bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Expectations and responsibilities regarding the sale of complementary medicines in pharmacies: perspectives of consumers and pharmacy support staff
Authors: Iyer Priya , McFarland Reanna , La Caze Adam
Published: September 2016

Background

Most sales of complementary medicines within pharmacies are conducted by pharmacy support staff. The absence of rigorous evidence for the effectiveness of many complementary medicines raises a number of ethical questions regarding the sale of complementary medicines in pharmacies.

Aim

Explore (1) what consumers expect from pharmacists/pharmacies with regard to the sale of complementary medicines, and (2) how pharmacy support staff perceive their responsibilities when selling complementary medicines.

Methods

One-on-one semi-structured interviews were conducted with a convenience sample of pharmacy support staff and consumers in pharmacies in Brisbane. Consumers were asked to describe their expectations when purchasing complementary medicines. Pharmacy support staff were asked to describe their responsibilities when selling complementary medicines. Interviews were conducted and analysed using the techniques developed within Grounded Theory.

Key Findings

Thirty-three consumers were recruited from three pharmacies. Consumers described complementary medicine use as a personal health choice. Consumer expectations on the pharmacist included: select the right product for the right person, expert product knowledge and maintaining a wide range of good quality stock. Twenty pharmacy support staff were recruited from four pharmacies. Pharmacy support staff employed processes to ensure consumers receive the right product for the right person. Pharmacy support staff expressed a commitment to aiding consumers, but few evaluated the reliability of effectiveness claims regarding complementary medicines.

Conclusions

Pharmacists need to respect the personal health choices of consumers while also putting procedures in place to ensure safe and appropriate use of complementary medicines. This includes providing appropriate support to pharmacy support staff.
Pyrexia of unknown origin: causes, investigation and management
Authors: Beresford R. W. , Gosbell I. B.
Published: September 2016

Pyrexia of unknown origin (PUO) is a syndrome that has long tested the skills of physicians to achieve a diagnosis in affected patients. By definition, patients included in this syndrome will be more difficult to diagnose as they have already resisted classification during baseline investigations. Furthermore, investigation of PUO requires knowledge of many diseases across a range of clinical specialties, as well as knowledge of less commonly used investigative tools. As both society and medicine continue to change, the aetiology and epidemiology of the diseases that cause PUO also change. For these reasons, it is important for physicians to approach PUO in a logical manner, and for the causes and approach to PUO to be continuously reviewed. In this article, we review the aetiology of PUO and the diagnostic strategies that may be used to investigate it.
Cytomegalovirus‐associated thrombocytopenia treated with thrombopoietin receptor agonist
Authors: Simpson J. D. , Matthews G. V. , Brighton T. A. , Joseph J. E.
Published: September 2016

Symptomatic cytomegalovirus (CMV) in immunocompetent individuals is an uncommon, yet recognised, phenomenon. This report discusses a case of CMV‐associated thrombocytopenia refractory to immunomodulation and antivirals. Ultimately, a clinicopathological response was attained with eltrombopag. This is the first report of the efficacy of thrombopoietin receptor agonists in this context. This experience provides insight into possible pathogenic mechanisms of CMV‐associated thrombocytopenia and presents a therapeutic option.
Enhanced pro‐protein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 expression by C‐reactive protein through p38MAPK‐HNF1α pathway in HepG2 cells
Authors: Cui Chuan‐Jue , Li Sha , Zhu Cheng‐Gang , Sun Jing , Du Ying , Zhang Yan , Wu Na‐Qiong , Guo Yuan‐Lin , Xu Rui‐Xia , Gao Ying , Li Jian‐Jun
Published: September 2016

Plasma C‐reactive protein (CRP) concentration is associated positively with cardiovascular risk, including dyslipidemia. We suggested a regulating role of CRP on pro‐protein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9), a key regulator of low‐density lipoprotein (LDL) metabolism, and demonstrated the PCSK9 as a pathway linking CRP and LDL regulation. Firstly, experiments were carried out in the presence of human CRP on the protein and mRNA expression of PCSK9 and LDL receptor (LDLR) in human hepatoma cell line HepG2 cells. Treatment with CRP (10 μg/ml) enhanced significantly the mRNA and protein expression of PCSK9 and suppressed the expression of LDLR. Of note, a late return of LDLR mRNA levels occurred at 12 hrs, while the LDLR protein continued to decrease at 24 hrs, suggesting that the late decrease in LDLR protein levels was unlikely to be accounted for the decrease in LDL mRNA. Secondly, the role of PCSK9 in CRP‐induced LDLR decrease and the underlying pathways were investigated. As a result, the inhibition of PCSK9 expression by small interfering RNA (siRNA) returned partly the level of LDLR protein and LDL uptake during CRP treatment; CRP‐induced PCSK9 increase was inhibited by the p38MAPK inhibitor, SB203580, resulting in a significant rescue of LDLR protein expression and LDL uptake; the pathway was involved in hepatocyte nuclear factor 1α (HNF1α) but not sterol responsive element‐binding proteins (SREBPs) preceded by the phosphorylation of p38MAPK. These findings indicated that CRP increased PCSK9 expression by activating p38MAPK‐HNF1α pathway, with a certain downstream impairment in LDL metabolism in HepG2 cells.
Community Composition of Photosynthetic Picoeukaryotes in a Subtropical Coastal Ecosystem, with Particular Emphasis on Micromonas
Authors: Lin Yun‐Chi , Chung Chih‐Ching , Chen Liang‐Yin , Gong Gwo‐Ching , Huang Chin‐Yi , Chiang Kuo‐Ping
Published: September 2016

