bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Seabirds maintain offspring provisioning rate despite fluctuations in prey abundance: a multi‐species functional response for guillemots in the North Sea
Authors: Smout Sophie , Rindorf Anna , Wanless Sarah , Daunt Francis , Harris Michael P. , Matthiopoulos Jason
Published: May 2013

Seabirds that consume more than one prey type may adjust their foraging to maintain provisioning rates for their chicks. How energetically effective are these strategies, and what are the implications for the management of seabirds and their marine habitat?

A multi‐species functional response links consumption rates to the availability of multiple prey types, but fitting multi‐species functional responses to field data can be difficult, requiring consumption measurements over a range of different prey abundances. Such detailed data may be especially difficult to obtain in marine ecosystems.

We used annual time‐series data on chick provisioning for the common guillemot Uria aalge together with abundance indices for its two main prey (lesser sandeel Ammodytes marinus and sprat Sprattus sprattus) to parameterize a multi‐species functional response for parents provisioning chicks at a major North Sea colony from 1992 to 2005.

The fitted model reproduced changes in diet and consumption rate which were consistent with changes in local prey abundance including a long‐term decline in sandeels.

The model predicted that energy intake by chicks would be more sensitive to changes in sprat abundance than sandeel abundance. Guillemots appeared able to adjust their foraging tactics over a wide range of prey abundances to maintain a consistent energetic intake rate for chicks.

Synthesis and applications. Our results suggest guillemot chicks obtain adequate calorific intake from their parents despite fluctuating prey abundances, conferring some resilience in the face of environmental variation. The parameterized multi‐species functional response model can be used to estimate levels of severe prey shortage that compromise provisioning. It also enables us to interpret predator consumption rates so that these can be used as a metric of prey availability. Further, quantifying trophic links between marine prey and apex predators is needed to support the development of multi‐species models in which the predators can be included. Such models are needed as tools to effectively manage the marine ecosystem, taking into account the objectives of fishing, conservation and the need to maintain Good Environmental Status.
Association between gestational diabetes mellitus and subsequent overactive bladder among premenopausal female twins
Authors: Tettamanti G , Iliadou AN , Pedersen NL , Bellocco R , Altman D
Published: May 2013

Objective

To investigate the association between a history of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and overactive bladder (OAB) in women of premenopausal age.

Design

Population‐based study.

Setting

The Swedish Twin Register.

Population

In 2005, a total of 14 094 female twins born between 1959 and 1985 in the Swedish Twin Registry participated in a comprehensive survey on common exposures and complex diseases. Structured questions provided information on GDM and OAB. The present study was designed as a cross‐sectional analysis including all women in the cohort having given birth before 2005 (n = 7855).

Methods

A logistic regression model based on generalised estimating equations was used to derive odds ratios (ORs).

Main outcome measure

The association between a history of GDM and OAB was estimated using ORs with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

Results

The prevalence of OAB in women with a history of GDM was 19.1% compared with 10.7% in women without GDM. This corresponded to a two‐fold increased odds of OAB in women with a history of gestational diabetes (OR 2.13, 95% CI 1.48–3.05). After adjusting the analysis for age, body mass index, parity, smoking, and diabetes mellitus, having had GDM was associated with doubled odds of OAB (OR 1.88, 95% CI 1.26–2.80).

Conclusions

A history of GDM was positively associated with OAB among women of premenopausal age. The association does not seem to be mediated by body mass index or type‐I or type‐II diabetes mellitus.
Impact of loop electrosurgical excision procedure for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia on HIV‐1 genital shedding: a prospective cohort study
Authors: Huchko MJ , Woo VG , Liegler T , Leslie H , Smith‐McCune K , Sawaya GF , Bukusi EA , Cohen CR
Published: May 2013

Objective

We sought to examine the impact of the loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) on the rate and magnitude of HIV‐1 genital shedding among women undergoing treatment for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 2/3 (CIN2/3).

Design

Prospective cohort study.

Population

Women infected with HIV‐1 undergoing LEEP for CIN2/3 in Kisumu, Kenya.

Methods

Participants underwent specimen collection for HIV‐1 RNA prior to LEEP and at 1, 2, 4, 6, 10, and 14 weeks post‐LEEP. HIV‐1 viral load was measured in cervical and plasma specimens using commercial real‐time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays, to a lower limit of detection of 40 copies per specimen.

Main outcome measures

Presence and magnitude of HIV‐1 RNA (copies per specimen or cps) in post‐LEEP specimens, compared with baseline.

Results

Among women on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), we found a statistically significant increase in cervical HIV‐1 RNA concentration at week 2, with a mean increase of 0.43 log10 cps (95% CI 0.03–0.82) from baseline. Similarly, among women not receiving HAART, we found a statistically significant increase in HIV‐1 shedding at week 2 (1.26 log10 cps, 95% CI 0.79–1.74). No other statistically significant increase in concentration or detection of cervical HIV‐1 RNA at any of the remaining study visits were noted.

