bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ethyl pyruvate significantly inhibits tumour necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1β and high mobility group box 1 releasing and attenuates sodium taurocholate-induced severe acute pancreatitis associated with acute lung injury
Authors: Luan Z-G , Zhang J , Yin X-H , Ma X-C , Guo R-X
Published: January 2013

In this study, we examined the effect of ethyl pyruvate (EP) on pulmonary inflammation in rats with severe pancreatitis-associated acute lung injury (ALI). Severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) was induced in rats by the retrograde injection of 5% sodium taurocholate into the pancreatic duct. Rats were randomly divided into the following experimental groups: control group, SAP group and EP-treated group. The tissue specimens were harvested for morphological studies, Streptavidin–peroxidase immunohistochemistry examination. Pancreatic or lung tissue oedema was evaluated by tissue water content. Serum amylase and lung tissue malondialdehyde (MDA) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) were measured. Meanwhile, the nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) activation, tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β) levels and HMGB1 protein expression levels in the lung were studied. In the present study, we demonstrated that treatment with EP after SAP was associated with a reduction in the severity of SAP and lung injury. Treatment with EP significantly decreased the expression of TNF-α, IL-1β, HMGB1 and ameliorated MDA concentration, MPO activity in the lung in SAP rats. Compared to SAP group, administration of EP prevented pancreatitis-induced increases in nuclear translocation of NF-κB in the lung. Similarly, treatment with EP significantly decreased the accumulation of neutrophils and markedly reduced the enhanced lung permeability. In conclusion, these results demonstrate that EP might play a therapeutic role in pulmonary inflammation in this SAP model.
Atrial aspiration from pulmonary and caval veins is caused by ventricular contraction and secures 70% of the total stroke volume independent of resting heart rate and heart size
Authors: Steding‐Ehrenborg K. , Carlsson M. , Stephensen S. , Arheden H.
Published: January 2013

Background

Whereas ventricular filling has been extensively studied and debated, atrial filling is less well characterized. Therefore, the aim of this study was to quantify atrial filling secured during ventricular diastole and systole, and to investigate whether atrial filling depends on heart rate (HR) and total heart volume (THV).

Methods

Thirty‐two athletes (16 women) and 32 normal subjects (16 women) underwent cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. Cardiac volumes and atrioventricular plane displacement (AVPD) were determined. Longitudinal and radial contribution to stroke volume was calculated using planimetry and used to determine diastolic and systolic atrial filling.

Results

Atrial filling during ventricular diastole was 29 ± 10% of the total stroke volume, and during ventricular systole atrial filling was 68 ± 8% of the total stroke volume. There were no differences between groups of different HR (P = 0·70 and P = 0·41 for diastolic and systolic filling, respectively) or THV (P = 0·44 and P = 0·46 for diastolic and systolic filling, respectively). Systolic atrial filling was strongly correlated to longitudinal ventricular pumping (R = 0·76, P<0·001).

Conclusion

This study demonstrated that in healthy humans at rest, approximately 30% of the total stroke volume enters the atria during ventricular diastole and approximately 70% during systole, independent of heart rate (HR) or heart size. The atria are filled through suction driven by ventricular longitudinal contraction which aspirates blood from the pulmonary and caval veins. As 70% of the atrial filling occurs during ventricular emptying, the heart volume remains relatively constant over the cardiac cycle, which minimizes pulling on surrounding tissues and therefore optimizes energy expenditure.
Shear bond strength of one‐step self‐etch adhesives to enamel: effect of acid pretreatment
Authors: Poggio Claudio , Scribante Andrea , Della Zoppa Federica , Colombo Marco , Beltrami Riccardo , Chiesa Marco
Published: January 2013

Aim

The purposes of this study were to evaluate the effect of surface pretreatment with phosphoric acid on the enamel bond strength of four‐one‐step self‐etch adhesives with different pH values.

Material and methods

One hundred bovine permanent mandibular incisors were used. The materials used in this study included four‐one‐step self‐etch adhesives with different pH values: Adper™ Easy Bond Self‐Etch Adhesive (ph = 0,8‐1), Futurabond NR (ph = 1,4), G‐aenial Bond (ph = 1,5), Clearfil3S Bond (ph = 2,7). One two‐step self‐etch adhesive (Clearfil SE Bond/ph = 0,8‐1) was used as control. The teeth were assigned into two subgroups according to bonding procedure. In the first subgroup (n = 50), no pretreatment agent was applied. In the second subgroup (n = 50), etching was performed using 37% phosphoric acid for 30 s. After adhesive systems application, a nanohybrid composite resin was inserted into the enamel surface. The specimens were placed in a universal testing machine (Model 3343, Instron Corp., Canton, Mass., USA). After the testing procedure, the fractured surfaces were examined with an optical microscope at a magnification of 10× to determine failure modes. The adhesive remnant index (ARI) was used to assess the amount of adhesive left on the enamel surface.

Results

Descriptive statistics of the shear bond strength and frequency distribution of ARI scores were calculated.

