bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Long‐term clinical outcomes after percutaneous coronary intervention for chronic total occlusions in elderly patients (≥75 Years)
Authors: Hoebers Loes P. , Claessen Bimmer E. , Dangas George D. , Park Seung‐Jung , Colombo Antonio , Moses Jeffrey W. , Henriques José P.S. , Stone Gregg W. , Leon Martin B. , Mehran Roxana ,   the Multinational CTO Registry
Published: February 2013

Objective

To investigate procedural success rates and long‐term clinical outcome of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for chronic total occlusions (CTO) in elderly patients.

Background

Little is known about procedural success and long‐term clinical outcome of PCI for CTO in the elderly.

Methods

A total of 1,791 consecutive patients with 1,852 CTO underwent PCI at three large centers in USA, Italy, and South Korea. Outcomes included procedural success and major adverse cardiac events (MACE, composite of mortality, myocardial infarction, or coronary artery bypass graft surgery [CABG]).Time‐to‐event analyses were performed using Kaplan−Meier statistics, and the log‐rank statistic was used to test for differences between patients aged ≥75 and patients aged <75 years.

Results

Two hundred and thirteen patients (12%) were aged ≥75 years. Procedural success rates were similar in elderly patients compared with patients <75 years (63.8% vs. 69.1%, P = 0.12). Median follow‐up was 890 days (IQR: 380–1,480 days). MACE rates after successful versus failed PCI were 25.8% versus 42.3% in the elderly (P = 0.02) and 11.2 versus 20.8% in younger patients (P < 0.01). In elderly patients, this reduction in MACE after successful PCI was mainly driven by a reduction in CABG (0.0% vs. 20.4%, P < 0.01), there were no significant differences in terms of mortality (19.6% vs. 24.6%, P = 0.13) or MI (11.5% vs. 8.0%, P = 0.87).

Conclusion

CTO PCI in patients ≥75 years has similar success as in patients <75 years. In elderly patients undergoing CTO PCI, MACE rates were relatively high but successful revascularization is associated with a reduction in MACE at 5‐year follow‐up in both elderly and younger patients. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Transcatheter closure of a giant communication between the right pulmonary artery and left atrium in a neonate
Authors: Akhtar Mustansar J. , Rosengart Ronald M. , Salem Morris M.
Published: February 2013

Direct communication between the right pulmonary artery and the left atrium is an extremely rare congenital pathologic entity characterized by right to left shunt and a rare cause of cyanosis in newborn. The value of echocardiography is emphasized in making the diagnosis as well as never before reported successful treatment with the Amplatzer vascular plug in a neonate. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Iatrogenic communications between aortic root and right ventricle/left atrium after transcatheter aortic valve replacement
Authors: Panoulas Vasileios F. , O'Gallagher Kevin , Mikhail Ghada W.
Published: February 2013

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has emerged as an alternative, less invasive treatment option for patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis, who are high‐risk for conventional surgical aortic valve replacement, due to co‐morbidities. In addition to a 30‐day 10% mortality risk there is a recognized range of complications, which commonly relate to vascular access trauma, paravalvular aortic regurgitation, and cerebrovascular events. In the following case reports, we discuss two previously unreported complications of TAVR: (i) an iatrogenic communication between the aortic root and the right ventricle and (ii) an iatrogenic communication between the aortic root and the left atrium. Informed written consent was obtained from both paztients. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A Combination Strategy to Inhibit Pim‐1: Synergism between Noncompetitive and ATP‐Competitive Inhibitors
Authors: Mori Mattia , Tintori Cristina , Christopher Robert Selwyne Arul , Radi Marco , Schenone Silvia , Musumeci Francesca , Brullo Chiara , Sanità Patrizia , Delle Monache Simona , Angelucci Adriano , Kissova Miroslava , Crespan Emmanuele , Maga Giovanni , Botta Maurizio
Published: February 2013

Pim‐1 is a serine/threonine kinase critically involved in the initiation and progression of various types of cancer, especially leukemia, lymphomas and solid tumors such as prostate, pancreas and colon, and is considered a potential drug target against these malignancies. In an effort to discover new potent Pim‐1 inhibitors, a previously identified ATP‐competitive indolyl‐pyrrolone scaffold was expanded to derive structure–activity relationship data. A virtual screening campaign was also performed, which led to the discovery of additional ATP‐competitive inhibitors as well as a series of 2‐aminothiazole derivatives, which are noncompetitive with respect to both ATP and peptide substrate. This mechanism of action, which resembles allosteric inhibition, has not previously been characterized for Pim‐1. Notably, further evaluation of the 2‐aminothiazoles indicated a synergistic inhibitory effect in enzymatic assays when tested in combination with ATP‐competitive inhibitors. A synergistic effect in the inhibition of cell proliferation by ATP‐competitive and ATP‐noncompetitive compounds was also observed in prostate cancer cell lines (PC3), where all Pim‐1 inhibitors tested in showed synergism with the known anticancer agent, paclitaxel. These results further establish Pim‐1 as a target in cancer therapy, and highlight the potential of these agents for use as adjuvant agents in the treatment of cancer diseases in which Pim‐1 is associated with chemotherapeutic resistance.
Intrinsic horizontal connections process global tactile features in the primary somatosensory cortex: Neuroanatomical evidence
Authors: Négyessy László , Pálfi Emese , Ashaber Mária , Palmer Cory , Jákli Balázs , Friedman Robert M. , Chen Li M. , Roe Anna W.
Published: February 2013

