bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
FTSite: high accuracy detection of ligand binding sites on unbound protein structures
Authors: Ngan Chi-Ho , Hall David R. , Zerbe Brandon , Grove Laurie E. , Kozakov Dima , Vajda Sandor
Published: November 2011

Motivation: Binding site identification is a classical problem that is important for a range of applications, including the structure-based prediction of function, the elucidation of functional relationships among proteins, protein engineering and drug design. We describe an accurate method of binding site identification, namely FTSite. This method is based on experimental evidence that ligand binding sites also bind small organic molecules of various shapes and polarity. The FTSite algorithm does not rely on any evolutionary or statistical information, but achieves near experimental accuracy: it is capable of identifying the binding sites in over 94% of apo proteins from established test sets that have been used to evaluate many other binding site prediction methods.

Availability: FTSite is freely available as a web-based server at http://ftsite.bu.edu.

Contact:  vajda@bu.edu; midas@bu.edu

Supplementary information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Ecological immunogenetics of life-history traits in a model amphibian
Authors: Barribeau Seth M. , Villinger Jandouwe , Waldman Bruce
Published: November 2011

Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes determine immune repertoires and social preferences of vertebrates. Immunological regulation of microbial assemblages associated with individuals influences their sociality, and should also affect their life-history traits. We exposedXenopus laevistadpoles to water conditioned by adult conspecifics. Then, we analysed tadpole growth, development and survivorship as a function of MHC class I and class II peptide-binding region amino acid sequence similarities between tadpoles and frogs that conditioned the water to which they were exposed. Tadpoles approached metamorphosis earlier and suffered greater mortality when exposed to immunogenetically dissimilar frogs. The results suggest that developmental regulatory cues, microbial assemblages or both are specific to MHC genotypes. Tadpoles may associate with conspecifics with which they share microbiota to which their genotypes are well adapted.
A naturally occurring human/hepatitis E recombinant virus predominates in serum but not in faeces of a chronic hepatitis E patient and has a growth advantage in cell culture
Authors: Nguyen H. T. , Torian U. , Faulk K. , Mather K. , Engle R. E. , Thompson E. , Bonkovsky H. L. , Emerson S. U.
Published: November 2011

Hepatitis E virus is the aetiological agent of acute hepatitis E, a self-limiting disease prevalent in developing countries. Molecular analysis of viral genomic RNA from a chronically infected patient confirmed the recent discovery that chronic infection correlated with extensive diversification of the virus quasispecies: the hypervariable region of some virus genomes in this USA patient contained large continuous deletions and a minor proportion of genomes in faeces and serum had acquired a mammalian sequence that encoded 39 aa of S19 ribosomal protein fused to the virus non-structural protein. Genomes with this insert were selected during virus passage in cultured cells to become the predominant species, suggesting that the inserted sequence promoted virus growth. The results demonstrated that hepatitis E virus can mutate dramatically during a prolonged infection and suggests it may be important to prevent or cure chronic infections before new variants with unpredictable properties arise.
Increase of lifespan for glioma-bearing rats by using minibeam radiation therapy
Authors: Prezado Yolanda , Sarun Sukhena , Gil Silvia , Deman Pierre , Bouchet Audrey , Le Duc Geraldine
Published: November 2011

This feasibility work assesses the therapeutic effectiveness of minibeam radiation therapy, a new synchrotron radiotherapy technique. In this new approach the irradiation is performed on 9L gliosarcoma-bearing rats with arrays of parallel beams of width 500–700 µm. Two irradiation configurations were compared: a lateral unidirectional irradiation and two orthogonal arrays interlacing at the target. A dose escalation study was performed. A factor of three gain in the mean survival time obtained for some animals paves the way for further exploration of the different possibilities of this technique and its further optimization.
Moiré pattern from a multiple Bragg–Laue interferometer
Authors: Hirano Kenji , Fukamachi Tomoe , Kanematsu Yoshinobu , Jongsukswat Sukswat , Negishi Riichirou , Ju Dongying , Hirano Keiichi , Kawamura Takaaki
Published: November 2011

In X-ray section topography of Si 220 diffraction in a multiple Bragg–Laue mode, a moiré pattern is observed when the incident beam is divided into two parts by inserting a platinum wire in the middle of the beam. The moiré pattern can be explained by the summation of two interference fringes corresponding to the two incident beams. The coherency of the X-rays from the bending-magnet beamline is estimated using the moiré pattern.
Structure of hyperthermophilic β-glucosidase from Pyrococcus furiosus
Authors: Kado Yuji , Inoue Tsuyoshi , Ishikawa Kazuhiko
Published: November 2011

Three categories of cellulases, endoglucanases, cellobiohydrolases and β-glucosidases, are commonly used in the process of cellulose saccharification. In particular, the activity and characteristics of hyperthermophilic β-glucosidase make it promising in industrial applications of biomass. In this paper, the crystal structure of the hyperthermophilic β-glucosidase from Pyrococcus furiosus (BGLPf) was determined at 2.35 Å resolution in a new crystal form. The structure showed that there is one tetramer in the asymmetric unit and that the dimeric molecule exhibits a structure that is stable towards sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). The dimeric molecule migrated in reducing SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS–PAGE) buffer even after boiling at 368 K. Energy calculations demonstrated that one of the two dimer interfaces acquired the largest solvation free energy. Structural comparison and sequence alignment with mesophilic β-glucosidase A from Clostridium cellulovorans (BGLACc) revealed that the elongation at the C-terminal end forms a hydrophobic patch at the dimer interface that might contribute to hyperthermostability.
A 1.5 Å resolution X-ray structure of the catalytic module of Caldicellulosiruptor bescii family 3 pectate lyase
Authors: Alahuhta Markus , Chandrayan Puja , Kataeva Irina , Adams Michael W. W. , Himmel Michael E. , Lunin Vladimir V.
Published: November 2011