Conclusions

Enamel pretreatment with phosphoric acid significantly increased bond strength values of all the adhesives tested. No significant differences in bond strength were detected among the four different one‐step self‐etch adhesives with different pH. Two‐step self‐etch adhesive showed the highest bond strength.
Fish assemblages of an African river floodplain: a test of alternative models of community structure
Authors: Jackson Andrew T. , Adite Alphonse , Roach Katherine A. , Winemiller Kirk O.
Published: January 2013

In the Oueme River, a lowland river in Benin, Africa, artificial ponds constructed in the floodplain (whedos) are colonised during the high‐water period by a presumably random sample of fishes from the river channel. As water slowly recedes from the floodplain, fishes are isolated in whedos until they are harvested near the end of the dry season. We surveyed fishes in whedos and adjacent main‐channel and floodplain habitats during two low‐water periods (2008 and 2009) and one falling‐water period (2010–2011) to evaluate the relevance of four alternative metacommunity models to these systems. In 2010–2011, we also measured a suite of physicochemical variables including dissolved oxygen, temperature, specific conductivity and per cent cover of aquatic vegetation. Whedos were covered with dense growth of aquatic vegetation, and dissolved oxygen concentrations were lower in whedos and a natural floodplain depression compared with the main channel. Multivariate analyses revealed that habitat types were distinct with regard to assemblage structure and abiotic conditions. Assemblages in whedos and natural floodplain depressions were differentiated from those of the river channel, with the floodplain habitats being dominated by piscivorous fishes that tolerate aquatic hypoxia. Dispersal, aquatic hypoxia and predation act in concert to shape local community structure. Patch dynamics, species sorting and mass effect models all were consistent with patterns in fish assemblage structure in this system. We conclude that the underlying mechanisms of drift, speciation, selection and dispersal ultimately may be more useful for explaining patterns in ecological communities than alternative metacommunity models.
Magnetic resonance features of closed head trauma in two foals
Authors: De Zani D. , Zani D. D. , Binanti D. , Riccaboni P. , Rondena M. , Di Giancamillo M.
Published: January 2013

Two foals were admitted for neurological signs after trauma. Clinical and diagnostic investigations were performed that were suggestive of closed head trauma characterised by right parietal bone deviation (ping‐pong fracture), cerebral contusion, haematoma and cerebellar contusion. The histopathological findings were consistent with areas of abnormal signal found on magnetic resonance investigations.
Navicular bone osteomyelitis and navicular bursitis with associated fistula diagnosed with magnetic resonance fistulography in the horse
Authors: Garcia E. B. , Rademacher N. , McCauley C. T. , Gaschen L.
Published: January 2013

A 7‐year‐old Quarter Horse gelding was referred for magnetic resonance (MR) imaging due to chronic left hindlimb lameness localised to the foot. On presentation, a previously undiagnosed draining tract was identified at the plantar aspect of the pastern. Radiographs revealed severe osteolysis of the navicular bone. Positive contrast MR fistulography was performed using a gadolinium based contrast agent following conventional MR imaging of the left hind foot. Fistulography allowed characterisation of a fistulous tract, which was closely associated with the deep digital flexor tendon, navicular bursa and osteomyelitis of the navicular bone.
Patriarchy, Power, and Privilege: A Narrative/Poststructural View of Work with Couples
Authors: Dickerson Victoria
Published: January 2013

Poststructural/narrative therapists working with heterosexual couples position themselves to attend to issues of power and privilege and how these variables differentially affect each gendered member of the couple. The poststructural therapist understands patriarchy as the grand narrative that influences us all, often invisibly, and creates conditions for people to respond outside what might be their preferences for performing relationships. This article takes the reader inside the work with couples and demonstrates how the narrative/poststructural therapist attends to aspects of the conversation, asks questions, makes comments, and otherwise intervenes with couples using patriarchy as a lens for understanding. Rather than challenging patriarchy in how it influences men and women, the intention is to bring forth more preferred ways of being that are outside of or on the other side of patriarchal effects. This way of working thickens people's accounts of themselves and of their relationships so that they might live in more satisfactory ways.
Breaking the Mold and Picking Up the Pieces: Rights of Parenthood and Parentage in Nontraditional Families
Authors: DiFonzo J. Herbie , Stern Ruth C.
Published: January 2013

The past few decades have shown us myriad ways to form a family. Married couples and their biological offspring no longer define the dominant model, nor do they constitute the majority of domestic arrangements. But while contemporary culture tends to applaud social diversity, we cannot be certain that novel, highly individualized family formation is always consonant with child well‐being. Further, courts and legislatures have been slow to acknowledge and accommodate domestic diversity. When judges and lawmakers do confer parental rights on a particular class of individuals, the results are not always equitable or even logical. The era of the traditional nuclear family may be past, but the task of legitimating, recognizing, and strengthening new parent–child bonds is just beginning.

Even in light of its decreasing relevance, the nuclear family model continues to shape our perception of what a family should look like.

The presence of a biological tie between parent and child is not always dispositive of parental rights.

Despite the prevalence of nontraditional family forms, the notion of de facto parenthood continues to be hotly contested.

Stepparent families are America's fastest growing domestic arrangement. Yet, courts and legislatures are slow to accord legal status to nonbiological coparents, whether married or cohabiting.

