bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Post‐introduction observation of transcatheter aortic valve implantation in Galicia (Spain)
Authors: Varela‐Lema Leonor , Queiro‐Verdes Teresa , Baz‐Alonso José A. , Cuenca‐Castillo José J. , Durán‐Muñoz Darío , Gónzalez‐Juanatey José R. , Herrera Noreña José M. , Iñiguez‐Romo Andrés , López‐Otero Diego , Pradas‐Montilla Gonzalo , Rubio‐Álvarez José , Salgado‐Fernández Jorge , Trillo Nouche Ramiro , Vázquez‐González Nicolás , López‐García Marisa
Published: July 2014

Rationale, aims and objectives

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation constitutes an example of a technology introduced into the Galician Health Care System basket and subjected to a post‐introduction observational study after coverage. This paper aims to describe the process and results of this experience, illustrating the main challenges and opportunities in using these studies for supporting decision making.

Methods

The study protocol was developed by a multidisciplinary team consisting of experts from the Galician HTA Agency (avalia‐t), interventional cardiologists and cardiac surgeons. Together they agreed on the information that was relevant and feasible for collection, and planned the study design, data collection and analysis of results.

Results

During the 1‐year recruitment period, 94 patients underwent percutaneous aortic valve replacement in the three authorized centres. Implantation rate and prosthesis models differed substantially across the centres. Overall, procedural success rate was 96.8% and hospital mortality was 7.4%. Complications during post‐surgical admission were recorded in 40.4% of patients. Moderate residual aortic regurgitation was observed in 10% of patients, and the procedure was associated with a stroke rate of 3.3% at 30 days and 5.3% at 1 year.

Conclusions

Post‐introduction observation has made it feasible to determine the use of this procedure within the SERGAS context and has enabled the assessment of performance in real‐life conditions. The proposed strategic actions and interventions have been drawn up based upon the collective judgement of a group of experienced professionals, and have served to establish recommendations on further research that would be required to optimize health benefits.
Molecular and morphological variation in saddled fathead sculpins (Psychrolutidae: Cottunculus) of the north‐east Atlantic Ocean, with a synonymy of three species
Authors: Byrkjedal I. , Hadler‐Jacobsen S. , Rees D. , Orlov A.
Published: July 2014

On the basis of 104 individuals of Cottunculus from the Norwegian coast, the Barents Sea, Svalbard and north‐east Greenland waters, this paper evaluates the descriptive taxonomic characters of three species Cottunculus sadko, Cottunculus microps and Cottunculus konstantinovi and links the character variation to genetic characterizations. Eleven morphological characters used as diagnostic characters in the original descriptions of these species were analysed in pair‐wise character comparisons. All characters show cross‐species traits when in combination with each other, and all individuals show traits of more than one of the species. Partial cytochrome oxidase c subunit I (coI) gene sequences from 21 individuals, covering the morphological variation among the specimens, show little variation among the individuals. From these results, it is concluded that the descriptive characters do not support the maintenance of more than one species. It is recommended that C. microps remains the name for this species, with C. sadko and C. konstantinovi as junior synonyms.
High Arterial Pulse Wave Velocity Is a Risk Factor for Falls in Community‐Dwelling Older People
Authors: Wong Alfred K. W. , Lord Stephen R. , Trollor Julian N. , Sturnieks Daina L. , Delbaere Kim , Menant Jasmine , Brodaty Henry , Sachdev Perminder S. , Close Jacqueline C. T.
Published: July 2014

Objectives

To examine whether arterial stiffness is a risk factor for falls in community‐dwelling older people.

Design

Prospective cohort study.

Setting

Community population, Sydney, Australia.

Participants

Community‐dwelling older adults (mean age 79.8 ± 4.4, 52.2% female; N = 481).

Measurements

Carotid–femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV) was measured in the supine position after lying for 10 minutes. Demographic, medical, and medication characteristics and levels of physical activity were obtained in clinical interviews and questionnaires, and falls were recorded with monthly falls diaries for 12 months.

Results

Participants in the top quintile of PWV (high PWV) were more likely to have higher seated systolic blood pressure (SBP) and heart rate, unsatisfactory control of blood pressure, diabetes mellitus, and lower physical activity levels. These participants were also more likely to be male and taking cardiovascular medications. Of the 473 participants available for follow‐up, 212 (44.8%) reported one or more falls. In modified Poisson regression analyses, high PWV was a risk factor for falls (relative risk = 1.37, 95% confidence interval = 1.06–1.78) after adjusting for use of psychotropic and cardiovascular medications, age, sex, body mass index, seated SBP, heart rate, and diabetes status.

