bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Streptomycin Resistance of Erwinia amylovora Isolated from Apple (Malus domesticus) in Utah
Authors: Nischwitz Claudia , Dhiman Christine
Published: November 2013

Fire blight, caused by the bacterium Erwinia amylovora, causes devastating losses in multiple fruit and ornamental crops worldwide. It is the most important disease for apple and pear growers in Utah. Currently, the only effective management strategy is the application of streptomycin. In 2006, isolates resistant to streptomycin were detected in an apple orchard in central Utah for the first time. To determine the distribution of resistant isolates and the level of resistance, isolates of E. amylovora were collected between 2006 and 2012 from apple trees across the state and tested for resistance to streptomycin. Each isolate was initially screened against 0, 50, 100, and 1,000 ppm of streptomycin. Selected isolates resistant to 1,000 ppm were exposed to higher concentrations of streptomycin. The majority of resistant isolates were found in Utah Co., the largest apple and pear production area in the state. Resistant isolates tolerated up to 200,000 ppm of streptomycin. The resistance mechanism in all isolates obtained in Utah was identified as a mutation of codon 43 found in the rpsL gene.

Accepted for publication 15 August 2013. Published 25 October 2013.
List of new names and new combinations previously effectively, but not validly, published
Authors: Oren Aharon , Garrity George M.
Published: November 2013

The purpose of this announcement is to effect the valid publication of the following effectively published new names and new combinations under the procedure described in the Bacteriological Code (1990 Revision). Authors and other individuals wishing to have new names and/or combinations included in future lists should send three copies of the pertinent reprint or photocopies thereof, or an electronic copy of the published paper to the IJSEM Editorial Office for confirmation that all of the other requirements for valid publication have been met. It is also a requirement of IJSEM and the ICSP that authors of new species, new subspecies and new combinations provide evidence that types are deposited in two recognized culture collections in two different countries. It should be noted that the date of valid publication of these new names and combinations is the date of publication of this list, not the date of the original publication of the names and combinations. The authors of the new names and combinations are as given below. Inclusion of a name on these lists validates the publication of the name and thereby makes it available in the nomenclature of prokaryotes. The inclusion of a name on this list is not to be construed as taxonomic acceptance of the taxon to which the name is applied. Indeed, some of these names may, in time, be shown to be synonyms, or the organisms may be transferred to another genus, thus necessitating the creation of a new combination.
Diet-induced obesity mediated by the JNK/DIO2 signal transduction pathway
Authors: Vernia Santiago , Cavanagh-Kyros Julie , Barrett Tamera , Jung Dae Young , Kim Jason K. , Davis Roger J.
Published: November 2013

The cJun N-terminal kinase (JNK) signaling pathway is a key mediator of metabolic stress responses caused by consuming a high-fat diet, including the development of obesity. To test the role of JNK, we examined diet-induced obesity in mice with targeted ablation of Jnk genes in the anterior pituitary gland. These mice exhibited an increase in the pituitary expression of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), an increase in the blood concentration of thyroid hormone (T4), increased energy expenditure, and markedly reduced obesity compared with control mice. The increased amount of pituitary TSH was caused by reduced expression of type 2 iodothyronine deiodinase (Dio2), a gene that is required for T4-mediated negative feedback regulation of TSH expression. These data establish a molecular mechanism that accounts for the regulation of energy expenditure and the development of obesity by the JNK signaling pathway.
Cell fusion induced by ERVWE1 or measles virus causes cellular senescence
Authors: Chuprin Anna , Gal Hilah , Biron-Shental Tal , Biran Anat , Amiel Aliza , Rozenblatt Shmuel , Krizhanovsky Valery
Published: November 2013

Cellular senescence limits proliferation of potentially detrimental cells, preventing tumorigenesis and restricting tissue damage. However, the function of senescence in nonpathological conditions is unknown. We found that the human placental syncytiotrophoblast exhibited the phenotype and expressed molecular markers of cellular senescence. During embryonic development, ERVWE1-mediated cell fusion results in formation of the syncytiotrophoblast, which serves as the maternal/fetal interface at the placenta. Expression of ERVWE1 caused cell fusion in normal and cancer cells, leading to formation of hyperploid syncytia exhibiting features of cellular senescence. Infection by the measles virus, which leads to cell fusion, also induced cellular senescence in normal and cancer cells. The fused cells activated the main molecular pathways of senescence, the p53- and p16–pRb-dependent pathways; the senescence-associated secretory phenotype; and immune surveillance-related proteins. Thus, fusion-induced senescence might be needed for proper syncytiotrophoblast function during embryonic development, and reuse of this senescence program later in life protects against pathological expression of endogenous fusogens and fusogenic viral infections.
Single-cell methylome landscapes of mouse embryonic stem cells and early embryos analyzed using reduced representation bisulfite sequencing
Authors: Guo Hongshan , Zhu Ping , Wu Xinglong , Li Xianlong , Wen Lu , Tang Fuchou
Published: November 2013

