bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Local adaptation and plasticity of Erysimum capitatum to altitude: its implications for responses to climate change
Authors: Kim Eunsuk , Donohue Kathleen
Published: May 2013

Alpine plants are at high risk because of climate change. Assessing the performance of alpine plant species across different altitudes is useful for predicting how they may respond to changing climate. Adaptation and plasticity of early life stages are of particular interest since seed germination and seedling establishment could be crucial life‐history stages for environmental tracking and population persistence of sexually reproducing plants.

To evaluate past adaptation and the potential to accommodate future climate conditions, seeds and seedlings of Erysimum capitatum were reciprocally transplanted between alpine and low‐altitude sites.

When grown in a common field environment, E. capitatum from alpine and lower‐altitude populations differed from each other in germination, size and morphological traits. Planting altitude also influenced those traits, indicating that population differentiation and plasticity to altitudinal conditions both contributed to differences in the performance of high‐ vs. low‐altitude plants. Seeds tended to germinate more in their native habitat than in the foreign habitat. Alpine plants survived more than low‐altitude plants at high altitude, and they suffered higher mortality when they were planted in low‐altitude sites. The production of multiple rosettes, a characteristic morphology of alpine E. capitatum, was negatively associated with survival at low altitude. In contrast to alpine populations, a survival advantage of low‐altitude populations in low‐altitude sites was not evident in this experiment.

Synthesis. Because climate change is projected to cause alpine environments to become more similar to low‐altitude environments, alpine Erysimum capitatum is expected to suffer reduced seedling recruitment and higher mortality as a direct response to altered environment and possibly as a result of past adaptation to high altitude. In particular, the production of multiple rosettes, an adaptive trait to the current alpine environment, would constrain plant survival should those environments come to resemble low altitude. Moreover, the limited fitness advantage of low‐altitude E. capitatum in low‐altitude conditions suggests that environmental tracking by low‐altitude populations might have a limited role in maintaining future populations.
Longitudinal analysis in Plantago: strength of selection and reverse age analysis reveal age‐indeterminate senescence
Authors: Shefferson Richard P. , Roach Deborah A.
Published: May 2013

Senescence is usually viewed as increased age‐specific mortality or decreased age‐specific fecundity due to the declining ability of natural selection to remove deleterious age‐specific mutations with age. In herbaceous perennial plants, trends in age‐specific mortality are often confounded by size. Age‐indeterminate senescence, where accumulated physiological damage varies strongly with environment, may be a better model of senescence in these species.

We analysed trends in size and fertility in Plantago lanceolata, using a long‐term demographic census involving > 10 years and > 8000 individuals in four cohorts. We used elasticity and pairwise invasion analysis of life‐history function parameterized age × stage matrices to assess whether the force of natural selection declined with age. Then, we used reverse age analysis of size and fertility to assess whether age‐indeterminate senescence occurred. Reverse age analysis uses longitudinal data for individuals that have died to look at trait patterns as a function of both age and remaining time to death. We hypothesized that (i) the strength of natural selection would decline strongly with age, and (ii) physiological condition would deteriorate for several years prior to death.

Both elasticity and invasion analyses suggested that the strength of natural selection through mortality declined strongly with age once size was accounted for. Further, reverse age analyses showed that individuals shrank for 3 years prior to death, suggesting physiological decline. Inflorescence production declined with age, and also declined in the 3 years prior to death regardless of overall age.

Synthesis. The hypothesis that plants escape senescence generally assumes that plants can continue to grow larger and increase reproduction as they get older. The results here show that size and reproduction decline with age and the rates of these declines towards death are life span‐ and age dependent. Further research is needed to delineate the importance of age‐determinate vs. age‐indeterminate factors in senescence patterns across species.
Photo‐oxidative stress markers reveal absence of physiological deterioration with ageing in Borderea pyrenaica, an extraordinarily long‐lived herb
Authors: Morales Melanie , Oñate Marta , García María B. , Munné‐Bosch Sergi
Published: May 2013

In animals, age‐associated disorders are believed to be connected to shifts in the antioxidant/pro‐oxidant balance in favour of oxidative stress. However, the contribution of oxidative stress to ageing in long‐lived perennials has not been explored to date.

Here, we tested age‐ and sex‐related changes in several photo‐oxidative stress markers in Borderea pyrenaica, a small dioecious geophyte relict of the Tertiary with one of the longest life spans ever recorded for a non‐clonal herb (more than 300 years). Given that survival increases with age in B. pyrenaica, we hypothesized that oxidative stress does not increase with ageing because the species develops improved anti‐oxidant defence.

In three field samplings performed during 2008, 2010 and 2011 in the Central Pyrenees (NE Spain), we examined the effects of ageing and sex on photosynthetic pigment levels, PSII integrity (Fv /Fm ratio), lipid peroxidation, and the extent of photo and anti‐oxidant protection in chloroplasts. Furthermore, we explored whether age and sex affect plant response to severe natural desiccation.

