bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Purified TMEM16A is sufficient to form Ca
2+
-activated Cl
−
channels
Authors: Terashima Hiroyuki , Picollo Alessandra , Accardi Alessio
Published: October 2013

Significance

Calcium-activated chloride channels play key roles in physiology, from mediating sensory transduction and nociception to regulating mucine secretion in airway epithelia and controlling excitability of smooth muscle fibers. Recently, TMEM16A was identified as the pore-forming subunit of these channels. It remains unclear, however, whether this protein is sufficient to form calcium-activated chloride channels, or whether association with other subunits is required for function. Recently, association with calmodulin has been proposed to be required for the calcium-dependent activation and ion selectivity of these channels. Here we show that purified and reconstituted TMEM16A is necessary and sufficient to recapitulate the properties of native and heterologously expressed calcium-activated chloride currents. Thus, association of TMEM16A with other proteins is not required for function.
Regulation of bone remodeling by vasopressin explains the bone loss in hyponatremia
Authors: Tamma Roberto , Sun Li , Cuscito Concetta , Lu Ping , Corcelli Michelangelo , Li Jianhua , Colaianni Graziana , Moonga Surinder S. , Di Benedetto Adriana , Grano Maria , Colucci Silvia , Yuen Tony , New Maria I. , Zallone Alberta , Zaidi Mone
Published: October 2013

Significance

In this study, we show that a primitive brain hormone, arginine vasopressin (AVP), which has hitherto been implicated in regulating water balance in mammals, has a function in skeletal homeostasis. Using genetically modified mice that are lacking one of the AVP receptors as well as pharmacologic inhibitors, we show that AVP negatively regulates osteoblasts (cells that form new bone) and stimulates osteoclasts (cells that remove old bone). Our findings explain the bone loss that is known to accompany low blood sodium levels in patients when AVP levels are high.
Female competition in chimpanzees
Authors: Pusey Anne E. , Schroepfer-Walker Kara
Published: October 2013

Female chimpanzees exhibit exceptionally slow rates of reproduction and raise their offspring without direct paternal care. Therefore, their reproductive success depends critically on long-term access to high-quality food resources over a long lifespan. Chimpanzee communities contain multiple adult males, multiple adult females and their offspring. Because males are philopatric and jointly defend the community range while most females transfer to new communities before breeding, adult females are typically surrounded by unrelated competitors. Communities are fission–fusion societies in which individuals spend time alone or in fluid subgroups, whose size depends mostly on the abundance and distribution of food. To varying extents in different populations, females avoid direct competition by foraging alone or in small groups in distinct, but overlapping core areas within the community range to which they show high fidelity. Although rates of aggression are low, females compete for space and access to food. High rank correlates with high reproductive success, and high-ranking females win direct contests for food and gain preferential access to resource-rich sites. Females are aggressive to immigrant females and even kill the newborn infants of community members. The intensity of such aggression correlates with population density. These patterns are compared to those in other species, including humans.
Contrasting responses of pre‐ and post‐copulatory traits to variation in mating competition
Authors: Simmons Leigh W. , Buzatto Bruno A.
Published: October 2013

Original sperm competition theory assumed that males trade expenditure on searching for mates for expenditure on the ejaculate and predicted that males should increase their expenditure on the ejaculate in response to increased risk of competition. A recent extension of this theory has modelled pre‐copulatory expenditure in terms of direct contest competition and predicts that when the gains from marginal investment in weaponry are large, males might be expected to allocate resources to armaments even at the expense of the ejaculate.

Here, we examine socially cued plasticity in allocation to pre‐ (body condition) and post‐copulatory (testes mass) traits in a male dimorphic beetle, Onthophagus taurus, where major males fight for access to females and minor males obtain reproductive success via sperm competition. Both male morphs were either reared in social isolation or exposed to rivals during the period of sexual maturation following adult emergence.

Testes mass was found to be insensitive to social cues of future mating competition for both major and minor males. Major males allocated more to body condition when exposed to rivals, a response expected for a species in which the outcome of dyadic contests strongly affects male reproductive success. In contrast, minor male allocation to condition was insensitive to social cues.

Our data illustrate how socially cued plasticity in pre‐ and post‐copulatory traits can depend on the relative importance of these episodes of selection for individual male fitness. In O. taurus dung beetles, males strategically adjusted the amount of resources they allocated to winning pre‐copulatory contests over access to females. Strategic allocation to pre‐copulatory contest competition did not come at a cost to male investment in sperm competition, suggesting that males may trade investment into contest competition against some other life‐history trait, such as longevity. The lack of plasticity in testes size suggests that selection from sperm competition may be a relatively constant feature of this species mating system.
3 Grass, Water, Salt, Copper, and Others: Pastoralists’ Territorial Strategies in Central Sudan
Authors: Holl Augustin F. C.
Published: October 2013

