bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Genome‐wide association study reveals regions associated with gestation length in two pig populations
Authors: Hidalgo A. M. , Lopes M. S. , Harlizius B. , Bastiaansen J. W. M.
Published: December 2015

Reproduction traits, such as gestation length (GLE), play an important role in dam line breeding in pigs. The objective of our study was to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that are associated with GLE in two pig populations. Genotypes and deregressed breeding values were available for 2081 Dutch Landrace‐based (DL) and 2301 Large White‐based (LW) pigs. We identified two QTL regions for GLE, one in each population. For DL, three associated SNPs were detected in one QTL region spanning 0.52 Mbp on Sus scrofa chromosome (SSC) 2. For LW, four associated SNPs were detected in one region of 0.14 Mbp on SSC5. The region on SSC2 contains the heparin‐binding EGF‐like growth factor (HBEGF) gene, which promotes embryo implantation and has been described to be involved in embryo survival throughout gestation. The associated SNP can be used for marker‐assisted selection in the studied populations, and further studies of the HBEGF gene are warranted to investigate its role in GLE.
Ovarian damage due to cyst removal: a comparison of endometriomas and dermoid cysts
Authors: Perlman Signe , Kjer Jens J.
Published: December 2015

Introduction

Surgical treatment of endometriomas and potential damage to the ovary have been debated. Studies have described the inconsistent risk of unintended removal of ovarian tissue when a cystectomy of an endometrioma is performed. We evaluated the risk of inadvertently removed ovarian tissue during surgery by comparing specimens of endometriomas and dermoid cysts removed laparoscopically.

Material and methods

The material included 326 women in a retrospective cohort study at Rigshospitalet, University hospital in Copenhagen, Denmark from 2011 to 2013. Surgery was performed laparoscopically for 393 benign cysts with a diagnosis of either endometrioma (n = 294) or dermoid cyst (n = 99). The microscopic existence of ovarian tissue in the cystectomy specimens were compared and correlation between CA 125 and size of cysts was examined.

Results

In total, 80.3% endometrioma cystectomies disclosed ovarian stroma compared with 17.2% of the resected dermoid cysts (p < 0.001). The difference was found despite skilled laparoscopic surgeons performing the procedure in the endometriosis cohort. A significant positive correlation between the size of endometriomas and the value of CA 125 was found (p < 0.009).

Conclusion

The risk of removal of ovarian tissue during laparoscopic surgery is significantly higher for endometriomas than for dermoid cysts.
Prenatal administration of vaginal progesterone and frequency of uterine contractions in asymptomatic twin pregnancies
Authors: de Oliveira Lília A.M.L , Brizot Maria L. , Liao Adolfo W. , Bittar Roberto E. , Francisco Rossana P.V. , Zugaib Marcelo
Published: December 2015

Introduction

A previous study indicated that progesterone reduces the mean uterine contraction frequency in singleton pregnancy at high risk for preterm birth. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of vaginal progesterone on the frequency of uterine contractions in twin pregnancies.

Material and methods

This was a secondary analysis of a randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled trial of twin pregnancies exposed to vaginal progesterone or placebo. Naturally conceived twin pregnancies with no prior history of preterm delivery, asymptomatic regarding preterm labor, who had undergone uterine contraction frequency monitoring from 24 to 34 weeks and 6 days were included in the study. Comparison of the mean frequency of uterine contractions between the treatment groups was performed. We also examined the influence of cervical length and chorionicity on the mean frequency of uterine contractions according to the group.

Results

The final analysis included 166 women in the progesterone and 170 in the placebo group. The baseline characteristics were similar in the two groups. Overall, no difference in the mean frequency of uterine contractions (p = 0.91) was observed between the progesterone (2.54 ± 3.19) and placebo (2.56 ± 3.59) groups. Also, no difference in the mean frequency of uterine contractions was observed between the groups in each week between 24 and 34 weeks and 6 days of gestation. Cervical length and chorionicity did not influence the frequency of contractions according to the progesterone or placebo treatment.

Conclusions

Overall, progesterone does not influence the frequency of uterine contractions in twin pregnancies.
Spaces of dissociation: the impact of childhood sexual abuse on the personal geographies of adult survivors
Authors: Willis Alette , Prior Seamus , Canavan Siobhan
Published: December 2015

The experiences of survivors of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) have received almost no attention in geography. However, activists and therapists working with survivors have long recognised that CSA has spatial impacts and that finding some sense of control over one's environment is an important step in recovering from this trauma. By bringing the stories of three adult women who are survivors of CSA into conversation with debates in human geography about the habitation of space and place, this psycho‐social paper goes some small way towards addressing this oversight. Set in the context of the high prevalence of CSA in all communities, we argue that efforts to understand everyday, domestic and marginalised geographies need to consider the potential impact of abuse. By understanding psycho‐social pathways by which abuse impacts on individuals we highlight how violence and trauma can impact on personal geographies in a myriad of ways.
Laterality effects in the spinning dancer illusion: The viewing‐from‐above bias is only part of the story
Authors: Lucafò Chiara , Marzoli Daniele , Prete Giulia , Tommasi Luca
Published: December 2015

