bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Symptoms and Characteristics of Individuals with Profound Hyponatremia: A Prospective Multicenter Observational Study
Authors: Nigro Nicole , Winzeler Bettina , Suter‐Widmer Isabelle , Schuetz Philipp , Arici Birsen , Bally Martina , Blum Claudine , Bingisser Roland , Bock Andreas , Huber Andreas , Müller Beat , Nickel Christian H. , Christ‐Crain Mirjam
Published: March 2015

Objectives

To assess symptoms and characteristics of hyponatremia, the most common electrolyte disturbance in hospitalized individuals and a condition that is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality.

Design

Prospective observational multicenter study.

Setting

Two Swiss academic centers.

Participants

Individuals with profound hypoosmolar hyponatremia (sodium <125 mmol/L) (N = 298).

Measurements

All symptoms and complete medical history including current medications, therapy management, and in‐hospital outcomes were recorded.

Results

The median age of all participants was 71 (interquartile range (IQR) 60–80), 195 (65%) were female, and mean serum sodium value on admission was 120 mmol/L (IQR 116–123 mmol/L). Frequent clinical symptoms were nausea (n = 130, 44%), acute vomiting (n = 91, 30%), generalized weakness (n = 205, 69%), fatigue (n = 175, 59%), gait disturbance (n = 92, 31%), recurrent falls (n = 47, 16%), and acute falls (n = 60, 20%). Fractures were reported in 11 participants (4%). More‐severe symptoms such as acute epileptic seizures and focal neurological deficits were identified in 16 (5%) and 17 (5%) participants, respectively. The most common comorbidities were hypertension (n = 199, 67%), congestive heart failure (n = 44, 15%), chronic renal failure (n = 64, 21%), pulmonary disease (82, 28%), and central nervous system disease (n = 114, 38%). During hospitalization, 12 (4%) participants died, and 103 (35%) needed treatment in the intensive care unit.

Conclusion

A wide spectrum of symptoms accompanies profound hyponatremia. Most participants had moderate symptoms mirroring chronic hyponatremia with brain cell adaptation. Participants with profound hyponatremia had several comorbidities.
Reconstruction of random heterogeneous media
Authors: BALLANI F. , STOYAN D.
Published: March 2015

Stochastic reconstruction is a technique to generate samples of random structures with prescribed distributional properties in the sense that certain of their statistical summary characteristics match target values or forms. This technique can be used to produce structures of any wanted size for further statistical analysis starting from small samples, which may be even only lower dimensional, for instance, when three‐dimensional imaging techniques are not available. In this review we explain the main ideas of stochastic reconstruction, concentrating on the most important case of digitized binary media and with a particular emphasis on stereological reconstruction.
Parenting Stress, Parental Reactions, and Externalizing Behavior From Ages 4 to 10
Authors: Mackler Jennifer S. , Kelleher Rachael T. , Shanahan Lilly , Calkins Susan D. , Keane Susan P. , O'Brien Marion
Published: March 2015

The association between parenting stress and child externalizing behavior, and the mediating role of parenting, has yielded inconsistent findings; however, the literature has typically been cross‐sectional or unidirectional. In the current study, the authors examined the longitudinal transactions among parenting stress, perceived negative parental reactions, and child externalizing at 4, 5, 7, and 10 years old. Models examining parent effects (parenting stress to child behavior), child effects (externalizing to parental reactions and stress), indirect effects of parental reactions, and the transactional associations among all variables were compared. The transactional model best fit the data, and longitudinal reciprocal effects emerged between parenting stress and externalizing behavior. The mediating role of parental reactions was not supported; however, indirect effects suggest that parenting stress both is affected by and affects parent and child behavior. The complex associations among parent and child variables indicate the importance of interventions to improve the parent–child relationship and reducing parenting stress.
Looking Forward in Candidate Gene Research: Concerns and Suggestions
Authors: Schlomer Gabriel L. , Cleveland H. H. , Vandenbergh David J. , Fosco Gregory M. , Feinberg Mark E.
Published: March 2015

Candidate Gene × Environment (cGxE) interaction research holds promise for helping us understand for whom and why environments matter for families and development. In their commentary on our target article (G. L. Schlomer, G. M. Fosco, H. H. Cleveland, D. J. Vandenbergh, & M. E. Feinberg, 2015), J. E. Salvatore and D. M. Dick (2015) present their view of the current state and future of cGxE research and frame the debate regarding its merits for advancing knowledge of gene–environment interplay. In this reply, we discuss points of agreement and departure and provide a list of 5 domains by which the quality of cGxE research should be evaluated. Our hope is that researchers will use this list as a guide for their own work.
His, Her, or Their Divorce? Marital Dissolution and Sickness Absence in Norway
Authors: Dahl Svenn‐Åge , Hansen Hans‐Tore , Vignes Bo
Published: March 2015

The authors analyzed the effects of marital dissolution on sickness absence and discussed the social role, crisis, and social selection models as well as the impact of gender and children. They used administrative data that covers the Norwegian population for the years 1992–2008 and panel methods to investigate lags and leads of the effects of divorce, controlling for time‐varying variables and time‐constant unobserved factors. The results revealed that 6 years before divorce, the sickness absence rate among divorced people was at a level similar to that among those who remained married. The sickness absence rate increased in the year preceding divorce, peaked in the year of divorce, and decreased in the following year, but not to the level before divorce. The authors found strong support for the social role model, and the results show that the gender–parenthood interaction is important. Limited support for the crisis and selection models was found.
Does the Amount of Time Mothers Spend With Children or Adolescents Matter?
Authors: Milkie Melissa A. , Nomaguchi Kei M. , Denny Kathleen E.
Published: March 2015

