bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Preparation of aqueous fatty acids for hydrogen and carbon stable isotope analysis by solid phase extraction
Authors: Benbow Timothy J. , Hayman Alan R. , Van Hale Robert , Frew Russell
Published: April 2013

Stable isotope analyses of fatty acids in environmental waters provides important information as to their source(s). Analysis is often confounded due to low concentrations of fatty acids and/or a complex sample matrix requiring separation of the target analyte. The purpose of this study was to validate a method to extract fatty acids from natural waters using solid phase extraction (SPE) before compound specific isotope analysis (CSIA). Three SPE cartridges and multiple eluting solvents were tested to determine the efficiency, isotopic fractionation, and reproducibility of each extraction technique. Our results indicated that surface-modified styrene divinylbenzene cartridges, when eluted with methanol, caused negligible fractionation of the hydrogen isotopes and minimal fractionation of the carbon isotopes, but that isotopic fractionation occurred when compounds were only partially eluted from SPE cartridges. Compounds were also extracted from landfill leachate using both SPE and liquid–liquid extraction (LLE). The hydrogen isotope composition (δ2H) of compounds extracted from water using either method were within experimental precision and the carbon isotope composition (δ13C) of all but one fatty acid were within experimental precision. Therefore, these experiments prove the aforementioned SPE methods to be a convenient and precise method to extract fatty acids from natural waters before CSIA.
The consistent, non-destructive measurement of small proteiform aquatic animals, with application to the size and growth of hydra
Authors: Levitis Daniel A. , Goldstein Josephine
Published: April 2013

Hydra (Cnidaria), the basal metazoan most often studied in cellular, molecular and developmental biology, is difficult to measure because it is small, proteiform and aquatic. To facilitate broader organismal and ecological study of Hydra, we evaluated three methods, whereby a polyp’s body column can be measured by means of photomicroscopy. The volume, cylindrical surface area and surface area corrected for changes in body shape were all highly repeatable methods (r > 0.97) when shape varied little. However, shape changes altered volume and cylindrical surface area. Repeated corrected surface-area measurements of the same individuals in markedly different positions yielded standard deviations <5% of the mean measured area. This easy, non-lethal means of individual size measurement explicitly accounts for the flexible morphology of a polyp’s hydrostatic skeleton. It therefore allows for the elucidation of how growth and size vary over time, age and food intake. We found that hydra changed size dramatically from day to day, and that although the food level influenced adult size, it had little effect on the early growth of recently detached buds. Finally, we discuss ecological and biological applications of this method.
Analysis of within- and between-day chlorophyll-a dynamics in Mantua Superior Lake, with a continuous spectroradiometric measurement
Authors: Bresciani M. , Rossini M. , Morabito G. , Matta E. , Pinardi M. , Cogliati S. , Julitta T. , Colombo R. , Braga F. , Giardino C.
Published: April 2013

Eutrophic lakes display unpredictable patterns of phytoplankton growth, distribution, vertical and horizontal migration, likely depending on environmental conditions. Monitoring chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) concentration provides reliable information on the dynamics of primary producers if monitoring is conducted frequently. We present a practical approach that allows continuous monitoring of Chl-a concentration by using a radiometric system that measures optical spectral properties of water. We tested this method in a shallow, nutrient-rich lake in northern Italy, the Mantua Superior Lake, where the radiometric system collected data all throughout the day (i.e. every 5 min) for ~30 days. Here, specifically developed algorithms were used to convert water reflectance to Chl-a concentration. The best performing algorithm (R2 = 0.863) was applied to a larger dataset collected in September 2011. We characterised intra- and inter-daily Chl-a concentration dynamics and observed a high variability; during a single day, Chl-a concentration varied from 20 to 130 mg m–3. Values of Chl-a concentration were correlated with meteo-climatic parameters, showing that solar radiance and wind speed are key factors regulating the daily phytoplankton growth and dynamics. Such patterns are usually determined by vertical migration of different phytoplankton species within the water column, as well as by metabolic adaptations to changes in light conditions.
Transposon mutagenesis identifies genes essential for
Plasmodium falciparum
gametocytogenesis
Authors: Ikadai Hiromi , Shaw Saliba Kathryn , Kanzok Stefan M. , McLean Kyle J. , Tanaka Takeshi Q. , Cao Jun , Williamson Kim C. , Jacobs-Lorena Marcelo
Published: April 2013

Gametocytes are essential for
Plasmodium
transmission, but little is known about the mechanisms that lead to their formation. Using
piggyBac
transposon-mediated insertional mutagenesis, we screened for parasites that no longer form mature gametocytes, which led to the isolation of 29 clones (insertional gametocyte-deficient mutants) that fail to form mature gametocytes. Additional analysis revealed 16 genes putatively responsible for the loss of gametocytogenesis, none of which has been previously implicated in gametocytogenesis. Transcriptional profiling and detection of an early stage gametocyte antigen determined that a subset of these mutants arrests development at stage I or in early stage II gametocytes, likely representing genes involved in gametocyte maturation. The remaining mutants seem to arrest before formation of stage I gametocytes and may represent genes involved in commitment to the gametocyte lineage.
Rhs proteins from diverse bacteria mediate intercellular competition
Authors: Koskiniemi Sanna , Lamoureux James G. , Nikolakakis Kiel C. , t'Kint de Roodenbeke Claire , Kaplan Michael D. , Low David A. , Hayes Christopher S.
Published: April 2013

