bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of a toggle switch mutation in TM6 of the human adenosine A3 receptor on Gi protein‐dependent signalling and Gi‐independent receptor internalization
Authors: Stoddart Leigh A , Kellam Barrie , Briddon Stephen J , Hill Stephen J
Published: April 2014

Background and Purpose

The highly conserved tryptophan (W6.48) in transmembrane domain 6 of GPCRs has been shown to play a central role in forming an active conformation in response to agonist binding. We set out to characterize the effect of this mutation on the efficacy of two agonists at multiple signalling pathways downstream of the adenosine A3 receptor.

Experimental Approach

Residue W6.48 in the human adenosine A3 receptor fused to yellow fluorescent protein was mutated to phenylalanine and expressed in CHO‐K1 cells containing a cAMP response element reporter gene. The effects on agonist‐mediated receptor internalization were monitored by automated confocal microscopy and image analysis. Further experiments were carried out to investigate agonist‐mediated ERK1/2 phosphorylation, inhibition of [3H]‐cAMP accumulation and β‐arrestin2 binding.

Key Results

NECA was able to stimulate agonist‐mediated internalization of the W6.48F mutant receptor, while the agonist HEMADO was inactive. Investigation of other downstream signalling pathways indicated that G‐protein coupling was impaired for both agonists tested. Mutation of W6.48F therefore resulted in differential effects on agonist efficacy, and introduced signalling pathway bias for HEMADO at the adenosine A3 receptor.

Conclusions and Implications

Investigation of the pharmacology of the W6.48F mutant of the adenosine A3 receptor confirms that this region is important in forming the active conformation of the receptor for stimulating a number of different signalling pathways and that mutations in this residue can lead to changes in agonist efficacy and signalling bias.
Intragenic CAMTA1 deletions are associated with a spectrum of neurobehavioral phenotypes
Authors: Shinawi M. , Coorg R. , Shimony J.S. , Grange D.K. , Al‐Kateb H.
Published: April 2014

Intragenic copy number variations involving the CAMTA1 (calmodulin‐binding transcription activator 1) gene have recently been reported in four unrelated families with intellectual disability (ID), ataxia, behavioral‐ and cerebellar‐abnormalities. We report a detailed phenotypic and molecular characterization of three individuals with novel intragenic CAMTA1 deletions from two unrelated families and compare the findings to those of previously reported patients. Our patients had deletions of exons 6–11 and presented with ID, developmental delay (DD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and constipation. Two individuals from one family had also unsteady gait. Consistent phenotypes associated with CAMTA1 intragenic rearrangements include ID, speech problems and some dysmorphic features whereas neurobehavioral abnormalities are variable. We did not observe obvious phenotypic differences between patients with in‐frame and those with frameshift rearrangements. There is an increased evidence that CAMTA1 has a role in brain and cerebellar function. CAMTA1 should be added to the growing list of genes associated with ID/DD, especially when behavioral problems, cerebellar signs, and/or dysmorphism are also present.
Agency in Institutionalised Youth: A Critical Inquiry
Authors: Polvere Lauren
Published: April 2014

This qualitative study examined the perspectives of formerly institutionalised youth labelled with psychiatric disabilities through the lens of agency. Rooted in the medical model, much research on institutionalised youth describes clinical symptoms and behaviour problems, locating the source of these problems within the individual. To address the lack of critical inquiry regarding the transactions between youth and institutions, this article examines youth perspectives on institutional practices. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with formerly institutionalised youth and young adults. The findings suggest that youth draw from agentic strategies to negotiate oppressive institutional practices. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
The Rights of Children and Parents In Regard to Children Receiving Psychiatric Diagnoses and Drugs
Authors: Breggin Peter R.
Published: April 2014

Based on the author's extensive clinical, forensic and research experience, this article addresses the scientific and moral question of whether it is ever in the best interests of a child to be given a psychiatric drug. The focus is on the diagnosis Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and stimulant drugs, and on the diagnosis Bipolar Disorder and antipsychotic (neuroleptic) drugs. The conclusion is that we should work towards a prohibition against giving psychiatric drugs to children, and instead focus on safe and effective alternative ways of meeting the needs of children within their families, schools and society.
Sick or Sad? Supporting Palestinian Children Living in Conditions of Chronic Political Violence
Authors: Rabaia Yoke , Saleh Mahasin F. , Giacaman Rita
Published: April 2014

In this article we reflect on the relatively recent emphasis onPalestinian children's mental health and well‐being in the context of exposure to chronic warlike conditions, as we position this trend within the larger framework of the generations‐long history of political turmoil and suffering. We describe how a process that started with no attention to psychosocial health of children in relation to exposure to dispossession, expulsion, occupation, repression and military attacks, proceeded with a focus on presumed mental disorders, and the more recent approach of designing context appropriate and community‐based psychosocial interventions.
Anisomeriini diving beetles—an Atlantic–Pacific Island disjunction on Tristan da Cunha and Robinson Crusoe Island, Juan Fernández?
Authors: Morinière Jérôme , Michat Mariano C. , Jäch Manfred A. , Bergsten Johannes , Hendrich Lars , Balke Michael
Published: April 2014