Although intensive mothering ideology underscores the irreplaceable nature of mothers' time for children's optimal development, empirical testing of this assumption is scant. Using time diary and survey data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics Child Development Supplement, the authors examined how the amount of time mothers spent with children ages 3–11 (N = 1,605) and adolescents 12–18 (N = 778) related to offspring behavioral, emotional, and academic outcomes and adolescent risky behavior. Both time mothers spent engaged with and accessible to offspring were assessed. In childhood and adolescence, the amount of maternal time did not matter for offspring behaviors, emotions, or academics, whereas social status factors were important. For adolescents, more engaged maternal time was related to fewer delinquent behaviors, and engaged time with parents together was related to better outcomes. Overall, the amount of mothers' time mattered in nuanced ways, and, unexpectedly, only in adolescence.
Intimacy and Emotion Work in Lesbian, Gay, and Heterosexual Relationships
Authors: Umberson Debra , Thomeer Mieke Beth , Lodge Amy C.
Published: March 2015

Knowledge about how gender shapes intimacy is dominated by a heteronormative focus on relationships involving a man and a woman. In this study, the authors shifted the focus to consider gendered meanings and experiences of intimacy in same‐sex and different‐sex relationships. They merged the gender‐as‐relational perspective—that gender is co‐constructed and enacted within relationships—with theoretical perspectives on emotion work and intimacy to frame an analysis of in‐depth interviews with 15 lesbian, 15 gay, and 20 heterosexual couples. They found that emotion work directed toward minimizing and maintaining boundaries between partners is key to understanding intimacy in long‐term relationships. Moreover, these dynamics, including the type and division of emotion work, vary for men and women depending on whether they are in a same‐sex or different‐sex relationship. These findings push thinking about diversity in long‐term relationships beyond a focus on gender difference and toward gendered relational contexts.
Erectile Dysfunction Is Common among Men with Acromegaly and Is Associated with Morbidities Related to the Disease
Authors: Lotti Francesco , Rochira Vincenzo , Pivonello Rosario , Santi Daniele , Galdiero Mariano , Maseroli Elisa , Balestrieri Antonio , Faustini-Fustini Marco , Peri Alessandro , Sforza Alessandra , Colao Annamaria , Maggi Mario , Corona Giovanni
Published: March 2015

Introduction

The prevalence of erectile dysfunction (ED) and its correlates in men with acromegaly has never been investigated.

Aim

The aim of this study was to evaluate sexual function in men with acromegaly.

Methods

Multicenter-based, retrospective analysis of a nonselected series of 57 acromegalic subjects (mean age: 52.7 ± 14.2 years) was performed. Acromegalic subjects reporting ED (n = 24) were compared with matched ED patients without acromegaly or pituitary disease (controls), selected from a cohort of more than 4,000 subjects enrolled in the Florence Sexual Medicine and Andrology Unit.

Main Outcome Measures

Patients were interviewed using Structured Interview on Erectile Dysfunction (SIEDY) structured interview, a 13-item tool for the assessment of ED-related morbidities. Several clinical and biochemical parameters were taken. Penile color Doppler ultrasound (PCDU) was performed in a subgroup of 37 acromegalic subjects.

Results

ED was reported by 42.1% of acromegalic subjects. After adjusting for age and testosterone, acromegalic subjects with ED had a higher prevalence of hypertension and more often reported an impairment of sleep-related erections and a longer smoking habit. Accordingly, acromegaly-associated ED was characterized by a higher organic component and worse PCDU parameters. No relationship between ED and testosterone levels or other acromegaly-related parameters was found. However, acromegalic subjects with severe ED reported a longer disease duration. In a case-control analysis, comparing acromegalic subjects with ED-matched controls free from acromegaly (1:5 ratio), acromegalic men had a worse ED problem and a higher organic component of ED, as derived from SIEDY score. In line with these data, acromegalic patients with ED had a higher prevalence of major adverse cardiovascular events history at enrollment and lower PCDU parameters.

Conclusions

Subjects with complicated acromegaly are at an increased risk of developing ED, especially those with cardiovascular morbidities. Our data suggest including a sexual function evaluation in routine acromegaly follow-up.
Efficacy of Once-Daily Administration of Udenafil for 24 Weeks on Erectile Dysfunction: Results from a Randomized Multicenter Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial
Authors: Moon Ki Hak , Ko Young Hwii , Kim Sae Woong , Moon Du Geon , Kim Je Jong , Park Nam Cheol , Lee Sung Won , Paick Jae-Seung , Ahn Tae Young , Chung Woo Sik , Min Kwon Sik , Park Jong Kwan , Yang Dae Yul , Park Kwangsung
Published: March 2015

Introduction

The method of administration of oral phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors has been expanded to once-daily repeated administration with lower initial dosage than on-demand administration.

Aim

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of once-daily udenafil as a treatment for erectile dysfunction (ED) for intermediate-term period.

Methods

This multicenter, randomized, double-blind clinical trial included 346 ED patients (placebo, udenafil 50 mg, udenafil 75 mg). Subjects were treated with each medication once daily for 24 weeks.