The ‘silhouette illusion’, representing the silhouette of a female dancer pirouetting about her vertical axis, is a bistable stimulus created by Japanese web designer Nobuyuki Kayahara. Although the dancer can be perceived as spinning either clockwise or counterclockwise, the clockwise rotation is usually preferred. Troje and McAdam (i‐Perception, 2010, 1, 143) showed that this clockwise bias can be attributed to the tendency to assume a viewpoint from above rather than from below, given that the dancer is portrayed from a vantage point that is not perpendicular to the axis of rotation. Here, we tested whether another possible factor contributing to the observers’ interpretation of this bistable stimulus might be the tendency to perceive movements of the right rather than the left foot. We confirmed both the viewing‐from‐above bias and our hypothesis. The bias to perceive movements of the right leg might be a generalization to lower limbs of a perceptual frequency effect already observed for upper limbs. Such a perceptual and attentional bias towards the right hand/foot could account for the greater ability to predict the outcome of sport actions when observing right‐ rather than left‐limbed movements, and thus the left‐handers' and left‐footers' advantage observed in a variety of interactive sports.
Timing of the first drainage of the Baltic Ice Lake synchronous with the onset of Greenland Stadial 1
Authors: Muschitiello Francesco , Lea James M. , Greenwood Sarah L. , Nick Faezeh M. , Brunnberg Lars , MacLeod Alison , Wohlfarth Barbara
Published: December 2015

Glacial varves can give significant insights into recession and melting rates of decaying ice sheets. Moreover, varve chronologies can provide an independent means of comparison to other annually resolved climatic archives, which ultimately help to assess the timing and response of an ice sheet to changes across rapid climate transitions. Here we report a composite 1257‐year‐long varve chronology from southeastern Sweden spanning the regional late Allerød–late Younger Dryas pollen zone. The chronology was correlated to the Greenland Ice‐Core Chronology 2005 using the time‐synchronous Vedde Ash volcanic marker, which can be found in both successions. For the first time, this enables secure placement of the Lateglacial Swedish varve chronology in absolute time. Geochemical analysis from new varve successions indicate a marked change in sedimentation regime accompanied by an interruption of ice‐rafted debris deposition synchronous with the onset of Greenland Stadial 1 (GS‐1; 12 846 years before AD 1950). With the support of a simple ice‐flow/calving model, we suggest that slowdown of sediment transfer can be explained by ice‐sheet margin stabilization/advance in response to a significant drop of the Baltic Ice Lake level. A reassessment of chronological evidence from central‐western and southern Sweden further supports the hypothesis of synchronicity between the first (penultimate) catastrophic drainage of the Baltic Ice Lake and the start of GS‐1 in Greenland ice‐cores. Our results may therefore provide the first chronologically robust evidence linking continental meltwater forcing to rapid atmosphere–ocean circulation changes in the North Atlantic.
Lewy Bodies and the Mechanisms of Neuronal Cell Death inParkinson's Disease and Dementia withLewy Bodies
Authors: Power John H. T. , Barnes Olivia L. , Chegini Fariba
Published: December 2015

Neuronal loss in specific brain regions and neurons with intracellular inclusions termed Lewy bodies are the pathologic hallmark in both Parkinson's disease (PD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). Lewy bodies comprise of aggregated intracellular vesicles and proteins and α‐synuclein is reported to be a major protein component. Using human brain tissue from control, PD and DLB and light and confocal immunohistochemistry with antibodies to superoxide dismutase 2 as a marker for mitochondria, α‐synuclein for Lewy bodies and βIII Tubulin for microtubules we have examined the relationship between Lewy bodies and mitochondrial loss. We have shown microtubule regression and mitochondrial and nuclear degradation in neurons with developing Lewy bodies. In PD, multiple Lewy bodies were often observed with α‐synuclein interacting with DNA to cause marked nuclear degradation. In DLB, the mitochondria are drawn into the Lewy body and the mitochondrial integrity is lost. This work suggests that Lewy bodies are cytotoxic. In DLB, we suggest that microtubule regression and mitochondrial loss results in decreased cellular energy and axonal transport that leads to cell death. In PD, α‐synuclein aggregations are associated with intact mitochondria but interacts with and causes nuclear degradation which may be the major cause of cell death.
Experience in optimizing fertility outcomes in men with congenital adrenal hyperplasia due to 21 hydroxylase deficiency
Authors: King Thomas F.J. , Lee Marilyn Cheng , Williamson Elizabeth E.J. , Conway Gerard S.
Published: December 2015

Objective

Men with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) have impaired fertility. We aimed to assess fertility outcomes and the importance of hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, testicular failure and the presence of testicular adrenal rest tumours (TART).

Design

Retrospective analysis of men attending an adult CAH clinic in a tertiary centre.

Patients

Fifty men with CAH due to 21 hydroxylase deficiency were identified of whom 35 were salt wasting and 15 were non‐salt‐wasting.

Measurements

Review of fertility history and parameters including luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle‐stimulating hormone (FSH), androstenedione, 17‐hydroxyprogesterone (17‐OHP), semen analysis and the presence of testicular adrenal rest tissue (TART) on ultrasound.

Results

TART were detected by ultrasound in 21 (47%), and their presence was associated with an elevated FSH (P = 0·01). Severe oligospermia was present in 11 of 23 (48%), and this was associated with an elevated FSH (P = 0·02), suppressed LH (P < 0·01) and TART (P = 0·03) when compared to those with a sperm count >5 × 106 per ml. Of those that desired fertility, 10 of 17 (59%) required treatment intensification and four underwent in vitro fertilization. Intensification resulted in a rise in median LH (0·6–4·3 IU/l; P = 0·01). Live birth rate was 15 of 17 (88%) with a median (range) time to conception of 8 (0–38) months.

