bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Plant–herbivore interactions in a trispecific hybrid swarm ofPopulus: assessing support for hypotheses of hybrid bridges, evolutionary novelty and genetic similarity
Authors: Floate Kevin D. , Godbout Julie , Lau Matthew K. , Isabel Nathalie , Whitham Thomas G.
Published: September 2015

Natural systems of hybridizing plants are powerful tools with which to assess evolutionary processes between parental species and their associated arthropods. Here we report on these processes in a trispecific hybrid swarm ofPopulustrees.

Using field observations, common garden experiments and genetic markers, we tested the hypothesis that genetic similarities among hosts underlie the distributions of 10 species of gall‐forming arthropods and their ability to adapt to new host genotypes.

Key findings: the degree of genetic relatedness among parental species determines whether hybridization is primarily bidirectional or unidirectional; host genotype and genetic similarity strongly affect the distributions of gall‐forming species, individually and as a community. These effects were detected observationally in the wild and experimentally in common gardens; correlations between the diversity of host genotypes and their associated arthropods identify hybrid zones as centres of biodiversity and potential species interactions with important ecological and evolutionary consequences.

These findings support both hybrid bridge and evolutionary novelty hypotheses. However, the lack of parallel genetic studies on gall‐forming arthropods limits our ability to define the host of origin with their subsequent shift to other host species or their evolution on hybrids as their final destination.
Resting‐state functional connectivity and nicotine addiction: prospects for biomarker development
Authors: Fedota John R. , Stein Elliot A.
Published: September 2015

Given conceptual frameworks of addiction as a disease of intercommunicating brain networks, examinations of network interactions may provide a holistic characterization of addiction‐related dysfunction. One such methodological approach is the examination of resting‐state functional connectivity, which quantifies correlations in low‐frequency fluctuations of the blood oxygen level–dependent magnetic resonance imaging signal between disparate brain regions in the absence of task performance. Here, evidence of differentiated effects of chronic nicotine exposure, which reduces the efficiency of network communication across the brain, and acute nicotine exposure, which increases connectivity within specific limbic circuits, is discussed. Several large‐scale resting networks, including the salience, default, and executive control networks, have also been implicated in nicotine addiction. The dynamics of connectivity changes among and between these large‐scale networks during nicotine withdrawal and satiety provide a heuristic framework with which to characterize the neurobiological mechanism of addiction. The ability to simultaneously quantify effects of both chronic (trait) and acute (state) nicotine exposure provides a platform to develop a neuroimaging‐based addiction biomarker. While such development remains in its early stages, evidence of coherent modulations in resting‐state functional connectivity at various stages of nicotine addiction suggests potential network interactions on which to focus future addiction biomarker development.
Confidence Bands for Impulse Responses: Bonferroni vs. Wald
Authors: Lütkepohl Helmut , Staszewska‐Bystrova Anna , Winker Peter
Published: September 2015

In impulse response analysis estimation uncertainty is typically displayed by constructing bands around estimated impulse response functions. If they are based on the joint asymptotic distribution possibly constructed with bootstrap methods in a frequentist framework, often individual confidence intervals are simply connected to obtain the bands. Such bands are known to be too narrow and have a joint coverage probability lower than the desired one. If instead the Wald statistic is used and the joint bootstrap distribution of the impulse response coefficient estimators is taken into account and mapped into the band, it is shown that such a band is typically rather conservative. It is argued that, by using the Bonferroni method, a band can often be obtained which is smaller than the Wald band.
“Seeing without understanding”
Authors: Bruhn Jørgen
Published: September 2015

Taking as my starting point the intermedial idea that all literary texts exhibit some kind of medial mixture, the article argues that Vladimir Nabokov's formally exquisite and existentially moving short story “Spring in Fialta” (which I analyze in Nabokov's own English translation from Russian) is best understood when it is considered a mixed mediality text. I hope to demonstrate the general idea that when a conventionally literary text is being read as a medially mixed text the role of media turns out to be crucial for the understanding of the entire text. More specifically, I shall argue that the schism between artistic representation and life in itself, condensed into the problem of how to represent and recall memory traces, is a major theme in “Spring in Fialta.”
GLOBAL PUBLIC POLICY AND TRANSNATIONAL ADMINISTRATION
Authors: STONE DIANE , LADI STELLA
Published: September 2015

There has been a proliferation of administrative practices and processes of policy‐making and policy delivery beyond but often overlapping with traditional nation state policy processes. New formal and informal institutions and actors are behind these policy processes, often in cooperation with national public administrations but sometimes quite independently from them. These ‘multi‐stakeholder initiatives’, ‘global public–private partnerships’ and ‘global commissions’ are creating or delivering global policies even though the geographic pattern of policy action can vary considerably. Implementation may occur at (trans)national or local levels in different regions more or less contemporaneously, or also in problem contexts that are cross‐border and co‐jurisdictional, hence our use of the term ‘transnational administration’. Traditional policy and public administration studies have tended to undertake analysis of the capacity of public sector hierarchies to globalize national policies rather than to investigate transnational policy‐making above and beyond the state. This article extends the ambit of public administration and policy studies into what has traditionally been considered the realm of International Relations scholarship to identify and map new modes of global (public) policy and transnational administration and prospects for ongoing conceptualization.
Changes of epidural blood flow after epidural administration of epinephrine in young rats
Authors: Abukawa Yukako , Kakibana Manabu , Hiroki Koichi , Sugawara Kazuhiro , Ozaki Makoto
Published: September 2015

Purpose

For caudal epidural analgesia, the needle is inserted at a site where vessels are abundant. To avoid complications related to intravascular administration of the local anesthetic, epinephrine is usually added, but there is no evidence about the safety of epidural administration of epinephrine in pediatric patients. The objective of this study was to assess the changes in epidural blood flow after epidural injection of epinephrine in young rats.