A 1.5 Å resolution X-ray structure of the catalytic module of Caldicellulosiruptor bescii family 3 pectate lyase is reported (PDB entry 3t9g). The resulting structure was refined to an R factor of 0.143 and an R
free of 0.178. Structural analysis shows that this new structure is very similar to the previously solved structure of a family 3 pectate lyase from Bacillus sp. strain KSM-P15 (PDB entry 1ee6), with a root-mean-square deviation of 0.93 Å and a sequence identity of 53%. This structural similarity is significant considering that C. bescii is a hyperthermophile and Bacillus sp. is a mesophile.
Crystallization and preliminary X-ray crystallographic analysis of β-ketoacyl-ACP synthase I (XoFabB) fromXanthomonas oryzaepv.oryzae
Authors: Doan Thanh Thi Ngoc , Kim Jin-Kwang , Mac Qui-Khanh , Chung Cheolwon , Sampath Natarajan , Kim Jeong-Gu , Ahn Yeh-Jin , Kang Lin-Woo
Published: November 2011

The proteins in the fatty-acid synthesis pathway in bacteria have significant potential as targets for the development of antibacterial agents. An essential elongation step in fatty-acid synthesis is performed by β-ketoacyl-acyl carrier protein synthase I (FabB). The organismXanthomonas oryzaepv.oryzae(Xoo) causes a destructive bacterial blight disease of rice. The XoFabB protein from Xoo was expressed, purified and crystallized for the three-dimensional structure determination that is essential for the development of specific inhibitors of the enzyme. An XoFabB crystal diffracted to 3.0 Å resolution and belonged to the tetragonal space groupP41, with unit-cell parametersa=b= 82.2,c= 233.2 Å. Assuming that the crystallographic structure contains four molecules in the asymmetric unit, the correspondingVMwould be 2.18 Å3 Da−1and the solvent content would be 43.5%. The initial structure was determined by theMOLREPprogram with anRfactor of 44.0% and does contain four monomers in the asymmetric unit.
Crystallization and preliminary crystallographic analysis of a putative glucokinase/hexokinase from Thermus thermophilus
Authors: Nakamura Tsutomu , Kashima Yasuhiro , Mine Shouhei , Oku Takashi , Uegaki Koichi
Published: November 2011

Glucokinase/hexokinase catalyzes the phosphorylation of glucose to glucose 6-phosphate, which is the first step of glycolysis. The open reading frame TTHA0299 of the extreme thermophile Thermus thermophilus encodes a putative glucokinase/hexokinase which contains the consensus sequence for proteins from the repressors, open reading frames and sugar kinases family. In this study, the glucokinase/hexokinase from T. thermophilus was purified and crystallized using polyethylene glycol 8000 as a precipitant. Diffraction data were collected and processed to 2.02 Å resolution. The crystal belonged to space group P21, with unit-cell parameters a = 70.93, b = 138.14, c = 75.16 Å, β = 95.41°.
Piriformospora indica—a mutualistic basidiomycete with an exceptionally large plant host range
Authors: QIANG XIAOYU , WEISS MICHAEL , KOGEL KARL‐HEINZ , SCHÄFER PATRICK
Published: November 2011

Piriformospora indica is a basidiomycete of the order Sebacinales, representing a model for the study of mutualistic symbiosis and, beyond that, the plant immune system. The fungus colonizes the roots of a wide range of vascular plants, increasing their growth, seed yield and adaptation to abiotic and biotic stresses. The fungal colonization of roots begins with a biotrophic growth phase, in which living cells are colonized, and continues with a cell death‐dependent phase, in which root cells are actively killed by the fungus. The complexity of sebacinalean symbiosis is further enhanced by the presence of endocellular bacteria which may represent significant determinants for a successful outcome of the symbioses. Molecular ecological analyses have revealed an exceptional relevance of sebacinoid fungi in natural ecosystems worldwide. This natural competence could be rooted in their phenotypic adaptability, which, for instance, allows P. indica to grow readily on various synthetic media and to colonize distinct hosts. In molecular and genetic studies, P. indica's mutualistic colonization strategy has been partly unravelled, showing that the jasmonate pathway is exploited for immune suppression and successful development in roots. Research on P. indica supports efforts to make the bioprotective potential of the fungus accessible for agricultural plant production. The decoding of P. indica's genome has revealed its potential for application as bioagent and for targeted improvement of crop plants in biotechnology‐based approaches.
Differential protein expression in response to the phytoalexin brassinin allows the identification of molecular targets in the phytopathogenic fungus Alternaria brassicicola
Authors: PEDRAS M. SOLEDADE C. , MINIC ZORAN
Published: November 2011

