bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The effect of pulmonary function testing on bleomycin dosing in germ cell tumours
Authors: Roncolato F. T. , Chatfield M. , Houghton B. , Toner G. , Stockler M. , Thomson D. , Friedlander M. , Gurney H. , Rosenthal M. , Grimison, P. ,   on behalf of the Australian and New Zealand Urogenital Prostate Cancer Trials Group (ANZUP)
Published: June 2016

Background/Aim

The utility of pulmonary function testing (PFT) to detect bleomycin‐induced pneumonitis is controversial. We describe its impact on bleomycin dosing in a phase 2 trial of accelerated BEP (bleomycin, etoposide, cisplatin) for advanced germ cell tumours.

Methods

There were 12 planned weekly bleomycin doses for intermediate‐risk and poor‐risk disease and nine for good‐risk disease. Clinical assessments, chest X‐ray, diffusing capacity of lung for carbon monoxide (DLCO) and forced vital capacity (FVC) were performed bi‐weekly. Bleomycin was ceased for predefined clinical/radiological evidence of pulmonary toxicity and a >25% reduction in DLCO or FVC. We determined doses planned, received and omitted and patients receiving all, ≥two‐thirds, two‐thirds of planned bleomycin doses.

Results

Of 43 eligible patients, 30% had lung metastases. Of 471, 375 (80%) of planned bleomycin doses were received, and 30% received 25% reduction in DLCO (35 vs 24%, P = 0.4) and 1.5 times as likely to receive <two‐thirds of their planned doses (35 vs 24%, P = 0.4). Patients who received less than full doses of bleomycin had worse outcomes if they were of good or poor prognosis.

Conclusion

Asymptomatic reductions in DLCO caused 20% of bleomycin doses to be omitted and 30% of patients to receive <two‐thirds of their planned doses. A 25% reduction in DLCO appears too cautious a threshold. Given the potential negative impact of this practice on anti‐cancer effect, routine use of PFT to monitor for bleomycin toxicity should be questioned.
The Ethics and Politics of Child Naming
Authors: Sarajlic Eldar
Published: June 2016

This article examines the issue of justification of government's intervention in the parental acts of child naming, a neglected topic in the recent philosophical literature. It questions the ability of some of the current theories in family ethics to respond to this problem, and argues that both permissive and restrictive theories fail to provide a plausible argument about the proper limits of government regulation of child naming practices. The article outlines an alternative solution that focuses on the child's right to authenticity and suggests that only those names that infringe upon this right invite justified state intervention.
Tracking the Stejneger's stonechat Saxicola stejnegeri along the East Asian–Australian Flyway from Japan via China to southeast Asia
Authors: Yamaura Yuichi , Schmaljohann Heiko , Lisovski Simeon , Senzaki Masayuki , Kawamura Kazuhiro , Fujimaki Yuzo , Nakamura Futoshi
Published: June 2016

The East Asian–Australian Flyway spans from north Asia to Australia and is the world's richest birds' flyway because it involves > 40% of global migratory bird species. However, information is lacking on individual migratory routes and non‐breeding grounds for small land birds using this flyway. Here, we present the first migration tracks of the songbird Stejneger's stonechat Saxicola stejnegeri from this part of the world using light‐level geolocators. This species depends on grasslands during the entire annual cycle and was captured and equipped with tracking devices in Hokkaido, northern Japan. All individuals traveled through southern Primorye or eastern Heilongjiang (Russia/China) before flying southward via central China toward their major non‐breeding grounds in southeast Asia (China, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam). Individual stonechats spent 42–70 d en route during their autumn migration. Both the major non‐breeding grounds and the stopover sites are likely to pose challenges to the persistence of this species, because these habitats are currently degraded and will likely be lost in the near future due to intensified agriculture and the establishment of permanent croplands. Moreover, the areas used by Stejneger's stonechat during migration largely overlapped with illegal trapping areas in northeastern China.
Assessing relative variable importance across different spatial scales: a two‐dimensional wavelet analysis
Authors: Carl Gudrun , Doktor Daniel , Schweiger Oliver , Kühn Ingolf
Published: June 2016

Aim

Assessing the relationship between a spatial process and environmental variables as a function of spatial scale is a challenging problem. Therefore, there is a need for a valid and reliable tool to examine and evaluate scale dependencies in biogeography, macroecology and other earth sciences.

Location

Central Europe (latitude 43.99°–54.22° N, longitude 4.79°–15.02° E).

Methods

We present a method for applying two‐dimensional wavelet analysis to a generalized linear model. This scale‐specific regression is combined with a multimodel inference approach evaluating the relative importance of several environmental variables across different spatial scales. We apply this method to data of climate, topographic and land cover variables to explain variation in annual greening of vegetation (i.e. phenology) in Central Europe.

Results

Land use is more important to explain the variation in greening than climate at smaller resolution while climate is more important at larger resolution with a shift at c. 1000 km2.