Methods

With approval of the local ethics committee, four young Sprague–Dawley rats weighing 110–120 g were investigated. The rats were anesthetized with isoflurane via a mask. After there was no escape reaction to pain, an arterial catheter, epidural blood flow monitor (Laser Doppler blood flow ALF 21; ADVANCE Corp.), and caudal epidural catheter were inserted while the rats remained under general anesthesia. Exactly, 10 μl of 1 : 1000 epinephrine was then infused, followed by measurement of the blood pressure and epidural blood flow. After the recovery of the blood pressure and epidural blood flow to baseline, 10 μl of saline was infused through the epidural catheter. The blood pressure and epidural blood flow were then measured again.

Results

One rat was excluded because epinephrine was inadvertently injected into the epidural vessels. Therefore, three rats were investigated in this experiment. Blood flow in the epidural space showed no change after the injection of saline. When epinephrine was administered into the epidural space, epidural blood flow decreased immediately and low flow persisted for 6–15 min. The reduction of blood flow was not very great, being only 8–14%, so there was no risk of spinal ischemia which would require 60–80% reduction.

Conclusion

Administration of epinephrine into the epidural space was safe in young rats. While reduction of epidural blood flow was observed, there was no spinal ischemia.
Using pediatric liver grafts (≤6 yr) for adult recipients: A considerable option?
Authors: Schukfeh Nagoud , Paul Andreas , Gallinat Anja , Hoyer Dieter P. , Treckmann Jürgen W. , Minor Thomas , Sotiropoulos Georgios C. , Metzelder Martin L. , Schulze Maren
Published: September 2015

In LT, the common policy is to allocate pediatric liver grafts to pediatric recipients. Pediatric organs are also offered to adults if there is no pediatric recipient. However, they are rarely accepted for adult recipients. So far, there is no information available reporting outcome of LT in adult recipients using pediatric livers from donors ≤6 yr. In this study, we included nine adult recipients (seven females and two males) who received grafts from children ≤6 yr from January 2008 to December 2013. We evaluated the graft quality, the GBWR and analyzed the recipients’ perioperative course. Laboratory samples and graft perfusion were analyzed. Nine adults with a median age of 49 yr (range: 25–65) and a median weight of 60 kg (range: 48–64) underwent LT with a pediatric donor graft. Median donor age was five yr (range: 3–6). Median GBWR was 1.02 (range: 0.86–1.45). After a median follow‐up of 3.9 yr (range: 11 months–6.6 yr), patient survival was 100%; graft survival was 89%. One patient needed re‐transplantation on the second postoperative day due to PNF. Eight recipients were discharged from the ICU after 2–9 days with a regular graft function. Doppler scans revealed regular flow patterns at any time. Only if denied for pediatric recipients, the use of pediatric livers from donors ≤6 yr for adult recipients is a considerable option.
Maximum Incident Erythemally EffectiveUVExposure Received by Construction Workers, in Valencia, Spain
Authors: Giménez Vicente Blanca , Ysasi Gonzalo Gurrea , Moreno Juan Carlos , Serrano María Antonia
Published: September 2015

This article analyzes the influence of Ultraviolet Erythematic Radiation (UVER) dose received by construction workers in Valencia highlighting the upper limit of the dose received for a worker in different periods of a year. Building construction usually implies workers to stand for several hours outdoors while working until roof top is finished. In Valencia, construction carried out near the coastline has been very intense in the last few years with the construction of a great amount of summer flats. This article focuses on the maximum valuesUVERcan reach in different seasons of the year for cities with similar latitude to Valencia (39°28′N, 0°22′W), as an important way of warning construction workers about the necessity of taking preventive actions. Viospor dosimeters placed on a mannequin have been used in this study. The measurements took place between 2012 December and 2013 July.
Interactions between the intestinal microbiome and helminth parasites
Authors: Zaiss M. M. , Harris N. L.
Published: September 2015