The effects of the cruciferous phytoalexin brassinin on the protein expression patterns of the phytopathogenic fungus Alternaria brassicicola were investigated. Cell‐free protein extracts of mycelia of A. brassicicola induced with brassinin at 0.50 and 0.10 mm were fractionated, and the proteins in soluble fractions were separated by two‐dimensional electrophoresis. Spots corresponding to differentially expressed proteins were digested and analysed by liquid chromatography‐electrospray ionization‐mass spectrometry. The number of differentially expressed proteins was significantly higher in mycelia treated with brassinin at 0.50 mm (96 protein spots) than in mycelia treated with brassinin at 0.10 mm (18 protein spots). The majority of differentially expressed proteins included proteins involved in metabolism, processing, synthesis and several heat shock proteins (HSPs). Brassinin concentrations below 0.30 mm induced HSP90, a protein involved in the regulation of morphogenetic signalling in fungi, suggesting that 0.30 mm is a minimal concentration of brassinin necessary for the protection of brassicas against A. brassicicola. These results reveal that HSP90 is a potential target for inhibition in stressed A. brassicicola and confirm that brassinin has strong detrimental effects on A. brassicicola, suggesting that its detoxification by the fungus suppresses an important defence layer of the plant.
Host‐induced gene silencing: a tool for understanding fungal host interaction and for developing novel disease control strategies
Authors: NUNES CRISTIANO C. , DEAN RALPH A.
Published: November 2011

Recent discoveries regarding small RNAs and the mechanisms of gene silencing are providing new opportunities to explore fungal pathogen–host interactions and potential strategies for novel disease control. Plant pathogenic fungi are a constant and major threat to global food security; they represent the largest group of disease‐causing agents on crop plants on the planet. An initial understanding of RNA silencing mechanisms and small RNAs was derived from model fungi. Now, new knowledge with practical implications for RNA silencing is beginning to emerge from the study of plant–fungus interactions. Recent studies have shown that the expression of silencing constructs in plants designed on fungal genes can specifically silence their targets in invading pathogenic fungi, such as Fusarium verticillioides, Blumeria graminis and Puccinia striiformis f.sp. tritici. Here, we highlight the important general aspects of RNA silencing mechanisms and emphasize recent findings from plant pathogenic fungi. Strategies to employ RNA silencing to investigate the basis of fungal pathogenesis are discussed. Finally, we address important aspects for the development of fungal‐derived resistance through the expression of silencing constructs in host plants as a powerful strategy to control fungal disease.
Revised guidelines for the diagnosis and management of hairy cell leukaemia and hairy cell leukaemia variant*
Authors: Jones Gail , Parry‐Jones Nilima , Wilkins Bridget , Else Monica , Catovsky Daniel
Published: November 2011

The British Committee for Standards in Haematology first produced guidelines for the diagnosis and management of hairy cell leukaemia and hairy cell leukaemia variant in 2000. This revision updates those guidelines and covers the areas of diagnosis, treatment and assessment of response to therapy.
The chemokine CCL18 causes maturation of cultured monocytes to macrophages in the M2 spectrum
Authors: Schraufstatter Ingrid U. , Zhao Ming , Khaldoyanidi Sophia K. , DiScipio Richard G.
Published: November 2011

The observation that human monocytes cultured in the presence of the chemokine CCL18 showed increased survival, led us to profile cytokine expression in CCL18‐stimulated versus control cultures. CCL18 caused significantly increased expression of chemokines (CXCL8, CCL2, CCL3 and CCL22), interleukin‐10 (IL‐10) and platelet‐derived growth factor, but no up‐regulation of M1 cytokines IL‐1β or IL‐12. CCL18‐stimulated monocytes matured into cells with morphological resemblance to IL‐4‐stimulated macrophages, and expressed the monocyte marker CD14 as well the M2 macrophage markers CD206 and 15‐lipoxygenase, but no mature dendritic cell markers (CD80, CD83 or CD86). Functionally, CCL18‐stimulated macrophages showed a high capacity for unspecific phagocytosis and for pinocytosis, which was not associated with an oxidative burst. These findings suggest that CCL18‐activated macrophages stand at the cross‐roads between inflammation and its resolution. The chemokines that are produced in response to CCL18 are angiogenic and attract various leucocyte populations, which sustain inflammation. However, the capacity of these cells to remove cellular debris without causing oxidative damage and the production of the anti‐inflammatory IL‐10 will initiate termination of the inflammatory response. In summary, CCL18 induces an M2 spectrum macrophage phenotype in the absence of IL‐4.
Herth Hope Index: psychometric testing of the Chinese version
Authors: Chan Keung Sum , Li Ho Cheung William , Chan Sally Wai‐chi , Lopez Violeta
Published: November 2011

chan k.s., li h.c.w., chan s. w.‐c. & lopez v. (2012) Herth Hope Index: psychometric testing of the Chinese version. Journal of Advanced Nursing68(9), 2079–2085.

Aim.  This article is a report on psychometric testing of the Chinese version of the Herth Hope Index.

Background.  The availability of a valid and reliable instrument that accurately measures the level of hope in patients with heart failure is crucial before any hope‐enhancing interventions can be appropriately planned and evaluated. There is no such instrument for Chinese people.