DNA methylation is crucial for a wide variety of biological processes, yet no technique suitable for the methylome analysis of DNA methylation at single-cell resolution is available. Here, we describe a methylome analysis technique that enables single-cell and single-base resolution DNA methylation analysis based on reduced representation bisulfite sequencing (scRRBS). The technique is highly sensitive and can detect the methylation status of up to 1.5 million CpG sites within the genome of an individual mouse embryonic stem cell (mESC). Moreover, we show that the technique can detect the methylation status of individual CpG sites in a haploid sperm cell in a digitized manner as either unmethylated or fully methylated. Furthermore, we show that the demethylation dynamics of maternal and paternal genomes after fertilization can be traced within the individual pronuclei of mouse zygotes. The demethylation process of the genic regions is faster than that of the intergenic regions in both male and female pronuclei. Our method paves the way for the exploration of the dynamic methylome landscapes of individual cells at single-base resolution during physiological processes such as embryonic development, or during pathological processes such as tumorigenesis.
RNA Structure Determination Using Chemical Methods
Authors: Caprara Mark
Published: November 2013

Information about the secondary structure of RNA is often useful when assessing the potential for certain RNAs to interact with proteins or when determining whether RNAs that are dissimilar in sequence can form the same structure. In this protocol we discuss chemical methods for RNA structure determination. These methods rely on the fact that certain reagents interact with RNA bases when they are single stranded, but do not react when the bases are involved in Watson–Crick base pairs. For example, dimethylsulfate (DMS) methylates the N1 position of adenosine, the N7 position of guanine, and the N3 position of cytosine only when these bases are in single-strand regions. Modifications of adenosine and cytosine create blocks to reverse transcriptase; accordingly, these modifications are detected as stops to primer extension. Modification of guanine does not create reverse transcriptase stops, but these modifications can be detected by cleavage of the modified RNA after borohydride reduction and aniline cleavage. Because DMS and other chemical reagents modify only single-stranded RNA, double-stranded regions are inferred by the lack of modification.
Expression and Purification of Active Recombinant T7 RNA Polymerase from E. coli
Authors: Rio Donald C.
Published: November 2013

For large-scale transcription reactions or for cost savings, a laboratory may want to prepare its own recombinant T7-, SP6-, or T3-phage RNA polymerases. It is convenient to perform this preparation every 2–3 years and have a consistent and reliable source of phage RNA polymerase for many in vitro transcription reactions. In the protocol presented here, the recombinant plasmid expressing T7 RNA polymerase (RNAP) as a his6-tagged molecule is under an isopropyl β-d-1-thio-galactopyranoside (IPTG)-inducible promoter. The bacteria are lysed by sonication, the his6-tagged protein in the bacterial lysate is purified by binding to Ni-NTA agarose, and the resin is then extensively washed and eluted with imidazole. The purified enzyme is dialyzed against a glycerol-containing storage buffer and can then be stored for months or years at −20°C.
Bilayer Measurement of Endoplasmic Reticulum Ca2+ Channels
Authors: Bezprozvanny Ilya
Published: November 2013

Reconstitution of ion channels into planar lipid bilayers (also called black lipid membranes or BLM) is the most widely used method to conduct physiological studies of intracellular ion channels, including endoplasmic reticulum (ER) calcium (Ca2+) channels. The two main types of Ca2+ release channels in the ER membrane are ryanodine receptors (RyanRs) and inositol(1,4,5)-trisphosphate receptors (InsP3Rs). Use of the BLM reconstitution technique enabled the initial description of the functional properties of InsP3R and RyanR at the single-channel level more than 20 years ago. Since then, BLM reconstitution methods have been used to study physiological modulation and to perform structure–function analysis of these channels, and to study pathological changes in the function of InsP3R and RyanR in various disease states. The BLM technique has also been useful for studies of other intracellular Ca2+ channels, such as ER Ca2+ leak presenilin channels and NAADP-gated lysosomal Ca2+ channels encoded by TPC2. In this article, basic protocols used for BLM studies of ER Ca2+ channels are introduced.
Accelerating Cancer Modeling with RNAi and Nongermline Genetically Engineered Mouse Models
Authors: Livshits Geulah , Lowe Scott W.
Published: November 2013