Throughout evolution, both helminths and bacteria have inhabited our intestines. As intestinal helminths and bacteria inhabit the same environmental niche, it is likely that these organisms interact with, and impact on, each other. In addition, intestinal helminths are well known to alter intestinal physiology, permeability, mucous secretion and the production of antimicrobial peptides – all of which may impact on bacterial survival and spatial organization. Yet despite rapid advances in our understanding of host–intestinal bacteria interactions, the impact of helminths on this relationship has remained largely unexplored. Moreover, although intestinal helminths are generally accepted to possess potent immuno‐modulatory activity, it is unknown whether this capacity requires interactions with intestinal bacteria. We propose that this ‘ménage à trois’ situation is likely to have exerted a strong selective pressure on the development of our metabolic and immune systems. Whilst such pressures remain in developing countries, the eradication of helminths in industrialized countries has shifted this evolutionary balance, possibly underlying the increased development of chronic inflammatory diseases. Thus, helminth–bacteria interactions may represent a key determinant of healthy homoeostasis.
Upregulation of Soluble HLA‐G5 and HLA‐G6 Isoforms in the Milder Histopathological Stages of Helicobacter pylori Infection: A Role for Subverting Immune Responses?
Authors: Oliveira Souza D. M. B. , Genre J. , Alves Silva T. G. , Soares C. P. , Borges Ferreira Rocha K. , Nunes Oliveira C. , Nunes Jatobá C. A. , Marco de Leon Andrade J. , Moreau P. , da Cunha Medeiros A. , Donadi E. A. , de Oliveira Crispim J. C.
Published: September 2015

The subversion mechanisms employed by Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) to escape from immune surveillance and to establish persistent infection are poorly understood. Growing evidence indicates that expression of HLA‐G, a non‐classical major histocompatibility complex molecule, negatively regulates immune responses in pathological conditions, including infectious diseases. In this context, we aimed to evaluate HLA‐G expression in the gastric microenvironment of individuals harbouring H. pylori and to correlate it with histological variables. Fifty‐four gastric specimens from patients harbouring H. pylori infection were evaluated by immunohistochemistry using anti‐HLA‐G monoclonal antibody. As a result, HLA‐G expression was detected in 43 of 54 specimens harbouring H. pylori. The presence of HLA‐G was significantly associated with milder colonization by H. pylori (P < 0.02), milder inflammatory activity (P < 0.02) and bacterium histological location in the gastric antrum. This study is the first to explore HLA‐G expression in the context of bacterial infection. Whether the biological role of HLA‐G during H. pylori infection is beneficial or hazardous for patients remains to be defined.
The Plasma Level of Proprotein Convertase FURIN in Patients with Suspected Infection in the Emergency Room: A Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Ranta N. , Turpeinen H. , Oksanen A. , Hämäläinen S. , Huttunen R. , Uusitalo‐Seppälä R. , Rintala E. , Aittoniemi J. , Pesu M.
Published: September 2015

There is an increasing need for novel biomarkers that enable better diagnostic and prognostic stratification of patients with suspected infection. A proprotein convertase enzyme FURIN is upregulated upon immune cell activation, and it promotes infectivity by cleaving and activating pathogens. In this study, we determined FURIN levels in plasma using ELISA from 537 patients that were admitted to emergency room with suspected infection. Patients were sorted to high‐ and low‐level FURIN groups with a cut‐off level of 370 pg/ml. The study cohort included five diagnostic groups: Group 1, no systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS, n = 59 patients); Group 2, bacterial infection without SIRS (n = 67); Group 3, SIRS, but no bacterial infection (n = 308); Group 4, sepsis without organ failure (n = 308); and Group 5, severe sepsis (n = 49). Statistically significant associations were not found between the plasma level of FURIN and the prevalence of sepsis (P = 0.957), diagnostic group of a patient (P = 0.737) or the bacteria in blood culture (P = 0.499). Additionally, the concentration of FURIN did not predict the severity or case fatality of the infectious disease. However, statistically significant associations were found between high plasma level of FURIN and diagnosed rheumatic disease (P < 0.001) as well as with the prevalence of non‐smokers (P = 0.034). Thus, albeit the plasma level of FURIN does not predict the severity of infectious disease, it may be of use in the diagnostics of autoimmune diseases.
Emotional Climate in Families Experiencing Homelessness: Associations with Child Affect and Socioemotional Adjustment in School
Authors: Labella Madelyn H. , Narayan Angela J. , Masten Ann S.
Published: September 2015

This study examined associations among family‐level risks, emotional climate, and child adjustment in families experiencing homelessness. Emotional climate, an indirect aspect of emotion socialization, was indexed by parents’ expressed emotion while describing their children. Sociodemographic risk and parent internalizing distress were hypothesized to predict more negativity and less warmth in the emotional climate. Emotional climate was expected to predict observer‐rated child affect and teacher‐reported socioemotional adjustment, mediating effects of risk. Participants were 138 homeless parents (64 percent African‐American) and their four‐ to six‐year‐old children (43.5 percent male). During semi‐structured interviews, parents reported demographic risks and internalizing distress and completed a Five Minute Speech Sample about their child, later rated for warmth and negativity. Children's positive and negative affect were coded from videotapes of structured parent‐child interaction tasks. Socioemotional adjustment (externalizing behavior, peer acceptance, and prosocial behavior) was reported by teachers a few months later. Hypotheses were partially supported. Parent internalizing distress was associated with higher parent negativity, which was linked to more negative affect in children, and parent warmth was associated with children's positive affect. Neither emotional climate nor child affect predicted teacher‐reported externalizing behavior or peer acceptance, but parental negativity and male sex predicted lower prosocial behavior in the classroom. Future research directions and clinical implications are discussed.
In multiple situational light settings, visual observation for skin colour assessment is comparable with colorimeter measurement
Authors: Wright C. Y. , Wilkes M. , du Plessis J. L. , Reeder A. I. , Albers P. N.
Published: September 2015

Background

Finding inexpensive and reliable techniques for assessing skin colour is important, given that it is related to several adverse human health outcomes. Visual observation is considered a subjective approach assessment and, even when made by trained assessor, concern has been raised about the need for controlled lighting in the study venue. The aim of this study is to determine whether visual skin colour assessments correlate with objective skin colour measurements in study venues with different lighting types and configurations.