Conclusion

In community‐dwelling older people, high PWV (as a measure of arterial stiffness) was a risk factor for falls after adjusting for potential demographic, anthropometric, disease, and medication confounders. Further research is required to investigate mediators for this association and the effect of lowering arterial stiffness on falls in older people.
Wavelets: on the virtues and applications of the mathematical microscope
Authors: UNSER MICHAEL
Published: July 2014

The paper provides a short introduction to wavelets and discusses their main applications in microscopy and biological imaging.
Tau‐targeting passive immunization modulates aspects of pathology in tau transgenic mice
Authors: Ittner Arne , Bertz Josefine , Suh Lisa S. , Stevens Claire H. , Götz Jürgen , Ittner Lars M.
Published: July 2014

Immunization is increasingly recognized as a suitable therapeutic avenue for the treatment of neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and other tauopathies. Tau is a key molecular player in these conditions and therefore represents an attractive target for passive immunization approaches. We performed such an approach in two independent tau transgenic mouse models of tauopathy, K369I tau transgenic K3 and P301L tau transgenic pR5 mice. The antibodies we used were either specific for full‐length tau or tau phosphorylated at serine 404 (pS404), a residue that forms part of the paired helical filament (PHF)‐1 phosphoepitope that characterizes tau neurofibrillary tangles in tauopathies. Although both pS404 antibodies had a similar affinity, they differed in isotype, and only passive immunization with the IgG2a/κ pS404‐specific antibody resulted in a lower tangle burden and reduced phosphorylation of tau at the PHF1 epitope in K3 mice. In pR5 mice, the same antibody led to a reduced phosphorylation of the pS422 and PHF1 epitopes of tau. In addition, histological sections of the hippocampal dentate gyrus of the immunized pR5 mice displayed reduced pS422 staining intensities. These results show that passive immunization targeting tau can modulate aspects of tau pathology in tau transgenic mouse models, in an antibody isotype‐specific manner.

image

We show that passive immunization targeting the pathological phosphorylation site pS404 on human tau with a monoclonal IgG2a/κ, but not a IgG1/κ antibody, reduced hyperphosphorylation of tau and tangle burden in two independent mouse models of tau pathology. This shows that both specificity and isotype of phospho‐tau (p‐tau)‐specific antibodies are important for therapeutically ameliorating tau pathology.
Functional Significance of Hormonal Changes in Mammalian Fathers
Authors: Saltzman W. , Ziegler T. E.
Published: July 2014

In the 5–10% of mammals in which both parents routinely provide infant care, fathers as well as mothers undergo systematic endocrine changes as they transition into parenthood. Although fatherhood‐associated changes in such hormones and neuropeptides as prolactin, testosterone, glucocorticoids, vasopressin and oxytocin have been characterised in only a small number of biparental rodents and primates, they appear to be more variable than corresponding changes in mothers, and experimental studies typically have not provided strong or consistent evidence that these endocrine shifts play causal roles in the activation of paternal care. Consequently, their functional significance remains unclear. We propose that endocrine changes in mammalian fathers may enable males to meet the species‐specific demands of fatherhood by influencing diverse aspects of their behaviour and physiology, similar to many effects of hormones and neuropeptides in mothers. We review the evidence for such effects, focusing on recent studies investigating whether mammalian fathers in biparental species undergo systematic changes in (i) energetics and body composition; (ii) neural plasticity, cognition and sensory physiology; and (iii) stress responsiveness and emotionality, all of which may be mediated by endocrine changes. The few published studies, based on a small number of rodent and primate species, suggest that hormonal and neuropeptide alterations in mammalian fathers might mediate shifts in paternal energy balance, body composition and neural plasticity, although they do not appear to have major effects on stress responsiveness or emotionality. Further research is needed on a wider variety of biparental mammals, under more naturalistic conditions, to more fully determine the functional significance of hormone and neuropeptide profiles of mammalian fatherhood and to clarify how fatherhood may trade off with (or perhaps enhance) aspects of organismal function in biparental mammals.
Family history of type 2 diabetes increases the risk of both obesity and its complications: is type 2 diabetes a disease of inappropriate lipid storage?
Authors: Cederberg H. , Stančáková A. , Kuusisto J. , Laakso M. , Smith U.
Published: July 2014

Objectives

The aim of this study was to characterize diabetes risk in relation to amount and distribution of body fat (environmental factors) and genetic risk defined as having first‐degree (FH1) or second‐degree relatives with diabetes.

Design

We analysed the METSIM population of 10 197 middle‐aged, randomly selected men. At baseline, information about family history of diabetes was registered and all individuals underwent extensive phenotyping. A follow‐up study was conducted after 6 years. The metabolic consequences of increased visceral versus subcutaneous fat were characterized in a separate cohort of 158 healthy men (the Kuopio Cohort of the EUGENE2 study).

Results

At baseline, individuals with a family history of diabetes (FH+) had approximately a twofold increase in the prevalence of type 2 diabetes compared with individuals without a family history of the disease (FH−) (18.0% vs. 9.9%; P = 1.3 × 10−31). FH1 individuals were more commonly overweight and obese compared with FH− (69.2% vs. 64.8%; P = 1.3 × 10−4) and, for a given body mass index, showed an increased risk profile for both type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease as well as a greater susceptibility to the negative consequences of increased body fat also when nonobese. Subgroup analyses indicated that the metabolic consequences were due primarily to increased ectopic/visceral fat rather than subcutaneous fat. The increased risk profile in FH+ individuals was not altered by adjusting for 43 major diabetes risk genes.