Conclusions

Suppressed LH is a marker for subfertility and is often reversible. Testicular failure is closely associated with TART formation. If TART are detected, sperm cryopreservation should be offered given the risk of progression to irreversible testicular failure. Male fertility in CAH can be improved by intensified treatment and assisted reproductive technology.
Expression of Concern: Oral carnitine supplementation reduces body weight and insulin resistance in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled trial
Authors: Samimi Mansooreh , Jamilian Mehri , Ebrahimi Faraneh Afshar , Rahimi Maryam , Tajbakhsh Banafsheh , Asemi Zatollah
Published: December 2015

Objective

Limited data are available for evaluating the effects of oral carnitine supplementation on weight loss and metabolic profiles of women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). This study was designed to determine the effects of oral carnitine supplementation on weight loss, and glycaemic and lipid profiles in women with PCOS.

Design, Patients and Measurements

In a prospective, randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled trial, 60 overweight patients diagnosed with PCOS were randomized to receive either 250 mg carnitine supplements (n = 30) or placebo (n = 30) for 12 weeks. Fasting blood samples were obtained at the beginning and the end of the study to quantify parameters of glucose homoeostasis and lipid concentrations.

Results

At the end of the 12 weeks, taking carnitine supplements resulted in a significant reduction in weight (−2·7 ± 1·5 vs +0·1 ± 1·8 kg, P < 0·001), BMI (−1·1 ± 0·6 vs +0·1 ± 0·7 kg/m2, P < 0·001), waist circumference (WC) (−2·0 ± 1·3 vs −0·3 ± 2·0 cm, P < 0·001) and hip circumference (HC) (−2·5 ± 1·5 vs −0·3 ± 1·8 cm, P < 0·001) compared with placebo. In addition, compared with placebo, carnitine administration in women with PCOS led to a significant reduction in fasting plasma glucose (−0·38 ± 0·36 vs +0·11 ± 0·97 mmol/l, P = 0·01), serum insulin levels (−14·39 ± 25·80 vs +3·01 ± 37·25 pmol/l, P = 0·04), homoeostasis model of assessment‐insulin resistance (−0·61 ± 1·03 vs +0·11 ± 1·43, P = 0·04) and dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (−3·64 ± 7·00 vs −0·59 ± 3·20 μmol/l, P = 0·03).

Conclusions

Overall, 12 weeks of carnitine administration in PCOS women resulted in reductions in weight, BMI, WC and HC, and beneficial effects on glycaemic control; however, it did not affect lipid profiles or free testosterone.
Validity of near‐infrared interactance (FUTREX 6100/XL) for estimating body fat percentage in elite rowers
Authors: Fukuda David H. , Wray Mandy E. , Kendall Kristina L. , Smith‐Ryan Abbie E. , Stout Jeffrey R.
Published: December 2015

This investigation aimed to compare hydrostatic weighing (HW) with near‐infrared interactance (NIR) and skinfold measurements (SKF) in estimating body fat percentage (FAT%) in rowing athletes. FAT% was estimated in 20 elite male rowers (mean ± SD: age = 24·8 ± 2·2 years, height = 191·0 ± 6·8 cm, weight = 86·8 ± 11·3 kg, HW FAT% = 11·50 ± 3·16%) using HW with residual volume, 3‐site SKF and NIR on the biceps brachii. Predicted FAT% values for NIR and SKF were validated against the criterion method of HW. Constant error was not significant for NIR (−0·06, P = 0·955) or SKF (−0·20, P = 0·813). Neither NIR (r = 0·045) nor SKF (r = 0·229) demonstrated significant validity coefficients when compared to HW. The standard error of the estimate values for NIR and SKF were both less than 3·5%, while total error was 4·34% and 3·60%, respectively. When compared to HW, SKF and NIR provide similar mean values when compared to HW, but the lack of apparent relationships between individual values and borderline unacceptable total error may limit their application in this population.
Left Ventricular Myocardial Deformation Parameters Are Affected by Coronary Slow Flow Phenomenon: A Study of Speckle Tracking Echocardiography
Authors: Gulel Okan , Akcay Murat , Soylu Korhan , Aksan Gokhan , Yuksel Serkan , Zengin Halit , Meric Murat , Sahin Mahmut
Published: December 2015

Background

The coronary slow flow phenomenon (CSFP) is defined as a delayed distal vessel contrast opacification in the absence of obstructive epicardial coronary artery disease during coronary angiography. There is conflicting data in medical literature regarding the effects of CSFP on the left ventricular functions assessed by conventional echocardiography or tissue Doppler imaging. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate whether there is any abnormality in the myocardial deformation parameters (strain, strain rate (SR), rotation, twist) of the left ventricle obtained by speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) in patients with CSFP.

Methods

Twenty patients with CSFP were included prospectively in the study. Another 20 patients with similar demographics and cardiovascular risk factors as well as normal coronary angiography were used as the control group. Two‐dimensional echocardiographic images of the left ventricle from the apical long‐axis, two‐chamber, four‐chamber, and parasternal short‐axis views were used for STE analysis.

Results

The analysis of left ventricular circumferential deformation parameters showed that the averaged peak systolic strain, systolic SR, and early diastolic SR values were significantly lower in patients with CSFP (P = 0.009, P = 0.02, and P = 0.02, respectively). Among the left ventricular rotation and twist values, apical rotation was significantly lower in patients with CSFP (P = 0.02). Further, the mean thrombolysis in myocardial infarction frame count value was found to be negatively correlated with the averaged peak circumferential early diastolic SR (r = −0.35, P = 0.03). It was positively correlated with the averaged peak circumferential systolic strain (r = 0.47, P = 0.003) and circumferential systolic SR (r = 0.46, P = 0.005).

