bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
What's an Elite to Do? The Threat of Populism from Left, Right and Centre
Authors: BRETT WILLIAM
Published: October 2013

Anthony Painter's report for Policy Network correctly describes populism as a ‘democratic argument’ which sets up a morally pure ‘people’ against vilified ‘elites’, in binary opposition. This is an argument which is increasingly prominent in political discourse, whether the elites in question are political, financial or technocratic. Painter focuses on the now‐familiar ‘radical right‐wing’ version of populism, as reflected across Europe in the rise of parties such as the UKIP. He omits discussion of other types of populism (of the left and centre), which perhaps represent the future for populist politics.
Securing the Future of Higher Education in England
Authors: ESSON JAMES , ERTL HUBERT
Published: October 2013

This article reviews the IPPR commissioned report ‘Securing the Future of Higher Education in England’. It is argued that the report identifies key shortcomings in contemporary higher education policy, and develops some important recommendations for shaping the sector in the future. However, several of the proposed recommendations would create new divisions in the sector and reinforce existing ones. Moreover, the report maintains and reproduces the ideological status quo of contemporary higher education policy, which can broadly be described as the organisation and provision of higher education along ‘quasi‐market’ lines. Crucially, although the report advocates reform based on social justice, in the contemporary context of fiscal retrenchment, the majority of recommendations are underpinned by, arguably necessary, economic rationales.
The relationship between the second to fourth digit ratio and acne vulgaris
Authors: Bilgiç Ö. , Doğdu M. , İslamoğlu G. Kaya , Altınyazar C.
Published: October 2013

Background

Although the pathophysiology of acne vulgaris (AV) is not clear, androgens are thought to play an important role in its development through either an increased level of circulating androgens or end‐organ sensitivity. The ratio of the length of the second and fourth digit (2D : 4D) has been hypothesized to reflect prenatal androgen exposure and/or an individual's sensitivity to androgens, with a low 2D : 4D ratio suggesting high prenatal androgen exposure. Interestingly, the prenatal androgen peak time period coincides with both the development of the sebaceous gland and digits.

Objectives

To determine the relationship between digit ratio and AV.

Methods

Vernier caliper was used to take digit measurements of both patients and controls. Acne severity was assessed by using the International Consensus Conference on Acne Classification System.

Results

Data of 251 patients with AV (67.7% female) and 120 healthy controls (72.5% female), aged 16–40 years, were analysed. The 2D : 4D ratios of female patients with AV were significantly lower than healthy females in both hands. However, there was no significant difference between male acne cases and controls. Acne severity was positively correlated with the left 2D : 4D ratios and mean 2D : 4D ratio, whereas the duration of acne was negatively correlated with the right 2D : 4D ratios in females.

Conclusion

Our results support the anatomical evidence of in utero androgen exposure and/or an individual's sensitivity to androgens in patients with AV and suggest that the 2D : 4D ratio might be a predictor of acne development, duration, and severity grade, at least in female patients.
Heterogeneity of Players and Aggregate Effort in Contests
Authors: Ryvkin Dmitry
Published: October 2013

We explore the systematic effects of variation in players' heterogeneity on aggregate effort in contests. We show that if costs of effort are convex, a mean‐preserving increase in the variation of players' abilities can lead to an increase or decrease in aggregate effort, both in contests of complete and incomplete information, depending on the curvature of the effort cost function. Specifically, if effort costs are not too steep, aggregate effort increases in ability variation, whereas if effort costs are sufficiently steep, aggregate effort decreases in ability variation.
Inventories and Endogenous Stackelberg Leadership in Two‐Period Cournot Oligopoly
Authors: Mitraille Sébastien , Moreaux Michel
Published: October 2013

Two‐period Cournot competition between n identical firms producing at constant marginal cost and able to store before selling has pure strategy Nash‐perfect equilibria, in which some firms store to exert endogenously a leadership over rivals. The number of firms storing balances market share gains, obtained by accumulating early the output, with losses in margin resulting from increased sales and higher operation costs. This number and the industry inventories are nonmonotonic in n. Concentration (HHI) and aggregate sales increase due to the strategic use of inventories.
Hotelling was Right
Authors: Xefteris Dimitrios
Published: October 2013

This paper proves existence of a subgame perfect equilibrium in Hotelling's original (unidimensional city, linear transportation costs, uniform distribution of the consumers, two firms with identical and constant marginal cost, perfectly inelastic demand) location–price game such that in the location subgame the location choices of the firms are pure and identical. The result can be extended to variations of the original setup (multidimensional city, nonlinear transportation costs, nonuniform distribution of consumers, many firms with identical and constant marginal costs, two or more firms with nonidentical but constant marginal costs).
Upstream Mergers, Downstream Competition, and R&D Investments
Authors: Milliou Chrysovalantou , Pavlou Apostolis
Published: October 2013

In this paper, we provide an explanation for why upstream firms merge, highlighting the role of R&D investments and their nature, as well as the role of downstream competition. We show that an upstream merger generates two distinct efficiency gains when downstream competition is not too strong and R&D investments are sufficiently generic: The merger increases R&D investments and decreases wholesale prices. We also show that upstream firms merge unless R&D investments are too specific and downstream competition is neither too weak nor too strong. When the merger materializes, the merger‐generated efficiencies pass on to consumers, and thus, consumers can be better off.
Confidence Management: On Interpersonal Comparisons in Teams
Authors: Crutzen Benoît S. Y. , Swank Otto H. , Visser Bauke
Published: October 2013