This chapter discusses the territorial tactics and settlement strategies devised by pastoral‐nomadic societies in two areas of the Central Sudan. The Eghazer basin (Niger) case study is entirely archaeological and considers processes that took place between 3000 and 800 B.C.E. The Houlouf region case study is ethnoarchaeological and looks at the site‐location strategies, patterns of settlements, and structures of Shuwa‐Arab villages and camps in the Sahelian margins of Northern Cameroon. I explore how these two pastoral‐nomadic societies colonized new territories and carved out new and original cultural landscapes, and then compare the two cases. With the ethnic mix of the Eghazer basin being unknown, bounded territories controlled by larger “tribal” units are a possibility. In the Houlouf region, Shuwa‐Arab pastoralists were initially constrained to a tributary relationship, a situation that changed radically during the past two decades with Shuwa‐Arab access to regional chieftainship. [territories, pastoralists, Central Sudan, Eghazer basin, Houlouf region]
5 Territorial and Nonterritorial Routes to Power: Reconciling Evolutionary Ecological, Social Agency, and Historicist Approaches
Authors: Chabot‐Hanowell Benjamin , Smith Eric Alden
Published: October 2013

We argue that evolutionary and ecological models of territorial behavior are useful to archaeologists holding varied theoretical positions. First, we explain how evolutionary and ecological approaches complement, rather than conflict with, social agency and historicist approaches. Second, we review and expand upon models from evolutionary ecology and their application to the ethnographic and archaeological records. This review reveals that territorial behavior spans a continuum from defense of selected resources, to control of “home ranges” or spheres of influence, to complete defense of a proscribed geographic area. Third, we emphasize that archaeologists and modelers should explicitly define the demographic scale of territorial behavior under consideration, given that resource defense by large groups requires solutions to collective action problems. Finally, we suggest that the economic defensibility logic underlying ecological models of territoriality applies to any resource type, not just territory. Furthermore, social and political power often require successfully defending spatial territory. [evolutionary ecology, economic defensibility, territoriality, human behavioral variation, archaeology]
9 Conquests of Dharma: Network Models and the Study of Ancient Polities
Authors: Sugandhi Namita
Published: October 2013

The Mauryan Empire, an early South Asian polity, was once presumed to have exerted control over most of the Indian subcontinent. A reexamination of both archaeological and historical evidence suggests a different interpretation of Mauryan imperialism ‐ one that has less to do with territorial control and instead looks to a relational network perspective. This perspective allows a view of the Mauryan polity that goes beyond the political dimension to examine long‐term patterns of interaction during the Early Historic period (ca. 600 B.C.E.–C.E. 600). Additionally, this model may be extended to include parallel networks of interaction that existed independently of political authority and would endure beyond the decline of various dynastic powers. [Mauryan Empire, sovereignty, territoriality, Early Historic period, South Asia]
Phosphorylation of STAT3 correlates with HER2 status, but not with survival in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma
Authors: Koperek Oskar , Aumayr Klaus , Schindl Martin , Werba Gregor , Soleiman Afschin , Schoppmann Sebastian , Sahora Klaus , Birner Peter
Published: October 2013

Activation of signal‐transcriptional factor signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is associated with more aggressive behaviour in a variety of human malignancies. As selective STAT3 inhibitors exist, this protein might represent a novel therapeutic target. Although STAT3 seems to play an important role in progression of pancreatic ductal carcinoma (PDAC), only few data on this subject exist. The aim of our study was the investigation of STAT3 activation and its correlation with its possible regulator HER2. Expression of tyrosine‐705 phosphorylated STAT3 (pSTAT3) was determined immunohistochemically in 79 PDACs. HER2 status assessed by immunohistochemistry and double colour silver in situ hybridization was available from a previous study. PSTAT3 expression was seen in 33 (41.8%) patients. Six patients were scored as HER2 positive having strong correlation with pSTAT3 expression (p = 0.004, Fisher′s exact test). No association of pSTAT3 expression with patients′ age, tumour staging and grading, perineural invasion of tumour cells or survival time was seen. pSTAT3 is frequently expressed in PDAC. Nevertheless, its immediate clinical relevance seems to be low. However, further research needs to determine whether STAT3 status in PDAC is predictive for the response to novel targeting therapies.
Fluoride intake from fluids and urinary fluoride excretion by young children in Kuwait: a non‐fluoridated community
Authors: Akpata Enosakhare S. , Behbehani Jawad , Akbar Jaber , Thalib Lukman , Mojiminiyi Olusegun
Published: October 2013

Objectives

To determine the pattern of fluid consumption, fluoride intake from the fluids and urinary fluoride excretion by children aged 1–9 years in Kuwait, a nonfluoridated community.

Methods

Using the cluster sampling technique, children aged 1–9 years were chosen from 2000 randomly selected households in Kuwait. Questionnaires were then administered to their mothers to determine the children's daily fluid intake. Fluoride concentrations in tap water as well as all brands of bottled water and beverages consumed by the children were measured, using the fluoride ion‐specific electrode. Fluoride excretion was determined in 400 randomly selected children, based on fluoride/creatinine ratio.