To understand manual tactile functions in primates, it is essential to explore the interactions between the finger pad representations in somatosensory cortex. To this end, we used optical imaging and electrophysiological mapping to guide neuroanatomical tracer injections into distal digit tip representations of Brodmann area 3b in the squirrel monkey. Retrogradely labeled cell densities and anterogradely labeled fibers and terminal patches in somatosensory areas were plotted and quantified with respect to tangential distribution. Within area 3b, reciprocal patchy distribution of anterograde and retrograde labeling spanned the representation of the distal pad of multiple digits, indicating strong cross‐digit connectivity. Inter‐areal connections revealed bundles of long‐range fibers projecting anteroposteriorly, connecting area 3b with clusters of labeled neurons and terminal axon arborizations in area 1. Inter‐areal linkage appeared to be largely confined to the representation of the injected finger. These findings provide the neuroanatomical basis for the interaction between distal finger pad representations observed by recent electrophysiological studies. We propose that intra‐areal connectivity may be heavily involved in interdigit integration such as shape discrimination, whereas long‐range inter‐areal connections may subserve active touch in a digit‐specific manner. J. Comp. Neurol. 521:2798–2817, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Chronic neurotrophin delivery promotes ectopic neurite growth from the spiral ganglion of deafened cochleae without compromising the spatial selectivity of cochlear implants
Authors: Landry Thomas G. , Fallon James B. , Wise Andrew K. , Shepherd Robert K.
Published: February 2013

Cochlear implants restore hearing cues in the severe–profoundly deaf by electrically stimulating spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs). However, SGNs degenerate following loss of cochlear hair cells, due at least in part to a reduction in the endogenous neurotrophin (NT) supply, normally provided by hair cells and supporting cells of the organ of Corti. Delivering exogenous NTs to the cochlea can rescue SGNs from degeneration and can also promote the ectopic growth of SGN neurites. This resprouting may disrupt the cochleotopic organization upon which cochlear implants rely to impart pitch cues. Using retrograde labeling and confocal imaging of SGNs, we determined the extent of neurite growth following 28 days of exogenous NT treatment in deafened guinea pigs with and without chronic electrical stimulation (ES). On completion of this treatment, we measured the spread of neural activation to intracochlear ES by recording neural responses across the cochleotopically organized inferior colliculus using multichannel recording techniques. Although NT treatment significantly increased both the length and the lateral extent of growth of neurites along the cochlea compared with deafened controls, these anatomical changes did not affect the spread of neural activation when examined immediately after 28 days of NT treatment. NT treatment did, however, result in lower excitation thresholds compared with deafened controls. These data support the application of NTs for improved clinical outcomes for cochlear implant patients. J. Comp. Neurol. 521:2818–2832, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Beta2‐adrenergic receptor signaling in CD4+Foxp3+ regulatory T cells enhances their suppressive function in a PKA‐dependent manner
Authors: Guereschi Marcia G. , Araujo Leandro P. , Maricato Juliana T. , Takenaka Maisa C. , Nascimento Vanessa M. , Vivanco Bruno C. , Reis Vanessa O. , Keller Alexandre C. , Brum Patrícia C. , Basso Alexandre S.
Published: February 2013

Beta2‐adrenergic receptor (B2AR) signaling is known to impair Th1‐cell differentiation and function in a cAMP‐dependent way, leading to inhibition of cell proliferation and decreased production of IL‐2 and IFN‐γ. CD4+ Foxp3+ Treg cells play a key role in the regulation of immune responses and are essential for maintenance of self‐tolerance. Nevertheless, very little is known about adrenergic receptor expression in Treg cells or the influence of noradrenaline on their function. Here we show that Foxp3+ Treg cells express functional B2AR. B2AR activation in Treg cells leads to increased intracellular cAMP levels and to protein kinase A (PKA)‐dependent CREB phosphorylation. We also found that signaling via B2AR enhances the in vitro suppressive activity of Treg cells. B2AR‐mediated increase in Treg‐cell suppressive function was associated with decreased IL‐2 mRNA levels in responder CD4+ T cells and improved Treg‐cell‐induced conversion of CD4+ Foxp3− cells into Foxp3+ induced Treg cells. Moreover, B2AR signaling increased CTLA‐4 expression in Treg cells in a PKA‐dependent way. Finally, we found that PKA inhibition totally prevented the B2AR‐mediated increase in Treg‐cell suppressive function. Our data suggest that sympathetic fibers are able to regulate Treg‐cell suppressive activity in a positive manner through B2AR signaling.
Grid‐based molecular footprint comparison method for docking and de novo design: Application to HIVgp41
Authors: Balius Trent E. , Allen William J. , Mukherjee Sudipto , Rizzo Robert C.
Published: February 2013