Conclusions

Family history of type 2 diabetes (particularly FH1) is associated with both increased risk of becoming overweight/obese and with a greater susceptibility to the negative consequences of increasing body fat, probably as a consequence of an increased propensity to accumulate ectopic (nonsubcutaneous) fat.
Does breathing type influence electromyographic activity of obligatory and accessory respiratory muscles?
Authors: Gutiérrez M. F. , Valenzuela S. , Miralles R. , Portus C. , Santander H. , Fuentes A. D. , Celhay I.
Published: July 2014

Craniomandibular electromyographic (EMG) studies frequently include several parameters, e.g. resting, chewing and tooth‐clenching. EMG activity during these parameters has been recorded in the elevator muscles, but little is known about the respiratory muscles. The aim of this study was to compare EMG activity in obligatory and accessory respiratory muscles between subjects with different breathing types. Forty male subjects were classified according to their breathing type into two groups of 20 each: costo‐diaphragmatic breathing type and upper costal breathing type. Bipolar surface electrodes were placed on the sternocleidomastoid, diaphragm, external intercostal and latissimus dorsi muscles. EMG activity was recorded during the following tasks: (i) normal quiet breathing, (ii) maximal voluntary clenching in intercuspal position, (iii) natural rate chewing until swallowing threshold, (iv) short‐time chewing. Diaphragm EMG activity was significantly higher in the upper costal breathing type than in the costo‐diaphragmatic breathing type in all tasks (P < 0·05). External intercostal EMG activity was significantly higher in the upper costal breathing type than in the costo‐diaphragmatic breathing type in tasks 3 and 4 (P < 0·05). Sternocleidomastoid and latissimus dorsi EMG activity did not show significant differences between breathing types in the tasks studied (P > 0·05). The significantly higher EMG activity observed in subjects with upper costal breathing than in the costo‐diaphragmatic breathing type suggests that there could be differences in motor unit recruitment strategies depending on the breathing type. This may be an expression of the adaptive capability of muscle chains in subjects who clinically have a different thoraco‐abdominal expansion during inspiration at rest.
Cost‐effectiveness of a disease management program for early childhood caries
Authors: Samnaliev Mihail , Wijeratne Rashmi , Grace Kwon Eunhae , Ohiomoba Henry , Wai Ng Man
Published: July 2014

Objectives

To assess the cost‐effectiveness of a pilot disease management (DM) program aimed at preventing early childhood caries among children younger than 5 years.

Methods

TheDMprogram was implemented in theBostonChildren'sHospital‐based dental practice in 2008. Health care costs were obtained from the hospital finance department and non‐health care costs were estimated through a parent survey. The measure of effectiveness was avoided hospital‐based visits for restorative treatment or extractions. Incremental costs (2011US$) and effectiveness were estimated from a health care system, societal, and public payer perspectives over 3, 6, and 12 months, by comparingDMparticipants (n = 395) to a historical comparison group (n = 123) using generalized linear models. Bootstrapping and other sensitivity analyses were used to incorporate uncertainty in the analyses.

Results

The DM program was associated with a reduction in societal costs of $20 (p= 0.85), $215 (p= 0.24), and $669 (p< 0.01) per patient and a reduction in the number of hospital‐based visits for restorative treatment or extractions by 0.44 (p< 0.01), 0.42 (p< 0.01), and 0.45 (p< 0.01) per patient over 3, 6, and 12 months, respectively. The probability of it being less costly and more effective was 61.5 percent, 81.9 percent, and 98.6 percent over 3, 6, and 12 months, respectively. Consistent results were observed from a health care system and public payer perspectives.

Conclusions

TheDMprogram appears cost‐effective and has the potential to reduce health care costs. Our results justify a multicenter trial to evaluate theDMprogram on a larger scale.
Never Forget Where You're Coming from: The Role of Existing Products in Adoptions of Substituting Technologies
Authors: Gerlach Jin , Stock Ruth M. , Buxmann Peter
Published: July 2014

The adoption of technological product innovations has received considerable attention among academics and practitioners alike, although the circumstances in which a new technology seeks to replace an existing product have remained largely overlooked. Research into the adoption of substituting technologies should incorporate this perspective, which provides insights into how technology adoption depends on the existing situation. From this perspective, the authors investigate how consumers' emphasis on an existing product's attributes influences their adoption of a substituting innovation. Data obtained from 217 respondents indicates that consumers' liking of an existing product's attributes can prompt a negative affective reaction to the substituting technology. This negative affective reaction in turn may lead to less positive cognitive evaluations of the substituting technology and affect consumers' adoption intentions. This investigation complements existing research in two important ways: First, the results emphasize the importance of taking existing products into account when studying the adoption of substituting technologies. Second, this study adds to the sparse findings regarding the link between affect and cognition in technology adoption contexts.
Hanicella moenia, gen. et sp. nov., a ribbon‐forming diatom (Bacillariophyta) with complex girdle bands, compared to Microtabella interrupta and Rhabdonema cf. adriaticum: implications for Striatellales, Rhabdonematales, and Grammatophoraceae, fam. nov.
Authors: Lobban Christopher S. , Ashworth Matt P.
Published: July 2014