Conclusion

Coronary slow flow phenomenon leads to significant alterations in the myocardial deformation parameters of the left ventricle as assessed by STE. Specifically, circumferential deformation parameters are affected in CSFP patients.
Reduction of viable Enterococcus faecalis in human radicular dentin treated with 1% cetrimide and conventional intracanal medicaments
Authors: Carbajal Mejía Jeison B. , Aguilar Arrieta Angela
Published: December 2015

Aim

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the viability of E. faecalis after a 14‐day exposure to 1% cetrimide (CET), triantibiotic paste (i.e., metronidazole, minocycline, and ciprofloxacin), 2% chlorhexidine (CHX) gel, and calcium hydroxide (Ca[OH]2) in an infected dentine model.

Materials and methods

A total of 75 roots of extracted uniradicular human teeth were chemomechanically prepared, sterilized, and infected for 21 days with E. faecalis. Samples were divided into five groups (n = 15) to apply intracanal medicaments, namely saline solution (negative control), 1% CET, triantibiotic paste (TRIA), 2% CHX gel, and Ca(OH)2 during 14 days. Dentine samples were collected and stained with the SYTO 9/propidium iodide technique (Live/Dead, Bacligth, Invitrogen, Eugene, OR, USA) for fluorescence microscopy to obtain the percentage of viable cells. Statistical analysis was performed using one‐way analysis of variance followed by Tukey's multiple comparison test (P < 0.05).

Results

All experimental agents significantly reduced the percentage of viable E. faecalis when compared with the control group. In addition, the least cytotoxic medicament was Ca(OH)2 followed by CHX. There was no significant difference between 1% CET and TRIA (P = 0.98).

Conclusion

Both 1% CET and TRIA significantly reduced the viability of E. faecalis in dentine of extracted teeth in comparison with 2% CHX gel and calcium hydroxide paste. Further laboratory and clinical investigations should be carried out to validate findings of the beneficial use of 1% CET as an intracanal medicament against E. faecalis.
Computer‐aided planning and surgical guiding system fabrication in premolar autotransplantation: a 12‐month follow up
Authors: van der Meer Wicher Joerd , Jansma Johan , Delli Konstantina , Livas Christos
Published: December 2015

This case report describes the autotransplantation of maxillary right second premolar into the contralateral position in a 14‐year‐old female using computerized tomographic data and a customized guiding system produced by computer‐aided design/computer‐assisted manufacture technology. Using innovative surgical guides and keys with navigation features, modification of the recipient socket and handling of the transplant were facilitated without harming the periodontal membrane. Postoperative clinical and radiographic examination showed periodontal and pulp healing earlier than 6 months after surgery.
Unchanged carbon balance driven by equivalent responses of production and respiration to climate change in a mixed‐grass prairie
Authors: Xu Xia , Shi Zheng , Chen Xuecheng , Lin Yang , Niu Shuli , Jiang Lifen , Luo Ruiseng , Luo Yiqi
Published: December 2015

Responses of grassland carbon (C) cycling to climate change and land use remain a major uncertainty in model prediction of future climate. To explore the impacts of global change on ecosystem C fluxes and the consequent changes in C storage, we have conducted a field experiment with warming (+3 °C), altered precipitation (doubled and halved), and annual clipping at the end of growing seasons in a mixed‐grass prairie in Oklahoma, USA, from 2009 to 2013. Results showed that although ecosystem respiration (ER) and gross primary production (GPP) negatively responded to warming, net ecosystem exchange of CO2 (NEE) did not significantly change under warming. Doubled precipitation stimulated and halved precipitation suppressed ER and GPP equivalently, with the net outcome being unchanged in NEE. These results indicate that warming and altered precipitation do not necessarily have profound impacts on ecosystem C storage. In addition, we found that clipping enhanced NEE due to a stronger positive response of GPP compared to ER, indicating that clipping could potentially be an effective land practice that could increase C storage. No significant interactions between warming, altered precipitation, and clipping were observed. Meanwhile, we found that belowground net primary production (BNPP) in general was sensitive to climate change and land use though no significant changes were found in NPP across treatments. Moreover, negative correlations of the ER/GPP ratio with soil temperature and moisture did not differ across treatments, highlighting the roles of abiotic factors in mediating ecosystem C fluxes in this grassland. Importantly, our results suggest that belowground C cycling (e.g., BNPP) could respond to climate change with no alterations in ecosystem C storage in the same period.
Liraglutide ameliorates non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease by enhancing mitochondrial architecture and promoting autophagy through the SIRT1/SIRT3–FOXO3a pathway
Authors: Tong Wenxin , Ju Liping , Qiu Miaoyan , Xie Qihai , Chen Ying , Shen Weili , Sun Weihong , Wang Weiqing , Tian Jingyan
Published: December 2015

Aim

Overwhelming oxidative stress is implicated as crucial in the pathogenesis of non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Liraglutide, a well‐established antidiabetes drug, was recently reported to ameliorate NAFLD with an elusive mechanism. We used a mouse model to examine whether liraglutide could ameliorate NAFLD and explored the possible mechanisms.

