bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Use of Veterinary Ultrasound to Identify Sex and Assess Female Maturity of Pacific Halibut in Nonspawning Condition
Authors: Loher Timothy , Stephens Sarah M.
Published: December 2011

Ultrasound was used for sex identification and female maturity assessment of Pacific halibut Hippoglossus stenolepis ranging from 64- to 144-cm fork length collected during their nonspawning period (boreal summer) in the central and eastern Gulf of Alaska. Ultrasonic sex identification employed inspection of gross morphology and gonadal morphometrics, the latter involving determination of gonad length (maximum posterior gonad extent [MPGE]) and testing for difference between sexes. Morphometric analysis was refined further for females by removing ovaries, macroscopically determining maturity status, and comparing MPGE and proportional ovarian length (POL) among maturity stages. Ultrasonically determined gross morphology was sufficient to achieve accurate sex identification in even the smallest individuals examined. Ovaries were rounded anteriorly with no apparent internal structure, whereas testes were sickle-shaped with characteristic internal structure formed by the junctures between testicular lobes. Maximum posterior gonad extent was significantly greater for females but did not provide accurate sex determination because values overlapped considerably between sexes; 80% of all fish (n = 147) exhibited MPGE within the range of overlap. Values of both MPGE and POL overlapped considerably between mature and immature females, but threshold values were identified for both metrics above which all individuals were mature. Only for POL was a lower threshold apparent, below which all individuals were immature. Considering MPGE and POL simultaneously suggested a possible means for identifying first-time spawners and may warrant additional investigation.

Received January 13, 2011; accepted June 2, 2011
Detection, Localization, and Variability of Endogenous β‐Glucanase in Wheat Kernels
Authors: Vatandoust Azadeh , Ragaee Sanaa , Wood Peter J. , Tosh Susan M. , Seetharaman Koushik
Published: December 2011

Clinical studies with isolates of β‐glucan have shown that the health benefits are regulated not only by the polysaccharide concentration but also by the molecular weight and concentration in solution, because these health benefits are controlled, inter alia, by viscosity in the gut. The degradation of β‐glucan in baked products is likely caused by baking ingredients or processes, or by endogenous enzymes in wheat flour. The objectives of the present study were to quantify β‐glucanase in wheat kernels and to determine factors that influence the levels of this enzyme. A modified protocol to quantify β‐glucanase was developed and then confirmed through high‐performance size‐exclusion chromatography (HPSEC) with Calcofluor detection. Under this protocol, it was shown that the concentration of β‐glucanase activity was the highest in the bran fraction of the kernel in ungerminated wheats, whereas it was distributed throughout the entire kernel following germination. Furthermore, investigation on different wheat cultivars planted in the same and different locations showed that genotype, environment, and agronomic practice all can have an effect on β‐glucanase activity level in wheat kernels.
Ralstonia solanacearum Needs Flp Pili for Virulence on Potato
Authors: Wairuri Charles K. , van der Waals Jacquie E. , van Schalkwyk Antoinette , Theron Jacques
Published: December 2011

Type IV pili are virulence factors in various bacteria. Several subclasses of type IV pili have been described according to the characteristics of the structural prepilin subunit. Although type IVa pili have been implicated in the virulence of Ralstonia solanacearum, type IVb pili have not previously been described in this plant pathogen. Here, we report the characterization of two distinct tad loci in the R. solanacearum genome. The tad genes encode functions necessary for biogenesis of the Flp subfamily of type IVb pili initially described for the periodontal pathogen Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans. To determine the role of the tad loci in R. solanacearum virulence, we mutated the tadA2 gene located in the megaplasmid that encodes a predicted NTPase previously reported to function as the energizer for Flp pilus biogenesis. Characterization of the tadA2 mutant revealed that it was not growth impaired in vitro or in planta, produced wild-type levels of exopolysaccharide galactosamine, and exhibited swimming and twitching motility comparable with the wild-type strain. However, the tadA2 mutant was impaired in its ability to cause wilting of potato plants. This is the first report where type IVb pili in a phytopathogenic bacterium contribute significantly to plant pathogenesis.
Sensitivity of Disease Management Decision Aids to Temperature Input Errors Associated with Sampling Interval and Out-of-Canopy Sensor Placement
Authors: Pfender W. F. , Gent D. H. , Mahaffee W. F.
Published: December 2011