The use of assisted reproductive technology is on the rise among same‐sex couples as well as infertile couples and single parents. These families are greatly in need of legal definition and validation in order to function and survive as families.
Taking Stock of Parent Education in the Family Courts: Envisioning a Public Health Approach
Authors: Salem Peter , Sandler Irwin , Wolchik Sharlene
Published: January 2013

This article reviews the development and current status of the parent education movement in the family courts. Parent education programs are now being implemented in courts throughout the United States and have a high level of public acceptance; however, a stronger research methodology to evaluate the effects and continued work to align the goals with the content and teaching strategies of these programs are needed. A new conceptual framework is proposed for parent education, which views divorce as a public health problem for children as well as a legal issue. The three‐level framework uses concepts from public health to align the goals, content, and format of parent education programs and to enable rigorous evaluations of the outcomes achieved by these programs.

Educational programs for separated and divorcing parents are widely disseminated, popular, and diverse in their structure, goals, and teaching strategies.

To enhance the value of parent education programs, a more cohesive approach to program development and rigorous evaluation is needed to work toward dissemination of evidence‐based programs.

A model is proposed to integrate concepts from public health into court‐affiliated parent education programs.
Trick or Treat: Why Minors Engaged in Prostitution Should Be Treated as Victims, Not Criminals
Authors: Mir Tanya
Published: January 2013

Minors performing commercial sex acts are deemed victims of human trafficking according to the Trafficking Victims Protection Act. However, prosecutors and judges continue to charge and adjudicate American minors as prostitution offenders instead of treating them as sexually exploited youths. These victims have typically suffered from sexual abuse, poverty, and other trauma and are especially vulnerable to pimps and traffickers. They suffer from physical and sexual violence, as well as psychological and emotional problems, thus deserving specialized social services in order to recover their lives. In order to stop the perpetuation and revictimization of sexually exploited youth, states should join the movement in passing Safe Harbor laws, modeled on existing New York law. The law presumes that minors charged with prostitution are victims and children in need of social services and allocates discretion in carefully defined circumstances when a judge concludes a minor charged with prostitution is not capable of rehabilitation by services alone.

Several states have passed Safe Harbor legislation which functions to identify minors involved in prostitution as victims of commercial sexual exploitation.

In order to best protect victims of sex trafficking, states should follow the progress made by New York and pass Safe Harbor statutes that will create a presumption of immunity for prostituted minors, thus providing discretion to allocate social services or order a juvenile delinquency petition depending on the circumstances of the case.
Decision‐Making Factors within Paternity and Parental Leaves: Why Spanish Fathers Take Time Off from Work
Authors: Romero‐Balsas Pedro , Muntanyola‐Saura Dafne , Rogero‐García Jesús
Published: January 2013

This article aims to understand how Spanish fathers construct and justify their decisions to use both paternity and parental leaves. Specifically, we analyse the fathers' discourse about paid work conditions, the couple's decision‐making process, formal and informal care resources, and care and gender equality. We divided responders according to the type of leave that they took and the length of time away from work; as a result, participants in this study were placed into three groups: (1) fathers who take 15 days off from work after childbirth, which are usually those who took only paternity leaves; (2) fathers who take off more than 1 month, which are usually fathers who also took parental leave; and (3) fathers who take off less than 5 days from work, which are fathers who do not take any official leave. We analyse 30 in‐depth interviews with Spanish fathers by applying a critical discourse methodology. The findings indicate that paternity leave is mostly considered a right, but not a duty, and the decision whether or not to use it is viewed as an individual choice. Fathers who take longer leaves judge time off from work not only as an individual right, but also as a duty to their families. These fathers show a low work‐connection discourse, an explicit rejection of other care resources, and a care‐sensitive attitude.
‘Dirty Work?’ Gender, Race and the Union in Industrial Cleaning
Authors: Soni‐Sinha Urvashi , Yates Charlotte A.B.
Published: January 2013

The study uses an eclectic framework and through an intersectional analysis and use of narratives explores the meaning of janitorial work, the gender division of labour (GDL), the unions and organizing for janitors engaged in industrial cleaning for a big cleaning company, Pluto, in Toronto. Pluto was organized by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) in 2006. The study is based on the organizing drive for Pluto and uses participant observation and interview methods. Intersectional analysis is useful in understanding the worker's perceptions of the racialized, gendered and classed constitution of cleaning work as ‘dirty’ and their resistance to these constructs. We explore GDL in industrial cleaning and the construction of women's work as ‘light duty’ and men's work as ‘heavy duty’. We conclude that union membership is important not only for material benefits of the janitors but also for their alternative identity construction. However, there is a persistence of GDL and gender pay equity is not addressed seriously in the organizing drive or upon organizing.
Customer First and Customer Sexual Harassment: Some Evidence from the Taiwan Life Insurance Industry
Authors: Lu‐Ming Tseng
Published: January 2013

Empirical research suggests that customer sexual harassment is a far more common problem than employee to employee harassment for female salespeople. However, to date, there has been relatively little research conducted on the problem of customer sexual harassment. Insurance salespeople sometimes need to meet customers outside the company, and customer sexual harassment problems may occur. Hence, by using Taiwan's life insurance industry as an example, this study explores three research questions: (1) When the idea of ‘customer first’ is fully recognized by insurance salespeople, does it make the salespeople more tolerant of customer sexual harassment problems? (2) When the idea of customer first is supported by the insurance company, will insurance salespeople expose customer sexual harassment problems? (3) Will insurance salespeople tend to be more tolerant of quid pro quo sexual harassment? A total of 223 full‐time and self‐employed insurance salespeople participated in and completed this study survey. The results showed that the company's attitude may significantly affect the respondents' intention to expose the customer sexual harassment, but the personal belief in ‘customer first’ may not affect the respondents' intention to expose the customer misconduct. Since the three research questions have been less studied in the literature, and customer sexual harassment problems could have serious effects on salespeople, we think the results of this empirical study may have some implications for researchers and practitioners.
Visual Evoked Potentials in Interictal Migraine: No Confirmation of Abnormal Habituation
Authors: Omland Petter M. , Nilsen Kristian B. , Uglem Martin , Gravdahl Gøril , Linde Mattias , Hagen Knut , Sand Trond
Published: January 2013

Objective.