Main Outcome Measures

Subjects were asked to complete the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF)-erectile function (EF) domain at baseline, 12 weeks, and 24 weeks and the development of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) was inspected.

Results

Both dosages of udenafil induced a significant increase in IIEF-EF compared with placebo at both 12 and 24 weeks. When patients were divided according to the severity of baseline EF score, significant improvement was observed only with udenafil 75 mg regardless of the degree of ED. At 24 weeks, the proportions of patients who reported a return to normal EF (IIEF-EF over 26) were 39.1% for udenafil 50 mg and 47.0% for udenafil 75 mg. In terms of safety, ADRs were observed in 6.1%, 12.9%, and 17.9% for placebo, udenafil 50 mg, and 75 mg, respectively. Although a statistically higher rate of ADRs was observed in the udenafil 75 mg group (P = 0.024), the majority were mild and recovered without treatment.

Conclusions

Once-daily administration of udenafil 50 mg and 75 mg for 24 weeks resulted in improvement of EF. In particular, udenafil 75 mg improves EF regardless of the baseline degree of ED.
Diagnosis of bovine tuberculosis using a metal oxide-based electronic nose
Authors: Cho Y.S. , Jung S.C. , Oh S.
Published: March 2015

Electronic noses (e-noses) have been used for environmental monitoring, standardization of medicinal flavourings, food safety tests and diagnosis of infectious diseases based on the statistical analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) is officially diagnosed using the intradermal skin test (IST), which is time-consuming and labour-intensive. Therefore, a more convenient and rapid test with greater sensitivity would be advantageous as prescreening test. In this study, we used a metal oxide sensor (MOS) type e-nose to analyse VOCs in a bTB-infected (n =11) and bTB-free (n =10) sera, from cattle whose health status was confirmed using the IST, and pathological and bacteriological examinations. The differences in VOCs from bTB-infected and bTB-free sera detected by the e-nose were statistically analysed using principal components and discriminant factor analyses. bTB-infected and bTB-free sera could be discriminated by MOS type e-nose, and analysing time per sample was only 20 min. VOC analysis using a MOS e-nose was a rapid and automated prescreening method to diagnose bTB, and can be used to select bTB-suspect cattle for IST confirmation. Further studies are required to estimate test sensitivity and specificity.

Significance and Impact of the Study

Bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in cattle is diagnosed using the intradermal skin test (IST); however, this method is very time-consuming and labour-intensive. We analysed volatile organic compounds that are obtained from serum using a metal oxide sensor type of electronic nose to discriminate between TB-infected and TB-free sera. This simple and automated technique will be useful to prescreen bTB-suspects and reduce the time and labour required to perform the IST.
When “Best Practices” Win, Employees Lose: Symbolic Compliance and
Judicial Inference in Federal Equal Employment Opportunity Cases
Authors: Krieger Linda Hamilton , Best Rachel Kahn , Edelman Lauren B.
Published: March 2015

This article provides a new account of employers' advantages over
employees in federal employment discrimination cases. We analyze the effects
of judicial deference, in which judges use
institutionalized employment structures to infer nondiscrimination without
scrutinizing those structures in any meaningful way. Using logistic
regression to analyze a representative sample of judicial opinions in
federal EEO cases during the first thirty‐five years after the passage of
the 1964 Civil Rights Act, we find that when judges uncritically use the
presence of organizational structures to reason about whether discrimination
occurred, employers are much more likely to prevail. This pattern is
especially pronounced in opinions written by liberal judges. In light of
these findings, we offer recommendations for judges, lawyers, and policy
makers—including legal academics—who seek to improve the accuracy and
efficacy of employment discrimination adjudications.
Response of three krill species to hypoxia and warming: an experimental approach to oxygen minimum zones expansion in coastal ecosystems
Authors: Tremblay Nelly , Abele Doris
Published: March 2015

To understand the adaptation of euphausiid (krill) species to oxygen minimum zones (OMZs), respiratory response and stress experiments combining hypoxia‐reoxygenation exposure with warming were conducted. Experimental krill species were obtained from the Antarctic (South Georgia area), the Humboldt Current System (HCS, Chilean coast) and the Northern California Current System (NCCS, Oregon).Euphausia mucronatafrom theHCSshowed oxyconformingpO2‐dependent respiration below 80% air saturation (18 kPa). Normoxic subsurface oxygenation in winter posed a ‘high oxygen stress’ for this species. TheNCCSkrill,Euphausia pacifica, and the Antarctic krill,Euphausia superba, maintained respiration rates constant down to low criticalpO2values of 6 kPa (30% air saturation) and 11 kPa (55% air saturation), respectively. Antarctic krill had low antioxidant enzyme activities, but high concentrations of the molecular antioxidant glutathione (GSH) and was not lethally affected by 6 h exposure to moderate hypoxia. The temperate krill species (E. pacifica) had higher superoxide dismutase (SOD) values in winter than in summer, which relates to a higher winter metabolic rate. In all species, antioxidant enzyme activities remained constant during hypoxic exposure at the typical temperature for their habitat. Warming by 7 °C above habitat temperature in summer increasedSODactivities andGSHlevels inE. mucronata(HCS), but no oxidative damage occurred. In winter, when theNCCSis well mixed and theOMZis deeper, +4 °C of warming combined with hypoxia represents a lethal condition forE. pacifica. In summer, when theOMZexpands upwards (100 m subsurface), antioxidant defences counteracted hypoxia and reoxygenation effects inE. pacifica, but only at mildly elevated temperature (+2 °C). In this season, experimental warming by +4 °C reduced antioxidant activities and the combination of warming with hypoxia again caused mortality of exposed specimens. We conclude that a climate change scenario combining warming and hypoxia represents a serious threat toE. pacificaand, as a consequence,NCCSfood webs.
Population genomic analysis uncovers African and European admixture in Drosophila melanogaster populations from the south‐eastern United States and Caribbean Islands
Authors: Kao Joyce Y. , Zubair Asif , Salomon Matthew P. , Nuzhdin Sergey V. , Campo Daniel
Published: March 2015