Many plant disease epidemic models, and the disease management decision aids developed from them, are created based on temperature or other weather conditions measured in or above the crop canopy at intervals of 15 or 30 min. Disease management decision aids, however, commonly are implemented based on hourly weather measurements made from sensors sited at a standard placement of 1.5 m above the ground or are estimated from off-site weather measurements. We investigated temperature measurement errors introduced when sampling interval was increased from 15 to 60 min, and when actual in-canopy conditions were represented by temperature measurements collected by standard-placement sensors (1.5 m above the ground, outside the canopy) in each of three crops (grass seed, grape, and hops) and assessed the impact of these errors on outcomes of decision aids for grass stem rust as well as grape and hops powdery mildews. Decreasing time resolution from 15 to 60 min resulted in statistically significant underestimates of daily maximum temperatures and overestimates of daily minimum temperatures that averaged 0.2 to 0.4°C. Sensor location (in-canopy versus standard-placement) also had a statistically significant effect on measured temperature, and this effect was significantly less in grape or hops than in the grass seed crop. Effects of these temperature errors on performance of disease management decision aids were affected by magnitude of the errors as well as the type of decision aid. The grape and hops powdery mildew decision aids used rule-based indices, and the relatively small (±0.8°C) differences in temperature observed between in-canopy and standard placement sensors in these crops resulted in differences in rule outcomes when actual in-canopy temperatures were near a threshold for declaring that a rule had been met. However, there were only minor differences in the management decision (i.e., fungicide application interval). The decision aid for grass stem rust was a simulation model, for which temperature recording errors associated with location of the weather station resulted in incremental (not threshold) effects on the model of pathogen growth and plant infection probability. Simple algorithms were devised to correct the recorded temperatures or the computed infection probability to produce outcomes similar to those resulting from in-canopy temperature measurements. This study illustrates an example of evaluating (and, if necessary, correcting) temperature measurement errors from weather station sensors not located within the crop canopy, and provides an estimate of uncertainty in temperature measurements associated with location and sampling interval of weather station sensors.
Root-Knot Nematodes in Golf Course Greens of the Western United States
Authors: McClure Michael A. , Nischwitz Claudia , Skantar Andrea M. , Schmitt Mark E. , Subbotin Sergei A.
Published: December 2011

A survey of 238 golf courses in 10 states of the western United States found root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.) in 60% of the putting greens sampled. Sequence and phylogenetic analyses of 18S rRNA, D2-D3 of 28S rRNA, internal transcribed spacer-rRNA, and mitochondrial DNA gene sequences were used to identify specimens from 110 golf courses. The most common species, Meloidogyne naasi, was found in 58 golf courses distributed from Southern California to Washington in the coastal or cooler areas of those states. In the warmer regions of the Southwest, M. marylandi was recovered from 38 golf courses and M. graminis from 11 golf courses. This constitutes the first report of M. marylandi in Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, and Utah, and the first report of M. graminis in Arizona, Hawaii, and Nevada. Two golf courses in Washington were infested with M. minor, the first record of this nematode in the Western Hemisphere. Columbia root-knot nematode, M. chitwoodi, was found in a single golf course in California. Polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism of the intergenic region between the cytochrome oxidase and 16S rRNA genes in the mitochondrial genome with restriction enzyme SspI was able to distinguish populations of M. graminis from M. marylandi, providing a fast and inexpensive method for future diagnosis of these nematodes from turf.
Peripartum Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
Authors: Bateman Brian T. , Olbrecht Vanessa A. , Berman Mitchell F. , Minehart Rebecca D. , Schwamm Lee H. , Leffert Lisa R.
Published: December 2011

Background

Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) in pregnancy occurs because of a variety of etiologies, which range from ruptured aneurysms to benign venous bleeding. The more malignant etiologies represent an important cause of maternal morbidity and mortality. We sought to investigate the epidemiology and mechanisms of pregnancy-related SAH.

Methods

Using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, we extracted pregnancy-related admissions for women ages 15-44 from 1995-2008 and identified admissions complicated by SAH. Logistic regression identified independent predictors of SAH. Outcomes and risk factors were then compared with age-matched, nonpregnant women with SAH. We also analyzed our institution's experience with pregnancy-related SAH.

Results

There were 639 cases (5.8 per 100,000 deliveries) of pregnancy-related SAH in the cohort during the study period; SAH was associated with 4.1% of all pregnancy-related in-hospital deaths. More than half of the SAH cases occurred postpartum. Advancing age, African-American race, Hispanic ethnicity, hypertensive disorders, coagulopathy, tobacco, drug or alcohol abuse, intracranial venous thrombosis, sickle cell disease, and hypercoagulability were independent risk factors for pregnancy-related SAH. Compared with SAH in nonpregnant controls, pregnancy-related SAH had lower clipping/coiling rates (12.7% vs. 44.5%, P < 0.001). We identified 12 cases of pregnancy-related SAH in our hospital, the majority of which presented postpartum and with severe headache.

Conclusion

SAH during pregnancy results from a range of etiologies, and is less likely to be because of a cerebral aneurysm than SAH occurring in the nonpregnant patient. Peripartum SAH frequently occurs in the setting of hypertensive disorders.
Spectral Entropy as a Measure of Hypnosis and Hypnotic Drug Effect of Total Intravenous Anesthesia in Children during Slow Induction and Maintenance
Authors: Klockars Jaakko G. M. , Hiller Arja , Münte Sinikka , van Gils Mark J. , Taivainen Tomi
Published: December 2011

Background

We evaluated whether spectral entropy (SpE) can measure the depth of hypnosis and the hypnotic drug effect in children during total intravenous anesthesia.

Methods

Sixty healthy children, aged 3-16 yr, were studied. Anesthesia was induced with an increasing target controlled infusion of propofol, and maintained by a stable remifentanil infusion and variable concentrations of target controlled infusion propofol. Depth of hypnosis was assessed according to the University of Michigan Sedation Scale (UMSS). Estimated plasma (C(p)) and pseudo effect site (C(eff)) propofol concentrations reflected the hypnotic drug effect. Patients were stratified to three age groups. The correlations between SpE versus UMSS, C(p), and C(eff) were analyzed by Prediction Probability (P(k)). The pharmacodynamic relationship between SpE and C(p), and the differences of SpE values between the age groups at the corresponding UMSS levels, were studied.

