bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ctenophore population recruits entirely through larval reproduction in the central Baltic Sea
Authors: Jaspers Cornelia , Haraldsson Matilda , Bolte Sören , Reusch Thorsten B. H. , Thygesen Uffe H. , Kiørboe Thomas
Published: April 2012

The comb jelly
Mertensia ovum,
widely distributed in Arctic regions, has recently been discovered in the northern Baltic Sea. We show that
M. ovum
also exists in the central Baltic but that the population consists solely of small-sized larvae (less than 1.6 mm). Despite the absence of adults, eggs were abundant. Experiments revealed that the larvae were reproductively active. Egg production and anticipated mortality rates suggest a self-sustaining population. This is the first account of a ctenophore population entirely recruiting through larval reproduction (paedogenesis). We hypothesize that early reproduction is favoured over growth to compensate for high predation pressure.
Tap dance of a water droplet
Authors: Wang Ziqian , Wang Feng-Chao , Zhao Ya-Pu
Published: April 2012

Electro-elasto-capillarity (EEC) is a new method of droplet encapsulation controlled by an electric field. In this paper, we report some experiments, for the first time, to realize EEC under a dynamic electric field, showing the progress of electrowetting on a moving substrate. We employ the combined effects of surface tension, elastic force and Coulomb force to manipulate the flexible thin film to encapsulate and release a tiny droplet in a controllable and reversible manner. An alternating current electric field is applied to actuate the droplet and film to vibrate, as if they are dancing to a melody. We measured the frequency of the droplet and the film vibration and found that it was twice the input signal; we also carried out frequency analysis experiments. The frequency-doubling phenomenon can be explained theoretically. Our findings may offer a practical method for drug encapsulation and for the actuation of microelectromechanical system devices.
The mechanisms of the residual force enhancement after stretch of skeletal muscle: non-uniformity in half-sarcomeres and stiffness of titin
Authors: Rassier Dilson E.
Published: April 2012

When activated skeletal muscles are stretched, the force increases significantly. After the stretch, the force decreases and reaches a steady-state level that is higher than the force produced at the corresponding length during purely isometric contractions. This phenomenon, referred to as
residual force enhancement
, has been observed for more than 50 years, but the mechanism remains elusive, generating considerable debate in the literature. This paper reviews studies performed with single muscle fibres, myofibrils and sarcomeres to investigate the mechanisms of the stretch-induced force enhancement. First, the paper summarizes the characteristics of force enhancement and early hypotheses associated with non-uniformity of sarcomere length. Then, it reviews new evidence suggesting that force enhancement can also be associated with sarcomeric structures. Finally, this paper proposes that force enhancement is caused by: (i) half-sarcomere non-uniformities that will affect the levels of passive forces and overlap between myosin and actin filaments, and (ii) a Ca
2+
-induced stiffness of titin molecules. These mechanisms are compatible with most observations in the literature, and can be tested directly with emerging technologies in the near future.
Numerical Characterization of DNA Sequence Based on Dinucleotides
Authors: Qi Xingqin , Fuller Edgar , Wu Qin , Zhang Cun-Quan
Published: April 2012

Sequence comparison is a primary technique for the analysis of DNA sequences. In order to make quantitative comparisons, one devises mathematical descriptors that capture the essence of the base composition and distribution of the sequence. Alignment methods and graphical techniques (where each sequence is represented by a curve in high-dimension Euclidean space) have been used popularly for a long time. In this contribution we will introduce a new nongraphical and nonalignment approach based on the frequencies of the dinucleotideXYin DNA sequences. The most important feature of this method is that it not only identifies adjacentXYpairs but also nonadjacentXYones whereXandYare separated by some number of nucleotides. This methodology preserves information in DNA sequence that is ignored by other methods. We test our method on the coding regions of exon-1 ofβ–globin for 11 species, and the utility of this new method is demonstrated.
Defluorination of Sodium Fluoroacetate by Bacteria from Soil and Plants in Brazil
Authors: Camboim Expedito K. A. , Tadra-Sfeir Michelle Z. , de Souza Emanuel M. , Pedrosa Fabio de O. , Andrade Paulo P. , McSweeney Chris S. , Riet-Correa Franklin , Melo Marcia A.
Published: April 2012