Results

The mean daily fluid consumption by the children was high, being 1115–1545 ml. About 40% of the fluid intake was plain (tap and bottled) water and approximately 10% of the children drank bottled water exclusively. Fluoride concentration in tap water was low (0.04 ± SD 0.02 ppm), but was higher in bottled water (0.28 ± SD 0.40 ppm). Mean daily fluoride ingestion from fluids was 0.013–0.018 mg/kg body weight (bw). Even after allowing for fluoride ingestion from other sources, mean daily fluoride ingestion was still below 0.1 mg/kg bw set by the United States of America Institute of Medicine as the lowest‐observed‐adverse‐effect level for moderate enamel fluorosis in children aged up to 8 years. Furthermore, the mean daily urinary fluoride excretion of 128–220 μg was below the provisional standard of 360–480 μg for optimal fluoride usage by children aged 3–5 years.

Conclusion

Fluoride ingestion from fluids and urinary fluoride excretion by the children were below the recommendations for optimal fluoride usage. Thus, there is room for an upward adjustment of fluoride level in public drinking water supplies in Kuwait, as a caries preventive measure.
Can Elevated IGF‐1 Levels Among Patients With Ehlers–Danlos Syndrome Cause Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension?
Authors: Kurian Michelle , Solomon Glen D.
Published: October 2013

We offer for consideration a possible association between hypermobility syndrome seen in Ehlers–Danlos syndrome and risk of potential development of idiopathic intracranial hypertension – mediated primarily through the effects of insulin‐like growth factor‐1.
How Often Is Thunderclap Headache Caused by the Reversible Cerebral Vasoconstriction Syndrome?
Authors: Grooters Gerrit S. , Sluzewski Menno , Tijssen Cees C.
Published: October 2013

Background

Thunderclap headache (TCH) has a broad differential diagnosis that includes the reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome (RCVS). It is believed to be caused by a dysregulation of vascular tone, which leads to reversible and segmental vasoconstriction and may cause permanent neurological deficits. One of the remaining mysteries is the incidence of the syndrome in a general hospital setting.

Methods

We recruited consecutive patients with TCH without evidence of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage on immediate computed tomography‐scanning from the emergency room in a period of 12 months. Only those patients with an acute and severe onset of the pain were recruited; the peak of the pain had to be reached in less than 1 minute (verbal analog scale >8/10), and the minimum duration of the pain had to be 6 hours. All patients underwent lumbar puncture, magnetic resonance angiography, and serial transcranial Doppler sonography.

Results

Thirty‐four patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria; 3 of those were diagnosed with the RCVS (8.8%; 95% confidence interval 3‐23).

Conclusions

We found the incidence of RCVS to be 8.8% (95% confidence interval 3‐23) (3 patients) in patients presenting with TCH without evidence for severe illness. We believe that RCVS is an underrecognized condition, and therefore additional imaging should be performed in every patient with TCH.
Thermoregulatory vs. event sweating – comparison of clinical methodologies, physiology and results
Authors: Biehle‐Hulette S. J. , Krailler J. M. , Elstun L. T. , Bentz S. , Benzing K. W. , Spruell R. D. , Hellhammer J. , Swaile D. F.
Published: October 2013

Synopsis

Objectives

Although the mechanisms of sweating due to thermoregulation vs. stress are distinct, the antiperspirant industry focuses primarily on perspiration due to heat as their method of efficacy testing. To better understand the overall protection afforded by a ‘Clinical Strength’ over‐the‐counter antiperspirant product, we compare results from a standard hot‐room study with results from two studies using the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST).

Methods

For each study, unscented antiperspirant was applied to one axilla, leaving the other untreated for internal control. The hot‐room protocol involved a 40‐min warm‐up period with 2–20 min sweat collections at 100 ± 2°F (35% RH). The TSST requires naïve subjects to give an impromptu speech and conduct mental arithmetic, with collections of sweat, heart rate and other biomarkers of stress before, during and after the event.

Results

During the TSST, heart rate and salivary cortisol data indicate significant emotional stress. Wetness results show that sweat was reduced by 69.4% in the hot‐room study, compared with 83.7% and 89.3% reductions in the stress studies.

Conclusion

We have found added value in investigating antiperspirancy from several causes of sweat production to give a more encompassing picture of the protection afforded by an antiperspirant product, specifically wetness protection from heat, activity and stress‐induced sweat.
CCR5‐Delta32: implications in SLE development
Authors: Carvalho C. , Calvisi S. L. , Leal B. , Bettencourt A. , Marinho A. , Almeida I. , Farinha F. , Costa P. P. , Silva B. M. , Vasconcelos C.
Published: October 2013

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a prototypical autoimmune disease with strong genetic and environmental components. Previous studies have shown increased levels of several chemokines in active SLE. C‐C chemokine receptor type 5 (CCR5) is involved in the recruitment of inflammatory cells into tissues, and mechanisms modulating CCR5 expression and function may interfere in SLE development, influencing the clinical course of the disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate the possible association between the CCR5∆32 base‐pair deletion polymorphism and SLE disease in a group of Portuguese patients. A total of 219 patients with SLE and 205 healthy individuals were studied. The frequency of CCR5/∆32 heterozygotes was lower in patients with SLE than in controls (8% vs. 15% OR = 0.5162; P = 0.0319), suggesting a protective association between CCR5∆32 allele and SLE. These results highlight the protective role of Th1 cells that express CCR5 in SLE pathogenesis.
Human monoclonal Fab and human plasma antibodies to carbamyl‐epitopes cross‐react with malondialdehyde‐adducts
Authors: Kummu Outi , Turunen S. Pauliina , Prus Piotr , Lehtimäki Jaakko , Veneskoski Marja , Wang Chunguang , Hörkkö Sohvi
Published: October 2013