Results

Respective mean P(k) values for the youngest, middle, and oldest age groups were: 1) during induction: SpE versus UMSS 0.87, 0.87, and 0.93; SpE versus C(p) 0.92, 0.95, and 0.97; and SpE versus C(eff) 0.88, 0.94, and 0.95; 2) during maintenance: SpE versus C(eff) 0.86, 0.75, and 0.81. The pharmacodynamic analysis determined an association between SpE and C(p) that followed the E(max) model closely. There were significant differences in SpE values between age groups at corresponding UMSS sedation levels.

Conclusions

SpE measures the level of hypnosis and hypnotic drug effect in children during total intravenous anesthesia. There is an age dependency associated with SpE. Anesthesia should not be steered solely on the basis of SpE.
Neurological Complications Following Pediatric Liver Transplant
Authors: Ghosh Partha S. , Hupertz Vera , Ghosh Debabrata
Published: December 2011

Objective:

We studied neurological complications (NCs) after liver transplantation (LT) in children.

Methods:

We performed an institutional review board–approved retrospective review of patients with LT ≤21 years during a period of 30 years (1980–2010). NCs were classified as early (within 3 months post‐LT) and delayed (beyond 3 months post‐LT).

Results:

Of 65 children with LT, 20 (30.7%) had NCs; 16 were girls. Mean age was 11.8 ± 5.9 years. Early NCs were found in 13.8% (9/65) of the patients: seizures in 7 and encephalopathy in 2. Abnormal neuroimaging findings were posterior reversible leukoencephalopathy syndrome (1), intracranial hemorrhage (1), mild cerebral edema (1), and bilateral basal ganglia T1W hyperintensities in magnetic resonance imaging (1). On follow‐up, there were 3 deaths (unrelated to NCs). One with intracranial hemorrhage had residual hemiparesis and was taking a long‐term antiepileptic drug. Late NCs are found in 16.9% (11/65) of the patients: seizures in 4, headache in 4, encephalopathy in 3 (1 had seizures in addition), and paresthesias caused by possible small‐fiber neuropathy in 1. Abnormal neuroimaging findings were hypoxic‐ischemic encephalopathy (1), encephalomalacia caused by old hemorrhage (1), and hyperintensity of the posterior periventricular white matter in magnetic resonance imaging (1). On follow‐up, all of the patients survived; 1 had papilledema with secondary optic atrophy requiring optic nerve sheath fenestration and 1 needed long‐term antiepileptic drug.

Conclusions:

NCs are common in children after LT, seizures being the most common. In contrary to the previous studies, we found delayed complications more often than early complications. Early detection and appropriate management of NCs is important.
Observed heterospecific clutch size can affect offspring investment decisions
Authors: Forsman Jukka T. , Seppänen Janne-Tuomas , Nykänen Inka L.
Published: December 2011

Optimal investment in offspring is important in maximizing lifetime reproductive success. Yet, very little is known how animals gather and integrate information about environmental factors to fine tune investment. Observing the decisions and success of other individuals, particularly when those individuals initiate breeding earlier, may provide a way for animals to quickly arrive at better breeding investment decisions. Here we show, with a field experiment using artificial nests appearing similar to resident tit nests with completed clutches, that a migratory bird can use the observed high and low clutch size of a resident competing bird species to increase and decrease clutch size and egg mass, accordingly. Our results demonstrate that songbirds can discriminate between high and low quantity of heterospecific eggs, and that social information can have long-term physiological consequences affecting reproductive strategies. Such behaviour may help animals to better adapt to changing environments and lead to convergent traits with competitors.
Human fine body hair enhances ectoparasite detection
Authors: Dean Isabelle , Siva-Jothy Michael T.
Published: December 2011

Although we are relatively naked in comparison with other primates, the human body is covered in a layer of fine hair (vellus and terminal hair) at a relatively high follicular density. There are relatively few explanations for the evolutionary maintenance of this type of human hair. Here, we experimentally test the hypothesis that human fine body hair plays a defensive function against ectoparasites (bed bugs). Our results show that fine body hair enhances the detection of ectoparasites through the combined effects of (i) increasing the parasite's search time and (ii) enhancing its detection.
Isotopic segregation between sympatric seabird species increases with nutritional stress
Authors: Barger Christopher P. , Kitaysky Alexander S.
Published: December 2011

Dietary segregation is essential for the coexistence of closely related species of animals. However, little is known about how changes in availability of food resources might affect trophic interactions of wild animals breeding in sympatry. Here, we examined how interannual variations in relative food availability (as reflected in blood levels of stress hormone corticosterone, CORT) affect food partitioning (assessed via a comparison of stable isotope δ
15
N and δ
13
C ratios of blood) between the common murre (
Uria aalge
) and thick-billed murre (
Uria lomvia
), breeding on a single colony in the Bering Sea. During a 6-year study, CORT varied among years but not between species, whereas stable isotope ratios varied among years and between species. Isotopic distance between species increased with increasing CORT. These results indicate that, when food was not limiting, both species relied on similar food resources. As foraging conditions deteriorated, murres diverged in their diets. We conclude that the degree of dietary segregation between
Uria
spp. varies with changes in the availability of food and is greatest during food shortages.
The case for primate V3
Authors: Lyon David C. , Connolly Jason D.
Published: December 2011