Both male and female plants maintained chlorophyll levels intact, as well as the Fv/Fm ratio and the levels of lipid peroxidation, irrespective of age. This finding suggests the absence of age‐associated oxidative stress at the organismal level. Furthermore, photoprotection mechanisms were found to be similarly efficient in the oldest individuals as in juvenile plants, in terms of xanthophyll cycle de‐epoxidation and accumulation of low‐molecular‐weight antioxidants (carotenoids and tocopherols). Indeed, females over 100 years of age were the most resistant to severe desiccation, maintaining higher leaf hydration levels, less chlorophyll degradation and better PSII integrity under stress than females below 100 years, males below or above 100 years, and juveniles.

Synthesis. Neither males nor females of the extraordinarily long‐lived B. pyrenaica show age‐dependent signs of oxidative stress. This observation suggests that age‐induced oxidative stress is not a universal feature of ageing in perennial plants. Indeed, females older than 100 years showed signs of negative senescence, in that they registered improved physiological performance with increasing age.
Forest edges show contrasting effects on an austral mistletoe due to differences in pollination and seed dispersal
Authors: Magrach Ainhoa , Santamaría Luis , Larrinaga Asier R.
Published: May 2013

The alteration and transformation of the areas surrounding native forests due to anthropogenic disturbance can result in differences near this newly created boundary, termed ‘edge effects’.

Our study describes the consequences of edge creation over two successive stages in the life cycle of a hemi‐parasitic mistletoe (Tristerix corymbosus), which determine its reproductive success, in temperate austral forests.

We assessed how flower production and pollinator visits change with distance to the nearest forest edge and how these changes affect fruit set, fruit and seed size, and fruit removal by seed dispersers.

Edge effects were dominated by fruit removal, which increased with the distance to the edge, height in the canopy and fruit availability. As a result, plant reproduction (in terms of seeds produced and fruits removed, which putatively leads to higher seed dispersal) decreased strongly near to forest edges. In contrast, visitation rates of the main pollinator (the hummingbird) were unaffected by edges, and their strong effects on fruit set (including the alleviation of quality pollen limitation arising in the forest interior) might be mitigating the decrease in bumblebee visitation near to forest edges.

Synthesis. Our study shows clearly how secondary and tertiary responses to forest edges acted in opposite directions (increasing or decreasing plant reproductive performance), highlighting the need to study several successive processes that impact upon plant fitness under disturbance. Preserving relatively large patches of old‐growth forest with low perimeter/area ratios would be key to the habitat requirements of the main disperser and pollinator and thus for mistletoe reproductive performance.
Specialist species of wood‐inhabiting fungi struggle while generalists thrive in fragmented boreal forests
Authors: Nordén Jenni , Penttilä Reijo , Siitonen Juha , Tomppo Erkki , Ovaskainen Otso
Published: May 2013

The loss of suitable habitats is one of the main causes behind the loss of species and communities. Habitat fragmentation, that is, the division of the remaining habitat into small and isolated fragments, often co‐occurs with the process of habitat loss. The spatial division of habitats decreases connectivity among local populations and generally has a negative effect on population viability, but it can also have a positive effect for some species, for example, due to released competition pressure.

In both animals and plants, certain characteristics such as low dispersal ability and narrow ecological niche are known to be associated with fragmentation vulnerability, but in fungi, systematic analyses have so far been lacking. With their small and highly dispersive spores, fungi could be mainly resource‐limited, not dispersal‐limited.

In this study, we analysed spatial occurrence data on 119 species of wood‐inhabiting fungi to identify the species characteristics that are associated with high extinction risk and fragmentation vulnerability in particular. We modelled resource use and connectivity dependence separately for each species using the presence–absence data on 98 318 dead trees in 496 sites located on a gradient in the duration and intensity of land use in eastern Fennoscandia. We then related species' responses to connectivity to their resource‐use patterns, life‐history characteristics and red‐list status.

Our results show that red‐listed species are highly specialized in their resource use and suffer from loss of connectivity at three spatial scales: along the large‐scale gradient, at the landscape scale and at the scale of a forest stand. In contrast, many of the non‐red‐listed generalist species are actually more likely to occur (per resource unit) in fragmented managed forests than well‐connected natural forests.

Synthesis. We show that the expected number of red‐listed species per a fixed amount of similar resources (dead trees) can be even more than 10 times higher in well‐connected than in fragmented surroundings, and thus, protecting high‐quality areas that are well connected is conservationally more effective than protecting small fragments distributed across the landscape.
Do plant traits retrieved from a database accurately predict on‐site measurements?
Authors: Cordlandwehr Verena , Meredith Rebecca L. , Ozinga Wim A. , Bekker Renée M. , van Groenendael Jan M. , Bakker Jan P.
Published: May 2013

Trait‐based approaches are increasingly used to obtain an insight into the functional aspects of plant communities. Since measuring traits can be time‐consuming, large international databases of plant traits are being compiled to share the effort. From these databases, average trait values are often extracted per species by averaging trait values of individuals over multiple populations and habitats. However, the accuracy of such aggregated information from regional databases as a surrogate for on‐site measurements has seldom been tested.