Methods

Twenty C57BL/6J mice were randomly treated with a normal‐fat diet or high‐fat diet for 16 weeks, then further distributed into four groups and subjected to s.c. injection of liraglutide or saline for 4 weeks. The growth/metabolism, oxidative stress, mitochondrial architecture and autophagy were assessed prospectively at the 20th week.

Results

High‐fat diet inducement resulted in severe NAFLD while liraglutide treatment significantly reversed the trend, marked by reduced bodyweight, improved glucose tolerance and liver triglyceride composition. Reduced hepatic malondialdehyde level, increased mRNA and protein levels of CATALASE and MNSOD indicated liraglutide affected both the oxidative and antioxidative process to ameliorate oxidative stress. After liraglutide administration, the upregulated mRNA and protein levels of mitochondrial fission and fusion‐related DRP1, OPA1 and respiratory chain‐related COMPLEX1, UCP2 demonstrated the enhancement of mitochondrial architecture which may attenuate the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), while the diminished mRNA and protein level of P62 and increased levels of Beclin1 and LC3II/I ratio indicated the promoting autophagy, which probably contribute to the ROS elimination. Further, restored protein levels of Sirtuin1/Sirtuin3 and the downstream p‐FOXO3a reveal the probable pathways of liraglutide acting on autophagy.

Conclusion

Liraglutide diminishes oxidative stress by enhancing mitochondrial architecture and promoting autophagy through the SIRT1/SIRT3–FOXO3a–LC3 pathway to ameliorate diet‐induced NAFLD.
The effectiveness of electron beam irradiation to reduce or eliminate mould in cork stoppers
Authors: Corsi Aaron J. , Robles Hernandez Francisco C. , Cordúa y Cruz Glenn , Neal Jack A.
Published: December 2015

The objective of this research project was to reduce or eliminate moulds known to cause TCA using electron beam (e‐beam) irradiation. Four types of cork were inoculated with Paecilomyces viridis, Penicillium glabrum, Penicillium chrysogenum, Mucor racemosus, Trichoderma viride, Aspergillus oryzae and Cladosporium oxysporum. Cork samples were treated with 5, 10 or 15 kilograys (kGy) of e‐beam irradiation, respectively. Sensory evaluation revealed that irradiation had little or no effect on the overall quality of wine with irradiated corks stored for 56 months. Cork samples viewed under a scanning electron microscope (SEM) showed some structural changes compared to control corks. The results suggest that e‐beam irradiation can significantly reduce or eliminate the moulds known to cause TCA in cork.
Antihyperuricemic activities of an ethanolic and aqueous extract of Walnut (Juglans regia L.) shell and a new aldehyde xanthine oxidase inhibitor
Authors: Wang Xiao , Zhao Mouming , Su Guowan , Cai Mengsen , Sun‐Waterhouse Dongxiao , Zhou Chunming , Lin Lianzhu
Published: December 2015

Hyperuricemia is a common metabolic disorder disease in human and is associated with increased xanthine oxidase (XOD) activity. This study was aimed to evaluate the antihyperuricemic activities of an ethanolic and aqueous extract of walnut (Juglans regia L.) shell in vivo and obtain active compounds with high xanthine oxidase inhibitory (XOI) activities and distinct chemical structures form allopurinol in vitro. Finally, the structure–XOI activity relationship of the active compound was further discussed based on the molecular docking. The in vivo antihyperuricemic study indicated that the walnut shell extract (WSE) could decrease the serum uric acid levels significantly (20‐days treatment, P < 0.05; 30‐days treatment, P < 0.01). And a new aldehyde XOD inhibitor with high XOI activity was obtained through XOI activity‐guided purification in vitro. The studies of structure–XOI activity relationship and molecular docking indicated that the synergy of aldehyde group, double bond and hydroxyl group at C‐4 in p‐coumaric aldehyde was the critical contributor for its high XOI activity.
In vitro antioxidant activities of hydrolysates obtained from Iranian wild almond (Amygdalus scoparia) protein by several enzymes
Authors: Mirzapour Mozhgan , Rezaei Karamatollah , Sentandreu Miguel Angel , Moosavi‐Movahedi Ali Akbar
Published: December 2015

A protein extract from wild almond was hydrolysed using five different enzymes (pepsin, trypsin, chymotrypsin, alcalase and flavourzyme). The hydrolysates were then assayed for their antioxidant activities. The highest extent of proteolysis was obtained with alcalase (0.35; determined as the change in the absorbance at 340 nm, ΔA340) and the lowest was with pepsin (ΔA340 = 0.12). Radical scavenging activities obtained by 2, 2′‐azino‐bis (3‐ethylbenzothiazoline‐6‐sulphonic acid) and ferric‐reducing abilities of the hydrolysates demonstrated that the hydrolysate from alcalase had significantly (P < 0.05) greater antioxidant activity. Analysis of the molecular weight distributions showed that peptides produced by alcalase were smaller than those produced by chymotrypsin, trypsin and flavourzyme. Based on the current study, the hydrolysates produced by alcalase can be suggested as potential antioxidant agents in food industry and for use in functional foods.
Stability of betacyanin from red pitahaya (Hylocereus polyrhizus) and its potential application as a natural colourant in milk
Authors: Gengatharan Ashwini , Dykes Gary A. , Choo Wee Sim
Published: December 2015