Drosophila melanogaster is postulated to have colonized North America in the past several 100 years in two waves. Flies from Europe colonized the east coast United States while flies from Africa inhabited the Caribbean, which if true, make the south‐east US and Caribbean Islands a secondary contact zone for African and European D. melanogaster. This scenario has been proposed based on phenotypes and limited genetic data. In our study, we have sequenced individual whole genomes of flies from populations in the south‐east US and Caribbean Islands and examined these populations in conjunction with population sequences from the west coast US, Africa, and Europe. We find that west coast US populations are closely related to the European population, likely reflecting a rapid westward expansion upon first settlements into North America. We also find genomic evidence of African and European admixture in south‐east US and Caribbean populations, with a clinal pattern of decreasing proportions of African ancestry with higher latitude. Our genomic analysis of D. melanogaster populations from the south‐east US and Caribbean Islands provides more evidence for the Caribbean Islands as the source of previously reported novel African alleles found in other east coast US populations. We also find the border between the south‐east US and the Caribbean island to be the admixture hot zone where distinctly African‐like Caribbean flies become genomically more similar to European‐like south‐east US flies. Our findings have important implications for previous studies examining the generation of east coast US clines via selection.
Impacts of early viability selection on management of inbreeding and genetic diversity in conservation
Authors: Grueber Catherine E. , Hogg Carolyn J. , Ivy Jamie A. , Belov Katherine
Published: March 2015

Maintaining genetic diversity is a crucial goal of intensive management of threatened species, particularly for those populations that act as sources for translocation or re‐introduction programmes. Most captive genetic management is based on pedigrees and a neutral theory of inheritance, an assumption that may be violated by selective forces operating in captivity. Here, we explore the conservation consequences of early viability selection: differential offspring survival that occurs prior to management or research observations, such as embryo deathsin utero. If early viability selection produces genotypic deviations from Mendelian predictions, it may undermine management strategies intended to minimize inbreeding and maintain genetic diversity. We use empirical examples to demonstrate that straightforward approaches, such as comparing litter sizes of inbred vs. noninbred breeding pairs, can be used to test whether early viability selection likely impacts estimates of inbreeding depression. We also show that comparing multilocus genotype data to pedigree predictions can reveal whether early viability selection drives systematic biases in genetic diversity, patterns that would not be detected using pedigree‐based statistics alone. More sophisticated analysis combining genomewide molecular data with pedigree information will enable conservation scientists to test whether early viability selection drives deviations from neutrality across wide stretches of the genome, revealing whether this form of selection biases the pedigree‐based statistics and inference upon which intensive management is based.
The Pragmatics of Slurs
Authors: Bolinger Renée Jorgensen
Published: March 2015

I argue that the offense generation pattern of slurring terms parallels that of impoliteness behaviors, and is best explained by appeal to similar purely pragmatic mechanisms. In choosing to use a slurring termratherthan its neutral counterpart, the speaker signals that she endorses the term (and its associations). Such an endorsement warrants offense, and consequently slurs generate offense whenever a speaker's use demonstrates a contrastive preference for the slurring term. Since this explanation comes at low theoretical cost and imposes few constraints on an account of the semantics of slurs, this suggests that we should not require semantic accounts to provide an independent explanation of the offense profile.
Herbert Rackow and Ernest Salanitre: the emergence of pediatric anesthesia as a specialty in the United States
Authors: Friesen Robert H.
Published: March 2015

Herbert Rackow and Ernest Salanitre were pediatric anesthesiologists at Babies Hospital at the Columbia‐Presbyterian Medical Center in New York whose work spanned three decades beginning in the early 1950s. Their pioneering research included studies of the uptake and elimination of inhalational anesthetics and of the risk of cardiac arrest in infants and children. They were actively involved in the development of pediatric anesthesia as a specialty, and their efforts contributed to inter‐disciplinary collaboration and to the formation of the Section on Anesthesiology of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Their 1969 review article, ‘Modern Concepts in Pediatric Anesthesiology’, provides a fascinating view of pediatric anesthesia 50 years ago. In 1990, they were jointly awarded the Robert M. Smith award by the Section on Anesthesiology of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Dexmedetomidine–ketamine combination and caudal block for superficial lower abdominal and genital surgery in children
Authors: Ibacache Mauricio E. , Muñoz Hernán R. , Fuentes Ricardo , Cortínez Luis I.
Published: March 2015

Background

The use of dexmedetomidine–ketamine combination to perform different diagnostic and surgical pediatric procedures has increased. The optimal ketamine dose to combine with dexmedetomidine has not been determined. The goal of this study was to determine the ED50 and ED95 of ketamine, which in combination with, dexmedetomidine (1 μg·kg−1) provides an adequate anesthetic effect to perform a caudal block and then the ensuing superficial lower abdominal or genital surgery.