Tropical benthic diatoms are poorly known but constitute a rich resource for studies of diatom morphology and phylogeny. A remarkable tabellarioid ribbon‐forming diatom with a very distinctive pattern of plastid distribution and unique valve and girdle band characters is described from Guam (Mariana Islands) as a new genus and species, Hanicella moenia. We were able to study the ultrastructure and ontogeny of the girdle bands, to compare several other genera in the Striatellales and the Rhabdonematales with numerous septate copulae and hyaline, nonseptate pleurae, and to evaluate their phylogenetic relationships. The last‐formed two copulae of Microtabella interrupta have distended septa, the last interlocking with the other via a transverse ridge between two unique “ligules.” The fourth pleura of Hanicella is a delicate, fimbriate band. Views of developing copulae of H. moenia indicated that the septum was formed by ingrowth from the sides rather than from the apex; this blurs the distinction between septate and scalariform valvocopulae. Phylogenetic results (i) confirmed that the Striatellales and Striatellaceae, consisting of Striatella and Pseudostriatella, are unrelated to clades containing Hyalosira, Microtabella, Hanicella, and Rhabdonema; and (ii) showed that the fRhabdonemataceae is close to, but separate from, the strongly supported Hanicella/Microtabella/Grammatophora clade, for which we propose Grammatophoraceae fam. nov. Formal genus and species descriptions of H. moenia are given and we also propose to restore Hyalosira interrupta to Microtabella with an emended genus description.
The actin‐bundling protein L‐plastin: a novel local inflammatory marker associated with periodontitis
Authors: Öztürk V. Ö. , Emingil G. , Osterwalder V. , Bostanci N.
Published: July 2014

Background and Objective

L‐plastin, an actin‐bundling protein, is exclusively expressed in leukocytes and plays a crucial role in immune‐mediated events. Periodontitis is a common infectious inflammatory disease that destroys the tooth‐supporting tissues. Recent findings using proteomic technologies have demonstrated that L‐plastin is one of the few molecules consistently present in the inflammatory exudate of the gingiva in periodontal disease, but not in health. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate in detail the local and systemic role of this molecule in different forms of periodontitis.

Material and Methods

A total of 61 subjects who met the inclusion/exclusion criteria were recruited, including 21 with chronic periodontitis, 20 generalized aggressive periodontitis and 20 nonperiodontitis control subjects. Gingival tissue biopsies, gingival crevicular fluid, as well as serum and saliva, were obtained. Immunohistochemistry and quantitative real‐time PCR were employed to evaluate the localization and mRNA expression, respectively, of L‐plastin. L‐plastin levels in gingival crevicular fluid, saliva and serum were measured using ELISA. Statistical analysis was performed using nonparametric methods.

Results

Subjects with chronic periodontitis and generalized aggressive periodontitis exhibited significantly higher tissue L‐plastin gene expression and gingival crevicular fluid levels than did subjects in the control group but there was no significant difference between the two forms of periodontitis. Within gingival tissue, L‐plastin was confined to the inflammatory infiltrate. There was no statistically significant difference between serum and salivary L‐plastin levels among the three study groups.

Conclusion

The elevated gingival tissue expression and gingival crevicular fluid levels of L‐plastin in both forms of periodontitis may denote the localized involvement of this novel molecule in the pathogenesis of the disease.
Residents’ Willingness‐to‐Pay for Attributes of Rural Health Care Facilities
Authors: Allen James E. , Davis Alison F. , Hu Wuyang , Owusu‐Amankwah Emmanuel
Published: July 2014

Context

As today's rural hospitals have struggled with financial sustainability for the past 2 decades, it is critical to understand their value relative to alternatives, such as rural health clinics and private practices.

Purpose

To estimate the willingness‐to‐pay for specific attributes of rural health care facilities in rural Kentucky to determine which services and operational characteristics are most valued by rural residents.

Methodology

We fitted choice experiment data from 769 respondents in 10 rural Kentucky counties to a conditional logit model and used the results to estimate willingness‐to‐pay for attributes in several categories, including hours open, types of insurance accepted, and availability of health care professionals and specialized care.

Findings

Acceptance of Medicaid/Medicare with use of a sliding fee scale versus acceptance of only private insurance was the most valued attribute. Presence of full diagnostic services, an emergency room, and 24‐hour/7‐day‐per‐week access were also highly valued. Conversely, the presence of specialized care, such as physical therapy, cancer care, or dialysis, was not valued. In total, respondents were willing to pay $225 more annually to support a hospital relative to a rural health clinic.

Conclusion

Rural Kentuckians value the services, convenience, and security that rural hospitals offer, though they are not willing to pay more for specialized care that may be available in larger medical treatment centers. The results also inform which attributes might be added to existing rural health facilities to make them more valuable to local residents.
Native and exotic plant species respond differently to wildfire and prescribed fire as revealed by meta‐analysis
Authors: Alba Christina , Skálová Hana , McGregor Kirsty F. , D'Antonio Carla , Pyšek Petr
Published: July 2014

Questions

Wildfire is a natural disturbance that shapes vegetation characteristics worldwide, while prescribed fire is increasingly used to modify vegetation composition and structure. Due to invasion of many ecosystems by exotic species, a concern of land managers is whether wildfire and prescribed fire alter plant communities in favour of exotics. We assessed the global literature describing community‐level responses of native and exotic species groups to wildfire and prescribed fire and characterized the geographic and temporal scope of the data to inform research needs.

Location

Predominantly the United States of America and Australia.