Photosynthetic picoeukaryotes (PPEs) are important constituents in picoplankton communities in many marine ecosystems. However, little is known about their community composition in the subtropical coastal waters of the Northwestern Pacific Ocean. In order to study their taxonomic composition, this study constructed 18S rRNA gene libraries using flow cytometric sorting during the warm season. The results show that, after diatoms, prasinophyte clones are numerically dominant. Within prasinophytes, Micromonas produced the most common sequences, and included clades II, III, IV, and VI. We are establishing the new Micromonas clade VI based on our phylogenetic analysis. Sequences of this clade have previously been retrieved from the South China Sea and Red Sea, indicating a worldwide distribution, but this is the first study to detect clade VI in the coastal waters of Taiwan. The TSA‐FISH results indicated that Micromonas clade VI peaked in the summer (~4 × 102 cells/ml), accounting for one‐fifth of Micromonas abundance on average. Overall, Micromonas contributed half of Mamiellophyceae abundance, while Mamiellophyceae contributed 40% of PPE abundance. This study demonstrates the importance of Micromonas within the Mamiellophyceae in a subtropical coastal ecosystem.
Route‐learning strategies in typical and atypical development; eye tracking reveals atypical landmark selection in Williams syndrome
Authors: Farran E. K. , Formby S. , Daniyal F. , Holmes T. , Van Herwegen J.
Published: September 2016

Background

Successful navigation is crucial to everyday life. Individuals with Williams syndrome (WS) have impaired spatial abilities. This includes a deficit in spatial navigation abilities such as learning the route from A to B. To‐date, to determine whether participants attend to landmarks when learning a route, landmark recall tasks have been employedafterthe route learning experience. Here, we combined virtual reality and eye tracking technologies, for the first time, to measure landmark use in typically developing (TD) children and participants with WSduringroute‐learning.

Method

Nineteen individuals with WS were asked to learn a route in a sparse environment (few landmarks) and in a rich environment (many landmarks) whilst their eye movements were recorded. Looking times towards landmarks were compared to TD children aged 6, 8 and 10 years. Changes in attention to landmarks during the learning process were also recorded.

Results

The WS group made fewer looks to landmarks overall, but all participants looked for longer at landmarks that were at junctions and along the paths of the maze than landmarks that were in the distance. Few differences were observed in route learning between the sparse and rich environments. In contrast to the TD groups, those in the WS group were as likely to look at non‐unique landmarks as landmarks at junctions and on paths.

Discussion

The current results demonstrate that attention to landmarks during route learning reflects the types of landmarks remembered in memory tasks, that individuals with WS can learn a route if given sufficient exposure, but that this is accomplished within the context of an impaired ability to select appropriate landmarks.
The effects of a multigrowth factor‐containing cream on recovery after laser treatment: a double‐blinded, randomized, split‐face controlled study
Authors: Shin Sungsik , Shin Jung U , Lee Youngin , Kwon Tae Gwang , Lee Ju Hee
Published: September 2016

Background

Patients who receive laser treatments may experience transient erythema, edema, and crusts for several days. Although a variety of growth factor‐containing creams for promoting recovery after laser treatment are available, evidence for their efficacy remains insufficient.

Aims

We performed a randomized controlled split‐face study to assess the effects of a multigrowth factor (MGF)‐containing cream on patients recovering from laser treatment.

Materials and Methods

Twenty patients underwent treatment using an ablative fractional laser and were randomized with respect to the side of the face treated with an MGF‐containing cream or control cream. We measured post‐treatment erythema and pigmentation using the erythema and melanin indices, respectively, and evaluated the total area of microcrusts with dermoscopy. Additionally, patient satisfaction levels and global improvement scores were assessed.

Results

We found that the area of microcrusts was significantly smaller in the MGF‐treated regions. Global improvement scores for post‐treatment edema and wrinkles were also significantly higher for MGF cream‐treated sides than for the control sides.

Conclusion

The MGF cream‐treated regions showed a more rapid recovery from crusts and edema. Thus, the use of an MGF‐containing cream after laser treatment can effectively reduce recovery time.
Transradial Versus Transfemoral Carotid Artery Stenting: A 16‐Year Single‐Center Experience
Authors: Mendiz Oscar A. , Fava Carlos , Lev Gustavo , Caponi Gaspar , Valdivieso León
Published: September 2016

Aims

Limited data exist on radial access in carotid artery stenting (CAS). This single‐center study was performed to compare the outcome and complication rates of transradial (TR) and transfemoral (TF) CAS.

Methods and Results

The clinical and angiographic data of 775 consecutive patients with high risk for carotid endarterectomy, treated between 1999 and 2016 by CAS with cerebral protection, were evaluated. Patients were divided into 2 groups according to vascular access: TR (n = 101; 13%) and TF (n = 674). Primary combined end‐point: in‐hospital major adverse cardiac and cerebral events. Secondary end‐points: angiographic outcome of the procedure and crossover rate to another puncture site. Angiographic success was achieved in all 775 patients, the crossover rate was 4.9% in the TR and 0% in the TF group (P < 0.05). TR was performed at the right side in 97% of cases. The incidence of in‐hospital major adverse cardiac and cerebral events was 2% in the TR and 3.6% in the TF group (P = ns).