Scoring functions are a critically important component of computer‐aided screening methods for the identification of lead compounds during early stages of drug discovery. Here, we present a new multigrid implementation of the footprint similarity (FPS) scoring function that was recently developed in our laboratory which has proven useful for identification of compounds which bind to a protein on a per‐residue basis in a way that resembles a known reference. The grid‐based FPS method is much faster than its Cartesian‐space counterpart, which makes it computationally tractable for on‐the‐fly docking, virtual screening, or de novo design. In this work, we establish that: (i) relatively few grids can be used to accurately approximate Cartesian space footprint similarity, (ii) the method yields improved success over the standard DOCK energy function for pose identification across a large test set of experimental co‐crystal structures, for crossdocking, and for database enrichment, and (iii) grid‐based FPS scoring can be used to tailor construction of new molecules to have specific properties, as demonstrated in a series of test cases targeting the viral protein HIVgp41. The method is available in the program DOCK6. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Effect of chemical modifications on the electronic structure of poly(3‐hexylthiophene)
Authors: Oliveira Eliézer Fernando de , Camilo‐Jr Alexandre , Silva‐Filho Luiz Carlos da , Lavarda Francisco Carlos
Published: February 2013

The widespread use of poly(3‐hexylthiophene) (P3HT) in the active layers of organic solar cells indicates that it possesses chemical stability and solubility suitable for such an application. However, it would be desirable to have a material that can maintain these properties but with a smaller bandgap, which would lead to more efficient energy harvesting of the solar spectrum. Fifteen P3HT derivatives were studied using the Density Functional Theory. The conclusion is that it is possible to obtain compounds with significantly smaller bandgaps and with solubility and stability similar to that of P3HT, mostly through the binding of oxygen atoms or conjugated organic groups to the thiophenic ring. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys., 2013
Karydakis Flap for Recurrent Pilonidal Disease
Authors: Iesalnieks Igors , Deimel Sina , Schlitt Hans J.
Published: February 2013

Background

Patients undergoing surgery for recurrent pilonidal disease are at high risk of developing re‐recurrence. The present retrospective analysis was performed to compare long‐term results in patients with recurrent disease undergoing midline excision surgery compared to patients undergoing the Karydakis flap procedure.

Methods

Only patients with previous excision surgery apart from simple abscess incision were included. Disease recurrence was defined as the need for repeat surgery.

Results

A total of 124 patients underwent surgery for recurrent pilonidal disease. Group 1 consisted of 37 patients (25 excision + midline closure, 12 excision + lay‐open). Group 2 consisted of 87 patients (Karydakis flap). There were no statistically significant differences between the groups with regard to patient’s age, duration of disease, body mass index, or sex. The average number of previous surgeries was significantly higher in group 1 patients (2.1 vs. 1.8, p = 0.019). The overall 1‐year recurrence rate was 43 % in group 1 and 3 % in group 2 (p < 0.0001). The wound dehiscence rate after the Karydakis flap procedure was as high as 43 % between years 2005 and 2009, but it fell to 10 % thereafter (p = 0.02).

Conclusions

Karydakis flap procedure is superior to midline excision surgery in patients presenting with recurrent pilonidal disease.
Bilateral Anterior Thoracotomy (Clamshell Incision) Is the Ideal Emergency Thoracotomy Incision: An Anatomic Study
Authors: Simms Eric R. , Flaris Alexandros N. , Franchino Xavier , Thomas Michael S. , Caillot Jean‐Louis , Voiglio Eric J.
Published: February 2013

Background

Emergency thoracotomy (ET) is a procedure that provides rapid access to intrathoracic structures for thoracic trauma patients arriving at the hospital in extremis. This study assesses the accessibility of intrathoracic structures provided by six different ET incisions. We hypothesize that the bilateral anterior thoracotomy (“clamshell” incision) provides the most rapid and definitive accessibility to intrathoracic structures.

Methods

Six ET incision types (left anterolateral thoracotomy, right anterolateral thoracotomy, left 2nd intercostal space incision, left 3rd intercostal space incision, median sternotomy, and bilateral anterior thoracotomy) were performed multiple times on eight cadavers. The critical intrathoracic structures were assessed for rapid accessibility and control, and they were characterized as “readily accessible,” “accessible,” and “inaccessible” on anatomic accessibility maps.

Results

Median sternotomy provided better access to intrathoracic structures than left and right anterior thoracotomies. Definitive control of the origin of the left subclavian artery was difficult with left 2nd or 3rd intercostal space incisions. Bilateral anterior thoracotomy, the clamshell incision, was easy to perform and gave superior access to all intrathoracic structures.

Conclusions

In severe thoracic trauma, specific injuries are unknown, even if they can be anticipated. The best incision is therefore one that provides the most rapid and definitive access to all thoracic structures for assessment and control. While the right and left anterolateral incisions may be successfully employed by surgeons with extensive experience in ET, the clamshell incision remains the superior incision choice.