The visual system in primates is represented by a remarkably large expanse of the cerebral cortex. While more precise investigative studies that can be performed in non-human primates contribute towards understanding the organization of the human brain, there are several issues of visual cortex organization in monkey species that remain unresolved. In all, more than 20 areas comprise the primate visual cortex, yet there is little agreement as to the exact number, size and visual field representation of all but three. A case in point is the third visual area, V3. It is found relatively early in the visual system hierarchy, yet over the last 40 years its organization and even its very existence have been a matter of debate among prominent neuroscientists. In this review, we discuss a large body of recent work that provides straightforward evidence for the existence of V3. In light of this, we then re-examine results from several seminal reports and provide parsimonious re-interpretations in favour of V3. We conclude with analysis of human and monkey functional magnetic resonance imaging literature to make the case that a complete V3 is an organizational feature of all primate species and may play a greater role in the dorsal stream of visual processing.
Intralocus sexual conflict for fitness: sexually antagonistic alleles for testosterone
Authors: Mills Suzanne C. , Koskela Esa , Mappes Tapio
Published: December 2011

Intralocus sexual conflict occurs when a trait encoded by the same genetic locus in the two sexes has different optima in males and females. Such conflict is widespread across taxa, however, the shared phenotypic traits that mediate the conflict are largely unknown. We examined whether the sex hormone, testosterone (T), that controls sexual differentiation, contributes to sexually antagonistic fitness variation in the bank vole,
Myodes glareolus
. We compared (opposite-sex) sibling reproductive fitness in the bank vole after creating divergent selection lines for T. This study shows that selection for T was differentially associated with son versus daughter reproductive success, causing a negative correlation in fitness between full siblings. Our results demonstrate the presence of intralocus sexual conflict for fitness in this small mammal and that sexually antagonistic selection is acting on T. We also found a negative correlation in fitness between parents and their opposite-sex progeny (e.g. father–daughter), highlighting a dilemma for females, as the indirect genetic benefits of selecting reproductively successful males (high T) are lost with daughters. We discuss mechanisms that may mitigate this disparity between progeny quality.
ArabidopsisULTRAVIOLET-B-INSENSITIVE4 Maintains Cell Division Activity by Temporal Inhibition of the Anaphase-Promoting Complex/Cyclosome
Authors: Heyman Jefri , Van den Daele Hilde , De Wit Kevin , Boudolf Véronique , Berckmans Barbara , Verkest Aurine , Kamei Claire Lessa Alvim , De Jaeger Geert , Koncz Csaba , De Veylder Lieven
Published: December 2011

The anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C) is a multisubunit ubiquitin ligase that regulates progression through the cell cycle by marking key cell division proteins for destruction. To ensure correct cell cycle progression, accurate timing of APC/C activity is important, which is obtained through its association with both activating and inhibitory subunits. However, although the APC/C is highly conserved among eukaryotes, no APC/C inhibitors are known in plants. Recently, we have identified ULTRAVIOLET-B-INSENSITIVE4 (UVI4) as a plant-specific component of the APC/C. Here, we demonstrate that UVI4 uses conserved APC/C interaction motifs to counteract the activity of the CELL CYCLE SWITCH52 A1 (CCS52A1) activator subunit, inhibiting the turnover of the A-type cyclin CYCA2;3. UVI4 is expressed in an S phase-dependent fashion, likely through the action of E2F transcription factors. Correspondingly, uvi4 mutant plants failed to accumulate CYCA2;3 during the S phase and prematurely exited the cell cycle, triggering the onset of the endocycle. We conclude that UVI4 regulates the temporal inactivation of APC/C during DNA replication, allowing CYCA2;3 to accumulate above the level required for entering mitosis, and thereby regulates the meristem size and plant growth rate.
Human AB serum for generation of mesenchymal stem cells from human chorionic villi: comparison with other source and other media including platelet lysate
Authors: Poloni A. , Maurizi G. , Serrani F. , Mancini S. , Discepoli G. , Tranquilli A. L. , Bencivenga R. , Leoni P.
Published: December 2011

Objectives:  We have investigated foetal mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) obtained from first‐trimester chorionic villi (CV) and second‐trimester amniotic fluid (AF), comparing them to adult bone marrow‐derived MSCs.

Materials and methods:  We report on cell population growth in human allogeneic serum (HS) and platelet lysate (PL), immunophenotype, cytokine expression profile and immunoregulatory activity, of these foetal MSCs on stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear and lymphocyte subpopulations.