Main conclusions

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study analysing the scale dependency of an ecosystem process, clearly distinguishing between the different components of scale, namely grain, focus and extent. The obtained results demonstrate that our newly proposed method is particularly suitable for studying scale dependencies of various spatial processes on environmental drivers keeping grain and extent constant and changing focus (i.e. resolution).
Shared phylogeographical breaks in a Caribbean coral reef sponge and its invertebrate commensals
Authors: DeBiasse Melissa B. , Richards Vincent P. , Shivji Mahmood S. , Hellberg Michael E.
Published: June 2016

Aim

To test whether phylogeographical barriers in the brooding sponge Callyspongia vaginalis match breaks previously identified in the Caribbean. We also compared patterns of subdivision in the sponge to those of three of its commensals, the broadcast spawning brittle star Ophiothrix suensonii and the brooding amphipods Leucothoe ashleyae and L. kensleyi, and tested whether any shared breaks arose simultaneously.

Location

Florida, Bahamas and the Caribbean.

Methods

Subdivision of C. vaginalis populations was inferred from one mitochondrial (COI) and six nuclear loci using clustering analyses. We identified phylogeographical breaks in the sponge and its invertebrate commensals by determining geographical patterns of genetic variation and tested simultaneous population divergence across barriers shared among taxa using hierarchical approximate Bayesian computation.

Results

Sponge populations were partitioned into western and eastern groups across the Caribbean, with hierarchical subdivision within regions. The sponge and its commensals shared barriers across their ranges despite differences in dispersal strategy: C. vaginalis, L. ashleyae and O. suensonii populations in Central America were isolated from the remainder of the Caribbean, and all four taxa shared a break between Florida and the Bahamas, although simultaneous population divergence could not be inferred with statistical certainty. Our results also suggest cryptic speciation within C. vaginalis.

Main conclusions

Phylogeographical patterns in C. vaginalis largely matched barriers previously identified at the Florida Straits, Mona Passage and Bay of Honduras in other Caribbean taxa. Oceanographic features such as deep water between locations, strong currents, and eddies are likely mechanisms responsible for these breaks.
Outcomes of infants followed‐up at least 12 months after fetal open and endoscopic surgery for meningomyelocele: a systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Araujo Júnior Edward , Tonni Gabriele , Martins Wellington P.
Published: June 2016

Objective

To assess the outcomes of infants followed‐up at least 12 months after open and endoscopic fetal surgery for the treatment of spina bifida.

Methods

A searching in The Cochrane Library, LILACS, PubMed and SCOPUS databases for fetal meningomyelocele (MMC) open or endoscopic surgery in humans from 2003 on‐wards with follow‐up at least 12 months. The rate of the estimated proportions was evaluated by the 95% confidence interval (CI).

Results

A total of 19 studies were finally included (17 open and 2 endoscopic surgery). The results suggested that the rate for ventriculoperitoneal shunt placement were 40% (29%, 51%) versus 45% (34%, 56%) for open surgery group and endoscopic surgery group. The rate of hindbrain herniation reversal was 34% (28%, 52%) versus 86% (49%, 97%), the lower extremity function rates for both groups were 47% (30%, 64%) versus 86% (49%, 97%), and bladder dysfunction rates for both groups were 72% (53%, 88%) versus 29% (8%, 64%), respectively. Open and endoscopic fetal surgery for MMC presented similar ventriculoperitoneal shunt rates.

Conclusion

Open and endoscopic fetal surgery for MMC presented similar ventriculoperitoneal shunt rates in infants followed at least 12 months.
Skin Cancer in U.S. Elderly Adults: Does Life Expectancy Play a Role in Treatment Decisions?
Authors: Linos Eleni , Chren Mary‐Margaret , Stijacic Cenzer Irena , Covinsky Kenneth E.
Published: June 2016

Objectives

To examine whether life expectancy influences treatment pattern of nonmelanoma skin cancer, or keratinocyte carcinoma (KC), the most common malignancy and the fifth most costly cancer to Medicare.

Design

Nationally representative cross‐sectional study.

Setting

Nationally representative Health and Retirement Study linked to Medicare claims.

Participants

Treatments (N = 9,653) from individuals aged 65 and older treated for basal or squamous cell carcinoma between 1992 and 2012 (N = 2,702) were included.

Measurements

Limited life expectancy defined according to aged 85 and older, medical comorbidities, Charlson Comorbidity Index score of 3 or greater, difficulty in at least one activity of daily living (ADL), and a Lee index of 13 or greater. Treatment type (Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) (most intensive, highest cost), excision, or electrodesiccation and curettage (ED&C) (least intensive, lowest cost)), according to procedure code.

Results

Most KCs (61%) were treated surgically. Rates of MMS (19%), excision (42%), and ED&C (39%) were no different in participants with limited life expectancy and those with normal life expectancy. For example, 19% of participants with difficulty or dependence in ADLs, 20% of those with a Charlson comorbidity score greater than 3, and 15% of those in their last year of life underwent MMS; participants who died within 1 year of diagnosis were treated in the same way as those who lived longer.