The effects of temperature (30, 50, 85 and 100 °C) treatment and 10 weeks of refrigerated storage (4 °C) on the betacyanin content and colour stability of betacyanins from red pitahaya (Hylocereus polyrhizus) were investigated and compared to red beet (Beta vulgaris; E‐162) which was used as a control. Temperature treatment at 50 and 85 °C caused a greater reduction in betacyanin content (BC) in E‐162 compared to red pitahaya by inducing changes in betacyanin profile. The 10 weeks of refrigerated storage at 4 °C induced colour changes in betacyanins from red pitahaya and E‐162. In milk, betacyanins from red pitahaya presented a lower loss of BC and total colour changes (ΔE*) compared to E‐162. The microbial onset in milk containing betacyanins from red pitahaya and E‐162 was delayed up to day 5 of refrigerated storage at 4 °C compared to day 3 in plain milk. Milk containing betacyanins from red pitahaya showed better colour acceptability (3.89 ± 1.89) compared to E‐162 (6.10 ± 1.71). Hence, betacyanins from red pitahaya may be a potential natural functional colourant to simulate strawberry colour in milk.
Effect of heat, nisin and ethylene diamine tetra‐acetate treatments on shelf life extension of liquid whole egg
Authors: Ahmadi Shokouh , Soleimanian‐Zad Sabihe , Sheikh‐Zeinoddin Mahmoud
Published: December 2015

This study examined the effect of nisin alone or in combination with pasteurisation or ethylene diamine tetra‐acetate (EDTA), on the shelf life of unpasteurised liquid whole egg (LWE) stored at refrigerator temperature for a period of 21 days. The shelf life of samples was determined by counting total mesophilic bacteria, yeast and mould and also pH changes. It was observed that addition of 3 ppm nisin to pasteurised LWE was effective enough to extend the shelf life of this product from about 7 days to at least 21 days. However, for unpasteurised LWE nisin alone had no significant effect on shelf life while treatment of LWE with nisin in combination with EDTA showed a significant antibacterial and antifungal activity leading to extended shelf life of unpasteurised LWE from 1 to 4 days to at least 21 days.
Postharvest changes in physicochemical characteristics and free amino acids content of immature vegetable soya bean (Glycine max L.) grains
Authors: Song Jiangfeng , Liu Chunquan , Li Dajing , Gu Zhenxin
Published: December 2015

The aim of this study was to investigate the changes in physicochemical characteristics and free amino acid profile occurring in immature vegetable soya bbean during postharvest storage under three temperatures [5, 10 and 20 (control), ±1 °C] for 7 days. The results showed that a lower temperature provided an effective control in reducing weight loss, maintained firmness, delayed changes in the pod colour and soluble sugars concentration. Twenty‐two free amino acids in immature soya beans also identified by the 1H NMR spectroscopy were strongly affected by postharvest temperature, and there were time‐specific differences in the concentration. Those significant differences in free amino acids concentration among storage conditions were closely associated with aspartate and glutamate degradation. Additionally, after 7‐day storage at 5 and 10 °C, the soya bean grains accumulated the highest amount of some essential and flavour amino acids, which revealed storage conditions selected should be dictated by the goal.
Effects of oxidised linoleic acid on the formation of Nε‐carboxymethyl‐lysine and Nε‐carboxyethyl‐lysine in Maillard reaction system
Authors: Yu Ligang , He Zhiyong , Zeng Maomao , Zheng Zongping , He Jialiang , Wang Mengle , Chen Jie
Published: December 2015

This study investigated the effects of oxidised linoleic acid (18:2) on Nε‐carboxymethyl‐lysine (CML) and Nε‐carboxyethyl‐lysine (CEL) formation in Maillard reaction systems. Model systems of lysine/glucose (L/G), lysine/18:2 (L/18:2), lysine/18:2/glucose (L/18:2/G), myofibrillar protein/glucose (MFP/G), MFP/18:2 and MFP/18:2/G were maintained at 37 °C for 6 weeks. The results showed that CML/CEL contents in L/G (6.99 and 0.96 mmol mol−1 lysine, respectively) were significantly higher than those in L/18:2/G (1.43 and 0.41 mmol mol−1 lysine, respectively), and there is a small amount of CML/CEL generation in L/18:2. However, the CML/CEL levels in MFP/G (197.2 and 83.8 ng mg−1 protein, respectively) were markedly lower than those in MFP/18:2/G (283.2 and 118.5 ng mg−1 protein, respectively). 18:2 favours the formation of CML/CEL in MFP/18:2/G, not in L/18:2/G. All these findings indicated that the role of 18:2 on CML/CEL formation in Maillard reaction system was complex, and depended on CML/CEL formation rate and substrate types (lysine or lysine residue in protein).
Multivariate analysis for the safety assessment of genetically modified rices in the anti‐nutrients and phenolic compounds
Authors: Oh Seon‐Woo , Park Soo‐Yun , Lee Si‐Myung , Oh Sung‐Dug , Cho Hyun‐Suk , Park Soon‐Ki , Lee Hyun‐Joo , Kim Hee‐Yun , Yeo Yun‐Soo
Published: December 2015