Organizations differ in the degree to which they differentiate employees by ability. We analyze how the effect of differentiation on employee morale may explain this variation. We characterize sufficient conditions for the manager to refrain from differentiation. She refrains from differentiation when employees are of similar ability, especially if absolute levels are high. Avoiding differentiation boosts the self‐image of employees. To limit the negative effects of differentiation, the manager's strategy often relies on the coarsest message set possible. The likelihood that the manager differentiates depends on the presence of synergies between employees and on the convexity of the cost of effort function. Finally, we show that in the absence of commitment no differentiation is chosen too often.
HIV increases the release of dickkopf‐1 protein from human astrocytes by a Cx43 hemichannel‐dependent mechanism
Authors: Orellana Juan Andres , Sáez Juan Carlos , Bennett Michael Vander Lann , Berman Joan Weinberger , Morgello Susan , Eugenin Eliseo Alberto
Published: October 2013

Human immunodeficiency virus‐1 (HIV) is a public health issue and a major complication of the disease is NeuroAIDS. In vivo, microglia/macrophages are the main cells infected. However, a low but significant number of HIV‐infected astrocytes has also been detected, but their role in the pathogenesis of NeuroAIDS is not well understood. Our previous data indicate that gap junction channels amplify toxicity from few HIV‐infected into uninfected astrocytes. Now, we demonstrated that HIV infection of astrocytes results in the opening of connexin43 hemichannels (HCs). HIV‐induced opening of connexin43 HCs resulted in dysregulated secretion of dickkopf‐1 protein (DKK1, a soluble wnt pathway inhibitor). Treatment of mixed cultures of neurons and astrocytes with DKK1, in the absence of HIV infection, resulted in the collapse of neuronal processes. HIV infection of mixed cultures of human neurons and astrocytes also resulted in the collapse of neuronal processes through a DKK1‐dependent mechanism. In addition, dysregulated DKK1 expression in astrocytes was observed in human brain tissue sections of individuals with HIV encephalitis as compared to tissue sections from uninfected individuals. Thus, we demonstrated that HIV infection of astrocytes induces dysregulation of DKK1 by a HC‐dependent mechanism that contributes to the brain pathogenesis observed in HIV‐infected individuals.

image

Our studies demonstrated that HIV infection of astrocytes, despite minimal replication and a low number of infected cells, induces dysregulation of DKK1 secretion by a Cx43 hemichannel (HC)‐dependent mechanism. Enhanced DKK1 secretion in response to HIV infection of glial cells compromised formation and stability of neuronal processes, similar to the synaptic compromise observed in HIV‐infected individuals. In addition, analysis of human brain tissue sections obtained from encephalitic individuals also shows enhanced expression of DKK1 in astrocytes. Our data provide a novel mechanism by which HIV infection of glial cells participate in the pathogenesis of brain dysfunction observed in HIV‐infected individuals. LRP5 = Low‐density lipoprotein receptor‐related protein 5.
Brain region‐specific changes in N‐acylethanolamine contents with time of day
Authors: Liedhegner Elizabeth Sabens , Sasman Amy , Hillard Cecilia J.
Published: October 2013

The N‐acylethanolamines (NAEs) exert important behavioral, physiological, and immunological effects through actions at cannabinoid and other receptors. We measured concentrations of three NAEs, the Km and Vmax for fatty acid amide hydrolysis (FAAH), FAAH protein and FAAH mRNA in prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, hypothalamus, amygdala, striatum, and cerebellum at 4 h intervals, starting at 03:00. Significant differences in N‐arachidonylethanolamine contents among the times examined occur in the prefrontal cortex (PFC), hippocampus, hypothalamus, and striatum. N‐Oleoylethanolamine concentrations exhibit large fluctuations over the day in the cerebellum, including a threefold decrease between 19:00 and 23:00. N‐Palmitoylethanolamine and N‐oleoylethanolamine were significantly, positively correlated in all regions examined except the hypothalamus. FAAH Km values are significantly affected by time of day in PFC, hippocampus and amygdala and FAAH Vmax values are significantly affected in PFC, hippocampus and cerebellum. However, correlational data indicate that FAAH does not play a primary role in the circadian regulation of the NAE concentrations. FAAH protein expression is not significantly different among the harvest times in any brain region examined. Concentrations of 2‐arachidonoylglycerol are significantly affected by time of harvest in the striatum and cerebellum, but not in other brain regions. Together, these data indicate that the NAEs exhibit diverse patterns of change with time of day that are likely the result of alterations in biosynthesis, and support the hypothesis that N‐arachidonylethanolamine is a tonic activator of cannabinoid receptor signaling.

image

Concentrations of the endocannabinoid, anandamide (AEA) exhibit significant variability over the day that is brain region specific. It is our hypothesis that AEA is a tonic regulator of cannabinoid receptor activity in brain and that the changes in AEA content over the day reflect differences in AEA regulation of basal tone. The hypothesized patterns of tonic CB1 receptor activity in four brain regions are shown in this figure.
What We Should Want with History: A Meditation on Cultural Studies, Methodology, and Politics
Authors: Andrews Sean Johnson
Published: October 2013

