bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Midkine and multiple sclerosis
Authors: Takeuchi Hideyuki
Published: November 2013

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune neurological disease characterized by inflammatory demyelination with subsequent neuronal damage in the CNS. MS and its animal model, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), have been thought as autoreactive Th1 and Th17 cell‐mediated diseases. CD4+CD25+FoxP3+ regulatory T‐cell (Treg) plays a pivotal role in autoimmune tolerance, and tolerogenic dendritic cells (DCreg) drive the development of inducible Treg cells. Thus, a dysfunction in the development of Treg and DCreg leads to the development of autoimmune diseases. However, the factors that regulate Treg and DCreg are largely unknown. We recently showed that removal of midkine (MK) suppressed EAE due to an expansion of the Treg cell population as well as a decrease in the numbers of autoreactive Th1 and Th17 cells. MK decreased the Treg cell population by suppressing the phosphorylation of STAT5, which is essential for the expression of Foxp3, the master transcriptional factor of Treg cell differentiation. Furthermore, MK reduces the DCreg cell population by inhibiting the phosphorylation of STAT3, which is critical for DCreg development. Blockade of MK signalling by a specific RNA aptamer significantly elevated the population of DCreg and Treg cells and ameliorated EAE without detectable adverse effects. Therefore, the inhibition of MK may provide an effective therapeutic strategy against autoimmune diseases including MS.

Linked Articles

This article is part of a themed section on Midkine. To view the other articles in this section visit http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bph.2014.171.issue‐4
Measurement Issues: Neuropsychological assessment with children and adolescents; unlocking the mysticism, methods and measures with the help of Tom Swift
Authors: Tonks James , Yates Phil J. , Williams Huw W. , Frampton Ian , Slater Alan
Published: November 2013

Background and Scope

In this article, we provide a brief overview of the principles that guide paediatric neuropsychological assessment, the methods used and some examples of the measures available.

Findings

We explore intellectual, adaptive and social functioning from a neuropsychological perspective and describe suitable measures for use in paediatric neuropsychological assessment in each domain.

Conclusions

We provide an example of assessment and interpretation using a fictional character (Tom Swift) to demonstrate that neuropsychological assessment is important in understanding the everyday questions that arise in children's services around risk, needs, level of understanding and capacity to engage with services.
Eye Movements Reveal the Dynamic Simulation of Speed in Language
Authors: Speed Laura J. , Vigliocco Gabriella
Published: November 2013

This study investigates how speed of motion is processed in language. In three eye‐tracking experiments, participants were presented with visual scenes and spoken sentences describing fast or slow events (e.g., The lion ambled/dashed to the balloon). Results showed that looking time to relevant objects in the visual scene was affected by the speed of verb of the sentence, speaking rate, and configuration of a supporting visual scene. The results provide novel evidence for the mental simulation of speed in language and show that internal dynamic simulations can be played out via eye movements toward a static visual scene.
You Get What You Need: An Examination of Purpose‐Based Inheritance Reasoning in Undergraduates, Preschoolers, and Biological Experts
Authors: Ware Elizabeth A. , Gelman Susan A.
Published: November 2013

This set of seven experiments examines reasoning about the inheritance and acquisition of physical properties in preschoolers, undergraduates, and biology experts. Participants (N = 390) received adoption vignettes in which a baby animal was born to one parent but raised by a biologically unrelated parent, and they judged whether the offspring would have the same property as the birth or rearing parent. For each vignette, the animal parents had contrasting values on a physical property dimension (e.g., the birth parent had a short tail; the rearing parent had a long tail). Depending on the condition, the distinct properties had distinct functions (“function‐predictive”) were associated with distinct habitats (“habitat‐predictive”), or had no implications (“non‐predictive”). Undergraduates' bias to view properties as inherited from the birth parent was reduced in the function‐ and habitat‐predictive conditions. This result indicates a purpose‐based view of inheritance, whereby animals can acquire properties that serve a purpose in their environment. This stance was not found in experts or preschoolers. We discuss the results in terms of how undergraduates' purpose‐based inheritance reasoning develops and relates to larger‐scale misconceptions about Darwinian evolutionary processes, and implications for biology education.
Angiotensin II receptor antagonists in acute coronary syndromes
Authors: Artom Nathan , Montecucco Fabrizio , Mach François , Dallegri Franco , Pende Aldo
Published: November 2013

Background

It is well known that inappropriate or exaggerated activity of the renin‐angiotensin system might contribute to the development of systemic hypertension with consequent organ injury and associated increased risk of acute cardiovascular (CV) diseases. This review will discuss evidence form basic research and clinical studies, investigating the efficacy of angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) in the management of acute coronary syndromes (ACS).

Materials and methods

This narrative review is based on the material found on MEDLINE and PubMed up to June 2013. We looked for the terms ‘angiotensin, AT1 receptor, ACE inhibitors’ in combination with ‘acute coronary syndromes, acute myocardial infarction, pathophysiology’.