Conclusions

The TR approach for CAS is safe and efficacious, with acceptable cross‐over rate. In both groups, vascular complications rarely occurred.
Marriage‐Market Constraints and Mate‐Selection Behavior: Racial, Ethnic, and Gender Differences in Intermarriage
Authors: Choi Kate H. , Tienda Marta
Published: September 2016

Despite theoretical consensus that marriage markets constrain mate‐selection behavior, few studies directly evaluate how local marriage‐market conditions influence intermarriage patterns. Using data from the American Community Survey, the authors examine what aspects of marriage markets influence mate selection, assess whether the associations between marriage‐market conditions and intermarriage are uniform by gender and across pan‐ethnic groups, and investigate the extent to which marriage‐market conditions account for group differences in intermarriage patterns. Relative group size is the most salient and consistent determinant of intermarriage patterns across pan‐ethnic groups and by gender. Marriage‐market constraints typically explain a larger share of pan‐ethnic differences in intermarriage rates than individual traits, suggesting that scarcity of co‐ethnic partners is a key reason behind decisions to intermarry. When faced with market constraints, men are more willing or more successful than women in crossing racial and ethnic boundaries in marriage.
Family Structure, Residential Mobility, and Environmental Inequality
Authors: Downey Liam , Crowder Kyle , Kemp Robert J.
Published: September 2016

This study combines micro‐level data on families with children from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics with neighborhood‐level census and industrial hazard data to examine the association between family structure and residential proximity to neighborhood pollution. Results indicate the existence of significant family structure differences in household proximity to industrial pollution in U.S. metropolitan areas between 1990 and 1999, with single mother and single‐father families experiencing neighborhood pollution levels that are on average 46% and 26% greater, respectively, than those experienced by two‐parent families. Moreover, the pollution gap between single mother and two‐parent families persists with controls for household and neighborhood race, ethnic, socioeconomic, and sociodemographic characteristics. Examination of underlying migration patterns reveals that single‐mother, single‐father, and two‐parent families are equally likely to move in response to pollution but that mobile single‐parent families move into neighborhoods with significantly higher pollution levels than do mobile two parent families.
Ostreopsis fattorussoi sp. nov. (Dinophyceae), a new benthic toxic Ostreopsis species from the eastern Mediterranean Sea
Authors: Accoroni Stefano , Romagnoli Tiziana , Penna Antonella , Capellacci Samuela , Ciminiello Patrizia , Dell'Aversano Carmela , Tartaglione Luciana , Abboud–Abi Saab Marie , Giussani Valentina , Asnaghi Valentina , Chiantore Mariachiara , Totti Cecilia
Published: September 2016

The new benthic toxic dinoflagellate, Ostreopsis fattorussoi sp. nov., is described from the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, Lebanon and Cyprus coasts, and is supported by morphological and molecular data. The plate formula, Po, 3′, 7″, 6c, 7s, 5‴, 2′′′′, is typical for the Ostreopsis genus. It differs from all other Ostreopsis species in that (i) the curved suture between plates 1′ and 3′ makes them approximately hexagonal, (ii) the 1′ plate lies in the left half of the epitheca and is obliquely orientated leading to a characteristic shape of plate 6″. The round thecal pores are bigger than the other two Mediterranean species (O. cf. ovata and O. cf. siamensis). O. fattorussoi is among the smallest species of the genus (DV: 60.07 ± 5.63 μm, AP: 25.66 ± 2.97 μm, W: 39.81 ± 5.05 μm) along with O. ovata. Phylogenetic analyses based on the LSU and internal transcribed spacer rDNA shows that O. fattorussoi belongs to the Atlantic/Mediterranean Ostreopsis spp. clade separated from the other Ostreopsis species. Ostreopsis fattorussoi produces OVTX‐a and structural isomers OVTX‐d and ‐e, O. cf. ovata is the only other species of this genus known to produce these toxins. The Lebanese O. fattorussoi did not produce the new palytoxin‐like compounds (ovatoxin‐i, ovatoxin‐j1, ovatoxin‐j2, and ovatoxin‐k) that were previously found in O. fattorussoi from Cyprus. The toxin content was in the range of 0.28–0.94 pg · cell−1. On the Lebanon coast, O. fattorussoi was recorded throughout the year 2015 (temperature range 18°C–31.5°C), with peaks in June and August.
Sleep restriction in rats leads to changes in operant behaviour indicative of reduced prefrontal cortex function
Authors: Kamphuis Jeanine , Baichel Swetlana , Lancel Marike , de Boer Sietse F. , Koolhaas Jaap M. , Meerlo Peter
Published: September 2016

