bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sea-level variation and the zonation of microbialites in Hamelin Pool, Shark Bay, Western Australia
Authors: Burne Robert V. , Johnson Ken
Published: November 2012

The application of modern methods of time-series analysis to a record of sea-level variation at Flint Cliff, Hamelin Pool, between October 1983 and April 1985, shows that astronomical tides account for only one of the following five key components of the record: a seasonal oceanic cycle; a short-term irregular cycle; the complex astronomical tidal system in the Pool; isolated major events; and less marked variations probably reflecting wind stress, still able to defeat the astronomical tide in the short-term. We have compared the inundation record with precisely surveyed elevation ranges of various microbial communities. The dominance of a seasonal cycle is the fundamental determinant of variation in the duration of immersion and exposure determining the littoral zonation of microbial mats in Hamelin Pool. The astronomical tide is not the major cause of this variation. The microbial communities fall into three zones. In Zone 3, the microbialite-forming colloform mat is virtually never exposed. In Zone 2, smooth, reticulate and mamillate mats colonise the lower littoral environment. Here, many of the exposed microbialites have been stranded by the falling sea level, and are colonised by intermittently submerged microbial communities that modify the stranded lithified microbialites. Zone 1 is inundated only under exceptional circumstances and microbial communities are ephemeral.
Effects of oocyte quality, incubation time and maturation environment on the number of chromosomal abnormalities in IVF-derived early bovine embryos
Authors: Demyda-Peyrás Sebastian , Dorado Jesus , Hidalgo Manuel , Anter Jaouad , De Luca Leonardo , Genero Enrique , Moreno-Millán Miguel
Published: November 2012

Chromosomal aberrations are one of the major causes of embryo developmental failures in mammals. The occurrence of these types of abnormalities is higher in in vitro-produced (IVP) embryos. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of oocyte morphology and maturation conditions on the rate of chromosomal abnormalities in bovine preimplantational embryos. To this end, 790 early cattle embryos derived from oocytes with different morphologies and matured under different conditions, including maturation period (24 v. 36 h) and maturation media (five different serum supplements in TCM-199), were evaluated cytogenetically in three sequential experiments. The rates of normal diploidy and abnormal haploidy, polyploidy and aneuploidy were determined in each embryo. Throughout all the experiments, the rate of chromosomal abnormalities was significantly (P < 0.05) affected by oocyte morphology and maturation conditions (maturation time and culture medium). Lower morphological quality was associated with a high rate of chromosome abnormalities (P < 0.05). Moreover, polyploidy was associated with increased maturation time (P < 0.01), whereas the maturation medium significantly (P < 0.05) affected the rates of haploidy and polyploidy. In general, supplementing the maturation medium with oestrous cow serum or fetal calf serum resulted in higher rates of chromosomal aberrations (P < 0.05) compared with the other serum supplements tested (bovine steer serum, anoestroues cow serum, bovine amniotic fluid and bovine serum albumin). On the basis of the results of the present study, we conclude that the morphological quality of oocytes and the maturation conditions affect the rate of chromosomal abnormalities in IVP bovine embryos.
Practising high-resolution anoscopy
Authors: Palefsky Joel M.
Published: November 2012

The incidence of anal cancer is increasing in the general population among both men and women. The incidence is particularly high among men who have sex with men and HIV-infected men and women. Anal cancer is similar to cervical cancer and is associated with human papillomavirus (HPV). Anal cancer is potentially preventable through primary prevention with HPV vaccination or secondary prevention. Secondary prevention is modelled after cervical cancer, where cytology is used as a screening tool to identify women who need colposcopy. Colposcopy includes magnification of the cervix, which, along with acetic acid and Lugol’s solution, is used to visualise and biopsy potentially precancerous lesions, enabling treatment before progression to cervical cancer. Anal cancer is likely preceded by high-grade anal intraepithelial neoplasia (HGAIN), and a colposcope with acetic acid and Lugol’s solution may similarly be used to visualise HGAIN to permit biopsy and treatment in an effort to prevent anal cancer. To distinguish it from cervical colposcopy, this technique is called high-resolution anoscopy (HRA). Many of the features that distinguish low-grade AIN from HGAIN are similar to those of the cervix, but HRA poses several additional challenges compared with cervical colposcopy. These include uneven topography; obscuring of lesions due to haemorrhoids, folds, stool or mucus; or lesions being located at the base of folds and anal glands. Consequently, a long learning curve is typically required before becoming fully competent in this technique. The technique of HRA, its uses and challenges in prevention of anal cancer are described in this article.
Round brackets in Jane Austen
Authors: González-Díaz Victorina
Published: November 2012

Round brackets undergo a process of stylistic re-evaluation that coincides with the development of Austen’s literary career (from pernicious elements that break the perspicuity of the Enlightened sentence to positively appraised markers of spoken spontaneity and emotion). Through a corpus-based study of her Juvenilia, letters and mature novels, this paper examines Austen’s use of round brackets with a view to exploring whether the contemporaneous salience of the punctuation mark may have had an impact on Austen’s style.
The Historiography of Missionary Linguistics
Authors: Zwartjes Otto
Published: November 2012