For the local species pool (aggregated at the habitat‐level) and the plant communities on the plots (aggregated at the community‐level), we quantified how accurately trait values for each species measured at the plot (plot scale) and those averaged per species and site (site scale) can be estimated from those retrieved from a North‐west‐European trait database. We analysed three widely used plant traits, canopy height (CH), leaf dry matter content (LDMC) and specific leaf area (SLA), of species occurring in a wet meadow and a salt marsh.

Database values more accurately predicted traits aggregated at the habitat‐level than those aggregated at the community‐level. In addition, traits with lower plasticity, such as LDMC, were more accurately predicted by database values. The performance of database values also depended upon the habitat studied, for example, habitat‐level SLA values were accurately predicted by database values in the wet meadow but inaccurately predicted in the salt marsh.

Synthesis. This study reveals that the accuracy of traits retrieved from a database depends on the level of aggregation (lower at community‐level), the trait (lower in plastic traits) and the habitat type (lower in extreme habitats). For studies focussing on processes mainly acting at the site scale (e.g. trait–environment relationships), traits retrieved from a regional database and filtered according to habitat will probably lead to good results. Whereas studying processes acting at the plot scale (e.g. niche partitioning), requires the additional effort of measuring traits on‐site.
The Regional Strategies of British Multinational Subsidiaries in South East Asia
Authors: Nguyen Quyen T.K.
Published: May 2013

We compare the strategies of manufacturing and service multinational enterprise (MNE) subsidiaries in South East Asia to investigate whether they follow global versus regional strategy. We examine foreign direct investment (FDI) motives, types of FDI, product and service offerings, and sales strategies of these two groups. Using a unique primary data set of 101 British MNE subsidiaries in six South East Asian countries over the five‐year period (2003–2007), we find that manufacturing and service subsidiaries pursue regional strategies. Both groups have a strong regional focus in their sales. We explore the possible reasons for the relative lack of global strategy of these subsidiaries.
Regionalization Strategies ofEuropeanUnion Electric Utilities
Authors: Kolk Ans , Lindeque Johan , van den Buuse Daniel
Published: May 2013

As part of the debate about globalization and regionalization, this paper adds a perspective that has so far remained underexposed, that of (formerly state‐owned) firms in (previously) regulated industries, in order to better understand the (changing) role of the home country/region in internationalization processes in the context of regional market liberalization. We explore the global/regional orientations of the seven majorEuropeanUnion electric utilities from five different home countries, which are active in both fossil‐fuel and renewable energy generation. Using a multiple case study design, we collected internationalization/regionalization data from firms' annual reports for the years 2000, 2005 and 2010, supplemented with an analysis of secondary sources. Firms show a clear pattern of increasing internationalization away from the home‐country market, coupled with a home‐region orientation for traditional generation activities which differs from the more international, wider and often multiple regional presences in the newer renewables business for some firms. Institutional factors are argued to play an important role in both processes. Findings suggest distinct regionalization patterns for business units and different firm‐specific advantages, with strategic opportunities related to asset positions. Home‐country effects may be linked to a heterogeneous firm‐specific home‐region liability of foreignness, resulting in incomplete home‐region internationalization in most cases.
Political Participation Online: The Replacement and the Mobilisation Hypotheses Revisited
Authors: Jensen Jakob Linaa
Published: May 2013

This article discusses the state of political participation online more than ten years after the Internet's great popular breakthrough as an everyday medium. Denmark is used as a case study to critically re‐examine the frequently discussed replacement and mobilisation hypotheses on behalf of the Internet. The pure replacement hypothesis is rejected. Instead, it is found that the Internet still supplements rather than replaces other media, even among heavy Internet users. The Internet is one among several media used by ‘media omnivores’, and political participation online supplements rather than substitutes offline participation. More interesting, the mobilisation hypothesis is partly confirmed. Even though some online participation patterns resemble traditional ones, it seems as if the Internet finally is starting to mobilise younger generations. Further, traditional predictors behind political participation, efficacy and social capital seem to have less impact on online political participation. In the end, these findings are related to more overall discussions on the democratising potential of the Internet.
Mitochondrial mutations and aging: random drift is insufficient to explain the accumulation of mitochondrial deletion mutants in short‐lived animals
Authors: Kowald Axel , Kirkwood Thomas B. L.
Published: May 2013

Mitochondrial DNA deletions accumulate over the life course in post‐mitotic cells of many species and may contribute to aging. Often a single mutant expands clonally and finally replaces the wild‐type population of a whole cell. One proposal to explain the driving force behind this accumulation states that random drift alone, without any selection advantage, is sufficient to explain the clonal accumulation of a single mutant. Existing mathematical models show that such a process might indeed work for humans. However, to be a general explanation for the clonal accumulation of mtDNA mutants, it is important to know whether random drift could also explain the accumulation process in short‐lived species like rodents. To clarify this issue, we modelled this process mathematically and performed extensive computer simulations to study how different mutation rates affect accumulation time and the resulting degree of heteroplasmy. We show that random drift works for lifespans of around 100 years, but for short‐lived animals, the resulting degree of heteroplasmy is incompatible with experimental observations.
Globalization as a discourse of hegemonic crisis: A global systemic analysis
Authors: FRIEDMAN JONATHAN , FRIEDMAN KAJSA EKHOLM
Published: May 2013