The aim of this work was to isolate and identify bacteria able to degrade sodium fluoroacetate from soil and plant samples collected in areas where the fluoroacetate-containing plantsMascagnia rigidaandPalicourea aenofuscaare found. The samples were cultivated in mineral medium added with 20 mmol L−1sodium fluoroacetate. Seven isolates were identified by 16S rRNA gene sequencing asPaenibacillussp. (ECPB01),Burkholderiasp. (ECPB02),Cupriavidussp. (ECPB03),Staphylococcussp. (ECPB04),Ancylobactersp. (ECPB05),Ralstoniasp. (ECPB06), andStenotrophomonassp. (ECPB07). All seven isolates degraded sodium-fluoroacetate-containing in the medium, reaching defluorination rate of fluoride ion of 20 mmol L−1. Six of them are reported for the first time as able to degrade sodium fluoroacetate (SF). In the future, some of these microorganisms can be used to establish in the rumen an engineered bacterial population able to degrade sodium fluoroacetate and protect ruminants from the poisoning by this compound.
Accuracy Verification of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Technology for Lower-Limb Prosthetic Research: Utilising Animal Soft Tissue Specimen and Common Socket Casting Materials
Authors: Safari Mohammad Reza , Rowe Philip , Buis Arjan
Published: April 2012

Lower limb prosthetic socket shape and volume consistency can be quantified using MRI technology. Additionally, MRI images of the residual limb could be used as an input data for CAD-CAM technology and finite element studies. However, the accuracy of MRI when socket casting materials are used has to be defined. A number of six, 46 mm thick, cross-sections of an animal leg were used. Three specimens were wrapped with Plaster of Paris (POP) and the other three with commercially available silicone interface liner. Data was obtained by utilising MRI technology and then the segmented images compared to corresponding calliper measurement, photographic imaging, and water suspension techniques. The MRI measurement results were strongly correlated with actual diameter, surface area, and volume measurements. The results show that the selected scanning parameters and the semiautomatic segmentation method are adequate enough, considering the limit of clinical meaningful shape and volume fluctuation, for residual limb volume and the cross-sectional surface area measurements.
Amazon Rainforest Exchange of Carbon and Subcanopy Air Flow: Manaus LBA Site—A Complex Terrain Condition
Authors: Tóta Julio , Roy Fitzjarrald David , da Silva Dias Maria A. F.
Published: April 2012

On the moderately complex terrain covered by dense tropical Amazon Rainforest (Reserva Biologica do Cuieiras—ZF2—02°36′17.1′′ S,60°12′24.4′′ W), subcanopy horizontal and vertical gradients of the air temperature, CO2concentration and wind field were measured for the dry and wet periods in 2006. We tested the hypothesis that horizontal drainage flow over this study area is significant and can affect the interpretation of the high carbon uptake rates reported by previous works at this site. A similar experimental design as the one byTóta et al.(2008) was used with a network of wind, air temperature, and CO2sensors above and below the forest canopy. A persistent and systematic subcanopy nighttime upslope (positive buoyancy) and daytime downslope (negative buoyancy) flow pattern on a moderately inclined slope (12%) was observed. The microcirculations observed above the canopy (38 m) over the sloping area during nighttime presents a downward motion indicating vertical convergence and correspondent horizontal divergence toward the valley area. During the daytime an inverse pattern was observed. The micro-circulations above the canopy were driven mainly by buoyancy balancing the pressure gradient forces. In the subcanopy space the microcirculations were also driven by the same physical mechanisms but probably with the stress forcing contribution. The results also indicated that the horizontal and vertical scalar gradients (e.g., CO2) were modulated by these micro-circulations above and below the canopy, suggesting that estimates of advection using previous experimental approaches are not appropriate due to the tridimensional nature of the vertical and horizontal transport locally. This work also indicates that carbon budget from tower-based measurement is not enough to close the system, and one needs to include horizontal and vertical advection transport of CO2into those estimates.
The c.1460C>T Polymorphism ofMAO-AIs Associated with the Risk of Depression in Postmenopausal Women
Authors: Słopień R. , Słopień A. , Różycka A. , Warenik-Szymankiewicz A. , Lianeri M. , Jagodziński P. P.
Published: April 2012

Objective. The aim of the study was an evaluation of possible relationships between polymorphisms of serotoninergic system genes and the risk of depression in postmenopausal women.Methods. We studied 332 women admitted to our department because of climacteric symptoms. The study group included 113 women with a diagnosis of depressive disorder according to the Hamilton rating scale for depression; the controls consisted of 219 women without depression. Serum 17β-estradiol concentrations were evaluated using radioimmunoassay, while polymorphisms in serotoninergic system genes: serotonin receptors 2A (HTR2A), 1B (HTR1B), and 2C (HTR2C); tryptophan hydroxylase 1 (TPH1) and 2 (TPH2), and monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A) were evaluated using polymerase chain reaction-restriction.Results. We found that the 1460T allele ofMAO-Ac.1460C>T (SNP 1137070) appeared with a significantly higher frequency in depressed female patients than in the control group (P=0.011) and the combined c.1460CT + TT genotypes were associated with a higher risk of depression (P=0.0198). Patients with the 1460TT genotype had a significantly higher 17β-estradiol concentration than patients with the 1460CT genotype (P=0.0065) and 1460CC genotype (P=0.0018).Conclusions. We concluded that depression in postmenopausal women is closely related to the genetic contribution ofMAO-A.
L-Arginine Intake Effect on Adenine Nucleotide Metabolism in Rat Parenchymal and Reproductive Tissues
Authors: Kocic G. , Nikolic J. , Jevtovic-Stoimenov T. , Sokolovic D. , Kocic H. , Cvetkovic T. , Pavlovic D. , Cencic A. , Stojanovic D.
Published: April 2012