Methods

Two trained investigators, with confirmed visual acuity, visually classified the inner, upper arm skin colour of 556 adults using Munsell® colour classifications converted to Individual Typology Angle (°ITA) values based on published data. Skin colour at the same anatomic site was also measured using a colorimeter. Each participant was assessed in one of 10 different buildings, each with a different study day. Munsell®‐derived °ITA values were compared to colorimeter °ITA values for the full sample and by building/day.

Results

We found a strong positive, monotonic correlation between Munsell® derived °ITA values and colorimeter °ITA values for all participants (Spearman ρ = 0.8585, P < 0.001). Similar relationships were found when Munsell® and colorimeter °ITA values were compared for participants assessed in the same building for all 10 buildings (Spearman ρ values ranged from 0.797 to 0.934, all correlations were statistically significant at P < 0.001).

Conclusion

It is possible to visually assess individual skin colour in multiple situational lighting settings and retrieve results that are comparable with objective measurements of skin colour. This was true for individuals of varying population groups and skin pigmentation.
Rutin increases critical wavelength of systems containing a single UV filter and with good skin compatibility
Authors: Peres D. A. , de Oliveira C. A. , da Costa M. S. , Tokunaga V. K. , Mota J. P. , Rosado C. , Consiglieri V. O. , Kaneko T. M. , Velasco M. V. R. , Baby A. R.
Published: September 2015

Background/purpose

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is responsible for sunburns, skin cancer, photoaging, and the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The awareness on preventing these deleterious effects made the use of anti‐UVB formulations an important part of population habits; however, despite the availability of several antioxidants capable of ROS scavenging, the pharmaceutical market lacks products associating UV filters with natural compounds of proven efficacy. Here, we investigated the effect of rutin, a flavonoid with antioxidant activity, associated with UVB filters in dermocosmetic preparations.

Methods

Formulations were assessed through its antioxidant activity, in vitro photoprotective effectiveness, photostability, and in vivo skin tolerance (hydration, transepidermal water loss, and erythema).

Results

Samples containing rutin were compatible with the human skin and presented a pronounced antioxidant potential, with scavenging activity values 75% higher than the ones containing only UVB filters. Although rutin could not prevent the sunscreens photodegradation post‐irradiation, the bioactive compound significantly increased the formulations critical wavelengths, showing a photoprotective gain, especially in the UVA range.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the absorption in the UVA range, coupled with ROS scavenging potential, proved the positive effect of rutin applied to anti‐UVB formulations, making this bioactive compound a promising candidate for photoprotection improvement.
Rethinking the origins of homonormativity: the diverse economies of rural gay life in England and Wales in the 1970s and 1980s
Authors: Brown Gavin
Published: September 2015

This paper rethinks the origins of contemporary homonormativity. Through an analysis of archival material from a rural lesbian and gay social movement from the 1970s, it questions the common link between homonormativity and urban neoliberalism. The Gay Rural Aid & Information Network (GRAIN) provided support to lesbians and gay men living in rural Britain or who were exploring the possibility of leaving the city for rural life. The network consisted of a heterogeneous mix of lesbian and gay environmentalists and ‘back‐to‐the‐land’ enthusiasts, older lesbians and gay men who had retired to the countryside, and rural‐based gay activists. Drawing on archival material relating to GRAIN, this paper traces the diverse economic practices engaged in by rural‐based lesbians and gay men in this period. GRAIN members engaged in a complex mix of diverse economic practices and relations, both as a means towards their goal of living more ‘sustainably’ and in order to fit in to the changing post‐productivist rural economy. By acknowledging the ambiguous sexual politics of this counter‐cultural social movement, the paper questions theorisations of contemporary homonormativity which locate its origins solely in relation to neoliberal socio‐economic relations and subjectivities.
Geography and politics redux? Introduction to the Virtual Issue
Authors: Powell Richard C
Published: September 2015

This Virtual Issue examines the relationship between geography and politics after 1945 until the present day. It does so by focusing on the archive of Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers, and its earlier incarnations. A number of recurrent themes are identified in the concerns of political geographers. The materials presented complicate the standard historiography and raise issues around the politics and future purposes of political geography.
Efficient propagation of variant Creutzfeldt‐Jakob disease prion protein using the cell‐protein misfolding cyclic amplification technique with samples containing plasma and heparin
Authors: Oshita Masatoshi , Yokoyama Takashi , Takei Yumiko , Takeuchi Atsuko , Ironside James W. , Kitamoto Tetsuyuki , Morita Masanori
Published: September 2015

BACKGROUND

To prevent the iatrogenic spread of variant Creutzfeldt‐Jakob disease (vCJD) between humans via blood products or transfusion, highly sensitive in vitro screening tests are necessary. Protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA) is one such candidate test. However, plasma has been reported to inhibit the PMCA reaction. Therefore, we investigated the cell‐PMCA conditions that permit vCJD prion amplification in the presence of plasma.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

Cell‐PMCA of vCJD samples was performed by adding various final concentrations of pooled plasma, citrate‐phosphate‐dextrose (CPD), albumin, globulin, or pooled plasma treated with ion exchangers. After heparin and plasma concentrations were optimized, multiround cell‐PMCA was performed.