Anisomeriini diving beetles contain only two enigmatic species, representing a remarkable disjunction between the Pacific Juan Fernández Islands (Anisomeria bistriata) and the South Atlantic Tristan da Cunha Archipelago (Senilites tristanicola). They belong to the Colymbetinae, which contain 140 species worldwide. Here we aim to reconstruct the evolutionary history of the Anisomerinii and use > 9000 bpDNAsequence data from 13 fragments of 12 loci for a comprehensive sampling of Colymbetinae species. Analyses under different optimization criteria converge on very similar topologies, and show unambiguously thatAnisomeria bistriataandSenilites tristanicolabelong to the NeotropicalRhantus signatusspecies group, a comparatively recent clade within Colymbetinae. Anisomeriini therefore are synonomized with Colymbetini and both species are transferred toRhantusaccordingly, resulting in secondary homonymy ofRhantus bistriatus(Brullé, 1835) withRhantus bistriatus(Bergsträsser, 1778). We propose the replacement nameRhantus selkirkiJäch, Balke & Michat nom. nov. for the Juan Fernández species. Presence of these species on remote islands is therefore not relictary, but the result of more recent range expansions out of mainland South America. Finally, we suggest that Carabdytini should be synonymized with Colymbetini. Our study underpins the Hennigian principle that a natural classification can be derived only from the search for shared apomorphies between species, not from differences.
Discovery of a novel predator reveals extreme but highly variable mortality for an endangered migratory bird
Authors: Stojanovic Dejan , Webb Matthew H. , Alderman Rachael , Porfirio Luciana L. , Heinsohn Robert
Published: April 2014

Aim

Introduced predators are a global driver of species decline, but their impact on highly mobile species is poorly understood. We report the severe impact of a previously undocumented introduced predator on the endangered, migratory swift parrot (Lathamus discolor). Sugar gliders (Petaurus breviceps), a supposedly benign introduced species, were detected acting as a major opportunistic predator of cavity‐nesting birds. We assessed the intensity and geographical extent of sugar glider predation and investigated whether habitat loss exacerbated predation risk to swift parrots.

Location

Tasmania, Australia.

Methods

We monitored nests of swift parrots for 3 years with motion‐activated cameras. We used bioclimatic modelling to predict the potential distribution of introduced sugar gliders across the study area and assessed the predation risk to swift parrots and other threatened birds in the region using nest‐survival analysis.

Results

Daily survival of nests in areas where sugar gliders occurred was mean 0.97, which equated to a true likelihood of 0.17 for a nest to survive the 60‐day nesting period. No nests failed on an offshore island where sugar gliders were shown to be absent. Most cases (83.3%) of glider predation resulted in the death of the adult female parrot. On the Tasmanian mainland, there was a positive relationship between nest survival and increasing mature forest cover at the landscape scale.

Main conclusions

Predation risk varied dramatically across the breeding range of swift parrots, depending on the presence of sugar gliders. Offshore islands are an important refuge for swift parrots because sugar gliders are absent. However, islands are vulnerable, and our bioclimatic model shows that they are bioclimatically suitable for sugar gliders. Synergistic interactions between predation and habitat loss combine with low breeding‐site philopatry to expose swift parrots to dramatic variation in predation risk depending on nesting location.
Regulation of cardiomyocyte proliferation during development and regeneration
Authors: Takeuchi Takashi
Published: April 2014

The regulation of cardiomyocyte proliferation is important for heart development and regeneration. The proliferation patterns of cardiomyocytes are closely related to heart morphogenesis, size, and functions. The proliferation levels are high during early embryogenesis; however, mammalian cardiomyocytes exit the cell cycle irreversibly soon after birth. The cell cycle exit inhibits cardiac regeneration in mammals. On the other hand, cardiomyocytes of adult zebrafish and probably newts can proliferate after cardiac injury, and the hearts can be regenerated. Therefore, the ability to reproliferate determines regenerative ability. As in other cells, the relationship between proliferation and differentiation is very interesting, and is closely related to cardiac development, regeneration and homeostasis. In this review, these topics are discussed.
Restricted habitat use by an African savanna herbivore through the seasonal cycle: key resources concept expanded
Authors: Yoganand K. , Owen‐Smith Norman
Published: April 2014

Areas within regional landscapes that make a disproportionate contribution to supporting large herbivore populations have been interpreted as key resource areas, hotspots, buffers, stepping stones or serving other functional roles. We investigated the role that the restricted extent of habitat types exploited at different stages of the seasonal cycle might play in limiting the abundance of a blue wildebeest subpopulation in the Kruger National Park, South Africa. GPS collars enabled the space use patterns of the animals to be related to available habitat types, and faecal nutrient concentrations to be related to the habitats exploited at that time. Wildebeest herds occupied primarily grazing lawn grasslands associated with gabbro uplands or sodic lowlands through the wet season into the early dry season. During the late dry season, they switched to seep‐zone grasslands in mid slope regions of granitic landscapes. Use of recently burned areas enhanced forage quality at the beginning of the wet season. The seasonal habitat shifts enabled wildebeest to obtain adequate nitrogen, phosphorus and sodium throughout the year. Lawn and seep‐zone grasslands combined constituted 10% of the available area. Grazing lawns, which encompassed only ˜ 3% of the study area, appeared to be the primary limitation on the abundance of wildebeest. However, the greater security from predation provided by the open vegetation cover in the grazing lawns is not easily disentangled from the resource benefits that they yield. Nevertheless, findings indicate how local abundance can be restricted by the extent of portions of the landscape providing crucial benefits during particular phases of the seasonal cycle. Hence the key resources concept needs to be expanded to accommodate the functionally distinct contributions made by different habitats towards supporting local herbivore populations.
Anticipating the spatio‐temporal response of plant diversity and vegetation structure to climate and land use change in a protected area
Authors: Boulangeat Isabelle , Georges Damien , Dentant Cédric , Bonet Richard , Van Es Jérémie , Abdulhak Sylvain , Zimmermann Niklaus E. , Thuiller Wilfried
Published: April 2014