Results:  Chorionic villi cells grow rapidly in HS, with 20 populations doublings (PDs) after 59 days (six passages), and also in animal serum, with 27 PDs after 65 days (seven passages). PL allowed for expansion in 60% of the samples tested, although it was lower than in HS. HS supported an average of 40 PDs of expansion in 20% of AF cells after 90 days, whereas animal serum supported 28.5 PDs in 66 days. CV and AF cells inhibited proliferation of stimulated T lymphocytes, suppressing population growth of both CD4+ and CD8+ T subpopulations and sometimes also, CD19+ cells.

Conclusions:  Our results indicate that CV would be an optimal source of MSCs with high expansion potential in a HS propagation system and immunoregulatory capacity of T and B lymphocytes. More than 90% of CV samples achieved large‐scale expansion in HS, which is encouraging for potential clinical applications of these cells.
Nerve growth factor derived from bronchial epithelium after chronic mite antigen exposure contributes to airway hyperresponsiveness by inducing hyperinnervation, and is inhibited by in vivosiRNA
Authors: Ogawa H. , Azuma M. , Uehara H. , Takahashi T. , Nishioka Y. , Sone S. , Izumi K.
Published: December 2011

Background

Bronchial asthma is a chronic allergic airway inflammatory disease. Neurotrophins, including nerve growth factor (NGF), play an important role in the pathogenesis of asthma. However, the effects of NGF derived from epithelium on airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) after antigen sensitization/exposure remain uncertain.

Objective

In this study, we examined the role of NGF on AHR after chronic antigen exposure and the effect of inhibiting NGF by in vivo siRNA on AHR exacerbation.

Methods

We generated chronic mouse models of bronchial asthma using house‐dust mite antigen (
D

ermatophagoides pteronyssinus;
Dp). NGF concentrations in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), lung histopathology, hyperresponsiveness, and related neuronal peptides and cytokines in supernatants of lung homogenates were determined.

Results

NGF in BALF was increased in a dose‐ and time‐dependent manner, and was expressed primarily in bronchial epithelium. Nerve fibres and substance P‐positive fibres were detected in subepithelium of Dp‐sensitized and challenged mice over 4 weeks of mite antigen exposure. AHR was positively correlated with NGF concentration and nerve fibre innervation. AHR, modulation of innervation, and increased substance P were inhibited by in vivo administration of siRNA that targeted NGF, although the inhibition of NGF did not affect allergic inflammation and subepithelial fibrosis.

Conclusion and clinical relevance

These findings suggest that NGF derived from bronchial and alveolar epithelium plays an important role in AHR after chronic exposure to mite antigen. NGF inhibition could potentially manage bronchial asthma, including AHR.
Function and mechanisms of TSLP/TSLPR complex in asthma and COPD
Authors: Redhu N. S. , Gounni A. S.
Published: December 2011

Thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) is a key pro‐allergic cytokine that has recently been linked to chronic airway diseases, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). High levels of TSLP were detected in bronchial mucosa of asthma and COPD patients suggesting TSLP's biological role beyond a signature ‘Th2‐favoring’ or ‘pro‐allergic cytokine’. Besides inflammatory cells, airway structural cells produce and are targets of TSLP suggesting a potential autocrine loop that may have a profound effect on local inflammatory response and airway remodelling. This review sums up diverse mechanisms that mediate TSLP/TSLP receptor‐signalling network in chronic airway diseases.
Enterprise architecture, IT effectiveness and the mediating role of IT alignment in US hospitals
Authors: Bradley Randy V. , Pratt Renée M. E. , Byrd Terry Anthony , Outlay Christina N. , Wynn, Jr. Donald E.
Published: December 2011

Despite the possible benefits of implementing healthcare information technologies, successful implementation of effective healthcare information technology is constrained by cultural and regulatory concerns and technical obstacles encountered when establishing or upgrading an organisation's enterprise infrastructure. In this paper, we advance Ross' four‐stage model of enterprise architecture maturity as a valuable IT resource for helping healthcare organisations sustain a competitive advantage. We use partial least squares (PLS) structural equation modelling to analyse survey data from 164 US hospitals at different stages of EA maturity. Our results provide evidence that enterprise architecture maturity directly influences the effectiveness of hospitals' IT resources for achieving strategic goals. Further, enterprise architecture maturity indirectly influences the effectiveness of IT resources when IT alignment is incorporated as a mediating variable. We discuss the implications of our findings for research and practice and suggest opportunities for future research.
Spray drying of low‐phenylalanine skim milk: optimisation of process conditions for improving solubility and particle size
Authors: Amiri‐Rigi Atefeh , Emam‐Djomeh Zahra , Mohammadifar Mohammad A. , Mohammadi Mehrdad
Published: December 2011

The optimisation of the spray drying process for low‐phenylalanine skim milk as a dietary supplement for phenylketonurics was studied. The effects of basic parameters including the inlet air temperature (100, 150 and 200 °C), feed flow rate (5, 10 and 15 mL min−1) and air flow rate (400, 600 and 800 L h−1) on the solubility and particle size of the low‐phenylalanine skim milk powder were determined using response surface methodology. The optimum conditions have been obtained with inlet air temperature of 133 °C, feed flow rate of 5 mL min−1, and air flow rate of 800 L h−1. With the optimum parameters, the predicted values for the solubility and mean diameter were 95.33% and 5.34 μm, respectively, and experimentally were 94.36 ± 1.62% and 5.50 ± 0.44 μm, respectively. The experimental and predictive values were closely related showing predictive accuracy of the models.
Rice straw paper incorporated with activated carbon as an ethylene scavenger in a paper‐making process
Authors: Sothornvit Rungsinee , Sampoompuang Chaiyaporn
Published: December 2011