Results

Preclinical studies showed relevant protective effects of ARBs to reduce adverse cardiac remodelling in animal models of acute cardiac ischaemia. However, although recommended in Consensus guidelines as a good alternative to angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs), clinical studies did not confirm a superior efficacy of the ARBs as compared to ACEIs. As a matter of fact for some authors, these drugs might potentially have deleterious effects increasing the CV risk.

Conclusions

Emerging evidence from clinical trials suggests that the use of ARBs in ACS might be controversial, and caution should be used for their clinical use to replace ACEIs in ACS.
Anthropogenic selection enhances cancer evolution in Tasmanian devil tumours
Authors: Ujvari Beata , Pearse Anne‐Maree , Swift Kate , Hodson Pamela , Hua Bobby , Pyecroft Stephen , Taylor Robyn , Hamede Rodrigo , Jones Menna , Belov Katherine , Madsen Thomas
Published: November 2013

The Tasmanian Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD) provides a unique opportunity to elucidate the long‐term effects of natural and anthropogenic selection on cancer evolution. Since first observed in 1996, this transmissible cancer has caused local population declines by >90%. So far, four chromosomal DFTD variants (strains) have been described and karyotypic analyses of 253 tumours showed higher levels of tetraploidy in the oldest strain. We propose that increased ploidy in the oldest strain may have evolved in response to effects of genomic decay observed in asexually reproducing organisms. In this study, we focus on the evolutionary response of DFTD to a disease suppression trial. Tumours collected from devils subjected to the removal programme showed accelerated temporal evolution of tetraploidy compared with tumours from other populations where no increase in tetraploid tumours were observed. As ploidy significantly reduces tumour growth rate, we suggest that the disease suppression trial resulted in selection favouring slower growing tumours mediated by an increased level of tetraploidy. Our study reveals that DFTD has the capacity to rapidly respond to novel selective regimes and that disease eradication may result in novel tumour adaptations, which may further imperil the long‐term survival of the world's largest carnivorous marsupial.
Structural analysis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis ATP‐binding cassette transporter subunit UgpB reveals specificity for glycerophosphocholine
Authors: Jiang Dunquan , Zhang Qingqing , Zheng Qianqian , Zhou Hao , Jin Jin , Zhou Weihong , Bartlam Mark , Rao Zihe
Published: November 2013

Tuberculosis (TB), caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, is one of the most devastating human diseases, and is responsible for ~ 2 million deaths worldwide each year. The nutritional requirements for the growth of mycobacteria have been extensively studied since the discovery of M. tuberculosis, but the essential nutrients for M. tuberculosis inside the human host and the identity of the corresponding transporters remain unknown. The UgpABCE transporter of M. tuberculosis is one of five putative permeases for carbohydrate uptake, and is genetically predicted to be an sn‐glycerol 3‐phosphate importer. We have determined the 1.5‐Å crystal structure of M. tuberculosis UgpB, which has been reported to be a promising vaccine candidate against TB. M. tuberculosis UgpB showed no detectable binding activity for sn‐glycerol 3‐phosphate by isothermal titration calorimetry, but instead showed a preference for glycerophosphocholine (GPC). M. tuberculosis UgpB largely resembles its Escherichia coli homolog, but with the critical Trp169 in the substrate‐binding site of E. coli UgpB replaced by Leu205. Mutation of Leu205 abolishes GPC binding, suggesting that Leu205 is a determinant of GPC binding. The work reported here not only contributes to our understanding of the carbon and phosphate sources utilized by M. tuberculosis inside the human host, but will also promote improvements in TB chemotherapy.

Database

Structural data are available in the Protein Data Bank database under the accession number PDB 4MFI.
L1 retrotransposons, cancer stem cells and oncogenesis
Authors: Carreira Patricia E. , Richardson Sandra R. , Faulkner Geoffrey J.
Published: November 2013

Retrotransposons have played a central role in human genome evolution. The accumulation of heritable L1, Alu and SVA retrotransposon insertions continues to generate structural variation within and between populations, and can result in spontaneous genetic disease. Recent works have reported somatic L1 retrotransposition in tumours, which in some cases may contribute to oncogenesis. Intriguingly, L1 mobilization appears to occur almost exclusively in cancers of epithelial cell origin. In this review, we discuss how L1 retrotransposition could potentially trigger neoplastic transformation, based on the established correlation between L1 activity and cellular plasticity, and the proven capacity of L1‐mediated insertional mutagenesis to decisively alter gene expression and functional output.
Soil CO2 effluxes, temporal and spatial variations, and root respiration in shrub willow biomass crops fields along a 19‐year chronosequence as affected by regrowth and removal treatments
Authors: Pacaldo Renato S. , Volk Timothy A. , Briggs Russell D. , Abrahamson Lawrence P. , Bevilacqua Eddie , Fabio Eric S.
Published: November 2013