Vegetation is a key driver of ecosystem functioning (e.g. productivity and stability) and of the maintenance of biodiversity (e.g. creating habitats for other species groups). While vegetation sensitivity to climate change has been widely investigated, its spatio‐temporally response to the dual effects of land management and climate change has been ignored at landscape scale. Here we use a dynamic vegetation model called FATE‐HD, which describes the dominant vegetation dynamics and associated functional diversity, in order to anticipate vegetation response to climate and land‐use changes in both short and long‐term perspectives. Using three contrasted management scenarios for the Ecrins National Park (French Alps) developed in collaboration with the park managers, and one regional climate change scenario, we tracked the dynamics of vegetation structure (forest expansion) and functional diversity over 100 yr of climate change and a further 400 additional years of stabilization. As expected, we observed a slow upward shift in forest cover distribution, which appears to be severely impacted by pasture management (i.e. maintenance or abandonment). The time lag before observing changes in vegetation cover was the result of demographic and seed dispersal processes. However, plant diversity response to environmental changes was rapid. After land abandonment, local diversity increased and spatial turnover was reduced, whereas local diversity decreased following land use intensification. Interestingly, in the long term, as both climate and management scenarios interacted, the regional diversity declined. Our innovative spatio‐temporally explicit framework demonstrates that the vegetation may have contrasting responses to changes in the short and the long term. Moreover, climate and land‐abandonment interact extensively leading to a decrease in both regional diversity and turnover in the long term. Based on our simulations we therefore suggest a continuing moderate intensity pasturing to maintain high levels of plant diversity in this system.
High elevation Plantago lanceolata plants are less resistant to herbivory than their low elevation conspecifics: is it just temperature?
Authors: Pellissier Loïc , Roger Aurélien , Bilat Julia , Rasmann Sergio
Published: April 2014

Traits that mediate species interactions are evolutionarily shaped by biotic and abiotic drivers, yet we know relatively little about the relative importance of these factors. Herbivore pressure, along with resource availability and ‘third‐party’ mutualists, are hypothesized to play a major role in the evolution of plant defence traits. Here, we used the model system Plantago lanceolata, which grows along steep elevation gradients in the Swiss Alps, to investigate the effect of elevation, herbivore pressure, mycorrhizal inoculation and temperature on plant resistance. Over a 1200 m elevation gradient, the levels of herbivory and iridoid glycosides (IGs) declined with increasing elevation. By planting seedlings at three different elevations, we further showed that both low‐elevation growing conditions and mycorrhizal inoculation resulted in increased plant resistance to herbivores. Finally, using a temperature‐controlled experiment comparing high‐ and low‐elevation ecotypes, we showed that high‐elevation ecotypes are less resistant to herbivory, and that lower temperatures impair IGs deployment after herbivore attack. We thus propose that both lower herbivore pressure, and colder temperatures relax the defense syndrome of high elevation plants.
Cannabis use in first‐treatment bipolar I disorder: relations to clinical characteristics
Authors: Kvitland Levi R. , Melle Ingrid , Aminoff Sofie R. , Lagerberg Trine V. , Andreassen Ole A. , Ringen Petter A.
Published: April 2014

Aims

The aim of this study was to investigate the associations between recent cannabis use, current symptomatology and age at onset of first manic, depressive and psychotic episodes in a large sample with first‐treatment bipolar I disorder (BD I).

Methods

One hundred one patients with first‐treatment Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM‐IV) bipolar I disorder were included as part of the Thematically Organized Psychosis study. The Structural Clinical Interview for DSM‐IV was used for DSM‐IV diagnosis and identification of episodes of illness. Earlier suicide attempts were recorded. Manic, depressive and psychotic symptoms were rated using the Young Mania Rating Scale, Inventory of Depressive Symptoms and Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale correspondingly. Cannabis use within the six last months was recorded.

Results

After controlling for confounders, recent cannabis use was significantly associated with lower age at onset of first manic and psychotic episode, but not with onset of first depressive episode (both P < 0.05). Recent use was also associated with more lifetime suicide attempts (P < 0.01). No group differences were found on symptom levels.