Methods.  A test–retest, within‐subjects design was used. A purposive sample of 120 Hong Kong Chinese patients with heart failure between the ages of 60 and 80 years admitted to two medical wards was recruited during an 8‐month period in 2009. Participants were asked to respond to the Chinese version of the Herth Hope Index, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale and Rosenberg’s Self‐Esteem Scale. The internal consistency, content validity and construct validity and test–retest reliability of the Chinese version of the Herth Hope Index were assessed.

Results.  The newly translated scale demonstrated adequate internal consistency, good content validity and appropriate convergent and discriminant validity. Confirmatory factor analysis added further evidence of the construct validity of the scale.

Conclusion.  Results suggest that the newly translated scale can be used as a self‐report assessment tool in assessing the level of hope in Hong Kong Chinese patients with heart failure.
Social support in chronic pain: development and preliminary psychometric assessment of a new instrument
Authors: Van Der LUGT C. M. C. , ROLLMAN A. , NAEIJE M. , LOBBEZOO F. , VISSCHER C. M.
Published: November 2011

Summary  Satisfaction with social support (pain‐relevant social support) may influence pain experience and behaviour in patients with chronic pain. Prior studies on measurement of social support, however, have been limited by the use of general, rather than of pain‐specific assessment instruments. In this study, a new pain‐relevant social support instrument, the Social support and Pain Questionnaire (SPQ), is presented together with an evaluation of its psychometric properties. A literature search was performed to establish different aspects of social support. For each of the six aspects found, one item was selected for inclusion in the new questionnaire. The draft version of the questionnaire was field tested. Thereafter, the psychometric properties of the SPQ were assessed in 250 patients with oro‐facial pain. Principal component analysis (n = 250) showed that the SPQ had a one‐factor structure. The test–retest reliability of the SPQ (in a subsample of 54 patients) was fair‐to‐good (R = 0·70; P < 0·000). Convergent validity, as compared with a non‐specific social support instrument, was good (n = 140; R = 0·54; P < 0·000). The SPQ is a valid and reliable instrument, which offers the possibility to explore the patient’s satisfaction with pain‐related social support. With the SPQ, a useful tool to assess the influence of social support in patients with various types of pain is provided.
Elevated serum CK18 levels in chronic hepatitis C patients are associated with advanced fibrosis but not steatosis
Authors: Jazwinski A. B. , Thompson A. J. , Clark P. J. , Naggie S. , Tillmann H. L. , Patel K.
Published: November 2011

Summary.  Cytokeratin‐18 (CK‐18) is a major intermediate filament protein in liver cells. The M30 fragment of CK‐18 has been identified as a useful marker of apoptosis associated with fibrosis and steatosis in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). We sought to assess the relationship of this marker and steatosis in a cohort of adult patients with chronic hepatitis C. The study cohort included sera from 267 treatment‐naïve chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients and 100 healthy controls with normal alanine aminotransferase (ALT). Biopsies from CHC patients were assessed for METAVIR fibrosis stage, Histology Activity Index (HAI) inflammation score and steatosis grade by expert histopathologists. The M30 fragment of CK‐18 was quantified by ELISA. Wilcoxon Rank Sum, Spearman Correlation and Linear Regression tests were performed for statistical analysis. Median CK‐18 levels were higher in CHC patients compared to controls (411 vs 196 U/L, P < 0.0001). Fibrosis stage was associated with increasing serum CK‐18 levels (P = 0.015) and CK‐18 levels were higher for F2–F4 vs F0–F1 (500 vs 344 U/L; P = 0.001). There was no association between CK‐18 and increasing steatosis grade 1, 2 or 3 (460.7 vs 416.8 vs 508.3 U/L; P = 0.35) and presence or absence of steatosis (445.3 vs 365.8 U/L; P = 0.075). Fibrosis stage was independently associated with serum M30 in a multivariable linear regression model (P = 0.03). CK‐18 levels were higher in CHC compared to healthy controls and associated with hepatic fibrosis. There was no difference in CK‐18 M30 levels between CHC patients with and without steatosis. Although apoptosis may still contribute to hepatitis C virus (HCV)‐mediated steatosis, our results suggest that serum CK‐18 will not be a clinically useful test for identifying significant steatosis in CHC.
Evaluation of loop‐mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assays based on 5S rDNA‐IGS2 regions for detecting Meloidogyne enterolobii
Authors: Niu J. H. , Jian H. , Guo Q. X. , Chen C. L. , Wang X. Y. , Liu Q. , Guo Y. D.
Published: November 2011

A loop‐mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay for detection of Meloidogyne enterolobii (Me‐LAMP) was developed based on the sequences of the 5S ribosomal DNA (5S rDNA) and intergenic spacer 2 (IGS2) segment. The LAMP amplification was achieved at 65°C isothermal conditions within 1–1·5 h. Its amplicons were confirmed using gel electrophoresis, SacI enzyme analysis, lateral flow dipstick (LFD) assay, and visual inspection through SYBR Green I and calcein staining. The results demonstrated that the Me‐LAMP was able to specifically detect M. enterolobii populations from different geographical origins, with a detection limit of about 10 fg M. enterolobii genomic DNA, which was 10–100 times more sensitive than conventional PCR. In addition, the applicability of LAMP to field detection was confirmed following its successful performance in detecting the pest on root and soil samples. The Me‐LAMP assay possessed the characteristics of simplicity, sensitivity and specificity, and is a promising and practical molecular tool for M. enterolobii diagnosis in pest quarantine and field surveys.
Higher‐level phylogeny of the insect order Hemiptera: is Auchenorrhyncha really paraphyletic?
Authors: CRYAN JASON R. , URBAN JULIE M.
Published: November 2011