Material and Methods

Twenty‐five patients, aged 1–8 years, scheduled for superficial lower abdominal or genital surgery, were studied. All patients received an intravenous dose of dexmedetomidine 1 μg·kg−1 and a random dose of ketamine from 1 mg·kg−1 to 2 mg·kg−1. After ketamine administration, a caudal block was performed and then surgery was initiated. Hemodynamics, respiratory variables, sedation level, and postoperative complications were recorded. The ED50 and ED95 of ketamine were calculated using logistic regression analysis.

Results

The ED50 and ED95 of ketamine to perform a caudal block were 1.53 (1.29–1.76) mg·kg−1 and 2.25 (1.63–2.88) mg·kg−1, respectively. The ED50 and ED95 of ketamine to perform a caudal block and to complete the entire procedure were 1.76 (1.57–1.95) mg·kg−1, and 2.21 (1.77–2.64) mg·kg−1, respectively. Three patients presented mild, self‐limited, intraoperative bradycardia.

Conclusions

These results suggest that adding ketamine 2 mg·kg−1 to dexmedetomidine 1 μg·kg−1 should produce an effective anesthetic level to perform a caudal block and the ensuing superficial lower abdominal or genital surgery in children.
Detoxification function of the Arabidopsis sulphotransferase AtSOT12 by sulphonation of xenobiotics
Authors: CHEN JINHUA , GAO LIQIONG , BAEK DONGWON , LIU CHUNLIN , RUAN YING , SHI HUAZHONG
Published: March 2015

Cytosolic sulphotransferases have been implicated in inactivation of endogenous steroid hormones and detoxification of xenobiotics in human and animals. Yet, the function of plant sulphotransferases in xenobiotic sulphonation and detoxification has not been reported. In this study, we show that the Arabidopsis sulphotransferase AtSOT12 could sulphonate the bacterial‐produced toxin cycloheximide. Loss‐of‐function mutant sot12 exhibited hypersensitive phenotype to cycloheximide, and expression of AtSOT12 protein in yeast cells conferred resistance to this toxic compound. AtSOT12 exhibited broad specificity and could sulphonate a variety of xenobiotics including phenolic and polycyclic compounds. Enzyme kinetics analysis indicated that AtSOT12 has different selectivity for simple phenolics with different side chains, and the position of the side chain in the simple phenolic compounds affects substrate binding affinity and catalytic efficiency. We proposed that the broad specificity and induced production of AtSOT12 may have rendered this enzyme to not only modify endogenous molecules such as salicylic acid as we previously reported, but also sulphonate pathogen‐produced toxic small molecules to protect them from infection. Sulphonation of small molecules in plants may constitute a rapid way to inactivate or change the physiochemical properties of biologically active molecules that could have profound effects on plant growth, development and defence.
Light‐harvesting superstructures of green plant chloroplasts lacking photosystems
Authors: Belgio Erica , Ungerer Petra , Ruban Alexander V.
Published: March 2015

The light‐harvesting antenna of higher plant photosystem II (LHCII) is the major photosynthetic membrane component encoded by an entire family of homologous nuclear genes. On the contrary, the great majority of proteins of photosystems and electron transport components are encoded by the chloroplast genome. In this work, we succeeded in gradually inhibiting the expression of the chloroplast genes that led to the disappearance of the photosystem complexes, mimicking almost total photoinhibition. The treated plants, despite displaying only some early signs of senescence, sustained their metabolism and growth for several weeks. The only major remaining membrane component was LHCII antenna that formed superstructures – stacks of dozens of thylakoids or supergrana. Freeze‐fracture electron microscopy revealed specific organization, directly displaying frequently bifurcated membranes with reduced or totally absent photosystem II (PSII) reaction centre complexes. Our findings show that it is possible to accumulate large amounts of light‐harvesting membranes, organized into three‐dimensional structures, in the absence of reaction centre complexes. This points to the reciprocal role of LHCII and PSII in self‐assembly of the three‐dimensional matrix of the photosynthetic membrane, dictating its size and flexible adaptation to the light environment.
Freezing avoidance by supercooling inOlea europaeacultivars: the role of apoplastic water, solute content and cell wall rigidity
Authors: Arias Nadia S. , Bucci Sandra J. , Scholz Fabian G. , Goldstein Guillermo
Published: March 2015

Plants can avoid freezing damage by preventing extracellular ice formation below the equilibrium freezing temperature (supercooling). We usedOlea europaeacultivars to assess which traits contribute to avoid ice nucleation at sub‐zero temperatures. Seasonal leaf water relations, non‐structural carbohydrates, nitrogen and tissue damage and ice nucleation temperatures in different plant parts were determined in five cultivars growing in thePatagonian cold desert. Ice seeding in roots occurred at higher temperatures than in stems and leaves. Leaves of cold acclimated cultivars supercooled down to −13 °C, substantially lower than the minimum air temperatures observed in the study site. During winter, leaf ice nucleation and leaf freezing damage (LT50) occurred at similar temperatures, typical of plant tissues that supercool. Higher leaf density and cell wall rigidity were observed during winter, consistent with a substantial acclimation to sub‐zero temperatures. Larger supercooling capacity and lowerLT50were observed in cold‐acclimated cultivars with higher osmotically active solute content, higher tissue elastic adjustments and lower apoplastic water. Irreversible leaf damage was only observed in laboratory experiments at very low temperatures, but not in the field. A comparative analysis of closely related plants avoids phylogenetic independence bias in a comparative study of adaptations to survive low temperatures.
Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation‐associated thrombotic microangiopathy accompanied by renal arteriolar C4d deposition
Authors: Sakamoto Kenichi , Imamura Toshihiko , Osone Shinya , Nishimura Ayako , Nishida Masashi , Ishida Hiroyuki , Hosoi Hajime
Published: March 2015