Conclusions

The present study confirms earlier findings of an association between cannabis use and a lower age at onset. Recent cannabis use was also associated with more lifetime suicide attempts. The current findings suggest that recent cannabis use is associated with a more severe course of illness in the early phase of BD I.
The development and implementation of a pilot CBT for early psychosis service: achievements and challenges
Authors: Perry Yael , Murrihy Rachael C. , Varlow Megan , Dedousis‐Wallace Anna , Ellis Danielle M. , Langdon Robyn , Kidman Antony D.
Published: April 2014

Aim

Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) is a clinically indicated treatment for first‐episode psychosis. Despite this, CBT for early psychosis is not routinely available as part of standard mental health services in Australia. The aim of this pilot project was to develop a CBT for early psychosis service to be provided as an adjunct to existing community mental health services. This study examined the feasibility of this service model, delivered in a real‐world setting. A secondary aim was to explore the effectiveness of this service, as measured by clinical and functional outcomes.

Methods

Participants living in northern Sydney, Australia, and who had recently experienced a first episode of psychosis, were offered up to 20 sessions of individual CBT. Service feasibility was measured via attrition rates, therapy attendance and referrer feedback. Measures of psychosis, depression, anxiety and psychosocial functioning, were assessed pretreatment, after six and 12 sessions, and at 3 months post‐treatment.

Results

Nineteen clients attended treatment to completion. Survey feedback from referrers affirmed the positive impact of the service on clients' recovery. Additionally, clients showed improvements in symptoms of psychosis over the first three time points. Psychosocial functioning also shifted from the moderately to mildly impaired range by the end of treatment.

Conclusions

The CBT for early psychosis service has been successfully integrated into the mental health landscape of northern Sydney. Outcomes of this pilot project are discussed with reference to the achievements of the service, as well as the obstacles encountered, and how they were overcome.
Kainate receptors in the hippocampus
Authors: Carta Mario , Fièvre Sabine , Gorlewicz Adam , Mulle Christophe
Published: April 2014

Kainate receptors (KARs) consist of a family of ionotropic glutamate receptors composed of the combinations of five subunits, GluK1–GluK5. Although KARs display close structural homology with AMPA receptors, they serve quite distinct functions. A great deal of our knowledge of the molecular and functional properties of KARs comes from their study in the hippocampus. This review aims at summarising the functions of KARs in the regulation of the activity of hippocampal synaptic circuits at the adult stage and throughout development. We focus on the variety of roles played by KARs in physiological conditions of activation, at pre‐ and postsynaptic sites, in different cell types and through either metabotropic or ionotropic actions. Finally, we present some of the few attempts to link the role of KARs in the regulation of local hippocampal circuits to the behavioural functions of the hippocampus in health and diseases.
Biochemical characterization of proline dehydrogenase in Arabidopsis mitochondria
Authors: Schertl Peter , Cabassa Cécile , Saadallah Kaouthar , Bordenave Marianne , Savouré Arnould , Braun Hans‐Peter
Published: April 2014

Proline has multiple functions in plants. Besides being a building block for protein biosynthesis proline plays a central role in the plant stress response and in further cellular processes. Here, we report an analysis on the integration of proline dehydrogenase (ProDH) into mitochondrial metabolism in Arabidopsis thaliana. An experimental system to induce ProDH activity was established using cell cultures. Induction of ProDH was measured by novel photometric activity assays and by a ProDH in gel activity assay. Effects of increased ProDH activity on other mitochondrial enzymes were systematically investigated. Activities of the protein complexes of the respiratory chain were not significantly altered. In contrast, some mitochondrial dehydrogenases had markedly changed activities. Activity of glutamate dehydrogenase substantially increased, indicating upregulation of the entire proline catabolic pathway, which was confirmed by co‐expression analyses of the corresponding genes. Furthermore, activity of d‐lactate dehydrogenase was increased. d‐lactate was identified to be a competitive inhibitor of ProDH in plants. We suggest that induction of d‐lactate dehydrogenase activity allows rapid upregulation of ProDH activity during the short‐term stress response in plants.
Effect of nitrogen fertilization on growth and nitrogen dynamics of Chamaecrista rotundifolia cv. Minyin on red soil in southern China
Authors: Weng Boqi , Li Yuesen , Wang Yixiang , Li Yanchun
Published: April 2014

A leguminous forage plant, round‐leaf cassia (Chamaecrista rotundifolia (Pers.) Greene cv. Minyin), is ecologically important in the hilly, red soil regions of southern China. This study investigated the effects of nitrogen (N) fertilization at the rates of 0, 30, 60, 90 and 120 kg ha−1 on the growth and N dynamics (including biological N fixation, N uptake, N accumulation and fate of N fertilizer) of the pot‐grown Minyin in an attempt to optimize the fertilization. The increased fertilization increased the percentage of N derived from the fertilizer (P < 0.01), but decreased that from the soil (P < 0.05) and also reduced the number of root nodules (P < 0.01). At 60 kg ha−1 application rate, the N fixation efficiency (NFE) of the plant peaked at 29.5% and the N use efficiency (NUE) of the fertilizer at 27.9%. When the highest rate of fertilization (120 kg ha−1) was applied, NFE was significantly decreased (11.1%) and NUE reduced to 23.0%. It showed that Minyin was highly efficient (varying from approximately 11–30% NFE) in fixing N from the atmosphere, and could suitably be promoted for the N‐deficient hilly, red soil regions in southern China.
Pregnant woman with non‐comatose autoimmune acute liver failure in the second trimester rescued using medical therapy: A case report
Authors: Sato Hirokazu , Tomita Kengo , Yasue Chihiro , Umeda Rumiko , Ebinuma Hirotoshi , Ogata Sho , Du Wenlin , Soga Shigeyoshi , Maruta Koji , Yasutake Yuichi , Narimatsu Kazuyuki , Usui Shingo , Watanabe Chikako , Komoto Shunsuke , Teratani Toshiaki , Suzuki Takahiro , Yokoyama Hirokazu , Saito Hidetsugu , Nagao Shigeaki , Hibi Toshifumi , Miura Soichiro , Kanai Takanori , Hokari Ryota
Published: April 2014