L-arginine is conditionally essetcial amino acid, required for normal cell growth, protein synthesis, ammonia detoxification, tissue growth and general performance, proposed in the treatment of men sterility and prevention of male impotence. The aim of the present paper was to estimate the activity of the enzymes of adenine nucleotide metabolism:5′-nucleotidase (5′-NU), adenosine deaminase (ADA), AMP deaminase, and xanthine oxidase (XO), during dietary intake of L-arginine for a period of four weeks of male Wistar rats. Adenosine concentration in tissues is maintained by the relative activities of the adenosine-producing enzyme,5′-NU and the adenosine-degrading enzyme-ADA adenosine deaminase. Dietary L-arginine intake directed adenine nucleotide metabolism in liver, kidney, and testis tissue toward the activation of adenosine production, by increased5′-NU activity and decreased ADA activity. Stimulation of adenosine accumulation could be of importance in mediating arginine antiatherosclerotic, vasoactive, immunomodulatory, and antioxidant effects. Assuming that the XO activity reflects the rate of purine catabolism in the cell, while the activity of AMP deaminase is of importance in ATP regeneration, reduced activity of XO, together with the increased AMP-deaminase activity, may suggest that adenine nucleotides are presumably directed to the ATP regenerating process during dietary L-arginine intake.
Pure flat epithelial atypia is uncommon in subsequent breast excisions for atypical epithelial proliferation
Authors: Yamaguchi Rin , Tanaka Maki , Tse Gary M. , Yamaguchi Miki , Terasaki Hiroshi , Akiba Jun , Naito Yoshiki , Mizushima Yasuko , Yano Hirohisa
Published: April 2012

The management of atypical intraductal lesions of the breast remains controversial. In the present study, the subsequent surgical excision results and follow‐up data on 86 (3.65%) atypical intraductal lesions and 78 (3.31%) low‐grade ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) from a cohort of 2358 needle biopsies were examined. There were 17 cases (0.72%) of pure flat epithelial atypia (FEA), 44 (1.87%) pure atypical ductal hyperplasia (ADH), three (0.13%) pure atypical lobular hyperplasia (ALH), 18 (0.76%) combined ADH + FEA, three (0.13%) combined ALH + FEA and one (0.04%) combined ALH + FEA + ADH. Subsequent surgical excisions were done in 53 cases and revealed the following incidences of malignancy: pure FEA (1/8); pure ADH (17/31); FEA + ADH (7/10); FEA + ALH (2/3); and FEA + ALH + ADH (0/1), with pure FEA showing significantly lower incidence of malignancy. In this cohort, there were 703 carcinomas including 155 DCIS with 78 cases (50.3%) being low‐grade. FEA with ADH (and/or ALH) was present in 22 (28.2%) of these 78 cases of low‐grade DCISs at surgical excisions. Pure FEA was not detected in any of the subsequently excised surgical materials of the atypical intraductal lesions nor the low‐grade DCISs. Thus, pure FEA was very unusual in surgical specimens. When pure FEA is detected at needle biopsy, a wait and see approach can be adopted. However, when the FEA is associated with other concomitant atypical intraductal lesions, especially ADH, further excision should be contemplated. (Cancer Sci, doi: 10.1111/j.1349‐7006.2012.02314.x, 2012)
The impact of birth mode of delivery on childhood asthma and allergic diseases–a sibling study
Authors: Almqvist C. , Cnattingius S. , Lichtenstein P. , Lundholm C.
Published: April 2012

Background

Caesarean section (CS) has been reported to increase the risk of asthma in offspring. This may be due to that infants delivered by CS are unexposed to vaginal flora, according to the ‘hygiene hypothesis’.

Objective

Our aim was to investigate if CS increases risk of childhood asthma, and if the risk increase remains after adjustment for familial confounding using sibling design.

Methods

A register‐based cohort study with 87 500 Swedish sibling pairs was undertaken. Asthma outcome variables were collected from national health registers as diagnosis or asthma medication (ICD‐10 J45‐J46; ATC code R03) during the 10th or 13th year of life (year of follow‐up). Mode of delivery and confounders were retrieved from the Medical Birth Register. The data were analysed both as a cohort and with sibling control analysis which adjusts for unmeasured familial confounding.