Conclusions

In women infected with HIV undergoing LEEP, an increase in genital HIV shedding was observed at 2 but not at 4 weeks post‐procedure. The current recommendation for women to abstain from vaginal intercourse for 4 weeks seems adequate to reduce the theoretical increased risk of HIV transmission following LEEP.
‘Ecstasy’ and the use of sleep medications in a general community sample: a 4‐year follow‐up
Authors: Tait Robert J. , George Amanda , Olesen Sarah
Published: May 2013

Aims

Animal models show that a single dose of 3,4‐methylenedioxymethamhetamine (MDMA; ‘ecstasy’) can result in long‐term disruption of sleep. We evaluated the relationship between ecstasy consumption and the use of sleep medications in humans after controlling for key factors.

Design

The Personality and Total Health Through Life project uses a longitudinal cohort with follow‐up every 4 years. This study reports data from waves 2 and 3.

Setting

Participants were recruited from the electoral roll in the Australian Capital Territory and Queanbeyan, New South Wales, Australia.

Participants

Participants were aged 20–24 years at wave 1 (1999–2000).

Measures

The study collected self‐reported data on ecstasy, meth/amphetamine, cannabis, alcohol, tobacco and use of sleeping medications (pharmaceutical or other substances). Depression was categorized using the Brief Patient Health Questionnaire (BPHQ). Other psychosocial measures included life‐time traumas. We used generalized estimating equations to model outcomes.

Findings

Ecstasy data were available from 2128 people at wave 2 and 1977 at wave 3: sleeping medication use was reported by 227 (10.7%) respondents at wave 2 and 239 (12.1%) at wave 3. Increased odds ratios (OR) for sleeping medication use was found for those with depression [OR = 1.88, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.39, 2.53], women (OR = 1.44, 95% CI: 1.13, 1.84), and increased by 19% for each life‐time trauma. Ecstasy use was not a significant predictor, but ≥monthly versus never meth/amphetamine use increased the odds (OR = 3.03, 95% CI 1.30, 7.03).

Conclusion

The use of ecstasy appears to be associated with the use of sleeping medications but this association can be accounted for by other factors.
Internet addiction assessment tools: dimensional structure and methodological status
Authors: Lortie Catherine L. , Guitton Matthieu J.
Published: May 2013

Aims

Excessive internet use is becoming a concern, and some have proposed that it may involve addiction. We evaluated the dimensions assessed by, and psychometric properties of, a range of questionnaires purporting to assess internet addiction.

Methods

Fourteen questionnaires were identified purporting to assess internet addiction among adolescents and adults published between January 1993 and October 2011. Their reported dimensional structure, construct, discriminant and convergent validity and reliability were assessed, as well as the methods used to derive these.

Results

Methods used to evaluate internet addiction questionnaires varied considerably. Three dimensions of addiction predominated: compulsive use (79%), negative outcomes (86%) and salience (71%). Less common were escapism (21%), withdrawal symptoms (36%) and other dimensions. Measures of validity and reliability were found to be within normally acceptable limits.

Conclusions

There is a broad convergence of questionnaires purporting to assess internet addiction suggesting that compulsive use, negative outcome and salience should be covered and the questionnaires show adequate psychometric properties. However, the methods used to evaluate the questionnaires vary widely and possible factors contributing to excessive use such as social motivation do not appear to be covered.
Choroidal vessel diameter in central serous chorioretinopathy
Authors: Yang Lihong , Jonas Jost B. , Wei Wenbin
Published: May 2013

Purpose:  To measure the hyporeflective lumen in the choroid of patients with central serous choroidopathy (CSC) and to compare the diameter with that of a control group.

Methods:  The prospective comparative observational clinical study included patients with unilateral CSC and a control group of normal subjects, matched in age, gender and refractive error with the study group. Subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT) and the largest diameter of choroidal hyporeflective lumen as surrogates for the choroidal vessels were measured by enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography (OCT).

Results:  The study group included 15 Chinese patients and the control group 15 control subjects. Mean SFCT was significantly (p = 0.04) larger in the affected eyes (455 ± 73 μm) than in the contralateral unaffected eyes (387 ± 94 μm), in which it was significantly (p = 0.005) larger than in the control group (289 ± 71 μm). In a parallel manner, the mean diameter of the largest hyporeflective lumen was larger, but not significantly larger (p = 0.18) in the affected eyes (305 ± 101 μm) than in the in the contralateral unaffected eyes (251 ± 98 μm), in which it was significantly (p = 0.001) larger than in the control group (140 ± 40 μm). Largest vessel diameter was significantly (p < 0.001; correlation coefficient: 0.73) correlated with the thickness of the total choroid.

Conclusions:  In patients with CSC, the affected eyes show larger hyporeflective lumen than the contralateral clinically unaffected eyes and significantly larger than normal control eyes. Assuming these hyporeflective lumens to be choroidal vessels, macular swelling in CSC is markedly associated with vascular engorgement. As also the clinically unaffected eyes showed macular choroidal significant swelling, CSC may have a systemic component with usually asymmetric ocular involvement.
Ocular manifestations and visual functions in patients with Fanconi anaemia
Authors: Törnquist Alba Lucia , Martin Lene , Winiarski Jacek , Fahnehjelm Kristina Teär
Published: May 2013

Purpose:  Fanconi anaemia (FA) is a multisystemic disorder with ocular implications. This study aims to describe visual function, ocular characteristics and visual processing skills in patients with FA after haematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Methods:  Ten patients with FA, ages 8–17 years, underwent ophthalmological examinations, corneal, periocular and fundus photography, visual evoked potentials (VEPs), visual fields and ocular motor and visual processing information tests.