We present the case of a 25‐year‐old woman at 16 weeks of gestation who presented with non‐comatose autoimmune acute liver failure and was at high risk of developing fulminant hepatitis. Predictive formulas indicated a high probability of developing fulminant hepatitis. Unenhanced computed tomography showed marked hepatic atrophy and broadly heterogeneous hypoattenuating areas. The course of her illness was subacute, and the etiology of liver injury was unclear. Considering all of the above, we predicted a poor prognosis. Plasma exchange (PE) and continuous hemodiafiltration (CHDF) therapy were initiated just after admission. A few days after admission, a high titer (×80) of antinuclear antibody was noted. Because autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) was considered a cause of liver failure, treatment with moderate prednisolone (30 mg/day) doses was administrated, with careful consideration of her pregnancy. Thereafter, her laboratory findings and clinical course gradually improved without the need for liver transplantation. A liver biopsy at 18 days after admission indicated a diagnosis of AIH. She continued the pregnancy and delivered a healthy baby without any complications. Eventually, prednisolone doses were decreased to 10 mg, after which her liver function worsened. The second liver biopsy also indicated a diagnosis of AIH. Accordingly, low‐dose prednisolone and azathioprine doses (50 mg/day) were administrated to recover her liver function, after which her liver function regained normalcy. This case illustrates that a pregnant woman with non‐comatose autoimmune acute liver failure in the first or second trimester of pregnancy and her fetus can be rescued by PE/CHDF therapy and safe moderate doses of prednisolone.
DOCUMENT AND TIME
Authors: KATES JOSHUA
Published: April 2014

This article explores what it calls the “documentarist” hypothesis: the belief that the subject matter of history, the past, is structurally absent and thus can be reached only by way of documents, testamentary traces of various sorts (not only written texts, but artifacts, land arrangements, oral witnessing, and so on). The first part of the article works out the documentarist position through interpretations of creative works that embody it and of a variety of reflections on historiography—those of Michel de Certeau and Paul Ricoeur, as well as some “postmodern historiography.” It argues that documentarism ultimately faces an insoluble problem: it presupposes the pastness of the past, yet it cannot give itself the latter by way of the documents to which it believes itself confined. Documentarism assumes as already at hand a historical‐temporal horizon of past, present, and future, for which it itself cannot account. In the second part of the article, accordingly, I turn to the historiographical portion of Faulkner's The Bear to expose the operativity of this always already given temporality. Faulkner's tale gives us access to a more radical historicity than any upon which documentarists reckon; yet this historicity turns out to sit askew from the usual frameworks of history as we know them, especially those of periods and epochs. The tension in Faulkner's own work between periodizing and event‐laden explanations, I conclude, points to questions that fall beyond history as currently conceived.
NE ME RACONTE PLUS D'HISTOIRES: DERRIDA AND THE PROBLEM OF THE HISTORY OF PHILOSOPHY
Authors: BARING EDWARD
Published: April 2014

This essay reads Derrida's early work within the context of the history of philosophy as an academic field in France. Derrida was charged with instruction in the history of philosophy at the École Normale Supérieure, and much of his own training focused on this aspect of philosophical study. The influence of French history of philosophy can be seen in Derrida's work before Of Grammatology, especially in his unpublished lectures for a 1964 course entitled “History and Truth,” in which he analyzed the semantic richness of the word “history.” According to Derrida, “history” comprised both the ideas of change and of transmission, which allowed the writing of history at a later time. In the Western tradition, Derrida suggested, philosophers had consistently tried to reduce the idea of history as transmission, casting it simply as empirical development in order to preserve the idea that truth could be timeless. Derrida's account of the evolving opposition between history and truth within the history of philosophy led him to suggest a “history of truth” that transcended and structured the opposition. I argue that Derrida's strategies in these early lectures are critical for understanding his later and more famous deconstruction of speech and writing. Moreover, the impact of this early confrontation with the problem of history and truth helps explain the ambivalent response by historians to Derrida's analyses.
TO THE PLANETARIUM—THERE IS STILL TIME!
Authors: Wurgaft Benjamin Aldes
Published: April 2014