RESULTS

When 1% to 50% of pooled plasma was added to heparinized cell‐PMCA, amplification efficiency showed a double‐peaked profile at less than 1% and 40% final plasma concentrations, indicating that plasma contains not only PMCA inhibitors but also promoters. Intravenous globulin did not inhibit cell‐PMCA, but the protein G–bound fraction did. CPD, albumin‐depleted plasma, and the unbound fraction of anion‐exchange chromatography inhibited cell‐PMCA, but albumin and the unbound fraction of the cation‐exchange chromatography did not. The detection limit of abnormal prion protein in multiround cell‐PMCA, when maintaining the final plasma concentration at 40% at each round, was 10−10 dilutions of a vCJD brain specimen.

CONCLUSION

We have established a novel cell‐PMCA format in the presence of plasma without any pretreatment, where vCJD prion protein was amplified at comparable levels to that found without plasma. Our data suggest the feasibility of cell‐PMCA as a practical blood test for vCJD prions.
Long‐Term Outcome of Zürich Cementless Total Hip Arthroplasty in 439 Cases
Authors: Vezzoni Luca , Vezzoni Aldo , Boudrieau Randy J.
Published: September 2015

Objective

To review complications in dogs with the Zürich cementless total hip arthroplasty (Z‐THA) with ≥2 year followup, and compare complications between juvenile and adult dogs classified by age (≤11 and >11 months) at the time of original surgery.

Study Design

Retrospective case series.

Animals

Three hundred and twenty‐one dogs with 439 total hip arthroplasties.

Methods

Medical records were reviewed from January 2002 to December 2007. Signalment, body weight and body condition score, implant size and positioning, and any complications were recorded. A step‐up logistic regression analysis was performed for an outcome of any complication (yes/no). Predictors included were implant size, implant position, weight and body condition score before surgery, weight and body condition score change after surgery, breed, sex, and age.

Results

Four hundred and thirty‐nine Z‐THA were performed in 321 dogs. Mean (standard deviation) age was 8.5 (1.5) months, range 4.5–11 and 53.3 (31.2) months, range 12–132, for juvenile and adult dogs, respectively. Followup extended for a mean 47.8 (20.0) and 42.0 (13.5) months for juvenile and adults dogs, respectively, with complications recorded in 20% and 13% of Z‐THA, respectively. All hips were successfully revised except for 2 explants in juvenile dogs and 2 in adult dogs. There were no statistical differences in the frequency of complications between juveniles or adult dogs, but the type of complication did appear to be different.

From the logistic model, the probability of a complication increased with an increase in body condition score after surgery (P < .0001) and with an increase in the pre‐surgery body condition score (P = .05), and decreased with an increase in weight after surgery (P = .05).

Conclusion

The frequency of complications was less than 20% in juvenile and adult dogs and the frequency was not different across age groups. Complications were primarily related to the change (increase) in body condition score after surgery. Revision was successful in almost all dogs.
Acute bout of resistance exercise increases vitamin D receptor protein expression in rat skeletal muscle
Authors: Makanae Yuhei , Ogasawara Riki , Sato Koji , Takamura Yusuke , Matsutani Kenji , Kido Kohei , Shiozawa Naruhiro , Nakazato Koichi , Fujita Satoshi
Published: September 2015

New Findings

What is the central question of this study?

Does an acute bout of exercise alter vitamin D receptor expression in rat skeletal muscle?

What is the main finding and its importance?

Resistance exercise but not endurance exercise increased intramuscular vitamin D receptor expression. Thus, resistance exercise may be an effective way to increase muscle vitamin D receptor expression.

Vitamin D and vitamin D receptor (VDR) are involved in the maintenance of skeletal muscle mass and function. Although resistance exercise is well known to enhance muscle growth and improve muscle function, the effect of resistance exercise on VDR has been unclear. We investigated intramuscular VDR expression in response to an acute bout of resistance exercise or endurance exercise. Male adult Sprague–Dawley rats were subjected to either resistance exercise (isometrically exercised via percutaneous electrical stimulation for five sets of ten 3 s contractions, with a 7 s interval between contractions and 3 min rest intervals between sets) or endurance exercise (treadmill at 25 m min−1 for 60 min). Rats were killed immediately or 1, 3, 6 or 24 h after completion of the resistance or endurance exercise, and gastrocnemius muscles were removed. Non‐exercised control animals were killed in a basal state (control group). Intramuscular VDR expression was significantly higher immediately after resistance exercise and elevated for 3 h after exercise compared with the control group (P < 0.05), and the resistance exercise significantly increased phosphorylated ERK1/2 and Mnk1 expression (P < 0.05), which may be associated with VDR expression, immediately after exercise. Additionally, intramuscular expression of cytochrome P450 27B1, an enzyme related to vitamin D metabolism, was significantly higher at 1 and 3 h after exercise (P < 0.05) compared with the control group. In contrast, endurance exercise had no effect on any of the measured proteins. Our results indicate that resistance exercise may be an efficient way to increase intramuscular VDR and related enzyme expression.
Who Can Take a Joke? Life of Brian, Four Lions, and Religious “Humour Scandals”
Authors: Basu Laura
Published: September 2015