This essay evaluates two of the central problems for Cultural Studies as a field: how to generate methodologically rigorous scholarship that is also politically useful; and how to productively use models and theory in the practice of history. Beginning with conversations about the place of (disciplinary) history in Cultural Studies, this essay explores one of the legendary debates in the field: between E. P. Thompson, Perry Anderson, and (at least in theory) Louis Althusser. Though the debate centered on the degree to which the English Civil War could be termed a “bourgeois revolution,” Thompson's fundamental critique concerned Anderson's use of abstract models in history. However, the distinctions Thompson makes are not nearly as clear‐cut in practice – particularly when we look at Ellen Meiksins Wood's attempt to intervene on Thompson's side in her 1991 book The Pristine Culture of Capitlism. Wood's understanding of capitalism relies on an abstract conceptualization of that mode of produciton that is ironically similar to that of Althusser and Anderson. Arguing this as an illustratration of the importance of explicit models and methods, the essay develops Richard Johnson's account of Marx's use of abstraction and theory in his own historical scholarship. Marx's framework is then deployed to reconsider the English Civil War in realation to a key contemporary concern: the origins of copyright and intellectual property. It ends by advocating for what I term anarchic abstraction: a conscious, rigorous, politically‐committed, and dialectical attention to the order and determinations of history with no strict hierarchy given in advance.
Cross‐border promotion of formula milk in Lao People's Democratic Republic
Authors: Phoutthakeo Phonephay , Otsuka Keiko , Ito Chiaki , Sayamoungkhoun Panome , Kounnavong Sengchanh , Jimba Masamine
Published: October 2013

Aim

This study aims to examine the influence of formula milk promotion via the media from Thailand to Lao People's Democratic Republic (PDR), where a cultural and linguistic proximity are shared.

Methods

A cross‐sectional study was conducted through a structured questionnaire survey and focus group discussion (FGD) with mothers who had children under 2 years of age and lived in Vientiane Capital, Lao PDR. Multivariate logistic regression models were constructed for quantitative data analysis. Content analysis was used for qualitative data analysis.

Results

Among infants aged 6–23 months, exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) rate for 6 months was 16.1% (n = 106/658). Among infants aged 0–5 months, 17.6% (n = 61/346) was exclusively breastfed at the time of survey (24 h recall). Of 1022 mothers, 89.9% reported frequent exposure to the Thai media's promotion of formula milk through TV commercials and 79.1% identified TV commercial as influential for them to develop a positive attitude towards the use of formula milk. In multivariate logistic regression analyses, mothers who reported a positive attitude towards Thai TV commercial on the formula use (n = 449) were approximately 75% less likely to practice EBF for 6 months than those who reported a negative attitude (n = 64). FGD further revealed that the participants tend to believe in the information in TV commercial for formula milk.

Conclusion

The promotion of formula milk via media from Thailand negatively affects breastfeeding mothers in Lao PDR. Cross‐border impacts of promoting formula milk should be addressed globally.
Learning difficulties or learning English difficulties? Additional language acquisition: An update for paediatricians
Authors: Clifford Vanessa , Rhodes Anthea , Paxton Georgia
Published: October 2013

Australia is a diverse society: 26% of the population were born overseas, a further 20% have at least one parent born overseas and 19% speak a language other than English at home. Paediatricians are frequently involved in the assessment and management of non‐English‐speaking‐background children with developmental delay, disability or learning issues. Despite the diversity of our patient population, information on how children learn additional or later languages is remarkably absent in paediatric training. An understanding of second language acquisition is essential to provide appropriate advice to this patient group. It takes a long time (5 years or more) for any student to develop academic competency in a second language, even a student who has received adequate prior schooling in their first language. Refugee students are doubly disadvantaged as they frequently have limited or interrupted prior schooling, and many are unable to read and write in their first language. We review the evidence on second language acquisition during childhood, describe support for English language learners within the Australian education system, consider refugee‐background students as a special risk group and address common misconceptions about how children learn English as an additional language.
Prevention and treatment of intraluminal catheter thrombosis in children hospitalised in a paediatric intensive care unit
Authors: de Lorenzo‐Pinto Ana , Sánchez‐Galindo Amelia C , Manrique‐Rodríguez Silvia , Fernández‐Llamazares Cecilia M , Fernández‐Lafever Sarah Nicole , San‐Prudencio Miriam García , Cortejoso Lucía , Sanjurjo‐Sáez María
Published: October 2013

Aim

The aim of the study was to develop and implement a protocol for the prevention and treatment of catheter related intraluminal thrombosis in a paediatric intensive care unit

Methods

A computerised search was carried out on MEDLINE, through PubMed, using the medical subject heading ‘central venous catheter’, ‘central venous access device’, ‘central venous line’ associated with ‘occlusion’, ‘obstruction’, ‘catheter‐related thrombosis’, ‘critically ill patients’ and ‘thrombolytic therapy’. References of reviewed articles were also searched for relevant titles as well as non‐randomised controlled trials and series of cases when no information of higher level of evidence was available.

Results

With the information gathered, a protocol for the prevention and treatment of catheter related intraluminal thrombosis was elaborated and those recommendations that best suit our environment were included. They were agreed upon by a broad panel of professionals working in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit and the Pharmacy Department.