Rearrangement hotspot (Rhs) and related YD-peptide repeat proteins are widely distributed in bacteria and eukaryotes, but their functions are poorly understood. Here, we show that Gram-negative Rhs proteins and the distantly related wall-associated protein A (WapA) from Gram-positive bacteria mediate intercellular competition. Rhs and WapA carry polymorphic C-terminal toxin domains (Rhs-CT/WapA-CT), which are deployed to inhibit the growth of neighboring cells. These systems also encode sequence-diverse immunity proteins (RhsI/WapI) that specifically neutralize cognate toxins to protect
rhs

+

/wapA

+

cells from autoinhibition. RhsA and RhsB from
Dickeya dadantii
3937 carry nuclease domains that degrade target cell DNA.
D. dadantii
3937
rhs
genes do not encode secretion signal sequences but are linked to hemolysin-coregulated protein and valine-glycine repeat protein G genes from type VI secretion systems. Valine-glycine repeat protein G is required for inhibitor cell function, suggesting that Rhs may be exported from
D. dadantii
3937 through a type VI secretion mechanism. In contrast, WapA proteins from
Bacillus subtilis
strains appear to be exported through the general secretory pathway and deliver a variety of tRNase toxins into neighboring target cells. These findings demonstrate that YD-repeat proteins from phylogenetically diverse bacteria share a common function in contact-dependent growth inhibition.
Receptor-mediated endocytosis and endosomal acidification is impaired in proximal tubule epithelial cells of Dent disease patients
Authors: Gorvin Caroline M. , Wilmer Martijn J. , Piret Sian E. , Harding Brian , van den Heuvel Lambertus P. , Wrong Oliver , Jat Parmjit S. , Lippiat Jonathan D. , Levtchenko Elena N. , Thakker Rajesh V.
Published: April 2013

Receptor-mediated endocytosis, involving megalin and cubilin, mediates renal proximal-tubular reabsorption and is decreased in Dent disease because of mutations of the chloride/proton antiporter, chloride channel-5 (CLC-5), resulting in low-molecular-weight proteinuria, hypercalciuria, nephrolithiasis, and renal failure. To facilitate studies of receptor-mediated endocytosis and the role of CLC-5, we established conditionally immortalized proximal-tubular epithelial cell lines (ciPTECs) from three patients with CLC-5 mutations (30:insH, R637X, and del132-241) and a normal male. Confocal microscopy using the tight junction marker zona occludens-1 (ZO-1) and end-binding protein-1 (EB-1), which is specific for the plus end of microtubules demonstrated that the ciPTECs polarized. Receptor-mediated endocytic uptake of fluorescent albumin and transferrin in 30:insH and R637X ciPTECs was significantly decreased, compared with normal ciPTECs, and could be further reduced by competition with 10-fold excess of unlabeled albumin and transferrin, whereas in the del132-241 ciPTEC, receptor-mediated endocytic uptake was abolished. Investigation of endosomal acidification by live-cell imaging of pHluorin-VAMP2 (vesicle-associated membrane protein-2), a pH-sensitive-GFP construct, revealed that the endosomal pH in normal and 30:insH ciPTECs was similar, whereas in del132-241 and R637X ciPTECs, it was significantly more alkaline, indicating defective acidification in these ciPTECs. The addition of bafilomycin-A1, a V-ATPase inhibitor, raised the pH significantly in all ciPTECs, demonstrating that the differences in acidification were not due to alterations in the V-ATPase, but instead to abnormalities of CLC-5. Thus, our studies, which have established human Dent disease ciPTECs that will facilitate studies of mechanisms in renal reabsorption, demonstrate that Dent disease-causing CLC-5 mutations have differing effects on endosomal acidification and receptor-mediated endocytosis that may not be coupled.
Measuring gene functional similarity based on group-wise comparison of GO terms
Authors: Teng Zhixia , Guo Maozu , Liu Xiaoyan , Dai Qiguo , Wang Chunyu , Xuan Ping
Published: April 2013

Motivation: Compared with sequence and structure similarity, functional similarity is more informative for understanding the biological roles and functions of genes. Many important applications in computational molecular biology require functional similarity, such as gene clustering, protein function prediction, protein interaction evaluation and disease gene prioritization. Gene Ontology (GO) is now widely used as the basis for measuring gene functional similarity. Some existing methods combined semantic similarity scores of single term pairs to estimate gene functional similarity, whereas others compared terms in groups to measure it. However, these methods may make error-prone judgments about gene functional similarity. It remains a challenge that measuring gene functional similarity reliably.

Result: We propose a novel method called SORA to measure gene functional similarity in GO context. First of all, SORA computes the information content (IC) of a term making use of semantic specificity and coverage. Second, SORA measures the IC of a term set by means of combining inherited and extended IC of the terms based on the structure of GO. Finally, SORA estimates gene functional similarity using the IC overlap ratio of term sets. SORA is evaluated against five state-of-the-art methods in the file on the public platform for collaborative evaluation of GO-based semantic similarity measure. The carefully comparisons show SORA is superior to other methods in general. Further analysis suggests that it primarily benefits from the structure of GO, which implies expressive information about gene function. SORA offers an effective and reliable way to compare gene function.