Sleep deprivation has profound effects on cognitive performance, and some of these effects may be mediated by impaired prefrontal cortex function. In search of an animal model to investigate this relationship we studied the influence of restricted sleep on operant conditioning in rats, particularly the performance in a differential reinforcement of low rate responding (DRL) task, which is highly dependent upon an intact prefrontal cortex. Animals were trained to withhold a lever press until an imposed delay of 30 s after the last press had passed in order to achieve a food reward. Once the animals had mastered the task, they were sleep‐restricted for 7 days with 20 h of sleep deprivation per day. At the end of each daily sleep deprivation session, performance on the DRL task was assessed. The results show that sleep‐restricted animals were less able to time their responses correctly, started pressing the lever more randomly and showed signs of behavioural disinhibition, the latter possibly reflecting enhanced impulsivity. Our data support the hypothesis that a sleep debt has disruptive consequences for the functioning of the prefrontal cortex. This model offers possibilities for future studies investigating the underlying biochemical and molecular mechanisms of this relationship.
Size matters: experimental partitioning of the strength of fish herbivory on a fringing coral reef in Moorea, French Polynesia
Authors: Fong Peggy , Frazier Nicholas M. , Tompkins‐Cook Cameron , Muthukrishnan Ranjan , Fong Caitlin R.
Published: September 2016

While the importance of top‐down control by grazers in maintaining tropical reef community structure is well known, the effect of ‘fishing down the food web’, which simultaneously changes the abundance and size of herbivorous fishes, has received less attention. As many fishing practices target the biggest fish and regulations often set minimum size limits, understanding size‐dependency of this controlling force is important. We evaluated the hypothesis that reduction in the abundance and size of fish, regardless of species identity, reduces the role of herbivory in controlling algal abundance on reefs and assessed variation in efficacy of this top‐down control on different types of common macroalgae. We quantified herbivory rates within cages of differing opening sizes on assemblages of four common algal species (Padina boryana, Dictyota bartayresiana, Halimeda opuntia and Galaxaura fasciculata) on two fringing reefs in Moorea, French Polynesia. Small acanthurids (<15 cm length) were the dominant herbivorous fish while other herbivorous fish were rare. For the two most palatable algae, the majority of herbivory occurred in open plots, with herbivory reduced by >50% in the largest opening cages (6 × 6 cm) where the maximum size fish entering was 12 cm in length (mean = 7.6, SE = 0.4). Fish entering medium (4.5 × 4.5 cm openings, maximum fish length = 8 cm, mean = 6.3, SE = 0.4) and small (3 × 3 cm openings, no fish observed entering) cages had herbivory rates approximately equal to the control treatment (1 × 1 cm openings). Consumption varied among algal species, with minimal consumption of physically and chemically defended algae and no pattern across treatments. Our results demonstrate a need for management plans to not only maintain the overall abundance of herbivorous fish but to protect the largest sizes for effective top‐down control of algal communities.
A harvest of weeds yields insight into a case of contemporary evolution
Authors: Franks Steven J.
Published: September 2016

When Charles Darwin was exploring the idea of evolution via natural selection, he looked to domesticated species, with the opening chapter of The Origin of Species titled ‘Variation Under Domestication’ (Darwin ). Domesticated species such as crops are a great example of artificial selection, which Darwin realized was analogous to natural selection. But growing among those carefully selected crop varieties are the unwelcome and unwanted plants we call weeds. Despite the importance of weeds and long‐standing interest in their evolution (Baker ), we still know little about how agricultural weeds evolve, and we often fail to take evolution into account when attempting to manage them (Neve et al. ). Agricultural weeds are subjected to the unique conditions of farm fields, such as frequent soil disturbance and the addition of water and nutrients. They are also confronted with aggressive attempts at their removal via herbicides and mechanical means. As such, they are under intense demographic and selective pressure and can potentially rapidly evolve in response. In this issue of Molecular Ecology, Kuester and co‐authors make a rare attempt to understand contemporary evolution in an agricultural weed (Kuester et al. ). They do so using the powerful resurrection approach of comparing ancestors and descendants under common conditions (Franks et al. ). They sampled multiple populations of the weedy plant Ipomoea purpurea at two points in time. A comparison of these greenhouse‐grown ancestor and descendent populations showed that, over time, populations had lost significant levels of neutral genetic diversity, consistent with genetic bottlenecks. The authors also found a slight increase, on average, of resistance to the herbicide glyphosate, which is the active ingredient in Roundup®. This work is one of a growing number of studies demonstrating rapid evolution in natural populations (Thompson ) and also reveals evidence of both selection and drift in populations of an agricultural weed.
Molecular identification, antifungal resistance and virulence of Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus deneoformans isolated in Seville, Spain
Authors: Gago Sara , Serrano Carmen , Alastruey‐Izquierdo Ana , Cuesta Isabel , Martín‐Mazuelos Estrella , Aller Ana Isabel , Gómez‐López Alicia , Mellado Emilia
Published: September 2016

Cryptococcal meningitis is one of the leading causes of death in HIV/AIDS patients. Our aim was to in order to characterise the epidemiology, antifungal susceptibility pattern and virulence of 28 Cyptococcus sp. strains recovered from 12 AIDS patients during two years in a Spanish single institution. Antifungal susceptibility testing was performed according to the CLSI protocols. Clinical strains were molecularly characterised by serotyping, mating type, PCR fingerprinting (M13 and GACA4 microsatellites) and analysis of two rDNA regions (IGS1 and ITS). Sequencing of the ERG11 gene was used to explore mechanisms of fluconazole resistance. Differences in virulence between species were studied in a Galleria mellonella infection model. Cryptococcus deneoformans and C. deneoformans x Cryptococcus neoformans hybrids were the most frequent variety (65%) followed by C. neoformans (35%). Strains were categorised according to 13 microsatellite genotypes and mixed infections could be detected in three patients. Twenty‐nine per cent of the strains were fluconazole resistant. In one of the patients, the fluconazole resistance phenotype was associated with a point mutation in the ERG11 gene responsible for the amino acid substitution G470R. C. neoformans strains were able to kill G. mellonella larvae more efficiently than C. deneoformans and hybrids between both species. Precisely molecular characterisation of C. neoformans species is important for an accurate patient's management.
Inequality in the second machine age: The need for a social democratic digital society
Authors: Meyer Henning
Published: September 2016