Results:  Best‐corrected decimal visual acuity was ≥0.65 in all 20 eyes. Microcornea was present in 18 of 18 eyes, short axial lengths in six of six eyes, steep corneal curvatures in four of six eyes, ptosis in 14 of 16 eyes, short palpebral fissures in 15 of 16 eyes and hypotelorism in three of seven patients. Optic disc areas were smaller in patients with FA compared to controls (p = 0.0003 right, p = 0.0003 left eye). Visual fields were abnormal in 4 of 18 eyes, while VEP was abnormal in 1 of 20 eyes. Eight patients had ocular motor dysfunction, while nine of 10 patients showed delay in visual processing skills.

Conclusion:  Patients with FA can present with microcornea, microphthalmia, ptosis, steep corneal curvatures, small optic discs, ptosis and delay in visual processing skills. Detailed ophthalmological and visual processing skills assessments and developmental investigations are important to detect impairments and facilitate appropriate support.
Reproductive outcomes and risk of subsequent illness in women diagnosed with postpartum psychosis
Authors: Blackmore Emma Robertson , Rubinow David R , O'Connor Thomas G , Liu Xiang , Tang Wan , Craddock Nick , Jones Ian
Published: May 2013

Objectives

Women who experience postpartum psychosis (PP) seek guidance on further pregnancies and risk of illness; however, empirical data are limited. This study describes reproductive and mental health outcomes in women diagnosed withPPand examines clinical risk factors as predictors of further illness.

Methods

A retrospective cohort design was used; 116 women who experienced episodes of mania or depression with psychotic features within six weeks of childbirth were recruited. All subjects underwent clinical diagnostic interviews and medical case notes were reviewed.

Results

Only 33% of women had an antecedent history, of which 34% had bipolar disorder and 55% unipolar depression. Only 58% of those withPPin their first pregnancy had a subsequent pregnancy, and 18% of marriages ended following thePPepisode. Clinical presentation at the time of initial episode did not influence the timing of the onset of symptoms, treatment, or recovery. Although 86% of patients received treatment within 30 days of onset, 26% of women reported ongoing symptoms at a year after delivery. The recurrence rate ofPPwas 54.4%; a longer duration of the index episode (p < 0.05) and longer latency between the indexPPand next pregnancy predicted a subsequentPP. The rate of subsequent non‐puerperal episodes was 69%, and all these episodes were bipolar.

Conclusions

Postpartum psychosis is difficult to predict in women with no antecedent history and is associated with a high rate of subsequent puerperal and non‐puerperal illness. Risk of further illness needs to be conveyed in order to allow fully informed decisions to be made regarding future pregnancies.
A quantitative review of neurocognition in euthymic late‐life bipolar disorder
Authors: Samamé Cecilia , Martino Diego J , Strejilevich Sergio A
Published: May 2013

Objectives

A sizeable body of work has consistently documented that a number of euthymic mixed‐age bipolar disorder subjects exhibit prominent impairments in a variety of cognitive domains. By contrast, knowledge about neuropsychological functioning in elderly patients is scant, despite being necessary for the adequate treatment of this population and the understanding of illness evolution. The aim of this study was to combine findings from the available literature in order to examine the pattern and extent of cognitive deficits in euthymic late‐life bipolar disorder subjects.

Methods

A literature search was conducted through the online databases PubMed, ScienceDirect, EBSCO, and Wiley‐Blackwell, covering the period between January 1990 and April 2012. Effect sizes reflecting patient–control differences for 10 cognitive variables were extracted from selected investigations and combined by means of meta‐analytical procedures.

Results

No significant patient–control differences were found for global cognitive status as assessed with the Mini‐Mental State Examination and the Clock Drawing Test. Significant overall effect sizes (Hedges' g) of between 0.61 and 0.88 were noted for sustained attention, digit span (forwards and backwards), delayed recall, serial learning, cognitive flexibility, and verbal fluency (phonemic and categorical).

Conclusions

The extent of cognitive dysfunction in euthymic late‐life bipolar disorder subjects may be, on average, similar to that reported for remitted young adult patients. Larger effect sizes of impairment may be associated with late illness onset. Implications and future directions for research are proposed.
TRIM13 (RFP2) downregulation decreases tumour cell growth in multiple myeloma through inhibition of NF Kappa B pathway and proteasome activity
Authors: Gatt Moshe E. , Takada Kohichi , Mani Mala , Lerner Mikael , Pick Marjorie , Hideshima Teru , Carrasco Daniel E. , Protopopov Alexei , Ivanova Elena , Sangfelt Olle , Grandér Dan , Barlogie Bart , Shaughnessy John D. , Anderson Kenneth C. , Carrasco Daniel R.
Published: May 2013