Methods

We used meta‐analysis to (1) test whether native and exotic species composition (richness or diversity) and performance (cover, density and biomass) differ in response to wildfire and prescribed fire, and (2) assess how the composition and performance of these species groups vary with time elapsed since fire and habitat types.

Results

Most community‐level research on how native and exotic species respond to fire has been conducted in the US and Australia, typically over short time scales, and with a focus on temperate forest and grassland ecosystems. Prescribed fire benefited native composition over short time scales (<1 yr) but, on average, had no effect on native performance, nor on exotic composition or performance. In contrast, wildfire consistently enhanced exotic composition and performance over all time scales, while having no effect on native species composition and significantly reducing native performance. Additionally, responses varied by habitat: native species groups responded positively to prescribed fire in heathlands and to a lesser extent in temperate grasslands, while responding negatively to wildfire in arid shrublands and heathlands, and to a more modest degree in tropical savannas. Exotic species groups responded positively to wildfire in arid shrublands, temperate forests and heathlands.

Conclusions

This quantitative assessment of the literature revealed strong evidence for a positive response of exotics to wildfire, coupled with a striking near‐absence of negative responses. The assessment additionally suggests that while prescribed fire does benefit native composition, on average, it does not appear to greatly facilitate native performance; however site‐specific variation in how communities responded to fire was pronounced, underscoring the importance of local assessments in determining mechanistic drivers and management policy.
Two‐year outcomes in initial survivors with acute liver failure: results from a prospective, multicentre study
Authors: Fontana Robert J. , Ellerbe Caitlyn , Durkalski Valerie E. , Rangnekar Amol , Reddy Rajender K. , Stravitz Todd , McGuire Brendan , Davern Timothy , Reuben Adrian , Liou Iris , Fix Oren , Ganger Daniel R. , Chung Raymond T. , Schilsky Mike , Han Steven , Hynan Linda S. , Sanders Corron , Lee William M. ,   the US Acute Liver Failure Study Group
Published: July 2014

Background & Aims

The long‐term clinical outcomes in initial survivors with acute liver failure (ALF) are not well known. The aim of this study was to provide an overview of the 2‐year clinical outcomes among initial survivors and liver transplant (LT) recipients that were alive 3 weeks after enrolment in the Acute Liver Failure Study Group (ALFSG).

Methods

Outcomes in adult ALFSG patients that were enrolled between 1998 and 2010 were reviewed.

Results

Two‐year patient survival was significantly higher in the 262 LT recipients (92.4%) compared to the 306 acetaminophen (APAP) spontaneous survivors (SS) (89.5%) and 200 non‐APAP SS (75.5%) (P < 0.0001). The causes of death were similar in the three groups but the time to death was significantly longer in the LT recipients (P < 0.0001). Independent predictors of 2‐year mortality in the APAP group were a high serum phosphate level and patient age (c‐statistic = 0.65 (0.54, 0.76)), patient age and days from jaundice to ALF onset in the non‐APAP group (c‐statistic = 0.69 (0.60, 0.78)), and patient age, days from jaundice, and higher coma grade in the LT recipients (c‐statistic = 0.74 (0.61, 0.87)). The LT recipients were significantly more likely to be employed and have a higher educational level (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

Two‐year outcomes in initial survivors of ALF are generally good but non‐APAP patients have a significantly lower survival which may relate to pre‐existing medical comorbidities. Spontaneous survivors with APAP overdose experience substantial morbidity during follow‐up from ongoing psychiatric and substance abuse issues.
Central origin of parkinsonian rigidity examined with thalamic activities on their temporal relationships
Authors: Narabayashi Yohsuke , Oshima Tomokazu
Published: July 2014

Background

Parkinsonian rigidity is alleviated by thalamotomy targeting the thalamic nucleus ventralis lateralis. Detecting there the exaggerated 13–27‐Hz β‐band activities, we hypothesized that these activities centrally drove rigidity.

Aim

To test this hypothesis, we examined the temporal relationships of rigidity with β‐band activities.

Methods

In 20 patients with Parkinson's disease, we monitored the thalamic local field potentials and multiple unit spikes with the electromyograms of neck and limb muscles.

Results

The resting state of muscles with exaggerated tonic discharges in electromyograms was regarded to represent rigidity. The compound muscle spikes as such were accompanied by or synchronized with the thalamic β‐band activities when the thalamic recording sites somatotopically met the muscles of interest. The β‐band activities consisted of the negative‐going deflection of local field potentials and negativity‐dominant multiple unit spikes. The β‐band local field potentials led to the muscle spikes in spontaneous initiation and development of rigidity, as well as in the cyclic sequence of β‐band activities and electromyograms. The paired β‐band local field potentials and muscle spikes were moderately correlated in amplitude. During the observation, the grade of rigidity spontaneously fluctuated. Accordingly, the phase coincidence of β‐band local field potentials and muscle spikes occurred contingently. When the β‐band and tremor‐locked 3–7‐Hz τ‐range activities coexisted at the recording site, different groups of thalamic neurons led to rigidity and tremor, respectively, as their peripheral outcomes.