Conclusions

Due to the variety of options available for the pharmacotherapeutic management of intraluminal catheter thrombosis, one measure to improve the quality of the therapy and to diminish the variability in the prescription could be the implementation of a protocol as described in this paper.
Assessment of children with learning and behavioural problems: Comparison of a multidisciplinary and sole paediatrician model
Authors: Mittal Riju , Sciberras Emma , Sewell Jill , Efron Daryl
Published: October 2013

Aims

This study aimed to compare multidisciplinary (MD) versus sole paediatrician (SP) assessment models for children with learning and/or behaviour difficulties.

Methods

Children aged 4–12 years referred for an MD or SP assessment of learning and/or behavioural concerns were invited to participate. At baseline, parents completed surveys assessing child behaviour (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire; SDQ) and quality of life (QoL) (Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory 4.0; PedsQL). Following the assessment, parents completed a survey evaluating their satisfaction with the assessment. Parents completed a survey at 3–4 months post‐assessment assessing: (i) adherence to recommendations; (ii) perceived changes in child functioning; and (iii) child QoL and behaviour.

Results

The parents of 66 children (82% male) participated in the study. Parents reported satisfaction with both assessment models; however, parents in the MD group reported better understanding of their child's difficulties than the SP group (P = 0.03). Parents in the MD group were less likely to report that ‘recommendations were useful and practical’ compared with the SP group (P = 0.01). There was no significant change in child behaviour or QoL in either group from baseline to 3–4 months post‐assessment.

Conclusions

Parents attending both clinics were satisfied with the assessment process. MD assessment of children with suspected learning and/or behavioural concerns appears to have the additional benefit of helping families to better understand their child's difficulties. Fewer families attending MD clinics reported that recommendations were useful and practical compared with the SP model.
Sleep patterns are associated with common illness in adolescents
Authors: Orzech Kathryn M. , Acebo Christine , Seifer Ronald , Barker David , Carskadon Mary A.
Published: October 2013

This prospective, field‐based study examined the association between actigraphically measured total sleep time and incident illness including cold, flu, gastroenteritis and other common infectious diseases (e.g. strep throat) in adolescents during the course of a school semester. Participants were 56 adolescents ages 14–19 years (mean = 16.6, standard deviation = 1.2, 39% male) from five high schools in Rhode Island. Beginning in late January, adolescents wore actigraphs [mean 91 (19) days, range 16–112 days] and were assigned post‐hoc to longer or shorter sleep groups based on median splits. Adolescents were interviewed weekly across as many as 16 weeks (modal number of interviews = 13) using a structured protocol that included 14 health event questions. Illness events and illness‐related school absences were coded for 710 completed interviews, with 681 illness events and 90 school absences reported. Outcomes (illness bouts, illness duration and absences) were compared among sex, sleep and academic year groups using non‐parametric regression. In a subset of 18 subjects, mean actigraphically estimated total sleep time six nights before matched illness/wellness events was compared using multivariate analysis of variance (manova). Longer sleepers and males reported fewer illness bouts; total sleep time effects were more apparent in males than females. A trend was found for shorter total sleep time before ill events. The present findings in this small naturalistic sample indicate that acute illnesses were more frequent in otherwise healthy adolescents with shorter sleep, and illness events were associated with less sleep during the previous week than comparable matched periods without illness.
The Theory of Conditionality: An Illustration of the Place of Norms in the Field of Social Thinking
Authors: Gaymard Sandrine
Published: October 2013

In the field of the central core theory of social representations, research which has focused on the normative aspects is relatively recent as it dates back little more than ten years. The theory of conditionality which developed from research into the periphery of representation results from this. It is a particularly fruitful theory to explain “normative latitudes” and the behaviour accruing to them. One of the particularities of these works stresses the importance of linking the normative aspects with specific methods and/or analyses. In this paper, we will illustrate it via a specific tool developed in the field of traffic psychology: the Conditional Script Questionnaire (CSQ). This approach makes it possible to highlight the interactions between two systems of norms: the legal system and the social system. The implication of norms is fundamental in different processes already studied such as social influence or identity processes, and this article can be considered as an illustration of the place of norms in the field of social thinking.
Surfing downhill: when should population range expansion be characterized by reductions in fitness?
Authors: Flaxman Samuel M.
Published: October 2013

Deleterious mutations are found in all populations. Their existence at low frequencies is easily understood, but explaining how they reach high frequencies has long been a challenging problem for population geneticists and evolutionary biologists. Some cases of apparently deleterious alleles are explained by pleiotropy or environmental context dependence, but for universally deleterious alleles, two mechanisms are generally invoked to explain how they can reach high frequencies: (i) genetic drift in small populations and (ii) ‘hitchhiking’ (sensu Maynard Smith J, Haigh J, Genetical Research, 1974, 23, 23–35) involving tight linkage to beneficial mutations. However, these oft‐cited explanations do not immediately resolve the problem because many real populations of interest have population sizes and recombination rates that are large enough to render it nearly impossible for all but the most weakly deleterious (i.e. nearly neutral) mutations to establish and persist. Furthermore, both mechanisms are usually silent about patterns of intraspecific variation in mutation load. In this issue, Peischl S, Dupanloup I, Kirkpatrick M, Excoffier L (Molecular Ecology, 2013) develop and explore a mechanism that puts drift and hitchhiking of deleterious mutations into a specific spatial and demographic context: range expansions. Importantly, their findings provide a plausible explanation for puzzling empirical patterns, such as the paradoxical observation that genotypes at the leading edge of a range expansion are sometimes less fit than those in the ancestral range (when fitness is assessed in a common environment).
Molecular field analysis of trophic relationships in soil‐dwelling invertebrates to identify mercury, lead and cadmium transmission through forest ecosystems
Authors: Šerić Jelaska Lucija , Jurasović Jasna , Brown David S. , Vaughan Ian P. , Symondson William O. C.
Published: October 2013