Multiple myeloma (MM) is an incurable neoplasm caused by proliferation of malignant plasma cells in the bone marrow (BM). MM is characterized frequently by a complete or partial deletion of chromosome 13q14, seen in more than 50% of patients at diagnosis. Within this deleted region the tripartite motif containing 13 (TRIM13, also termed RFP2) gene product has been proposed to be a tumour suppressor gene (TSG). Here, we show that low expression levels of TRIM13 in MM are associated with chromosome 13q deletion and poor clinical outcome. We present a functional analysis of TRIM13 using a loss‐of‐function approach, and demonstrate that TRIM13 downregulation decreases tumour cell survival as well as cell cycle progression and proliferation of MM cells. In addition, we provide evidence for the involvement of TRIM13 downregulation in inhibiting the NF kappa B pathway and the activity of the 20S proteasome. Although this data does not support a role of TRIM13 as a TSG, it substantiates important roles of TRIM13 in MM tumour survival and proliferation, underscoring its potential role as a novel target for therapeutic intervention.
A novel bioassay for anti-thyrotrophin receptor autoantibodies detects both thyroid-blocking and stimulating activity
Authors: Li Y , Kim J , Diana T , Klasen R , Olivo P D , Kahaly G J
Published: May 2013

Autoantibodies to the thyrotrophin (TSH) receptor (anti-TSHR) are unique, in that they are involved directly in the pathophysiology of certain autoimmune thyroid diseases (AITD). Thyroid-stimulating antibodies (TSAb) act as agonists that activate the thyroid gland and cause Graves' disease. Other anti-TSHR antibodies block TSH and can cause hypothyroidism. Thyroid-blocking antibodies (TBAb) have not been studied as extensively as TSAb. We developed a TBAb bioassay based on a cell line that expresses a chimeric TSHR. The 50% inhibitory concentration of the chimeric Chinese hamster ovary (CHO)-Luc cells was more than five-fold lower compared with the wild-type CHO-Luc cells. We tested the performance of this bioassay using a thyroid-blocking monoclonal antibody K1-70, established an assay cut-off and detected TBAb in 15 of 50 (30%) patients with AITD. Interestingly, the assay detects both TSAb and TBAb and measures the net activity of a mixture of both types of antibodies. There was a high correlation (R2 0·9, P < 0·0001) between the results of the TSAb assay and the negative percentage inhibition of the TBAb assay. The TBAb bioassay was approximately 20-fold more sensitive than a commercially available TSHR binding assay (TRAb). In contrast to TRAb, sera with high levels of TBAb activity were able to be diluted several hundred-fold and still exhibit blocking activity above the cut-off level. Thus, this TBAb bioassay provides a useful tool for measuring the activity of anti-TSHR antibodies and may help clinicians to characterize the diverse clinical presentations of patients with AITD.
Mutable elastic models for sculpting structured shapes
Authors: Milliez A. , Wand M. , Cani M.‐P. , Seidel H.‐P.
Published: May 2013

In this paper, we propose a new paradigm for free‐form shape deformation. Standard deformable models minimize an energy measuring the distance to a single target shape. We propose a new, “mutable” elastic model. It represents complex geometry by a collection of parts and measures the distance of each part measures to a larger set of alternative rest configurations. By detecting and reacting to local switches between best‐matching rest states, we build a 3D sculpting system: It takes a structured shape consisting of parts and replacement rules as input. The shape can subsequently be elongated, compressed, bent, cut, and merged within a constraints‐based free‐form editing interface, where alternative rest‐states model to such changes. In practical experiments, we show that the approach yields a surprisingly intuitive and easy to implement interface for interactively designing objects described by such discrete shape grammars, for which direct shape control mechanisms were typically lacking.
Abdominal imaging can misdiagnose submassive hepatic necrosis as cirrhosis in acute liver failure
Authors: Kim Andrew I. , Han Steven‐Huy , Tran Doan‐Trang , Sullivan Peggy , Lassman Charles , Raman Steve , Zimmerman Peter , Chin Eva E.
Published: May 2013

Patients with acute liver failure (ALF) can be listed status I for liver transplantation (LT) whereas patients with cirrhosis must follow the MELD scoring system. Liver imaging can mistakenly diagnose submassive hepatic necrosis in ALF as cirrhosis. The purpose of our study was to assess the accuracy of ultrasound (US) and computed tomography (CT) in distinguishing cirrhosis from ALF. All patients listed for ALF and transplanted during the study period were included. Controls were age‐ and gender‐matched cirrhotic patients who underwent LT during the same period. Abdominal US or CT scans obtained on all patients were independently reviewed by three blinded abdominal radiologists. Explants from all patients were reviewed by two blinded pathologists, and histological diagnosis was correlated with radiological diagnosis. Forty‐one patients with ALF and 42 patients with cirrhosis were analyzed. Univariate and multivariate analyses both revealed overall accuracy of 85% for ultrasound and 93% for CT. US and CT scans both provide high levels of accuracy in terms of discriminating ALF from cirrhosis but measures taken to determine whether a patient has ALF vs. cirrhosis needs to approach 100% accuracy. Thus, imaging studies alone should not definitively diagnosis one etiology of liver failure over the other.
Antihypertensive pharmacotherapy and long‐term outcomes in pediatric kidney transplantation
Authors: Suszynski Thomas M. , Rizzari Michael D. , Gillingham Kristen J. , Rheault Michelle N. , Kraszkiewicz Wojciech , Matas Arthur J. , Chavers Blanche M.
Published: May 2013