We intended to study the effect of check size on visual evoked potential habituation in interictal migraine, using the faster 3 per second reversal rate and an improved analytic procedure with block‐number blinding.

Background.

Habituation in migraineurs has been extensively studied with visual evoked potentials. Despite discrepant results, possibly related to the use of different stimulus conditions, lack of habituation in the period between attacks is presently considered to be a neurophysiological hallmark of migraine.

Methods.

Midoccipital monocular visual evoked potentials were recorded and analyzed in 27 interictal migraineurs and 34 healthy controls using a blinded study design. Small 8′ checks and large 65′ checks were applied in random order, both with 3 reversals per second. Six consecutive blocks of 100 responses were recorded for each check size. N70‐P100 and P100‐N145 peak‐to‐peak amplitudes were measured. Regression slopes across the 6 blocks, supplemented by last block/first block ratio and repeated measures analysis of variance with amplitude as the dependent variable, were used to test for habituation.

Results.

N70‐P100 habituation to small and large checks was observed in controls (mean slope −0.30 and −0.11 μV/block) and interictal migraineurs (−0.32 and −0.26 μV/block). P100‐N145 habituation to small checks in controls (mean slope −0.39 μV/block) and to small and large checks in interictal migraineurs (−0.38 and −0.17 μV/block) was also observed. None of the habituation measures were significantly different between healthy controls and migraineurs (F < 1.6, P > .18). The check‐size effect was similar in the 2 groups (F < 2.3, P > .14).

Conclusion.

Reversal rate and check‐size differences do not seem to explain the discrepant visual evoked potential habituation results in the migraine literature. Furthermore, no differences in first block amplitudes or N70, P100, and N145 latencies between healthy controls and migraineurs were found. We recommend blinded evaluation designs in future habituation studies in migraine.
Prosthetic Conformer as a Pressure Device in the Prophylactic Management of Postsurgical Auricular Keloid Formation: A Clinical Report
Authors: Singh Gurkaran Preet , Sherrigar Pradeep , Hegde Veena , Khanna Gagain
Published: January 2013

Keloids form as a result of aberrations of physiologic wound healing and may arise following any insult to the deep dermis. By causing pain, pruritus, and contractures, keloids significantly affect the patient's quality of life, both physically and psychologically. Multiple studies have been conducted for decades and have led to a plethora of therapeutic strategies to prevent or attenuate keloid formation, of which no single treatment has proven to be widely effective. Also, there is a dearth of information in the prosthodontic literature regarding appropriate management of such cases, especially when located in cosmetic areas. This clinical report presents an interdisciplinary cooperative approach between maxillofacial prosthetics and dermatology in prophylactic management of postsurgical auricular keloid. A new and an innovatively designed custom prosthesis for the management of the same is presented.
Hand‐Assisted Laparoscopic Ovariectomy and Colpotomy in Standing Mares
Authors: Smith Shasta E. , Devine Dustin V.
Published: January 2013

Objective

To determine the feasibility of hand‐assisted laparoscopic ovariectomy via colpotomy for bilateral ovariectomy in standing mares.

Study Design

Case series.

Animals

Mares (n = 21) aged 2–21 years, weighing 312–582 kg.

Methods

After a pilot study in 6 mares, the technique was used in 15 mares. Ovaries were identified and manipulated using 2 laparoscopic portals in the left paralumbar fossa. Transection and hemostasis of the ovarian pedicle was achieved using a LigaSure Atlas™ or chain écraseur. Ovaries were removed through a colpotomy by an assistant.

Results

In 19 mares, both ovaries were successfully identified from the left portals whereas in 2 mares, laparoscopic portals in the right flank were needed to access the right ovary because the working length of the equipment was insufficient to reach the right side from the left portals.

Conclusions

Bilateral laparoscopic ovariectomy by means of 2 same‐sided portals in combination with hand assistance via colpotomy is a technically feasible, safe, and effective technique in small‐ to average‐sized mares.
Phytochemical Profile and Antioxidant Activity of Physiological Drop of Citrus Fruits
Authors: Sun Yujing , Qiao Liping , Shen Yan , Jiang Ping , Chen Jianchu , Ye Xingqian
Published: January 2013

Abstract:  The phytochemical content and the antioxidant activity (AA) of physiological drop of the main citrus species grown in China were investigated. Among the flavonoids, hesperidin was found mostly in mandarin and sweet orange, naringin was found mostly in sour orange, pummelo, grapefruit and a hybrid (Gaocheng), narirutin was found in most varieties, neohesperidin was found in Gaocheng and Huyou, and nobiletin and tangeretin were found in most varieties. Hydroxycinnamic acids were the main phenolic acids present, ferulic acid and caffeic acid were the dominant in most cases. There was a greater amount of free (extractable) than bound (insoluble) phenolic acids. Levels of limonoids were higher in Foyou, Eureka lemon, and Gaocheng than those in the other cultivars. The highest level of synephrine was found in Ponkan and Weizhang Satsuma. AA was highest in Ponkan and Weizhang Satsuma and lowest in Huyou, pummel, and lemon. These results suggest that physiological drop of citrus fruits have good potential as sources of different bioactive compounds and antioxidants.