This review essay examines James McFarland's Constellation: Friedrich Nietzsche and Walter Benjamin in the Now‐Time of History, which stages a comparative reading of the two thinkers’ works and argues that they shared a resistance to the conventions of nineteenth‐century historicism as well as a desire to attend not to causation as a force in history but rather to the importance of each individual “present.” Benjamin's term “dialectics at a standstill” is a formulation only a reader of Nietzsche could have produced, as McFarland ably demonstrates. This review essay also delves into Benjamin's own use of the “constellation” motif, identifying complexities McFarland leaves out of his account. Influenced by Nietzsche's own uses of astronomical and astrological motifs, Benjamin employed the image of the constellation as a symbol not only for temporality (say, of the time it takes for starlight to reach our planet). He also used it to examine our transforming relationship with the cosmos and with nature most broadly, and, in the famous “Theses on the Philosophy of History,” he used it as a figure for the proper relationship historians should establish between their own period and the past; this is what yields an understanding of the present moment as the Jetztzeit, the “time of the now” enjoying its own dignity beyond any causal relationship with the future it may have. However, and as this review essay suggests, Benjamin's uses of the constellation image, and of images of stars, telescopes, and planetariums more generally, were highly ambivalent. They can serve as indices of his shifting views of modernity and of his desire that modern experience, seemingly condemned to alienation, might be redeemed.
TYING MEMORY TO THE GROUND
Authors: Shauli Ran
Published: April 2014

In the 1980s Pierre Nora, one of France's most prominent historians, developed the concept of lieux de mémoire (places of memory). Studies of such places where, in Nora's words, “memory crystallizes and is being diffused,” were conducted and published in France and in other European countries in the ensuing decades. Marc Andre Matten's collection of essays, Places of Memory in Modern China: History, Politics, and Identity, is the first methodological attempt to use Nora's theoretical guidelines in the context of greater China (mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan). The book explores sites that are connected with three of China's founding leaders, and with some of its constitutive moments as a nation. Using a variety of research methods, the articles in this book concentrate on the years of the People's Republic, taking the reader from the early revolutionary phase of its short and turbulent history, through the disaster and the chaos of the 1960s and the early 1970s, to the current postsocialist era. The articles in the book examine the local: an archeological site, a memorial hall, a mausoleum, a museum, a park, and a public garden, in order to understand how each one of these locales reflects broader vicissitudes of memory and changes of identity in China.
Successful switch to rilpivirine/tenofovir/emtricitabine in HIV‐1‐infected patients with an isolated K103N mutation acquired during prior nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor therapy
Authors: Rokx C , Verbon A , Rijnders BJA
Published: April 2014

Objectives

Whether treatment‐experienced HIV‐1‐infected patients with an acquired K103N mutation after failing nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) regimens can be treated with rilpivirine is unknown. The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the efficacy of rilpivirine/tenofovir/emtricitabine in HIV‐1‐infected patients with an isolated K103N mutation.

Methods

A prospective study was carried out in HIV‐1‐infected adults who acquired the K103N mutation on failing NNRTI regimens. No other mutations in reverse transcriptase were allowed. Patients had to be on second‐line regimens with HIV‐1 RNA < 200 copies/mL for ≥ 6 months. Exclusion criteria were: use of acid‐reducing agents, insufficient caloric intake and impaired renal function. Of primary interest was virological success (HIV‐1 RNA < 200 copies/mL) at weeks 6, 12, 24 and 48.

Results

Of 1550 HIV‐1‐infected patients at the Erasmus Medical Center Rotterdam, we identified 10 HIV‐1‐infected patients with an isolated K103N mutation acquired after NNRTI failure. Five patients were not eligible for inclusion in the study, and two patients refused participation. Three African women (23–35 years of age) were included and were switched from boosted protease inhibitor‐based second‐line therapies to rilpvirine/tenofovir/emtricitabine. HIV‐1 RNA was < 200 copies/mL at weeks 6, 12, 24 and 48 for all patients. No adverse events were observed. All patients had HIV‐1 RNA < 200 copies/mL for 6−50 months prior to the switch.

Conclusions

This pilot study demonstrates the successful switch of HIV‐1‐infected patients who acquired an isolated K103N mutation during previous NNRTI therapy to rilpivirine/tenofovir/emtricitabine. In selected patients, single‐tablet regimens are also becoming a valid treatment option for second‐line HIV‐1 therapy.
Toothbrush efficacy for plaque removal
Authors: Nightingale KJ , Chinta SK , Agarwal P , Nemelivsky M , Frisina AC , Cao Z , Norman RG , Fisch GS , Corby P
Published: April 2014

Objectives

To determine the effectiveness of a novel sonic toothbrush in reducing plaque and in maintenance of gingival health when compared to a standard manual brush.

Methods

This study was a block‐randomized, examiner‐blind, two‐treatment, parallel group, single centre clinical investigation. A total of 84 subjects were enrolled and randomly assigned to receive either the Panasonic EW‐DL90 or an American Dental Association‐endorsed manual toothbrush. Subjects were instructed to follow a twice‐daily brushing regimen without flossing. Plaque levels and gingival health were assessed at baseline and after 1 and 3 weeks of treatment using the Turesky Modification of the Quigley‐Hein Plaque Index and the Papillary Bleeding Score.