Results

In the cohort analyses, there was an increased risk of asthma medication and asthma diagnosis during year of follow‐up in children born with CS (adjusted ORs, 95% CI 1.13, 1.04–1.24 and 1.10, 1.03–1.18 respectively). When separating between emergency and elective CS the effect on asthma medication remained for emergency CS, but not for elective CS, while both groups had significant effects on asthma diagnosis compared with vaginal delivery. In sibling control analyses, the effect of elective CS on asthma disappeared, while similar but non‐significant ORs of medication were obtained for emergency CS.

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance

An increased risk of asthma medication in the group born by emergency CS, but not elective, suggests that there is no causal effect due to vaginal microflora. A more probable explanation should be sought in the indications for emergency CS.
Sublytic complement protects prostate cancer cells from tumour necrosis factor-α-induced cell death
Authors: Liu L , Li W , Li Z , Kirschfink M
Published: April 2012

Inflammation is a critical component of tumour progression. Although complement and tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α potentially exert significant anti-tumour effects, both mediators may also promote tumour progression. It has been demonstrated that sublytic complement confers resistance on tumour cells not only against lytic complement, but also other danger molecules such as perforin. In low concentrations, TNF promotes survival of malignant cells rather than exerting cytotoxic activity. In this study, we tested if sublytic complement is able to interfere with TNF-mediated tumour cell killing. Our results demonstrate that either subcytotoxic concentrations of TNF or sublytic complement rescue prostate carcinoma cells (DU145) from TNF-α-mediated cell death. Upon pretreatment with low-dose TNF-α, but not upon pre-exposure to sublytic complement, TNF resistance was associated with the down-regulation of TNF receptor 1 (TNF-R1) expression. Complement-induced protection against TNF-mediated apoptosis accompanied the induction of anti-apoptotic proteins [B cell leukaemia/lymphoma (Bcl)-2 and Bcl-xL] at an early stage followed by inhibition of the TNF-induced decrease in the amount of Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL. Cell protection also accompanied the inhibition of caspase-8 activation, poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP)-1 cleavage and the activation of nuclear factor (NF)-κB. Our data extend our current view on the induction of tumour cell resistance against cytotoxic mediators supporting the role of the tumour microenvironment in mediating protection against the anti-cancer immune response.
Description of HLA‐A*33:49 in a Spanish cord blood unit
Authors: Sánchez‐Gordo F. , Balas A. , García‐Sánchez F. , Prat I. , Vicario J. L.
Published: April 2012

A*33:49 has one nucleotide change regarding A*33:01:01 at exon 3, producing an amino acid replacement at codon 97, M97 to I97.
Burden of rotavirus hospitalisations in young children in three paediatric hospitals in the United States determined by active surveillance compared to standard indirect methods
Authors: Matson David O , Staat Mary Allen , Azimi Parvin , Itzler Robbin , Bernstein David I , Ward Richard L , Dahiya Ram , DiNubile Mark J , Barnes‐Eley Myra , Berke Tamas
Published: April 2012

Aim:  The number of rotavirus hospitalisations is usually estimated from assigned diagnosis codes for gastroenteritis despite lack of validation for these indirect methods. Reliable estimates before and after introduction of vaccines are needed to quantify the absolute impact of new immunisation programs.

Methods:  This 2‐year study conducted at three hospitals prior to the licensure of the rotavirus vaccines in the USA compared two indirect methods for estimating hospitalisations for rotavirus gastroenteritis with estimates derived from prospective recruitment of children presenting with diarrhoea, vomiting or fever. For active surveillance, rotavirus gastroenteritis was confirmed by demonstration of stool antigen. The indirect residual and proportional methods assumed rotavirus to have caused a proportion of hospitalisations coded as acute gastroenteritis identified from computerised records.

Results:  There were 447 rotavirus hospitalisations among inpatients 31 days through 4 years of age admitted with vomiting and/or diarrhoea, compared with 306 and 228 hospitalisations identified by the two indirect methods. Only 52% of children hospitalised with gastroenteritis received a qualifying diagnosis code at discharge. Relative to active surveillance, the sensitivity and specificity (95% confidence interval (CI)) in identifying rotavirus‐attributable hospitalisations was 45% (95% CI: 43–48%) and 89% (88–90%) for the residual method and 34% (30–39%) and 92% (90–94%) for the proportional method.