Practical Application:  Physiological drop of citrus fruits may be a good resource of bioactive compounds including flavonoids, phenolic acids, limonoids, synephrine, and a good material of nutraceuticals.
Co‐Infection with Pseudomonas anguilliseptica and Delftia acidovorans in the European eel, Anguilla anguilla (L.): a case history of an illegally trafficked protected species
Authors: Andree K B , Rodgers C J , Furones D , Gisbert E
Published: January 2013

Inspections by customs agents at Barcelona airport discovered 420 kg of contraband glass eels prepared for shipment to Hong Kong. After confiscation of these animals by police, they were transported to holding facilities to be maintained until after a judicial hearing. Upon arrival, they were separated into two groups and held under ambient flow‐through conditions in fresh water. During their captivity period, several peaks in mortality occurred and multiple bacterial strains were isolated from moribund animals. Sequencing of 16S rDNA was used to determine specific identity of the isolates. An initial isolation of Pseudomonas anguilliseptica was treated with oxytetracycline. A subsequent isolation of Delftia acidovorans proved resistant to oxytetracycline and was treated with gentamicin in combination with sulphadiazine–trimethoprim. Once the health condition of the animals was stabilized, they were partitioned into groups and subsequently released as part of a restocking effort for the species following the guidelines of Regulation (EC) 1100/2007 (Anon 2007). This represents the first record for both bacterial species in the host Anguilla anguilla in the Spanish Mediterranean.
Molecular Characterization and Expression Analysis of S1 self‐incompatibility Locus‐linked Pollen 3.15 Gene in Citrus reticulata
Authors: Miao Hong Xia , Ye Zi Xing , Qin Yong Hua , Hu Gui Bing
Published: January 2013

Gametophytic self‐incompatibility (GSI) is controlled by a highly polymorphic locus called the S‐locus, which is an important factor that can result in seedless fruit in Citrus. The S1 self‐incompatibility locus‐linked pollen 3.15 gene (S1‐3.15) belongs to a type of S locus gene. The role of S1‐3.15 in the SI reaction of Citrus has not yet been reported. In this study, full‐length sequences of cDNA and DNA encoding the S1‐3.15 gene, referred to as CrS1‐3.15, were isolated from ‘Wuzishatangju’ (Self‐incompatibility, SI) and ‘Shatangju’ (Self‐compatibility, SC). The predicted amino acid sequences of CrS1‐3.15 between ‘Wuzishatangju’ and ‘Shatangju’ differ by only three amino acids. Compared to ‘Wuzishatangju’, three bases were substituted in the genomic DNA of CrS1‐3.15 from ‘Shatangju’. Southern blot results showed that one copy of CrS1‐3.15 existed in the genomic DNA of both ‘Wuzishatangju’ and ‘Shatangju’. The expression level of the CrS1‐3.15 gene in the ovaries of ‘Shatangju’ was approximately 60‐fold higher than that in the ovaries of ‘Wuzishatangju’. When ‘Wuzishatangju’ was cross‐pollinated, the expression of CrS1‐3.15 was upregulated in the ovaries at 3 d, and the highest expression levels were detected in the ovaries at 6 d after cross‐pollination of ‘Wuzishatangju’ × ‘Shatangju’. To obtain the CrS1‐3.15 protein, the full‐length cDNA of CrS1‐3.15 genes from ‘Wuzishatangju’ and ‘Shatangju’ was successfully expressed in Pichia pastoris. Pollen germination frequency of ‘Wuzishatangju’ was inhibited significantly with increasing CrS1‐3.15 protein concentrations from SI ‘Wuzishatangju’.
Identification and Functional Analysis of Three MAX2 Orthologs in Chrysanthemum
Authors: Dong Lili , Ishak Abdurazak , Yu Jing , Zhao Ruiyan , Zhao Liangjun
Published: January 2013

MORE AXILLARY BRANCHING 2 (MAX2), initially identified in Arabidopsis thaliana, is a key regulatory gene in strigolactone signal transduction. Three orthologs of MAX2 were cloned from Dendranthema grandiflorum (DgMAX2a, b, and c). Each of the genes has an open reading frame of 2,049 bp and encodes 682 amino acid proteins. The predicted amino acid sequences of the three DgMAX2s are most closely related to the MAX2 orthologs identified in petunia (PhMAX2A and PhMAX2B), and display the highest amino acid sequence similarity with PhMAX2A compared to other MAX2s. Expression analysis revealed that DgMAX2s are predominantly expressed in the stem and axillary buds. On a cellular level, we localized the DgMAX2a::GFP fusion protein to the nucleus in onion epidermal cells, which is consistent with the nuclear localization of MAX2 in Arabidopsis. The chrysanthemum DgMAX2a is able to restore the max2–1 mutant branching to wild‐type (WT) Arabidopsis, suggesting that it is a functional MAX2 ortholog. These results suggest that DgMAX2s may be candidate genes for reducing the shoot branching of chrysanthemum.
Systemic Leptin Increases the Electrical Activity of Supraoptic Nucleus Oxytocin Neurones in Virgin and Late Pregnant Rats
Authors: Velmurugan S. , Russell J. A. , Leng G.
Published: January 2013