Availability: The web service of SORA is freely available at http://nclab.hit.edu.cn/SORA/.

Contact:  maozuguo@hit.edu.cn
The Missing Wealth of Nations: Are Europe and the U.S. net Debtors or net Creditors?*
Authors: Zucman Gabriel
Published: April 2013

This article shows that official statistics substantially underestimate the net foreign asset positions of rich countries because they fail to capture most of the assets held by households in offshore tax havens. Drawing on a unique Swiss data set and exploiting systematic anomalies in countries’ portfolio investment positions, I find that around 8% of the global financial wealth of households is held in tax havens, three-quarters of which goes unrecorded. On the basis of plausible assumptions, accounting for unrecorded assets turns the eurozone, officially the world’s second largest net debtor, into a net creditor. It also reduces the U.S. net debt significantly. The results shed new light on global imbalances and challenge the widespread view that after a decade of poor-to-rich capital flows, external assets are now in poor countries and debts in rich countries. I provide concrete proposals to improve international statistics.
Thickened Gastrointestinal Wall Findings on Computed Tomography in Children
Authors: Min Steve B. , Nylund Cade M. , Abbas Mazen I. , Carter Milissa , Olsen Cara H. , Biko David M. , Goldman Matheu D.
Published: April 2013

Objectives:

Bowel wall thickening on computed tomography (CT) scans in children may raise concern for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The significance of this radiological finding is unclear. Our purpose was to evaluate the clinical outcomes with regard to IBD in children with no known underlying disease, presenting with abdominal pain and thickened bowel wall on CT scan.

Methods:

A retrospective analysis of pediatric patients with abdominal pain and CT findings of thickened bowel wall was performed between 2006 and 2010. Endoscopic findings, clinical variables, and follow‐up assessments were evaluated.

Results:

Fifty‐six patients presenting with abdominal pain and thickened bowel wall findings on CT scan were identified. Overall, 30 (54%) had terminal ileum wall thickening, 17 (30%) had isolated colonic wall thickening, and 9 (16%) had other small bowel wall thickening. Of the 56 patients, 21 (38%) underwent endoscopy, of which 14 (67%) had positive findings—11 (79%) had histologic evidence of chronic colitis, and 5 (36%) had duodenitis/ileitis. Ultimately, 11/56 (20%) were diagnosed as having IBD, 8/56 (14%) with functional abdominal pain/constipation, 9/56 (16%) appendicitis, 10/56 (18%) infectious gastroenteritis, and 18/56 (32%) with miscellaneous diagnoses. Median levels of erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C‐reactive protein, albumin, and platelet count were significantly abnormal in the IBD group compared to the non‐IBD group. Additional follow‐up of those who did not undergo endoscopic evaluation revealed no new diagnoses of IBD.

Conclusions:

The presence of thickened bowel wall on CT scans is a nonspecific finding in children. Laboratory evaluation may help distinguish which patients require additional evaluation and endoscopy.
Asymmetry in pay-off predicts how familiar individuals respond to one another
Authors: Granroth-Wilding Hanna M. V. , Magurran Anne E.
Published: April 2013

Familiarity influences individual decision-making in many vertebrate species. Here, we propose that familiarity modulates behaviour to different extents depending on the social context of the interaction. Specifically, the more that one player stands to gain relative to the other, the less important familiarity will be in influencing their responses to one another. We test this prediction using pairs of male guppies (
Poecilia reticulata
) in three competitive scenarios of increasing asymmetry in outcome to the two players: schooling under potential threat (similar outcomes), competing for a defensible food source (some asymmetry) and competing for a receptive female (strongly asymmetrical outcomes). Males show a graded response as asymmetry increases, with familiarity producing marked behavioural differences under potential threat, minor changes when competing for food, but none at all in competition for mating opportunities. This suggests that mutualistic benefits can arise as a by-product of selfish behaviour, supporting the role of pseudo-reciprocity in the evolution of cooperation.
Faithful interpreters? Translation theory and practice at the early Royal Society
Authors: Henderson Felicity
Published: April 2013

The early Fellows of the Royal Society received letters, papers and printed books written in several European vernaculars. In many cases a translation was needed to make these texts accessible. Translators, though, had to negotiate the Society's corporate views on language and prose style, and also prevailing contemporary theories of literary translation set out by popular poets such as John Dryden and Abraham Cowley. This article examines the translation practices of early Fellows of the Royal Society, showing that translations formed part of a set of knowledge-making processes at meetings. It also discusses the statements about translation theory found in the prefaces to printed volumes produced by or for Royal Society Fellows, arguing that although translators were aware of the requirement for a faithful translation, in fact they often modified their source texts to make them more useful for an English audience.
The influence of fledgling location on adult provisioning: a test of the blackmail hypothesis
Authors: Thompson A. M. , Raihani N. J. , Hockey P. A. R. , Britton A. , Finch F. M. , Ridley A. R.
Published: April 2013