Contamination pathways in complex food chains in soil ecosystems can be difficult to elucidate. Molecular analysis of predator gut content can, however, rapidly reveal previously unidentified trophic interactions between invertebrates and thereby uncover pathways of pollutant spread. Here, we measured concentrations of the toxic metals lead, cadmium and mercury in carabid beetle predators and their prey. Invertebrates were sampled at one control and four heavy metal‐polluted sites to reveal the impact of diet composition and seasonal variation in prey availability on metal burden in carabids and metal transfer pathways through forest ecosystems. This is the first report, to our knowledge, of carabid diet composition based onPCRanalysis of gut contents at the forest community level, rather than in cultivated fields. Extensive screening using group‐ and species‐specific primers revealed that carabids ate primarily earthworms and slugs, as well as smaller numbers of woodlice and springtails. Metal concentrations in carabids correlated with seasonal changes in diet. Mercury accumulated in beetle predators more than in their slug prey. As earthworms, slugs and carabid beetles are the major prey of many birds and mammals, prey–predator transfer and associated toxicity are major risks at mercury‐contaminated sites. Carabids may be useful bioindicators for assessing the impact of pollutants on soil ecosystems, as long as species and seasonal factors are taken into account.
Alterations in Pain Response are Partially Reversed by Methylphenidate (Ritalin) in Adults with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Authors: Treister Roi , Eisenberg Elon , Demeter Naor , Pud Dorit
Published: October 2013

Background

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is characterized by dysregulation of sensory processing and neurobiology of dopamine. Although cumulative evidence suggests that dopamine is involved in pain processing, pain perception in ADHD subjects and the effect of dopamine agonists such as methylphenidate (MP, Ritalin) on it have rarely been studied.

Aims

The aims of this study were to (1) psychophysically assess sensitivity to pain in ADHD subjects as compared to controls and (2) examine the effects of MP on pain response in ADHD subjects.

Methods

Thirty subjects with ADHD and 30 age‐ and gender‐matched controls participated in a preliminary trial. Pain threshold, intensity, and tolerance in response to cold pain stimulation were measured for both groups (ADHD with no treatment). In addition, the ADHD group was reassessed following a single dose of MP treatment.

Results

The ADHD subjects “without MP” in comparison with controls displayed significantly shorter cold pain threshold (2.8 ± 2.1 vs. 5.8 ± 2.5 seconds, respectively, P < 0.001) and cold tolerance (21.8 ± 22.3 vs. 62.8 ± 59.8 seconds, respectively P < 0.001). No differences in pain intensities between the groups were found. Following MP treatment, both cold threshold and tolerance in the ADHD subjects increased significantly compared to those with no treatment (3.6 ± 2.5 seconds, P = 0.011, and 46.4 ± 53.3 seconds, P < 0.001, respectively).

Conclusions

These results suggest that adults with ADHD are more sensitive to pain compared with controls and that MP may exert antinociceptive properties in these subjects. Randomized, controlled trials are warranted to verify these findings.
Improving androgenesis‐mediated doubled haploid production efficiency of FCV tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) through in vitro colchicine application
Authors: Sood Salej , Dwivedi Samresh , Reddy Thamalampudi Venkata , Prasanna Panuganti Satya , Sharma Navin
Published: October 2013

Production of doubled haploid plants through androgenesis in flue‐cured Virginia (FCV) tobacco is a promising and convenient alternative to conventional selfing techniques for the generation of absolute homozygous lines. Here, we show a robust in vitro haploid and doubled haploid development protocol in FCV tobacco with major emphasis on improving the efficiency of chromosome doubling using in vitro colchicine treatment. We used five FCV tobacco hybrids for comparison of colchicine treatments. The anther culture response varied with developmental stages of the buds, and the highest response was observed in stage 2 buds. The effect of cold pretreatment was significant, and 4 days of pretreatment was optimum for gametic embryogenesis. Among the methods used for determining the ploidy status of plants, flow cytometry was found to be easy, fast and reliable for high‐throughput screening of haploids. Doubled haploids regeneration percentage varied from 6.77 to 11.95 in in vivo treatment, while the range of variation was 22.11% to 28.40% in in vitro colchicine treatment. We observed a pronounced increase in plant survival and the proportion of doubled haploid plants in in vitro treatment compared with the standard in vivo approach.
Continuous hemodialysis therapy for an extremely low‐birthweight infant with hyperammonemia
Authors: Kaneko Masatoshi , Ogasawara Kei , Go Hayato , Imamura Takashi , Momoi Nobuo , Hosoya Mitsuaki
Published: October 2013