Globalization discourse is deeply flawed in its very conception, expressing a gratuitous assumption of the emergence of a new era that is discontinuous with the past and whose conflicts are primarily the product of those who resist this development: nationalists, racists, localists. This discourse is itself an ideological product of a cosmopolitan elite identity that has emerged (again) in recent years and which can be accounted for, in turn, by another approach. A global systemic perspective situates cosmopolitan discourses in periods of hegemonic decline, which are also periods of economic, social, and cultural fragmentation in the hegemonic zones as well as of vertical polarization that creates a new “rootedness” at the bottom and a cosmopolitanization at the top. While these processes are underway today in the West, something quite the opposite is occurring in the emergent new hegemonic centers to the East. A global systemic approach also offers a model of today's crisis that is absent in globalization discourse.
Trusted puppets, tarnished politicians: Humor and cynicism in Berlusconi's Italy
Authors: Molé Noelle J.
Published: May 2013

How does humor serve political leaders widely seen as inept? How does political satire shift when a country's own prime minister is both media mogul and object of ridicule? I examine humor of and about Italy's Silvio Berlusconi and look at the country's top news parody program, especially its mascot: a big, red puppet named Gabibbo, who is praised as a “civil defender.” I argue that Berlusconi's own humor forges ties to an Italian citizenry habituated in the 1980s to political spectacle—the carefully staged and sensational exhibitionism of national politics—and, subsequently, to the media saturation of late‐liberal politics. I show how political spectacle gave way to a cynicism capable of simultaneously propelling Berlusconi's peculiar popularity and transforming puppets into truth‐tellers.
Friends and money: Balancing affection and reciprocity among young men in urban Ethiopia
Authors: Mains Daniel
Published: May 2013

In Jimma, Ethiopia, young men's friendships involve affection and reciprocal exchange of material goods, and in many cases the balance between the two creates conflicts. I examine tensions concerning exchange and friendship in relation to literature on love and transactional sex in Africa to argue for a conception of friendship that does not assume that calculation and self‐interest conflict with affection. For friends in urban Ethiopia, affection and material interest are inextricable, and this often generates feelings of jealousy and mistrust. Similarities in the ways lovers and friends struggle to balance affection and exchange indicate that sex and romantic love may not be the primary sources of tension within relationships. I argue that friendship is often a particularly flexible and ambiguous relationship, and in comparison to relations between lovers, this flexibility reduces conflicts between those involved.
Problems experienced by gynecologists/obstetricians in sickness certification consultations
Authors: Gustavsson Catharina , Kjeldgård Linnea , Bränström Richard , Lindholm Christina , Ljungquist Therese , Nilsson Gunnar H. , Alexanderson Kristina
Published: May 2013

Objective

To explore frequencies and experiences with problems in sickness certification consultations among gynecologists and obstetricians in two different years.

Design

Cross‐sectional surveys on two occasions; in 2004 and 2008.

Setting

Gynecological, obstetric and maternal health care.

Sample

Physicians working in gynecology, obstetrics or maternal health care in two Swedish counties from two samples: in 2004 (n = 315), and in 2008 (n = 327).

Methods

Data regarding sickness certification consultations were obtained from comprehensive questionnaires that had been mailed to the physicians in two Swedish counties in 2004 and in 2008, respectively.

Outcome measures

Frequencies and types of problems in sickness certification consultations, organizational support, and need to acquire more competence.

Results

The majority experienced that patients requested to be on sick leave for a reason other than work incapacity due to disease or injury, at least a few times per year (85% in 2004 and 88% in 2008). The most problematic situation to handle was when the physician and the patient had different opinions about the need for sick leave (2004: 66% and 2008: 58%). The physicians expressed a need for more competence about the options and responsibilities of employers, social insurance officers and physicians in sickness certification cases.

Conclusions

Most gynecologists/obstetricians find sickness certification consultations problematic and especially when encountering patients requesting to be on sick leave for reasons other than disease. The physicians expressed a need for more competence in insurance medicine, especially about their own and other stakeholders' options and responsibilities.
Pregnant women's perception on signs and symptoms during pregnancy and maternal health care in a rural low‐resource setting
Authors: Graner Sophie , Klingberg‐Allvin Marie , Duong Le Quyen , Krantz Gunilla , Mogren Ingrid
Published: May 2013

Objective

Women's understanding of pregnancy and antenatal care is influenced by their cultural context. In low‐income settings women may have limited influence over their reproductive health, including when to seek health care. Awareness of signs of pregnancy complications is essential for timely care. The use of antenatal care services in Vietnam has been studied with quantitative methods but there are few qualitative studies on the perceptions of pregnancy and maternal health care among Vietnamese women.

Design

Four focus group discussions with pregnant women were performed.

Setting

The study was conducted in a rural district in northern Vietnam.

Population

Pregnant women in the last trimester.

Method

Manifest and latent content analysis.

Result

The latent theme that emerged was a need for “securing pregnancy during its normal course and at deviation”, consisting of the main categories “ensuring a healthy pregnancy” and “separating the normal from the abnormal”.