Level of Evidence II

Observational study.
Weight status and dietary intake determine serum leptin concentrations in pregnant and lactating women and their infants
Authors: Vähämiko Sanna , Isolauri Erika , Laitinen Kirsi
Published: February 2013

Leptin regulates energy homeostasis and immune and metabolic functions. Highly elevated leptin concentrations during pregnancy may be associated with aberrations in maternal metabolism and long-term health consequences both in women and children. The objective of the present study was to evaluate whether dietary counselling, probiotic supplementation, maternal characteristics or dietary intake during pregnancy has an impact on serum leptin concentrations in women, cord blood or in children. A total of 256 pregnant women were randomised to a control group (n 85) or to receive dietary counselling with probiotics (n 85) or placebo (n 86). Dietary counselling aimed at affecting the type of fat used and to increase the amount of fibre in the women's diet. Women's dietary intake and serum leptin concentrations were analysed at the first and third trimesters of pregnancy and at 1 month postpartum. Furthermore, leptin concentrations were measured from the cord blood and from children's serum at 1 and 6 months of age. Weight status and dietary composition were the key determinants of leptin concentrations. Specifically, high dietary fibre and low SFA intakes were related to low serum leptin concentrations in women. Female sex and birth weight were associated with higher infant leptin, whereas cord blood leptin was additionally affected by maternal leptin concentration and protein intake. Probiotics or dietary counselling did not affect leptin concentrations. Weight control to recommended levels and modification of diet towards higher fibre and lower SFA intakes during pregnancy may through leptin concentrations provide health benefits to both women and children.
Rethinking property rights: comparative analysis of conservation easements for wildlife conservation
Authors: RISSMAN ADENA R.
Published: February 2013

Conservation easements (or conservation covenants) are commonly conceptualized as acquisitions of sticks in a ‘bundle of rights’ and are increasingly implemented for wildlife conservation on private lands. This research asks: (1) What are the possibilities and limitations of the conservation easement approach to wildlife conservation in contrasting rural and periurban regions? and (2) How does analysis of conservation easements differ when examining property as a bundle of rights or alternative metaphors? These questions were addressed through document analysis, interviews and GIS mapping in two regions where The Nature Conservancy deployed conservation easements for wildlife habitat: rural Lassen Foothills and periurban Tenaja Corridor, USA. Splitting the bundle allowed for site and region-specific easements with differences in permitted housing densities, land management and hunting. Easements focused on restricted rights rather than affirmative duties. The challenges of habitat connectivity in the fragmented Tenaja Corridor revealed the limits of parcel-based acquisition. Analysts and conservation practitioners should rethink the bundle of rights concept of property, considering a bundle of duties, powers and owners within a broader web of social and ecological interests, to understand the role of conservation acquisitions in contrasting landscape contexts.
Nonlinear absorption and harmonic generation of laser in a gas with anharmonic clusters
Authors: Kumar Manoj , Tripathi V. K.
Published: February 2013

The nonlinear absorption and harmonic generation of intense short pulse laser in a gas embedded with anharmonic clusters are investigated theoretically. When the laser induced excursion of cluster electrons becomes comparable to cluster radius, the restoration force on electrons no longer remains linearly proportional to the excursion. As a consequence, the plasmon resonance is broadened, leading to broadband laser absorption. It also leads to second and third harmonic generations, at much higher level than the one due to ponderomotive nonlinearity. The harmonic yield is resonantly enhanced at the plasmon resonance ω=ωpe/3, where ω is the frequency of the laser and ωpe is the plasma frequency of cluster electrons.
Cell cycle and lineage progression of neural progenitors in the ventricular-subventricular zones of adult mice
Authors: Ponti Giovanna , Obernier Kirsten , Guinto Cristina , Jose Lingu , Bonfanti Luca , Alvarez-Buylla Arturo
Published: February 2013

Significance

The time taken by neural stem cells and intermediate progenitor cells to transit through the cell cycle, and number of times they divide, is essential information to understand how new neurons are produced in the adult rodent brain.
Heart failure in elderly patients: distinctive features and unresolved issues
Authors: Lazzarini Valentina , Mentz Robert J. , Fiuzat Mona , Metra Marco , O'Connor Christopher M.
Published: February 2013

The prevalence of heart failure (HF) increases with age. While clinical trials suggest that contemporary evidence‐based HF therapies have reduced morbidity and mortality, these trials largely excluded the elderly. Questions remain regarding the clinical characteristics of elderly HF patients and the impact of contemporary therapies on their outcomes. This review presents the epidemiology of HF in the elderly and summarizes the data on the pathophysiology of the ageing heart. The clinical characteristics, treatment patterns, and outcomes of elderly HF patients are explored. Finally, the main gaps regarding HF therapies in the elderly and the opportunities for future trials are highlighted.
Widespread Long Noncoding RNAs as Endogenous Target Mimics for MicroRNAs in Plants
Authors: Wu Hua-Jun , Wang Zhi-Min , Wang Meng , Wang Xiu-Jie
Published: February 2013

Target mimicry is a recently identified regulatory mechanism for microRNA (miRNA) functions in plants in which the decoy RNAs bind to miRNAs via complementary sequences and therefore block the interaction between miRNAs and their authentic targets. Both endogenous decoy RNAs (miRNA target mimics) and engineered artificial RNAs can induce target mimicry effects. Yet until now, only the Induced by Phosphate Starvation1 RNA has been proven to be a functional endogenous microRNA target mimic (eTM). In this work, we developed a computational method and systematically identified intergenic or noncoding gene-originated eTMs for 20 conserved miRNAs in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) and rice (Oryza sativa). The predicted miRNA binding sites were well conserved among eTMs of the same miRNA, whereas sequences outside of the binding sites varied a lot. We proved that the eTMs of miR160 and miR166 are functional target mimics and identified their roles in the regulation of plant development. The effectiveness of eTMs for three other miRNAs was also confirmed by transient agroinfiltration assay.
How Proximate and ‘Meta-Institutional’ Contexts Shape Institutional Change: Explaining the Rise of the People's Bank of China
Authors: Bell Stephen , Feng Hui
Published: February 2013