One theory to explain the existence of conspicuous solicitation is that it is a way for young to ‘blackmail’ carers into provisioning them, by threatening their own destruction. Fledgling birds offer a unique opportunity to investigate the ‘blackmail theory’, as their mobility enables them to influence the predation risk they face. We investigated a novel solicitation behaviour in fledgling pied babblers (
Turdoides bicolor
), where fledglings use their location to influence provisioning rates. We show that fledglings face a trade-off: the ground is a much more profitable location in terms of provisioning rate from adult carers, but they are at greater risk from predators owing to their limited flying ability and slow response to alarm calls. Young babbler fledglings move to the ground when hungry, signalling their state, and this stimulates adults to increase their provisioning rates. Once satiated, fledglings return to the safety of cover. By experimentally increasing terrestrial predation risk, we found that adults increased their provisioning rate to terrestrial but not arboreal fledglings. Thus, by moving to a riskier location, fledglings revealed their need and were able to manipulate adults to achieve higher provisioning rates. These results provide support for the ‘blackmail theory’.
A genetic polymorphism affecting reliance on personal versus public information in a spatial learning task in
Drosophila melanogaster
Authors: Foucaud Julien , Philippe Anne-Sophie , Moreno Celine , Mery Frederic
Published: April 2013

Organisms that face behavioural challenges can use different types of information to guide their decisions. First, they can use the personal information they sample in their environment. Second, they can use the inadvertent social information provided by the behaviour of conspecifics or heterospecifics (i.e. public information). Currently, little is known about the interaction between genetic variation and the use of personal versus public information in natural populations. Here, we investigated whether a natural genetic polymorphism affects the use of personal versus public information in a spatial learning task in
Drosophila melanogaster
. We found that genetic variation at the
foraging
locus interacts with social context during spatial learning. While both allelic variants are able to use personal and public information to improve their navigation during 10 training trials, a probe trial revealed that individuals carrying the
for
R
(rover) allele rely mainly on personal information, whereas individuals carrying the
for
s
(sitter) allele either use or display more public information than rovers. Accordingly, transfer of social information is more important in groups of sitters than in groups of rovers. These results suggest that a positive feedback loop can occur between alleles promoting group living, such as
for
s
, and the use and/or display of public information, ultimately providing the opportunity for the joint evolution of sociality and cultural traits.
The Classical Arabinogalactan Protein AGP18 Mediates Megaspore Selection inArabidopsis
Authors: Demesa-Arévalo Edgar , Vielle-Calzada Jean-Philippe
Published: April 2013

Female gametogenesis in most flowering plants depends on the predetermined selection of a single meiotically derived cell, as the three other megaspores die without further division or differentiation. Although in Arabidopsis thaliana the formation of the functional megaspore (FM) is crucial for the establishment of the gametophytic generation, the mechanisms that determine the specification and fate of haploid cells remain unknown. Here, we show that the classical arabinogalactan protein 18 (AGP18) exerts an active regulation over the selection and survival of megaspores in Arabidopsis. During meiosis, AGP18 is expressed in integumentary cells located in the abaxial region of the ovule. Overexpression of AGP18 results in the abnormal maintenance of surviving megaspores that can acquire a FM identity but is not sufficient to induce FM differentiation before meiosis, indicating that AGP18 positively promotes the selection of viable megaspores. We also show that all four meiotically derived cells in the ovule of Arabidopsis are competent to differentiate into a gametic precursor and that the function of AGP18 is important for their selection and viability. Our results suggest an evolutionary role for arabinogalactan proteins in the acquisition of monospory and the developmental plasticity that is intrinsic to sexual reproduction in flowering plants.
Binuclear and chain-structure zinc(II) complexes constructed from 3,4-dimethoxy-trans-cinnamic acid andN-donor coligands 4-(1H-pyrazol-3-yl)pyridine and 4,4′-bipyridine
Authors: Wang Yi-Long , Shao Zhu-Jia , Qian Shao-Song
Published: April 2013

3,4-Dimethoxy-trans-cinnamic acid (Dmca) reacts with zinc sulfate in the presence of 4-(1H-pyrazol-3-yl)pyridine (L1) or 4,4′-bipyridine (L2) under hydrothermal conditions to afford two mixed-ligand coordination complexes, namely tetrakis(μ-3,4-dimethoxy-trans-cinnamato-κ2O:O′)bis[[4-(1H-pyrazol-3-yl)pyridine]zinc(II)] heptahydrate, [Zn2(C11H11O4)4(C8H7N3)2]·7H2O or [Zn2(Dmca)4(L1)2]·7H2O, (I), andcatena-poly[[bis(3,4-dimethoxy-trans-cinnamato-κO)zinc(II)]-μ-4,4′-bipyridine-κ2N:N′], [Zn(C11H11O4)2(C10H8N2)]nor [Zn(Dmca)2(L2)]n, (II). The ZnIIcentres in the two compounds display different coordination polyhedra. In complex (I), the ZnIIcation is five-coordinated with a pseudo-square-pyramidal geometry, while in complex (II) the ZnIIcation sits on a twofold axis and adopts a distorted tetrahedral coordination environment. Complex (I) features a centrosymmetric binuclear paddle-wheel-like structure, while complex (II) shows a chain structure. This study emphasizes the significant effect of the coordination mode of both carboxylate-group andN-donor coligands on the formation of complex structures.
Ternary K2Zn5As4-type pnictides Rb2Cd5As4and Rb2Zn5Sb4, and the solid solution Rb2Cd5(As,Sb)4
Authors: He Hua , Stoyko Stanislav S. , Mar Arthur , Bobev Svilen
Published: April 2013