The current travails of Europe's social democratic parties can only worsen if they fail to respond to the digital revolution's impacts on the labour market, society, and even their core values. Henning Meyer discusses how new approaches to policy can ensure that human freedom, justice and solidarity can thrive alongside the robots.
Snap judgement: Does anyone stand to gain from an early general election?
Authors: Curtice John
Published: September 2016

Neither the strength of the refreshed Conservative party's position in the polls, nor Labour's proximity to Armageddon, should be overstated, warns John Curtice. Theresa May's prime ministerial ‘honeymoon’ boost in the polls is modest and likely to be brief, and Jeremy Corbyn is more divisive than he is unpopular.
The golden ticket: Hillary Clinton's pragmatic approach to equitable growth
Authors: Boushey Heather
Published: September 2016

Central to Clinton's pitch for the presidency, says Heather Boushey, is a coherent theory of how the US can pursue more equitable and robust economic growth. Promising to address inequality, raise taxes on the very richest and create more good jobs – she really is the right candidate for our ‘Piketty era’.
Inequality's inflection point: A more optimistic counternarrative to secular stagnation
Authors: Nangle Toby
Published: September 2016

While secular stagnation has won many adherents, Toby Nangle offers an alternative understanding of global economics and demography – one that points towards persistently falling inequality and a future that belongs more to workers than to capital. But should we hold our breath for that inflection point?
Information technology and social sciences: how can health IT be used to support the health professional?
Authors: Wagner‐Menghin Michaela , Pokieser Peter
Published: September 2016

Keeping up to date with the increasing amount of health‐related knowledge and managing the increasing numbers of patients with more complex clinical problems is a challenge for healthcare professionals and healthcare systems. Health IT applications, such as electronic health records or decision‐support systems, are meant to support both professionals and their support systems. However, for physicians using these applications, the applications often cause new problems, such as the impracticality of their use in clinical practice. This review adopts a social sciences perspective to understand these problems and derive suggestions for further development. Indeed, humans use tools to remediate the brain's weaknesses and enhance thinking. Available health IT tools have been shaped to fit administrative needs rather than physicians’ needs. To increase the beneficial effect of health IT applications in health care, clinicians’ style of thinking and their learning needs must be considered when designing and implementing such systems. New health IT tools must be shaped to fit health professionals’ needs. To further ease the integration of new health IT tools into clinical practice, we must also consider the effects of implementing new tools on the wider social framework.
Environmental preferences of brachiopods and bivalves across major climatic changes during the Late Palaeozoic ice age (Pennsylvanian, western Argentina)
Authors: Balseiro Diego , Halpern Karen
Published: September 2016

During the late Palaeozoic ice age (LPIA), ice‐proximal marine regional communities record contrasting responses to climate change compared to ice‐distal communities. However, there is still much to be understood in distal regions in order to fully understand the palaeobiological consequences of the LPIA. Here, were analyse brachiopod and bivalve environmental preferences along the bathymetric gradient during a major glacial event and the subsequent non‐glacial interval in western Argentina. Median environmental breadths did not change with the reassembly of communities during the non‐glacial interval. Moreover, bivalves and brachiopod immigrants show similar environmental breadths although they tend to have immigrated from different palaeogeographical regions. These patterns reinforce the idea that the worldwide marine fauna was probably culled of stenotopic taxa during the LPIA. On the other hand, analysis of the preferred depths of survivors and immigrants sheds light on the substantial modification of the bathymetric diversity gradient. Among different possible explanations, the immigration of taxa with affinities for deep environments is the only one supported. In addition, results underscore the observation that the higher turnover in the offshore environment was probably driven by immigration rather than extinction. Finally, stability in environmental preferences at a regional scale is not mirrored by stability in survivors’ individual preferences, because survivors’ preferred depth is not correlated during the glacial and non‐glacial intervals. Moreover, the amount of change in survivors preferred depth is not related to their environmental breadth, nor to their occupancy. These patterns suggest: (1) instability in realized niches; and (2) individual responses of survivor genera.
Systematic and palaeoecological significance of the first record of Pygocephalomorpha females bearing oöstegites (Malacostraca, Peracarida) from the lower Permian of southern Brazil
Authors: Pazinato Paula Giovana , Soares Marina Bento , Adami‐Rodrigues Karen
Published: September 2016