This article charts and explains the rising authority of the People's Bank of China (PBC) within the steep hierarchy of the party state. The PBC's rise is explained by using a version of historical institutionalism which focuses on the dialectical or mutually shaping relationships between agents, institutions and wider contexts over time. Particular emphasis is placed on the way in which wider contexts such as crises, power distributions, ideational agendas and structural economic change shaped institutional change at the PBC. Theoretically, this approach moves beyond treating institutional contexts in an ad hoc manner, as existing theory does, and unifies the treatment of contexts within an agent-centred version of historical institutionalism.
Study of Distal Pyroclastic‐flow Stratum from Tianchi Volcano in 1215 (±15) Eruption: Pyroclastic‐flow Over Water
Authors: Bo ZHAO , Jiandong XU , Chuanyong LIN
Published: February 2013

In this paper, we describe three strata at the distal part of the pyroclastic‐flow from the Tianchi volcano in 1215 (±15) eruption. One of the strata with crosslayers that are different from typical pyroclastic‐flow strata may come from a ground‐surge. The grain‐size and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis was performed to study the origin of the pyroclastic‐flow. Characteristics of grain‐size distribution show that it is similar with the ash cloud. Through the SEM analyses, we found some quench structures with less damage on the surfaces of the vitric pumices. These phenomena indicate that there has been hydration in the transportation processes at the distal of pyroclastic‐flow. It has partly changed the transportation mechanism of pyroclastic‐flow, which transitions form dense flow to diluted flow. This paper develops a new distal pyroclastic‐flow model in the Tianchi volcano that can be divided into three stages, i.e. the quench stage, expanding stage and depositing stage.
Intraspecific Thievery in the Ant Ectatomma ruidum is Mediated by Food Availability
Authors: Guénard Benoit , McGlynn Terrence P.
Published: February 2013

Animals modify their foraging strategies in response to environmental changes that affect foraging performance. In some species, cleptobiosis represents an alternative strategy for resource access. The environmental factors that favor the incidence or prevalence of cleptobiosis, however, are poorly described. The cleptobiotic Neotropical ant Ectatomma ruidum is characterized by a high frequency of thievery behavior, a specific type of intraspecific cleptobiosis, in which specialized thief workers insinuate themselves into nests of neighboring colonies and intercept food items brought into these nests. Here, we evaluate how colonies adjust thievery behavior in response to food availability. We supplemented food availability and measured how the incidence and intensity of thievery responded to resource availability. We found that the incidence and intensity of thievery decline in response to supplemental food, suggesting that thievery behavior is a response to resource limitation at the population scale. This finding indicates that the phenomenon of intraspecific thievery, although a rare strategy in among colonies of social animals, is a viable alternative foraging tactic in the context of competition and food limitation.
Rigidity in Gender‐Typed Behaviors in Early Childhood: A Longitudinal Study of Ethnic Minority Children
Authors: Halim May Ling , Ruble Diane , Tamis‐LeMonda Catherine , Shrout Patrick E.
Published: February 2013

A key prediction of cognitive theories of gender development concerns developmental trajectories in the relative strength or rigidity of gender typing. To examine these trajectories in early childhood, 229 children (African American, Mexican American, and Dominican American) were followed annually from age 3 to 5 years, and gender‐stereotypical appearance, dress‐up play, toy play, and sex segregation were examined. High gender‐typing was found across ethnic groups, and most behaviors increased in rigidity, especially from age 3 to 4 years. In addressing controversy surrounding the stability and structure of gender‐typing it was found that from year to year, most behaviors showed moderately stable individual differences. Behaviors were uncorrelated within age but showed more concordance in change across time, suggesting that aspects of gender‐typing are multidimensional, but still show coherence.
“Two for Flinching”: Children's and Adolescents' Narrative Accounts of Harming Their Friends and Siblings
Authors: Recchia Holly , Wainryb Cecilia , Pasupathi Monisha
Published: February 2013

This study investigated differences in children's and adolescents' experiences of harming their siblings and friends. Participants (N = 101; 7‐, 11‐, and 16‐year‐olds) provided accounts of events when they hurt a younger sibling and a friend. Harm against friends was described as unusual, unforeseeable, and circumstantial. By contrast, harm against siblings was described as typical, ruthless, angry, and provoked, but also elicited more negative moral judgments and more feelings of remorse and regret. Whereas younger children were more self‐oriented with siblings and other‐oriented with friends, accounts of harm across relationships became somewhat more similar with age. Results provide insight into how these two relationships serve as distinct contexts for sociomoral development.
Ocular penetration of topical antibiotics: study on the penetration of chloramphenicol, tobramycin and netilmicin into the anterior chamber after topical administration
Authors: Cagini Carlo , Piccinelli Francesco , Lupidi Marco , Messina Marco , Cerqualglia Alessio , Manes Silvia , Fiore Tito , Pellegrino Roberto M
Published: February 2013

Background

To compare penetration in the aqueous humour of topically applied antibiotics.

