communication and as an essential part of the care team might reduce the possible threat to patient confidentiality, and could contribute to solve the problem of interpreting the patient's non‐verbal signs.
Mapping the chemistry of resinite, funginite and associated vitrinite in coal with micro‐FTIR
Authors: CHEN Y. , CARO L.D. , MASTALERZ M. , SCHIMMELMANN A. , BLANDÓN A.
Published: November 2012

Micro‐FTIR mapping is a powerful tool for nondestructive, in situ chemical characterization of coal macerals at high resolution. In this study, the chemistry of resinite, funginite and associated vitrinite is characterized via reflectance micro‐FTIR for Cenozoic high volatile C bituminous coals from Colombia. In comparison with the micro‐FTIR spectra of vitrinite and inertinite, the corresponding spectra of liptinite macerals in the same coals are characterized by stronger aliphatic CHx absorbance at 3000–2800 and 1460–1450 cm−1, but less intense aromatic C=C ring stretching vibration and aromatic CHx out‐of‐plane deformation at 700–900 cm−1. The aliphatic components in resinite have the longest carbon chains and are least branched, bestowing the highest hydrocarbon generation potential on resinite among the three macerals studied. In contrast, funginite exhibits the strongest aromatic character, the highest aromaticity, the lowest ‘A’ factor values and the lowest C=O/C=C ratios among the three maceral groups. Vitrinite generally displays intermediate chemical characteristics. Reflectance micro‐FTIR mapping of coal samples further confirms the aliphatic character of resinite and the aromatic nature of funginite. In addition, chemical mapping of resinite and adjacent vitrinite shows that vitrinite immediately adjacent to resinite displays higher aliphatic CHx stretching intensity than more distant vitrinite, suggesting that chemical components from resinite can diffuse over short distances into adjacent vitrinite, specifically causing hydrogen enrichment. It needs to be pointed out, however, that the region of influence is localized and limited to a narrow zone, whose extent likely depends on resinite's properties, such as its size and aliphatic material content. This way, the chemical map of resinite and associated vitrinite provides direct evidence of the intermaceral effects occurring during the peat forming stage or during later coalification. No influence of funginite (primarily fungal spores and sclerotia) on the chemistry of adjacent vitrinite has been demonstrated, which is likely due to the highly aromatic structure of this type of funginite.
PER3 and ADORA2A polymorphisms impact neurobehavioral performance during sleep restriction
Authors: Rupp Tracy L. , Wesensten Nancy J. , Newman Rachel , Balkin Thomas J.
Published: November 2012

The objective of the study was to determine whether ADORA2A or PER3 polymorphisms contribute to individual responsivity to sleep restriction. Nineteen healthy adults (ages 18–39, 11 males, 8 females) underwent sleep restriction (SR) which consisted of seven nights of 3 h time in bed (TIB) (04:00–07:00). SR was preceded by seven in‐laboratory nights of 10 h TIB (21:00–07:00) and followed by three nights of 8 h TIB (23:00–07:00). Volunteers underwent psychomotor vigilance, objective alertness, and subjective sleepiness assessments throughout. Volunteers were genotyped for the PER3 VNTR polymorphism (PER34/4 n = 7; PER34/5 n = 10; PER35/5 n = 2) and the ADORA2A c.1083T>C polymorphism, (ADORA2AC/T n = 9; ADORA2AT/T n = 9; ADORA2AC/C n = 1) using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Separate mixed‐model anovas were used to assess contributions of ADORA2A and PER3 polymorphisms. Results showed that PER34/4 and ADORA2AC/T individuals expressed greater behavioral resiliency to SR compared to PER4/5and ADORA2AT/T individuals. Our findings contrast with previously reported non‐significant effects for the PER3 polymorphism under a less challenging sleep restriction regimen (4 h TIB per night for five nights). We conclude that PER3 and ADORA2A polymorphisms become more behaviorally salient with increasing severity and/or duration of sleep restriction (based on psychomotor vigilance). Given the small sample size these results are preliminary and require replication.
General practitioners as supervisors in postgraduate clinical education: an integrative review
Authors: Wearne Susan , Dornan Tim , Teunissen Pim W , Skinner Timothy
Published: November 2012

Medical Education 2012: 46: 1161–1173

Context  General practice supervisors are said to serve as the cornerstones of general practice postgraduate education and therefore it is important to clearly define their roles and what makes them effective. The commonly used definition of a supervisor is not primarily based on general practice and does not cover aspects predicted to be important according to work‐based learning theory.

Methods  We searched for papers published between 1991 and 2011 inclusive, categorised them according to whether they provided empirical evidence, descriptions or recommendations, open‐coded the empirical evidence, and used the resulting coding scheme as an analytic framework within which to present a narrative summary of findings.

Results  Recommendations and descriptions far outweighed empirical evidence, which showed how supervisors intertwined clinical and educational activities and formed educational alliances with resident doctors that provided a foundation for learning. Residents needed a balance of challenge, usually provided by patients, and support, provided by supervisors. Supervisors established learning environments, assessed residents' learning needs, facilitated learning, monitored the content and process of learning and the well‐being of residents, and summarised learning in ways that turned ‘know that’ into ‘know how’.