There is no need to repeat earlier complaints that the historiography of missionary linguistics was being neglected, since the situation has changed considerably sine the last decades of the past century. The first decade of the 21st century in particular has witnessed a veritable explosion of research activities. This article surveys the state of the art in the field of recent work in the historiographical subfield called ‘Missionary linguistics’, covering the period 2002–2012. It represents an update of Zimmermann (2004) and provides separate sections devoted to earlier studies of missionary linguistics, international conferences, published volumes, journals, reprints and editions of primary sources, exhibitions and other activities related to the subject. The reference list is divided in two sections, (1) primary sources, with some 140 entries, and (2) secondary sources, including more than 300 titles. It is hoped that this account will suggest several additional research topics and inspire scholars to make further advances in this fascinating field of research.
Intertextual unity in the Franciscan Friar Juan Baptista de Lagunas’s opus of 1574
Authors: Monzón Cristina
Published: November 2012

The grammar, dictionary, and religious texts by Friar Juan Baptista de Lagunas (c.1530–1604) are three works that the author conceived as complementary and published within one cover (1574). Nevertheless, the content of each book is rather different in the theme developed and the influences that oriented its realization. The works of the French Franciscan monk Maturino Gilberti (c.1498–1585) had a great impact on all three texts; the Arte in particular. Lagunas’ dictionary, however, follows Ambrogio Calepino (c.1435–1511), while his doctrinal texts are guided by Catholic religious teachings. Furthermore, each of the three texts has its own pagination. Despite these details, the unity of the three texts as one single volume can be shown by the textual coherence achieved through the cross-references between them and by the printing decisions taken at the moment of production, both factors that strengthen the argument supporting the intertextual unity of Lagunas’ oeuvre.
Language Pedagogy and Political-Cognitive Autonomy in Mid-19th Century Geneva
Authors: Joseph John E.
Published: November 2012

Charles-Louis Longchamp (1802–1874) was the dominant figure in Latin studies in Geneva in the 1850s and 1860s and had a formative influence on the Latin teachers of Ferdinand de Saussure (1857–1913). Longchamp’s work was in the grammaire générale tradition, which, on account of historical anomalies falling out from the Genevese Revolution of 1846 to 1848, was still being taught in Geneva up to the mid-1870s, despite having been put aside in France in the 1830s and 1840s. Longchamp succeeded briefly in getting his Latin grammars onto the school curriculum, replacing those imported from France, which Longchamp argued were making the Genevese mentally indistinguishable from the French, weakening their power to think for themselves and putting their political independence at risk. His own grammars offered “a sort of bulwark against invasion by the foreign mind, a guarantee against annexation”. Longchamp’s pedagogical approach had echoes in Saussure’s teaching of Germanic languages in Paris in the 1880s, and in the ‘stylistics’ of Saussure’s successor Charles Bally (1865–1947).
Speaker attitude as a predictive factor in listener perception of gay men’s speech
Authors: Mann Stephen L.
Published: November 2012

Research on listener identification of sexual orientation (e.g., Gaudio 1994, Piccolo 2008) has produced conflicting results. I argue that one contributing factor to linguistic perception of sexual orientation is the speaker’s assumptions about gay male ways of speaking American English or about specific linguistic features that the speaker believes listeners will associate with “sounding gay” in American English. Interviews I conducted with eight gay men highlight the ways in which positive and negative attitudes become realized in discourse about sounding gay or gay male ways of speaking and its link to other social practices. I then present results from a language perception study, which suggest that negative attitudes toward sounding gay decrease the possibility that a speaker will use linguistic features associated with sounding gay and will, as a result, be less likely to be perceived as gay than gay men who hold positive attitudes toward sounding gay.
Flies stretch their cells to avoid a chromatin trap
Authors: Carmena Mar
Published: November 2012

Before the final step of cytokinesis, termed abscission, dividing cells need to ensure that the cleavage plane is clear of chromatin. In this issue, Kotadia et al. (2012. J. Cell Biol. http://dx.doi.org/jcb.201208041) show that in Drosophila melanogaster, larval neuroblasts elongate to allow segregation of extra-long chromatids and clearance of the midzone, thereby avoiding cytokinesis failure and aneuploidy.
Probing the structural basis for differential KCNQ1 modulation by KCNE1 and KCNE2
Authors: Wang Yuhong , Zhang Mei , Xu Yu , Jiang Min , Zankov Dimitar P. , Cui Meng , Tseng Gea-Ny
Published: November 2012