Hypertension (HTN) is common in pediatric recipients following kidney transplantation (KT). We retrospectively assessed the impact of HTN on long‐term (>10‐yr) outcomes in pediatric KT recipients (aged < 18 yr) at our center. Two hundred and ninety‐three pediatric KT recipients (83% living donor [LD]) with graft survival (GS) for ≥5 yr were studied. HTN was defined by antihypertensive medication use at five yr post‐KT. One hundred and sixty (55%) recipients did not have HTN, and 133 (45%) had HTN at five yr post‐KT. There were no differences in actuarial patient survival between cohorts. Actuarial GS at 15 and 20 yr was 68% and 53% for recipients without HTN, and 53% and 33% for recipients with HTN (p = 0.006). Among LD recipients using one antihypertensive, GS at 15 yr was 100% for those using an angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) and 44% for those not using an ACEI (p = 0.04). Among these recipients, HTN treated with no ACEI was a significant risk factor for graft failure at >5 yr (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.5, p = 0.02), but HTN treated with an ACEI was not (HR = 0.6, p = 0.7). HTN at five yr post‐KT is associated with poorer long‐term GS in pediatric recipients, but ACEI therapy may enable better outcomes and should be studied further.
Forecasting fish distribution along stream networks: brown trout (Salmo trutta) in Europe
Authors: Filipe Ana Filipa , Markovic Danijela , Pletterbauer Florian , Tisseuil Clément , De Wever Aaike , Schmutz Stefan , Bonada Núria , Freyhof Jörg
Published: May 2013

Aim

Species inhabiting fresh waters are severely affected by climate change and other anthropogenic stressors. Effective management and conservation plans require advances in the accuracy and reliability of species distribution forecasts. Here, we forecast distribution shifts of Salmo trutta based on environmental predictors and examine the effect of using different statistical techniques and varying geographical extents on the performance and extrapolation of the models obtained.

Location

Watercourses of Ebro, Elbe and Danube river basins (c. 1,041,000 km2; Mediterranean and temperate climates, Europe).

Methods

The occurrence of S. trutta and variables of climate, land cover and stream topography were assigned to stream reaches. Data obtained were used to build correlative species distribution models (SDMs) and forecasts for future decades (2020s, 2050s and 2080s) under the A1b emissions scenario, using four statistical techniques (generalised linear models, generalised additive models, random forest, and multivariate adaptive regression).

Results

The SDMs showed an excellent performance. Climate was a better predictor than stream topography, while land cover characteristics were not necessary to improve performance. Forecasts predict the distribution of S. trutta to become increasingly restricted over time. The geographical extent of data had a weak impact on model performance and gain/loss values, but better species response curves were generated using data from all three basins collectively. By 2080, 64% of the stream reaches sampled will be unsuitable habitats for S. trutta, with Elbe basin being the most affected, and virtually no new habitats will be gained in any basin.

Main conclusions

More reliable predictions are obtained when the geographical data used for modelling approximate the environmental range where the species is present. Future research incorporating both correlative and mechanistic approaches may increase robustness and accuracy of predictions.
Distribution and determinants of C‐reactive protein in the older adult population: European Prospective Investigation into Cancer‐Norfolk study
Authors: Ahmadi‐Abhari Sara , Luben Robert N. , Wareham Nicholas J. , Khaw Kay‐Tee
Published: May 2013

Background

C‐reactive protein (CRP) is a well‐documented predictor of cardiovascular diseases and mortality. We aimed to better understand the distribution and determinants of CRP in the population.

Materials and methods

Study participants were men and women aged 40–79 in the UK‐based EPIC‐Norfolk population‐based cohort study. CRP was measured in 18 586 available serum samples (8334 men and 10 252 women) and remeasured in 6087 individuals on average 13 years later using a high‐sensitivity assay.

Results

In cross‐sectional analyses, the range of serum CRP was 0·1–188·3 mg/L and the median 1·6 mg/L. A third of the population had serum CRP levels above 3 mg/L. Serum CRP levels were comparable in men and women who were not taking postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Women who were taking HRT had double CRP levels compared with HRT nonusers. Smoking was also strongly related to CRP in men and women. Serum CRP was positively and independently associated with age, body mass index and waist circumference and inversely with height. A stronger association with serum CRP measured concurrently than on average 13 years later indicated a short‐term rather than long‐term association with smoking and HRT use. Social class and alcohol intake were not independently related to CRP, but there was a strong inverse association with educational status.