Conclusion

The results suggest that the thalamic β‐band hyperactivities contingently drive rigidity in support for the central origin hypothesis of rigidity.
Civic Fusion: Moving from Certainty through Not Knowing to Curiosity
Authors: Podziba Susan L.
Published: July 2014

Civic fusion occurs when people bond across passionate difference to solve a shared public problem. It requires bringing people close together under conditions that enable them to bond, even as their polarizing beliefs remain intact. In managing multiparty multi‐issue negotiations, public policy mediators help disparate, passionate parties negotiate actionable agreements. To achieve and sustain civic fusion, interested parties recognize and acknowledge confining assumptions and move through a continuum in which their certainty about each other and their presumed solutions is challenged and transforms to uncertainty and then to curiosity.

They connect across common public goals and find mutual understanding and respect for the interests of others as they come to understand and accept the opportunities and limitations that are inherent to their complex situations. A steady stream of new understandings moves people beyond their long‐held perspectives to foster productive negotiations and build innovative solutions. Ultimately, the parties generate sustainable consensus agreements even as they retain their deeply held and often opposing values and beliefs.
Activation of the endogenous nociceptin system by selective nociceptin receptor agonist SCH 221510 produces antitransit and antinociceptive effect: a novel strategy for treatment of diarrhea‐predominant IBS
Authors: Fichna J. , Sobczak M. , Mokrowiecka A. , Cygankiewicz A. I. , Zakrzewski P. K. , Cenac N. , Sałaga M. , Timmermans J.‐P. , Vergnolle N. , Małecka‐Panas E. , Krajewska W. M. , Storr M.
Published: July 2014

Background

Diarrhea‐predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS‐D) is a functional gastrointestinal (GI) disorder, defined by the presence of loose stools and abdominal pain. In search for a novel anti‐IBS‐D therapy, here we investigated the nociceptin receptor (NOP)‐dependent effects in the GI tract.

Methods

A novel potent and selective NOP agonist SCH 221510 was used in the study. The effect of NOP activation on mouse intestinal motility was characterized in vitro and in vivo, in physiological conditions and in animal models of hypermotility and diarrhea. Well‐established mouse models of visceral pain were used to characterize the antinociceptive effect of the NOP activation. To provide additional evidence that the endogenous nociceptin system is a relevant target for IBS, NOP expression and nociceptin levels were quantified in serum and colonic biopsies from IBS‐D patients.

Key Results

SCH 221510 produced a potent NOP‐mediated inhibitory effect on mouse intestinal motility in vitro and in vivo in physiological conditions. The NOP agonist displayed an antidiarrheal and analgesic action after oral administration in animal models mimicking the symptoms of IBS‐D. Studies on human samples revealed a strong decrease in endogenous nociceptin system expression in IBS‐D patients compared with healthy controls.

Conclusions & Inferences

Collectively, mouse and human data suggest that the endogenous nociceptin system is involved in IBS‐D and may become a target for anti‐IBS‐D treatments using potent and selective synthetic NOP agonists.
Prevalence of esophageal motility abnormalities increases with longer disease duration in adult patients with eosinophilic esophagitis
Authors: van Rhijn Bram D. , Oors Jac M. , Smout Andreas J. P. M. , Bredenoord Albert J.
Published: July 2014

Background

During the natural course of eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), the risk for esophageal stricture formation increases. It remains unknown whether motility abnormalities in EoE also develop over time. We aimed to determine the relationship between disease duration, clinical characteristics, and manometric pattern of EoE patients.

Methods

We compared esophageal high‐resolution manometry (HRM) measurements of 31 adult EoE patients with HRM data from 31 GERD controls and 31 healthy controls. Subsequently, we assessed differences in disease duration and clinical characteristics between EoE patients with normal and those with abnormal esophageal motility.

Key Results

In EoE patients, peristaltic integrity was more frequently failed (12 vs 6%) or weak (27 vs 15%; p < 0.001) compared with healthy controls; however, this pattern was also seen in GERD controls (failed 14%, weak 27%). We found no differences regarding symptoms and signs of EoE between EoE patients with normal (42%) and abnormal motility (58%). However, disease duration was longer in EoE patients with abnormal motility than in those with normal motility (13 (6–18) years vs 4 (1–11) years; p < 0.05). In EoE, but not GERD, disease duration was identified as a risk factor for abnormal motility (OR for each year 1.142; 95% CI 1.004–1.299), and with longer disease duration, the prevalence of abnormal motility increased from 36% (duration 0–5 years) to 83% (duration ≥16 years; p < 0.05).

Conclusions & Inferences

Weak and failed peristaltic integrity are more often present in adult EoE patients than in healthy controls. The prevalence of manometric abnormalities in EoE patients increases with longer disease duration.
Fine‐ and coarse‐filter conservation strategies in a time of climate change
Authors: Tingley Morgan W. , Darling Emily S. , Wilcove David S.
Published: July 2014