Conclusion

This qualitative study of pregnant women in rural Vietnam indicates how women create a strategy to promote a healthy pregnancy through lifestyle adjustments, gathering of information, and seeking timely medical care. Insight into pregnancy‐related conditions was sought from various sources and influenced both by local traditions and modern medical knowledge. Public knowledge about different symptoms during pregnancy and a high confidence in maternal health care are the most likely contributing factors to the relatively good maternal health status in Vietnam.
Growth in prepubertal Nigerian children is highly dependent on socio‐economic status
Authors: Fetuga B , Ogunlesi T , Olanrewaju D , Jonsson B , Albertsson‐Wikland K
Published: May 2013

Aim

To relate height, weight and body mass index (BMI) of prepubertal children in Sagamu, Nigeria, to parental socio‐economic class (SEC).

Methods

Cross‐sectional study of 1606 children aged 5–11 years from eight public and eight private primary schools. Height, weight and BMI from 1557 prepubertal children were standardized using two references: US‐CDC birth cohorts 1929–1974 and Swedish birth cohort 1974.

Results

Children in private schools were taller and heavier than those in public schools (p < 0.0001). Most children (73.2%) belonged to lower SEC, 17.6% to middle and 9.2% to upper. HeightSDS, weightSDS and BMISDS increased with increasing parental SEC. Upper SEC children were taller and heavier with higher BMIs than those from lower SEC (p < 0.0001). HeightSDS, weightSDS and BMISDS were below ‘0’ in all SEC and gender groups (all p < 0.002). Younger children were taller and heavier than the older (p < 0.0001).

Conclusion

Fathers/mothers with higher education/occupation had taller and heavier children with higher BMI than other groups. Children in private schools were taller and heavier than children in public schools. Disparities in parental SEC still constrain optimal child growth in Nigeria: whereas height and weight of children of upper SEC were close to the US‐CDC29–74 reference mean, they were still below Swedish74 reference mean representing more optimal growth.
Developing long‐acting growth hormone formulations
Authors: Cawley Pippa , Wilkinson Ian , Ross Richard J.
Published: May 2013

Daily recombinant growth hormone (GH) restores normal growth and body composition in GH‐deficient children and adults; however, daily injections are inconvenient and can be distressing for some children. On top of this compliance is a problem in up to 75% of children. Developing long‐acting GH formulations has proved challenging, and questions remain regarding safety and efficacy. In this review, we focus on the rationale for generating long‐acting GH agonists and the technologies being developed to deliver prolonged exposure to GH.
Funding considerations for the disclosure of genetic incidental findings in biobank research
Authors: Black L , Avard D , Zawati MH , Knoppers BM , Hébert J , Sauvageau G ,   on behalf of the Leucegene Project
Published: May 2013

The use of biobanks in biomedical research has grown considerably in recent years. As a result of the increasing analysis of tissue samples stored in biobanks, there has also been an increase in the probability of discovering—in addition to the research target—incidental findings (IF). We identified 23 laws, policies and guidelines from international, regional and national organizations that provide guidance or identify the need for the disclosure of IF to research participants. We analyzed these instruments to determine their contemplation of the funding considerations for the disclosure of IF, examining their guidance for who discloses and the extent of researcher responsibilities. We found that the available normative documents provide little guidance to researchers and biobanks for how they should address cost and funding concerns associated with IF disclosure. It is therefore essential that the research and policy communities think through the financial implications of imposing an ethical responsibility to disclose IF. Concerted efforts should be made by policymakers, ethicists, researchers, clinicians and research institutions to develop detailed funding recommendations, potentially universal in application, to aid in the disclosure of IF, and we provide recommendations on steps that can be taken to ensure full consideration of these issues.
New procedure for epidermal cell isolation using kiwi fruit actinidin, and improved culture of melanocytes in the presence of leukaemia inhibitory factor and forskolin
Authors: Yarani Reza , Mansouri Kamran , Mohammadi‐Motlagh Hamid Reza , Bakhtiari Mitra , Mostafaie Ali
Published: May 2013

Objectives

Conventional isolation of epidermis from the dermis and disruption of epidermal sheets to liberate the cells, are performed using proteolytic enzymes such as thermolysin or collagenase. Selective population expansion of melanocytes is achieved by suppressing proliferation of keratinocytes and fibroblasts in epidermal cell suspensions, using phorbol esters and cholera toxin. Here, we introduce a new procedure for isolation of epidermal cells, using proteolytic activity of kiwi fruit actinidin, and also an improved growth medium for melanocytes in the presence of leukaemia inhibitory factor (LIF) and forskolin.

Materials and methods

Dermo‐epidermal separation and epidermal sheet cell dispersion were performed using actinidin compared to conventional proteases including collagenase, thermolysin or trypsin. Thereafter, melanocyte culture was performed in two common media and one modified medium to discover optimization for these cells.

Results

We found that dermo‐epidermal separation and epidermal sheet cell dispersion using kiwi fruit actinidin were considerably better than previously used methods, both from the aspect of less fibroblast and keratinocyte contamination, and of more viable native cells. Also, melanocytes proliferated better in phorbol ester‐ and cholera toxin‐free proliferation medium supplemented with LIF and forskolin.