Conclusion

The distribution of serum CRP in the population is similar in men and women after taking into account smoking and HRT use. Anthropometric factors as well as educational status are strongly related to serum CRP.
Does the use of alternative food resources induce cannibalism in a size‐structured fish population?
Authors: Heermann Lisa , Scharf Werner , van der Velde Gerard , Borcherding Jost
Published: May 2013

Cannibalism in fish has various effects at population and individual level. Cannibals derive energetic benefit by feeding on their smaller conspecifics, while at the same time reducing competition for the shared resource. Avoiding intracohort competition can force fish to use alternative feeding strategies, which may subsequently stimulate cannibalism. This study examined diet variation and intracohort cannibalism by young‐of‐the‐year (YOY) European perch (Perca fluviatilis) after hatching in three stocking experiments in ponds based on stomach content and stable isotope analyses. Because zooplankton biomass decreased,YOYperch started to diverge in diet use, suggesting that increased intraspecific competition forced fish to try alternative feeding strategies. LargerYOYperch then fed on energetically richer resources (bream larvae or odonates) and hence outgrew their smaller conspecifics, becoming large enough to enable cannibalism. Thus, the widening of initial size differences by feeding on high‐energy resources served as a stepping stone towards cannibalism. This differentiation into two size classes and two different feeding strategies was shown to be a stable pattern within theYOYperch population, as indicated by stable isotope analysis.
Clay mineralogy differs qualitatively in aggregate‐size classes: clay‐mineral‐based evidence for aggregate hierarchy in temperate soils
Authors: Fernández‐Ugalde O. , Barré P. , Hubert F. , Virto I. , Girardin C. , Ferrage E. , Caner L. , Chenu C.
Published: May 2013

Clay minerals have a major role in soil aggregation because of their large specific surface area and surface charges, which stimulate interactions with other mineral particles and organic matter. Soils usually contain a mixture of clay minerals with contrasting surface properties. Although these differences should result in different abilities of clay minerals regarding aggregate formation and stabilization, the role of different clay minerals in aggregation has been seldom evaluated. In this study, we took advantage of the intrinsic mineral heterogeneity of a temperate Luvisol to compare the role of clay minerals in aggregation. First, grassland and tilled soil samples were separated in water into aggregate‐size classes based on the aggregate hierarchy model. Then, clay mineralogy and organic C in the aggregate‐size classes were analysed. Interstratified minerals containing swelling phases accumulated in aggregated fractions compared with free clay fractions under the two land‐uses. The accumulation increased with decreasing aggregate size from large macroaggregates (> 500 µm) to microaggregates (50–250 µm). Carbon content and carbon‐to‐nitrogen ratio followed the opposite trend. This fully supports the aggregate hierarchy model, which postulates an increasing importance of mineral reactivity in smaller aggregates than in larger aggregates in which the cohesion relies mostly on physical enmeshment by fungal hyphae or small roots. Consequently, differences in the proportion of the different 2:1 clay minerals in soils can influence their structure development. Further research on the links between clay mineralogy and aggregation can improve our understanding of mechanisms of soil resistance to erosion and organic matter stabilization.
The Empty Bowls Project: Creating, Leading, and Sustaining a Social Enterprise
Authors: Anderson Stella E. , Coffey Betty S. , Dixon–Fowler Heather
Published: May 2013

Lisa and John never envisioned that a luncheon held 20 years ago at their local high school would grow into The Empty Bowls Project, an international grassroots effort to fight hunger. The premise is simple in that potters, educators, students, and others create handcrafted bowls and serve a simple meal of soup and bread. In exchange for cash donations, attendees take home the bowl to recall all the empty bowls in the world. Monies raised are donated to community–based organizations working toward food security. The founders subsequently formed the nonprofit Imagine Render and now are considering their succession and future direction.
Measuring the Costs and Coverage of SME and Entrepreneurship Policy: A Pioneering Study
Authors: Lundström Anders , Vikström Peter , Fink Matthias , Meuleman* Miguel , Głodek Paweł , Storey David , Kroksgård Andreas
Published: May 2013

This paper documents a methodology used to assess, for the first time, the costs to the taxpayer of small and medium enterprise (SME) and entrepreneurship policy in Sweden. It then uses that data to compare the resulting expenditure patterns with the focus of policy as expressed by experts. It finds important areas where the two diverge, implying a possible mismatch between expenditure priorities and political rhetoric. This approach is then extended beyond Sweden to include Poland, Austria, and the Flanders region of Belgium to demonstrate the application of the approach to other countries and regions.
Can replacement of native by non‐native trout alter stream‐riparian food webs?
Authors: Benjamin Joseph R. , Lepori Fabio , Baxter Colden V. , Fausch Kurt D.
Published: May 2013

Non‐native species can affect food web and community structure, including the flow of resources from one habitat to another. In many streams of western North America, non‐native brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) have replaced native cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii). Because brook trout naturally occur at higher densities and exhibit different feeding habits, this replacement may have consequences for a range of organisms in stream‐riparian food webs.

We conducted a large‐scale, 2‐month field experiment to test whether, compared with cutthroat trout, brook trout reduce benthic insects, cause an increase in stream algae, and reduce emerging adult aquatic insects as well as riparian spiders that rely on emergence as prey. Twenty enclosed reaches from which trout were removed were treated by adding age‐1 and older: (i) cutthroat trout at natural density (0.15 fish m−2); (ii) brook trout at a natural density (0.40 fish m−2); (iii) brook trout at a low density equal to the cutthroat trout treatment (0.15 fish m−2) or (iv) no trout added.