HSCT‐associated thrombotic microangiopathy (TA‐TMA) is a severe complication with a poor prognosis. Recently, it has been reported that complement system dysregulation, such as CFH autoantibodies and deletions CFH‐related genes 3 and 1, induced TA‐TMA. In addition, C4d‐positive renal arterioles are both a good marker of complement system activation and a useful diagnostic tool for TA‐TMA. Because dysregulation of the complement system is associated with TA‐TMA, the complement system might be a therapeutic target, such as eculizumab, a terminal complement inhibitor. Herein, we describe an eight‐yr‐old boy who developed TA‐TMA accompanied by severe renal dysfunction. His renal specimen showed diffuse C4d deposition in the renal arterioles, which is consistent with TA‐TMA. Although the patient gradually improved without eculizumab, renal arteriolar C4d staining in sample with TA‐TMA shows the complement system activation and may guide the target therapy using the eculizumab.
Biomodulation of Inflammatory Cytokines Related to Oral Mucositis by Low‐Level Laser Therapy
Authors: Basso Fernanda G. , Pansani Taisa N. , Soares Diana G. , Scheffel Débora L. , Bagnato Vanderlei S. , de Souza Costa Carlos Alberto , Hebling Josimeri
Published: March 2015

This study evaluated the effects of LLLT on the expression of inflammatory cytokines related to the development of oral mucositis by gingival fibroblasts. Primary gingival fibroblasts were seeded on 24‐well plates (105 cells/well) for 24 h. Fresh serum‐free culture medium (DMEM) was then added, and cells were placed in contact with LPS (Escherichia coli, 1 μg mL−1), followed by LLLT irradiation (LaserTABLE—InGaAsP diode prototype—780 nm, 25 mW) delivering 0, 0.5, 1.5 or 3 J cm−². Cells without contact with LPS were also irradiated with the same energy densities. Gene expression of TNF‐α, IL‐1β, IL‐6 and IL‐8 was evaluated by Real‐Time PCR, and protein synthesis of these cytokines was determined by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent (ELISA) assay. Data were statistically analyzed by the Kruskal–Wallis test, complemented by the Mann–Whitney test (P < 0.05). LPS treatment increased the gene expression and protein synthesis of TNF‐α, IL‐6 and IL‐8, while the expression of IL‐1β was not affected. For LPS‐treated groups, LLLT promoted significant decreases in the expression of TNF‐α, IL‐6, and IL‐8 at 1.5 J cm−2 and 3 J cm−2. These results demonstrate that LLLT promoted a beneficial biomodulatory effect on the expression of inflammatory cytokines related to oral mucositis by human gingival fibroblasts.
Assessment of microcirculatory perfusion in healthy anesthetized cats undergoing ovariohysterectomy using sidestream dark field microscopy
Authors: Goodnight Michelle E. , Cooper Edward S. , Butler Amy L.
Published: March 2015

Objective

To: (1) determine the feasibility of using sidestream dark field microscopy (SDM) to measure microcirculatory parameters in healthy, anesthetized cats and (2) determine if surgical tissue manipulation and anesthesia time alter these parameters during ovariohysterectomy.

Design

Prospective observational study.

Setting

University teaching hospital.

Animals

Eighteen healthy female cats.

Interventions

Sublingual mucosa microcirculatory videos were obtained under general anesthesia preoperatively, intraoperatively, and postoperatively using an SDM device in healthy cats presenting for ovariohysterectomy. At each video acquisition point, macrovascular parameters (heart rate, blood pressure, pulse oximetry, end‐tidal CO2) were recorded. Vascular analysis software was used to calculate standard microcirculatory parameters. Multivariate analysis was performed to compare microvascular and macrovascular parameters, as well as correlation with the effect of surgical manipulation and time under anesthesia.

Measurements and Main Results

Twelve of 18 cats were included in final video analysis; 6 were removed for poor video quality. Values for total vessel density (TVD, 47.7 ± 8.39 mm/mm2), proportion of perfused vessels (PPV, 88.2 ± 5.95%), perfused vessel density (PVD, 43.0 ± 9.00 mm/mm2), microcirculatory flow index (MFI, 2.33 ± 0.33) were determined preoperatively. There were no significant changes in TVD, PPV, and PVD across intervention points. The MFI increased significantly from preoperative to intra‐ and postoperative data collection points. No correlation between microcirculatory parameters and length of anesthesia or macrocirculatory values was found.