Conclusion

Less contamination and higher numbers of viable cells were actinidin preferential for separation of epidermis and isolation of epidermal cells. Supplementation of LIF and forskolin to new medium increased proliferation potential of melanocytes in comparison to exogenous mitogens.
Hemolytic uremic syndrome: sound minds, sick kidneys
Authors: Trachtman Howard
Published: May 2013

This commentary is on the original article by Gitiaux et al. on pages
758–765 of this issue.
Brain magnetic resonance imaging pattern and outcome in children with haemolytic‐uraemic syndrome and neurological impairment treated with eculizumab
Authors: Gitiaux Cyril , Krug Pauline , Grevent David , Kossorotoff Manoelle , Poncet Sarah , Eisermann Monika , Oualha Mehdi , Boddaert Nathalie , Salomon Remi , Desguerre Isabelle
Published: May 2013

Aim

The aim of this study was to describe the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings and the neurological and neuropsychological outcomes in paediatric, diarrhoea‐associated haemolytic–uraemic syndrome (D+HUS) with central nervous system impairment treated with eculizumab, a monoclonal antibody.

Method

The 14‐month single‐centre prospective study included seven children (three males, four females; age range 16mo–7y 8mo; median age 3y 7mo) with typical D+HUS and acute neurological impairment. In the acute phase of the disease, neurological assessment and brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), including measurement of the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), were performed, and neuropsychological evaluation and brain MRI were also carried out 6 months after disease onset.

Results

In the acute phase, basal ganglia and white matter abnormalities with ADC restriction were a common and reversible MRI finding. In all the surviving patients (5/7), follow‐up MRI after 6 months was normal, indicating reversible lesions. Clinical and neuropsychological evaluations after 6 months were also normal.

Interpretation

This specific brain MRI pattern consisting of an ADC decrease in basal ganglia and white matter without major T2/fluid‐attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) injury may be a key finding in the acute phase of the disease in favour of a vasculitis hypothesis. These reversible lesions were associated with a good neurological outcome. These results call for further evaluation of the potential role of eculizumab in the choice of treatment for severe D+HUS, particularly in the case of early neurological signs.
Epidemiology of blindness attributable to diabetes in Scotland: change over 20 years in a defined population
Authors: Hall H. N. , Chinn D. J. , Sinclair A. , Styles C. J.
Published: May 2013

Aims

To establish the incidence and prevalence of blindness attributable to diabetes in a defined population in Scotland during the period 2000–2009, and to compare these figures with published data from the previous decade in the same population.

Methods

All blind registrations during 2000–2009 in Fife, Scotland, UK were examined and included if diabetic retinopathy/maculopathy was the main cause of blindness. The annual incidence and point prevalence on 31 December 2009 of registered blindness attributable to diabetes were calculated in both the total population and the population with diabetes. These data were compared with figures for the period 1990–1999, using a two‐tailed t‐test, and subjected to Poisson regression analysis.

Results

In the population with diabetes, the mean incidence of blindness attributable to diabetes was 42.7 (sd 24.2, 95% CI 25– 60) per 100 000 per year for 2000–2009, compared with 64.3 for 1990–1999 (P = 0.062). The relative risk of developing blindness per year was 0.894 (95% CI 0.811– 0.988, P = 0.028) for 2000– 2009. The point prevalence on 31 December 2009 was 167 per 100 000 in the population with diabetes, vs 210 on 31 December 1999.

Conclusion

Compared with the previous decade, the prevalence of blindness attributable to diabetes has decreased in the population with diabetes, with a trend towards a decrease in its incidence. This may be a consequence of an increased denominator population, resulting from better recording of diabetes and changes to the diagnostic criteria. Over the decade 2000–2009, the incidence of blindness attributable to diabetes fell by a mean of 10.6% per year in the population with diabetes.
Racial/ethnic differences in hepatic steatosis in a population‐based cohort of post‐menopausal women: the Michigan Study of Women's Health Across the Nation
Authors: Kim C. , Harlow S. D. , Karvonen‐Gutierrez C. A. , Randolph J. F. , Helmuth M. , Kong S. , Nan B. , Carlos R.
Published: May 2013

Aims

The prevalence of hepatic steatosis may differ between post‐menopausal African‐American women and non‐Hispanic white women and by sex hormone binding globulin level. We examined prevalence of hepatic steatosis by race/ethnicity and associations with sex hormone binding globulin.

Methods

Participants included post‐menopausal women who underwent hepatic ultrasound (n = 345) at the Michigan site of the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation, a population‐based study. We examined hepatic steatosis prevalence by race/ethnicity and used logistic regression models to calculate the odds of hepatic steatosis with race/ethnicity and sex hormone binding globulin, after adjustment for age, alcohol use, waist circumference, high density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, systolic blood pressure and use of medications reported to lower intrahepatic fat.