KCNE1 associates with KCNQ1 to increase its current amplitude and slow the activation gating process, creating the slow delayed rectifier channel that functions as a “repolarization reserve” in human heart. The transmembrane domain (TMD) of KCNE1 plays a key role in modulating KCNQ1 pore conductance and gating kinetics, and the extracellular juxtamembrane (EJM) region plays a modulatory role by interacting with the extracellular surface of KCNQ1. KCNE2 is also expressed in human heart and can associate with KCNQ1 to suppress its current amplitude and slow the deactivation gating process. KCNE1 and KCNE2 share the transmembrane topology and a high degree of sequence homology in TMD and surrounding regions. The structural basis for their distinctly different effects on KCNQ1 is not clear. To address this question, we apply cysteine (Cys) scanning mutagenesis to TMDs and EJMs of KCNE1 and KCNE2. We analyze the patterns of functional perturbation to identify high impact positions, and probe disulfide formation between engineered Cys side chains on KCNE subunits and native Cys on KCNQ1. We also use methanethiosulfonate reagents to probe the relationship between EJMs of KCNE subunits and KCNQ1. Our data suggest that the TMDs of both KCNE subunits are at about the same location but interact differently with KCNQ1. In particular, the much closer contact of KCNE2 TMD with KCNQ1, relative to that of KCNE1, is expected to impact the allosteric modulation of KCNQ1 pore conductance and may explain their differential effects on the KCNQ1 current amplitude. KCNE1 and KCNE2 also differ in the relationship between their EJMs and KCNQ1. Although the EJM of KCNE1 makes intimate contacts with KCNQ1, there appears to be a crevice between KCNQ1 and KCNE2. This putative crevice may perturb the electrical field around the voltage-sensing domain of KCNQ1, contributing to the differential effects of KCNE2 versus KCNE1 on KCNQ1 gating kinetics.
Determining the performance of the next generation of fusion experiments by a similarity transformation of the JET D–T experiments
Authors: Cordey J.G. , McDonald D.C. , Schippers W.
Published: November 2012

A similarity technique is described in which the temperature and density profiles and fusion performance of ITER and DEMO are determined from the D–T and D–D discharges completed on JET. The limitations and errors associated with this technique are also briefly described.
Changes in distribution of Greenland halibut in a varying environment
Authors: Morgan M. J. , Garabana D. , Rideout R. M. , Román E. , Pérez-Rodríguez A. , Saborido-Rey F.
Published: November 2012

Morgan, M. J., Garabana, D., Rideout, R. M., Román, E., Pérez-Rodriguez, A. and Saborido-Rey, F. 2013. Changes in distribution of Greenland halibut in a varying environment. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 70: 352–361. Fish are expected to respond to changing oceanographic temperature by altering their distribution. Off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada, there have been major changes in oceanographic temperature over the last several decades, with both record cold and record warm years being observed. Greenland halibut is an important flatfish species in the area, and is distributed in deep waters over a very wide geographic range. Thus, it might be buffered from temperature change in the overall area by reduced temperature variation at depth, and the diverse temperature conditions over its wide range. We examined intrapopulation variation in temperature and depth distribution, and the biological changes in relation to changes in available temperature. On the Flemish Cap, variation in available temperature was limited, and changes in depth were related to changing age composition and the differential depth distribution with age/size. In other areas there was a larger decline in available temperature, and associated with this, Greenland halibut moved to deeper waters and occupied warmer temperatures than they had previously. Concurrently, growth declined and condition increased. This study shows that shifts in distribution may not result in maintenance of homogeneous environmental conditions, and that resulting biological changes will be difficult to predict.
Micromonospora sonneratiae sp. nov., isolated from a root of Sonneratia apetala
Authors: Li Lei , Tang Yi-Li , Wei Bin , Xie Qing-Yi , Deng Zixin , Hong Kui
Published: November 2012

A novel endophytic actinomycete, strain 274745T, was isolated from a root of Sonneratia apetala collected in a mangrove forest in Sanya, Hainan province, China. The 16S rRNA gene sequence of strain 274745T showed the greatest similarity to

Micromonospora pattaloongensis

TJ2-2T (98.3 %). Phylogenetic analysis based on the gyrB gene also supported the close relationship of these two strains. The predominant menaquinone was MK-10(H8) and the major fatty acids were iso-C15 : 0, C17 : 0 and anteiso-C15 : 0. The characteristic whole-cell sugars were xylose and mannose. The cell wall contained meso-diaminopimelic acid and glycine. The polar lipid profile mainly comprised phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylinositol and diphosphatidylglycerol. The DNA G+C content was 71.6 mol%. Furthermore, a combination of DNA–DNA relatedness and some physiological and biochemical properties indicated that the novel strain could be readily distinguished from the closest phylogenetic relatives. On the basis of these phenotypic and genotypic data, strain 274745T represents a novel species of the genus

Micromonospora

, for which the name Micromonospora sonneratiae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is 274745T ( = CCTCC AA 2012003T  = DSM 45704T).
Thermoanaerobacter pentosaceus sp. nov., an anaerobic, extremely thermophilic, high ethanol-yielding bacterium isolated from household waste
Authors: Tomás Ana Faria , Karakashev Dimitar , Angelidaki Irini
Published: November 2012

An extremely thermophilic, xylanolytic, spore-forming and strictly anaerobic bacterium, strain DTU01T, was isolated from a continuously stirred tank reactor fed with xylose and household waste. Cells stained Gram-negative and were rod-shaped (0.5–2 µm in length). Spores were terminal with a diameter of approximately 0.5 µm. Optimal growth occurred at 70 °C and pH 7, with a maximum growth rate of 0.1 h−1. DNA G+C content was 34.2 mol%. Strain DTU01Tcould ferment arabinose, cellobiose, fructose, galactose, glucose, lactose, mannitol, mannose, melibiose, pectin, starch, sucrose, xylan, yeast extract and xylose, but not cellulose, Avicel, inositol, inulin, glycerol, rhamnose, acetate, lactate, ethanol, butanol or peptone. Ethanol was the major fermentation product and a maximum yield of 1.39 mol ethanol per mol xylose was achieved when sulfite was added to the cultivation medium. Thiosulfate, but not sulfate, nitrate or nitrite, could be used as electron acceptor. On the basis of 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity, strain DTU01Twas shown to be closely related toThermoanaerobacter mathraniiA3T,Thermoanaerobacter italicusAb9TandThermoanaerobacter thermocopriaeJT3-3T, with 98–99 % similarity. Despite this, the physiological and phylogenetic differences (DNA G+C content, substrate utilization, electron acceptors, phylogenetic distance and isolation site) allow for the proposal of strain DTU01Tas a representative of a novel species within the genusThermoanaerobacter, for which the nameThermoanaerobacter pentosaceussp. nov. is proposed, with the type strain DTU01T( = DSM 25963T = KCTC 4529T = VKM B-2752T = CECT 8142T).
Vogesella alkaliphila sp. nov., isolated from an alkaline soil, and emended description of the genus