A safety assessment of genetically modified (GM) rice Agb0102 (resveratrol synthesis) and Agb0103 (drought‐tolerant) were conducted by comparing with their non‐GM comparators. Phytic acid, trypsin inhibitors and phenolic acids of the rices were analysed to identify the biological equivalences and the impacts of the environment. The analytical tools were principal component analysis (PCA), Pearson's correlation analysis and hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA). The PCA results of phytic acid and trypsin inhibitors revealed no clear separation among rices due to breeding conditions, environmental conditions or among various cultivars. The total, bound, free and ester forms of phenolic acids were not separated in the environmental conditions and different cultivars. The HCA analysis showed strong relationship between GM rice and non‐GM rice. The concentrations of anti‐nutrient and phenolic compounds of the GM rices were not different from those of non‐GM comparators and that various chemometric tools were useful to describe the separation of GM and non‐GM groups.
Control of overweight and obesity in childhood through education in meal time habits. The ‘good manners for a healthy future’ programme
Authors: Salazar Vázquez B. Y. , Salazar Vázquez M. A. , López Gutiérrez G. , Acosta Rosales K. , Cabrales P. , Vadillo‐Ortega F. , Intaglietta M. , Pérez Tamayo R. , Schmid‐Schönbein G. W.
Published: December 2015

Objective

Our aim is to determine the effect of paced eating, exposure to an educational programme that promotes healthy eating habits and allowing the satiety reflex to limit food intake in controlling weight gain in healthy adolescents.

Methods

Fifty‐four healthy individuals consisting of 18 adolescent girls and 36 boys aged 12 ± 2 years were given recommendations for reducing eating rate without changing diet or meal size according to the educational programme ‘good manners for a healthy future’. Each participant was provided with a 30‐s portable hourglass to pace time between bites. Individuals using and not using the hourglass were placed either into an ‘adhering’ or a ‘non‐adhering’ group, respectively. Control data were obtained from a similar population.

Results

Initially, the adhering group had higher weight compared with the non‐adhering group (64.1 ± 13.2 vs. 56.2 ± 11.7 kg). Control group weight was no different from the study group at baseline (56.3 ± 10.3 kg). Weight in the adhering group decreased after the first semester of participation by 2.0 ± 5.7% and after a year by 3.4 ± 4.8%, while the non‐adhering group gained weight by 5.8 ± 4.5% and 12.6 ± 8.3%. The control group increased weight after a year by 8.2 ± 6.5%. In total, 18 non‐adhering and 14 adhering adolescents completed the study.

Conclusions

This 1‐year study shows a statistically significant association between rate of food intake and weight control in adherence to an educational programme directed at developing healthy eating habits. The proposed behavioural training may serve as an option for weight control in adolescents.
Twinning Rates in Developed Countries: Trends and Explanations
Authors: Pison Gilles , Monden Christiaan , Smits Jeroen
Published: December 2015

The twinning rate has increased dramatically over the last four decades in developed countries. Two main factors account for this increase: delayed childbearing, as older women tend to have twins more frequently than younger ones, and the expansion of medically assisted reproduction (MAR), which carries an increased probability of multiple births. Using civil registration data, we estimate the share of the increase in twinning rates attributable to the rise in the age at childbearing and to MAR. The effect of MAR is estimated to be about three times as important as the effect of delayed childbearing. Negative health outcomes associated with multiple births and the cost of MAR have raised concerns. We find that in one‐quarter of developed countries with the relevant data, the twinning rate reached a plateau around the early 2000s and decreased thereafter. We examine the reasons for this reversal, in particular changes in MAR policies and practices.
Are We Overly Dependent on Conventional Dependency Ratios?
Authors: Sanderson Warren C. , Scherbov Sergei
Published: December 2015

The dependency ratio and its components have had a long and productive life. Here we show that they are no longer the most accurate way of measuring important aspects of population aging. We present ratios related to employment, standardized workers and consumers, health care costs, pension costs, and who is old. These ratios are based either on new data or on new approaches to the study of population aging and are all available on the internet. We compare forecasts of those ratios with forecasts of the dependency ratio, both based on the same UN population data. In all cases, we find that the dependency ratio and the old‐age dependency ratio are poor approximations to the more up‐to‐date ratios. There is little need to use the dependency ratio. More accurate measures are readily available.
Dialect change in South‐East Norway and the role of attitude in diffusion
Authors: Stausland Johnsen Sverre
Published: December 2015

A common claim in the literature is that the local dialects in South‐East Norway are being leveled towards the dialect of the upper social classes in Oslo. A meta‐analysis of previous studies on dialect change in this region demonstrates that this assertion is incorrect, and that linguistic features have diffused from the dialect of thelowersocial classes in Oslo. Attitude studies show that people in South‐East Norway have strongly negative views on the upper Oslo speech community, and this can largely explain why they do not adopt new linguistic features from this community. Within Oslo, however, linguistic features diffuse from the upper classes down to the lower classes, and the overall picture that can be drawn from these diffusion patterns is that the lower‐class dialect of Oslo is spreading its features outwards from the capital, at the same time as it is gradually disappearing as a distinct sociolect.

Det er vanleg å hevda at dei lokale målføra i Søraust‐Noreg vert tiljamna talemålet i dei øvre sosiale laga i Oslo. Ein metaanalyse av tidlegare språkendringsundersøkingar i dette området syner at den påstanden ikkje er rett, og at måldrag i staden spreier seg frå talemålet i deilægresosiale laga i Oslo. Haldningsundersøkingar syner at folk i Søraust‐Noreg tykkjer ille om dei frå dei øvre sosiale laga i Oslo, og då kan dét vera mykje av grunnen til at dei ikkje tek imot nye måldrag frå talemålet deira heller. Men innanfor Oslo spreier måldraga seg frå dei øvre til dei lægre sosiale laga, og hovudbiletet frå desse observasjonane vert då at måldrag frå talemålet i dei lægre sosiale laga i Oslo spreier seg utetter Søraust‐Noreg samstundes som det same talemålet noko om senn vert borte i hovudstaden. [Norwegian]
The lesser of two evils: Atypical trajectories in English dialect evolution
Authors: Weston Daniel
Published: December 2015