In shrub willow biomass crop (SWBC) production systems, the soil CO2 efflux (Fc) component in the carbon cycle remains poorly understood. This study assesses (i) differences of Fc rates among the 5‐, 12‐, 14‐, and 19‐year‐old SWBCs with two treatments: continuous production (regrowth) willow fields that were harvested and allowed to regrow, and willow fields that were harvested, killed, and then stools and roots were ground into the soil (removal); (ii) temporal and spatial variations of Fc rates; (iii) root respiration contributions to total Fc; and (iv) climatic variables affecting Fc. During the growing season (May to September), Fc rates showed no statistically significant differences across different ages (P = 0.664), and between treatments (P = 0.351); however, there was an interaction between age and treatment (P = 0.001). Similarly, during the dormant season (October to April), Fc rates revealed no statistically significant differences across different ages (P = 0.305) and treatment interaction with age (P = 0.097). Fc rates differed significantly (P < 0.001) among different times of the day and times of the year. Fc rates, between 00 and 1059 h, between 1100 and 1659 h, and between 1700 and 2400 h displayed consistency from May to November; however, Fc rates in these three time intervals showed significant differences (P < 0.0001). In December, Fc rates remained constant over 24 h. Fc rates demonstrated higher temporal and spatial variations among willow age classes than between regrowth and removal treatments. Temporal and spatial variations of Fc were higher during the dormant season than during the growing season. The proportion of root respiration to total Fc ranged from 18 to 33% across age classes. Fc rates showed strong association with soil and air temperatures, and relative humidity.
The Future of the Christian Past: Marcel Gauchet and Charles Taylor on the Essence of Religion and its Evolution
Authors: Cloots Andre , Latré Stijn , Vanheeswijck Guido
Published: November 2013

This article explores the differences between Marcel Gauchet and Charles Taylor with respect to their theories of secularization. It starts by looking at their resemblances; it continues by distinguishing a two‐fold difference in their approach. The variation within their similar methodologies is examined, and then the consequences of these divergent definitions of religion are investigated. We focus on four themes: the role of the Axial religions, the significance of Incarnation and Reformation, the significance of Christianity as the ‘religion of the departure from religion’, and the possibility of religious ‘conversion’. Taylor's and Gauchet's views on the future of religion diverge as a function of their different interpretations of ‘fulfilment’ and ‘hunger for meaning’.
Latitudinal gradient and spatial covariance in species richness of tropical Lepidoptera in the Andes
Authors: Pyrcz Tomasz W. , Willmott Keith , Garlacz Rafał , Boyer Pierre , Gareca Yuvinka
Published: November 2013

We investigated whether Lepidoptera species richness in the tropical Andes is distributed evenly across the latitudinal gradient, explored the spatial correlations between different taxonomic groups, and investigated historical and ecological factors responsible for shaping the observed patterns.

We interpolated species richness from collecting records of nine ecologically diverse taxa of montane Lepidoptera, eight of butterflies (Ithomiini, Acraeini, Callicorini, Pronophilina, Aporiina, Leptophobia, Penaincisalia, and Forsterinaria) and one of moths (Geometridae: Erateina) along elevational transects from 1000 to 3500 m every two degrees in latitude between 11°N and 27°S. We used multiple regression to assess the role of climatic and historical variables in shaping their species richness patterns, and Spearman's correlation coefficient to examine the correlation of species richness gradients between pairs of taxa.

We found that Lepidoptera species richness in the tropical Andes is distributed unevenly across the latitudinal gradient, differing considerably between the least and the most diverse transects, with a peak at 3–11°S, and is strongly correlated among all nine taxa. Geological age of the Andes, area and climatic seasonality explained the most variation in species richness, with age dominating in the north and seasonality in the south.

The latitudinal gradient in east Andean Lepidoptera species richness is likely a result of historical and contemporary factors, in particular temperature seasonality and the greater age of the Andes south of the Equator. Local aspects of species richness patterns are due to small‐scale geological or climatic phenomena, for example, the peak at 3–5°S which results from local mixing of east‐west Andean faunas in the Huancabamba Deflection area.
Silicone oil emulsions: strategies to improve their stability and applications in hair care products
Authors: Nazir H. , Zhang W. , Liu Y. , Chen X. , Wang L. , Naseer M. M. , Ma G.
Published: November 2013

Synopsis

Silicone oils have wide range of applications in personal care products due to their unique properties of high lubricity, non‐toxicity, excessive spreading and film formation. They are usually employed in the form of emulsions due to their inert nature. Until now, different conventional emulsification techniques have been developed and applied to prepare silicone oil emulsions. The size and uniformity of emulsions showed important influence on stability of droplets, which further affect the application performance. Therefore, various strategies were developed to improve the stability as well as application performance of silicone oil emulsions. In this review, we highlight different factors influencing the stability of silicone oil emulsions and explain various strategies to overcome the stability problems. In addition, the silicone deposition on the surface of hair substrates and different approaches to increase their deposition are also discussed in detail.
Regeneration of the dentine–pulp complex with revitalization/revascularization therapy: challenges and hopes
Authors: Lin L. M. , Ricucci D. , Huang G. T.‐J.
Published: November 2013