Results

Subjects assigned to the EW‐DL90 group had significantly lower plaque levels after 1 and 3 weeks of treatment than those in the manual group (P = 0.003 and 0.0035, respectively). Both groups showed a reduction in plaque levels at Week 3 relative to baseline. The EW‐DL90 group had significantly lower gingival inflammation scores after 1 week of treatment (P = 0.0293), but there was no difference between groups after 3 weeks of treatment.

Conclusion

The EW‐DL90 toothbrush safely and effectively removes more plaque than a standard manual toothbrush. Improvement in gingival inflammation was observed after 1 week of treatment. There was no difference in Papillary Bleeding Score between the two groups after 3 weeks of treatment.

Clinical significance

The newly developed sonic brush (Panasonic EW‐DL90) tested in this study was found to be more effective than a manual toothbrush at plaque removal. The papillary bleeding scores were significantly lower in the sonic brush group after 1 week of product use. After 3 weeks of product use, both treatment groups had similar papillary bleeding scores almost returning to baseline values.
Expression profile of undifferentiated cell transcription factor 1 in normal and cancerous human epithelia
Authors: Mouallif Mustapha , Albert Adelin , Zeddou Mustapha , Ennaji My Mustapha , Delvenne Philippe , Guenin Samuel
Published: April 2014

Undifferentiated cell Transcription Factor 1 (UTF1) is a chromatin‐bound protein involved in stem cell differentiation. It was initially reported to be restricted to stem cells or germinal tissues. However, recent work suggests that UTF1 is also expressed in somatic cells and that its expression may increase during carcinogenesis. To further clarify the expression profile of UTF1, we evaluated UTF1 expression levels immunohistochemically in eight normal human epithelia (from breast, prostate, endometrium, bladder, colon, oesophagus, lung and kidney) and their corresponding tumours as well as in several epithelial cell lines. We showed UTF1 staining in normal and tumour epithelial tissues, but with varying intensities according to the tissue location. In vitro analyses also revealed that UTF1 is expressed in somatic epithelial cell lines even in the absence of Oct4A and Sox2, its two main known regulators. The comparison of UTF1 levels in normal and tumoral tissues revealed significant overexpression in endometrial and prostatic adenocarcinomas, whereas lower intensity of the staining was observed in renal and colic tumours, suggesting a potential tissue‐specific function of UTF1. Altogether, these results highlight a potential dual role for UTF1, acting either as an oncogene or as a tumour suppressor depending on the tissue. These findings also question its role as a specific marker for stem cells.
A processual theory of green identity formation: the case of young environmentalists in Australia
Authors: Perera L. Chamila Roshani
Published: April 2014

Using image‐elicited, depth interviews, this qualitative study explores green consumption practices among 20 young environmentalists, aged between 18 and 25 years, in an Australian city with a view to examine how various identity formations reside in their narratives. The study's findings strongly support the applicability of Cherrier and Murray's four‐stage processual theory of identity (sensitization, separation, socialization, striving) to understand young environmentalist's formation of a green identity. The study also develops an emergent processual theory of green identity formation, which encompasses four main stages of control, create, compromise and customize. Each stage corresponds to how the young environmentalists position and negotiate their formative green identities, including first enacting control about their identity; creating their new identity in relation to existing green identity projects; compromising their new identity as it is practiced and socialized in their lives; and finally, customizing their identity as they frame, situate and align personal, social and cultural influences about consumption and their identity. The findings inform green policy makers and institutions working towards building a green consumer society involving young consumers.
Towards conscientious food consumption: exploring the values of Czech organic food consumers
Authors: Zagata Lukas
Published: April 2014

The effects of the organic consumption are often contested with regard to the motives of consumers. Main goal of the paper is to present a theoretical framework that would encapsulate the motives of consumption and enable to identify the conditions for sustainable consumption. In particular, the paper seeks a new perspective that will not be tied to specific ways of life and that could bridge the complex, and often contradictory, motives of consumers. This framework is applied to map the values of organic food consumers in the Czech Republic with the use of the means‐end approach. The participants identified about 30 attributes related to organic food. Those attributes were divided into 14 basic categories. The study proves that Czech consumers mainly see organics as food ‘without chemicals’ that is favourable to health. At the same time, the identified hierarchical map of values reveals the great importance of the environmentally friendly approach, which results in the reduction of negative impacts and creates an opportunity to balance the relationship between society and nature. Some of the identified motives have pointed out a potential for merging together the egocentric and altruistic motives of ethical consumption in relation to the concept of ‘alternative hedonism’.
Drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms: manifestations, treatment, and outcome in 17 patients
Authors: Sultan Sheikh Javeed , Sameem Farah , Ashraf Mohd
Published: April 2014

Background

Drug‐induced hypersensitivity syndrome (DIHS) or drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) is a rare type of adverse drug reaction with complex clinical features involving multiple systems of the body.

Objectives

This study was designed to evaluate the clinical features, course, response to treatment, and outcome of DRESS.

Methods

The study involved a retrospective analysis of data collected over a period of four years in 17 patients with DRESS. Clinical features, laboratory findings, responses to treatment, and outcomes were investigated.