Conclusions  General practice must be expert in ensuring patients are well cared for ‘by proxy’ and in giving residents just the right amount of support they need to face the challenges posed by those patients. As general practice responds to contemporary clinical demands and rising numbers of undergraduate medical students, it is essential that the ability of general practice supervisors to develop and sustain supportive supervisory relationships with residents is preserved.
Rethinking clinical reasoning: time for a dialogical turn
Authors: Loftus Stephen
Published: November 2012

Medical Education 2012:46: 1174–1178

Context Clinical reasoning lies at the heart of medical practice and has been the subject of scholarly inquiry and research for some decades. However, despite this, it is still poorly understood. This is largely because current theoretical models are limited in their explanatory power because they are based on particular assumptions of what constitutes clinical reasoning.

Discussion A variety of ways of articulating and conceptualising clinical reasoning can provide us with richer means of understanding what is involved in clinical encounters. A dialogical approach to clinical reasoning is proposed. Dialogism provides a vocabulary that encourages us to integrate insights from different frameworks in ways that combine the strengths of each. Dialogism also puts a focus on the complex ways in which we use language in clinical reasoning to generate meaning. The complexity of language includes narrative, rhetoric and metaphor.

Conclusions A dialogical approach does not require us to discard the findings of earlier theories about clinical reasoning, but provides us with a means of integrating what we know in ways that are more useful in the reality of clinical practice.
The risk of developing non‐melanoma skin cancer, lymphoma and melanoma in patients with psoriasis in Taiwan: a 10‐year, population‐based cohort study
Authors: Lee Meng‐Sui , Lin Ruey‐Yi , Chang Yun‐Ting , Lai Mei‐Shu
Published: November 2012

Background  Hospitalized psoriasis patients are known to have a higher risk of malignancy (e.g., nonmelanoma skin cancer [NMSC], lymphoma, and melanoma) than the general population; currently, it is unclear whether this risk is affected by psoriasis severity. The aim of this study was to compare the cancer risk of patients with mild and severe psoriasis and the general population.

Methods  Data for this retrospective population‐based cohort study were obtained from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. This study included 7061 patients with a first‐time diagnosis of psoriasis. All study individuals were followed up until the end of 2007. The crude incidence density ratio and standardized incidence ratio (SIR) of NMSC, melanoma, and lymphoma were determined.

Results  Among psoriasis patients, the most common cancer was NMSC (density ratio: 7.5); women were at a higher risk of NMSC than men (density ratios: 8.08 vs. 7.0). Psoriasis patients in the south geographic group or in the 50‐ to 59‐year‐old age group were most likely to develop NMSC. The NMSC SIR was higher among patients with severe psoriasis than among patients with mild psoriasis (SIR: 3.72 vs. 7.08). The lymphoma and melanoma SIR among patients with severe psoriasis was also high (lymphoma SIR: 4.85; melanoma: 11.01).

Conclusions  Psoriasis carries an elevated risk of NMSC and lymphoma. This effect is modified by the severity of psoriasis, age, gender, and geographic location.
Onychomycosis in Cameroon: a clinical and epidemiological study among dermatological patients
Authors: Nkondjo Minkoumou Salvador , Fabrizi Valentina , Papini Manuela
Published: November 2012

Background  There are currently no studies on epidemiology and clinical aspects of nail fungal infections in the general population of Cameroon.

Patients and methods  Two series of patients observed at a hospital dermatological service of Yaoundé and in a volunteer service of Douala were evaluated. All the patients, regardless of the reason for the consultation, were examined by an expert dermatologist to discover signs of onychomycosis. Patients with suspected nail lesions underwent mycological examination according to the standard techniques.

Results  Among 590 subjects (317 males and 273 females), aged 16–83 years, onychomycosis was mycologically confirmed in 52 cases (8.8%). The infection was most common in the fifth decade. Fingernails were affected in 12 cases, toenails in 30 cases, and both fingernails and toenails in 10 cases. Dermatophytes were isolated in 57.7% of cases, the most common species being Trichophyton rubrum (16 cases) and Trichophyton violaceum (eight cases). Non‐dermatophytic mould, including Aspergillus spp., Fusarium spp., and Neoscytalidium dimidiatum, was found in 10 cases. Onychomycosis was more common in patients from low social‐economic classes.

Conclusions  This is the first investigation dealing with onychomycosis in Cameroon. These data may be useful for future research and in the development of preventive and educational strategies.
Post‐filarial cutaneous aspergillosis
Authors: Dhotre Shree V , Hiremath Somayya L
Published: November 2012

Background  Aspergillus species are widely distributed in nature; however, cutaneous infections due to A. terreus are particularly rare. In this report, we describe a very uncommon case of primary cutaneous aspergillosis presenting as cauliflower‐like skin lesions caused by A. terreus in a patient with preexisting bilateral filarial elephantiasis of the legs.

Materials and methods  Histopathological examination of the lesions revealed narrow, septate, branching, acute‐angled hyphae with delicate chitinous walls and multinucleated giant cells in the dermis.

Results  The fungal isolate was identified as A. terreus using standard laboratory procedures.

Conclusion  Here we report an extremely rare and unusual manifestation of primary cutaneous aspergillosis.