The concept of regenerative endodontics has gained much attention in clinical endodontics in the past decade. One aspect of this discipline is the application of revitalization/revascularization therapies for infected and/or necrotic immature pulps in permanent teeth. Following the publication of a case report (Iwaya et al. ), investigators have been rigorously examining the types of tissues formed in the canals as well as exploring strategies to regenerate the pulp–dentine complex in revitalized teeth. This review will provide an update on the types of tissues generated in the canals after revitalization/revascularization therapy in both animal and human studies. The understanding of the role of stem cells and microenvironment in the process of wound healing resulting in either regeneration or repair will be thoroughly discussed. Stem cells and microenvironmental cues introduced into the canal during revitalization/revascularization procedures will be examined. In addition, requirement of a sterile microenvironment in the canal and vital tissue generation in revitalization/revascularization therapy will be emphasized. The challenges that we face and the hopes that we have in revitalization/revascularization therapy for regenerative endodontics will be presented.
“It's a very difficult question isn't it?” Researcher, interpreter and research participant negotiating meanings in an education research interview
Authors: Andrews Jane
Published: November 2013

Writers within Applied Linguistics and beyond have argued for research papers using interview methods to acknowledge all participants' contributions to that data for example, Kvale and Brinkmann, and Mann. When research encounters involve participants who do not all share each other's languages, interpreters are often brought in as mediators and the issues of how to represent the research encounter and the data transparently increase. Temple and Edwards have called for interpreters within research to be recognised as co‐researchers given their impact on co‐constructing the interaction. In this paper, data from a single education research interview is explored using insights from sociocultural theory and interactional sociolinguistics in order to develop understandings of how knowledge was co‐constructed in this instance of a multilingual research encounter.
Multilingual research practices in community research: The case of migrant/refugee women inNorthEastEngland
Authors: Ganassin Sara , Holmes Prue
Published: November 2013

Researching in communities where the research participants are multilingual raises questions about research design and practice. This paper illustrates post‐research reflections of a study of multilingual women from ethnic minority migrant/refugee/asylum‐seeking backgrounds living in theNorth‐East ofEngland. The study involved 68 women speaking more than 25 languages, and 17 researchers, including volunteers, most of whom were multilingual. The analysis revealed the importance of flexible multilingualism in the project design – from inception, to choice of research instruments, data generation processes, analysis and write‐up – to accommodate participants' (and researchers') asymmetric multilingual practices. These multilingual research practices, often under‐discussed in research methodology, have implications for the authenticity and trustworthiness of the research outcomes, especially among marginalized, vulnerable, and disadvantaged groups.
Crack Growth Monitoring in Ceramic Matrix Composites by Combined Infrared Thermography and Acoustic Emission
Authors: Dassios Konstantinos G. , Kordatos Evangelos Z. , Aggelis Dimitris G. , Matikas Theodore E.
Published: November 2013

The current study proposes a novel methodology for measuring crack growth in composite materials using combined infrared thermography (IRT) and acoustic emission (AE). The technique is tested across a SiC‐fiber‐reinforced ceramic matrix composite while no apparent factor is limiting its usage on composite materials of different nature as well. Compact tension specimens were loaded in tension with unloading/reloading loops and the thermally dissipated energy due to crack growth and other damage mechanisms was captured by IRT with a 100 Hz sampling rate. Crack growth was established by identifying the time instances where the maximum temperature, hence also damage, occurred and then quantifying, by means of control lines, the damage span within the thermograph corresponding to the specific instance. The high accuracy of the proposed technique was validated against optical measurements of crack length. The theoretical crack length predicted by the elastic compliance technique was found to overestimate the experimental findings by at least 25%. Knowledge of the critical level of damage accumulation for material structural health was made possible from AE descriptors such as activity during the unloading part of the cycles. In this study, AE was particularly successful in closely following the actual crack growth measured by IRT, an observation that brings out the potential of the technique for quantitative measurements.
Predator–prey interactions, flight initiation distance and brain size
Authors: Møller A. P. , Erritzøe J.
Published: November 2013

Prey avoid being eaten by assessing the risk posed by approaching predators and responding accordingly. Such an assessment may result in prey–predator communication and signalling, which entail further monitoring of the predator by prey. An early antipredator response may provide potential prey with a selective advantage, although this benefit comes at the cost of disturbance in terms of lost foraging opportunities and increased energy expenditure. Therefore, it may pay prey to assess approaching predators and determine the likelihood of attack before fleeing. Given that many approaching potential predators are detected visually, we hypothesized that species with relatively large eyes would be able to detect an approaching predator from afar. Furthermore, we hypothesized that monitoring of predators by potential prey relies on evaluation through information processing by the brain. Therefore, species with relatively larger brains for their body size should be better able to monitor the intentions of a predator, delay flight for longer and hence have shorter flight initiation distances than species with smaller brains. Indeed, flight initiation distances increased with relative eye size and decreased with relative brain size in a comparative study of 107 species of birds. In addition, flight initiation distance increased independently with size of the cerebellum, which plays a key role in motor control. These results are consistent with cognitive monitoring as an antipredator behaviour that does not result in the fastest possible, but rather the least expensive escape flights. Therefore, antipredator behaviour may have coevolved with the size of sense organs, brains and compartments of the brain involved in responses to risk of predation.
A question of time: Daily time allocation between work and private life
Authors: Unger Dana , Niessen Cornelia , Sonnentag Sabine , Neff Angela
Published: November 2013

This diary study investigates time allocation between work and private life of dual‐earner couples. Addressing the association between positive and negative experiences in romantic relationships and time spent on work, we test propositions derived from a general control‐theoretical approach. We also study the consequences of time allocation to work and private life for relationship‐oriented needs and goals (i.e., intimacy and social support). A total of 152 persons (i.e., 76 couples), mainly working in academia, took part in our study. Using multilevel path analysis, we found support for the general control‐theoretical approach. Relationship quality was positively and relationship hassles were negatively associated with time spent on work. We found evidence for a trade‐off between time spent on work and relationship time. Relationship time in turn was positively associated with intimacy and social support. In our discussion, we stress the importance of time control in organizations in order to support employees in their daily trade‐off between time spent on work and on the relationship.