As species adapt to a changing climate, so too must humans adapt to a new conservation landscape. Classical frameworks have distinguished between fine‐ and coarse‐filter conservation strategies, focusing on conserving either the species or the landscapes, respectively, that together define extant biodiversity. Adapting this framework for climate change, conservationists are using fine‐filter strategies to assess species vulnerability and prioritize the most vulnerable species for conservation actions. Coarse‐filter strategies seek to conserve either key sites as determined by natural elements unaffected by climate change, or sites with low climate velocity that are expected to be refugia for climate‐displaced species. Novel approaches combine coarse‐ and fine‐scale approaches—for example, prioritizing species within pretargeted landscapes—and accommodate the difficult reality of multiple interacting stressors. By taking a diversified approach to conservation actions and decisions, conservationists can hedge against uncertainty, take advantage of new methods and information, and tailor actions to the unique needs and limitations of places, thereby ensuring that the biodiversity show will go on.
Seed dispersal in heterogeneous landscapes: linking field observations with spatially explicit models
Authors: Lavabre Jessica E. , Stouffer Daniel B. , Sanz Rúben , Bascompte Jordi
Published: July 2014

Seed dispersal by animals drives persistence and colonization of the majority of fleshy‐fruited plants. Different factors have been identified as important in shaping patterns of seed deposition. These factors include habitat heterogeneity, movement patterns of frugivore species, and their feeding behavior. Most studies, however, have analysed the effect of one factor at the time, either with a modelling approach or from field observations. Here, we combine empirical data with spatially‐explicit models to explore the contribution of habitat availability and patterns of frugivore post‐feeding flight distances to the spatial patterns of seed dispersal.

We found that both factors, distance from the mother tree and microhabitat identity, were shaping those patterns. Our results show that seed dispersal is tremendously heterogeneous and complex in space. The observed seed shadow is not the result of a single process but instead an intricate combination of distance and habitat selection. We suggest that the apparent combination of processes results from the simultaneous effects of distinct functional groups of frugivores.
Identifying a rapid bolus dose of dexmedetomidine (ED50) with acceptable hemodynamic outcomes in children
Authors: Dawes Joy , Myers Dorothy , Görges Matthias , Zhou Guohai , Ansermino J Mark , Montgomery Carolyne J.
Published: July 2014

Background

Dexmedetomidine is a highly sensitive, specific α2 adrenoceptor agonist with anxiolytic, sedative, and analgesic effects. Administration is recommended as a loading dose infused over 10 min. Clinical experience and a previous study suggested a shorter time frame might be used without causing adverse hemodynamic effects.

Objective

To determine the dexmedetomidine dose that can be given as a rapid 5 s bolus to healthy children during total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) without causing significant hemodynamic effects.

Methods

ASA I–II children, aged 5–9 years, having elective surgery under TIVA were recruited. The up‐and‐down sequential study design was employed to determine the effective dose of dexmedetomidine, starting at 0.3 mcg·kg−1 with 0.1 mcg·kg−1 intervals, which caused no hemodynamic response in half the subjects (ED50). Positive responses were defined as mean blood pressure (MAP) and/or heart rate (HR) changes ≥30% from baseline. Three parametric estimators and one nonparametric estimator were used to determine the ED50.

Results

Twenty‐one subjects with median age 7.1 (range 5.4–9.5) years and median weight 23.6 (range 16.2–36.7) kg were recruited. A maximum median HR decrease of 20 b·min−1 occurred at 50 s and a maximum median MAP increase of 12.5 mmHg occurred at 100 s after bolus dose administration. Fifteen subjects (71%) had a HR <60 b·min−1 while one subject had a HR <40 b·min−1 (minimum 35 b·min−1) for 60 s following the dexmedetomidine bolus. Four estimators led to an ED50 estimate for dexmedetomidine of 0.49 mcg·kg−1 [95% CI 0.26–0.80 mcg·kg−1].

Conclusion

The ED50 of dexmedetomidine administered over 5 s without significant hemodynamic compromise is 0.49 mcg·kg−1. Further work is needed to determine the ‘safe’ (ED5 or less) and effective dose for desired perioperative clinical outcomes.
The soybean (Glycine max) nodulation‐suppressive CLE peptide, GmRIC1, functions interspecifically in common white bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), but not in a supernodulating line mutated in the receptor PvNARK
Authors: Ferguson Brett J. , Li Dongxue , Hastwell April H. , Reid Dugald E. , Li Yupeng , Jackson Scott A. , Gresshoff Peter M.
Published: July 2014

Legume plants regulate the number of nitrogen‐fixing root nodules they form via a process called the Autoregulation of Nodulation (AON). Despite being one of the most economically important and abundantly consumed legumes, little is known about the AON pathway of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris). We used comparative‐ and functional‐genomic approaches to identify central components in the AON pathway of common bean. This includes identifying PvNARK, which encodes a LRR receptor kinase that acts to regulate root nodule numbers. A novel, truncated version of the gene was identified directly upstream of PvNARK, similar to Medicago truncatula, but not seen in Lotus japonicus or soybean. Two mutant alleles of PvNARK were identified that cause a classic shoot‐controlled and nitrate‐tolerant supernodulation phenotype. Homeologous over‐expression of the nodulation‐suppressive CLE peptide‐encoding soybean gene, GmRIC1, abolished nodulation in wild‐type bean, but had no discernible effect on PvNARK‐mutant plants. This demonstrates that soybean GmRIC1 can function interspecifically in bean, acting in a PvNARK‐dependent manner. Identification of bean PvRIC1, PvRIC2 and PvNIC1, orthologues of the soybean nodulation‐suppressive CLE peptides, revealed a high degree of conservation, particularly in the CLE domain. Overall, our work identified four new components of bean nodulation control and a truncated copy of PvNARK, discovered the mutation responsible for two supernodulating bean mutants and demonstrated that soybean GmRIC1 can function in the AON pathway of bean.
Cutaneous Leishmaniasis: Treatment with Low‐Dose Oral Fluconazole with an Excellent Cosmetic Result
Authors: Aerts Olivier , Duchateau Nathalie , Willemse Peter , Lambert Julien
Published: July 2014