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance

This study demonstrated that SDM can be utilized to obtain sublingual microvascular parameters in healthy, anesthetized cats. Limitations include difficulty in obtaining high quality images, presumed need for general anesthesia, and need for off‐line video analysis. This technology has potential as a tool in experimental and clinical monitoring of microcirculatory changes in felines.
Gene conversion events between GYPB and GYPE abolish expression of the S and s blood group antigens
Authors: Willemetz A. , Nataf J. , Thonier V. , Peyrard T. , Arnaud L.
Published: March 2015

Background and Objective

The locus specifying the MNS blood group system is composed of three highly homologous genes, glycophorin A (GYPA), B (GYPB) and E (GYPE). While more than 20 hybrid genes between GYPA and GYPB have been identified, no hybrid genes between GYPB and GYPE have been reported so far. We serendipitously identified GYPB‐E‐B hybrid genes by studying three individuals whose rare S−s− blood phenotype failed to be predicted by our genotyping platform.

Materials and Methods

Long‐range PCR amplification and extended Sanger sequencing were required to identify and characterize these GYPB‐E‐B hybrid genes. A PCR assay was developed to detect them in individual or pooled gDNA samples.

Results

The first S−s− proband appeared to have two silenced GYPB alleles, one harbouring the so‐called P2 mutation and one harbouring GYPE Pseudoexon E4 in place of GYPB Exon B4 (GYPB‐E‐B hybrid). The two other S−s− probands were homozygous or hemizygous for other GYPB‐E‐B hybrid alleles, which also lack GYPB Exon B4 and thus do not carry the S/s polymorphism.

Conclusion

The three GYPB‐E‐B hybrid genes reported here constitute the first evidence of recombination events between GYPB and GYPE. As these GYPB‐E‐B hybrid genes drive the S−s− blood phenotype, it is important to know they are a limitation for the current blood group genotyping methods, including those performed by commercial platforms.
Prediction of the Potential Induced Degradation of Photovoltaic Modules Based on the Leakage Current Flowing Through Glass Laminated With Ethylene-Vinly Acetate
Authors: Kang Gi-Hwan , Kim Han-Byul , Jung Tae-Hee , Ju Young-chul , Ko Suk-Whan , Song Hee-eun
Published: March 2015

In the potential induced degradation (PID) phenomenon, the output power of a photovoltaic (PV) module decreases due to the high potential difference between the PV system and the ground. This voltage forcefully moves the positive charge in the module to the surface of the solar cell. The accumulated charge leads to the performance deterioration of the module, namely, PID of the module. We conducted a study to accurately predict the output reduction of the module operating in various installation conditions coming from the PID phenomenon. We investigated the leakage current flowing through front glass laminated with encapsulation material simultaneously exposed to various performance conditions of the PV system, namely, relative humidity, temperature, and applied voltage, which have an important effect on the PID of the module. The degradation of the module coming from PID was calculated on the basis of the obtained leakage current. To confirm the calculated data, modules with one solar cell were manufactured and the power loss results of the modules' exposure to various PID generation experiments were compared with the expected results. The results showed that we could predict the degradation of the modules by PID within a 2% tolerance under the PV system installation conditions.
A Multiscale Study on the Wall Slip Effect in a Ceramic–Steel Contact With Nanometer-Thick Lubricant Film by a Nano-to-Elastohydrodynamic Lubrication Approach
Authors: Savio D. , Fillot N. , Vergne P. , Hetzler H. , Seemann W. , Morales Espejel G. E.
Published: March 2015

A novel nano-to-elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL) multiscale approach, developed to integrate molecular-scale phenomena into macroscopic lubrication models based on the continuum hypothesis, is applied to a lubricated contact problem with a ceramic–steel interface and a nanometric film thickness. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are used to quantify wall slip occurring under severe confinement. Its dependence on the sliding velocity, film thickness, pressure, and different wall materials is described through representative analytical laws. These are then coupled to a modified Reynolds equation, where a no-slip condition applies to the ceramic surface and slip occurring on the steel wall is described through a Navier-type boundary condition. The results of this nano-to-EHL approach can contradict the well-established lubrication theory for thin films. In fact, slip can occur over the whole contact length, leading to a significant modification of the lubricant flow and consequently of the film thickness. If both walls move at the same velocity, the flow is reduced at the contact inlet and the film thickness decreases. If the nonslipping wall entrains the fluid, this one is accelerated resulting in a larger mass flow; nevertheless, the surface separation is reduced as the lubricant flows even faster in the contact center. The opposite effect occurs if the slipping surface entrains the fluid, causing a lower mass flow but higher film thickness. Finally, friction is generally smaller compared to the classical no-slip case and becomes independent of the sliding velocity as total slip is approached.
Correlation of Polysiloxane Molecular Structure to Shear-Thinning Power-Law Exponent Using Elastohydrodynamic Film Thickness Measurements
Authors: Zolper Thomas J. , Shiller Paul , Jungk Manfred , Marks Tobin J. , Chung Yip-Wah , Greco Aaron , Doll Gary , LotfizadehDehkordi Babak , Wang Qian
Published: March 2015

Siloxane-based polymers (polysiloxanes) are susceptible to temporary shear-thinning that manifests as a reduction of elastohydrodynamic film thickness with increasing entrainment speed or effective shear rate. The departure from Newtonian film thickness can be predicted with the power-law exponent ns, an indicator of the severity of shear-thinning in a polymeric fluid that is influenced by the macromolecular structure. In this paper, a combination of extant rheological and tribological models is applied to determine the power-law exponent of several polysiloxanes using film thickness measurements. Film thickness data at several temperatures and slide-to-roll ratios are used to validate the methodology for several siloxane-based polymers with alkyl and aryl branches.
Experimental Investigation on Abrasive Wear Behavior of Functionally Graded Aluminum Composite
Authors: Radhika N. , Raghu R.
Published: March 2015