Hyperammonemia of newborns should be treated promptly, and the outcome depends on the rapid elimination of excessive plasma ammonia. We encountered a case of transient hyperammonemia in an extremely low‐birthweight infant whose plasma ammonia decreased sufficiently after continuous hemodialysis therapy. It seems that continuous hemodialysis therapy using the peripheral artery and umbilical vein is useful for hyperammonemia of extremely low‐birthweight infants; however, there are several problems to consider due to the immaturity of these infants.
Paroxysmal cold hemoglobinuria caused by an IgM‐class Donath–Landsteiner antibody
Authors: Hayashi Hisako , Yasutomi Motoko , Hayashi Taihei , Yuasa Miori , Kawakita Akiko , Hata Ikue , Tanizawa Akihiko , Muramatsu Hideki , Kojima Seiji , Ohshima Yusei
Published: October 2013

We report on a 4‐year‐old boy who developed paroxysmal cold hemoglobinuria (PCH) following the first dose of a seven‐valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine. He was admitted because of dark urine after exposure to cold air. Laboratory tests indicated anemia, increased serum indirect bilirubin and lactate dehydrogenase, and decreased serum haptoglobin. Donath–Landsteiner (D‐L) test was positive. The D‐L antibody belonged to the IgM class and exhibited anti‐P specificity. Symptoms and signs subsided after supportive care without any medication. Although PCH is often associated with viral or bacterial infection and is caused by IgG‐class D‐L antibodies with anti‐P specificity, this case was unique because a D‐L antibody of the IgM class with anti‐P specificity caused PCH after immunization with a pneumococcal vaccine.
Splenic infarction in a child with primary Epstein–Barr virus infection
Authors: Gang Mi Hyeon , Kim Jae Young
Published: October 2013

Described herein is the case of a previously healthy 7‐year‐old girl who had splenic infarction. This lesion was identified 1 day after the first presentation of peri‐umbilical and right upper quadrant pain. She had abnormal hepatic function and mild splenomegaly, and was diagnosed as having primary Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) infection. Coagulation profiles indicated low plasma activity of protein C (49%) and protein S (47%), which normalized 3 weeks later. Hypercoagulability in transient protein C and protein S deficiency might contribute to the development of splenic infarction in infectious mononucleosis.
Asthma and hemoglobinopathy: When is supplemental oxygen required?
Authors: Joseph Leon , Brickner‐Braun Inbal , Pinshow Berry , Goldberg Shmuel , Miskin Hagit , Picard Elie
Published: October 2013

Asthma is the most common reason for referral to the emergency department in childhood. In severe attacks, supplemental O2 is given when oxygen saturation level is <90%. Described herein is the case of a child with persistent low oxygen saturation as measured on pulse oximetry (SpO2) after full clinical recovery from an asthma attack. Simultaneously, PaO2 was normal. A diagnosis of abnormal hemoglobin with decreased oxygen affinity (hemoglobin Seattle) was made on hemoglobin electrophoresis and genetic analysis. To ascertain when supplemental oxygen was needed, an oxygen dissociation curve was plotted using the tonometer technique, and it was found that an SpO2 of 70% is parallel to a PaO2 of 60 mmHg. Plotting an oxygen dissociation curve is a simple reproducible method to determine when supplemental oxygen is required for a child with a hemoglobinopathy.
Childhood‐onset hereditary pancreatitis with mutations in the CT gene and SPINK1 gene
Authors: Awano Hiroyuki , Lee Tomoko , Yagi Mariko , Masamune Atsushi , Kume Kiyoshi , Takeshima Yasuhiro , Iijima Kazumoto
Published: October 2013

Hereditary pancreatitis (HP) is an autosomal‐dominant gene disorder. The affected genes have been identified as the cationic trypsinogen (CT) gene and the serine protease inhibitor Kazal type 1 (SPINK1) gene. These gene abnormalities alone, however, do not necessarily regulate the onset or severity of pancreatitis, suggesting the involvement of other gene abnormalities and environmental factors. Reported herein is the case of a 9‐year‐old boy with early‐onset HP due to mutations in the CT and SPINK1 genes. The patient had a p.R122H heterozygous mutation in the CT gene and a p.N34S heterozygous mutation in the SPINK1 gene. The father had heterozygous mutation of the SPINK1 gene, and the mother had heterozygous mutation of the CT gene, although neither had a prior history of pancreatitis. In this patient, early onset of HP was attributed to the presence of gene abnormalities in the CT and SPINK1 genes.
Efficacy of recombinant human soluble thrombomodulin for childhood hemolytic uremic syndrome
Authors: Kawasaki Yukihiko , Suyama Kazuhide , Ono Atsushi , Oikawa Tomoko , Ohara Shinichiro , Suzuki Yuichi , Sakai Nobuko , Hosoya Mitsuaki
Published: October 2013

Recombinant human soluble thrombomodulin (rhTM) is a promising therapeutic natural anticoagulant and is used clinically for the treatment of disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). Herein is reported the cases of two HUS children treated with rhTM. The patients were diagnosed as having typical HUS on the basis of thrombocytopenia, hemolytic anemia, acute renal failure, and the detection Escherichia coli 0157. I.v. rhTM was started as an anti‐coagulant drug. At 2 days after the first treatment in both patients, fibrin/fibrinogen degradation products and d‐dimer levels were significantly decreased, and there was a subsequent slight improvement in thrombocytopenia, and a decrease in serum lactate dehydrogenase level. Urinary protein excretion gradually diminished and a decrease in serum creatinine level was observed. The patients did not require dialysis therapy. The present results suggest that rhTM may be a safe and effective treatment for DIC complicated with HUS in children.
Extremely rare cause of congenital diarrhea: Enteric anendocrinosis
Authors: Sayar Ersin , Islek Ali , Yilmaz Aygen , Akcam Mustafa , Flanagan Sarah E , Artan Reha
Published: October 2013