Conclusion

A one‐size‐fits‐all approach in which advanced age, health status, functional status, and prognosis are not associated with intensiveness of treatment appears to guide treatment for KC, a generally nonfatal condition. Although intensive treatment of skin cancer when it causes symptoms may be indicated regardless of life expectancy, persons with limited life expectancy should be given choices to ensure that the treatment matches their goals and preferences.
From Advance Euthanasia Directive to Euthanasia: Stable Preference in Older People?
Authors: Bolt Eva E. , Pasman H. Roeline W. , Deeg Dorly J. H. , Onwuteaka‐Philipsen Bregje D.
Published: June 2016

Objectives

To determine whether older people with advance directive for euthanasia (ADEs) are stable in their advance desire for euthanasia in the last years of life, how frequently older people with an ADE eventually request euthanasia, and what factors determine this.

Design

Mortality follow‐back study nested in a cohort study.

Setting

The Netherlands.

Participants

Proxies of deceased members of a cohort representative of Dutch older people (n = 168) and a cohort of people with advance directives (n = 154).

Measurements

Data from cohort members (possession of ADE) combined with after‐death proxy information on cohort members’ last 3 months of life. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed on determinants of a euthanasia request in individuals with an ADE.

Results

Response rate was 65%. One hundred forty‐two cohort members had an ADE at baseline. Three months before death, 87% remained stable in their desire for euthanasia; 47% eventually requested euthanasia (vs 6% without an ADE), and 16% died after euthanasia. People with an ADE were more likely to request euthanasia if they worried about loss of dignity.

Conclusion

The majority of older adults who complete an ADE will have a stable preference over time, but an advance desire for euthanasia does not necessarily result in a euthanasia request. Writing an ADE may reflect a person's need for reassurance that they can request euthanasia in the future.
Setting targets leads to greater long‐term weight losses and ‘unrealistic’ targets increase the effect in a large community‐based commercial weight management group
Authors: Avery A. , Langley‐Evans S. C. , Harrington M. , Swift J. A.
Published: June 2016

Background

Setting personal targets is an important behavioural component in weight management programmes. Normal practice is to encourage ‘realistic’ weight loss, although the underlying evidence base for this is limited and controversial. The present study investigates the effect of number and size of weight‐loss targets on long‐term weight loss in a large community sample of adults.

Methods

Weight change, attendance and target weight data for all new UK members, joining from January to March 2012, were extracted from a commercial slimming organisation's electronic database.

Results

Of the 35 380 members who had weight data available at 12 months after joining, 69.1% (n = 24 447) had a starting body mass index (BMI) ≥30 kg m–2. Their mean (SD) weight loss was 12.9% (7.8%) and, for both sexes, weight loss at 12 months was greater for those who set targets (P < 0.001). Those that set ≥4 targets achieved the greatest loss (P < 0.001). The odds ratio for weight loss ≥10% at 12 months was 10.3 (95% confidence interval = 9.7–11.1, P < 0.001) where targets had been set compared to none. At the highest quintile of target size, the size of the first target explained 47.2% (P < 0.001) of the variance in weight loss achieved at 12 months. The mean (SD) BMI reduction in those with a target >25% was 7.6 (4.0) kg m–2. A higher percentage of obese members did not set targets (P < 0.001) compared to those with a BMI <30 kg m–2.

Conclusions

Much of the variance in weight loss achieved in this population was explained by the number of targets set and the size of the first target. Although obese people were less likely to set targets, doing so increased the likelihood of achieving clinically significant weight loss and, for some ‘unrealistic’ targets, improved the results.
Factors influencing satisfaction with emergency department medical service: Patients’ and their companions’ perspectives
Authors: Son Heesook , Yom Young‐Hee
Published: June 2016

Aims

To examine the individual determinants that influence satisfaction with medical services at the emergency department and to compare the factors that influence satisfaction for the patients, compared with their companions.

Methods

Using data from the 2009 Korea Health Panel Survey, Andersen's behavioral model was used to examine the factors that affect satisfaction with service. A logistic regression analysis was conducted with the data.

Results

Patients who were older, female, and employed were more satisfied with the service, as were patients who visited more frequently and those who had non‐surgical treatment. Companions who had less education, were accompanying non‐Medicaid‐holders, and spent a longer time in the emergency department were less likely to be satisfied. This was in contrast to those who spent a shorter amount of time in the emergency department and who visited due to illness, rather than injury; these companions were more satisfied with the service. When all the factors were analyzed simultaneously, they differed significantly between the two groups of patients and companions.

Conclusions

Different factors contributed to the satisfaction with the services for the patients and their companions. In order to increase the satisfaction levels and improve the quality of care in emergency departments, it is necessary to consider more specific approaches that reflect the different perspectives of the visitors to the emergency department.
Sociocultural construction of food ways in low‐income Mexican‐American women with diabetes: a qualitative study
Authors: Benavides‐Vaello Sandra , Brown Sharon A.
Published: June 2016

Aims and objectives

The aim of the study was to explore how low‐income Hispanic women, with at least 10 years of having type 2 diabetes, successfully manage the disease within a sociocultural context, especially in relation to foodways.

Background

Managing type 2 diabetes is challenging, particularly for underserved populations such as low‐income Hispanic women. This population segment has higher rates of type 2 diabetes, diabetes‐related complications, obesity, and sedentary lifestyles than the general U.S. population. Dietary management is a critical aspect of diabetes care, but it is perhaps the most difficult health behaviour to modify.