Malacostracan crustaceans of the fossil order Pygocephalomorpha are conspicuous elements in brackish to freshwater faunas in the upper Carboniferous of Laurentia and lower Permian of Gondwana. A pronounced sexual dimorphism is recognizable within its members, with Pygocephalomorpha females bearing oöstegites: modified epipodites that hold a brood pouch where the eggs develop until juvenile stage, with no planktonic dispersal of larvae. The preservation of oöstegites is quite rare and is described here for the first time from the American continents. The specimens, ventrally preservedLiocaris hueneifemales bearing oöstegites, come from the Irati Formation, a lower Permian sequence of the Paraná Basin, from an outcrop in southern Brazil. The oöstegites are similar to those previously described for Pygocephalomorpha, displaying seven pairs of overlapping epipodites that cover the whole cephalothorax. The scarcity of these structures in the fossil record may be explained by taphonomic bias (it requires ventrally preserved crustaceans) but more likely by palaeobiological aspects, such as preservation of an ovigerous moult. The record from the Irati Formation suggests that pygocephalomorphs had seasonal reproduction, with females maturing at the same time and acquiring oöstegites that would be lost after the release of juveniles. This record confirms the relationship of the BrazilianLiocarisBeurlen to the EnglishPygocephalusHuxley and South AfricanNotocarisBroom pygocephalomorphs and provides an insight into its palaeoecological significance.
Barley HvPAPhy_a as transgene provides high and stable phytase activities in mature barley straw and in grains
Authors: Holme Inger Bæksted , Dionisio Giuseppe , Madsen Claus Krogh , Brinch‐Pedersen Henrik
Published: September 2016

The phytase purple acid phosphatase (HvPAPhy_a) expressed during barley seed development was evaluated as transgene for overexpression in barley. The phytase was expressed constitutively driven by the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S‐promoter, and the phytase activity was measured in the mature grains, the green leaves and in the dry mature vegetative plant parts left after harvest of the grains. The T2‐generation of HvPAPhy_a transformed barley showed phytase activity increases up to 19‐fold (29 000 phytase units (FTU) per kg in mature grains). Moreover, also in green leaves and mature dry straw, phytase activities were increased significantly by 110‐fold (52 000 FTU/kg) and 57‐fold (51 000 FTU/kg), respectively. The HvPAPhy_a‐transformed barley plants with high phytase activities possess triple potential utilities for the improvement of phosphate bioavailability. First of all, the utilization of the mature grains as feed to increase the release of bio‐available phosphate and minerals bound to the phytate of the grains; secondly, the utilization of the powdered straw either directly or phytase extracted hereof as a supplement to high phytate feed or food; and finally, the use of the stubble to be ploughed into the soil for mobilizing phytate‐bound phosphate for plant growth.
The methylerythritol 4‐phosphate pathway as a metabolic crossroad for microbial and plant volatile organic compounds
Authors: Rodriguez‐Concepcion Manuel
Published: September 2016

This article comments on: Volatile compounds emitted by diverse phytopathogenic microorganisms promote plant growth and flowering through cytokinin action
Screening of carnitine and biotin deficiencies on tandem mass spectrometry
Authors: Hagiwara Shin‐ichiro , Kubota Mitsuru , Nambu Ryusuke , Kagimoto Seiichi
Published: September 2016

Background

It is important to assess pediatric patients for nutritional deficiency when they are receiving specific interventions, such as enteral feeding. We focused on measurement of C0 and 3‐hydroxyisovalerylcarnitine (C5‐OH) with tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS), which is performed as part of the newborn mass screening. The purpose of this study was to investigate the usefulness of MS/MS for screening carnitine and biotin deficiencies.

Methods

Forty‐two children (24 boys, 18 girls) were enrolled between December 2013 and December 2015. Blood tests, including measurement of serum free carnitine via the enzyme cycling method, and acylcarnitine analysis on MS/MS of dried blood spot (DBS), were performed for the evaluation of nutrition status.

Results

Median patient age was 2 years (range, 2 months–14 years). Mean serum free carnitine was 41.8 ± 19.2 μmol/L. In six of the 42 patients, serum free carnitine was <20 μmol/L (range, 4.0–18.7 μmol/L). C0 and C5‐OH measured on MS/MS of DBS were 33.8 ± 20.2 nmol/mL and 0.48 ± 0.22 nmol/mL, respectively. There was a strong positive correlation (r = 0.89, P < 0.001) between serum free carnitine and C0 measured on the same day. In one patient on hydrolyzed formula, C5‐OH was >1.00 nmol/L. Therapy‐resistant eczema was improved by treatment with additional biotin and a non‐hydrolyzed formula.

Conclusion

C0 and C5‐OH, measured on MS/MS of DBS, were useful for screening carnitine and biotin deficiencies.
Detection of the Excised, Damage‐containing Oligonucleotide Products of Nucleotide Excision Repair in Human Cells
Authors: Song Jimyeong , Kemp Michael G. , Choi Jun‐Hyuk
Published: September 2016

The human nucleotide excision repair system targets a wide variety of DNA adducts for removal from DNA, including photoproducts induced by UV wavelengths of sunlight. A key feature of nucleotide excision repair is its dual incision mechanism, which results in generation of a small, damage‐containing oligonucleotide approximately 24 to 32 nt in length. Detection of these excised oligonucleotides using cell‐free extracts and purified proteins with defined DNA substrates has provided a robust biochemical assay for excision repair activity in vitro. However, the relevance of a number of in vitro findings to excision repair in living cells in vivo has remained unresolved. Over the past few years, novel methods for detecting and isolating the excised oligonucleotide products of repair in vivo have therefore been developed. Here we provide a basic outline of a sensitive and versatile in vivo excision assay and discuss how the assay both confirms previous in vitro findings and offers a number of advantages over existing cell‐based DNA repair assays. Thus, the in vivo excision assay offers a powerful tool for readily monitoring the repair of DNA lesions induced by a large number of environmental carcinogens and anticancer compounds.
Implementing Propensity Score Matching with Network Data: The Effect of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade on Bilateral Trade
Authors: Arpino Bruno , De Benedictis Luca , Mattei Alessandra
Published: September 2016