We report the successful treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis in a 6‐year‐old girl who presented with a solitary lesion on the cheek. A low dose of 3 mg/kg/day of fluconazole was used, with remarkable improvement at 6 weeks and complete regression at 12 weeks, excellent cosmetic results, and no relapse during a follow‐up of 1 year.
Examining the Efficacy and Safety of Squaric Acid Therapy for Treatment of Recalcitrant Warts in Children
Authors: Pandey Shaily , Wilmer Erin N. , Morrell Dean S.
Published: July 2014

The objective of the study was to determine the safety and efficacy of squaric acid dibutyl ester (SADBE) therapy on the treatment of recalcitrant warts in children. This retrospective chart review examined 72 patients treated using SADBE from July 2002 to December 2012. Patients were followed for 6 months to 11 years. Patients were treated at a pediatric dermatology outpatient clinic at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Seventy‐two children with verrucae who failed initial treatment for warts were selected for the study. Full long‐term follow‐up was obtained in 48 patients. Four patients discontinued the use of SADBE because of adverse effects. The primary study outcome was efficacy of SADBE treatment. Adverse effects, dosages administered, type of wart, other cutaneous disease present, and level of immunosuppression were measured. Forty of 48 (83%) patients in whom treatment outcomes could be obtained reported complete resolution of their warts. Seventy percent of patients used a maximum concentration of 0.4% SADBE and 60% of patients reported no adverse effects. The majority of patients treated with SADBE reported complete resolution of warts. Most patients reported no adverse effects even while receiving doses as high as 2% daily. This study shows that SADBE is a safe and effective treatment for recalcitrant warts in children.
Racial disparities in pediatric kidney transplantation in New Zealand
Authors: Grace Blair S. , Kara Tonya , Kennedy Sean E. , McDonald Stephen P.
Published: July 2014

Racial disparities in transplantation rates and outcomes have not been investigated in detail for NZ, a country with unique demographics. We studied a retrospective cohort of 215 patients <18 yr who started renal replacement therapy in NZ 1990–2012, using the Australia and New Zealand Dialysis and Transplant Registry (ANZDATA). Primary outcomes were time to first kidney transplant, death‐censored graft survival, and retransplantation after loss of primary graft. Europeans and Asians were most likely to receive a transplant (92% and 91% transplanted within five yr, respectively), and Pacific and Māori patients were less likely to receive a transplant than Europeans (51% and 46%, respectively), reflecting disparities in live donor transplantation. Pacific patients were more likely to have glomerulonephritis and FSGS. Pacific patients had five‐yr death‐censored graft survival of 31%, lower than Māori (61%) and Europeans (88%). No Pacific patients who lost their grafts were re‐transplanted within 72 patient‐years of follow‐up, whereas 14% of Māori patients and 36% of European and Asian patients were retransplanted within five yr. Current programs to improve live and deceased donation within Māori and Pacific people and management of recurrent kidney disease are likely to reduce these disparities.
How Not to Read Philosophical Investigations: McDowell and Goldfarb on Wittgenstein on Understanding
Authors: Brandt Stefan
Published: July 2014

In a recent article, John McDowell has criticised Warren Goldfarb for attributing an anti‐realist conception of linguistic understanding to Wittgenstein. 1 I argue that McDowell is right to reject Goldfarb's anti‐ realism, but does so for the wrong reasons. I show that both Goldfarb's and McDowell's interpretations are vitiated by the fact that they do not pay attention to Wittgenstein's positive claims about understanding, in particular his claim that understanding is a kind of ability. The cause of this oversight lies in their endorsement of an excessively anti‐systematic or “therapeutic” reading of Wittgenstein.
Clarifying the sequential processes involved in a cued continuous performance test
Authors: Karamacoska Diana , Barry Robert J. , Steiner Genevieve Z. , de Blasio Frances M.
Published: July 2014

We aimed to clarify sequential processes for cue and imperative stimuli (targets/nontargets) in a continuous performance test (CPT), and how the preparatory contingent negative variation (CNV) affects physiological and behavioral responses. Single‐trial event‐related potentials (ERPs) obtained from 70 participants during a cued CPT were baselined to the cue (BtC) to include the CNV, or to the imperatives (BtI) to remove the CNV. Principal components analysis obtained cue and imperative ERP components, and congruence coefficients (rc) evaluated similarities. The cue and imperative components were comparable, more so for the BtI‐ than BtC‐imperative components (rc = .85). N1, PN, P2, N2c, and SW components were similar, but not the N2b and P3s. Imperative ERPs were largely unaffected by the resolving CNV. Similar cue and imperative components suggest similar sequential processes, while preparatory CNV activity enhanced physiological and behavioral responses.