Why did Monty Python’s Life of Brian (1979) unleash a storm of protest and accusations of blasphemy on its release, what Giselinde Kuipers calls a “humour scandal,’’ while Chris Morris’s satire about British Jihadi terrorists, Four Lions (2010), barely raised an eyebrow? A focus on a media representation of Muslims that did not cause an outcry—even though one was eagerly anticipated—and on one of Christianity that did offers a fresh perspective on the ongoing de- bate on blasphemy and free speech, Islamism and islamophobia. This article’s contention is that both films offer similar, liberal humanist messages and an inclusive brand of humour, and that their receptions complicate the idea of Muslim extremists versus the liberal west, show- ing us that such an imaginary is itself a religious one.
Reconstruction of specular reflectors by iterative image source localization
Authors: Rodriguez-Molares Alfonso , Løvstakken Lasse , Ekroll Ingvild Kinn , Torp Hans
Published: September 2015

A method is presented to reconstruct the geometry of specular reflectors with an ultrasonic array based on the image source principle. The ultrasonic beam is focused at a point in space emulating a point source within the medium. The transmitted wave interacts with the specular reflector and propagates back to the array as if it were generated by an image source. The reflected wave is analyzed with a sound source localization algorithm to estimate the image source location, and the reflector geometry is extracted using the mirror equation for spherical reflectors. The method is validated experimentally and its accuracy is studied. Under ideal conditions the method provides an accurate reconstruction of the position, orientation, and radius of curvature of specular reflectors, with errors Δr < 0.2 mm, Δα < 3°, and ΔR/R0 < 0.2, respectively. The method performs very well in the presence of high levels of thermal and speckle noise, with no degradation of the reconstruction as long as SNRth > −3 dB (signal-to-thermal-noise ratio) and SNRsp > 7 dB (signal-to-speckle-noise ratio). An iterative scheme based on the proposed method is presented to reconstruct the geometry of arbitrary reflectors by subdividing the reflector boundary into smaller segments. The iterative scheme is demonstrated both numerically and experimentally.
Improved speech inversion using general regression neural network
Authors: Najnin Shamima , Banerjee Bonny
Published: September 2015

The problem of nonlinear acoustic to articulatory inversion mapping is investigated in the feature space using two models, the deep belief network (DBN) which is the state-of-the-art, and the general regression neural network (GRNN). The task is to estimate a set of articulatory features for improved speech recognition. Experiments with MOCHA-TIMIT and MNGU0 databases reveal that, for speech inversion, GRNN yields a lower root-mean-square error and a higher correlation than DBN. It is also shown that conjunction of acoustic and GRNN-estimated articulatory features yields state-of-the-art accuracy in broad class phonetic classification and phoneme recognition using less computational power.
Oxidized LDL–bound CD36 recruits an Na
+
/K
+
-ATPase–Lyn complex in macrophages that promotes atherosclerosis
Authors: Chen Yiliang , Kennedy David J. , Ramakrishnan Devi Prasadh , Yang Moua , Huang Wenxin , Li Zhichuan , Xie Zijian , Chadwick Alexandra C. , Sahoo Daisy , Silverstein Roy L.
Published: September 2015

Macrophages promote atherosclerosis when an ion transporter is activated by the receptor for oxidized LDL.
TLR signaling mediates pathogen avoidance
Authors: VanHook Annalisa M.
Published: September 2015

Toll-like receptor signaling protects nematodes from infection by helping them avoid pathogenic bacteria in the environment.
Keratinocytes have the metastatic touch
Authors: Ferrarelli Leslie K.
Published: September 2015

Notch inhibitors may prevent a metastatic transition in melanoma.
How farming protects against allergies
Authors: Mueller Kristen L.
Published: September 2015

Chronic exposure to bacterial endotoxin protects against allergy through the enzyme A20.
Long-Term Effects of Acupuncture Treatment on Airway Smooth Muscle in a Rat Model of Smoke-Induced Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Authors: Li Jia , Wu Song , Tang Hongtu , Huang Wei , Wang Lushan , Zhou Huanjiao , Zhou Miao , Wang Hua , Li Jing
Published: September 2015

Background

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the most common lung diseases. It is a chronic inflammatory process characterised by airway obstruction and progressive lung inflammation, associated with difficulty breathing and insensitivity to corticosteroid therapy. Although there is some preliminary evidence to suggest a beneficial effect of acupuncture on COPD, its mechanism of action has not been investigated. Our aim was to examine the anti-inflammatory effects of acupuncture in a rat model of COPD induced by exposure to cigarette smoke (CS).