Dirubidium pentacadmium tetraarsenide, Rb2Cd5As4, dirubidium pentazinc tetraantimonide, Rb2Zn5Sb4, and the solid-solution phase dirubidium pentacadmium tetra(arsenide/antimonide), Rb2Cd5(As,Sb)4[or Rb2Cd5As3.00(1)Sb1.00(1)], have been prepared by direct reaction of the component elements at high temperature. These compounds are charge-balanced Zintl phases and adopt the orthorhombic K2Zn5As4-type structure (Pearson symboloC44), featuring a three-dimensional [M5Pn4]2−framework [M= Zn or Cd;Pnis a pnicogen or Group 15 (Group V) element] built of linkedMPn4tetrahedra, and large channels extending along thebaxis which host Rb+cations. The As and Sb atoms in Rb2Cd5(As,Sb)4are randomly disordered over the two available pnicogen sites. Band-structure calculations predict that Rb2Cd5As4is a small-band-gap semiconductor and Rb2Zn5Sb4is a semimetal.
Pentane-1,5-diaminium dibromide
Authors: Arderne Charmaine
Published: April 2013

The crystal structure of the title salt, C5H16N22+·2Br−, withZ= 12 and more unusuallyZ′ = 3, forms part of a small group of crystal structures in the Cambridge Structural Database that are ammonium bromide salts. One of the diaminium cation chains in the asymmetric unit exhibits positional disorder, which was modelled using a suitable disorder model. This compound also exhibits organic–inorganic layering in its packing arrangement that is typical of this class of compound. An extensive complex three-dimensional hydrogen-bonding network is also identified. The hydrogen bonds evident in this crystal structure were identified as being most likely strong charge-assisted hydrogen bonds.
The impact of pre‐ and post‐natal contexts on immunity, glucocorticoids and oxidative stress resistance in wild and domesticated grey partridges
Authors: Homberger Benjamin , Jenni‐Eiermann Susanne , Roulin Alexandre , Jenni Lukas
Published: April 2013

Genetic background, prenatal and post‐natal early‐life conditions influence the development of interconnected physiological systems and thereby shape the phenotype. Certain combinations of genotypes and pre‐ and post‐natal conditions may provide higher fitness in a specific environmental context.

Here, we investigated how grey partridges Perdix perdix of two strains (wild and domesticated) cope physiologically with pre‐ and post‐natal predictable vs. unpredictable food supply. Food unpredictability occurs frequently in wild environments and requires physiological and behavioural adjustments.

Well‐orchestrated and efficient physiological systems are presumably more vital in a wild environment as compared to captivity. We thus predicted that wild‐strain grey partridges have a stronger immunity, glucocorticoid (GC) stress response and oxidative stress resistance (OSR) than domesticated birds, which have undergone adaptations to captivity. We also predicted that wild‐strain birds react more strongly to environmental stimuli and, when faced with harsh prenatal conditions, are better able to prepare their offspring for similarly poor post‐natal conditions than birds of domesticated origin.

We found that wild‐strain offspring were physiologically better prepared for stressful situations as compared to the domesticated strain. They had a high GC stress response and a high OSR when kept under predictable food supply. Wild‐strain parents reacted to prenatal unpredictable food supply by lowering their offspring's GC stress response, which potentially lowered GC‐induced oxidative pressure. No such pattern was evident in the domesticated birds.

Irrespective of strain and prenatal feeding scheme, post‐natal unpredictable food supply boosted immune indices, and GC stress response was negatively related to antibody response in females and to mitochondrial superoxide production.

Wild‐strain grey partridge showed fitness‐relevant physiological advantages and appeared to prepare their offspring for the prospective environment. Negative relationships between GC stress response, immunity and oxidative indices imply a pivotal role of an organism's oxidative balance and support the importance of considering multiple physiological systems simultaneously.
Negotiating identity at the intersection of paediatric and genetic medicine: the parent as facilitator, narrator and patient
Authors: Dimond Rebecca
Published: April 2013

This article identifies a significant transformation in the role and identity of parents accompanying their child to clinic. This shift is a product of the intersection between paediatric and genetic medicine, where parents play a critical role in providing information about their child, family and ultimately, about themselves. To provide a context for this matrix, two broad areas of sociological inquiry are highlighted. The first is explanations of the role a parent plays in paediatric medicine and the second is the diagnostic process in paediatric genetics and the implications for parent and child identities. Drawing from an ethnographic study of clinical consultations, attention is paid to the changing role of parenthood and the extended role of patienthood in paediatric genetic medicine.
‘I'm just a walking eating disorder’: the mobilisation and construction of a collective illness identity in eating disorder support groups
Authors: Koski Jessica Powers
Published: April 2013