Functionally graded Al–Si12Cu/10 wt.% B4Cp metal matrix composite (MMC) has been fabricated under stir casting process followed by horizontal centrifugal casting method. The casting of length 170 mm, outer diameter 160 mm, and thickness 16 mm was obtained under the centrifugal speed of 1000 rev min−1. The microstructural evaluation was carried out on the surfaces at distance of 3, 6, 9, and 11 mm from the outer periphery of the casting to ensure the distribution of reinforcement particles, and the surfaces at same distance were tested for its hardness using microhardness tester. The microstructural results revealed that surface at a distance of 3 mm from the outer periphery has reinforcement concentration of 32% and surface at a distance of 11 mm has reinforcement concentration of 3%. The hardness of the surface was improved considerably according to the reinforcement concentration. The three-body abrasive wear test was conducted on the composite specimens as per L16 orthogonal array for parameters such as the load, speed, time, and reinforcement concentration. Each parameter was varied for four levels and the optimum level of each parameter was found out through signal-to-noise ratio analysis using “smaller-the-better” characteristics. The signal-to-noise ratio analysis revealed that load was the dominant parameter on the abrasive wear behavior followed by reinforcement concentration, speed, and time. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) result indicates the parameter that affects the response significantly and results were agreed with signal-to-noise ratio analysis. The regression equation was developed and results were validated using confirmation experiments. The worn-out surfaces were examined using scanning electron microscope (SEM) for observing the wear mechanism.
Observations in Changes of Electrical Properties in Thermally Neutron-Exposed Boron-Doped Silicon Semiconductors
Authors: Medina Hector E. , Hinderliter Brian
Published: March 2015

Boron-doped resistors and transistors were developed using various levels of boron concentration. These were exposed to a thermal neutron flux of about 2×108  s−1 cm−2 at various fluences, at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Characterization of some electrical properties was carried out before and after irradiation. The reaction, 10B+n→Li+α, and others, caused by neutron irradiation, introduced impurities in the silicon lattice, thus producing measurable differences in electronic parameters. The results show that for irradiated resistors possessing very low values of boron concentration (≈1014  cm−3), there is a significant reduction (i.e., orders of magnitude) in resistivity, for the higher fluences studied (2×1011–1012  cm−2). This trend is not seen for high values of boron concentration (≈1021  cm−3), nor for the low-boron-concentration specimens exposed to a lower fluence. These observations appear to be in accordance with the deep-trap level behavior, and, though requiring further study, they seem to be promising for the potential application on neutron radiation detection. Additionally, there was no observation of significant changes in other electronic parameters, such as threshold voltage or trans-conductance, for the transistors exposed and tested.
Tissue engineering the origins of life
Authors: Spiller Kara L.
Published: March 2015

Tissue-engineered ovaries may one day restore fertility in survivors of childhood cancer.
Analysis of the Upper Respiratory Tract Microbiotas as the Source of the Lung and Gastric Microbiotas in Healthy Individuals
Authors: Bassis Christine M. , Erb-Downward John R. , Dickson Robert P. , Freeman Christine M. , Schmidt Thomas M. , Young Vincent B. , Beck James M. , Curtis Jeffrey L. , Huffnagle Gary B.
Published: March 2015

No studies have examined the relationships between bacterial communities along sites of the upper aerodigestive tract of an individual subject. Our objective was to perform an intrasubject and intersite analysis to determine the contributions of two upper mucosal sites (mouth and nose) as source communities for the bacterial microbiome of lower sites (lungs and stomach). Oral wash, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid, nasal swab, and gastric aspirate samples were collected from 28 healthy subjects. Extensive analysis of controls and serial intrasubject BAL fluid samples demonstrated that sampling of the lungs by bronchoscopy was not confounded by oral microbiome contamination. By quantitative PCR, the oral cavity and stomach contained the highest bacterial signal levels and the nasal cavity and lungs contained much lower levels. Pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA gene amplicon libraries generated from these samples showed that the oral and gastric compartments had the greatest species richness, which was significantly greater in both than the richness measured in the lungs and nasal cavity. The bacterial communities of the lungs were significantly different from those of the mouth, nose, and stomach, while the greatest similarity was between the oral and gastric communities. However, the bacterial communities of healthy lungs shared significant membership with the mouth, but not the nose, and marked subject-subject variation was noted. In summary, microbial immigration from the oral cavity appears to be the significant source of the lung microbiome during health, but unlike the stomach, the lungs exhibit evidence of selective elimination of Prevotella bacteria derived from the upper airways.

IMPORTANCE
We have demonstrated that the bacterial communities of the healthy lung overlapped those found in the mouth but were found at lower concentrations, with lower membership and a different community composition. The nasal microbiome, which was distinct from the oral microbiome, appeared to contribute little to the composition of the lung microbiome in healthy subjects. Our studies of the nasal, oral, lung, and stomach microbiomes within an individual illustrate the microbiological continuity of the aerodigestive tract in healthy adults and provide culture-independent microbiological support for the concept that microaspiration is common in healthy individuals.