Methods

Sixty Sprague–Dawley rats were exposed to the smoke of 15 cigarettes for 1 h/day, 6 days/week for 3 months to induce COPD and treated with acupuncture at BL13 ( Feishu), BL23 ( Shenshu) and Dingchuan (COPD+Acupuncture, n=15), sham acupuncture (COPD+Sham, n=15) or left untreated (n=15). Exposed rats were compared with controls not exposed to CS (control, n=15). Pulmonary function was measured, and tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-8 (IL-8) levels were determined in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid by ELISA. Histone deacetylase 2 (HDAC2) protein and mRNA expression were examined in lung tissue and in bronchus.

Results

Acupuncture treatment appeared to protect pulmonary function and reduce the COPD-induced inflammatory response by decreasing cell inflammation and the production of TNF-α and IL-8. Acupuncture also enhanced HDAC2 mRNA and protein expression, suggesting a possible direct effect on protein structure through post-translational modifications.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that acupuncture regulates inflammatory cytokines and contributes to lung protection in a rat model of smoke-induced COPD by modulating HDAC2.
Children with oral clefts are at greater risk for persistent low achievement in school than classmates
Authors: Wehby George L , Collett Brent R , Barron Sheila , Romitti Paul , Ansley Timothy
Published: September 2015

Objectives

To examine trajectories in academic achievement for children with oral clefts versus unaffected classmates and explore predictors of persistently low achievement among children with oral clefts.

Design

Longitudinal cohort study of academic achievement in a population-based sample.

Setting and participants

Children born from 1983 through 2003 with oral clefts were identified from the Iowa Registry for Congenital and Inherited Disorders and matched to unaffected classmates by sex, school/school district and month and year of birth.

Main outcome measures

Academic achievement was measured from Iowa Testing Programs data. Outcomes included achievement scores in reading, language and mathematics.

Results

Academic achievement data were available for 586 children with oral clefts and 1873 unaffected classmates. Achievement trajectories were stable for both groups. Children with oral clefts were more likely than their classmates to be classified into persistent low achievement trajectories, including when adjusting for socioeconomic differences: OR=1.63, 95% CI 1.23 to 2.16 for reading; OR=1.73, 95% CI 1.29 to 2.31 for language; OR=1.45, 95% CI 1.05 to 1.99 for math. Predictors of low achievement were cleft palate only (vs other cleft types), adolescent mothers, low maternal education and less frequent use of prenatal care.

Conclusions

Most children have steady academic trajectories and children with oral clefts are at greater risk for persistent low achievement in school than unaffected classmates. These findings support the need for routine, early screening for academic deficits in this population. Cleft palate only, low parental education and adolescent mothers are associated with increased risk for persistent low achievement.
What are the indications for using probiotics in children?
Authors: Szajewska Hania
Published: September 2015

The health benefits of probiotics have been the subject of extensive research. Still, some questions are being repeatedly asked: should one use or not use probiotics? If yes, how and when should probiotics be used? The purpose of this review is to summarise current evidence on specific probiotics’ efficacy and safety to help healthcare professionals make evidence-based decisions on the indications for using specific probiotic strains or combinations in children. To identify relevant data, searches of MEDLINE and the Cochrane Library databases were performed in July 2015 to locate randomised controlled trials or their meta-analyses published in the last five years. The MEDLINE database also was searched for evidence-based clinical practice guidelines, developed by scientific societies. Considering that probiotics have strain-specific effects, the main focus was on data on individual probiotic strains, not on probiotics in general.
Delayed relapse in pseudotumor cerebri due to new stenosis after transverse sinus stenting
Authors: Winters Hugh Stephen , Parker Geoff , Halmagyi Gabor Michael , Mehta Ankur , Atkins Thomas
Published: September 2015

A patient presented with recurrent severe pseudotumor cerebri (PTC). Transverse sinus stenting is a very effective treatment option, however stenosis and intracranial hypertension can recur. In our patient, stenting initially resulted in resolution of papilloedema. However, after 5 years, a new stenosis developed which required further stenting. This case highlights the fact that, in patients with PTC who undergo transverse sinus stenting, a small proportion require repeat treatment due to formation of a new stenosis, usually adjacent to the existing stent. Patients with severe disease, such as ours, may be at higher risk of recurrence. Regardless of the severity, all patients who undergo stenting should have regular ocular follow-up.
An unusual presentation of Guillain-Barré syndrome in a young man with bilateral upper extremity weakness
Authors: McNicholas N , O'Dowd S , McNamara B , O'Toole O
Published: September 2015

A 30-year-old man attended the emergency department with a 4-day history of progressive, bilateral upper limb weakness. He had mild shortness of breath and occasional swallowing difficulties. One month prior to presentation, he had flu-like symptoms and diarrhoea. Examination revealed upper limb hypotonia, symmetrical distal arm weakness and hyporeflexia. Power and reflexes in the lower limbs were normal. Nerve conduction studies and lumbar puncture demonstrated features consistent with Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS). The patient was treated with a 5-day course of intravenous immunoglobulins. He improved significantly over the next 2 weeks. Breathing and swallow function did not deteriorate and required no further intervention. He had a sustained improvement, and remained at baseline 1 year later. Work-up for underlying structural, infectious, inflammatory and paraneoplastic aetiologies were negative. Serum antiganglioside antibodies were positive for the anti-GT1a IgG isotype supporting the clinical diagnosis of the pharyngeal-cervical-brachial variant of GBS.
Crizotinib-induced pancreatic pseudocyst: a novel adverse event
Authors: Ishida Hiroo , Ichikawa Wataru , Sasaki Yasutsuna
Published: September 2015