The higher‐level phylogeny of the order Hemiptera remains a contentious topic in insect systematics. The controversy is chiefly centred on the unresolved question of whether or not the hemipteran suborder Auchenorrhyncha (including the extant superfamilies Fulgoroidea, Membracoidea, Cicadoidea and Cercopoidea) is a monophyletic lineage. Presented here are the results of a multilocus molecular phylogenetic investigation of relationships among the major hemipteran lineages, designed specifically to address the question of Auchenorrhyncha monophyly in the context of broad taxonomic sampling across Hemiptera. Phylogenetic analyses (maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference) were based on DNA nucleotide sequence data from seven gene regions (18S rDNA, 28S rDNA, histone H3, histone 2A, wingless, cytochrome c oxidase I and NADH dehydrogenase subunit 4) generated from 86 in‐group exemplars representing all major lineages of Hemiptera (plus seven out‐group taxa). All combined analyses of these data recover the monophyly of Auchenorrhyncha, and also support the monophyly of each of the following lineages: Hemiptera, Sternorrhyncha, Heteropterodea, Heteroptera, Fulgoroidea, Cicadomorpha, Membracoidea, Cercopoidea and Cicadoidea. Also presented is a review of the major lines of morphological and molecular evidence for and against the monophyly of Auchenorrhyncha.
Patterns of blood product use among patients with myelodysplastic syndrome
Authors: Ramsey S. D. , McCune J. S. , Blough D. K. , McDermott C. L. , Beck S. J. , López J. A. , Joachim Deeg H.
Published: November 2011

Background and Objectives  Most patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) require blood product support to manage the severe anaemias, which frequently accompany MDS. Our objective was to show the feasibility of linking the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database with records from Puget Sound Blood Center (PSBC) to characterize blood product use over time in successive cohorts of patients with MDS.

Materials and Methods  We identified patients with MDS in the SEER registry. The cohort was then linked to PSBC records to discern blood product use.

Results  Included in the analysis were 783 patients with MDS entered in the SEER database from 2001 to 2007 for whom data were also available in the PSBC database. Among patients with MDS who received transfusions, 97% received packed red blood cells; 52% received platelets. The proportion of patients with MDS receiving blood products declined from 2001 to 2007.

Conclusion  These data show a recent decline in blood product use for patients with MDS. Future studies are needed to further evaluate the reasons for this finding, specifically exploring the impact of newer medications on blood product use in patients with MDS.
Assessment of endothelial function in atrial fibrillation: utility of peripheral arterial tonometry
Authors: Wong Christopher X , Lim Han S , Schultz Carlee D , Sanders Prashanthan , Worthley Matthew I , Willoughby Scott R
Published: November 2011

1. Endothelial function is an independent predictor of adverse cardiovascular outcomes. The evaluation of endothelial function via changes in vessel diameter or blood flow may be inaccurate during atrial fibrillation (AF) because of non‐uniform stroke volumes.

2. Using peripheral arterial tonometry, 50 patients with AF (25 in AF, 25 in sinus rhythm) had digital pulse amplitudes assessed at baseline and during reactive hyperaemia. Hyperaemic responses were compared over varying measurement durations (5, 10 and 15 beats; 30 s; and 1–10 min) to determine optimal measurement duration.

3. Endothelial responses were significantly decreased (indicating endothelial dysfunction) in patients in AF compared with patients in sinus rhythm (1.48 ± 0.60 vs 2.05 ± 1.13, respectively; P = 0.03).

4. Beat‐to‐beat pulse amplitude was highly variable during AF; although coefficients of variation (CV) for short measurement durations were large, these decreased with longer measurement durations. Bland–Altman plots revealed that limits of agreement for short measurement durations were poor. Limits of agreement became consistently narrower when measurement durations of at least 1 min were used. In contrast, limits of agreement and CV for short measurement durations during sinus rhythm were significantly narrower and smaller, respectively, than during AF over similar measurement durations.

5. Pulse amplitudes are highly variable owing to the non‐uniform stroke volumes in AF. Our results suggest that methods of determining endothelial function via vessel diameters or blood flow during reactive hyperaemia should use measurement durations of at least 1 min to ensure accurate and reproducible results.
Novel inpatient surveillance in tertiary paediatric hospitals in New South Wales illustrates impact of first‐wave pandemic influenza A H1N1 (2009) and informs future health service planning
Authors: Elliott Elizabeth J , Zurynski Yvonne A , Walls Tony , Whitehead Bruce , Gilmour Robin , Booy Robert ,   Members of SWINet
Published: November 2011

Aim:  To document the impact of pandemic influenza A H1N1 (2009) in New South Wales (NSW) children's hospitals.

Methods:  A novel surveillance system, Paediatric Active Enhanced Disease Surveillance (PAEDS), identified hospitalised children <15 years with laboratory‐proven influenza (1 June–30 September 2009) in the three children's hospitals in NSW: Children's Hospital at Westmead (CHW), Sydney Children's Hospital, John Hunter Children's Hospital. Clinical characteristics, management and complications were documented, and at CHW comparison made with 2007 data.