For more than two decades, genetically engineered mouse models have been key to our mechanistic understanding of tumorigenesis and cancer progression. Recently, the massive quantity of data emerging from cancer genomics studies has demanded a corresponding increase in the efficiency and throughput of in vivo models for functional testing of putative cancer genes. Already a mainstay of cancer research, recent innovations in RNA interference (RNAi) technology have extended its utility for studying gene function and genetic interactions, enabling tissue-specific, inducible and reversible gene silencing in vivo. Concurrent advances in embryonic stem cell (ESC) culture and genome engineering have accelerated several steps of genetically engineered mouse model production and have facilitated the incorporation of RNAi technology into these models. Here, we review the current state of these technologies and examine how their integration has the potential to dramatically enhance the throughput and capabilities of animal models for cancer.
Mediation of Clathrin-Dependent Trafficking during Cytokinesis and Cell Expansion by Arabidopsis STOMATAL CYTOKINESIS DEFECTIVE Proteins
Authors: McMichael Colleen M. , Reynolds Gregory D. , Koch Lisa M. , Wang Chao , Jiang Nan , Nadeau Jeanette , Sack Fred D. , Gelderman Max B. , Pan Jianwei , Bednarek Sebastian Y.
Published: November 2013

STOMATAL CYTOKINESIS DEFECTIVE1 (SCD1) encodes a putative Rab guanine nucleotide exchange factor that functions in membrane trafficking and is required for cytokinesis and cell expansion in Arabidopsis thaliana. Here, we show that the loss of SCD2 function disrupts cytokinesis and cell expansion and impairs fertility, phenotypes similar to those observed for scd1 mutants. Genetic and biochemical analyses showed that SCD1 function is dependent upon SCD2 and that together these proteins are required for plasma membrane internalization. Further specifying the role of these proteins in membrane trafficking, SCD1 and SCD2 proteins were found to be associated with isolated clathrin-coated vesicles and to colocalize with clathrin light chain at putative sites of endocytosis at the plasma membrane. Together, these data suggest that SCD1 and SCD2 function in clathrin-mediated membrane transport, including plasma membrane endocytosis, required for cytokinesis and cell expansion.
Crosstalk between the Unfolded Protein Response and Pathways That Regulate Pathogenic Development inUstilago maydis
Authors: Heimel Kai , Freitag Johannes , Hampel Martin , Ast Julia , Bölker Michael , Kämper Jörg
Published: November 2013

The unfolded protein response (UPR) is a conserved eukaryotic signaling pathway regulating endoplasmic reticulum (ER) homeostasis during ER stress, which results, for example, from an increased demand for protein secretion. Here, we characterize the homologs of the central UPR regulatory proteins Hac1 (for Homologous to ATF/CREB1) and Inositol Requiring Enzyme1 in the plant pathogenic fungus Ustilago maydis and demonstrate that the UPR is tightly interlinked with the b mating-type-dependent signaling pathway that regulates pathogenic development. Exact timing of UPR is required for virulence, since premature activation interferes with the b-dependent switch from budding to filamentous growth. In addition, we found crosstalk between UPR and the b target Clampless1 (Clp1), which is essential for cell cycle release and proliferation in planta. The unusual C-terminal extension of the U. maydis Hac1 homolog, Cib1 (for Clp1 interacting bZIP1), mediates direct interaction with Clp1. The interaction between Clp1 and Cib1 promotes stabilization of Clp1, resulting in enhanced ER stress tolerance that prevents deleterious UPR hyperactivation. Thus, the interaction between Cib1 and Clp1 constitutes a checkpoint to time developmental progression and increased secretion of effector proteins at the onset of biotrophic development. Crosstalk between UPR and the b mating-type regulated developmental program adapts ER homeostasis to the changing demands during biotrophy.
Digitization projects in university libraries in Nigeria: the journey so far
Authors: Emmanuel Baro Ebikabowei , Gboyega Oyeniran Kayode , Ateboh Benedict
Published: November 2013

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate digitization activities in university libraries in Nigeria and to identify the challenges encountered in their various digitization projects.

Design/methodology/approach

– Data collection for the study was in two phase. First, a telephone conversation with university librarians is to investigate whether they have adopted digitization of materials. Second, e-mail questionnaire was sent to the various university libraries into digitization projects.

Findings

– The study revealed that only few university libraries have adopted digitization of their information resources in Nigeria. The main aim of the digitization projects is to have greater access to local contents globally. However, the digitization projects are faced with challenges such as unstable internet connectivity, lack of fund, irregular power supply, collecting materials for digitization, lack of IT personnel, absence of digitization policy, and copyright issues. Ways to overcome the challenges were suggested such as provision of stable internet connectivity, installation of solar energy, purchase of giant generators, and training of staff.

Originality/value

– Findings from this study might be useful to university libraries in developing countries that are planning to go into digitization of information resources for global accessibility.
Physicochemical properties of fermented wheat-chickpea-rice weaning blend
Authors: M. Adhikari Bhaskar , Elizabeth Adelakun Oluyemisi , B. Katawal Surendra
Published: November 2013

Purpose

– This paper aims to focus on the effect of fermentation on wheat-chickpea-rice weaning blend.

Design/methodology/approach

– Wheat, chickpea, and rice were blended and fermented with Rhizopus koji for 60 h at 29±2°C at an interval of 15 h. Blends were analyzed using methods reported in the literature for physicochemical and sensory properties.