Vogesella
Authors: Subhash Y. , Tushar L. , Sasikala Ch. , Ramana Ch. V.
Published: November 2012

Strain JC141T was isolated from an alkaline soil (pH 8.8) at Mau, Uttar Pradesh, India. Colonies were blue with a metallic sheen; cells stained Gram-negative, and were oxidase- and catalase-positive, but chitinase-negative. Major fatty acids were C16 : 1ω7c/C16 : 1ω6c, C16 : 0 and C18 : 0 with minor amounts of C10 : 0, C10 : 0 3-OH, C12 : 0, C14 : 0 and C18 : 1ω7c. Strain JC141T contained phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylglycerol as major polar lipids, with minor amounts of diphosphatidylglycerol, unidentified aminolipids (AL1–3) and unidentified lipids (L1–4). A bacterial hopane derivative (BHD1) was the major hopanoid. Genomic DNA G+C content was 62.5 mol%. 16S rRNA gene sequence comparisons indicated that strain JC141T represents a member of the genus

Vogesella

within the family

Neisseriaceae

of the class

Betaproteobacteria

. Strain JC141T had a 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity of 98 % with

Vogesella indigofera

ATCC 19706T and <96.5 % with other members of the genus

Vogesella

. However, strain JC141T showed 45.8 % relatedness (based on DNA–DNA hybridization) with

V. indigofera

LMG 6867T ( = ATCC 19706T). Distinct morphological, physiological and genotypic differences from previously described taxa support the classification of strain JC141T as a representative of a novel species in the genus

Vogesella

, for which the name Vogesella alkaliphila sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is JC141T ( = KCTC 32041T = LMG 27066T). An emended description of the genus

Vogesella

is also proposed.
Aureobasidium thailandense sp. nov. isolated from leaves and wooden surfaces
Authors: Peterson Stephen W. , Manitchotpisit Pennapa , Leathers Timothy D.
Published: November 2012

Aureobasidium thailandense sp. nov. is described from cultures of material collected on leaves and wooden surfaces in Thailand and the type isolate is NRRL 58539T. Phylogenetically it is distinct from other species of the genus Aureobasidium. Phenotypically it is distinguished by its cardinal growth temperatures, salt tolerance and production of reddish brown hyphal pigmentation in PDA cultures, but micro-morphologically it is not clearly distinguishable from Aureobasidium pullulans. Unlike A. pullulans, A. thailandense sp. nov. produces a non-pullulan extracellular polysaccharide whose characteristics are unknown. The two known isolates of A. thailandense sp. nov. possess an approx. 500 bp type I intron in the 18S rRNA gene that is present in ITS amplifications using primers ITS4 and ITS5. A. pullulans isolates uniformly lack this intron.
Inversion of Chromophoric Dissolved Organic Matter From EO-1 Hyperion Imagery for Turbid Estuarine and Coastal Waters
Authors: Zhu Weining , Yu Qian
Published: November 2012

The significant implication of chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) for water quality and biogeochemical cycle leads to an increasing need of CDOM monitoring in coastal regions. Current ocean-color algorithms are mostly limited to open-sea water and have high uncertainty when directly applied to turbid coastal waters. This paper presents a semianalytical algorithm, quasi-analytical CDOM algorithm (QAA-CDOM), to invert CDOM absorption from Earth Observing-1 (EO-1) Hyperion satellite images. This algorithm was developed from a widely used ocean-color algorithm QAA and our earlier extension of QAA. The main goal is to improve the algorithm performance for a wide range of water conditions, particularly turbid waters in estuarine and coastal regions. The algorithm development, calibration, and validation were based on our intensive high-resolution underwater measurements, International Ocean Color Coordinating Group synthetic data, and global National Aeronautics and Space Administration Bio-Optical Marine Algorithm Data Set data. The result shows that retrieved CDOM absorption achieved accuracy (root mean square error (RMSE) = 0.115 m-1andR2= 0.73) in the Atchafalaya River plume area. QAA-CDOM is also evaluated for scenarios in three additional study sites, namely, the Mississippi River, Amazon River, and Moreton Bay, whereag(440) was in the wide range of 0.01-15 m-1. It resulted in expected CDOM distribution patterns along the river salinity gradient. This study improves the high-resolution observation of CDOM dynamics in river-dominated coastal margins and other coastal environments for the study of land-ocean interactive processes.
Determinants of kidney oxygen consumption and their relationship to tissue oxygen tension in diabetes and hypertension
Authors: Hansell Peter , Welch William J , Blantz Roland C , Palm Fredrik
Published: November 2012

The high renal oxygen (O2) demand is associated primarily with tubular O2 consumption (Qo2) necessary for solute reabsorption. Increasing O2 delivery relative to demand via increased blood flow results in augmented tubular electrolyte load following elevated glomerular filtration, which, in turn, increases metabolic demand. Consequently, elevated kidney metabolism results in decreased tissue oxygen tension.