Results:  The 324 children identified represented 1802 hospital bed‐days and 230 PICU bed‐days. Most (73.1%) children had H1N1, one had an oseltamivir‐resistant isolate. Median age was 2.5 years: 65% were <5 years. Although 80.9% had cough, 8.0% had no respiratory symptoms. Complications occurred in 34.6%, of whom 56% were previously healthy. Only 50% received antivirals. Forty children (12.3%) were admitted to PICU: one child with H1N1 died. At CHW, comparison between 2009 and 2007 showed nearly twice the total number of admissions (226 vs. 122) and PICU admissions (22 vs. 13), but no deaths either year. Vomiting was more frequent in 2009 than 2007 (38.5% vs. 13.1%; P = 0.0001) as were neurological complications (11.4% vs. 2.4%; P = 0.0027) but length of hospital and PICU stay were similar.

Conclusions:  PAEDS is a valuable surveillance tool that documented the impact of the H1N1 (2009) pandemic in NSW children's hospitals. High numbers of complications, often in previously well children, suggest an important role for early diagnosis, antiviral therapy and influenza vaccination. Observed regional differences identify areas potentially at greater risk in a subsequent wave.
Point‐of‐care glucose monitoring on the neonatal unit
Authors: Makaya Tafadzwa , Memmott Alan , Bustani Porus
Published: November 2011

Aim:  This study aims to compare the accuracy and precision of the Nova StatStrip glucometer against the Radiometer ABL gas analyser. Based on the results, to establish if the Nova StatStrip glucometer could be adopted as a reliable alternative for near‐patient glucose monitoring on the neonatal unit.

Methods:  Seven hundred twenty‐eight paired samples were collected prospectively from babies on a neonatal intensive care unit. Analytical performance of the Nova StatStrip glucometer was assessed based on the ISO 15197 criteria and the American Diabetic Association standards. Its performance compared with the Radiometer ABL gas analyser was assessed statistically using Bland–Altman analysis and clinically by use of an error grid.

Results:  A percentage of 98.8 of StatStrip values less than 4.2 mmol/L and 97.9% of values greater than 4.2 mmol/L met the ISO criteria. Bland–Altman analysis showed good correlation between the readings. An error grid showed that most infants would be appropriately managed for hypoglycaemic episodes as per local guidelines.

Conclusions:  The Nova StatStrip performed well on statistical analysis compared with the Radiometer. Very few hypoglycaemic patients would be missed using the Nova StatStrip glucometer. We would recommend its use on our unit.
Comparison of the effects of intravenous methylprednisolone pulse versus oral prednisolone therapies on the first attack of minimal‐change nephrotic syndrome in adults
Authors: FUKUDOME KEIICHI , FUJIMOTO SHOUICHI , SATO YUJI , KITAMURA KAZUO
Published: November 2011

Aim:  Minimal‐change nephrotic syndrome (MCNS) is characterized by a good response to corticosteroid, but a high incidence of relapse. We compared the effect of intravenous methylprednisolone pulse plus oral prednisolone therapy (pulse group) with that of conventional oral prednisolone alone therapy (oral group) on the responsiveness and relapse in the first attack of adult‐onset MCNS patients.

Methods:  Eighty‐one adult patients with biopsy‐proven MCNS, who were previously untreated and admitted to our hospital with their first attack of nephrotic syndrome, were analyzed retrospectively. They were arbitrarily assigned to either pulse group (n = 29, 1000 mg of methylprednisolone intravenously for 3 days, and then oral prednisolone 30 to 40 mg daily for 4 to 8 weeks) or oral group (n = 52, oral prednisolone 1 mg/kg daily for 4 to 8 weeks). We compared the time to response and relapse between the two groups.

Results:  Time to steroid response was significantly shorter in the pulse group compared with the oral group (15.2 ± 10.2 vs 26.7 ± 17.6 days, P = 0.03). In 74 patients who reached remission within 12 weeks (pulse vs oral groups; 86.2% vs 96.2%, ns), the time to relapse was not different between two groups but the relapse rate was significantly higher in the pulse group (pulse vs oral groups; 60% vs 35%, P = 0.038). Kaplan–Meier analyses revealed that both complete remission rates within 4 weeks of the initial steroid therapy and relapse rate within 12 months after attaining remission were significantly higher in the pulse group than the oral group. In the Cox regression model, intravenous methylprednisolone pulse therapy had a significant effect on relapse (hazard ratio, 2.39 (95% confidence interval 1.11–5.15), P = 0.026).

Conclusion:  Intravenous methylprednisolone pulse followed by oral prednisolone therapy shows an earlier responsiveness but a much more frequent relapse compared with conventional oral prednisolone alone therapy for the first attack of adult‐onset MCNS.
Kawasaki disease patients with six principal symptoms have a high risk of being a non‐responder
Authors: Nomura Yuichi , Arata Michiko , Masuda Kiminori , Koriyama Chihaya , Suruki Nobutaka , Ueno Kentaro , Yoshikawa Hideki , Eguchi Taisuke , Kawano Yoshifumi
Published: November 2011

Background:  A diagnosis of Kawasaki disease (KD) is established using six principal symptoms. Because the principal symptoms are deeply connected with KD, it is thus important to investigate the usefulness of the principal symptoms for evaluating the disease severity of KD.