Findings

– Protein content of the weaning blends increased progressively from 14.63 percent in the unfermented to 20.89 percent after 60 h of fermentation, while the fat content decreased as fermentation time increases. The pH of the samples gradually decreased from 4.53 to 3.83 with gradual increase in titratable acidity as fermentation time increases. The water absorption capacity, total plate count, and yeast and mold count were found to be in the range 112.2±1.16 to 171±1.67 percent, 1.0×103 to 1.3×103 cfu/g, and 700 to 800 cfu/g, respectively. In terms of sensory analysis, 15-h fermented sample was found to be the best.

Originality/value

– The paper has demonstrated effect of fermentation on wheat-chickpea-rice weaning blend.
Dietary and lifestyle habits among adolescent girls in Saudi Arabia
Authors: Obaid Musaiger Abdulrahman , Zagzoog Nisreen
Published: November 2013

Purpose

– The main purpose of this study was to explore the differences in dietary habits and lifestyle between girls in government and private schools in Saudi Arabia.

Design/methodology/approach

– A cross-sectional multistage stratified survey was carried out on schoolgirls aged 12-19 years. The total sample was 512 girls (291 and 221 girls from government and private schools, respectively). A pretested questionnaire was used to collect the data.

Findings

– The findings revealed that girls in private schools were significantly more likely to consume vegetables, fruits, red meat, and chicken than those in government schools. Furthermore, private schoolgirls were less prone to watch television and use the internet daily than girls in government schools.

Originality/value

– Intervention for promoting healthy lifestyles in schoolchildren should not exclude private schools.
Making sense of liaison consultations: using reflection to understand information-seeking behavior
Authors: Suarez Doug
Published: November 2013

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to reflect on past liaison library practice to make sense of student information-seeking behavior. Experiential data created from liaison consultations was used to gain student perspectives. Liaison consultations enhance student experiences and provide strategic benefits for academic libraries to counter perceived under-utilization of information services in general.

Design/methodology/approach

– Grounded theory framed the study and thematic analysis was applied to liaison librarian consultation notes representing 25 years of past practice. Themes that characterize information-seeking behaviors were noted and used to help explain student behavior.

Findings

– Despite significant changes in information formats, the pervasive use of internet technology, and student searching habits, the key finding is that students will continue to consult with librarians to the extent that they find the experience useful. Both parties contribute and define the reference consultation to help formulate productive information-seeking behaviors.

Originality/value

– Analyzing evidence through the lens of reflection and the use of unobtrusive methods provided useful insights into the roles that librarians and students play in the consultation process. The findings suggest that information-searching behaviors can be influenced and shaped to produce successful searching outcomes. Several recommendations for strengthening library practice are provided.
The Big Society and English public libraries: where are we now?
Authors: Goulding Anne
Published: November 2013

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to analyse the impact of the Big Society on public libraries in England. It evaluates the conceptualisation of public libraries as agents in the Big Society agenda and explores the practical implications of this positioning.

Design/methodology/approach

– The author critically evaluates evidence from a range of literature, documentation and other sources on the topics of the Big Society, localism and public libraries, the majority of which is of English or UK origin, including that from academic journals, books, grey literature and web sites including blogs and discussion lists. Recent and current developments are reviewed and commented on from the author's viewpoint.

Findings

– The paper advances the view that although public libraries encapsulate many Big Society values, including community empowerment and social action, many local councils are seizing on Big Society rhetoric as an expedient method for driving through cutbacks and closures, rather than as a way of making a true shift of power from governors to the governed.

Originality/value

– The paper critically evaluates discourses surrounding public libraries and the Big Society with the aim of raising awareness of the local authority policy context and stimulating discussion of the future of public libraries in England.
Strategy essentials: organizational simulators
Authors: Páscoa Carlos , Ferreira Nelson , Tribolet José
Published: November 2013

Purpose

– The aim of this article is to: provide an overview of the role of organizational simulators as essential tools to assess, at early stages of the planning phase, organizational objectives and strategy; propose recommendations on how to advance the subject area in terms of research and development; demonstrate that aeronautical concepts can be applied in the organizational context.

Design/methodology/approach

– The article refers concepts and theories related with the subject and presents a methodology for social investigation, which was used in this research.

Findings

– Organizational simulators have a fundamental role in organizational self-awareness because they help to control the organization's vital parameters, in a proactive manner, considering the creation of different scenarios that allow, beforehand, a predictive assessment.

Research limitations/implications

– The research provides empirical evidence of use in the operational domain of the Portuguese Air Force and also an example of the valuable collaboration between real operations use and academia research. It also offers an insight, by using the metaphor “Flying the Organization”, on how flying concepts can be applied in the organizational context.

Practical implications

– The research lab was done using Microsoft Excel in what was related to the simulator development. All relevant data was gathered from organization's information systems (IS) and inserted into Microsoft Excel. Future implementations should be integrated with the organization's IS.