Conclusions:  Many children admitted to the hospital with diarrhoea, vomiting or fever were not assigned discharge codes for acute gastroenteritis. Consequently, standard indirect methods missed a substantial number of rotavirus‐associated hospitalisations, thereby underestimating the absolute number of children who could potentially benefit from vaccination.
Does spatial scale affect the pattern of mangrove change under different rainfall regimes? An example in southeast Queensland, Australia
Authors: ESLAMI‐ANDARGOLI LEILA , DALE PAT , SIPE NEIL
Published: April 2012

The aim of this study was to investigate the interactions of natural and anthropogenic variables at different spatial scales related to changes in mangrove distribution during a relatively wet period (1972–1990) and a dry period (1991–2004) in subtropical eastern Australia. Previous research has demonstrated that mangroves are encroaching into salt marsh. Mangrove spatial change in southeast Queensland is related generally to landscape variables especially during the relatively wet period. What has not been explored is the spatial scale of the influence under the two rainfall regimes (wet and dry) and that is the aim of this paper. Ten sites were examined at different levels of resolution including catchment, sub‐catchment and two buffer zones (1000 and 500 m), under the period of relatively higher and lower rainfall. Land use was ascertained from Landsat satellite imagery using Maximum Likelihood Classification techniques. Partial least squares regression analysis was used to study the relationships between the predictor variables and the rate of change in the mangrove distribution. The research has found that the impact of land use/cover on the encroachment of mangrove into saltmarsh can vary and appears to be related to rainfall patterns, which in turn affect hydrological connectivity. A major finding of this research was that the changing spatial patterns of mangroves during the wet period was more a function of land use/cover pattern and population density at the sub‐catchment level, whereas during drier periods it was more affected by the local effects of nearby land use/cover in buffer zones.
Chest ultrasound in practice: a review of utility in the clinical setting
Authors: Hew M. , Heinze S.
Published: April 2012

Clinician‐performed chest ultrasound is rapidly entering clinical practice in the fields of intensive care, respiratory medicine and acute medicine. Ultrasound is clearly useful in the diagnosis and characterisation of pleural diseases. It is also critical in improving the safety of pleural interventions. More recently, attention has also focused on the use of lung ultrasound. While the normal aerated lung is not well imaged by ultrasound, lung pathology reaching the pleura often provides an ‘acoustic window’ for a number of lung conditions. Lung ultrasound is useful to diagnose pneumothorax, interstitial and alveolar lung abnormalities, and pleurally based lung masses. There is some evidence that integrating routine chest ultrasound into clinical practice has benefit in the emergency and intensive care settings. In the future, chest ultrasound is likely to become an essential physician skill, and training requirements are evolving in light of current developments.
Seizure management at Auckland City Hospital Emergency Department between July and December 2009: time for a change?
Authors: Rosemergy I. , Bergin P. , Jones P. , Walker E.
Published: April 2012

Aims:  To assess the management of epileptic seizures and status epilepticus in adult patients at Auckland City Hospital emergency department. This information will form the basis of future seizure management protocols and further research on the management of status epilepticus.

Methods:  The prehospital and acute hospital management of all adult seizure patients seen between 1 July 2009 and 31 December 2009 was reviewed with respect to seizure type, presence of first seizure, pre‐existing epilepsy diagnosis and disposition from the emergency department.

Results:  Two hundred and fifty‐five seizure events were identified in 227 patients. Nineteen patients presented twice during the study period and three patients presented three or more times. Generalised seizures were much more common than focal seizures. There were 75 presentations with first seizure (29.4%). Thirty‐seven patients (49.3%) with a first seizure received treatment with an anti‐epileptic drug. Status epilepticus occurred on 12 occasions (4.7%) with only three patients receiving lorazepam as treatment. The majority of seizure patients were managed by emergency department staff (58.4%) while general medicine (17.6%) and neurology (11.8%) teams managed fewer patients. Phenytoin was used in 56 patients (22%) with the majority (n= 43) receiving intravenous phenytoin. Many of the patients who received intravenous phenytoin were not subsequently discharged on that medication (46%).

Conclusions:  More patients than would be expected received treatment after their first seizure. Phenytoin was a widely used anti‐epileptic drug. There was a wide variability in the management of status epilepticus, and intravenous lorazepam was underutilised.
Survival of myeloma patients following the introduction of thalidomide as a second‐line therapy: a retrospective study at a single New Zealand centre
Authors: Fernyhough L. J. , Hock B. D. , Taylor J. , Pearson J. , Ganly P.
Published: April 2012

Aim

This retrospective study compares the overall survival (OS) of multiple myeloma (MM) patients following treatment at a New Zealand hospital over a period in which novel therapies were available but restricted, almost exclusively, to thalidomide as a second‐line therapy.

Methods

Clinical, laboratory and OS data were collected on 361 MM patients who were treated at Christchurch Hospital during 2000–2010. Patients were subdivided according to the clinical criteria used to determine front‐line treatment decisions. Older patients (age ≥66, n = 180) generally received standard‐dose chemotherapy without autologous stem cell transplant (SCT) and formed one group. Younger patients were further subdivided according to whether they received autologous SCT (n = 89), allogeneic SCT (n = 24) or no SCT (n = 68).