Oxidized low‐density lipoprotein (OxLDL) plays a crucial role in the development of atherosclerosis. Carbamylated LDL has been suggested to promote atherogenesis in patients with chronic kidney disease. Here we observed that plasma IgG and IgM antibodies to carbamylated epitopes were associated with IgG and IgM antibodies to oxidation‐specific epitopes (ρ = 0·65–0·86, P < 0·001) in healthy adults, suggesting a cross‐reaction between antibodies recognizing carbamyl‐epitopes and malondialdehyde (MDA)/malondialdehyde acetaldehyde (MAA) ‐adducts. We used a phage display technique to clone a human Fab antibody that bound to carbamylated LDL and other carbamylated proteins. Anti‐carbamyl‐Fab (Fab106) cross‐reacted with oxidation‐specific epitopes, especially with MDA‐LDL and MAA‐LDL. We showed that Fab106 bound to apoptotic Jurkat cells known to contain these oxidation‐specific epitopes, and the binding was competed with soluble carbamylated and MDA‐/MAA‐modified LDL and BSA. In addition, Fab106 was able to block the uptake of carbamyl‐LDL and MDA‐LDL by macrophages and stained mouse atherosclerotic lesions. The observed cross‐reaction between carbamylated and MDA‐/MAA‐modified LDL and its contribution to enhanced atherogenesis in uraemic patients require further investigation.
MIRSNP rs2910164 of miR‐146a is associated with the muscle involvement in polymyositis/dermatomyositis
Authors: Okada Yoshifumi , Jinnin Masatoshi , Makino Takamitsu , Kajihara Ikko , Makino Katsunari , Honda Noritoshi , Nakayama Wakana , Inoue Kuniko , Fukushima Satoshi , Ihn Hironobu
Published: October 2013

Background

Recently, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) located in microRNAs, the so‐called MIRSNPs, have attracted attention for their possible involvement in the pathogenesis of various diseases. Such MIRSNPs may have a functional role, due to the alteration of microRNA function, and can be a disease marker. In this study, we evaluated the possibility that MIRSNP rs2910164 in miR‐146a can be a useful marker for the diagnosis and evaluation of disease activity of polymyositis/dermatomyositis (PM/DM).

Methods

DNA was obtained from 25 patients with DM, 16 with clinically amyopathic DM, and three with PM, and genotyped by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The PCR products were digested by MnlI, and the digested products were run out on a 3% agarose gel. Serum levels of miR‐146a were measured by real‐time PCR.

Results

We could not find a significant difference in the frequency of genotype distribution between controls and patients with PM/DM. However, the frequency of muscle weakness and dysphagia in patients with CC genotype was significantly higher as compared with patients with CG or GG genotype. In addition, the minimum free energy between miR‐146a and its complementary strand with G allele is estimated at −26.8 kcal/mol, while that of C allele is at −24.0 kcal/mol, suggesting that the MIRSNP rs2910164 is functional. Serum miR‐146a levels tended to be decreased in patients with DM with the CC genotype.

Conclusions

Taken together, miR‐146a may be involved in the pathogenesis of PM/DM, and patients with the CC genotype are at higher risk of muscle involvement.
The Cannabis Class: What Happened When the Legal Status of Cannabis was Reclassified?
Authors: Hamilton Ian
Published: October 2013

The states of Washington and Colorado have passed laws legalising the recreational use of cannabis from next year. Will the effect be disastrous for mental health, or cool? In Britain, cannabis was reclassified in 2004 from a class B drug to the less serious class C; but in 2008 it was again reclassified, back to class B. Ian Hamilton looks at what followed.
A Carriage Full of Curates
Authors: Champkin Julian
Published: October 2013

2013 has been a bad year on the railways. The derailment at Santiago in Spain and the Lac-Mégantic disaster in Canada have taken at least 120 lives and raised a media storm about rail safety. Not for the first time. A century and a half ago William Farr wrote about the same thing. Because 1868 was also a bad year on the railways. Julian Champkin delved into the archives.
Political skill and emotional cue learning via voices: a training study
Authors: Momm Tassilo , Blickle Gerhard , Liu Yongmei
Published: October 2013

The ability to discern emotional expressive cues represents an important interpersonal emotional skill at the workplace. In a training study with 123 employee–peer dyads, we examined whether political skill enhances the learning of emotional expressive cues via voices. Controlling for the effects of extraversion and self‐monitoring, it was found that political skill was significantly related to the accurate recognition of emotions via voices after a training session. As predicted, other‐reported political skill was found to be a stronger predictor of such learning than self‐reported political skill. In addition, social astuteness and networking ability were the most predictive of emotional cue learning among the different dimensions of political skill. Implications and limitations are discussed.
The impact ofWolbachia, male age and mating history on cytoplasmic incompatibility and sperm transfer inDrosophila simulans
Authors: Awrahman Z. A. , Champion de Crespigny F. , Wedell N.
Published: October 2013