Design

A qualitative and ethnographically based study was used.

Methods

Participant observation and individual interviews explored the interrelationships of culture, food habits and type 2 diabetes among 12 low‐income Hispanic women residing in an impoverished rural community located on the Texas‐Mexico border.

Results

Hispanic women used unique strategies to adjust their diet, particularly portion control; for example, they emphasised the ‘use of the fork’, based on the notion that Hispanic finger foods are less healthy. Women categorised foods as bad or acceptable, depending on the context, such as important family or social gatherings. Those with years of diabetes experience confidently took charge of the disease based on knowledge of their bodies and a desire to avoid complications, while acknowledging brief infractions of dietary ‘rules’ and balancing various social roles and expectations.

Conclusions

Hispanic women manage their type 2 diabetes within a sociocultural environment. Those with expertise make changes in how they eat to care for their diabetes, but also continue to maintain traditional foodways.

Relevance to clinical practice

Foodways are critical to most cultural groups and modifying dietary behaviours can be challenging. Clinicians must develop self‐management guidance within the sociocultural context of the patient if diabetes outcomes are to improve and be sustained.
The application of a feminist poststructural framework in nursing practice for addressing young women's sexual health
Authors: Cassidy Christine , Goldberg Lisa , Aston Megan
Published: June 2016

Aims and objectives

Using a feminist poststructuralist framework, this paper examines the conflicting discourses of young women who experience power struggles with regard to their sexuality and sexual health practices. It aims to provide nurses with a pragmatic framework for exploring, interrogating and potentially transforming health care situations when caring for young women in a sexual health setting.

Background

Sexuality and sexual health are important components of health and well‐being. Young men and women are continually perpetuated with societal ideals of sexuality and sexual health practices. Young women specifically, receive societal and peer pressure to conform to certain sexual health practices that can lead to both positive and negative health outcomes. Nurses and other health care providers may care for young women in a public or acute care setting that are living with these conflicting sexual health discourses.

Design

A review of the literature on young women's sexuality and sexual health was conducted and analysed using a feminist poststructuralist framework.

Methods

A review of the sexual health literature on young women was conducted. Issues identified from the review, as they relate to sexual discourse were power, language, subjectivity and agency. Nursing strategies to address these issues in practice were identified using a feminist poststructuralist framework.

Discussion

The feminist poststructural framework highlights the conflicting discourses related to young women's sexuality and sexual health practices. This paper provides a pragmatic example of how to incorporate theory to improve nurses’ understanding of an individual or group's health.

Relevance to clinical practice

Examples of how a feminist poststructural framework can be used to enhance sexual health nursing practice are discussed, such as helping nurses to challenge the status quo and question the sexual health norms among young women.
Molecular mechanisms for anthelmintic resistance in strongyle nematode parasites of veterinary importance
Authors: Whittaker J. H. , Carlson S. A. , Jones D. E. , Brewer M. T.
Published: June 2016

Veterinarians rely on a relatively limited spectrum of anthelmintic agents to control nematode parasites in domestic animals. Unfortunately, anthelmintic resistance has been an emerging problem in veterinary medicine. In particular, resistance has emerged among the strongyles, a group of gastrointestinal nematodes that infect a variety of hosts that range from large herbivores to small companion animals. Over the last several decades, a great deal of research effort has been directed toward developing an understanding of the mechanisms conferring resistance against the three major groups of anthelmintics: macrocyclic lactones, benzimidazoles, and nicotinic agonists. Our understanding of anthelmintic resistance has been largely formed by determining the mechanism of action for each drug class and then evaluating drug‐resistant nematode isolates for mutations or differences in expression of target genes. More recently, drug efflux pumps have been recognized for their potential contribution to anthelmintic resistance. In this mini‐review, we summarize the evidence for mechanisms of resistance in strongyle nematodes.
Following transforming DNA in Helicobacter pylori from uptake to expression
Authors: Corbinais Christopher , Mathieu Aurélie , Kortulewski Thierry , Radicella J. Pablo , Marsin Stéphanie
Published: June 2016

Natural transformation is a potent driver for genetic diversification in bacterial populations. It involves exogenous DNA binding, uptake, transport and internalization into the cytoplasm, where DNA can be processed and integrated into the host chromosome. Direct visualisation of transforming DNA (tDNA) has been limited to its binding to the surface or, in the case of Gram‐negative species, to its entrance into the periplasm. We present here for the first time the direct visualisation of tDNA entering the bacterial cytoplasm. We used as a model the Gram‐negative pathogen Helicobacter pylori, characterised by a large intraspecies variability that results from high mutation rates and efficient horizontal gene transfer. Using fluorescently labelled DNA, we followed for up to 3 h the fate of tDNA foci formed in the periplasm and eventually internalised into the cytoplasm. By tracking at the single cell level the expression of a fluorescent protein coded by the tDNA, we show that up to 50% of the cells express the transforming phenotype. The overall transformation process in H. pylori, from tDNA uptake to expression of the recombinant gene, can take place in less than 1 h, without requiring a growth arrest, and prior to the replication of the chromosome.
Three Fusarium oxysporum mitogen‐activated protein kinases (MAPKs) have distinct and complementary roles in stress adaptation and cross‐kingdom pathogenicity
Authors: Segorbe David , Di Pietro Antonio , Pérez‐Nadales Elena , Turrà David
Published: June 2016

Mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascades mediate cellular responses to environmental signals. Previous studies in the fungal pathogen Fusarium oxysporum have revealed a crucial role of Fmk1, the MAPK orthologous to Saccharomyces cerevisiae Fus3/Kss1, in vegetative hyphal fusion and plant infection. Here, we genetically dissected the individual and combined contributions of the three MAPKs Fmk1, Mpk1 and Hog1 in the regulation of development, stress response and virulence of F. oxysporum on plant and animal hosts. Mutants lacking Fmk1 or Mpk1 were affected in reactive oxygen species (ROS) homeostasis and impaired in hyphal fusion and aggregation. Loss of Mpk1 also led to increased sensitivity to cell wall and heat stress, which was exacerbated by simultaneous inactivation of Fmk1, suggesting that both MAPKs contribute to cellular adaptation to high temperature, a prerequisite for mammalian pathogens. Deletion of Hog1 caused increased sensitivity to hyperosmotic stress and resulted in partial rescue of the restricted colony growth phenotype of the mpk1Δ mutant. Infection assays on tomato plants and the invertebrate animal host Galleria mellonella revealed distinct and additive contributions of the different MAPKs to virulence. Our results indicate that positive and negative cross‐talk between the three MAPK pathways regulates stress adaptation, development and virulence in the cross‐kingdom pathogen F. oxysporum.
Identification and characterization of suppressors of plant cell death (SPD) effectors from Magnaporthe oryzae
Authors: Sharpee William , Oh Yeonyee , Yi Mihwa , Franck William , Eyre Alex , Okagaki Laura H. , Valent Barbara , Dean Ralph A.
Published: June 2016

Phytopathogenic microorganisms, including the fungal pathogen Magnaporthe oryzae, secrete a myriad of effector proteins to facilitate infection. Utilizing the transient expression of candidate effectors in the leaves of the model plant Nicotiana benthamiana, we identified 11 suppressors of plant cell death (SPD) effectors from M. oryzae that were able to block the host cell death reaction induced by Nep1. Ten of these 11 were also able to suppress BAX‐mediated plant cell death. Five of the 11 SPD genes have been identified previously as either essential for the pathogenicity of M. oryzae, secreted into the plant during disease development, or as suppressors or homologues of other characterized suppressors. In addition, of the remaining six, we showed that SPD8 (previously identified as BAS162) was localized to the rice cytoplasm in invaded and surrounding uninvaded cells during biotrophic invasion. Sequence analysis of the 11 SPD genes across 43 re‐sequenced M. oryzae genomes revealed that SPD2, SPD4 and SPD7 have nucleotide polymorphisms amongst the isolates. SPD4 exhibited the highest level of nucleotide diversity of any currently known effector from M. oryzae in addition to the presence/absence polymorphisms, suggesting that this gene is potentially undergoing selection to avoid recognition by the host. Taken together, we have identified a series of effectors, some of which were previously unknown or whose function was unknown, that probably act at different stages of the infection process and contribute to the virulence of M. oryzae.
Concurrent TERT promoter and BRAF V600E mutation in epithelioid glioblastoma and concomitant low‐grade astrocytoma
Authors: Matsumura Nozomi , Nakajima Nozomi , Yamazaki Tatsuya , Nagano Takuro , Kagoshima Kaie , Nobusawa Sumihito , Ikota Hayato , Yokoo Hideaki
Published: June 2016

Epithelioid glioblastoma (E‐GBM) is a rare variant of glioblastoma (GBM), characterized by epithelioid cells with eosinophilic round cytoplasm devoid of stellate cytoplasmic processes. A number of studies have demonstrated that more than half of E‐GBMs harbor a valine to glutamic acid substitution at position 600 of the serine/threonine‐protein kinase BRAF (BRAF V600E). However, there are no previous reports on E‐GBM with telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) promoter mutation in addition to BRAF V600E mutation. Here, we report an E‐GBM case in an 18‐year‐old man with BRAF V600E and TERT promoter mutations. The tumor composed of 80% E‐GBM and 20% diffuse astrocytoma‐like components, and BRAF V600E and TERT promoter mutations were detected in both. E‐GBM generally arises as a primary lesion; however, a few previous cases have been demonstrated to accompany low‐grade areas. Demonstration of concurrent BRAF V600E and TERT promoter mutations in low‐ and high‐grade lesions strongly suggested their identical origin, and acquisition of each mutation may be an early event, possibly playing a pivotal role in the genesis and subsequent progression to E‐GBM.
Role of the nitrergic pathway in motor effects of oxytocin in rat proximal colon
Authors: Wang R. , Guo L. Y. , Suo M. Y. , Sun Y. , Wu J. Y. , Zhang X. Y. , Liu C. Y.
Published: June 2016

Background

Oxytocin (OT) reduces rat duodenal tone and mouse intestinal transit; however, the underlying mechanisms are not totally understood. Consequently, this study was designed to investigate the influence of OT on spontaneous mechanical activity and neurally evoked responses, to characterize the mechanisms of the action, and to determine the distribution of the OT receptor (OTR) in rat proximal colonic muscle strips.