The metabolic efficiency for solute transport (Qo2/TNa) varies not only between different nephron sites, but also under different conditions of fluid homeostasis and disease. Contributing mechanisms include the presence of different Na+ transporters, different levels of oxidative stress and segmental tubular dysfunction.

Sustained hyperglycaemia results in increased kidney Qo2, partly due to mitochondrial dysfunction and reduced electrolyte transport efficiency. This results in intrarenal tissue hypoxia because the increased Qo2 is not matched by a similar increase in O2 delivery.

Hypertension leads to renal hypoxia, mediated by increased angiotensin receptor tonus and oxidative stress. Reduced uptake in the proximal tubule increases load to the thick ascending limb. There, the increased load is reabsorbed, but at greater O2 cost. The combination of hypertension, angiotensin II and oxidative stress initiates events leading to renal damage and reduced function.

Tissue hypoxia is now recognized as a unifying pathway to chronic kidney disease. We have gained good knowledge about major changes in O2 metabolism occurring in diabetic and hypertensive kidneys. However, further efforts are needed to elucidate how these alterations can be prevented or reversed before translation into clinical practice.
Use of a Finite Element Model of Heat Transport in the Human Eye to Predict Time of Death
Authors: Smart Jimmy L. , Kaliszan Michal
Published: November 2012

The goal of this work was to compare human temperature decay curves generated from execution of a COMSOL Multiphysics® finite element software model with that of experimental postmortem temperature decay curves. Experiments were performed in 10 human cadavers. The postmortem temperature was continuously measured in human eyeballs and rectums from c. 3 h up to 15 h postmortem. Model‐generated curves reflected experimental curves for 10 cases with coefficients of determination ranging from 0.9448 to 0.9953. From modeling efforts, normalized temperature decay curves were generated to aid first responders to estimate time of death within the early postmortem period of 0–24 h. This proposed model has advantages over other models in that it is applied to the human eyeball, where temperature plateau effects are minimal to nonexistent. Nevertheless, the proposed model can be adjusted to compensate for any temperature plateau effects that do exist. It also can take account of antemortem hyperthermia conditions that are known to have occurred. The current model only applies to natural environmental conditions, with no forced convection, no direct sunlight, immersion in water, or other unusual conditions.
Postoperative Cervical Soft Tissue Hemorrhage with Acute Upper Airway Obstruction
Authors: Quick Esther , Byard Roger W.
Published: November 2012

Cervical surgery may be complicated by acute upper airway obstruction due to hematoma formation. Two cases are reported following cervical surgery where stridor, respiratory distress, and lethal airway occlusion resulted from hemorrhage that did not arise from large vessels. Case 1: A 50‐year‐old man who had an elective anterior fusion of C5‐6 vertebrae developed marked neck swelling and stridor. At autopsy, there was significant cervical interstitial hemorrhage and edema. Major vessels were intact. Case 2: An 86‐year‐old man who underwent a carotid endarterectomy developed stridor and swelling of his neck. At autopsy, there was extensive interstitial hemorrhage and edema within the soft tissues of the neck. The endarterectomy site was intact. Both deaths were due to upper airway obstruction from postoperative cervical interstitial hemorrhage with no large vessel damage identified. Hemorrhage from small vessels may therefore lead to critical soft tissue hematoma formation and edema with airway obstruction and death.
Circular Saw‐Associated Fatality Mimicking Gunshot Injury
Authors: Hejna Petr , Zátopková Lenka , Šafr Miroslav , Straka Lubomír
Published: November 2012

A 61‐year‐old man was found dead in the yard of his house with penetrating injury of the trunk. Initial examination of the body revealed a single penetrating injury on his chest with a collar abrasion—the injury pattern that is similar to a gunshot entry wound or shored exit wound. According to witnesses, the man had cut wooden frames from old windows with a circular saw. X‐rays of the torso revealed a contrast object resembling a projectile in the left scapular region. The internal examination disclosed an isolated trunk trauma involving the left lung. In the soft tissue, between the inner edge of the left scapula and thoracic spine, the fragment of a metal nail was found. The autopsy confirmed that the wound on the chest was a non‐firearm‐related injury. The death of deceased was attributed to massive internal hemorrhage. Further investigation revealed that the pseudo‐gunshot wound injury of the trunk of the victim was caused by a fast‐flying metal object thrown against the man's trunk from a circular saw while cutting the wooden beams of old windows.
Influence of parameter settings in automated scoring of AFLPs on population genetic analysis
Authors: Herrmann Marc , Holderegger Rolf , Van Strien Maarten J.
Published: November 2012