Schneider's Dynamic Model of Postcolonial English Development (2007) suggests that distinct local identities and their associated varieties of English emerge as a result of British colonization, and reach maturity only when ties to the colonial power are finally severed. While this developmental trajectory is well documented in many of the case studies discussed in, and since, Schneider (2007), a comparison of Hong Kong and Gibraltar shows, in certain cases, that association with Britain can be seen as the best guarantor of these local identities and varieties of English. The present article sketches this alternate developmental trajectory, and examines under what circumstances it may emerge and how widely it might be applied.
Smoking and gingivitis: focus on inducible nitric oxide synthase, nitric oxide and basic fibroblast growth factor
Authors: Özdemir B. , Özmeric N. , Elgün S. , Barış E.
Published: December 2015

Background

Periodontal disease pathogenesis has been associated with smoking. Gingivitis is a mild and reversible form of periodontal disease and it tends to progress to periodontitis only in susceptible individuals. In the present study, we aimed to examine the impact of smoking on host responses in gingivitis and to evaluate and compare the inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) activity in gingival tissue and NO and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) levels in the gingival crevicular fluid of patients with gingivitis and healthy individuals.

Material and Methods

Forty‐one participants were assigned to the gingivitis‐smoker (n = 13), gingivitis (n = 13), healthy‐smoker (n = 7) and healthy groups (n = 8). Clinical indices were recorded; gingival biopsy and gingival crevicular fluid samples were obtained from papillary regions. iNOS expression was evaluated by immunohistochemical staining. The immunoreactive cells were semiquantitatively assessed. For the quantitative determination of nitrite and nitrate in gingival crevicular fluid, the NO assay kit was used. The amount of bFGF in gingival crevicular fluid was determined by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay.

Results

The gingivitis–smoker group demonstrated a stronger iNOS expression than the non‐smoker gingivitis group. iNOS expression intensity was lower in the non‐smoker healthy group compared to that in healthy‐smokers. No significant gingival crevicular fluid NO and bFGF level changes were observed between groups. Among patients with gingivitis, a positive correlation was detected between gingival crevicular fluid NO and bFGF levels (r = 0.806, p = 0.001).

Conclusions

Our data suggest that smoking has significant effects on iNOS expression but not on gingival crevicular fluid NO or bFGF levels in healthy and patients with gingivitis. However, our results suggest that bFGF might be involved in the regulation of NO production via iNOS.
Review: Spreading the word: precise animal models and validated methods are vital when evaluating prion‐like behaviour of alpha‐synuclein
Authors: Rey N. L. , George S. , Brundin P.
Published: December 2015

Synucleinopathies are characterized by abnormal proteinaceous aggregates, mainly composed of fibrillarα‐synuclein (α‐syn). It is now believed thatα‐syn can form small aggregates in a restricted number of cells, that propagate to neighbouring cells and seed aggregation of endogenousα‐syn, in a ‘prion‐like manner’. This process could underlie the stereotypical progression of Lewy bodies described by Braak and colleagues across different stages of Parkinson's disease (PD). This prion‐like behaviour ofα‐syn has been recently investigated in animal models of PD or multiple system atrophy (MSA). These models investigate the cell‐to‐cell transfer ofα‐syn seeds, or the induction and spreading ofα‐syn pathology in transgenic or wild‐type rodent brain. In this review, we first outline the involvement ofα‐syn in Lewy body diseases and MSA, and discuss how ‘prion‐like’ mechanisms can contribute to disease. Thereon, we debate the relevance of animal models used to study prion‐like propagation. Finally, we review current main histological methods used to assessα‐syn pathology both in animal models and in human samples and their relevance to the disease. Specifically, we discuss usingα‐syn phosphorylated at serine 129 as a marker of pathology, and the novel methods available that allow for more sensitive detection of early pathology, which has relevance for modelling synucleinopathies.
Arabinogalactan proteins have deep roots in eukaryotes: identification of genes and epitopes in brown algae and their role in Fucus serratus embryo development
Authors: Hervé Cécile , Siméon Amandine , Jam Murielle , Cassin Andrew , Johnson Kim L. , Salmeán Armando A. , Willats William G. T. , Doblin Monika S. , Bacic Antony , Kloareg Bernard
Published: December 2015

Arabinogalactan proteins (AGPs) are highly glycosylated, hydroxyproline‐rich proteins found at the cell surface of plants, where they play key roles in developmental processes. Brown algae are marine, multicellular, photosynthetic eukaryotes. They belong to the phylum Stramenopiles, which is unrelated to land plants and green algae (Chloroplastida). Brown algae share common evolutionary features with other multicellular organisms, including a carbohydrate‐rich cell wall. They differ markedly from plants in their cell wall composition, and AGPs have not been reported in brown algae.

Here we investigated the presence of chimeric AGP‐like core proteins in this lineage.

We report that the genome sequence of the brown algal model Ectocarpus siliculosus encodes AGP protein backbone motifs, in a gene context that differs considerably from what is known in land plants. We showed the occurrence of AGP glycan epitopes in a range of brown algal cell wall extracts. We demonstrated that these chimeric AGP‐like core proteins are developmentally regulated in embryos of the order Fucales and showed that AGP loss of function seriously impairs the course of early embryogenesis.

Our findings shine a new light on the role of AGPs in cell wall sensing and raise questions about the origin and evolution of AGPs in eukaryotes.