Results

Older patients had a significantly shorter OS (P < 0.0001) than younger patients (median OS = 25 vs 78 months) however treated. Analysis of relative survival demonstrated that the increased mortality of older patients was greater than that attributable to normal ageing. Younger patients who received no transplant had a significantly shorter OS (P < 0.0001) than those who received autologous SCT or allogeneic SCT with 5‐year survivals of 38%, 70% and 72% respectively. Use of novel therapies was significantly higher in younger than older patients (60% vs 47%, P = 0.011).

Conclusions

The front‐line treatment groupings of hospital MM patients had significantly different survivals. The OS of SCT ineligible patients remains poor despite the introduction of thalidomide.
Prevalence of food allergy in Taiwan: a questionnaire‐based survey
Authors: Wu T.‐C. , Tsai T.‐C. , Huang C.‐F. , Chang F.‐Y. , Lin C.‐C. , Huang I.‐F. , Chu C.‐H. , Lau B.‐H. , Wu L. , Peng H.‐J. , Tang R.‐B.
Published: April 2012

Aim

Food allergy is common in children and adults, and could be potentially fatal in minor groups. It is important for physicians to identify the prevalence of food allergies and to recognise common food allergens to make precise diagnosis and choose correct therapeutic approaches.

Methods

We used a nationwide, cross‐sectional, random questionnaire‐based survey to estimate the self‐reported and expert‐screened prevalence of food allergies and to identify the common food allergens in Taiwan. In this study, the perceptional diagnosis of food allergies was screened by physicians according to descriptions of convincing symptoms and medical recordings; in the meantime, non‐allergic adverse reactions to foods, including food intolerance or food avoidance, were clarified.

Results

A total of 30 018 individuals who met the inclusion criteria was evaluated, and 6.95% of them were diagnosed as victims of food allergies. The prevalence was 3.44% in children under 3 years of age, 7.65% in children aged 4–18 years and 6.40% in adults respectively. About 77.33% of the food allergy population had experienced recurrent allergic attacks. Systemic reactions happened about 4.89% in food allergies group. The most commonly reported food allergen in Taiwan is seafood, including shrimp, crab, fish and mollusc. In addition, mango, milk, peanuts and eggs were also important food allergens in the general population; while milk, shellfish, peanuts and eggs were common in children.

Conclusions

Less than 10% of the Taiwan population suffers from food allergy with different allergic symptoms to variable food allergens in different age groups.
Mindfulness‐based cognitive therapy to treat multiple chemical sensitivities: A randomized pilot trial
Authors: SKOVBJERG S. , HAUGE C. R. , RASMUSSEN A. , WINKEL P. , ELBERLING J.
Published: April 2012

Skovbjerg, S., Hauge, C. R., Rasmussen, A., Winkel, P. & Elberling, J. (2012). Mindfulness‐based cognitive therapy to treat multiple chemical sensitivities: A randomized pilot trial. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology 53, 233–238.

Multiple chemical sensitivities (MCS) is a medically unexplained and socially disabling disorder characterized by negative health effects attributed to exposure to common airborne chemicals. Currently, there is no evidence‐based treatment. The objectives of the study were to assess the feasibility of an 8‐week mindfulness‐based cognitive therapy program (MBCT) for adults with MCS and to evaluate possible effects on psychological distress and illness perception. The study design was a randomized clinical trial. The MBCT programme comprised 8 weekly sessions of 2½ hours. Forty‐two adults were screened for eligibility and 37 were included. Mean age of the participants was 51.6 years, 35 (94.6%) were female and 21 (56.8%) were unemployed. Measures of psychological distress and illness perceptions were assessed at baseline, 4 weeks, 8 weeks and at 3 months follow‐up. No significant differences in effect measures were found between the groups. However, those who completed the MBCT program generally reported benefiting in terms of improved coping strategies and sleep quality. The positive verbal feedback from the participants in the MBCT group suggests that a larger randomized clinical trial on the effect of MBCT for MCS could be considered.
Economic diversification and second‐tier political conflict: Assessing bitumen political ecologies in southwest Nigeria
Authors: Ojo Godwin Uyi
Published: April 2012