Practitioner points

We examine daily time spent to work, a variable that is highly important for goal‐pursuit at work and in the private life.

We shed light on resource allocation between work and private life as a self‐regulatory strategy helpful for the simultaneous pursuit of concerns in both life domains.

The outcomes intimacy and social support have relevance for performance and dealing with stress in the work domain.

Valuing and engaging in face time at work is challenged.
Impacts of wearing complete dentures on bolus transport during feeding in elderly edentulous
Authors: Yamamoto H. , Furuya J. , Tamada Y. , Kondo H.
Published: November 2013

Prosthetic treatment with dentures is often required for the elderly who have reduced swallowing function. Therefore, it is important to understand the relationship between denture‐wearing and feeding function from the perspective of swallowing. To clarify changes in bolus transport during feeding in elderly edentulous patients with or without complete dentures. Subjects were 15 elderly edentulous volunteers who were treated with maxillary and mandibular complete dentures. The test food was 10 g of minced agar jelly containing barium sulphate with a particle diameter of 4·0–5·6 mm. Lateral videofluoroscopy was performed to assess the position of the leading edge of the bolus, the bolus volume in each area at swallow onset, bolus transit time and the mandibular position during pharyngeal swallowing. There were significant changes between the bolus transport with and without dentures. Without dentures, the leading edge of the bolus at swallow onset fell from the valleculae area to the hypopharynx, and the bolus volume in the hypopharynx increased. Bolus transit time increased in the oral cavity, valleculae and hypopharynx. The mandibular position shifted anterosuperior direction. The results arose owing to anatomical changes in the oral and pharyngeal structure and the following functional changes: poor food manipulation, poor bolus formation and delayed swallowing reflex. Removing dentures in elderly edentulous individuals influences bolus transport during feeding, resulting in the exacerbation of the reduced swallowing reserve capacity that accompanies ageing, and may increase the risk of dysphagia.
Using Flory–Huggins phase diagrams as a pre-formulation tool for the production of amorphous solid dispersions: a comparison between hot-melt extrusion and spray drying
Authors: Tian Yiwei , Caron Vincent , Jones David S , Healy Anne-Marie , Andrews Gavin P
Published: November 2013

Objectives

Amorphous drug forms provide a useful method of enhancing the dissolution performance of poorly water-soluble drugs; however, they are inherently unstable. In this article, we have used Flory–Huggins theory to predict drug solubility and miscibility in polymer candidates, and used this information to compare spray drying and melt extrusion as processes to manufacture solid dispersions.

Method

Solid dispersions were prepared using two different techniques (hot-melt extrusion and spray drying), and characterised using a combination of thermal (thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry), spectroscopic (Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction methods.

Key findings

Spray drying permitted generation of amorphous solid dispersions across a wider drug concentration than melt extrusion. Melt extrusion provided sufficient energy for more intimate mixing to be achieved between drug and polymer, which may improve physical stability. It was also confirmed that stronger drug–polymer interactions might be generated through melt extrusion. Remixing and dissolution of recrystallised felodipine into the polymeric matrices did occur during the modulated differential scanning calorimetry analysis, but the complementary information provided from FTIR confirms that all freshly prepared spray-dried samples were amorphous with the existence of amorphous drug domains within high drug-loaded samples.

Conclusion

Using temperature–composition phase diagrams to probe the relevance of temperature and drug composition in specific polymer candidates facilitates polymer screening for the purpose of formulating solid dispersions.
Testosterone with Dutasteride, but Not Anastrazole, Improves Insulin Sensitivity in Young Obese Men: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Juang Patricia S. , Peng Susan , Allehmazedeh Kambiz , Shah Ansal , Coviello Andrea D. , Herbst Karen L.
Published: November 2013

Introduction

Testosterone (T) administration to men increases T, estradiol (E2), dihydrotestosterone (DHT), and fat-free mass (FFM), and decreases fat mass (FM) but does not consistently improve insulin sensitivity (IS).

Aim

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of T administration in obese, nondiabetic men on body composition and IS, and to determine if inhibition (i) of metabolism of T to E2 with anastrazole or to DHT with dutasteride alters these effects.

Methods

This was a 98-day randomized, double-blind, parallel group, placebo-controlled trial of 57 men, 24–51 year, free T in the lower 25% of normal range (<0.33 nmol/L), body mass index ≥30.0 kg/m2. Subjects were randomized to one of four groups: (i) placebo: gel, pills, and injection; (ii) T/DHT/iE2: T gel, anastrazole, and acyline (gonadotropin releasing-hormone antagonist to suppress endogenous T); (iii) T/iDHT/E2: T gel, dutasteride, and acyline; (iv) T/DHT/E2: T gel, placebo pills, and acyline.