The increasing visibility of support groups has prompted a flurry of sociological investigation, much of which explores how groups benefit participants. What researchers have failed to consider is the group itself. Bringing social movement theory to bear on the case of eating disorder support groups, this study seeks to explore how support groups attract and sustain adequate participation. Participant observation in an eating disorder support group reveals that broad diagnostic and prognostic frames, coupled with strong motivational framing and collective identification on the basis of a shared disordered self, promote support group participation. The very processes that enable support groups' successful mobilisation, however, simultaneously construct a collective illness identity, which in turn serves as the basis for participants' individual‐level identity work. More specifically, support group mobilisation processes construct eating disorders as highly consequential, highly symptomatic, chronic, rooted in the self, and uncontrollable. Such findings suggest that support groups may have unanticipated and potentially adverse consequences for participants and thus build on previous work highlighting the unintended health consequences of framing processes. Such findings further contribute to our understanding of how macro‐social forces shape illness experience.
Governance of seed and food security through participatory plant breeding: Empirical evidence and gender analysis from Syria
Authors: Galiè Alessandra
Published: April 2013

This paper presents the findings of a study on the governance of seed conducted in the framework of a participatory plant breeding (PPB) programme, based on a multi‐year inquiry with a panel of ten Syrian households. The study assessed the interactions between governance regimes regulating the rights to access and control genetic resources at international and national level, compared to the actual ability of the respondent women farmers to access and control the seed of varieties they co‐developed with the PPB programme. The paper argues that gender equal access to seed can “optimally” contribute to enhancing household food security in small scale farming. The paper also argues that to support a gender‐equal access to seed in the respondent households legislation needs to explicitly protect the rights of women farmers to access and share the benefits of genetic material and draw from empirical evidence of the actual access to and control of seed at ground level.
Learning sustainable water practices through participatory irrigation management in Thailand
Authors: Sinclair A. John , Kumnerdpet Wachiraporn , Moyer Joanne M.
Published: April 2013

Participatory irrigation management (PIM) was adopted in Thailand in 2004 to encourage the sustainable use of water in the agricultural sector. The research presented in this paper sought to understand the relationships between public participation, learning, and the implementation of more sustainable water practices through PIM in Thailand. Data was collected through document reviews, observation, informal meetings, and a total of 55 semi‐structured face‐to‐face interviews of local irrigators from two case study regions around the Krasiew Reservoir. Results showed that participating in PIM activities facilitated both instrumental (e.g., water supply and demand data, benefits of on‐time water delivery) and communicative (e.g., reasons for past PIM failure, expectations of fellow farmers) learning among PIM participants. Findings also revealed that social action is fostered through the recognition of human dignity and compassionate communication that instils a sense of ownership and solidarity among irrigators. Sustainable water practices among local farmers were spurred further through learning that the reservoir is a finite water source.
Phenolics, Aroma Profile, and In Vitro Antioxidant Activity of Italian Dessert Passito Wine from Saracena (Italy)
Authors: Loizzo Monica R. , Bonesi Marco , Di Lecce Giuseppe , Boselli Emanuele , Tundis Rosa , Pugliese Alessandro , Menichini Francesco , Frega Natale Giuseppe
Published: April 2013

A traditional sweet dessert wine from Saracena (Italy), made with nonmacerated local white grapes (Guarnaccia, Malvasia and Moscato), was analyzed for phenolics and aroma profile and antioxidant activities. The most abundant classes of phenols identified by high‐performance liquid chromatography were hydroxybenzoic acids and flavan‐3‐ols, where gallic acid showed the highest content (376.5 mg/L). The analysis by solid phase microextraction‐gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry revealed the presence of superior alcohols (from iso‐butanol and iso‐amyl alcohol up to 2‐phenylethanol) and their ethyl esters, terpenes (such as linalool), furfuryl compounds, and free fatty acids (up to palmitic acid) as the key odorants of this wine. The antioxidant activity, evaluated by different in vitro assays 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2′‐azino‐bis(3‐ethylbenzothiazoline‐6‐sulphonic acid (ABTS), and β‐carotene bleaching test), showed that passito wine had a radical scavenging activity (IC50 value of 0.03 v/v against DPPH·) and inhibited linoleic acid oxidation with an IC50 value of 0.4 v/v after 30 min of incubation.
Nutritional Profile and Productivity of Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) in Different Habitats of a Protected Area of the Eastern Italian Alps
Authors: Elisabetta Barizza , Flavia Guzzo , Paolo Fanton , Giorgio Lucchini , Attilio Sacchi G. , Fiorella Lo Schiavo , Juri Nascimbene
Published: April 2013

Plant productivity and fruit quality in terms of occurrence of mineral elements and metabolites were determined on wild bilberry growing in open and forest stands in a protected area of N‐Italy. Plant productivity was significantly higher in open stands (3 ± 2.5 compared with 0.03 ± 0.05 fruits per plant) suggesting that both collections in the wild and semi‐wild cultivation should be planned in open habitats. Results obtained by ionomic and metabolomic analyses indicated that high quality fruits can be collected in the analyzed area and their nutritional profile did not differ between open and forest stands. Cyanidin and delphinidin proportion of bilberries from our study area was respectively 23.8% and 43.9% of total antocyanin and it is similar to that previously considered peculiar to bilberry fruits of high latitude regions of Europe and indicative of high quality food properties. A comparison between wild bilberry collected in the protected area and commercial blueberry was also performed and relevant differences between them detected, confirming the concept that wild bilberry has a better nutritional profile than blueberry.