Motivated by the evaluation of the causal effect of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade on bilateral international trade flows, we investigate the role of network structure in propensity score matching under the assumption of strong ignorability. We study the sensitivity of causal inference with respect to the presence of characteristics of the network in the set of confounders conditionally on which strong ignorability is assumed to hold. We find that estimates of the average causal effect are highly sensitive to the node level network statistics in the set of confounders. Therefore, we argue that estimates may suffer from omitted variable bias when the network information is ignored, at least in our application.
Late Jurassic to Cretaceous evolution of the eastern Tethyan Hawasina Basin (Oman Mountains)
Authors: Wohlwend Stephan , Celestino Ricardo , Reháková Daniela , Huck Stefan , Weissert Helmut
Published: September 2016

Remnants of a Mesozoic continental margin can be studied today in the nappe pile of the Oman Mountains. Successions of the Arabian carbonate platform and the adjacent deep Hawasina Basin are preserved in the nappe pile and in the foothills of this Mountain range. The Jurassic–Cretaceous sediment successions of the Hawasina Basin (Sumeini and Hamrat Duru Group) are focus of this study. These basinal archives contain information on the response of an eastern Tethyan equatorial ocean system to multiple perturbations of the carbon cycle and of climate during the Cretaceous. Turbiditic continental slope and basinal successions formed near the Calcite Compensation Depth are difficult to date with biostratigraphy and sequence stratigraphy. The available stratigraphic framework for the Hawasina successions was not sufficient for tracing palaeoceanography through the time window of interest in this study. Therefore, existing sequence stratigraphy and biostratigraphy are complemented by additional biostratigraphic data and with a newly established carbon and strontium isotope chemostratigraphy. The Hawasina Basin was affected by sea‐level variations, by changes in oceanography and also by regional tectonics. A first major modification of oceanography occurred at the end of the Jurassic when pelagic Maiolica‐type sediments were accumulated in the deep basin and on adjacent submarine highs (Lower Member of Huwar and Sid'r formations). Pelagic to hemipelagic conditions existed until the Valanginian, marked by a major carbon isotope excursion. Pelagic sediments were replaced afterwards by a succession of fine to coarse‐grained turbidites of Hauterivian to Aptian age. The transition into the mid‐Cretaceous is marked by a sudden shift to fine‐grained siliceous or chert deposits, at a time when sediments enriched in organic carbon were accumulated in the western Tethys and Atlantic Oceans. The continental slope as well as the Hawasina Basin seemed to have been well‐ventilated during Early and mid‐Cretaceous time. Siliceous limestones and chert are indicators of well‐mixed and nutrient‐rich surface water, while the absence of black shales suggests young and oxygenated deep water with a possible source on the vast Arabian platform. These peculiar oceanographic conditions were most pronounced during the onset of the extreme greenhouse episodes of the Oceanic Anoxic Event 1a.
Chemokine Patterns in Children with Acute Bacterial Infections
Authors: Cavalcanti N. V. , Torres L. C. , da Matta M. C. , Lindoso C. D. , A. Carvalho L. N. , Duarte M. C. M. B. , Correia J. B.
Published: September 2016

Chemokines are chemotactic cytokines that are mainly involved in the migratory patterns of immune cells. Few studies have evaluated the levels of chemokines in children with acute bacterial infections. The aim of this study was to evaluate the serum levels of chemokines MCP‐1, RANTES, MIG and IP‐10 in children with sepsis, community‐acquired pneumonia (CAP) and skin abscess. Serum levels of MCP‐1, RANTES, MIG and IP‐10 were measured in 37 children with sepsis, 27 children with CAP, 25 children with skin abscess and 20 controls with no signs of infection. Patients with sepsis, CAP and skin abscess had higher concentrations of RANTES compared to controls (P = 0.0057, P = 0.0004 and P = 0.0108, respectively). IP‐10 values were higher in patients with sepsis compared to children with skin abscess (P = 0.0075). However, MCP‐1 levels were lower in septic patients compared to controls (P = 0.0136). There was no difference on MIG concentrations between the groups. Our original findings observed that RANTES was consistently elevated in all types of infections suggesting this chemokine may play an important role in the pathogenesis of bacterial infection. Additionally, patients with sepsis had a unique pattern of response with high levels of IP‐10 but low levels of MCP‐1, which should be further explored as the markers of disease severity.
Selection of GP. Mur antigen‐negative RBC for blood recipients with anti‐‘Mia’ records decreases transfusion reaction rates in Taiwan
Authors: Yang C.‐A. , Lin J.‐A. , Chang C.‐W. , Wu K.‐H. , Yeh S.‐P. , Ho C.‐M. , Chang J.‐G.
Published: September 2016

Objectives

To evaluate the clinical significance of GP. Mur antigen‐negative blood selection for transfusion in patients with anti‐‘Mia’ records.