Since its emergence as a research field in the 1980s, political ecology has provided a useful tool to explicate violent environments, notably as hallmarks of natural resource‐dependent economies. Practitioners regularly address what might be called ‘charismatic’ natural resources such as oil and other precious minerals to describe contestation over access and control of natural resources. Yet, where this focus exists, the political ecology of less economically valuable or ‘noncharismatic’ resources is thereby obscured. Thus, Nigeria's dependency on oil production has generated much scholarly attention with its unstable political economy described as a rentier state. In contrast, this paper draws on extensive field experience and knowledge about the country to assess in a preliminary manner some of the dimensions and ramifications of a less well known second‐tier natural resource commodity that is gaining attention as part of a possible national economic diversification strategy. Using the case of bitumen, a viscous hydrocarbon mainly used in road surfacing and roofing work, I assess the trajectory of this relatively overlooked resource, thereby opening a window onto the political ecology of a noncharismatic resource. In contrast to the ubiquitous violence in the oil‐based Niger Delta, I suggest that bitumen political ecologies, while also provoking political conflict and debate, nonetheless seem to being marked by new power dynamics that might augur a less violence prone path in terms of Nigeria's political economy of natural resource production.
Scalar thickening: Wildlife management areas and conservation scales in southeast Tanzania
Authors: Ramutsindela Maano , Noe Christine
Published: April 2012

The debate on scale in geography has yielded nuanced concepts that have enhanced scale analysis and methodologies for scale‐related research. Despite this advancement, questions still linger on the value of scale as a geographical vocabulary, partly because scalar analyses remain predicated on hierarchies, which have limited explanatory power. In this paper we draw on insight from political ecology to affirm and expand on the usefulness of scale for geographical inquiry and for engaging with contemporary people–environment relations. In particular, the paper appreciates that ecology is at the core of methodological questions pertaining to the explanation of these relations and is increasingly involved in the construction of biodiversity discourses and strategies that rely heavily on conceptions of, and pronouncements on, scale. We use the concept of scalar thickness as a way of thinking about how spaces of conservation are organized and the propensity of scales to coalesce at various stages of scale‐producing processes. We argue that wildlife management areas in Tanzania have played a pivotal role in the thickening of the micro scale in the southeast region. These areas constitute the scale at and though which global conservation agendas are implemented and natural resource rights and benefits are contested.
Global Financial Safety Nets: Where Do We Go from Here?
Authors: Fernández‐Arias Eduardo , Levy‐Yeyati Eduardo
Published: April 2012

From an emerging markets perspective, the global safety net remains full of holes despite recent stitches during the crisis. This paper proposes an effective and workable international lender‐of‐last‐resort (ILLR) for systemic liquidity crises based on (i) an automatic trigger to access the facility; (ii) unilateral country pre‐qualification to the facility during IMF Article IV consultations; and (iii) liquidity funded by the world's ‘issuers of last resort’. These principles support a reliable and broad‐based ILLR without the carrying costs associated with inefficient reserve hoarding; one that would actually work as an effective preventive facility with minimal room for moral hazard.
The Joint Association of REST and NFKB1 Polymorphisms on the Risk of Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Yu Yunxian , Liu Hui , Jin Mingjuan , Zhang Mingwu , Pan Yifeng , Zhang Shanchun , Li Qilong , Chen Kun
Published: April 2012

Due to the high morbidity and mortality of colorectal cancer (CRC), this study aims to determine the joint association of RE‐1‐silencing transcription factor (REST) and nuclear factor‐κB 1 (NFKB1) genes with CRC in a population‐based study. A well‐matched case‐control study including 390 controls and 388 patients with CRC was enrolled in China. The selected single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the REST and NFKB1 genes were genotyped by Illumina SnapShot Chip. After adjustment for important covariates, the associations of SNPs and joint association of REST and NFKB1 with CRC were evaluated by multiple logistic regression models. The subjects with the rs2228991 AA genotype of the REST gene had a decreased risk for CRC (OR = 0.38; 95%CI: 0.19–0.74), compared with the GG genotype. There were no significant associations between three SNPs in the NFKB1 gene, their haplotype and CRC risk. However, a significant combined effect of rs3774959 and rs3774964 in the NFKB1 gene with rs2228991 in the REST gene on CRC risk was observed. In conclusion, the present study found that mutation in the REST gene rather than the NFKB1 gene was associated with the risk of CRC. Furthermore, significant REST‐NFKB1 joint association was observed for CRC, colon cancer and rectal cancer risk.
The Design and Efficiency of Loyalty Rewards
Authors: Caminal Ramon
Published: April 2012

The goal of this paper is to reexamine the optimal design and efficiency of loyalty rewards (LRs) in markets for final consumption goods. Although the literature to date has emphasized the role of LRs as endogenous switching costs (which distort the efficient allocation of consumers), l analyze instead the ability of alternative designs to foster consumer participation and increase total surplus. First, the efficiency of LRs depends on their specific design. A commitment to the price of repeat purchases can involve substantial efficiency gains by reducing price‐cost margins. However, discount policies imply higher future regular prices and are likely to reduce total surplus. Second, firms may prefer to set up inefficient rewards (discounts), especially in circumstances where a commitment to the price of repeat purchases triggers Coasian dynamics.
Fashioning Piety: Women's Dress, Money, and Faith among Senegalese Muslims in New York City
Authors: BUGGENHAGEN BETH
Published: April 2012