Methods:  Patients with definite KD or suspicion of KD were retrospectively examined. Blood test data and the incidence of patients who failed to respond to the initial i.v. immunoglobulin treatment (non‐responders) were compared between patients with six principal symptoms, including fever of ≤4 days, before treatment of KD (six‐symptom patients), and those with five or fewer symptoms (five‐symptom patients).

Results:  The study group of 207 patients who were treated with immunoglobulin consisted of 121 six‐symptom patients and 86 five‐symptom patients. The six‐symptom patients were older and had higher neutrophil proportion and total bilirubin, and lower serum sodium at diagnosis than the five‐symptom patients. Although the treatments did not differ between the groups, the six‐symptom patients had a higher incidence of non‐responders than the five‐symptom patients (17% vs 5%; P= 0.008). Logistic regression analysis showed that six‐symptom status was related to the risk of being a non‐responder (odds ratio [OR], 5.3; 95% confidence interval [95%CI]: 1.6–17.4). This association was still significant after adjustment for the effect of age, neutrophil proportion, and total bilirubin and sodium (OR, 4.4; 95%CI: 1.4–17.3).

Conclusions:  The number of principal symptoms before treatment is a useful guide to KD disease severity. Six‐symptom patients have a higher risk of being a non‐responder than five‐symptom patients.
Neurological manifestations of shigellosis in children in southwestern Iran
Authors: Shamsizadeh Ahmad , Nikfar Roya , Bavarsadian Elham
Published: November 2011

Background:  Shigella spp. are important causative agents of acute diarrhea and dysentery. Neurological signs are among the most common extraintestinal manifestation of shigellosis. The aim of this study was to determine the relative frequency of neurological signs in children with shigellosis in southwestern Iran.

Methods:  In a retrospective study, the medical records of all children suffering from shigellosis who had been admitted to Abuzar Children's Hospital in Ahvaz, southwestern Iran, from March 2006 to March 2009 were reviewed. The epidemiological characteristics, clinical findings, and laboratory data of the patients with shigellosis were analyzed. The statistical analysis was performed using spss version 13.0 software.

Results:  During the study period, 154 children suffering from shigellosis were admitted. Of the patients studied, 85 (55.2%) were male and 69 (44.8%) female. The majority of patients were in the age group of 1‐4 years. A total of 129 children (83.3%) had fever; dysentery was the presenting complaint of 43 (27.9%) of the patients. Shigella sonnei was isolated from 77 cases (50%), Shigella flexneri from 59 (38.2%), Shigella boydii from 11 (7.1%), and Shigella dysenteriae from seven (4.5%). Neurological manifestations were observed in 106 (68.8%) of the children. There were no statistically significant associations between the presences of neurological manifestations and sex, age, leukocytosis, bandemia, electrolyte imbalance or species of Shigella. The associations between neurological manifestations and the presence of fever and dysentery were statistically significant.

Conclusions:  Shigella sonnei was the most common species of Shigella in southwestern Iran. Neurological manifestations were common in the children with shigellosis. Fever and dysentery were significant risk factors for the development of neurological signs.
Transurethral resection of prostate with plasmakinetic energy: 100 months results of a prospective randomized trial
Authors: Muslumanoglu Ahmet Y. , Yuruk Emrah , Binbay Murat , Akman Tolga
Published: November 2011

Study Type – Therapy (RCT)

Level of Evidence 1b

What's known on the subject? and What does the study add?

Standard monopolar transurethral resection of prostate (TURP) remains the gold standard surgical treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia‐related lower urinary tract symptoms. Plasmakinetic offers rapid tissue removal and haemostasis during resection with better vision under saline irrigation while eliminating risk of TUR syndrome. Our results show that Plasmakinetic has similar long‐term results to standard TURP.

OBJECTIVE

To compare long‐term results of transurethral resection of prostate with PlasmaKinetic® energy (Plasmakinetic) and standard transurethral resection of prostate (TURP).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

During the 2‐year period between 2001 and 2002, 101 patients with lower urinary tract symptoms related to benign prostatic hyperplasia were enrolled into the study.

Patients were randomly assigned to either Plasmakinetic or standard TURP groups using computer‐generated simple random tables in a 1:1 ratio.

After the publication of initial results, follow‐up continued until December 2010. Patients were called by phone and invited for control at 60th and 100th months.

An International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) form was completed and uroflowmetry was performed to show the final status of the operation.

RESULTS

Overall, 67 of 101 patients (34 patients in Plasmakinetic group and 33 patients in TURP group) completed the 100th month control.

IPSS increased to 8.5 ± 1.6 and 9.4 ± 0.9 in the Plasmakinetic group and 7.9 ± 1.3 and 8.7 ± 1.2 in the TURP group at 60 and 100 months, respectively.

Mean maximal flow rate increased to 17.2 ± 3.9 mL/s in the Plasmakinetic group and to 16.9 ± 4.1 mL/s at 12 months in the TURP group but decreased to 15.9 ± 2.5 and 15.8 ± 3.0, respectively (P= 0.34) at 100 months.

Reoperation was performed in six patients in the Plasmakinetic group and four patients in the TURP group at the end of 100th month.