Main Outcome Measures

Main outcome measures are insulin sensitivity as percent change (%Δ) in glucose disposal rates (GDR) from a two-step euglycemic clamp (GDR1 and 2), and %FM and %FFM by dual X-ray absorptiometry scan.

Results

Insulin Sensitivity: %Δ GDR1 differed across groups (P = 0.02, anova) and was significantly higher in the dutasteride (T/iDHT/E2) compared with the placebo and T gel (T/DHT/E2) groups. %ΔGDR2 was higher in the dutasteride (T/iDHT/E2) compared with the anastrazole (T/DHT/iE2) group. Body Composition: T gel alone (T/DHT/E2) or with dutasteride (T/iDHT/E2) significantly increased %FFM (P < 0.05) and decreased %FM (P < 0.05). There was no change in %FFM or %FM after placebo or anastrazole (T/DHT/iE2).

Conclusions

The combination of T plus dutasteride improved body composition and IS while T alone improved body composition but not IS, suggesting that when T is administered to men, reduction to DHT attenuates the beneficial effects of aromatization to E2 on IS but not body composition.
Computer‐Based Graphic Organizers for Students with LD: A Systematic Review of Literature
Authors: Ciullo Stephen , Reutebuch Colleen
Published: November 2013

This article presents a systematic review of the literature for studies that utilized computer‐based graphic organizers for students with learning disabilities. A comprehensive search yielded 12 studies that were coded and analyzed. The authors investigated the effectiveness of the treatments on academic outcomes, and selected integral instructional and methodological features for evaluation in order to delineate practical implications and prioritize future research. Findings revealed high effect sizes on social studies measures and encouraging results for written expression, while comprehension results were less promising. This review found no evidence suggesting that these treatments were efficacious without the use of explicit instruction and guided practice.
A Comparison of Lower‐ and Higher‐Resourced Tier 2 Reading Interventions for High School Sophomores
Authors: Bemboom Christina M. , McMaster Kristen L.
Published: November 2013

The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of peer‐mediated versus teacher‐directed reading intervention on the reading performance of high school sophomores. Participants (n = 57) from the lowest 25th percentile of their sophomore class in reading were assigned randomly to peer‐mediated or teacher‐directed intervention. Fifteen to sixteen 25‐minute intervention sessions over 12 weeks included listening passage preview, retelling, and main idea questioning. Linear regression revealed statistically significant main effects of intervention on maze selection, with both treatment groups outperforming a nonequivalent control group (ES = .69–1.00). There were no statistically significant differences on oral reading fluency or maze selection between the peer‐mediated and teacher‐directed groups. Participating in peer‐mediated intervention and receiving more minutes of instruction were significantly associated with higher performance on the district reading assessment. Implications for allocating resources to tiered intervention in secondary schools are discussed.
Two decades of genetic profiling yields first evidence of natal philopatry and long‐term fidelity to parturition sites in sharks
Authors: Feldheim Kevin A. , Gruber Samuel H. , DiBattista Joseph D. , Babcock Elizabeth A. , Kessel Steven T. , Hendry Andrew P. , Pikitch Ellen K. , Ashley Mary V. , Chapman Demian D.
Published: November 2013

Sharks are a globally threatened group of marine fishes that often breed in their natal region of origin. There has even been speculation that female sharks return to their exact birthplace to breed (‘natal philopatry’), which would have important conservation implications. Genetic profiling of lemon sharks (Negaprion brevirostris) from 20 consecutive cohorts (1993–2012) at Bimini, Bahamas, showed that certain females faithfully gave birth at this site for nearly two decades. At least six females born in the 1993–1997 cohorts returned to give birth 14–17 years later, providing the first direct evidence of natal philopatry in the chondrichthyans. Long‐term fidelity to specific nursery sites coupled with natal philopatry highlights the merits of emerging spatial and local conservation efforts for these threatened predators.
yciM is an essential gene required for regulation of lipopolysaccharide synthesis in Escherichia coli
Authors: Mahalakshmi S. , Sunayana M. R. , SaiSree L. , Reddy Manjula
Published: November 2013

The outer membrane of Gram‐negative bacteria is an asymmetric lipid bilayer consisting of an essential glycolipid lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in its outer leaflet and phospholipids in the inner leaflet. Here, we show that yciM, a gene encoding a tetratricopeptide repeat protein of unknown function, modulates LPS levels by negatively regulating the biosynthesis of lipid A, an essential constituent of LPS. Inactivation of yciM resulted in high LPS levels and cell death in Escherichia coli; recessive mutations in lpxA, lpxC or lpxD that lower the synthesis of lipid A, or a gain of function mutation in fabZ that increases the formation of membrane phospholipids, alleviated the yciM mutant phenotypes. A modest increase in YciM led to significant reduction of LPS and increased sensitivity to hydrophobic antibiotics. YciM was shown to regulate LPS by altering LpxC, an enzyme that catalyses the first committed step of lipid A biosynthesis. Regulation of LpxC by YciM was contingent on the presence of FtsH, an essential membrane‐anchored protease known to degrade LpxC, suggesting that FtsH and YciM act in concert to regulate synthesis of lipid A. In summary, this study demonstrates an essential role for YciM in regulation of LPS biosynthesis in E. coli.
How long do louse eggs take to hatch? A possible answer to an age‐old riddle
Authors: BURGESS I. F.
Published: November 2013