Rice straw contains cellulose as its main carbohydrate component, which is the major constituent for making rice straw paper as an alternative use of the residue. The objectives of this study were to determine a rice straw paper‐making process incorporating activated carbon (AC) and the effect of AC and the glucomannan (GLU) content on the physical and mechanical properties, including the ethylene adsorption capacity of rice straw paper containing AC. The results showed that AC was an effective ethylene scavenger, and it was possible to incorporate it into the rice straw paper‐making process. Increasing the AC content increased the ethylene adsorption capacity but decreased the strength of the AC‐rice straw paper. GLU maintained the strength of the rice straw paper but did not affect the ethylene adsorption capacity. Incorporation of 30% AC content with 0.3% GLU in the AC‐rice straw paper produced the maximum level of ethylene scavenging (77%). Moreover, AC‐rice straw paper is an environmentally friendly material owing to its reusability, and it has the potential for applications in food and agricultural packaging because it can act as an ethylene scavenger and also provide protection against mechanical damage.
Biotechnological potential of industrial wastes for economical citric acid bioproduction by Aspergillus niger through submerged fermentation
Authors: Dhillon Gurpreet S. , Brar Satinder K. , Verma Mausam
Published: December 2011

Submerged citric acid (CA) bioproduction was carried out by Aspergillus niger NRRL‐567 using various industrial wastes, such as brewery spent liquid (BSL), lactoserum and starch industry water sludge. CA bioproduction was carried out by varying the temperature (25–35 °C), pH (3–5), addition of inducers, incubation time and supplementation with different proportions of apple pomace ultrafiltration sludge (APS). The results indicated that under the best conditions with 3% (v/v) methanol, the optimal concentration of 11.34 g L−1 CA was recorded using BSL at pH 3.5 and temperature 30 °C after 120‐h incubation period. Supplementation of methanol resulted in an increase of 56% CA production. Meanwhile, under similar conditions, higher concentration of 18.34 g L−1 CA was reported with the supplementation of BSL with 40% (v/v) APS having suspended solids concentration of 30 g L−1. The present study demonstrated the potential of BSL supplemented with APS as an alternative cheap substrate for CA fermentation.
Corrected misidentification of first instars of the bot flies Cephenemyia apicata and C. jellisoni, with a review of the biology and life history of both species
Authors: ANDERSON J. R.
Published: December 2011

First instars obtained from the uteri of host‐seeking females, and compared with previously published descriptions of larvae collected from Columbian black‐tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus columbianus), revealed that larvae described as Cephenemyia apicata Bennett & Sabrosky (Diptera: Oestridae) actually are C. jellisoni Townsend. Several new characters are added to supplement the original descriptions of the first instars of these species. Collections of all larvae from deer autopsied during different months established that the first instars of C. apicata undergo a long obligate period of development and growth in the bronchi before molting and migrating to the retropharyngeal pouches of deer. This is the first study to document an obligatory lung phase in the life history of a species of Cephenemyia. The lung phase of C. apicata is compared with that described for Pharyngomyia picta (Meigen) (Diptera: Oestridae) in European red deer. A literature review found that for all Cephenemyia species studied, as well as for P. picta, a 6–8 month period of development as first instars during the fall/winter months ensures that pupal development and eclosion of adults will occur during periods of favourable external environmental conditions.
Factors associated with the development of cardiac allograft vasculopathy – a systematic review of observational studies
Authors: Braga J. R. , Santos I. S. O. , McDonald M. , Shah P. S. , Ross H. J.
Published: December 2011

Braga JR, Santos ISO, McDonald M, Shah PS, Ross HJ. Factors associated with the development of cardiac allograft vasculopathy – a systematic review of observational studies.  Clin Transplant 2011 DOI: 10.1111/j.1399‐0012.2011.01565.x.  © 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Abstract:  Cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) is a significant factor impacting outcomes after heart transplant. We performed a systematic review of risk factors for the development of CAV. A search of electronic databases was performed. The eligibility criteria included cohort and case–control studies with more than 50 adult patients submitted to a heart transplant. The outcome should be CAV diagnosed by angiography and/or intravascular ultrasound (IVUS). Two reviewers performed study selection, data abstraction, and quality assessment. Of 2514 citations, 66 articles were included – 46 had 200 participants or less; 61 were single‐center; and 44 were retrospective cohorts. The most used definition of CAV using angiography was the detection of any degree of abnormality (21 studies of 58). In studies using IVUS, an intimal thickness ≥0.5 mm was the most used definition (five of eight studies). Quality assessment revealed an inadequate description of patient selection, attrition, and accounting of potential confounders. Donor age, recipient age, recipient gender, etiology of heart failure, ischemic time, human leukocyte antigen matching, cytomegalovirus, lipid profile, and rejection episodes were the most studied factors. Our review indicates that the current evidence is not consistent across different studies. The definite contribution of risk factors for the development of CAV is still to be determined.
The efficacy of interviewing young drug users through online chat
Authors: BARRATT MONICA J.
Published: December 2011

Introduction and Aims. Despite the fact that most young people who use ‘party drugs’ also use the Internet, accounts of drugs research involving qualitative interviewing using real‐time instant messaging or online chat are yet to be published. This paper assesses the efficacy of conducting qualitative research interviews with young party drug users through instant messaging.