Most insects harbour a variety of maternally inherited endosymbionts, the most widespread beingWolbachia pipientisthat commonly induce cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) and reduced hatching success in crosses between infected males and uninfected females. High temperature and increasing male age are known to reduce the level ofCIin a variety of insects. InDrosophila simulans, infected males have been shown to mate at a higher rate than uninfected males. By examining the impact of mating rate independent of age, this study investigates whether a high mating rate confers an advantage to infected males through restoring their compatibility with uninfected females over and above the effect of age. The impact ofWolbachiainfection, male mating rate and age on the number of sperm transferred to females during copulation and how it relates toCIexpression was also assessed. As predicted, we found that reproductive compatibility was restored faster in males that mate at higher rate than that of low mating and virgin males, and that the effect of mating history was over and above the effect of male age. Nonvirgin infected males transferred fewer sperm than uninfected males during copulation, and mating at a high rate resulted in the transfer of fewer sperm per mating irrespective of infection status. These results indicate that the advantage to infected males of mating at a high rate is through restoration of reproductive compatibility with uninfected females, whereas uninfected males appear to trade off the number of sperm transferred per mating with female encounter rate and success in sperm competition. This study highlights the importanceWolbachiamay play in sexual selection by affecting male reproductive strategies.
Bedbugs and Grasshoppers: Translation, Myth and the Becoming of the Nation‐State
Authors: Wong Yoke‐Sum
Published: October 2013

How is literally, a nation translated? This paper looks at translation practices as historical process and practice rather than submitting them to causal explanations with respect to the constitution of the nation‐state. It takes as its starting point, two contemporary Malay words negeri (province, state) and negara (country, nation‐state) and how they once had opposing definitions. Working with over three hundred years of dictionaries and lexicons, mainly English‐Malay dictionaries, the words negeri and negara were translated and defined very differently from current dictionaries – nor are they clarified today. What then happened to these words and how were they understood and translated over time, and in what possible context within the language of post‐colonial nation‐state formation? What do the processes of translation offer or convey that disrupts the singularity of nations and nationalism? Writings on translation do not necessarily shed any further clarity but they offer a space in which we can think about translating practices and what they enact in the narrative of the nation.
Aggressive plasmablastic multiple myeloma in a 42-year-old: is inflammatory bowel disease or infliximab treatment to be blamed?
Authors: Yadav Siddhartha , Kumar Ramesh , Jaiyesimi Ishmael A , Chisti Mohammad Muhsin
Published: October 2013

A man in his early 40s with a history of ulcerative colitis, treated with infliximab, was diagnosed with plasmablastic multiple myeloma. He was treated with chemotherapy and stem cell transplant but developed recurrence and ultimately died from metastatic disease. Could inflammatory bowel disease or infliximab therapy have any role in development of myeloma in this young patient? The role of inflammatory bowel disease and infliximab therapy in the development of multiple myeloma is controversial but interesting and worth considering.
Improving neonatal mortality in an Ethiopian referral hospital
Authors: Fulton Crawford
Published: October 2013

Ethiopia has one of the world's poorest neonatal mortality rates (1). As a British paediatrician working for one year, the main aim was to improve neonatal care in a referral hospital’s neonatal unit. An initial project looking at all admissions to the unit over the month of October 2012, revealed the death rate within the unit was 21% of all admissions. Of the 55 admissions only 43 (75%) had a temperature recorded at admission. 29 (67%) of these were hypothermic, and of these 29 initially hypothermic babies, 19 (65%) remained hypothermic or did not have another temperature documented during their stay. Only 33 (56%) had a heart rate and respiratory rate recorded on admission and only 11 (19%) had any further vital signs recorded during their stay. 19 of the admitted infants had a diagnosis of low birth weight and 10 (53%) of these either died or left against medical advice.

With this information regular basic neonatal care teaching sessions for doctors and nursing staff were initiated. Vital signs charts were introduced and unit specific protocols were written. Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) was trialled and found to be effective, and CPAP training was given to all nurses and doctors on the unit. A room was set aside to be used solely as Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC). The nurses were taken to a very effective neonatal unit as an ‘experience sharing’ trip to help with motivation and a grant was also obtained for basic equipment.

After 6 months the project was repeated for all the admissions during February 2013. The death rate had progressively fallen and was 10% in February. 54 patients (98%) had a temperature taken on admission and of these, 27 (49%) were hypothermic. 25 (93%) of these hypothermic infants had subsequent temperatures documented which were normal. 54 (98%) had heart rate and respiratory rate recorded on admission and 50 (90%) had them recorded at least daily during their stay. Of the 22 babies with low birth weight (40%), only 4 (18%) died/left against medical advice. 4 received CPAP and 6 were treated with KMC.
Electronic prescribing: Reducing delay to first dose of antibiotics for patients in intensive care
Authors: Matthews Philippa C , Wangrangsimakul Tri , Borthwick Mark , Williams Clare , Byren Ivor , Wilkinson Douglas
Published: October 2013