Originality/value

– This article contributes to the “state of art” of organizational simulators by providing a real case and provides both the entrepreneurial and academia communities for conducting future actions within this subject. The article also provides value to organizational management actors on how organizational simulators can be applied.
Digital preservation cost: a cost accounting approach
Authors: Boté Juanjo , Fernandez-Feijoo Belen , Ruiz Silvia
Published: November 2013

Purpose

– Digital preservation (DP) is the term used to describe the processes that guarantee the accessibility of data in the long term. The high value of health information justifies the use of electronic health records and the DP of them. This paper aims to examine one of the economic aspects of DP, presenting a cost model proposal for DP in health care organizations.

Design/methodology/approach

– Using a cost accounting methodology and beginning from the product and productive process definition, the authors propose a customized application of cost calculation to digital preservation for health data.

Findings

– This paper contributes to the existing literature with a cost model proposal to calculate the cost of DP applying a cost analysis methodology.

Research limitations/implications

– The authors present a cost model to the DP process in the health care field, with specific, concrete and limited kind of digital formats to be preserved. This can represent a limitation to this paper.

Practical implications

– Implementing a cost model of DP in hospital is a practical way to obtain basic information for making decisions regarding preservation.

Originality/value

– This paper sheds light on how to apply the methodology of one of the most traditional information systems, accounting, to one of the newest information systems, DP.
An e-marketplace of healthcare and social care services: the perceived interest
Authors: Manuela Cruz-Cunha Maria , Miranda Isabel , Lopes Nuno , Simoes Ricardo
Published: November 2013

Purpose

– The health and social care sector is receiving growing attention due to the increased life expectancy and to the public demand for a better quality of life and better health services. New cost-efficient approaches are required, and the paper aims to present and discuss the main results of a study undertaken in a Portuguese municipality on the perceived relevance of an e-marketplace of social and healthcare services for the inhabitants in general, and for people with special needs in particular, and the identification of the most relevant services to be offered through this platform.

Design/methodology/approach

– A wide survey was undertaken to identify the needs of potential users and their expectancies with relation to the proposed platform. The results of the study are a support for the project promoters to understand the viability of the solution and the requirements to the deployment of the pilot experiment, as well as to drive the selection of domains of activities/classes of services to be offered by the platform.

Findings

– Services such as information about healthcare services, home monitoring/accompanying services 24 hours per day, and personal hygiene services provided at home are the ones recognized by the inquired citizens as the most important, which indicates that the potential users will be mostly people with special needs or their family or caregivers.

Originality/value

– While still at a preliminary development phase, the project represents a good opportunity to develop a totally innovative service with high potential impact for the senior population and for individuals with special needs.
Impact of placement type on the development of clinical competency in speech–language pathology students
Authors: Sheepway Lyndal , Lincoln Michelle , McAllister Sue
Published: November 2013

Background

Speech–language pathology students gain experience and clinical competency through clinical education placements. However, currently little empirical information exists regarding how competency develops. Existing research about the effectiveness of placement types and models in developing competency is generally descriptive and based on opinions and perceptions. The changing nature of education of speech–language pathology students, diverse student cohorts, and the crisis in finding sufficient clinical education placements mean that establishing the most effective and efficient methods for developing clinical competency in students is needed.

Aims

To gather empirical information regarding the development of competence in speech–language pathology students; and to determine if growth of competency differs in groups of students completing placements that differ in terms of caseload, intensity and setting.

Methods & Procedures

Participants were students in the third year of a four‐year undergraduate speech–language pathology degree who completed three clinical placements across the year and were assessed with the COMPASS® competency assessment tool. Competency development for the whole group across the three placements is described. Growth of competency in groups of students completing different placement types is compared. Interval‐level data generated from the students’ COMPASS® results were subjected to parametric statistical analyses.

Outcomes & Results

The whole group of students increased significantly in competency from placement to placement across different placement settings, intensities and client age groups. Groups completing child placements achieved significantly higher growth in competency when compared with the competency growth of students completing adult placements. Growth of competency was not significantly different for students experiencing different intensity of placements, or different placement settings.

Conclusions & Implications

These results confirm that the competency of speech–language pathology students develops across three clinical placements over a one‐year period regardless of placement type or context, indicating that there may be a transfer of learning between placements types. Further research investigating patterns of competency development in speech–language pathology students is warranted to ensure that assumptions used to design clinical learning opportunities are based on valid evidence.
Phonology in Swedish‐speaking 3‐year‐olds born with cleft lip and palate and the relationship with consonant production at 18 months
Authors: Klintö Kristina , Eva‐Kristina‐Salameh  , Olsson Maria , Flynn Traci , Svensson Henry , Lohmander Anette
Published: November 2013

Background

Approximately 50% of children born with cleft palate present speech difficulties around 3 years of age, and several studies report on persisting phonological problems after palatal closure. However, studies on early phonology related to cleft palate are few and have so far mainly been carried out on English‐speaking children. Studies on phonology related to cleft palate in languages other than English are also warranted.