Results

Fewer African‐American women than non‐Hispanic white women had hepatic steatosis (23 vs. 36%, P = 0.01). African‐American women had lower triglyceride and low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, but higher blood pressure and follicle‐stimulating hormone levels (P < 0.05). In the optimal‐fitting multivariable models, women in the highest tertile of sex hormone binding globulin (60.2–220.3 nmol/l) had a lower odds of hepatic steatosis (odds ratio 0.43, 95% CI 0.20–0.93) compared with women in the lowest tertile of sex hormone binding globulin (10.5–40.3 nmol/l). There was an interaction between race/ethnicity and medication use whereby non‐Hispanic white women using medications had three times higher odds of hepatic steatosis compared with African‐American women not using medications (odds ratio 3.36, 95% CI 1.07–10.58). Interactions between race/ethnicity and other variables, including sex hormone levels, were not significant.

Conclusions

Hepatic steatosis on ultrasound may be more common in post‐menopausal non‐Hispanic white women than African‐American women and was associated with lower levels of sex hormone binding globulin.
Diabetes care provision: barriers, enablers and service needs of young adults with Type 1 diabetes from a region of social disadvantage
Authors: Kibbey K. J. , Speight J. , Wong J. L. A. , Smith L. A. , Teede H. J.
Published: May 2013

Aims

To determine the barriers to and enablers of engaging with specialist diabetes care and the service requirements of young adults with Type 1 diabetes mellitus from a low socio‐economic, multicultural region.

Methods

A cross‐sectional survey targeted 357 young adults with Type 1 diabetes, aged 18–30 years. Participants completed questions about barriers/enablers to accessing diabetes care and service preferences, self‐reported HbA1c, plus measures of diabetes‐related distress (Problem Areas in Diabetes), depression/anxiety (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale), and illness perceptions (Brief Illness Perceptions Questionnaire).

Results

Eighty‐six (24%) responses were received [55 (64%) female; mean ± sd age 24 ± 4 years; diabetes duration 12 ± 7 years; HbA1c 68 ± 16 mmol/mol (8.4 ± 1.5%)]. Logistical barriers to attending diabetes care were reported; for example, time constraints (30%), transportation (26%) and cost (21%). However, ‘a previous unsatisfactory diabetes health experience’ was cited as a barrier by 27%. Enablers were largely matched to overcoming these barriers. Over 90% preferred a multidisciplinary team environment, close to home, with after‐hours appointment times. Forty per cent reported severe diabetes‐related distress, 19% reported moderate‐to‐severe depressive symptoms and 50% reported moderate‐to‐severe anxiety.

Conclusions

Among these young adults with Type 1 diabetes, glycaemic control was suboptimal and emotional distress common. They had identifiable logistical barriers to accessing and maintaining contact with diabetes care services, which can be addressed with flexible service provision. A substantial minority were discouraged by previous unsatisfactory experiences, suggesting health providers need to improve their interactions with young adults. This research will inform the design of life‐stage‐appropriate diabetes services targeting optimal engagement, access, attendance and ultimately improved healthcare outcomes in this vulnerable population.
Sampling volume in root studies: the pitfalls of under‐sampling exposed using accumulation curves
Authors: Taylor Benton N. , Beidler Katilyn V. , Cooper Emily R. , Strand Allan E. , Pritchard Seth G.
Published: May 2013

Root systems are important for global models of below‐ground carbon and nutrient cycling. Notoriously difficult sampling methods and the fractal distribution of root diameters in the soil make data being used in these models especially susceptible to error resulting from under‐sampling. We applied the concept of species accumulation curves to root data to quantify the extent of under‐sampling inherent to minirhizotron and soil coring sampling for both root uptake and carbon content studies. Based on differences in sample size alone, minirhizotron sampling missed approximately one third of the root diameters observed by soil core sampling. Sample volumes needed to encounter 90% of root diameters averaged 2481 cm3 for uptake studies and 5878 cm3 for root carbon content studies. These results show that small sample volumes encounter a non‐representative sample of the overall root pool, and provide future guidelines for determining optimal sample volumes in root studies.
Targeted capture and sequencing for detection of mutations causing early onset epileptic encephalopathy
Authors: Kodera Hirofumi , Kato Mitsuhiro , Nord Alex S. , Walsh Tom , Lee Ming , Yamanaka Gaku , Tohyama Jun , Nakamura Kazuyuki , Nakagawa Eiji , Ikeda Tae , Ben‐Zeev Bruria , Lev Dorit , Lerman‐Sagie Tally , Straussberg Rachel , Tanabe Saori , Ueda Kazutoshi , Amamoto Masano , Ohta Sayaka , Nonoda Yutaka , Nishiyama Kiyomi , Tsurusaki Yoshinori , Nakashima Mitsuko , Miyake Noriko , Hayasaka Kiyoshi , King Mary‐Claire , Matsumoto Naomichi , Saitsu Hirotomo
Published: May 2013

Purpose

Early onset epileptic encephalopathies (EOEEs) are heterogeneous epileptic disorders caused by various abnormalities in causative genes including point mutations and copy number variations (CNVs). In this study, we performed targeted capture and sequencing of a subset of genes to detect point mutations and CNVs simultaneously.

Methods

We designed complementary RNA oligonucleotide probes against the coding exons of 35 known and potential candidate genes. We tested 68 unrelated patients, including 15 patients with previously detected mutations as positive controls. In addition to mutation detection by the Genome Analysis Toolkit, CNVs were detected by the relative depth of coverage ratio. All detected events were confirmed by Sanger sequencing or genomic microarray analysis.