In the rat hypothalamus, fasting attenuates the expression of oxytocin and this can be reversed by exogenous leptin administration. In the present study, we investigated the effects of systemically administered leptin on the electrical activity of magnocellular neurones in the supraoptic nucleus of urethane‐anaesthetised rats. In virgin female rats, systemic leptin significantly excited identified oxytocin neurones with no detected effects on the patterning of activity, as reflected by hazard function analyses. The lowest dose that was consistently effective was 100 μg/i.v., and this dose had no significant effect on vasopressin neurones. In virgin rats fasted overnight, the spontaneous firing rate of oxytocin neurones was significantly lower than in unfasted rats, although leptin had a similar excitatory effect as in unfasted rats. In late pregnant rats (days 19–21 of pregnancy), spontaneous firing rates of oxytocin neurones were higher than in virgins, and the initial response to leptin was similar to that in virgin rats, although the increase in activity was more persistent. In fasted pregnant rats, the mean spontaneous firing rate of oxytocin neurones was again lower than in unfasted rats, although leptin had no significant effect even at the higher dose of 1 mg/rat. Thus, fasting reduced the spontaneous firing rates of oxytocin neurones in nonpregnant rats, and this effect could be reversed by the excitatory effects of leptin. Pregnant rats showed some evidence of leptin resistance but only after an overnight fast.
The AIN‐76A defined rodent diet accelerates the development of heart failure in SHHF rats: A cautionary note on its use in cardiac studies
Authors: Rees M. L. , Gioscia‐Ryan R. A. , McCune S. A. , Browder J. C. , Zachman D. K. , Chicco A. J. , Johnson C. A. , Murphy R. C. , Moore R. L. , Sparagna G. C.
Published: January 2013

Previous studies from our laboratory have shown positive benefits of linoleic acid (LA) feeding for attenuation of rat heart failure (HF). However, another research group concluded LA feeding was detrimental to cardiac function, using the American Institute of Nutrition 76A (AIN) diet as a background diet for the experimental animals only. To reconcile these conflicting results and determine whether (i) AIN has effects on cardiovascular function, and (ii) AIN reverses the positive effects of LA feeding, studies were performed using spontaneously hypertensive heart failure (SHHF) rats in both a survival study with lifetime feeding of AIN (control: Purina 5001) and a 2 × 2 factorial design for 6 weeks in young male SHHF rats with background diet and LA as variables. During a lifetime of AIN feeding, mortality from heart failure is significantly accelerated, cardiolipin altered and triglycerides increased. In young rats, 6 weeks on the AIN diet promoted increased systolic and diastolic blood pressure, increased fed and fasting blood glucose, increased serum inflammatory eicosanoids, decreased docosahexanoic acid, increased posterior wall thickness in diastole and an altered cardiolipin subspecies profile. The addition of LA to the AIN diet was able to rescue blood pressure. However, the combination increased retroperitoneal fat mass, body weight and fed blood glucose beyond the levels with the AIN diet alone. Because the AIN diet has wide ranging effects on cardiovascular parameters, our results suggest that it should not be used in animal studies involving the cardiovascular system unless induction of cardiac dysfunction is the desired outcome.
Effects of UVB Radiation on competition between the bloom‐forming cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa and the Chlorophyceae Chlamydomonas microsphaera1
Authors: Zhang Yong , Jiang Hai‐Bo , Qiu Bao‐Sheng
Published: January 2013

The growth, photosynthetic characteristics, and competitive ability of three algal strains were investigated under different doses of ultraviolet‐B (UVB) radiation (0, 0.285, and 0.372 W · m−2). The organisms were the toxic bloom‐forming cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa FACHB 912, nontoxic M. aeruginosa FACHB 469, and the green microalga Chlamydomonas microsphaera FACHB 52. In monocultures, the growth of all three strains was inhibited by UVB. In mixed cultures, enhanced UVB radiation resulted in decreased percentages of the two M. aeruginosa strains (19%–22% decrease on d 12 of the competition experiment). UVB radiation resulted in increased contents of chlorophyll a, b, and carotenoids (CAR) in C. microsphaera, and decreased contents of allophycocyanin (APC) or phycocyanin in the two Microcystis strains. All three strains showed increased levels of UVabsorbing compounds and intracellular reactive oxygen species under 0.372 W · m−2 UVB radiation, and decreased light compensation points, dark respiratory rates, and maximal quantum efficiency of PSII. After a 20 h recovery, the photosynthetic oxygen evolution of C. microsphaera was restored to its maximum value, but that of Microcystis strains continued to decrease. Nonphotochemical quenching was increased by UVB radiation in C. microsphaera, but was unaffected in the two M. aeruginosa strains. Our results indicated that C. microsphaera has a competitive advantage relative to Microcystis during exposure to UVB irradiation.
Estimating and Forecasting with a Dynamic Spatial Panel Data Model*
Authors: Baltagi Badi H. , Fingleton Bernard , Pirotte Alain
Published: January 2013