Aims

To assess phonology in Swedish‐speaking children born with and without unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) at 3 years of age, and to identify variables at 18 months that are associated with restricted phonology at age 3 years.

Methods & Procedures

Eighteen consecutive children born with UCLP and 20 children without cleft lip and palate were included. Transcriptions of audio recordings at 18 months and 3 years were used. Per cent correct consonants adjusted for age (PCC‐A), the number of established phonemes, and phonological simplification processes at 3 years were assessed and compared with different aspects of consonant inventory at 18 months.

Outcomes & Results

PCC‐A, the number of established phonemes, and the total number of phonological processes differed significantly at 3 years between the two groups. Total number of oral consonants, oral stops, dental/alveolar oral stops and number of different oral stops at 18 months correlated significantly with PCC‐A at 3 years in the UCLP group.

Conclusions & Implications

As a group, children born with UCLP displayed deviant phonology at 3 years compared with peers without cleft lip and palate. Measures of oral consonant and stop production at 18 months might be possible predictors for phonology at 3 years in children born with cleft palate.
Validation of the Thai version of the Health Assessment Questionnaire for patients with psoriatic arthritis
Authors: Katchamart Wanruchada , Benjamanukul Saovanee , Chiowchanwesawakit Praveena
Published: November 2013

Objective

To validate the Thai version of the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) for patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA).

Methods

The Thai version of the HAQ was administered to 47 patients with PsA attending our rheumatology clinic. Clinical assessments included the measures of disease activity, disease severity and functional status. The correlation of the single items and total score of the Thai HAQ with the measures of disease activity, disease severity and functional status was assessed using Pearson's correlation or Spearman rank correlation, as appropriate.

Results

Of 47 patients who fulfilled the Classification Criteria for Psoriatic Arthritis (CASPAR), 21 were male. Their mean age ± standard deviation (SD) and mean disease duration ± SD were 49 ± 10 years and 6.97 ± 6.17 years, respectively. Spondylitis was the most common manifestation (38%). The mean Thai HAQ score was 0.47. The single items and total score of the Thai HAQ were moderately to highly correlated with several measures of disease activity (r = 0.32–0.81, P < 0.01), except for swollen joint count (r = 0.16). For functional status and disease severity, the Thai HAQ was moderately correlated with grip strength (r = −0.39, P < 0.01), but poorly correlated with the range of spinal movement and the number of damaged joints. (r = −0.01 to 0.17). Cronbach's alpha coefficient for internal consistency reliability was 0.88. These results were comparable to the original version.

Conclusion

The Thai version of the HAQ is valid for assessing functional status in patients with PsA; however, its validity may be limited in patients who have axial involvement or permanent joint damage.
Cerebral radiation necrosis
Authors: Na Angelika , Haghigi Neda , Drummond Katharine J
Published: November 2013

Cerebral radiation‐induced injury ranges from acute reversible edema to late irreversible radiation necrosis (RN). Cerebral RN is poorly responsive to treatment, is associated with permanent neurological deficits and occasionally progresses to death. We review the literature regarding cerebral RN after radiotherapy for various brain and head and neck lesions and discuss its clinical features, imaging characteristics, pathophysiology and treatment. For new enhancing lesions on computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging, apart from tumor progression or recurrence, RN needs to be considered in the differential diagnosis. Further studies are required to design chemoradiotherapy protocols that are effective in treating tumors while minimizing risk of RN. Current available treatments for RN, steroid and surgery, only relieve the mass effect. None of the experimental treatments to date have consistently been shown to reverse the pathologic process of RN.
Safety and accuracy of core biopsy in retroperitoneal sarcomas
Authors: Hwang Sang Yun , Warrier Sanjay , Thompson Stephen , Davidson Trent , Yang Jia Lin , Crowe Philip
Published: November 2013

Aim

Retroperitoneal sarcomas (RPSs) are large, rare tumors. The role of core biopsy for retroperitoneal masses identified by preoperative imaging is unclear and we report the safety and accuracy of core biopsies at a specialized sarcoma unit in Sydney, Australia.

Methods

A retrospective analysis of a prospectively collected database was performed to identify the safety and accuracy of core biopsies in patients who were confirmed to have RPS.

Results

Twenty‐two patients underwent biopsies with no recorded morbidity or tumor seeding. RPS was correctly identified in 82%. Median follow‐up was 19 months.