The use of procedures for the automated scoring of amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLP) fragments has recently increased. Corresponding software does not only automatically score the presence or absence of AFLP fragments, but also allows an evaluation of how different settings of scoring parameters influence subsequent population genetic analyses. In this study, we used the automated scoring package rawgeno to evaluate how five scoring parameters influence the number of polymorphic bins and estimates of pairwise genetic differentiation between populations (Fst). Steps were implemented in r to automatically run the scoring process in rawgeno for a set of different parameter combinations. While we found the scoring parameters minimum bin width and minimum number of samples per bin to have only weak influence on pairwise Fst values, maximum bin width and bin reproducibility had much stronger effects. The minimum average bin fluorescence scoring parameter affected Fst values in an only moderate way. At a range of scoring parameters around the default settings of rawgeno, the number of polymorphic bins as well as pairwise Fst values stayed rather constant. This study thus shows the particularities of AFLP scoring, be it either manual or automatical, can have profound effects on subsequent population genetic analysis.
Prevention and Therapy of Alcohol Withdrawal on Intensive Care Units: Systematic Review of Controlled Trials
Authors: Ungur Lavinius A. , Neuner Bruno , John Susanne , Wernecke Klaus , Spies Claudia
Published: November 2012

Background

Alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS) occurs in 16 to 31% of intensive care unit (ICU) patients after cessation of sedation. There exist many preventive and therapeutic strategies, but no systematic review (SR) has been published on this topic so far. We aimed to perform a synopsis of all controlled trials of AWS prevention and therapy in ICU published between 1971 and 30 March 2011 following the “Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses” (PRISMA) statement.

Methods

We performed a MEDLINE search with the terms “alcohol” AND “ICU” as well as “alcohol withdrawal” AND “intensive care.” All publications that matched our eligibility criteria were analyzed according to our predefined criteria.

Results

We identified 6 controlled trials about AWS prevention and 8 about AWS therapy in ICUs. For AWS prevention, benzodiazepines (BZO), ethanol (EtOH), and clonidine were evaluated as single agents, and BZO, clonidine, clomethiazol and haloperidol were studied in drug combinations. All evaluated single agents and combinations were found to be effective for AWS prevention. Clomethiazol was found to be associated with a higher tracheobronchitis rate and thus disadvised for critically ill patients. For AWS therapy, BZO, gamma‐hydroxybutyric acid (GHB), and clomethiazol were evaluated in randomized controlled trials as single agents and phenobarbital, clonidine, and haloperidol as adjuncts. All evaluated regimens were found to be effective for AWS therapy. Overall, in the ICU, BZO were found to be superior to GHB and clomethiazol regarding safety and efficacy. Furthermore, 4 cohort trials with historical control groups evaluated the effect of the implementation of a standardized protocol of BZO therapy for AWS in ICUs. All of these 4 studies found better outcome for the intervention groups.

Conclusions

Based on the evidence of this SR, EtOH or BZO can be advised for AWS prevention on ICU patients with alcohol dependence, but EtOH is not allowed for therapy of AWS. AWS therapy should be standardized and based on symptom‐triggered BZO administration. Alpha2‐agonists and haloperidol should be added for autonomic and productive psychotic symptoms.
Serum CA 19‐9 as a prognostic factor in patients with metastatic gastric cancer
Authors: Jo Jae‐Cheol , Ryu Min‐Hee , Koo Dong‐Hoe , Ryoo Baek‐Yeol , Kim Hwa Jung , Kim Tae Won , Choi Kee Don , Lee Gin Hyug , Jung Hwoon‐Yong , Yook Jeong Hwan , Oh Sung Tae , Kim Byung Sik , Kim Jin‐Ho , Kang Yoon‐Koo
Published: November 2012

Aim

To evaluate tumor markers as prognostic factors in patients with metastatic or recurrent gastric cancer receiving first‐line chemotherapy.

Methods

Between January 2000 and December 2008, 1178 patients with metastatic or recurrent gastric cancer were assayed for expression of three serum tumor markers, CA 19‐9, CA 72‐4 and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), prior to the initiation of first‐line chemotherapy.

Results

Elevated serum concentrations of carbohydrate antigen (CA) 19‐9 (>37 U/mL), CA 72‐4 (>4 U/mL) and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) (>6 ng/mL) were observed in 38, 56 and 33% of patients, respectively. Univariate analysis showed that elevated serum concentration of each of the three markers, CA 19‐9 (P = 0.001), CA 72‐4 (P = 0.001) and CEA (P = 0.030), was significantly associated with poor patient prognosis. However, multivariate analysis showed that an elevated CA 19‐9 concentration only was significantly associated with shorter survival (hazard ratio [HR] 1.22; 95% CI, 1.08–1.37, P = 0.002). In the good risk and moderate risk groups, previously defined by clinical factors alone, survival was significantly lower in patients with elevated CA 19‐9 (P < 0.001 and P = 0.021, respectively), but this difference was not observed in the poor‐risk group.

Conclusion

Elevated serum CA 19‐9 concentration in patients with metastatic or recurrent gastric cancer, especially in good or moderate risk groups, is an independent negative predictor of prognosis.
Accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging in the pre‐operative staging of rectal adenocarcinoma: Experience from a regional Australian cancer center
Authors: White Rohen , Ung Kim Ann , Mathlum Maitham
Published: November 2012

Aim

Selection of the optimal treatment pathway in patients with rectal adenocarcinoma relies on accurate locoregional staging. This study aims to assess the accuracy of staging with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and in particular, its accuracy in differentiating patients with early stage disease from those with more advanced disease who benefit from a different treatment approach.