Design

Randomized prospective study, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Perugia, Italy

Participants

Patients undergoing cataract surgery.

Methods

One hundred twenty‐two patients were included: 14 received one drop of chloramphenicol suspension; 12 one application of chloramphenicol gel; 11 one drop of netilmicin suspension; 13 one drop of tobramycin suspension; 37 repeated instillations of chloramphenicol suspension every 10 min for a total of four drops; and 35 repeated instillations of chloramphenicol gel every 10 min for a total of four drops. Samples were taken immediately before surgery from the anterior chamber in order to determine the antibiotic by means of high‐performance liquid chromatography. Samples were taken 45–190 min after the eye drops were instilled.

Main Outcome Measures

Intraocular penetration of chloramphenicol, netilmicin and tobramicyn.

Results

After a single administration, netilmicin and tobramycin were undetectable, whereas the chloramphenicol suspension reached a mean concentration of 0.23 ± 0.21 μg/mL, and the chloramphenicol gel a mean concentration of 0.13 ± 0.14 μg/mL. After repeated administrations, the mean concentrations of the chloramphenicol suspension and gel were 0.60 ± 0.26 μg/mL and 0.58 ± 0.18 μg/mL, respectively.

Conclusions

Tobramycin and netilmicin do not reach detectable concentrations, whereas chloramphenicol, after multiple administrations, reaches concentrations that are effective against Haemophilus influenzae and Haemophilus parainfluenzae, Legionella pneumophila, Moraxella catarrhalis, Neisseria meningitidis, Pasteurella multocida and Streptococcus pneumoniae. This means that chloramphenicol can be rationally used in the prophylaxis and treatment of infections supported by sensitive germs.
The osseointegration behavior of titanium–zirconium implants in ovariectomized rabbits
Authors: Wen Bo , Zhu Feng , Li Zhen , Zhang Peng , Lin Xingnan , Dard Michel
Published: February 2013

Objective

The aim of this study is to compare the osseointegration behavior of titanium (Ti) and titanium–zirconium (TiZr) implants in ovariectomized (OVX) rabbits.

Materials and methods

Twelve ovariectomized New Zealand rabbits submitted to a hypocalcic diet and 12 sham‐aged rabbits were used. After the bone mass loss induction period, TiZr or Ti implants both benefiting from a SLActive surface treatment were randomly inserted in the tibia and femur of each animal. The total of 24 rabbits were divided in four groups (n = 6): SHAM + Ti, OVX + Ti, SHAM + TiZr,OVX + TiZr. The animals were respectively sacrificed 3 and 6 weeks after dental implant placement. Six implants in each group at each time point were subjected to removal torque testing, and the remaining implants were prepared for histomorphometric analysis.

Results

At the end of the healing period, all implants were osseointegrated. The removal torque value of the SHAM‐TiZr group was significantly higher than those of the SHAM‐Ti group (P < 0.001). The removal torque of the OVX‐Ti group was significantly lower than those of the OVX‐TiZr group. All groups demonstrated an increase in the peak torque value after 6 weeks: 46.0 and 50.8 Ncm for the OVX and the SHAM animals, respectively, in the case where Ti implants were used. When TiZr implants were inserted, the values reached 60.7 and 76.2 Ncm with a similar group configuration. The BIC and the BA/TA analysis showed an increase between week 3 and 6 in the case of nonovariectomized animals. From week 3 to 6, the BIC went from 37.1 ± 14.3 to 47.7 ± 8.7 for the SHAM + Ti group and from 37.6 ± 10.9 to 50.4 ± 11 for the SHAM + TiZr group. The BIC values were not significantly different between groups.

Conclusion

The parameters intended to be representative of the bone morphology (BIC & BATA) did not help to discriminate between Ti and TiZr which appeared to behave similarly in this experimental model. However, the removal torque values for the TiZr group were statistically higher than those of the Ti group in both the SHAM and the ovariectomized animals. That likely reflected an increased quality of bone around the TiZr implants.
Upregulation of the neuronal Per‐Arnt‐Sim domain protein 4 (Npas4) in the rat corticolimbic system following focal cerebral ischemia
Authors: Leong Wai Khay , Klaric Thomas S. , Lin Yingxi , Lewis Martin D. , Koblar Simon A.
Published: February 2013

The neuronal Per‐Arnt‐Sim domain protein 4 (Npas4) is an important transcriptional regulator of synaptic plasticity and cognition. The present study characterises the in vivo neuroanatomical expression pattern of the Npas4 protein in a rat model of focal cerebral ischemia. Animals were subjected to unilateral middle cerebral artery occlusion for 2 h, after which the spatiotemporal and neuronal profiles of Npas4 protein expression were analysed by immunohistochemistry at different time points post‐reperfusion. Focal cerebral ischemia induced an early, transient and robust upregulation of Npas4 in a brain region‐dependent manner involving predominantly principal neurons. Interestingly, we observed a unique differential induction of Npas4 protein expression in corticolimbic regions of the rat brain that are critically linked to cognition and emotion. These findings suggest that stroke‐induced Npas4 upregulation may be involved in a transcriptional regulatory program within the corticolimbic circuitry following an ischemic insult.
On the future of mass‐spectrometry‐based lipidomics
Authors: Loizides‐Mangold Ursula
Published: February 2013