Design and Methods. In 2007–2008, 837 Australian residents who reported recent use of psychostimulants and/or hallucinogens and participated in online drug discussion completed a web survey and a subsample of 27 completed online interviews (median age 21, range 17–37, 59% male).

Results. Experienced drug users were more likely to volunteer to be interviewed than novices. The time and space flexibility provided by the online interviews was convenient; however, interviews were more prone to interruption. Establishing legitimacy, personal disclosure, appropriate linguistic style and humour facilitated the development of rapport and enabled the production of more detailed and in‐depth data. These strategies were not successful in all cases and when unsuccessful, interviewees were more easily able to exit the interview by choosing not to respond.

Discussion and Conclusions. Young drug users already using the Internet to chat about drugs find online interviewing an acceptable and convenient way to contribute to research. With adequate preparation to develop technical and cultural competencies, online interviewing offers an effective way of engaging with young people that is worthy of consideration by researchers in the alcohol and other drug field.[Barratt MJ. The efficacy of interviewing young drug users through online chat. Drug Alcohol Rev 2012;31:566–572]
South Korean alcohol free associations: Negative expectancy not predicting drinks per occasion
Authors: MAHONEY BENJAMIN J. , GRAHAM DEBORAH , COTTRELL DAVID , KIM KYUNG‐YONG
Published: December 2011

Introduction and Aims. Cultural and biological particulars existing in East Asian countries are likely to mediate differences in the alcohol consumption experience. Despite this no research to date has directly explored the alcohol free association or expectancy of any East Asian nations. The current research aims to provide a set of South Korean alcohol expectancies.

Design and Methods. Two hundred and thirty‐seven South Koreans participated in an alcohol free association test and completed a demographic survey.

Results. The results both confirmed and contradicted areas of past alcohol expectancy research. There appears to be differences in associates with high probability of recall and alcohol expectancy, where negative, negative sedating and sedating expectancy categories were not found to be predictors of South Korean drinker level.

Discussion and Conclusion. The results suggest that South Koreans have a more even level of negative expectancy across all drinker categories, possibly due to a combination of linguistic, cultural and biological difference found among this population. The results provide a list of South Korean alcohol free association norms for future alcohol research in the region, with the results also underlining the need for alcohol free association tests among East Asian nations.[Mahoney BJ, Graham D, Cottrell D, Kim K‐Y. South Korean alcohol free associations: Negative expectancy not predicting drinks per occasion. Drug Alcohol Rev 2012;31:469–476]
Estimating cell frequencies under inequality constraints based on the Kullback–Leibler information
Authors: Fu Lianyan , Gao Wei , Shi Ning‐Zhong
Published: December 2011

This article considers the problem of estimating the cell frequencies in a contingency table under inequality constraints. Algorithms are proposed for cell frequency estimation via minimizing the Kullback–Leibler distance subject to inequality constraints. The proposed algorithms are shown to be simple, easy to be used, fast, and reliable. Theorems are derived to guarantee the convergence of the algorithms. Applications and extensions of the algorithms are provided for more general problems than contingency table. The R programs that implement the proposed algorithms are presented in Appendix B.
The Political Economy of Financial Sector Supervision and Banking Crises: A Cross‐Country Analysis
Authors: Amri Puspa Delima , Kocher Brett Matthew
Published: December 2011

This study investigates the relationship between banking crises, financial supervision and institutional veto players in an empirical study consisting of 65 advanced and developing countries from 1976–2005. While the literature relating banking crises and supervision is extensive, discussions of precisely how domestic political institutions influence the design of banking supervision have not been commonplace. We test whether these political institutions which reflect checks and balances affect the probability of a banking crisis, by way of shaping the quality of a country's financial supervisory policies. We find a significant and negative relationship between banking crises probabilities and the strength of financial sector supervision. Our results highlight the important role of financial regulation and supervision in reconciling the benefits of a liberalised financial system (ie enhanced economic growth) with its costs (ie increased financial fragility).
Assessment of Prenatal Exposure to Ethanol by Meconium Analysis: Results of an Italian Multicenter Study
Authors: Pichini Simona , Marchei Emilia , Vagnarelli Federica , Tarani Luigi , Raimondi Francesco , Maffucci Rosalba , Sacher Bruno , Bisceglia Massimo , Rapisardi Gherardo , Elicio Maria Rosaria , Biban Paolo , Zuccaro Piergiorgio , Pacifici Roberta , Pierantozzi Andrea , Morini Luca
Published: December 2011

Background:  This study estimated in 7 Italian cities the prevalence of prenatal exposure to ethanol by determining fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs; palmitic, palmitoleic, stearic, oleic, linoleic, linolenic, and arachidonic esters) and ethyl glucuronide (EtG) in neonatal meconium samples.