Brook trout reduced the flux of emerging insects by 55% compared with cutthroat trout, but, surprisingly, only at the lower density. This reduction in emergent insects was predicted to reduce spider abundance by 20%, provided that sufficient branches were available to support riparian spider webs. We also detected an effect of trout on large‐bodied benthic and emerging insects, but not on the entire assemblage of benthic insects, or periphyton.

We hypothesise that our results were influenced by trout foraging behaviour mediated by their density and size structure. Regardless of the mechanisms responsible, our results indicate that non‐native brook trout can reduce the flux of emerging insects, and further analysis showed that this could reduce riparian spiders and birds that prey on them. Similar effects of non‐native fish are likely to occur in lotic and lentic waters beyond the western United States.
Global environmental justice and biodiversity conservation
Authors: Martin Adrian , McGuire Shawn , Sullivan Sian
Published: May 2013

This paper explores the potential for an environmental justice framing to shed new light on conservation controversies. We argue that, in order to make such progress, environmental justice analysis will need to provide a ‘difference‐friendly’ conception of justice and that this will necessarily involve moving beyond dominant liberal conceptions of distributional fairness. We are largely welcoming of global deployments of distributive justice principles. However, we also explore the dangers of focusing on distribution alone, questioning the assumption of positive relationships between benefit sharing and more culturally defined dimensions of justice such as recognition. The limits of access and benefit sharing for delivering justice writ large is that it can disenfranchise people who are less well equipped or less willing to navigate its prevailing system of knowledge. We argue that, especially in the context of resource poverty, efforts to improve distribution can require potential beneficiaries to assimilate to dominant discourses of society and nature. Such conditionality can contract the opportunities for local and autonomous constructions of ‘different’ ways of knowing nature, and in doing so may also contract possibilities for flourishing biodiversities.
Global environmental in/justice, in practice: introduction
Authors: Martin Adrian
Published: May 2013

This paper introduces a themed section on global environmental in/justice. In doing so it pays particular attention to two matters. First, it explores the value of a ‘global’ perspective on justice, highlighting how this framing reflects the nature and scales of contemporary environmental problems, the political‐economic forces that pattern the uneven access to resources, and the vocabularies and narratives that are used to make claims about these inequities. Perhaps more significantly, the paper argues that a global framing appears to foreground particular aspects of environmental justice analysis, especially political and economic forces that produce injustices. Second, the introduction looks across the five papers in the section, each of which looks at a different environmental sector/issue: forests, transboundary waters, biodiversity conservation, energy and climate change, and disasters. It draws out the emergent themes across the papers, which involves discussions of the location of environmental struggles at new commodity frontiers, the limitations of distributive approaches to justice, and the relationship between social and environmental justice.
Head‐to‐head comparison of the pharmacokinetic profiles of a high‐purity factor IX concentrate (AlphaNine®) and a recombinant factor IX (BeneFIX®) in patients with severe haemophilia B
Authors: Lissitchkov T. , Matysiak M. , Zavilska K. , Laguna P. , Gercheva L. , Antonov A. , Moret A. , Caunedo P. , Aznar J. A. , Woodward M. K. , Páez A.
Published: May 2013

Head‐on comparative studies of factor IX (FIX) concentrates performed under standardized conditions are rarely conducted regardless of being a valuable instrument guiding health care providers towards better informed and cost‐effective decisions. This study is an extension of a multicentre study that assessed the efficacy, safety and pharmacokinetics (PK) of AlphaNine® in 25 previously treated patients with severe haemophilia B (FIX:C ≤ 2%). After a washout period ≥7 days following the last PK performed with AlphaNine® after a dose of 65–75 IU kg−1, an identical PK study was performed with BeneFIX® on 22 of the same patients. Venous blood samples for analysis were taken at baseline and at 0.25, 0.5, 1, 3, 6, 9, 24, 48, 72 and 74 h post infusion. The outcomes of the comparison of the PK parameters were as follows: Mean (±SD) in vivo recovery (IVR) was 1.3 ± 0.4 IU dL−1 per IU kg−1 for AlphaNine® and 1.0 ± 0.3 IU dL−1 per IU kg−1 for BeneFIX® (P < 0.01). Mean terminal half‐life, mean residence time, area under the curve, clearance and volume of distribution of BeneFIX® were 36.0 ± 12.8 h, 39.3 ± 13.9 h, 1631 ± 467 IU h dL−1, 0.046 ± 0.01 dL kg−1 min−1 and 1.75 ± 0.52 mL kg−1 respectively. These values were not significantly different to those observed in AlphaNine®, although BeneFIX® displayed higher than expected IVR values and lower than expected clearance values. In conclusion, AlphaNine® showed a comparable half‐life, but an IVR significantly higher than that of BeneFIX®. This dissimilarity may have implications on dosing requirements for on‐demand treatment regimes affecting optimal resource allocation.
Direct analysis of lipsticks by Sorptive tape‐like extraction laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry imaging
Authors: de Oliveira D. N. , Siqueira M. , Sartor S. , Catharino R.
Published: May 2013

Synopsis

Objective

The objective of this study is to create and establish a simple and rapid method for lipid evaluation in daily‐use female products, namely lipsticks.

Methodology

This approach uses STE‐LDI‐MSI for fast fingerprinting of complex lipids, such as triacylglycerols, phosphoglycerols and simpler structures as free fatty acids.