Lipids have highly diverse functions that go beyond cellular membrane structure and energy storage. One of the great challenges in lipid research will be to understand how the enormous complexity of lipid homeostasis is maintained. Genetic approaches combined with mass spectrometry‐based lipidomics will help to elucidate how cells create and maintain their nonrandom lipid distribution within tissues, cells, organelles and lipid bilayers. Lipid homeostasis is crucial for many cellular processes and we are currently only beginning to understand the specific functions of lipids and the local environment that they create.
Nucleation Kinetics of Lithium Metasilicate in ZrO2‐Bearing Lithium Disilicate Glasses for Dental Application
Authors: Krüger Susanne , Deubener Joachim , Ritzberger Christian , Höland Wolfram
Published: February 2013

The effect of ZrO2 on the nucleation of lithium metasilicate crystals in lithium disilicate‐based multicomponent glasses of composition in wt% x ZrO2 + (1 − (x/100)) (73.82 SiO2 + 3.99 K2O + 15.33 Li2O + 3.51 Al2O3 + 3.35 P2O5) with x = 0, 3, 4, 6, 8, and 12 was studied by combining the results from differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), micropenetration viscometry (MPV), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X‐ray diffraction (XRD). Peak shift of the first exotherm of DSC upscans indicated an increase in the temperature of maximum nucleation from 793 K (x = 0) to 873 K (x = 12), while number densities of relict structures of SEM images after nucleation at these temperatures and etching with HF led to an increase in the maximum nucleation rate from 2 × 1017/m3s (x = 0) to 6 × 1018/m3s (x = 12). MPV showed that viscosity increased with the ZrO2 content but nucleation was fastest close to 109.7 Pa s for all glasses studied. XRD revealed lithium metasilicate crystals within the etched volumes of approximately one order of magnitude smaller sizes compared to SEM relict structures, which were assumed to result from early‐stage phase separation and heterogeneous nucleation processes.
Effect of anxiety and depression on self‐care agency and quality of life in hospitalized patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A questionnaire survey
Authors: Yıldırım Arzu , Hacıhasanoğlu Aşılar Rabia , Bakar Nihal , Demir Nilay
Published: February 2013

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) affects the lives of individuals in a number of ways; it causes an increase in the need for help and support and a decline in self‐care agency and quality of life. This research has been conducted in patients with COPD hospitalized in the Pulmonary Department of Erzincan State Hospital in the eastern Turkey to examine the effect of anxiety and depression on self‐care agency and quality of life (n = 135). The results showed that 69.6% and 85.6% of the patients were at risk for anxiety and depression, respectively, and that the mean scores of self‐care agency and quality of life decreased as the mean scores of anxiety and depression increased. It was also established that the mean score of the quality of life increased as the mean score of self‐care agency went up. It could be concluded that the majority of the patients are at risk for anxiety and depression and that presence of anxiety or depression has a negative effect on the self‐care agency and the quality of life. The recognition and treatment of depression and anxiety in patients with COPD provide significant improvements in self‐care agency and quality of life of patients.
Of Foams and Formalisms: Scientific Expertise and Craft Practice in Molecular Gastronomy
Authors: Roosth Sophia
Published: February 2013

ABSTRACT This article reports on “molecular gastronomy,” a food movement whose practitioners—chemists who study food and chefs who apply their results—define as the application of the scientific method and laboratory apparatuses to further cooking. Molecular gastronomy offers one example of how scientific rationales sometimes percolate outside professional scientific fields. I explore what happens when the explanatory ground occupied by “culture” is supplanted by a different mode of expertise—here, science. Following ethnographic research conducted in a molecular gastronomy laboratory, I show how French molecular gastronomists seek both to preserve and renovate classic French cuisine. Describing how they think about French cuisine in an anthropological language indebted to French structuralism—the work of Claude Lévi‐Strauss, in particular—I reflect on the afterlives of anthropological concepts in scientific domains.
Nonliberal Jewish Women's Audiocassette Lectures in Brooklyn: A Crisis of Faith and the Morality of Media
Authors: Fader Ayala
Published: February 2013

ABSTRACT In this article, I examine a crisis of faith among nonliberal Jews in Brooklyn that was blamed on the Internet. The ensuing moral panic led many in the community to attend to affect as an indexical sign of gendered faith. Here I analyze inspirational lectures for and by middle‐aged nonliberal Jewish women designed to strengthen faith. Lectures syncretically drew on Hebrew texts and the language of the therapeutic framework, engaging with secular liberal knowledge, genres, and media. At the intersection of language use, media, and embodied practices, lectures were part of a broader effort among nonliberal Jews to tell an alternative narrative of progress—one that redefined temporality and truth to deny the authority of secular and non‐Jewish modernity. Live lectures and their circulation via audiocassettes shed light on moral interpretations of changing media, dynamics between discourse and materiality, and gendered faith over time and space.
Association between cytotoxic T‐lymphocyte antigen 4 gene polymorphisms and primary biliary cirrhosis in Chinese population: data from a multicenter study
Authors: Li Qianjun , Wang Bingjian , Pan Feng , Zhang Rui , Xiao Lingyan , Guo Huimin , Ma Shijie , Zhou Chuanwen
Published: February 2013

Background and Aims

The cytotoxic T‐lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA4) gene polymorphisms have been shown to be associated with the risk of primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC). The study aimed to confirm the associations of CTLA4 gene polymorphisms with risk of PBC and patients' quality of life in Chinese population.