Delays in antibiotic therapy in the context of severe sepsis are associated with increased mortality. One way to reduce such delays may be through modifications to electronic prescribing (EP) systems. The research team evaluated the role of one such EP system in reducing delays in antibiotic administration in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU). First, the delays in antibiotic administration in adult ICU patients was quantified. The EP system was then modified to remove deafult time settings for antibiotic doses, which ensured that all antibiotic doses were scheduled for administration within an hour of the prescription being generated. Enhanced training for clinicians and nurses was also implemented, focusing on the EP system and highlighting the importance of prompt antimicrobial prescribing and delivery to the patient. The antibiotic administration was re-audited, and a significant reduction in delays (p=0.002, Mann-Whitney U test) was found. This study demonstrates how prudent use of EP systems can help to reduce delays in antibiotic administration in an ICU setting, thus potentially contributing to reducing mortality in patients with sepsis.
General class of anisotropic cosmological models with dilaton and magnetic fields
Authors: Chaubey R.
Published: October 2013

The Einstein–Maxwell dilaton field equations are considered for four-dimensional anisotropic Bianchi models. The general solutions have been obtained and their properties have been discussed. The exact solutions to the corresponding field equations are obtained for two different physical viable cosmologies. The cosmological parameters have been discussed in detail and it is also shown that the solutions tend asymptotically to isotropic Friedmann–Robertson–Walker cosmological model.
The Context of Blood Vessels and Response to VEGF-Targeted Therapy
Authors: Rini Brian I.
Published: October 2013

Although therapy directed against VEGF has produced clinical benefit, an understanding of responsive tumor characteristics is lacking. Blood vessel location relative to tumor cells and stromal factors may influence tumor susceptibility to VEGF-targeted therapy. Clinical validation of this potential biomarker is needed to influence clinical practice. Clin Cancer Res; 19(24); 6647–9. ©2013 AACR.
A Novel Regulatory Mechanism of Pim-3 Kinase Stability and Its Involvement in Pancreatic Cancer Progression
Authors: Zhang Fei , Liu Bin , Wang Zhen , Yu Xian-Jun , Ni Quan-Xing , Yang Wen-Tao , Mukaida Naofumi , Li Ying-Yi
Published: October 2013

Translationally controlled tumor protein (TCTP/TPT1) was identified from a yeast 2-hybrid screen and shown to interact with Pim-3, a member of the proto-oncogene Pim family with serine/threonine kinase activity. TCTP was aberrantly expressed in human pancreatic cancer cells and malignant ductal epithelial cells, but not in normal pancreatic duct epithelial cells adjacent to tumor foci of human pancreatic cancer tissue. Moreover, TCTP colocalized with Pim-3 both in human pancreatic cancer cells and in clinical tissues. Mapping studies revealed that the interaction between Pim-3 and TCTP occurred through the C-terminal region of Pim-3 and N-terminal region of TCTP. Although Pim-3 had no effect on TCTP expression or phosphorylation, overexpression of TCTP increased the amount of Pim-3 in a dose-dependent manner. Interestingly, RNAi-mediated ablation of TCTP expression reduced Pim-3 protein but not mRNA, through a mechanism involving the ubiquitin–proteasome degradation system. As a consequence of Pim-3 instability and subsequent degradation, tumor growth in vitro and in vivo was inhibited by arresting cell-cycle progression and enhancing apoptosis. Furthermore, TCTP and Pim-3 expression were significantly correlated in pancreatic adenocarcinoma specimens, and patients with highly expressed TCTP and Pim-3 presented with a more advanced tumor stage. These observations indicate that TCTP enhances Pim-3 stability to simultaneously promote and prevent cell-cycle progression and apoptosis, respectively. Hence, TCTP and Pim-3 serve a pivotal role in human pancreatic cancer with important ramifications for clinical diagnostic and therapeutic implications.

Implications: The present study provides a new idea and experimental evidence for recognizing TCTP/Pim-3 pathway as a target for therapy in human pancreatic cancer. Mol Cancer Res; 11(12); 1508–20. ©2013 AACR.
Vision-based long-range target detection using coarse-to-fine particle filter
Authors: Shim Sang-Wook , Won Dae-Yeon , Tahk Min-Jea , Seong Kiejeong , Kim Eung-Tai
Published: October 2013

In this study, we develop a coarse-to-fine particle filter algorithm for track-before-detect in order to track a subpixel-sized, low signal-to-noise ratio target in sensor data. The proposed algorithm enhances tracking performance in the presence of target motion uncertainty and it also maintains the computational load without increasing the number of particles. This coarse-to-fine particle filter, which is newly applied to track-before-detect, has two recursive stages: a coarse stage for extensive searches of the target’s state space and a fine stage that narrows down the tracking results. During the coarse stage, particles are propagated with uniformly distributed noise to compensate for highly nonlinear target motion. The fine stage disturbs the particles filtered from the coarse stage using Gaussian distributed noise. Monte Carlo simulation results using artificial image sequences indicate improved performance with the proposed algorithm when uncertain large frame-to-frame pixel differences are caused by nonlinear target motions such as jittering effects. The algorithm is also applied to the real camera image frames to verify its detecting performance.
Probing functional polymorphisms in the dengue vector, Aedes aegypti
Authors: Bonizzoni Mariangela , Britton Monica , Marinotti Osvaldo , Dunn William Augustine , Fass Joseph , James Anthony A
Published: October 2013

Background

Dengue is the most prevalent arboviral disease world-wide and its primary vector is the mosquito Aedes aegypti. The current lack of commercially-available vaccines makes control of vector populations the only effective strategy to prevent dengue transmission. Aedes aegypti geographic populations exhibit great variability in insecticide resistance and susceptibility to dengue infection. The characterization of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) as molecular markers to study quantitatively this variation is needed greatly because this species has a low abundance of microsatellite markers and limited known restriction fragments length polymorphisms (RFLPs) and single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) markers.