Methods

The organ bath technique with electrical field stimulation, western blotting, and immunofluorescence were used.

Key Results

In rat proximal colon, exogenous OT induced a concentration‐dependent reduction of the spontaneous mechanical activity without affecting the resting basal tone, which was abolished by atosiban, an OTR antagonist, by tetrodotoxin (TTX), a neural blocker or by Nω‐propyl‐l‐arginine hydrochloride, an inhibitor of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS). The inhibitory effects of OT were not affected by atropine or the vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) receptor antagonist [Lys1, Pro2,5, Arg3,4, Tyr6]‐VIP (VIPHyb). Proximal colon responses to electrical field stimulation were characterized by nonadrenergic, noncholinergic (NANC) relaxation, which was followed by an off‐contraction. Oxytocin enhanced only NANC relaxation. Oxytocin stimulated spontaneous NO release from the longitudinal muscle myenteric plexus preparation of rat proximal colon. Western blot and immunohistochemistry experiments showing the presence of the OTR in proximal colon, and its co‐localization with nNOS established that myenteric nitrergic neurons express OTR.

Conclusions & Inferences

The activation of OTR located on nitrergic neurons may negatively modulate colonic spontaneous contraction and enhance electrically evoked NANC relaxation through excitation of NO release.
Scots pine fine roots adjust along a 2000‐km latitudinal climatic gradient
Authors: Zadworny Marcin , McCormack M. Luke , Mucha Joanna , Reich Peter B. , Oleksyn Jacek
Published: June 2016

Patterns of plant biomass allocation and functional adjustments along climatic gradients are poorly understood, particularly belowground. Generally, low temperatures suppress nutrient release and uptake, and forests under such conditions have a greater proportion of their biomass in roots. However, it is not clear whether ‘more roots’ means better capacity to acquire soil resources.

Herein we quantified patterns of fine‐root anatomy and their biomass distribution across Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) populations both along a 2000‐km latitudinal gradient and within a common garden experiment with a similar range of populations.

We found that with decreasing mean temperature, a greater percentage of Scots pine root biomass was allocated to roots with higher potential absorptive capacity. Similar results were seen in the common experimental site, where cold‐adapted populations produced roots with greater absorptive capacity than populations originating from warmer climates.

These results demonstrate that plants growing in or originated from colder climates have more acquisitive roots, a trait that is likely adaptive in the face of the low resource availability typical of cold soils.
Decaying in different clays: implications for soft‐tissue preservation
Authors: Naimark Elena , Kalinina Maria , Shokurov Alexander , Boeva Natalia , Markov Alexander , Zaytseva Liubov
Published: June 2016

Lagerstätten, places where soft‐bodied organisms became mineralized, provide a substantial bulk of palaeobiological information, but the detailed mechanisms of how soft‐tissue preservation takes place remain debatable. An experimental taphonomy approach, which allows for direct study of decay and mineralization, offers a means to study the preservational potential of different soft‐bodied organisms under controlled conditions. Here we compare the preservational capacity of two types of clay (kaolinite and montmorillonite) through a long‐term (24 month) experiment involving the burial and decay of small crustaceans. Our experimental design is innovative in that it models catastrophic sedimentation in fine‐grained colloidal suspension, which is believed to form Lagerstätten deposits. We demonstrated better preservation of buried organisms in clays compared to water, and in kaolinite compared to montmorillonite. As aluminium cations were present in high concentrations in kaolinite sediment but not in montmorillonite, the better preservation in kaolinite is attributed to the tanning properties of aluminium, which catalyses cross‐linking in proteins, protecting them from bacterial degradation. Anaerobic environments and acidification also slow down decay, but they are less effective than tanning. Kaolinite and montmorillonite replaced the crustacean integuments differently: in the remains buried in kaolinite, Al and Si were detected in equal proportions, while in those buried in montmorillonite, the Si content appeared to be much higher even in comparison with the initial sample of the clay. These variations probably arose from the different dynamics of acidic hydrolysis in the two clays associated with anaerobic decomposition of organic matter. Our results show that the preservation mechanism includes multi‐component interactions between the solution, mineral, sediment and organic remains; taken separately, any single component explains little. The specific conditions that occur within the colloidal clay sediments can facilitate conservation and start fast mineralization according to chemical properties and elemental content.
An ecophysiological and developmental perspective on variation in vessel diameter
Authors: Hacke Uwe G. , Spicer Rachel , Schreiber Stefan G. , Plavcová Lenka
Published: June 2016