Key Findings

We detected all positive control mutations. In addition, in 53 patients with EOEEs, we detected 12 pathogenic mutations, including 9 point mutations (2 nonsense, 3 splice‐site, and 4 missense mutations), 2 frameshift mutations, and one 3.7‐Mb microdeletion. Ten of the 12 mutations occurred de novo; the other two had been previously reported as pathogenic. The entire process of targeted capture, sequencing, and analysis required 1 week for the testing of up to 24 patients.

Significance

Targeted capture and sequencing enables the identification of mutations of all classes causing EOEEs, highlighting its usefulness for rapid and comprehensive genetic testing.
Psychiatric symptoms in children prior to epilepsy surgery differ according to suspected seizure focus
Authors: Salpekar Jay A. , Berl Madison M. , Havens Kathryn , Cushner‐Weinstein Sandra , Conry Joan A. , Pearl Phillip L. , Yaun Amanda L. , Gaillard William D.
Published: May 2013

Purpose

Children and adolescents with epilepsy have an overrepresentation of psychiatric illness. However, few studies in pediatrics have characterized specific psychiatric conditions associated with seizure localization. In addition, degree to which psychiatric illness may be more prominent in children refractory to standard medical treatment for epilepsy is not known. The aim of this study was to assess psychiatric symptoms in children with medically refractory epilepsy and ascertain whether symptoms were associated with specific localization.

Methods

Case records were reviewed for 40 children with medically refractory epilepsy at the time of their referral for presurgical evaluation. Patients received a clinical psychiatric evaluation and parents completed the Child Behavioral Checklist (CBCL). Seizure localization was verified by pediatric epileptologists, and suitability for surgical procedures was verified by neurosurgical specialists. Groups were compared based on localization of seizure foci, either in the temporal lobe or predominantly extratemporal.

Key Findings

The majority of the sample had psychiatric diagnoses and behavior problems, well beyond the level reported in chronic epilepsy populations. In addition, children with temporal lobe seizure foci had more CBCL behavioral problem categories rated in the clinically significant range, and also were more likely to have clinical diagnoses of depression.

Significance

Routine psychiatric evaluation prior to epilepsy surgery may be important for pediatric patients with medically refractory epilepsy. Psychiatric illness, particularly depression, may be especially prominent for those with temporal lobe seizure foci.
Efficacy and safety of adjunctive perampanel for the treatment of refractory partial seizures: A pooled analysis of three phase III studies
Authors: Steinhoff Bernhard J. , Ben‐Menachem Elinor , Ryvlin Philippe , Shorvon Simon , Kramer Lynn , Satlin Andrew , Squillacote David , Yang Haichen , Zhu Jin , Laurenza Antonio
Published: May 2013

Purpose

Three phase III studies (304 [ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00699972], 305 [NCT00699582], 306 [NCT00700310]) evaluated perampanel, an α‐amino‐3‐hydroxy‐5‐methyl‐4‐isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptor antagonist, as adjunctive therapy for refractory partial seizures. We report post hoc analyses of pooled study data by randomized dose.

Methods

Patients with partial seizures despite receiving 1–3 antiepileptic drugs were randomized to once‐daily placebo, perampanel 8 or 12 mg (studies 304, 305), or placebo, perampanel 2, 4, or 8 mg (study 306). Studies included a 6‐week baseline period and double‐blind treatment phase (6‐week titration; 13‐week maintenance). Primary end points were median change in partial seizure frequency (baseline vs. double‐blind phase) and percentage of patients achieving ≥50% reduction in seizure frequency (baseline vs. maintenance). Here, these end points, together with secondary, exploratory, and safety end points, were assessed using pooled study data.

Key Findings

The pooled intent‐to‐treat analysis set (randomized, treated patients with any seizure data) included 1,478 patients. Median changes in partial seizure frequency were greater with perampanel than placebo (perampanel 4 mg, −23.3%; 8 mg, −28.8%; 12 mg, −27.2%; placebo, −12.8%; p < 0.01, each dose vs. placebo), as were 50% responder rates (perampanel 4 mg, 28.5%; 8 mg, 35.3%; 12 mg, 35.0%; placebo, 19.3%; p < 0.05, each dose vs. placebo). In addition, median changes in complex partial plus secondary generalized seizure frequency were also greater with perampanel than placebo (perampanel 4 mg, −31.2%; 8 mg, −35.6%; 12 mg, −28.6%; placebo, −13.9%). Perampanel was generally well tolerated. The most frequent treatment‐emergent adverse events (TEAEs) were dizziness, somnolence, and headache. Most TEAEs were mild/moderate; relatively few patients experienced severe TEAEs (placebo, 5.4%; perampanel, 8.9%) or serious TEAEs (placebo, 5.0%; perampanel, 5.5%). There were no deaths and no clinically important mean changes in laboratory values, electrocardiography (ECG) findings, or vital signs.

Significance

Perampanel reduced partial seizure frequency and improved responder rates compared with placebo, with an acceptable tolerability profile.