Results

We used RNA-seq to characterize SNPs in three Ae. aegypti strains, including the Liverpool (LVP) strain, from which the current genome annotation is derived. We identified 131,764 unique genome locations with at least one alternative nucleotide to what is reported in the reference annotation. These comprised changes in both open-reading frames (ORFs) and untranslated regions (UTRs) of transcripts. An in depth-look at sequence variation in immunity genes revealed that those associated with autophagy, MD2-like receptors and Peptidoglycan Recognition Proteins had more sequence variation in their 3’UTRs than mutations associated with non-synonymous changes. This supports the conclusion that these genes had maintained their functional specificity while being adapted to different regulatory domains. In contrast, a number of peroxidases, serpins and Clip-domain serine proteases exhibited conservation of putative UTR regulatory sequences while displaying diversification of the ORFs. Transcriptome evidence also was found for ~2500 novel transcriptional units (NTUs) not annotated in the reference genome.

Conclusions

The transcriptome-wide assessment of within and inter-strain polymorphisms in Ae. aegypti adds considerably to the number of molecular markers available for genetic studies in this mosquito. Additionally, data supporting NTU discovery emphasizes the need for continuous amendments of the reference genome annotation.
Carbapenemase-producing Pseudomonas aeruginosafrom central Greece: molecular epidemiology and genetic analysis of class I integrons
Authors: Liakopoulos Apostolos , Mavroidi Angeliki , Katsifas Efstathios A , Theodosiou Alexandros , Karagouni Amalia D , Miriagou Vivi , Petinaki Efthymia
Published: October 2013

Background

Multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a serious challenge for antimicrobial therapy of nosocomial infections, as it possesses several mechanisms of antimicrobial resistance. In Central Greece, a sudden increase of infections caused by carbapenem-resistant P. aeruginosa was observed during 2011, indicating the need for further analysis.

Methods

Five-hundred and sixty-eight P. aeruginosa isolates were collected consecutively during an 8-month period in 2011 from inpatients treated in three hospitals in the Thessaly region (1,000,000 habitants) of Greece. Carbapenem-resistant P. aeruginosa (n = 284) were characterized by antimicrobial susceptibility testing and β-lactamase content, and the genetic relatedness of carbapenemase-producing isolates was assessed by BOX-PCR, multilocus sequence typing, and eBURST analysis. Mapping of the class I integrons of Verona integron-encoded metallo-β-lactamase (VIM)-carrying isolates was also performed, and clinical data of the VIM producers were reviewed.

Results

Eighty (14.1%) out of the 568 P. aeruginosa isolates recovered from clinical specimens were VIM producers. Multilocus sequence typing revealed high prevalence of the international clones ST111 and ST235 among blaVIM-2- and blaVIM-4-positive isolates, respectively. blaVIM-17 was identified in an isolate of a novel sequence type (ST1457). bla
VIM gene cassettes were carried by five distinct class I integrons, including two novel ones.

Conclusions

Since the first report of VIM-producing P. aeruginosa in 2000, this microorganism still remains among the most prevalent multidrug resistant pathogens in Greece. The spread of VIM-producers belonging to the most common international clones (ST111 and ST235), the spread of integrons of divergent structures, and the emergence of novel integrons underscore their ongoing evolution.
Acceleration of tooth movement during orthodontic treatment - a frontier in Orthodontics
Authors: Nimeri Ghada , Kau Chung H , Abou-Kheir Nadia S , Corona Rachel
Published: October 2013

Nowadays, there is an increased tendency for researches to focus on accelerating methods for tooth movement due to the huge demand for adults for a shorter orthodontic treatment time. Unfortunately, long orthodontic treatment time poses several disadvantages like higher predisposition to caries, gingival recession, and root resorption. This increases the demand to find the best method to increase tooth movement with the least possible disadvantages. The purpose of this study is to view the successful approaches in tooth movement and to highlight the newest technique in tooth movement. A total of 74 articles were reviewed in tooth movement and related discipline from 1959 to 2013. There is a high amount of researches done on the biological method for tooth movement; unfortunately, the majority of them were done on animals. Cytokine, PTH, vitamin D, and RANKL/RANK/OPG show promising results; on the other hand, relaxin does not accelerate tooth movement, but increases the tooth mobility. Low-level laser therapy has shown positive outcome, but further investigation should be done for the best energy and duration to achieve the highest success rate. Surgical approach has the most predictable outcomes but with limited application due to its aggressiveness. Piezocision technique is considered one of the best surgical approaches because it poses good periodontal tissue response and excellent aesthetic outcome. Due to the advantages and disadvantages of each approach, further investigations should be done to determine the best method to accelerate tooth movement.
Effects of the PPAR-β/δ agonist GW0742 during resuscitated porcine septic shock
Authors: Wepler Martin , Hafner Sebastian , Scheuerle Angelika , Reize Matthias , Gröger Michael , Wagner Florian , Simon Florian , Matallo José , Gottschalch Frank , Seifritz Andrea , Stahl Bettina , Matejovic Martin , Kapoor Amar , Möller Peter , Calzia Enrico , Georgieff Michael , Wachter Ulrich , Vogt Josef A , Thiemermann Christoph , Radermacher Peter , McCook Oscar
Published: October 2013