Variation in xylem vessel diameter is one of the most important parameters when evaluating plant water relations. This review provides a synthesis of the ecophysiological implications of variation in lumen diameter together with a summary of our current understanding of vessel development and its endogenous regulation. We analyzed inter‐specific variation of the mean hydraulic vessel diameter (Dv) across biomes, intra‐specific variation of Dv under natural and controlled conditions, and intra‐plant variation. We found that the Dv measured in young branches tends to stay below 30 µm in regions experiencing winter frost, whereas it is highly variable in the tropical rainforest. Within a plant, the widest vessels are often found in the trunk and in large roots; smaller diameters have been reported for leaves and small lateral roots. Dv varies in response to environmental factors and is not only a function of plant size. Despite the wealth of data on vessel diameter variation, the regulation of diameter is poorly understood. Polar auxin transport through the vascular cambium is a key regulator linking foliar and xylem development. Limited evidence suggests that auxin transport is also a determinant of vessel diameter. The role of auxin in cell expansion and in establishing longitudinal continuity during secondary growth deserve further study.
Target‐controlled versus fractionated propofol sedation in flexible bronchoscopy: A randomized noninferiority trial
Authors: Franzen Daniel , Bratton Daniel J. , Clarenbach Christian F. , Freitag Lutz , Kohler Malcolm
Published: June 2016

Background and objective

Fractionated propofol administration (FPA) in flexible bronchoscopy (FB) may lead to oversedation and an increased risk of adverse events, because a stable plasma concentration of propofol is not maintainable. The purpose of this randomized noninferiority trial was to evaluate whether target‐controlled infusion (TCI) of propofol is noninferior to FPA in terms of safety in FB.

Methods

Coprimary outcomes were the mean lowest arterial oxygen saturation (SpO2) during FB and the number of propofol dose adjustments in relation to procedure duration. Secondary outcomes were the number of occasions with SpO2 < 90% and/or oxygen desaturations of >4% from baseline, number of occasions with systolic blood pressure < 90 mm Hg, cough frequency, cumulative propofol dose, recovery time, maximum transcutaneous CO2, mean SpO2 and O2 delivery during FB.

Results

Seventy‐seven patients were included. TCI was noninferior to FPA in terms of mean (standard deviation) lowest SpO2 during the procedure (88.3% (5.4%) vs 86.9% (7.3%)) and required fewer dose adjustments (0.04/min vs 0.28/min, P < 0.001) but a higher cumulative propofol dose (264 vs 194 mg, P = 0.003). All other secondary outcomes were comparable between the groups.

Conclusion

We suggest that TCI of propofol is a favourable sedation technique for FB with equal safety issues and fewer dose adjustments compared with FPA.
Arabidopsis miR827 mediates post‐transcriptional gene silencing of its ubiquitin E3 ligase target gene in the syncytium of the cyst nematode Heterodera schachtii to enhance susceptibility
Authors: Hewezi Tarek , Piya Sarbottam , Qi Mingsheng , Balasubramaniam Muthukumar , Rice J. Hollis , Baum Thomas J.
Published: June 2016

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a major class of small non‐coding RNAs with emerging functions in biotic and abiotic interactions. Here, we report on a new functional role of Arabidopsis miR827 and its NITROGEN LIMITATION ADAPTATION (NLA) target gene in mediating plant susceptibility to the beet cyst nematode Heterodera schachtii. Cyst nematodes are sedentary endoparasites that induce the formation of multinucleated feeding structures termed syncytia in the roots of host plants. Using promoter:GUS fusion assays we established that miR827 was activated in the initial feeding cells and this activation was maintained in the syncytium during all sedentary stages of nematode development. Meanwhile, the NLA target gene, which encodes an ubiquitin E3 ligase enzyme, was post‐transcriptionally silenced in the syncytium to permanently suppress its activity during all nematode parasitic stages. Overexpression of miR827 in Arabidopsis resulted in hyper‐susceptibility to H. schachtii. In contrast, inactivation of miR827 activity through target mimicry or by overexpression a miR827‐resistant cDNA of NLA produced the opposite phenotype of reduced plant susceptibility to H. schachtii. Gene expression analysis of several pathogenesis‐related genes together with Agrobacterium‐mediated transient expression in Nicotiana benthamiana provided strong evidence that miR827‐mediated downregulation of NLA to suppress basal defense pathways. In addition, using yeast two‐hybrid screens we identified several candidates of NLA‐interacting proteins that are involved in a wide range of biological processes and molecular functions, including three pathogenesis‐related proteins. Taken together, we conclude that nematode‐activated miR827 in the syncytium is necessary to suppress immune responses in order to establish infection and cause disease.
Comparison of the effects of intranasal and intramuscular administrations of zolazepam–tiletamine combination on intraocular pressure in cats
Authors: Yanmaz Latif Emrah , Dogan Elif , Okur Sitkican , Okumus Zafer , Ersoz Ugur
Published: June 2016

Objective

To determine the effect of intranasal (IN) and intramuscular (IM administration of zolazepam‐tiletamine (ZT) combination on intraocular pressure (IOP).

Animals studied

Both eyes of 8 clinically normal cats were used.

Procedures

The animals received 10 mg/kg dose of ZT combination by IN and IM routes with a 7‐day interval between treatments. IOP values were measured at baseline (T0) and at 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, and 45 min in both treatment groups.