Conclusion

We demonstrate that core biopsy is safe and can identify RPSs.
Local and Landscape Correlates of Primate Distribution and Persistence in the Remnant Lowland Rainforests of the Upper Brahmaputra Valley, Northeastern India
Authors: SHARMA NARAYAN , MADHUSUDAN M. D. , SINHA ANINDYA
Published: November 2013

Habitat fragmentation affects species distribution and abundance, and drives extinctions. Escalated tropical deforestation and fragmentation have confined many species populations to habitat remnants. How worthwhile is it to invest scarce resources in conserving habitat remnants within densely settled production landscapes? Are these fragments fated to lose species anyway? If not, do other ecological, anthropogenic, and species‐related factors mitigate the effect of fragmentation and offer conservation opportunities? We evaluated, using generalized linear models in an information‐theoretic framework, the effect of local‐ and landscape‐scale factors on the richness, abundance, distribution, and local extinction of 6 primate species in 42 lowland tropical rainforest fragments of the Upper Brahmaputra Valley, northeastern India. On average, the forest fragments lost at least one species in the last 30 years but retained half their original species complement. Species richness declined as proportion of habitat lost increased but was not significantly affected by fragment size and isolation. The occurrence of western hoolock gibbon (Hoolock hoolock) and capped langur (Trachypithecus pileatus) in fragments was inversely related to their isolation and loss of habitat, respectively. Fragment area determined stump‐tailed (Macaca arctoides) and northern pig‐tailed macaque occurrence (Macaca leonina). Assamese macaque (Macaca assamensis) distribution was affected negatively by illegal tree felling, and rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta) abundance increased as habitat heterogeneity increased. Primate extinction in a fragment was primarily governed by the extent of divergence in its food tree species richness from that in contiguous forests. We suggest the conservation value of these fragments is high because collectively they retained the entire original species pool and individually retained half of it, even a century after fragmentation. Given the extensive habitat and species loss, however, these fragments urgently require protection and active ecological restoration to sustain this rich primate assemblage.

Correlaciones Locales y de Paisaje de la Distribución y Persistencia de Primates en los Bosques Lluviosos Remanentes en el Valle del Alto Brahmaputra, Noreste de India
Double‐balloon colonoscopy carried out by a trainee after incomplete conventional colonoscopy
Authors: Nemoto Daiki , Isohata Noriyuki , Utano Ken‐ichi , Endo Shungo , Hewett David G. , Togashi Kazutomo
Published: November 2013

Background and Aim

It has been reported that double‐balloon colonoscopy (DBC) is useful for patients after failed colonoscopy. In most cases previously reported, expert colonoscopists have carried out DBC. However, DBC may not require significant expertise. The objective of the present study is to assess DBC carried out by an inexperienced colonoscopist in patients referred after previously incomplete colonoscopy.

Methods

In a single center between June 2011 and September 2012, we enrolled 28 consecutive patients referred following incomplete conventional colonoscopy. The reported reasons for previous failed colonoscopy were severe pain during the procedure in 15, long redundant colon in 13 and sigmoid fixation in eight. Under instruction by an experienced colonoscopist, all procedures were carried out by a gastroenterology trainee with little colonoscopy experience. A double‐balloon instrument with carbon dioxide insufflation was used under fluoroscopicguidance, with i.v. sedation. Cecal intubation rate, time to cecum and patient‐reported pain using a visual analog scale (0 to 10) were evaluated.

Results

The trainee achieved a cecal intubation in all patients (100%) without primary involvement by the experienced colonoscopist. Time to cecum ranged from 6 min to 66 min (median time to cecum 15 min 55 s). No patients required additional sedation. Visual analogue pain scores ranged from 0/10 to 10/10 (median score 2.5/10). There were no complications.

Conclusion

DBC may enable inexperienced colonoscopists to achieve total colonoscopy after previously incomplete conventional colonoscopy.
Global meta‐analysis of trait consistency of non‐native plants between their native and introduced areas
Authors: Ordonez Alejandro
Published: November 2013

Aim

Invasion biologists have made an extensive exploration of ways to identify the characteristic traits of invasive plants based on the assumption that plant attributes remain similar when plants become invasive. However, this assumption needs to be critically evaluated when predicting successful future introductions.

Location

Global.

Methods

Using a global database of plant functional traits (i.e. specific leaf area, maximum canopy height and individual seed mass) encompassing 129 different species three questions were evaluated using a meta‐analytical approach. (1) Do traits of introduced aliens change between native and introduced areas? (2) Do the responses show directionality, indicating that traits of aliens are either consistently higher or lower in their introduced range? (3) Are there smaller differences in species between native and introduced areas (within‐species multitrait variation) than between two random species (between‐species multitrait variability)?

Results

Mean trait differences (measured as log‐response ratios) between native and introduced (invasive + naturalized), native and naturalized, or native and invasive areas showed no significant differences across evaluated species, even after controlling for invasion status and growth form. This pattern was the result of aliens showing both higher (Alienarea > Nativearea) and lower (Alienarea < Nativearea) trait values in their introduced areas. Furthermore, multitrait differences between populations in the native and introduced areas were significantly less than differences in the mean trait composition between species (as determined by contrast with two different null models).