Results

This work has focused on lipsticks of several brands globally marketed. With no sample preparation, it has demonstrated to readily identify compounds of interest by integrating both full scan and MS/MS data.

Conclusion

A novel and rapid technique for lipid evaluation in lipsticks is presented.
Red cell distribution width in migraine
Authors: Celikbilek A. , Zararsiz G. , Atalay T. , Tanik N.
Published: May 2013

Introduction

Several studies support the role of inflammation in the pathogenesis of migraine. Red cell distribution width (RDW), a measure of heterogeneity in the size of circulating erythrocytes, is associated with adverse outcomes in patients with heart failure and stroke. This study was undertaken to assess the interrelationship between RDW and migraine.

Method

Hundred migraine patients (52 with aura) and age‐ and sex‐matched 100 control subjects were enrolled in the study. Migraine diagnosis was settled according to the International Classification of Headache Disorders‐II diagnostic criteria, and each subject was evaluated in terms of headache characteristics including severity, frequency, duration of the migraine attack, and the duration of the disease. Routine hematological analysis was applied for both of the groups.

Results

RDW was found to be significantly higher in patients with migraine than controls (P < 0.001). RDW was independently associated with migraine in multivariate model (P < 0.001). A cutoff value of 13.2 for RDW with a sensitivity of 0.69 (0.59–0.78) and a specificity of 0.61 (0.51–0.71) was obtained in the ROC analyses (κ = 0.300, P < 0.001). Clinical features, laboratory parameters, and headache characteristics did not significantly differ between the migraine patients with and without aura (P > 0.05). However, RDW was detected to positively correlate with attack duration in migraineurs (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

Elevated RDW is associated with migraine requiring further efforts to clarify the actual underlying pathophysiology.
Simplified negative pressure wound therapy: clinical evaluation of an ultraportable, no‐canister system
Authors: Hudson Donald A , Adams Kevin G , Van Huyssteen Adriaan , Martin Robin , Huddleston Elizabeth M
Published: May 2013

The aim of this study was to evaluate a prototype negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) system that has been developed to simplify NPWT for wounds at the lower end of the acuity scale. The new device has a single preset pressure of −80 mmHg, is single use and operates without an exudate canister. The disposable NPWT system (PICO™) was tested in a prospective, non‐comparative, multicentre clinical trial to assess device functionality and clinical acceptance. Twenty patients were recruited for a maximum treatment period of 14 days. The NPWT devices were fitted with data log chips to enable longitudinal assessment of negative pressure and leak rates during therapy. Sixteen (80%) patients had closed surgical wounds, two (10%) patients had traumatic wounds and two (10%) patients received meshed split thickness skin grafts. The mean study duration was 10·7 days (range: 5–14 days) and the mean dressing wear time per individual patient was 4·6 days (range: 2–11). Fifty‐five percent of wounds had closed by the end of the 14‐day study or earlier, with a further 40% of wounds progressing to closure. Real‐time pressure monitoring showed continuous delivery of NPWT. Three cases are discussed representing different wound locations and different patient factors that can increase the risk of post‐surgical complications. Clinical studies of the disposable NPWT system confirmed the ability of the simplified single‐use device to function consistently over the expected wear time. The anticipated reduced costs, ease of use and increased mobility of patients using this system may enable NPWT benefits to be available to a greater proportion of patients.
Maclurochloa tonkinensis sp. nov. (Poaceae: Bambusoideae) from Vietnam
Authors: Nguyen Hoang Nghia , Tran Van Tien
Published: May 2013

Maclurochloa K. M. Wong (Gramineae: Bambusoideae) is a genus of clambering bamboos with dry caryopses. It was thought to be monotypic in Peninsular Malaysia, but here we report one more species from Vietnam which is new to science: Maclurochloa tonkinensis H. N. Nguyen et V. T. Tran sp. nov. Maclurochloa tonkinensis is most similar to M. montana (Ridl.) K. M. Wong from which differs mainly by having internodes 50–58 × 3.0–3.5 cm and culm leaves with auriculate sheaths and erect blade.
Reinstatement of the name Lithocarpus longinux (Fagaceae)
Authors: Zhou Wei , Huang Yu‐Song , Xia Nian‐He
Published: May 2013

The name Lithocarpus longinux (Hu) Chun ex Y. C. Hsu & H. W. Jen is reinstated. It used to be treated as a synonym of L. areca (Hickel & A. Camus) A. Camus, but morphological characters of cupules and leaves support the reinstatement. These two species, together with L. longzhouicus (C. C. Huang & Y. T. Chang) J. Q. Li & L. Chen, make up a small group that is distributed in limestone areas and have similar morphological characters. A key is provided to distinguish between them, and their is discussed.
Juncus fernandez‐carvajaliae sp. nov. (Juncaceae) from Castilla‐La Mancha, central Spain
Authors: Romero‐Zarco C. , Arán V. J.
Published: May 2013

Juncus fernandez‐carvajaliae Romero Zarco & Arán sp. nov. (Juncaceae), collected from Castilla‐La Mancha in central Spain, is described and illustrated. The main distinguishing features of the new species are compared with allied species of J. sect.Tenageia.