Methods

Patients who were staged with MRI and received surgery as the first line of treatment for biopsy‐proven adenocarcinoma of the rectum were identified. Comparison was made between the clinical stage on MRI and the pathological stage of the surgical specimen. The sensitivity, specificity and overall accuracy of MRI was assessed.

Results

In all, 58 eligible patients were identified. In 31% of patients, the extent of disease was underrepresented on preoperative MRI. Sensitivity, specificity and overall accuracy of anorectal MRI in detecting stage II/III disease status in this cohort was 59, 71 and 62%, respectively.

Conclusion

MRI underestimated the pathological stage in many patients in this series who may have benefited from the addition of neoadjuvant radiotherapy to their management. This study supports further refinement of preoperative staging and demonstrates that impressive results from highly controlled settings may be difficult to reproduce in community practice.
Substance P antagonist improves both obesity and asthma in a mouse model
Authors: Ramalho R. , Almeida J. , Beltrão M. , Pirraco A. , Costa R. , Sokhatska O. , Guardão L. , Palmares C. , Guimarães J. T. , Delgado L. , Moreira A. , Soares R.
Published: November 2012

Background

Evidence suggests a causal relationship between obesity and asthma; however, the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. Substance P (SP), involved in neurogenic inflammation by acting through its receptor NK1‐R, seems to participate in obese–asthma phenotype in mice.

Objectives

To evaluate the effect of a selective substance P receptor antagonist on a mouse model of diet‐induced obesity and asthma.

Methods

Diet‐induced obese Balb/c mice were sensitized and challenged with ovalbumin (OVA) and treated with a selective NK1‐R antagonist or placebo. Serum glucose, insulin, IL‐6, resistin, and OVA‐specific IgE levels were quantified. A score for peribronchial inflammation in lung histology was used. Cells were counted in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Adipocyte sizes were measured.

Results

Ovalbumin‐obese mice treated with NK1‐R antagonist had lower weight (P = 0.0002), reduced daily food intake (P = 0.0021), reduced daily energy intake (P = 0.0021), reduced surface adipocyte areas (P < 0.0001), lower serum glucose (P = 0.04), lower serum insulin (P = 0.03), lower serum IL‐(P = 0.0022), lower serum resistin (P = 0.0043), lower serum OVA‐specific IgE (P = 0.035), and lower peribronchial inflammation score (P < 0.0001) than nontreated OVA‐obese mice. We observed an interaction between obesity, allergen sensitization, and treatment with NK1‐R antagonist for metabolic and systemic biomarkers, and for allergen sensitization and bronchial inflammation, showing a synergy between these variables.

Conclusion & Clinical Relevance

In an experimental model of obesity and asthma in mice, NK1‐R blockade improved metabolic and systemic biomarkers, as well as allergen sensitization and bronchial inflammation. These positive effects support a common pathway in the obese–asthma phenotype and highlight SP as a target with potential clinical interest in the obese–asthma epidemics.
Vitamin C administration attenuates overload‐induced skeletal muscle hypertrophy in rats
Authors: Makanae Y. , Kawada S. , Sasaki K. , Nakazato K. , Ishii N.
Published: November 2012

Aim

This study aimed to investigate the effects of vitamin C administration on skeletal muscle hypertrophy induced by mechanical overload in rats.

Methods

Male Wistar rats were randomly assigned to three groups: (i) sham‐operated group (n = 8), (ii) placebo‐administered group (n = 8) and (iii) vitamin C‐administered group (n = 8). In the placebo‐administered and vitamin C‐administered groups, the gastrocnemius and soleus muscles of the right hindlimb were surgically removed to overload the plantaris muscle. Vitamin C (500 mg kg−1) was orally administered to the vitamin C‐administered group once a day for 14 days.

Results

Synergist muscle ablation caused significant increases in wet weight and protein concentration of the plantaris muscle in both the placebo‐administered (P < 0.01) and vitamin C‐administered groups (P < 0.01) compared with the sham‐operated group (SHA). However, the magnitude of plantaris muscle hypertrophy (expressed as a percentage of the contralateral plantaris muscle) was significantly smaller (P < 0.01) in the vitamin C‐administered group (141%) than in the placebo‐administered group (PLA) (152%). Compared with the SHA, only the PLA showed higher expressions of phosphorylated p70s6k and Erk1/2 (positive regulators of muscle protein synthesis) and a lower expression of atrogin‐1 (a muscle atrophy marker). Concentrations of vitamin C and oxidative stress markers in the overloaded muscle were similar between the placebo‐administered and vitamin C‐administered groups.