CONCLUSION

Our 100 months results suggest that Plasmakinetic technology can be used as a first‐line treatment instead of monopolar TURP.
How dogs know when communication is intended for them
Authors: Kaminski Juliane , Schulz Linda , Tomasello Michael
Published: November 2011

Domestic dogs comprehend human gestural communication in a way that other animal species do not. But little is known about the specific cues they use to determine when human communication is intended for them. In a series of four studies, we confronted both adult dogs and young dog puppies with object choice tasks in which a human indicated one of two opaque cups by either pointing to it or gazing at it. We varied whether the communicator made eye contact with the dog in association with the gesture (or whether her back was turned or her eyes were directed at another recipient) and whether the communicator called the dog’s name (or the name of another recipient). Results demonstrated the importance of eye contact in human–dog communication, and, to a lesser extent, the calling of the dog’s name – with no difference between adult dogs and young puppies – which are precisely the communicative cues used by human infants for identifying communicative intent. Unlike human children, however, dogs did not seem to comprehend the human’s communicative gesture when it was directed to another human, perhaps because dogs view all human communicative acts as directives for the recipient.
Early childhood cognitive development and parental cognitive stimulation: evidence for reciprocal gene–environment transactions
Authors: Tucker‐Drob Elliot M. , Harden K. Paige
Published: November 2011

Parenting is traditionally conceptualized as an exogenous environment that affects child development. However, children can also influence the quality of parenting that they receive. Using longitudinal data from 650 identical and fraternal twin pairs, we found that, controlling for cognitive ability at age 2 years, cognitive stimulation by parents (coded from video recorded behaviors during a dyadic task) at 2 years predicted subsequent reading ability at age 4 years. Moreover, controlling for cognitive stimulation at 2 years, children’s cognitive ability at 2 years predicted the quality of stimulation received from their parents at 4 years. Genetic and environmental factors differentially contributed to these effects. Parenting influenced subsequent cognitive development through a family‐level environmental pathway, whereas children’s cognitive ability influenced subsequent parenting through a genetic pathway. These results suggest that genetic influences on cognitive development occur through a transactional process, in which genetic predispositions lead children to evoke cognitively stimulating experiences from their environments.
RELIGION, SCIENCE, AND NATURE: SHIFTS IN MEANING ON A CHANGING PLANET
Authors: Bauman Whitney
Published: November 2011

Abstract This article explores how religion and science, as worlding practices, are changed by the processes of globalization and global climate change. In the face of these processes, two primary methods of meaning making are emerging: the logic of globalization and planetary assemblages. The former operates out of the same logic as extant axial age religions, the Enlightenment, and Modernity. It is caught up in the process of universalizing meanings, objective truth, and a single reality. The latter suggests that the processes of globalization and climate change break open any universalizing attempt at meaning onto a proliferation of different, evolving planetary contexts. Both science and religion are affected by these changes, and the ways in which they shape our understandings of and relationship to the rest of the natural world are changed.
GREENING FAITH: TURNING BELIEF INTO ACTION FOR THE EARTH
Authors: Harper Fletcher
Published: November 2011

Abstract As religious‐environmental awareness in the United States becomes more widespread, many faith‐based institutions find themselves unaware of the range of environmental actions that they can take, and methods for organizing their efforts for greatest impact. This essay conceptualizes Spirit, Stewardship, and Justice as organizing values for understanding religious‐environmental efforts. The essay then reviews environmental action steps that faith‐based institutions can take, including the integration of environmental focus into worship, religious education, spiritual practices, energy and water conservation, food practices, waste management, toxics reduction, environmental justice education, alliance building, advocacy, and community organizing. The essay concludes with a review of research on community‐based social marketing and organizational transformation, offering these as methods for increasing the impact of religious efforts to address energy and protect the environment.
Relationship between food intake and cutaneous solar elastosis adjacent to basal cell carcinoma
Authors: Husein‐ElAhmed H. , Aneiros‐Fernandez J. , Gutierrez‐Salmeron M.T. , Aneiros‐Cachaza J. , Naranjo‐Sintes R.
Published: November 2011

Background/Objective  Studies suggest that diet may influence in skin ageing and skin appearance. However, the effect of diet in the elastotic changes of dermis, which is the main histological sign of ageing, has not been studied previously. The objective was to investigate if the dietary habits influence the dermal elastosis observed in BCCs.

Materials and methods  The 136 patients with facial BCCs, who underwent surgery, were interviewed to assess the consumption of fruit, vegetables, fat, red meat, coffee and tea. We reviewed 136 specimens of BCC to identify the presence of solar elastosis. We also analysed clinical variables such as gender, age, phototype and smoking.

Results  Severe solar elastosis was found in 22 patients (16%), middle reticular dermis in 37 (27 %) and 77 patients (57%) had abscence or light elastosis. Fat consumption was reported by most of participants from our sample, while fruit and tea consumption was less common. Intakes of fat, vegetables and coffee were not associated with the grade of elastosis whereas Vitamin E and C‐rich fruits and tea were correlated with less risk of elastosis. Smokers showed higher grades of elastosis than non‐smokers.

Conclusion  Our study provides evidence that the presence of dermal elastosis and cutaneous ageing may be influenced by the type of food intake: Vitamin E and C‐rich fruit and tea are positively associated with less elastosis.