Main conclusions

The similarity of evaluated traits between areas, in combination with a smaller within‐species than among‐species trait variability, are fundamental results for conservation and nature management efforts. The results presented in this study validate the assumption that mean trait measurements in the native areas are likely to be reasonably representative of trait mean values in the invaded areas, and support the use of trait‐based prediction methods to evaluate the potential of an introduced plant to become established.
Neovascularization is prominent in the chronic inflammatory lesions of Sjögren's syndrome
Authors: Sisto Margherita , Lisi Sabrina , Ingravallo Giuseppe , Lofrumento Dario Domenico , D'Amore Massimo , Ribatti Domenico
Published: November 2013

Angiogenesis is a common finding in chronic inflammatory diseases; however, its role in Sjögren's syndrome (SS) remains to be elucidated. Previous SS studies have demonstrated an increase in VEGF‐A/VEGFR‐2 system expression in minor salivary gland (MSG) biopsies from patients with SS, but differences in the new blood vessel formation between the different grades of disease severity have not been reported. Therefore, experiments were performed to demonstrate angiogenesis during different phases of primary SS (pSS) and to define the relationship between the microvessel density (MVD), macrophage infiltration and histiocyte distribution in SS MSG inflammatory lesions. In this series of experiments, immunohistochemistry was used to examine angiogenesis in serial sections of pSS MSG. Patients with pSS were classified accordingly with the grade of inflammatory lesions as I = low‐grade (low focus score of 1 or 2), II = intermediate‐grade (focus score of 3–6) and III = extensive inflammation in the MSG (high focus score of 12). Histological examination demonstrated that the MVD increased with the severity of the inflammatory lesions, and in addition, we found an increased infiltration of inflammatory and pro‐angiogenic cells.These findings reveal that angiogenesis is intimately involved in the progression of pSS, may be central to the propagation of the chronic immune response observed in pSS and could represent a novel potential biomarker of pSS disease activity.
Synthesis, characterization and in vitro extracellular and intracellular activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection of new second-line antitubercular drug-palladium complexes
Authors: Giovagnoli Stefano , Marenzoni Maria Luisa , Nocchetti Morena , Santi Claudio , Blasi Paolo , Schoubben Aurelie , Ricci Maurizio
Published: November 2013

Objectives

The aim of this work was to characterize novel palladium (Pd) complexes with second-line antitubercular drugs, namely capreomycin (C), kanamycin (K) and ofloxacin (Ofx), and to address the in vitro extracellular and intracellular activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection.

Methods

Synthesis reaction kinetics and complex properties were assessed. Kf was calculated from the transition state quasi-equilibrium approximation and Arrhenius plot. The complexes were characterized for qualitative solubility, stoichiometry, powder size and morphology, element analysis, and thermal behaviour. Structural analyses were performed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance. Activity was evaluated against H37Ra M. tuberculosis strain and in infected THP-1 cells, and compared with that of the parent drugs.

Key findings

The complexes showed log Kf of 6 for CPd and OfxPd, and 10 for KPd indicating good stability. Stoichiometry of 1 : 1, 2 : 3 and 1 : 3 resulted for OfxPd, KPd, and CPd. OfxPd structure matched that in literature, while K and C had more complex structures with possible multiple coexisting species. The complexes had extracellular activity comparable with drugs and an improved efficacy against intracellular infection of M. tuberculosis.

Conclusions

The novel anti-tuberculosis (TB) complexes had promising properties, and extracellular and intracellular activity, which makes them potential tools for intracellular targeting of pulmonary TB.
Milnacipran influences the indexes of I‐metaiodobenzylguanidine scintigraphy in elderly depressed patients
Authors: Yokoyama Katsutoshi , Yamada Takeshi , Terachi Sayaka , Pu Shenghong , Ohta Yasutoshi , Yamanashi Takehiko , Matsumura Hiroshi , Nakagome Kazuyuki , Kaneko Koichi
Published: November 2013

Aim

This study investigated whether or not and how much milnacipran influences the indexes of I‐metaiodobenzylguanidine (I‐MIBG) scintigraphy, early heart‐to‐mediastinum (H/M) ratio, delayed H/M ratio, and wash‐out rate.

Methods

Six elderly depressed patients participated in the study. All six patients met the diagnostic criteria for a major depressive disorder. They were taking milnacipran for their depression. They needed differential diagnosis for Lewy body diseases due to their symptomatology. I‐MIBG scintigraphy was performed twice for each subject, once under prescription of milnacipran and the other without prescription of milnacipran.

Results

Both early and delayed phase H/M ratio were significantly lower when taking milnacipran (early phase H/M ratio, P < 0.01, Cohen's d 1.62; delayed phase H/M ratio, P < 0.005, Cohen's d 1.98) than when not taking the drug. Wash‐out rate (%) was significantly higher when taking milnacipran (P < 0.05, Cohen's d 2.31) than when off the drug.

Conclusion

Taking milnacipran substantially influences the indexes of I‐MIBG scintigraphy, indicating that taking the drug possibly causes a false‐positive result for Lewy body diseases diagnosis.