Background

In un-resuscitated rodent models of septic shock, the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-β/δ (PPAR-β/δ) agonist GW0742 improved visceral organ function. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis whether GW0742 would attenuate kidney injury during long-term, resuscitated, porcine polymicrobial septic shock.

Methods

Six, 12, and 18 h after the induction of fecal peritonitis by inoculation of autologous feces, anesthetized, mechanically ventilated, and instrumented male pigs with pre-existing atherosclerosis resulting from familial hypercholesteremia and atherogenic diet randomly received either vehicle (dimethyl sulfoxide, n = 12) or GW0742 (n = 10). Resuscitation comprised hydroxyethyl starch and norepinephrine infusion titrated to maintain mean arterial pressure at baseline values.

Results

Despite aggressive fluid resuscitation, fecal peritonitis was associated with arterial hypotension requiring norepinephrine infusion, ultimately resulting in progressive lactic acidosis and acute kidney injury. GW0742 did not beneficially affect any parameter of systemic and regional hemodynamics, gas exchange, metabolism, or organ function. The parameters of inflammation, oxidative and nitrosative stress, and organ injury (post-mortem analysis for histomorphology and markers of apoptosis) were not influenced either. Immunohistochemistry of pre-shock kidney biopsies from a previous study in this swine strain showed markedly lower PPAR-β/δ receptor expression than in healthy animals.

Conclusions

In swine with pre-existing atherosclerosis, the PPAR-β/δ agonist GW0742 failed to attenuate septic shock-induced circulatory failure and kidney dysfunction, most likely due to reduced receptor expression coinciding with cardiovascular and metabolic co-morbidity.
Middlemen Margins and Globalization
Authors: Bardhan Pranab , Mookherjee Dilip , Tsumagari Masatoshi
Published: October 2013

We study a competitive theory of middlemen with brand-name reputations necessary to overcome product quality moral hazard problems. Agents with heterogeneous abilities sort into different sectors and occupations. Middleman margins do not equalize across sectors if production of different goods are differentially prone to moral hazard, generating endogenous mobility barriers. We embed the model in a setting of North-South trade, and explore the distributive implications of trade liberalization. With large intersectoral moral hazard differences, results similar to those of Ricardo-Viner specific-factor models obtain, whereby southern inequality increases. Otherwise, opposite (i.e., Stolper-Samuelson) results obtain. (JEL D82, D63, F12, F13, L15)
Swordfish growth pattern in the strait of Gibraltar; implications for mixing among Atlantic and Mediterranean stocks
Authors: ABID N. , BAKKALI M. , TSERPES G. , IDRISSI M.
Published: October 2013

A growth study of the swordfish in the Strait of Gibraltar was carried out, based on monthly size frequencies data collected from the Moroccan driftnet fishery during the period 2006-2011. The growth parameters were estimated by the modal progression analysis (MPA), using both the Bhattacharya and NORMSEP methods. The standard von Bertalanffy growth function (VBGF) for length was found to be: Lt =253.6 [1-exp (- 0.17(t + 1.30))]. The growth pattern of swordfish in the Strait of Gibraltar was found to be very similar to that obtained from past studies in various Mediterranean areas. Given the existing growth differences among Atlantic and Mediterranean swordfish, this suggests that the majority of fish caught in this area are most likely belonging to the Mediterranean stock. However, further studies are needed to identify the degree of mixing among stocks.
Variability in reproductive traits in the sex-changing fish, Coris julis, in the Mediterranean
Authors: ALONSO-FERNANDEZ A. , ALOS J. , PALMER M.
Published: October 2013

The quantity and quality of propagules, i.e., reproductive output, play a key role in the dynamics of exploited populations, with particular implications for sex-changing fish. Here, we studied for the first time the effects of maternal traits on the reproductive output of the Mediterranean rainbow wrasse Coris julis, a sequential hermaphroditic fish widely distributed in temperate marine coastal regions. The quantity of the reproductive output (batch fecundity) was significantly related to maternal size, which is of special interest in a species submitted to size-selective harvesting (recreational angling). However, egg quality (egg size) was not significantly related to any maternal factor and the spawning fraction was related to a seasonal pattern only. These results should contribute to improving estimations of the annual reproductive output and the stock assessment of this species and some implications for management are discussed.