Methods:  A total of 607 meconium samples were obtained from neonatal wards of 7 public hospitals: Verona and San Daniele del Friuli in the northeast of the country, Reggio Emilia in the middle east, Florence and Rome in the center, and Naples and Crotone in the southwest of the peninsula. Meconium biomarkers were assessed by a validated methodology using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry and the results categorized using the accepted cutoff of 2 nmol/g total amount of 7 FAEEs and 2 nmol/g EtG, to differentiate between heavy maternal ethanol use during pregnancy and occasional or no use at all.

Results:  On the basis of the above‐reported cutoffs, the overall prevalence of newborns prenatally exposed to maternal ethanol was 7.9%: 0% in Verona, 4.0% in San Daniele del Friuli, 4.9% in Naples, 5.0% in Florence, 6.2% in Crotone, up to 10.6% in Reggio Emilia, and 29.4% in Rome. Low maternal education level and younger maternal age were associated with biomarker scores over the cutoff. There was also a significant correlation between the highest percentage of prenatal exposure in the capital and certain maternal sociodemographic characteristics.

Conclusions:  These results indicate considerable variability in the prevalence of fetal exposure to ethanol in different Italian cities, as determined by the objective measurement of biomarkers in meconium. These data, together with previous ones obtained in Barcelona, Spain, indicate that gestational ethanol exposure is widespread, at least in parts of Europe.
Two‐Component Mixture Cure Rate Model with Spline Estimated Nonparametric Components
Authors: Wang Lu , Du Pang , Liang Hua
Published: December 2011

Summary In some survival analysis of medical studies, there are often long‐term survivors who can be considered as permanently cured. The goals in these studies are to estimate the noncured probability of the whole population and the hazard rate of the susceptible subpopulation. When covariates are present as often happens in practice, to understand covariate effects on the noncured probability and hazard rate is of equal importance. The existing methods are limited to parametric and semiparametric models. We propose a two‐component mixture cure rate model with nonparametric forms for both the cure probability and the hazard rate function. Identifiability of the model is guaranteed by an additive assumption that allows no time–covariate interactions in the logarithm of hazard rate. Estimation is carried out by an expectation–maximization algorithm on maximizing a penalized likelihood. For inferential purpose, we apply the Louis formula to obtain point‐wise confidence intervals for noncured probability and hazard rate. Asymptotic convergence rates of our function estimates are established. We then evaluate the proposed method by extensive simulations. We analyze the survival data from a melanoma study and find interesting patterns for this study.
Assessment of paraoxonase 1, xanthine oxidase and glutathione peroxidase activities, nitric oxide and thiol levels in women with polycystic ovary syndrome
Authors: BASKOL GULDEN , AYGEN ERCAN , ERDEM FERAY , CANIKLIOĞLU AYŞEN , NARIN FIGEN , ŞAHIN YILMAZ , KAYA TUGBA
Published: December 2011

Objective. To investigate whether there is any relation between oxidative stress and the antioxidant system in the development of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) by measuring serum nitric oxide (NO) levels and xanthine oxidase (XO) activity (a generator of reactive oxygen species) and antioxidant status by measuring serum thiol levels and glutathione peroxidase (GSHPx) and paraoxonase 1 (PON1) activities. Design. Prospective case–control study. Setting. University hospital in Turkey. Sample. Thirty women with polycystic ovary syndrome and 20 age‐ and sex‐matched healthy control subjects were included. Methods. Serum XO, PON1 and GSHPx activity and NO and thiol levels were determined by spectrophotometric methods. Main outcome measures. Activity of serum XO, PON1 and GSH, as well as NO and thiol levels. Results. Serum XO activities were higher in women with PCOS than in the control women (p<0.001). The PON1 activity was lower in women with PCOS than in the control women (p<0.001). No significant difference was found between NO and thiol levels and GSHPx activities of women with PCOS and the control women (p>0.05). Serum PON1 activities were negatively correlated with serum XO activities and NO levels. Conclusion. Increased oxidant XO activity and decreased lipid antioxidant PON1 activity, along with the observed negative correlation between these parameters, suggests that women with PCOS are under oxidative stress and that there is XO‐mediated lipid peroxidation, which may be related to increased atherosclerosis seen in later life in such women.
OUTLIERS, CHEESE, AND RHIZOMES: VARIATIONS ON A THEME OF LIMITATION
Authors: Stone Lynda
Published: December 2011

All research has limitations, for example, from paradigm, concept, theory, tradition, and discipline. In this article Lynda Stone describes three exemplars that are variations on limitation and are “extraordinary” in that they change what constitutes future research in each domain. Malcolm Gladwell's present day study of outliers makes a statistical term into a sociological concept. Carlo Ginzburg's study of a sixteenth‐century miller who challenges Church doctrine initiates the field of microhistory. Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari's philosophy of the rhizome offers a poststructuralist study of the doing of philosophy and the form of philosophical text. Although Gladwell's study is the only one specifically on the topic of outliers, the other two investigations are outliers as well. Overall the three studies demonstrate what can be revealed and learned when limitation is transgressed. This is an important lesson for educational research—wherein heretofore unimagined societal possibility and reform of education might result.