Methods

A total of 312 female PBC patients from Chinese Han population were included as case, and 375 age‐matched female healthy volunteers were included as control. Four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) including rs231775, rs3087243, rs231725, and rs5742909 were genotyped. The differences of genotype and allele distributions between PBC patients and healthy controls were assessed. The relationship between CTLA4 gene polymorphisms and healthy status of PBC patients were then investigated through comparisons of the domain scores of PBC‐40 questionnaire between different genotype categories of each single nucleotide polymorphism.

Results

The frequencies of G allele at rs231775 and A allele at rs231725 were both significantly increased in PBC patients when compared with normal controls (P < 0.001, odds ratio = 1.44, 95% confidence interval = 1.24–1.67 for rs231775; P < 0.001, odds ratio = 1.29, 95% confidence interval = 1.12–1.48 for rs231725). Besides, patients carrying A allele of rs3087243 had significantly lower score of fatigue domain than those carrying G allele (2.5 ± 0.8 vs 3.9 ± 1.3, P < 0.001).

Conclusions

This study revealed that CTLA4 gene polymorphism might be associated with susceptibility of PBC. G allele of rs231775 and A allele of rs231725 were significantly associated with the risk of PBC. In addition, patients carrying A allele of rs3087243 could have significantly better quality of life than those carrying G allele.
Neonatal length inaccuracies in clinical practice and related percentile discrepancies detected by a simple length‐board
Authors: Wood Anna J , Raynes‐Greenow Camille H , Carberry Angela E , Jeffery Heather E
Published: February 2013

Aim

The study aims to assess accuracy of standard practice measurement of neonatal length compared with a gold‐standard length‐board technique.

Methods

Data were obtained from a population‐based, cross‐sectional study of 602 term babies at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, Australia, in 2010. Neonatal length was measured by standard clinical practice and by a length‐board (gold standard) and measurements compared. Standard growth curve percentiles were used to plot length measurements. The Bland and Altman method was used to assess agreement, and acceptable levels of agreement were set at ≤1 cm and ≤0.5 cm.

Results

The limits of agreement were between −3.06 cm (95% CI −3.08 to −3.04) and 2.67 cm (95% CI 2.65 to 2.69). Neonates whose standard‐practice length fell within 0.5 cm of the gold standard totalled 41% (241 neonates), while 59% (342) were >0.5 cm. The change in length resulted in a change in the percentile range of 53% (309) on a standard growth curve percentile. When examining neonates whose length was plotted at the extremes of percentile regions, the positive predictive value results of the standard practice compared with the gold standard were poor, with positive predictive values of 37.5%, 57.1% and 31.3% for neonates who were measured as <3rd, <10th and ≥90th percentile, respectively.

Conclusions

In current clinical practice, measures of neonatal length are often inaccurate, which has implications for potentially erroneous clinical care. Health‐care providers should be educated on the importance of length and trained in how to measure length with the correct technique using a length‐board.
Sex Differences in Verbal Fluency During Adolescence: A Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study in Gender Dysphoric and Control Boys and Girls
Authors: Soleman Remi S. , Schagen Sebastian E.E. , Veltman Dick J. , Kreukels Baudewijntje P.C. , Cohen-Kettenis Peggy T. , Lambalk Cornelis B. , Wouters Femke , Delemarre-van de Waal Henriette A.
Published: February 2013

Introduction

In the literature, verbal fluency (VF) is generally described as a female-favoring task. Although it is conceivable that this sex difference only evolves during adolescence or adulthood under influence of sex steroids, this has never been investigated in young adolescents.

Aim

First, to assess sex differences in VF performance and regional brain activation in adolescents. Second, to determine if untreated transsexual adolescents differ from their sex of birth with regard to VF performance and regional brain activation.

Method

Twenty-five boys, 26 girls, 8 Male-to-Female transsexual adolescents (MtFs), and 14 Female-to-Male transsexual adolescents (FtMs) were tested in a cross-sectional study, while performing a phonetic and semantic VF task within an MRI scanner.

Main Outcome Measures

Functional MRI response during VF task.

Results

Boys and girls produced similar amounts of words, but the group MtFs produced significantly more words in the phonetic condition compared to control boys, girls, and FtMs. During the semantic condition, no differences were found. With regard to brain activity, control boys showed more activation in the right Rolandic operculum, a small area adjacent to Broca's area, compared to girls. No significant differences in brain activity were found comparing transsexual adolescents, although sub-threshold activation was found in the right Rolandic operculum indicating a trendwise increase in activation from control girls to FtMs to MtFs to control boys.

Conclusions

The better performance of MtFs is consistent with our expectation that MtFs perform better on female-favoring tasks. Moreover, they produced more words than girls and FtMs. Even though a trendwise linear increase in brain activity between the four groups only approached significance, it may indicate differences in individuals with gender identity disorder compared to their birth sex. Although our findings should thus be interpreted with caution, they suggest a biological basis for both transgender groups performing in-between the two sexes.