There are no rigorous data on how long eggs of the head louse, Pediculus capitis (Phthiraptera: Pediculidae), take to hatch. Pediculicide users often report re‐infestations after apparently successful treatments in the absence of infective contacts. This study aimed to resolve the question of whether some louse eggs hatch after the completion of treatment, thereby giving rise to a new infestation. Data were extracted from the records of lice collected after treatments in 20 clinical intervention trials. All datasets were eliminated except those in which only newly hatched louse nymphs were found prior to the final assessment. This excluded the possibility that new eggs were laid after the first treatment and thus any young lice found must have originated from eggs laid before the start of treatment. This identified 23 of 1895 (1.2%) records with evidence of louse nymphs emerging at 13 days or more after the first treatment, 3–6 days longer than previous estimates. Current treatment regimens for pediculicides of two applications 7–10 days apart appear inadequate, which may explain continuing infestation in the community. Therefore, it is suggested that a revised approach using three treatments applied at intervals of 1 week should prevent the survival of any nymphs and their development into a new generation of adults.
Polymorphic chromosomal inversions in Anopheles moucheti, a major malaria vector in Central Africa
Authors: SHARAKHOVA M. V. , ANTONIO‐NKONDJIO C. , XIA A. , NDO C. , AWONO‐AMBENE P. , SIMARD F. , SHARAKHOV I. V.
Published: November 2013

Anopheles moucheti Evans (Diptera: Culicidae) is a major vector of malaria in forested areas of Central Africa. However, few genetic tools are available for this species. The present study represents the first attempt to characterize chromosomes in An. moucheti females collected in Cameroon. Ovarian nurse cells contained polytene chromosomes, which were suitable for standard cytogenetic applications. The presence of three polymorphic chromosomal inversions in An. moucheti was revealed. Two of these inversions were located on the 2R chromosome arm. The homology between the 2R chromosome arms of An. moucheti and Anopheles gambiae Giles was established by fluorescent in situ hybridization of six An. gambiae genic sequences. Mapping of the probes on chromosomes of An. moucheti detected substantial gene order reshuffling between the two species. The presence of polytene chromosomes and polymorphic inversions in An. moucheti provides a new basis for further population genetic, taxonomic and ecological studies of this neglected malaria vector.
Probucol combined with valsartan in immunoglobulin A nephropathy: A multi‐centre, open labelled, randomized controlled study
Authors: Ye Zhiming , Zhang Li , Xu Lixia , Shi Wei , Hu Haitang , Shi Xiaofeng , Zhong Weiqiang , Hou Shuan , Yan Honghong , Zhang Bin , Xia Yunfeng , Wang Wenjian , Feng Zonglin , Wang Liping , Liang Yongzheng
Published: November 2013

Aim

Angiotensin receptor antagonists (ARBs) and anti‐oxidants reduce urinary protein excretion and delay progression of immunoglobulin A (IgA) nephropathy. We investigated the efficacy and safety of probucol (an anti‐oxidant) combined with valsartan (an ARB) on the progression of IgA nephropathy.

Methods

Patients with IgA nephropathy (n = 69) were recruited from five centres and randomly assigned to a treatment group (750 mg/day probucol plus 160 mg/day valsartan) or a control group (160 mg/day valsartan) and were followed for 3 years.

Results

At baseline, the two groups in any measured clinical information were comparable. The primary endpoint (doubling serum creatinine) showed no significant difference between the two groups during 3‐year follow‐up. The secondary endpoint (50% reduction in 24‐h urinary protein) occurred in 23 patients in the treatment group and 20 patients in the control group. The time to the secondary end‐point was shorter in the treatment group than the control group (8.13 months vs 19.63 months, P = 0.019). However, at the 3‐year follow‐up, the 24‐h urinary protein levels were not significantly different from the baseline levels (P = 0.99 and P = 0.66, respectively). At the 1‐year follow‐up, plasma cholesterol in the treatment group was markedly lower than in the control group (4.12 ± 1.28 vs 5.03 ± 1.01, P = 0.02).