Congenital diarrheal disorders consist of a variety of chronic enteropathies. There are approximately 30 different diseases that can be classified into four groups according to the mechanisms involved in pathogenesis: (i) absorption and transport of nutrients and electrolytes; (ii) enterocyte differentiation and polarization; (iii) enteroendocrine cell differentiation; and (iv) modulation of the intestinal immune response. Affected patients often present with life‐threatening diarrhea, in the first few weeks of life. A new disorder, enteric anendocrinosis, which is characterized by severe malabsorptive diarrhea and a lack of intestinal enteroendocrine cells has recently been described in six patients with recessively inherited mutations in the Neurogenin‐3 gene. In this report we describe a seventh case with a review of the literature.
Bilateral galactocele in a male infant with Down syndrome and congenital hypothyroidism
Authors: Güven Ayla , Hancili Suna
Published: October 2013

Galactocele is an uncommon benign breast lesion. Its cause is unknown. Here, we report a male infant with Down syndrome and congenital hypothyroidism during the newborn period. At follow up, when he was 6 months old, bilateral mammillary swelling was detected and diagnosed as galactocele. Although thyroid hormone levels were normal, serum prolactin levels were elevated. Cyst aspiration was performed on the left side and 6 months after the aspiration of the cyst on the left side, both cysts had clinically and sonographically regressed. No recurrence was observed at the end of the 4th year.
Mortality after pediatric kidney transplantation in England – a population‐based cohort study
Authors: Farrugia Daniela , Cheshire James , Mahboob Sophia , Begaj Irena , Khosla Sajan , Ray Daniel , Sharif Adnan
Published: October 2013

The aim of this study was to explore mortality after pediatric kidney transplantation in England over the last decade. We used data from HES to select all kidney transplant procedures performed in England between April 2001 and March 2012. Data linkage analysis was performed with the ONS to identify all deaths occurring among this study cohort. Data for 1189 pediatric recipients were compared to 17 914 adult recipients (number of deaths, 33 vs. 2052, respectively, p < 0.001), with median follow‐up 4.4 yr (interquartile range 2.2–7.3 yr). There was no difference in mortality within the pediatric cohort; age 0–1 (n = 25, patient survival 100.0%), age 2–5 (n = 198, patient survival 96.0%), age 6–12 (n = 359, patient survival 97.5%), and age 13–18 (n = 607, patient survival 97.4%), respectively (p = 0.567). The most common causes of death were renal (n = 8, 24.2%), infection (n = 6, 18.2%), and malignancy (n = 5, 15.2%). All deaths from malignancy were secondary to PTLD. In a fully adjusted Cox regression model, only white ethnicity was significantly associated with risk of pediatric mortality post‐kidney transplantation (hazard ratio 2.7, 95% confidence interval [1.0–7.3], p = 0.047). To conclude, this population‐based cohort study confirms low mortality after pediatric kidney transplantation with short follow‐up.
Fetal lung interstitial tumor: The first Japanese case report and a comparison with fetal lung tissue and congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation/congenital pulmonary airway malformation type 3
Authors: Yoshida Mariko , Tanaka Mio , Gomi Kiyoshi , Iwanaka Tadashi , Dehner Louis P. , Tanaka Yukichi
Published: October 2013

Fetal lung interstitial tumor, a newly recognized lung lesion in infants, was first reported in 2010. Here, we report the first Japanese case of fetal lung interstitial tumor which was originally diagnosed as atypical congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation/congenital pulmonary airway malformation type 3. A 7‐day‐old girl was referred to our hospital with respiratory distress and a left lung mass and she subsequently underwent left lower lobectomy. The specimen showed a 5 cm solid mass with a fibrous capsule. Histological examination revealed immature airspaces and interstitium, containing bronchioles and cartilage. The epithelial and interstitial cells contained abundant glycogen granules. Immunohistochemistry showed nuclear/cytoplasmic expression of β‐catenin in the epithelial and interstitial cells. β‐catenin gene mutations and trisomy 8 were not detected, so a neoplastic origin could not be confirmed. The histological findings were partly consistent with normal fetal lung at the canalicular stage, pulmonary interstitial glycogenosis, and congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation/congenital pulmonary airway malformation type 3. In this report, we compare the above conditions and discuss the pathogenesis of fetal lung interstitial tumor.
Multifocal and microscopic chromophobe renal cell carcinomatous lesions associated with ‘capsulomas’ without FCLN gene abnormality
Authors: Sugimoto Kotaro , Takasawa Akira , Ichimiya Shingo , Murata Masaki , Kimura Hiromichi , Aoyama Tomoyuki , Gille Johan J.P. , Kuroda Naoto , Shimizu Hiroshi , Hasegawa Tadashi , Sawada Norimasa , Furuya Mitsuko , Nagashima Yoji
Published: October 2013