This study focuses on the estimation and predictive performance of several estimators for the dynamic and autoregressive spatial lag panel data model with spatially correlated disturbances. In the spirit of Arellano and Bond (1991) and Mutl (2006), a dynamic spatial generalized method of moments (GMM) estimator is proposed based on Kapoor, Kelejian and Prucha (2007) for the spatial autoregressive (SAR) error model. The main idea is to mix non‐spatial and spatial instruments to obtain consistent estimates of the parameters. Then, a linear predictor of this spatial dynamic model is derived. Using Monte Carlo simulations, we compare the performance of the GMM spatial estimator to that of spatial and non‐spatial estimators and illustrate our approach with an application to new economic geography.
The Afterlife of Monuments in the English Peak District: The Evidence of Early Bronze Age Burials
Authors: Rogers Alice J.
Published: January 2013

This research is an investigation of the locations of Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age round barrows in the Peak District. The work involved close examination of the barrows present around two earlier monuments: the Long Low bank barrow and the henge at Arbor Low. Using a Geographic Information System, it considered the densities of the barrows around these focal monuments, inter‐visibility between the sites, and the distribution of distinctive artefacts in the surrounding area. The results raise important questions about the role of memory in the past.
Date, Rituals and Socio‐Cultural Identity in the North‐Western Roman Provinces
Authors: Livarda Alexandra
Published: January 2013

This article explores issues of socio‐cultural identity in the north‐western Roman provinces, using all the available archaeobotanical evidence of date (Phoenix dactylifera L.). This fruit does not conform to the general social distribution pattern of other Roman exotic food plant imports in this area, but instead indicates a strong ceremonial connection. Through an in‐depth contextual approach the role of date in both domestic and ceremonial sites is investigated to reach beyond the simple ‘date‐Roman‐ritual’ association. The results suggest strong temporal, spatial and contextual patterning and an overall rare occurrence and selective use of the fruit in certain rituals and mystic cults. Date may have been employed not necessarily as a food, and was probably an affordable luxury for some in their ritual pursuits. As such, date can now be regarded as part of specific ceremonial expressions rather than a standard ingredient of a normative ceremonial or ‘Roman’ identity.
Effect of blur and subsequent adaptation on visual acuity using letter and Landolt C charts: differences between emmetropes and myopes
Authors: Poulere Eleni , Moschandreas Joanna , Kontadakis George A , Pallikaris Ioannis G , Plainis Sotiris
Published: January 2013

Purpose

To compare the effects of defocus induced blur and blur adaptation on visual acuity and to evaluate any differences between emmetropes and myopes using letter and Landolt C logMAR charts.

Methods

The sample consisted of 26 volunteers, with a mean age of 27 ± 3 years, comprising 13 emmetropes (spherical equivalent range: −0.63 to +0.50 D) and 13 myopes (spherical equivalent range: −0.75 to −5.00 D). Monocular visual acuity (VA) was measured in each eye using letter and Landolt C logMAR charts under the following conditions: (1) with the distance refractive correction, (2) immediately after exposure to +2.00 D defocus and (3) following 60 min of binocular adaptation to +2.00 D blur. Objective refraction at the beginning and at the end of the experimental procedure was evaluated. Averaged VA data between the two eyes were used for analysis.

Results

Deterioration in VA with +2.00 D defocus was greater in the emmetropes compared to myopes for both charts. The mean difference between the two refractive groups was more pronounced for the Landolt‐C (0.17 logMAR) compared to the letter chart (0.10 logMAR). The reduction in VA with blur was related to the amount of the refractive error. Following 60 min of adaptation, a significant improvement in VA was observed in both groups that did not differ between the two charts. The improvement in VA following adaptation using the letter chart was linearly correlated with spherical equivalent refractive correction.

Conclusions

Myopes show higher tolerance to retinal defocus compared to emmetropes, which could be attributed to previous blur experience. The effect of blur on VA is more pronounced using Landolt C optotypes than with letters. Prolonged exposure to blur results in equally improved performance for both refractive groups.
Lymphatic biomarkers in primary melanomas as predictors of regional lymph node metastasis and patient outcomes
Authors: Pasquali Sandro , van der Ploeg Augustinus P. T. , Mocellin Simone , Stretch Jonathan R. , Thompson John F. , Scolyer Richard A.
Published: January 2013

Recently developed lymphatic‐specific immunohistochemical markers can now be utilized to assess intratumoral and/or peritumoral lymphatic vessel density (LVD), to detect lymphatic vessel invasion (LVI) by melanoma cells and to identify lymphatic marker expression in melanoma cells themselves. We systematically reviewed the available evidence for the expression of lymphatic markers as predictors of regional node metastasis and survival in melanoma patients. The currently available evidence suggests that LVD (particularly in a peritumoral location) and LVI are predictors of sentinel node metastasis and poorer survival. Nevertheless, adherence to international guidelines in the conduct and reporting of the studies was generally poor, with wide methodologic variations and heterogeneous findings. Larger, carefully conducted and well‐reported studies that confirm these preliminary findings are required before it would be appropriate to recommend the routine application of costly and time‐consuming immunohistochemistry for lymphatic markers in the routine clinical assessment of primary cutaneous melanomas.
Policy Capacity and the Ability to Adapt to Climate Change:Canadian andU.S. Case Studies
Authors: Craft Jonathan , Howlett Michael
Published: January 2013