Results

The study population included 17 patients, of whom eight (47.1%) were male and nine (52.9%) were female. The most common (64.7%) culprit drugs were anticonvulsants (phenytoin, phenobarbitone, carbamazepine, oxcarbazepine, and lamotrigine). Other causative drugs included allopurinol, dapsone, vancomycin, leflunomide, and nitrofurantoin. The latency period varied from 11 days to 34 days, with a mean of 22.35 ± 5.83 days. The mean latency period of anticonvulsant drugs was longer than that of other drugs. Multisystem involvement was present in all patients. Systemic corticosteroids, injectable followed by oral, were administered to all patients. Thirteen (76.5%) patients recovered completely, two (11.7%) developed post‐inflammatory hyperpigmentation, and one (5.9%) patient developed renal failure. One patient with liver failure had a poor outcome.

Conclusions

A variety of drugs can cause DRESS, the most common being anticonvulsants. Patients show diverse presentations with varied organ involvement. Systemic corticosteroids are an effective management option and are associated with a good clinical outcome if started early.
Frontal fibrosing alopecia: a retrospective clinical review of 62 patients with treatment outcome and long‐term follow‐up
Authors: Banka Nusrat , Mubki Thamer , Bunagan Marry Jo Kristine , McElwee Kevin , Shapiro Jerry
Published: April 2014

Background

Frontal fibrosing alopecia is a distinctive form of scarring alopecia presenting with frontal and temporoparietal recession of the hairline. Its etiology remains unknown, and there are no universal treatment guidelines. We conducted a retrospective cohort study to define the clinical findings and treatment outcomes of 62 patients with frontal fibrosing alopecia, one of the largest cohorts to date.

Methods

Data analysis from case notes was performed on 62 patients with a diagnosis of frontal fibrosing alopecia seen from January 2004 to March 2012.

Results

Except for one male, all patients in this cohort were females (80% post‐menopausal) and mostly Caucasians (81%). Age at onset was between 18 and 81 years. While 35% reported no symptoms, the majority (65%) had itching, pain, or burning sensations. All patients had frontal hairline recession, and 81% had complete or partial loss of eyebrows. Perifollicular erythema and perifollicular hyperkeratosis occurred in 73% and 31%, respectively. Associated autoimmune connective tissue diseases were observed in 14% of patients. Reduction in symptoms and hairline stabilization were achieved in 97% of treated patients with intralesional corticosteroids. Thirty‐one percent of patients were able to stop treatments and remained in remission for six months to six years.

Conclusion

Frontal fibrosing alopecia is increasingly seen in postmenopausal women and rarely in men. Despite the limitations of a retrospective study, we conclude early intervention and treatment with intralesional triamcinolone acetonide may halt the progression of the disease; however, further controlled prospective studies are needed to establish treatment guidelines for frontal fibrosing alopecia.
Artefactual skin lesions in children and adolescents: review of the literature and two cases of factitious purpura
Authors: Ring Hans Christian , Miller Iben M. , Benfeldt Eva , Jemec Gregor B.E.
Published: April 2014

Background

Self harm is a great diagnostic and treatment challenge. In addition, psychocutaneous conditions are rare in the pediatric population and may therefore be misdiagnosed. Dermatitis artefacta is a psychocutaneous syndrome, which is a subgroup of the general spectrum of self‐inflicted skin lesions. Dermatitis artefacta encompasses an array of different clinical manifestations, including purpura. Factitious purpura has rarely been reported in children.

Methods

Case report and review of the literature.

Results

We describe two Caucasian patients (9‐year‐old boy and 10‐year‐old girl) with striking purpuric lesions diagnosed as factitious purpura. The clinical lesions were similar, but the underlying psychological problems differed significantly (depression and stress). The current state of knowledge of dermatitis artefacta in children and adolescents was reviewed.

Conclusion

The presence of purpura in children and adolescents typically causes extensive intervention programs due to the possible serious pathological consequences. The two cases demonstrate a need for a high degree of attention to psychological disturbances, lesional evolution, and distribution once the suspicion is established.
Focal epithelial hyperplasia associated with human papillomavirus 13 and common human leukocyte antigen alleles in a Turkish family
Authors: Akoğlu Gülşen , Metin Ahmet , Ceylan Gülay Güleç , Emre Selma , Akpolat Demet , Süngü Nuran
Published: April 2014

Background

Focal epithelial hyperplasia (FEH) is a rare and benign papillomatous disease of the oral cavity, which is closely associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) type 13 and 32. Genetic susceptibility to HPV infections are supported by recent studies involving the human leukocyte antigen system (HLA). In this report, we aimed to determine the clinicopathological features of a Turkish family with FEH and to detect the shared HLA DR and DQ types.

Methods

HPV DNA typing of tissue samples and HLA determination from blood samples of four family members were performed by polymerase chain reaction.

Results

Histopathological examination of all patients revealed acanthotic papillomatous epidermis, koilocytes, apoptotic keratinocytes, and mitosoid bodies. HPV13 was detected by polymerase chain reaction. HLA DQA1*0501, HLA DQB1*0302, and HLA DRB1*11 alleles were common in all family members. HLA DRB1*04 was detected in three of them.

Conclusion

This report is the first step for the investigation of involvement of HLA types in the pathogenesis of Turkish patients with FEH.