Chromophobe renal cell carcinoma (RCC) accounts for approximately 5% of renal epithelial neoplasms. Multiple and/or bilateral chromophobe RCCs in an individual are generally rare but frequently occur in patients with Birt–Hogg–Dubé syndrome (BHDS) and in patients with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC). The responsible genes in both BHDS and TSC act as tumor suppressors. Therefore, it seems that some genetic backgrounds are required for the generation and progression of multiple chromophobe RCCs. Here, we report a case of multiple and bilateral chromophobe RCCs along with several small‐sized capsular angiomyolipomas known as ‘capsulomas’ in a 39‐year‐old woman who had neither a particular medical history nor specific gene mutation. There has been no report of sporadic multiple chromophobe RCCs and ‘capsulomas’ developing in a patient without genetic features, having potential for novel genetic variation.
Nestin is a wide‐spectrum abluminal cell marker of salivary gland tumors
Authors: Yanai Hiroyuki , Sato Yasuharu , Nagatsuka Hitoshi , Yoshino Tadashi
Published: October 2013

Nestin is an intermediate filament that was first identified in neural progenitor cells. It is expressed in various cell types in the nervous system as well as in other systems. In the present study, we investigated nestin expression in non‐neoplastic salivary gland tissue and in salivary gland tumors. In non‐neoplastic salivary glands, nestin expression was observed in only a few abluminal cells. In contrast, diffuse nestin staining was observed in the abluminal cells of pleomorphic adenoma (11 of 11 cases), basal cell adenoma (7 of 7 cases), and epithelial‐myoepithelial carcinoma (2 of 2 cases). The stromal cells in basal cell adenoma also expressed nestin. In adenoid cystic carcinoma (6 of 7 cases) and polymorphous low‐grade adenocarcinoma (3 of 3 cases), nestin positive cells were observed focally. Nestin was not detected in Warthin tumor (6 cases), classical acinic cell carcinoma (2 cases), mucoepidermoid carcinoma (5 cases), or salivary duct carcinoma (4 cases). Because the nestin expression pattern in each histological salivary gland tumor type is unique, nestin could be a very useful abluminal cell marker for the diagnosis of salivary gland tumors.
Reproductive versatility in legumes: the case of amphicarpy in Trifolium polymorphum
Authors: Speroni G. , Izaguirre P. , Bernardello G. , Franco J.
Published: October 2013

Amphicarpy is a fascinating reproductive strategy, defined as fruit produced both below the soil surface and as aerial fruit on the same plant. Trifolium polymorphum is a grassland species subject to herbivory that combines amphicarpy with vegetative reproduction through stolons. Underground flowers have been described as obligate autogamous and aerial ones as self‐compatible allogamous, with aerial floral traits favouring cross‐pollination. In the present work we performed different pollination treatments on aerial flowers to analyse rates of pollen tube development and offspring fitness, measured as fruit set, seed production and germination percentage. This last variable was compared to that of seeds produced underground. No significant differences were found between fruit set in self‐ and cross‐pollinations. Seed production was higher in self‐pollinations, which is consistent with the higher rate of pollen tube development observed in self‐crosses. Spontaneous self‐pollination is limited in aerial flowers; thus pollen transfer by means of a vector is required even within the same flower. Germination tests showed that aerial seeds produced after self‐ and cross‐pollination did not differ in fitness, but underground seeds had higher germination percentage than aerial ones. Thus, we conclude that T. polymorphum has a mixed mating system. In grasslands with heavy grazing pressure, clonal propagation and underground seed production ensure persistence in the field. An intermediate level of selfing in aerial flowers ensures offspring, but morphological (herkogamy) and functional (dicogamy) floral traits maintain a window to incorporate genetic variability, allowing the species to tolerate temporal and spatial pressures.
Dependency of seed dormancy types on embryo traits and environmental conditions in Ribes species
Authors: Mattana E. , Stuppy W. H. , Fraser R. , Waller J. , Pritchard H. W.
Published: October 2013

The hypothesis that seed dormancy may be dependent on environmental conditions and seed morphological traits was tested for six Ribes species, across an altitudinal gradient of 1300 m and a longitudinal separation of 120°. Embryo measurements and seed germination experiments were conducted for R. alpinum L., R. hudsonianum Richardson var. petiolare (Douglas) Jancz., R. nevadaense Kellogg, R. roezlii Regel var. cruentum (Greene) Rehder and R. speciosum Pursh, and data taken from the literature for R. multiflorum Kit. ex Schult. ssp. sandalioticum Arrigoni. Germination was compared with seed viability to reveal proportional seed dormancy, which was then correlated to seed/embryo morphological traits and these traits related to the seed provenance environment. The embryos of all the investigated species are linear underdeveloped and all had a morphological component of seed dormancy (MD). Seeds of R. roezlii, R. hudsonianum and R. nevadaense required a temperature and/or hormone pre‐treatment in order to germinate, highlighting morphophysiological seed dormancy (MPD). Seed dormancy was found to be strongly negatively correlated with embryo length, but not with embryo to seed (E:S) ratio or seed mass. Initial embryo length was positively related to mean annual temperature. Seed dormancy in the investigated Ribes species could be quantified and predicted by the interaction of embryo traits and environmental conditions. This approach may be helpful in assessing and predicting seed dormancy in the Ribes genus and in other genera and families with underdeveloped embryos.