This special issue contributes to extant empirical scholarship assessing governmental capacity to meet significant policy challenges, in this case those related to climate change adaptation. The study includes detailed examination of five policy sectors—finance, infrastructure, energy, forestry, and transportation—in two countries,Canada and theUnitedStates—in order to determine what kinds of governance arrangements and analytical capacities exist in this area, how they are changing (if at all), and how they interrelate with the status and evolution of climate change outcomes in each sector. The articles provide a comprehensive sampling of policy network structure and behavior, organizational mandates and resources, and actual job duties and training of policy actors across these sectors at both the federal and subnational level of government.
Early Increased Ficolin‐2 Concentrations are Associated with Severity of Liver Inflammation and Efficacy of anti‐Viral Therapy in Chronic Hepatitis C Patients
Authors: Hu Y.‐L. , Luo F.‐L. , Fu J.‐L. , Chen T.‐L. , Wu S.‐M. , Zhou Y.‐D. , Zhang X.‐L.
Published: January 2013

Ficolin‐2 is a kind of human serum complement lectin with a structure similar to mannan‐binding lectin (MBL), and it has been implicated in innate immunity. Recent studies have shown that complement pathway activation may contribute to hepatitis. However, the relationship between ficolin‐2 and viral hepatitis remains largely elusive. The aim of this study was to determine the dynamics of ficolin‐2 in patients with chronic hepatitis C. Forty nine patients who had not yet received therapy [24 patients with abnormal alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels (>40 U/L) and 25 patients with normal ALT levels (≤40 U/L)], 28 patients with hepatitis C who received therapy for 2 weeks and 16 patients received therapy for a full month or longer were included in the study. A sandwich enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to measure the ficolin‐2 concentrations in all serum samples of patients and 42 healthy donors. We found the concentrations of ficolin‐2 were significantly higher in chronic hepatitis C patients with abnormal ALT values than in chronic hepatitis C patients with normal ALT values and healthy controls. Ficolin‐2 concentrations in chronic hepatitis C patients with abnormal ALT values were positively correlated with ALT levels (*P < 0.05). After therapy, the concentrations of ficolin‐2 decreased and accompany with ALT and Hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA levels. Then, we found ficolin‐2 concentrations in rapid viral response (RVR) group decreased significantly (*P < 0.05), while in non‐RVR group, ficolin‐2 decreased slightly (P > 0.05). Our findings suggest that early increased ficolin‐2 is highly correlated with hepatic inflammation and rapid viral response.
Synergistic and Additive Effects of Cimetidine and Levamisole on Cellular Immune Responses to Hepatitis B virus DNA Vaccine in Mice
Authors: Niu X. , Yang Y. , Wang J.
Published: January 2013

We and others have previously shown that both cimetidine (CIM) and levamisole (LMS) enhance humoral and cellular responses to DNA vaccines via different mechanisms. In this study, we investigated the synergistic and additive effects of CIM and LMS on the potency of antigen‐specific immunities generated by a DNA vaccine encoding the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg, pVax‐S2). Compared with CIM or LMS alone, the combination of CIM and LMS elicited a robust HBsAg‐specific cellular response that was characterized by higher IgG2a, but did not further increase HBsAg‐specific antibody IgG and IgG1 production. Consistent with these results, the combination of CIM and LMS produced the highest level of IL‐2 and IFN‐γ in antigen‐specific CD4+ T cells, whereas the combination of CIM and LMS did not further increase IL‐4 production. Significantly, a robust HBsAg‐specific cytotoxic response was also observed in the animals immunized with pVax‐S2 in the presence of the combination of CIM and LMS. Further mechanistic studies demonstrated that the combination of CIM and LMS promoted dendritic cell (DC) activation and blocked anti‐inflammatory cytokine IL‐10 and TGF‐β production in CD4+CD25+ T cells. These findings suggest that CIM and LMS have the synergistic and additive ability to enhance cellular response to hepatitis B virus DNA vaccine, which may be mediated by DC activation and inhibition of anti‐inflammatory cytokine expression. Thus, the combination of cimetidine and levamisole may be useful as an effective adjuvant in DNA vaccinations for chronic hepatitis B virus infection.
The Politics of Public and Private Pension Generosity in Advanced Democracies
Authors: Wolf Frieder , Zohlnhöfer Reimut , Wenzelburger Georg
Published: January 2013

The quantitative strand of social policy research suffers from a triple deficit: analyses of aggregate expenditure dominate, most of the few studies of replacement rates focus on unemployment or sickness benefits while pensions are excluded, and the interdependence between public and private pension plans is often ignored. This article addresses the said deficits, first, by discussing the pension sectors' theoretical peculiarities and by proposing two hypotheses: one on the role played by political parties in implementing public pension retrenchment, and the second on their role in extending private pension plans. Second, the article presents regression results of public pension replacement rate changes in 18 developed democracies. The findings show considerably smaller cuts to pensions than to unemployment or sickness benefits, and striking differences regarding partisan effects between the sectors. Lastly, the article assesses partisan effects on private pension plans, detecting some rather surprising effects. Most noteworthy is the fact that those parties which reduced public pension generosity during the 1990s (i.e. Social Democrats) cannot claim responsibility for compensating these cuts by eliciting higher private engagement.