Practical Application Bilberry fruits provide relevant nutrients to human diet. However, the scarce availability in the wild is a limiting factor hindering a wider use of this product. In this study we compared plant productivity and nutritional profile of bilberry growing in open and forest sites, demonstrating that they do not differ in terms of mineral and metabolomic contents, whereas plant productivity is by far higher in open sites. This supports the possibility to obtain bilberry fruits by semiwild cultivation maintaining open sites that are also crucial for biodiversity conservation in mountain areas.
The Gac regulon of Pseudomonas fluorescens SBW25
Authors: Cheng Xu , de Bruijn Irene , van der Voort Menno , Loper Joyce E. , Raaijmakers Jos M.
Published: April 2013

Transcriptome analysis of Pseudomonas fluorescens SBW25 showed that 702 genes were differentially regulated in a gacS::Tn5 mutant, with 300 and 402 genes up‐ and downregulated respectively. Similar to the Gac regulon of other Pseudomonas species, genes involved in motility, biofilm formation, siderophore biosynthesis and oxidative stress were differentially regulated in the gacS mutant of SBW25. Our analysis also revealed, for the first time, that transcription of 19 rhizosphere‐induced genes and of genes involved in type II secretion, (exo)polysaccharide and pectate lyase biosynthesis, twitching motility and an orphan non‐ribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) were significantly affected in the gacS mutant. Furthermore, the gacS mutant inhibited growth of oomycete, fungal and bacterial pathogens significantly more than wild type SBW25. Since RP‐HPLC analysis did not reveal any potential candidate metabolites, we focused on the Gac‐regulated orphan NRPS gene cluster that was predicted to encode an eight‐amino‐acid ornicorrugatin‐like peptide. Site‐directed mutagenesis indicated that the encoded peptide is not involved in the enhanced antimicrobial activity of the gacS mutant but may function as a siderophore. Collectively, this genome‐wide analysis revealed that a mutation in the GacS/A two‐component regulatory system causes major transcriptional changes in SBW25 and significantly enhances its antimicrobial activities by yet unknown mechanisms.
Brown tumor of the rib as a first presentation of primary hyperparathyroidism: Report of three cases and literature review
Authors: Zhang Jie , Wang Hao , Tian Weijun , He Qing , Zhu Mei
Published: April 2013

A brown tumor is a non‐neoplasm mainly caused by hyperparathyroidism. It often occurs in the pelvis, ribs, long bone shaft, clavicle, and jaw. We introduce three cases of primary hyperparathyroidism, with the first symptom of brown tumor of the ribs, and discuss the image characteristics within the literature. We then propose the value of ultrasound in the diagnosis of brown tumor.
Characteristics and prognostic factors of synchronous multiple primary esophageal carcinoma: A report of 52 cases
Authors: Li Mei , Lin Zhi‐xiong
Published: April 2013

Background

To retrospectively analyze the clinical characteristics and prognostic factors of 52 cases of synchronous multiple primary esophageal carcinoma (SMPEC), in order to provide a reference for treatment strategy.

Methods

Clinical and survival data of 52 patients with SMPEC were analyzed retrospectively. The rates of overall survival (OS), depending on the different factors, were calculated using Kaplan‐Meier analysis. A log‐rank test was used for univariate survival analysis and Cox's proportional hazards regression model was used for multivariate survival analysis.

Results

Clinical and survival data of 52 patients with SMPEC, hospitalized from 1 January 2003 to 31 October 2011, were analyzed. Twelve patients underwent surgical resection, five received adjuvant radiotherapy and one received adjuvant radiochemotherapy. Thirty‐seven of the 40 non‐operative patients received external beam radiation therapy and 20 of them received platinum‐based chemotherapy. Another three non‐operative patients were given platinum‐based chemotherapy alone. The one, three, and five‐year OS and the median survival time (MST) were 65.4%, 17.3%, 7.7%, respectively, and 15.0 months for the whole cohort. Tumor length and M stage were independent prognostic factors for the whole cohort by multivariate survival analysis (P = 0.010 and 0.047, respectively). For the radiotherapy subgroup, multivariate analysis of prognostic factors identified that shorter tumor length, M0 stage, and chemotherapy were the predominant independent predictors of long‐term survival (P = 0.039, 0.022 and 0.010, respectively).

Conclusions

SMPEC is a relatively rare and aggressive tumor. Combined radiotherapy with chemotherapy seemed to bring a survival benefit and may be a better management choice for unresectable and non‐operative SMPEC.
Greater BOLD activity but more efficient connectivity is associated with better cognitive performance within a sample of nicotine‐deprived smokers
Authors: Nichols Travis T. , Gates Kathleen M. , Molenaar Peter C. M. , Wilson Stephen J.
Published: April 2013

The first few days of an attempt to quit smoking are marked by impairments in cognitive domains, such as working memory and attention. These cognitive impairments have been linked to increased risk for relapse. Little is known about individual differences in the cognitive impairments that accompany deprivation or the neural processing reflected in those differences. In order to address this knowledge gap, we collected functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data from 118 nicotine‐deprived smokers while they performed a verbal n‐back task. We predicted better performance would be associated with more efficient patterns of brain activation and effective connectivity. Results indicated that performance was positively related to load‐related activation in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the left lateral premotor cortex. Additionally, effective connectivity patterns differed as a function of performance, with more accurate participants having simpler, more parsimonious network models than did worse participants. Cognitive efficiency is typically thought of as less neural activation for equal or superior behavioral performance. Taken together, findings suggest cognitive efficiency should not be viewed solely in terms of amount of activation but that both the magnitude of activation within and degree of covariation between task‐critical structures must be considered. This research highlights the benefit of combining traditional fMRI analysis with newer methods for modeling brain connectivity. These results suggest a possible role for indices of network functioning in assessing relapse risk in quitting smokers as well as offer potentially useful targets for novel intervention strategies.
What Drives the Swing Voter in Africa?
Authors: Weghorst Keith R. , Lindberg Staffan I.
Published: April 2013