Conclusion

Kidney function remained stable and there was no significant difference in two group patients. Probucol combined with valsartan led to a more rapid decrease of 24‐h urinary protein excretion than valsartan alone. However, the long‐term effect needs further investigation.
Gravitropism in Phycomyces: violation of the so‐called resultant law – evidence for two response components
Authors: Göttig M. , Galland P.
Published: November 2013

We investigated gravitropic bending of sporangiophores of the zygomycete fungus Phycomyces blakesleeanus in response to centrifugal accelerations to test the so‐called resultant law of gravitropism (‘Resultantengesetz’; Jahrbuch der wissenschaftlichen Botanik, 71, 325, 1929; Der Geotropismus der Pflanzen, Gustav Fischer, Jena, Germany, 1932), which predicts that gravitropic organs orient in a centrifuge rotor parallel to the stimulus vector resulting from the centrifugal acceleration and gravity. Sporangiophores of wild‐type strain C171 carAcarR and of several gravitropism mutants were subjected for 7 h to centrifugal accelerations in a dynamic range between 0.01 and 3 × g. The stimulus–response curves that were obtained for C171 carA carR, C2 carA geo and C148 carA geo madC were complex and displayed two response components: a low‐acceleration component between 0.01 and 0.5 × g and a high‐acceleration component above 0.5 × g. The low acceleration component is characterised by bending angles exceeding those predicted by the resultant law and kinetics faster than that of the second component; in contrast, the high‐acceleration component is characterised by bending slightly below the predicted level and kinetics slower than that of the first component. Sporangiophores of the wild‐type C171 centrifuged horizontally displayed the opposite behaviour, i.e. low accelerations diminished and high accelerations slightly enhanced bending. Further proof for the existence of the two response components was provided by the phenotype of gravitropism mutants that either lacked the first response component or which caused its overexpression. The tropism mutant C148 with defective madC gene, which codes for a RasGap protein (Fungal Genetics Reports, 60 (Suppl.), Abstract # 211, 2013), displayed hypergravitropism and concomitant deviations from the resultant law that were twice as high as in the wild‐type C171. Gravitropism mutants with defects in the genes madF, madG and madJ lacked the low‐response component below 0.5 × g. Our data are at variance with the so‐called resultant law and imply that gravitropic orientation cannot depend exclusively on the classical sine stimulus (i.e. acting perpendicularly on the side walls); it rather must also be controlled by the cosine stimulus acting parallel to the longitudinal axis of the gravisensing organ. Our studies indicate that the threshold for the cosine response is the same as that of the sine response, and thus close to 0.01 × g.
Alteration of gene expression profile in the roots of wild diploid Arachis duranensis inoculated with Ralstonia solanacearum
Authors: Chen Y. N. , Ren X. P. , Zhou X. J. , Huang L. , Huang J. Q. , Yan L. Y. , Lei Y. , Qi Y , Wei W. H. , Jiang H. F.
Published: November 2013

Bacterial wilt caused by Ralstonia solanacearum is a serious disease of peanut (Arachis hypogaea) in China. However, the molecular basis of peanut resistance to R. solanacearum is poorly understood. Arachis duranensis, a wild diploid species of the genus Arachis, has been proven to be resistant to bacterial wilt, and thus holds valuable potential for understanding the mechanism of resistance to bacterial wilt and genetic improvement of peanut disease resistance. Here, suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) and macroarray hybridization were employed to detect differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the roots of A. duranensis after R. solanacearum inoculation. A total of 317 unique genes were obtained, 265 of which had homologues and functional annotations. KEGG analysis revealed that a large proportion of these unigenes are mainly involved in the biosynthesis of phytoalexins, particularly in the biosynthetic pathways of terpenoids and flavonoids. Subsequent real‐time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis showed that the terpenoid and flavonoid synthesis‐related genes showed higher expression levels in a resistant genotype of A. duranensis than in a susceptible genotype, indicating that the terpenoids and flavonoids probably played a fundamental role in the resistance of A. duranensis to R. solanacearum. This study provides an overview of the gene expression profile in the roots of wild Arachis species in response to R. solanacearum infection. Moreover, the related candidate genes are also valuable for the further study of the molecular mechanisms of resistance to R. solanacearum.
Use of Eggs Derived From the Interspecific Charr Hybrids to Induce Androgenetic Development of the Brook Charr (Salvelinus fontinalis Mitchill 1814)
Authors: Michalik O , Dobosz S , Wójcik I , Zalewski T , Ocalewicz K
Published: November 2013

Contents

Although, brook charr (Salvelinus fontinalis Mitchill 1814) and Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus Linnaeus 1758) are able to cross and give fertile offspring, their androgenetic nucleocytoplasmic hybrids are not viable. To overcome incompatibility between the egg cytoplasm of one charr species and the sperm nucleus of another charr species, application of F1 interspecific hybrids as egg donors for the purpose of androgenesis has been proposed. Here, androgenetic development of the brook charr was successfully induced in the brook charr eggs and the eggs derived from the reciprocal brook charr × Arctic charr F1 hybrids. A working androgenesis protocol included inactivation of the maternal nuclear DNA achieved by irradiation of the eggs with 420 Gy of X‐rays, insemination of such treated eggs with the haploid sperm cells and exposition of the haploid androgenetic zygotes to the high hydrostatic pressure shock (51.711 MPa for 4 min) applied 420 min after insemination. Androgenetic larvae that hatched from the brook charr and the hybrid eggs were shown to be homozygous brook charr individuals. Androgenetic individuals exhibited 84 chromosomes and 100 chromosome arms (FN), values characteristic for the brook charr diploid cells. Strategy hybridize first than induce androgenesis should be tested in order to provide androgenetic offspring in other salmonids that are able to cross and produce fertile offspring.