Crizotinib is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor that demonstrates a dramatic tumour response in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancers harbouring anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) rearrangement. The pancreatic cyst has never been reported in patients who received crizotinib, whereas crizotinib-induced renal cysts developed in 4% of patients who were enrolled in clinical trials. We present the case of a 54-year-old man who was diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer harbouring ALK rearrangement. After the start of treatment with crizotinib, we accidentally encountered the pancreatic pseudocyst without abdominal symptom and elevated serum pancreatic enzymes. In this report, we describe a case of pancreatic pseudocyst that appeared after starting treatment with crizotinib and regressed after treatment withdrawal.
A history of recurrent wheezing can delay the diagnosis of foreign body aspiration in a paediatric emergency department
Authors: Colavita Laura , Gelli Claudia , Pecorari Lisa , Peroni Diego Giampietro
Published: September 2015

Foreign body aspiration (FBA) into the airways is a potentially life-threatening event, and more frequent in children younger than 3 years of age; it can mimic other diseases by its frequently non-specific clinical and radiological presentation. The commonest misdiagnoses in children are asthma and recurrent respiratory tract infections with wheezing. This often makes it particularly difficult for a timely and proper diagnosis, especially when there is a silent history of FBA (not a rare occurrence in the age group at highest risk). We report a case of a 2-year-old boy who arrived at the emergency department at the Hospital of Ferrara, with dyspnoea, fever and wheezing, which had started 12 h after aspiration of a pistachio. The asymptomatic period after the pistachio aspiration, a history of recurrent wheezing during respiratory infections and the non-specificity of clinical and radiological findings, delayed the right diagnosis of FBA.
Negative symptoms in schizophrenia: a study in a large clinical sample of patients using a novel automated method
Authors: Patel Rashmi , Jayatilleke Nishamali , Broadbent Matthew , Chang Chin-Kuo , Foskett Nadia , Gorrell Genevieve , Hayes Richard D , Jackson Richard , Johnston Caroline , Shetty Hitesh , Roberts Angus , McGuire Philip , Stewart Robert
Published: September 2015

Objectives

To identify negative symptoms in the clinical records of a large sample of patients with schizophrenia using natural language processing and assess their relationship with clinical outcomes.

Design

Observational study using an anonymised electronic health record case register.

Setting

South London and Maudsley NHS Trust (SLaM), a large provider of inpatient and community mental healthcare in the UK.

Participants

7678 patients with schizophrenia receiving care during 2011.

Main outcome measures

Hospital admission, readmission and duration of admission.

Results

10 different negative symptoms were ascertained with precision statistics above 0.80. 41% of patients had 2 or more negative symptoms. Negative symptoms were associated with younger age, male gender and single marital status, and with increased likelihood of hospital admission (OR 1.24, 95% CI 1.10 to 1.39), longer duration of admission (β-coefficient 20.5 days, 7.6–33.5), and increased likelihood of readmission following discharge (OR 1.58, 1.28 to 1.95).

Conclusions

Negative symptoms were common and associated with adverse clinical outcomes, consistent with evidence that these symptoms account for much of the disability associated with schizophrenia. Natural language processing provides a means of conducting research in large representative samples of patients, using data recorded during routine clinical practice.
Biological and steroid use in relationship to quality measures in older patients with inflammatory bowel disease: a US Medicare cohort study
Authors: Johnson Sophia L , Bartels Christie M , Palta Mari , Thorpe Carolyn T , Weiss Jennifer M , Smith Maureen A
Published: September 2015

Objectives

To examine the frequency and predictors of antitumour necrosis factor (TNF) use, and to describe steroid utilisation among US patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) aged 65 years and older prior to the publication of a new Medicare quality measure calling for the use of anti-TNFs and other steroid-sparing agents.

Design

Retrospective cohort study.

Setting

This study utilised 2006–2009 claims data for a national sample of Medicare beneficiaries.

Participants

Patients with IBD (>1 claim for ICD codes 555.xx, 556.xx) without anti-TNF contraindications, enrolled in Medicare parts A and B ≥12 months and part D ≥6 months were included (n=8502).

Outcome measures

We estimated incidence rate ratios (IRR) and 95% CIs predicting new anti-TNF therapy using multivariable Poisson regression.

Results

This nationally representative study of older patients with IBD estimated that only 3.7% received anti-TNFs. New anti-TNF use (1.4%) was associated with younger age, absence of Medicaid coverage, hospitalisation, and higher preceding use of burst (IRR=2.35, CI 1.59 to 3.47) and maintenance steroids (IRR=2.40, CI 1.05 to 5.48). Among anti-TNF users, we observed high rates of concurrent maintenance steroid use (19%).

Conclusions

Anti-TNF use was very low in this population of older patients with IBD and, importantly, was often combined with maintenance steroid use despite guidelines suggesting reduced needs. Expanding IBD-specific quality measures to include steroid taper plans may cue appropriate maintenance regimens that include anti-TNFs and other steroid sparing agents while reducing protracted concomitant steroid use as intended by current quality measures.