What makes African voters “up for grabs”? Existing approaches to the swing voter have several liabilities. This article introduces a new measure enabling a more comprehensive assessment of swing voting, including the differentiation between clientelistic and collective goods motivations. The issue of swing voting is then brought to an environment where voters are rarely considered persuadable: Africa. Using a count‐model estimation technique and original survey data from Ghana's critical 2008 elections, the analysis challenges the near consensus in African politics on clientelism as the only electoral strategy. When voters perceive politicians as providing collective, developmental goods, the efficacy of clientelism as a tool to win over voters is reduced. Many persuadable voters can also be won over by both clientelistic and collective goods, thus contradicting the literature presenting these as mutually exclusive. Finally, the analysis shows that incumbents do better when they provide collective goods even in highly clientelistic environments.
Cardiopulmonary exercise testing: arm crank vs cycle ergometry
Authors: Orr J. L. , Williamson P. , Anderson W. , Ross R. , McCafferty S. , Fettes P.
Published: April 2013

This pilot study compared oxygen consumption during arm crank and cycle ergometer tests in 15 women. The mean (SD) peak oxygen consumption was less with arm cranking (25 (5) ml.kg−1.min−1) than with cycling (40 (7) ml.kg−1.min−1), p < 0.0001. The mean (SD) anaerobic threshold was less with arm cranking (13 (2) ml.kg−1.min−1) than with cycling (20 (4) ml.kg−1.min−1), p < 0.0001. There was moderate correlation, r2 = 0.60, between the anaerobic thresholds determined by arm and leg exercise, p = 0.0007. This study suggests that arm crank cardiopulmonary exercise testing could be used for pre‐operative assessment in those unable to cycle.
Forces generated by Macintosh and GlideScope® laryngoscopes in four airway‐training manikins
Authors: Lee C. , Russell T. , Firat M. , Cooper R. M.
Published: April 2013

We measured forces generated by Macintosh and GlideScope® laryngoscope blades during airway intubation by 16 participants in four manikins: Laerdal® SimMan; TruCorp AirSim™ Advance; Laerdal® Airway Management Trainer; and Ambu® Airway Man. Both laryngoscopes generated the least force in the Laerdal Airway Management Trainer and the most in the Ambu Airway Man. The respective median (IQR [range]) forces generated by the Macintosh blade were 2 (1–4 [1–7]) N vs 9 (7–13 [5–16]) N, p = 0.00004, with peak forces 9 (5–11 [3–16]) N vs 18 (12–22 [3–31]) N, p = 0.0004. The respective average and peak forces generated by the GlideScope blade were 1 (1–2 [0–3]) N vs 4 (3–5 [2–6]) N, p = 0.00001, and 4 (2–7 [0–12]) N vs 7 (4–9 [3–18]) N, p = 0.054.
Fructose and lactose intolerance and malabsorption testing: the relationship with symptoms in functional gastrointestinal disorders
Authors: Wilder‐Smith C. H. , Materna A. , Wermelinger C. , Schuler J.
Published: April 2013

Background

The association of fructose and lactose intolerance and malabsorption with the symptoms of different functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGID) remains unclear.

Aim

To investigate the prevalence of fructose and lactose intolerance (symptom induction) and malabsorption and their association with clinical gastrointestinal (GI) as well as non‐GI symptoms in FGID and the outcome of dietary intervention.

Methods

Fructose and lactose intolerance (defined by positive symptom index) and malabsorption (defined by increased hydrogen/methane) were determined in 1372 FGID patients in a single centre using breath testing. Results were correlated with clinical symptoms in different FGID Rome III subgroups. The effectiveness of a targeted saccharide‐reduced diet was assessed after 6–8 weeks.

Results

Intolerance prevalence across all FGIDs was 60% to fructose, 51% to lactose and 33% to both. Malabsorption occurred in 45%, 32% and 16% respectively. There were no differences in intolerance or malabsorption prevalence between FGID subgroups. FGID symptoms correlated with symptoms evoked during testing (r = 0.35–0.61. P < 0.0001), but not with malabsorption. Non‐GI symptoms occurred more commonly in patients with intolerances. Methane breath levels were not associated with constipation using several cut‐off thresholds. Adequate symptom relief was achieved in >80% of intolerant patients, irrespective of malabsorption.

Conclusions

Fructose and lactose intolerances are common in FGID and associated with increased non‐GI symptoms, but not with specific FGID subtypes. Symptoms experienced during breath testing, but not malabsorption, correlate with FGID symptoms. Effective symptom relief with dietary adaptation is not associated with malabsorption. Mechanisms relating to the generation of GI and non‐GI symptoms due to lactose and fructose in FGID need to be explored further.