Background

The GP. Mur RBC phenotype is prevalent (7·3%) in Taiwan. Antibodies against GP. Mur (anti‐‘Mia’) are identified in 1·24% of our population, and anti‐‘Mia’ screening using GP. Mur RBC has been routine for Taiwan's blood banks. However, due to the lack of commercial antibodies, only cross‐matching was used to prevent transfusion of GP. Mur‐positive blood to patients with anti‐‘Mia’ in most hospitals. There is still a risk of GP. Mur‐positive RBC exposure and subsequent anti‐‘Mia’‐related transfusion reactions.

Methods

Since February 2014, GP. Mur antigen‐negative RBCs identified by reaction with anti‐‘Mia’‐positive serum were selected for blood recipients with anti‐‘Mia’ records. The transfusion reactions between January 2013 and January 2014 were compared with those that occurred between February 2014 and July 2015.

Results

The transfusion reaction rate was significantly higher in anti‐‘Mia’‐positive blood recipients compared to total subjects receiving an RBC transfusion before GP. Mur‐negative donor RBC selection. After antigen‐negative RBC selection, the transfusion reaction frequency in subjects with anti‐‘Mia’ became similar to total blood recipients. IgG form anti‐‘Mia’ antibodies were present in all cases of probable anti‐‘Mia’‐related transfusion reactions. The time required for anti‐‘Mia’ boosting after transfusion was around 4–21 days.

Conclusion

Selection of GP. Mur‐negative RBC for transfusion to patients with anti‐‘Mia’ records could decrease the rate of transfusion reaction and antibody boosting. This procedure should be incorporated into blood bank routines in areas where anti‐‘Mia’ is prevalent.
Knowledge, attitudes and practices towards blood donation in Barbados
Authors: Atherley, A. E. , Taylor C. G. , Whittington A. , Jonker C.
Published: September 2016

Objective

To obtain information to devise strategies for a voluntary blood donor mobilisation campaign in Barbados.

Background

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that 100% blood should be collected from voluntary non‐remunerated donors (VNRD), yet the majority of blood donations (75%) in Barbados are family/replacement donations. Increasing VNRD is paramount to achieving a safe, reliable blood supply, and understanding the population is a strategy suggested by the WHO to inform donor recruitment and education.

Methods

Participants in Barbados (n = 429) completed a self‐administered questionnaire in 2014. The questionnaire comprised 31 questions, including demographics (age, gender, highest educational attainment) and blood donation‐related knowledge, attitudes and practices. Analysis of variance, t‐test and linear regression were used to analyse data.

Results

A total of 53% (n = 219) of participants had previously donated blood; almost half were family/replacement donors, and over one‐third (36·2%) were lapsed donors and had not donated within the past 2 years. Knowledge deficits included blood donation requirements, deferral factors and maximum yearly donations. Most participants (79%) were willing to donate with more information. Participants with higher educational attainment and previous donors had higher total knowledge and attitude scores (P < 0·01). Single, female and younger participants were less likely to donate blood (P < 0·05).

Conclusions

Barbados can likely increase voluntary blood donation rates by addressing knowledge deficits through education campaigns and increasing awareness of the need for donation.
Healthy donor hematopoietic stem cell mobilization with biosimilar granulocyte‐colony‐stimulating factor: safety, efficacy, and graft performance
Authors: Becker Petra , Schwebig Arnd , Brauninger Susanne , Bialleck Heike , Luxembourg Beate , Schulz Miriam , Tsamadou Chrysanthi , Wiesneth Markus , Reinhardt Peter , Mytilineos Joannis , Seidl Christian , Gattu Sreekanth , Kaliakina Natalia , Singh Pritibha , Schrezenmeier Hubert , Seifried Erhard , Bonig Halvard
Published: September 2016

BACKGROUND

Biosimilar granulocyte‐colony‐stimulating factors (G‐CSFs) have been available in the European Union since 2008, and Sandoz' biosimilar filgrastim was approved in the United States in March 2015 for all of the reference product's indications except acute radiation syndrome. Biosimilar G‐CSFs have been largely embraced by the medical community, except for some reservations about healthy‐donor stem cell mobilization, for which use outside of clinical studies was cautioned against by some members of the scientific community.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

In a two‐center safety surveillance study (National Clinical Trial NCT01766934), 245 healthy volunteer stem cell donors were enrolled. Of 244 donors who began mobilization with twice‐daily Sandoz biosimilar filgrastim, 242 received a full (n = 241) or partial (n = 1) course of G‐CSF and underwent apheresis. Efficacy and safety were assessed and are reported here.

RESULTS

Biosimilar filgrastim was accompanied by the typical G‐CSF class‐related adverse effects of expected frequency and severity. Median mobilization for CD34‐positive stem cells was 97/µL (range, 20‐347/µL); after one apheresis (91%) or two aphereses (9%) from all but three donors (1.2%), cell doses in excess of the typical 4 × 106 CD34‐positive cells/kg of the recipient had been collected (range, 3‐52 × 106/kg). Biochemical and hematologic alterations were consistent with previous reports; all had normalized by the first follow‐up 1 month after mobilization. Stem cell products engrafted with typical probability and kinetics for G‐CSF‐mobilized stem cell products.

CONCLUSION

These data support the use of biosimilar filgrastim for healthy‐donor stem cell mobilization as safe and effective.