Results

There were no statistically significant differences between baseline and post‐treatment IOP measurements. The IOP did not change over time regardless of administration route.

Conclusions

ZT combination did not have a significant effect on IOP in cats, when administered by IM or IN routes.
Molecular data and ecological niche modelling reveal the evolutionary history of the common and Iberian moles (Talpidae) in Europe
Authors: Nicolas Violaine , Martínez‐Vargas Jessica , Hugot Jean‐Pierre
Published: June 2016

According to mitochondrial data, the common mole, Talpa europaea, is paraphyletic. This could be explained by either an ancient introgression of mtDNA from the Iberian blind mole T. occidentalis to T. europaea, or the existence of a differentiated taxonomic entity in northern Spain that needs to be described. In this study, we combined mitochondrial (Cytb) and nuclear (HDAC2) data to investigate these two alternative hypotheses. Based on both mitochondrial and nuclear data and an extensive geographical sampling (399 sequenced individuals), we show that the populations of T. europaea from Spain and south‐western France (south of the Loire River) are phylogenetically closer to T. occidentalis than to T. europaea. The Spanish–French lineage has some morphological characters resembling more to T. occidentalis (e.g. eyes) and others resembling more to T. europaea (external measurements, mesostyle of the first upper molar). It also seems to have several distinctive dental characters, suggesting that it should be recognized as a new species. Within the three lineages, we found a marked phylogeographical pattern, with several allopatric or parapatric lineages, dating from the Pleistocene. Our genetic data combined with species distribution models support the presence of several putative glacial refugia during glacial maxima for each species.
Hubs and spokes of the lateral hypothalamus: cell types, circuits and behaviour
Authors: Bonnavion Patricia , Mickelsen Laura E. , Fujita Akie , de Lecea Luis , Jackson Alexander C.
Published: June 2016

The hypothalamus is among the most phylogenetically conserved regions in the vertebrate brain, reflecting its critical role in maintaining physiological and behavioural homeostasis. By integrating signals arising from both the brain and periphery, it governs a litany of behaviourally important functions essential for survival. In particular, the lateral hypothalamic area (LHA) is central to the orchestration of sleep–wake states, feeding, energy balance and motivated behaviour. Underlying these diverse functions is a heterogeneous assembly of cell populations typically defined by neurochemical markers, such as the well‐described neuropeptides hypocretin/orexin and melanin‐concentrating hormone. However, anatomical and functional evidence suggests a rich diversity of other cell populations with complex neurochemical profiles that include neuropeptides, receptors and components of fast neurotransmission. Collectively, the LHA acts as a hub for the integration of diverse central and peripheral signals and, through complex local and long‐range output circuits, coordinates adaptive behavioural responses to the environment. Despite tremendous progress in our understanding of the LHA, defining the identity of functionally discrete LHA cell types, and their roles in driving complex behaviour, remain significant challenges in the field. In this review, we discuss advances in our understanding of the neurochemical and cellular heterogeneity of LHA neurons and the recent application of powerful new techniques, such as opto‐ and chemogenetics, in defining the role of LHA circuits in feeding, reward, arousal and stress. From pioneering work to recent developments, we review how the interrogation of LHA cells and circuits is contributing to a mechanistic understanding of how the LHA coordinates complex behaviour.

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Ion recombination correction in carbon ion beams
Authors: Rossomme S. , Hopfgartner J. , Lee N. D. , Delor A. , Thomas R. A. S. , Romano F. , Fukumura A. , Vynckier S. , Palmans H.
Published: June 2016

Purpose:

In this work, ion recombination is studied as a function of energy and depth in carbon ion beams.

Methods:

Measurements were performed in three different passively scattered carbon ion beams with energies of 62 MeV/n, 135 MeV/n, and 290 MeV/n using various types of plane‐parallel ionization chambers. Experimental results were compared with two analytical models for initial recombination. One model is generally used for photon beams and the other model, developed by Jaffé, takes into account the ionization density along the ion track. An investigation was carried out to ascertain the effect on the ion recombination correction with varying ionization chamber orientation with respect to the direction of the ion tracks. The variation of the ion recombination correction factors as a function of depth was studied for a Markus ionization chamber in the 62 MeV/n nonmodulated carbon ion beam. This variation can be related to the depth distribution of linear energy transfer.

Results:

Results show that the theory for photon beams is not applicable to carbon ion beams. On the other hand, by optimizing the value of the ionization density and the initial mean‐square radius, good agreement is found between Jaffé's theory and the experimental results. As predicted by Jaffé's theory, the results confirm that ion recombination corrections strongly decrease with an increasing angle between the ion tracks and the electric field lines. For the Markus ionization chamber, the variation of the ion recombination correction factor with depth was modeled adequately by a sigmoid function, which is approximately constant in the plateau and strongly increasing in the Bragg peak region to values of up to 1.06. Except in the distal edge region, all experimental results are accurately described by Jaffé's theory.

Conclusions:

Experimental results confirm that ion recombination in the investigated carbon ion beams is dominated by initial recombination. Ion recombination corrections are found to be significant and cannot be neglected for reference dosimetry and for the determination of depth dose curves in carbon ion beams.