Conclusion

Oral vitamin C administration can attenuate overload‐induced skeletal muscle hypertrophy, which may have implications for antioxidant supplementation during exercise training.
3‐Hydroxy‐3‐methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitor (fluvastatin) decreases inflammatory angiogenesis in mice
Authors: Araújo Fernanda A. , Rocha Monaliza A. , Capettini Luciano S. A. , Campos Paula P. , Ferreira Mônica A. N. D. , Lemos Virginia S. , Andrade Silvia P.
Published: November 2012

Statins, 3‐hydroxy‐3‐methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG‐CoA) reductase inhibitors, have been shown to ameliorate a number of vascular diseases. We evaluated the inflammatory and angiogenic components of the fibrovascular tissue induced by subcutaneous implants in mice and their modulation by fluvastatin. Our results showed that the statin (0.6 and 6 mg/kg/day) inhibited hemoglobin (Hb) content (51%) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels (71%) in the treated group compared with the control group. The inflammatory component, as assessed by N‐acetyl‐β‐D‐glucosaminidase activity and tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α) level was also decreased by the compound. In the treated group; the inhibition of the enzyme activity was 33% and the cytokine was 67% relative to the control. In these implants the statin was also able to decrease nitric oxide (NO) production, detected with an NO‐sensitive electrode. To our knowledge this is the first study demonstrating an inhibitory role of fluvastatin on the production of NO in inflammatory angiogenesis of newly formed fibrovascular tissue.
Snow avalanche assessment in the Sinaia ski area (Bucegi Mountains, Southern Carpathians) using the dendrogeomorphology method
Authors: Voiculescu Mircea , Onaca Alexandru
Published: November 2012

In view of the damage and hazard they pose to human life and property, snow avalanches are a major natural hazard in the Romanian Carpathian Mountains. Despite the loss of life in recent years, geomorphological understanding of snow avalanches in Romania remains limited. The Sinaia ski area, located in the Bucegi Mountains, is the most important ski resort in the Romanian Carpathians with two distinct centres of skiing activity: the Valea Dorului and Carp Valley. Winter sports such as alpine skiing, freestyle and freeriding have significantly increased in popularity in recent years. The Sinaia ski area comprises both marked and off‐piste trails, which make the region attractive to a wide range of skiers. At the same time, there is also an increased probability of hazardous avalanches due to both natural causes and the activity of skiers. In this paper we outline the use of the dendrogeomorphological method to reconstruct past avalanche activity and to assess the magnitude and frequency of avalanches in order to gain a better understanding of this hazard. Using the nearby mountain weather stations of Omu (2505 m) and Sinaia (1500 m), we examine the annual variation in the number of days with snowfall, heavy snowfall and the number of days with snow cover over the past 46 years, together with an assessment of the risk of avalanches. In order to achieve this, we obtained cores and cross sections from 62 trees in the area for dendrogeomorphological analysis. Tree‐ring analysis demonstrates a strong correlation between meteorological data, avalanche risk and avalanche activity, when taking topographic parameters and tree distribution patterns into consideration.
Sexual size dimorphism in greater mouse‐eared bat Myotis myotis (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) from a Mediterranean region
Authors: Lisón Fulgencio , Haz Ángeles , González‐Revelles Carlos , Calvo José F.
Published: November 2012

Although sexual size dimorphism (SSD) is common among mammals, there is no clear explanation for its maintenance in nature. Bats are one of the few groups of mammals where reverse SSD appears. In this group, the size of individuals may have very important ecological consequences related with flight. In this study, we examine sexual dimorphism in the wing measurements of 195 adult individuals (141 males and 54 females) of the greater mouse‐eared bat Myotis myotis in the south‐east of the Iberian Peninsula. We also investigated size differences between paired and single males in a swarming roost. The results indicate that there are significant differences in the wing measurements between sexes, females being bigger than males in this respect. While no significant differences in the wing measurements of paired and single males were observed, significant differences were found in their relative weight and fitness, single males being significantly heavier and having a better physical condition. We discuss the implications of SSD for the female of M. myotis in terms of reproductive advantages, trophic niche segregation and a greater ability to move, which may favour gene flow between populations.
Development of a gene expression database and related analysis programs for evaluation of anticancer compounds
Authors: Ushijima Masaru , Mashima Tetsuo , Tomida Akihiro , Dan Shingo , Saito Sakae , Furuno Aki , Tsukahara Satomi , Seimiya Hiroyuki , Yamori Takao , Matsuura Masaaki
Published: November 2012

Genome‐wide transcriptional expression analysis is a powerful strategy for characterizing the biological activity of anticancer compounds. It is often instructive to identify gene sets involved in the activity of a given drug compound for comparison with different compounds. Currently, however, there is no comprehensive gene expression database and related application system that is; (i) specialized in anticancer agents; (ii) easy to use; and (iii) open to the public. To develop a public gene expression database of antitumor agents, we first examined gene expression profiles in human cancer cells after exposure to 35 compounds including 25 clinically used anticancer agents. Gene signatures were extracted that were classified as upregulated or downregulated after exposure to the drug. Hierarchical clustering showed that drugs with similar mechanisms of action, such as genotoxic drugs, were clustered. Connectivity map analysis further revealed that our gene signature data reflected modes of action of the respective agents. Together with the database, we developed analysis programs that calculate scores for ranking changes in gene expression and for searching statistically significant pathways from the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes database in order to analyze the datasets more easily. Our database and the analysis programs are available online at our website (http://scads.jfcr.or.jp/db/cs/). Using these systems, we successfully showed that proteasome inhibitors are selectively classified as endoplasmic reticulum stress inducers and induce atypical endoplasmic reticulum stress. Thus, our public access database and related analysis programs constitute a set of efficient tools to evaluate the mode of action of novel compounds and identify promising anticancer lead compounds.