Many Senegalese women migrate to make a living and build themselves up. The distance enables them to resist daily demands on their income and makes it possible for them to save and to invest in long term projects such as home building, their children's education, and family and religious celebrations. Yet, social criticism often blames women for the problems of marriage: such as the high divorce rate, infidelity, and financial squabbling between spouses. In this paper, I focus on the religious aspects of women's migration; I argue that Murid women deflect criticism of their wealth earned abroad by investing in the signs and symbols of a Muslim Sufi congregation. By visiting (ziyara), dressing up (sañse), and donating generously to shaykhs (addiya), Murid women display their wealth, convey the strength of their social networks, and construct themselves as candidates for salvation. Murid women engage in the global economy and preserve their distinctively Murid vision of the world and their place in it. Is it possible to understand their global engagement as a form of cosmopolitanism, as a practice and a form of consciousness, which is rooted in history and which is universal? The restructuring of the Senegalese state under neoliberal reform and its aftermath in the 1990s and into 2000 has made Muslim global networks important to livelihoods at home and yet, Muslim networks have come under scrutiny globally as the U.S. led Global War on Terror lingers on.
Bone‐to‐implant contact after maxillary sinus floor augmentation with Bio‐Oss and autogenous bone in different ratios in mini pigs
Authors: Jensen Thomas , Schou Søren , Gundersen Hans Jørgen G. , Forman Julie Lyng , Terheyden Hendrik , Holmstrup Palle
Published: April 2012

Objectives

The objective was to test the hypotheses: (i) no differences in bone‐to‐implant contact formation, and (ii) no differences between the use of autogenous mandibular or iliac bone grafts, when autogenous bone, Bio‐Oss mixed with autogenous bone, or Bio‐Oss is used as graft for the maxillary sinus floor augmentation.

Material and methods

Bilateral sinus floor augmentation was performed in 40 mini pigs with: (A) 100% autogenous bone, (B) 75% autogenous bone and 25% Bio‐Oss, (C) 50% autogenous bone and 50% Bio‐Oss, (D) 25% autogenous bone and 75% Bio‐Oss, or (E) 100% Bio‐Oss. Autogenous bone was harvested from the iliac crest or the mandible and the graft composition was selected at random and placed concomitant with the implant placement. The animals were euthanized 12 weeks after surgery. Bone‐to‐implant contact was estimated by stereological methods and summarized as median percentage with 95% confidence interval (CI). Bone‐to‐implant contact formation was evaluated by fluorochrome labelling and assessed by median odds ratios (OR) with 95% (CI).

Results

Median bone‐to‐implant contact was: (A) 42.9% (95% CI: 32.1–54.5%), (B) 37.8% (95% CI: 27.1–49.9%), (C) 43.9% (95% CI: 32.6–55.9%), (D) 30.2% (95% CI: 21.6–40.3%), and (E) 13.9% (95% CI: 11.4–16.9%). Bone‐to‐implant contact was significantly higher for A, B, C, D as compared to E (P < 0.0001). Bone‐to‐implant contact was not significantly influenced by the ratio of Bio‐Oss and autogenous bone (P = 0.19) or the origin of the autogenous bone (P = 0.72). Fluorochrome labelling revealed extensive variation in bone‐to‐implant contact formation over time. The labelling at weeks 2–3 was significantly increased with A compared to E (OR = 8.1 CI: 5.0–13.1, P < 0.0001), whereas E showed a significantly increased labelling at weeks 8–9 compared to A (OR = 0.5 CI: 0.3–0.7, P = 0.0028).

Conclusions

The hypothesis of no differences in bone‐to‐implant contact between the various treatment modalities was rejected since the bone‐to‐implant contact was significantly increased with autogenous bone or Bio‐Oss mixed with autogenous bone as compared to Bio‐Oss. Early bone‐to‐implant contact formation was more advanced with autogenous bone. No differences between the use of mandibular or iliac bone grafts were observed since the bone‐to‐implant contact was not significantly influenced by the origin of the bone graft.
Melatonin regulates the calcium‐buffering proteins, parvalbumin and hippocalcin, in ischemic brain injury
Authors: Koh Phil‐Ok
Published: April 2012

Abstract:  Melatonin has anti‐oxidant activity and it exerts a neuroprotective effects during ischemic brain injury. Calcium‐buffering proteins including parvalbumin and hippocalcin are involved in neuronal differentiation and maturation through calcium signaling. This study investigated whether melatonin moderates parvalbumin and hippocalcin expression in cerebral ischemia and glutamate toxicity‐induced neuronal cell death. Focal cerebral ischemia was induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Male Sprague‐Dawley rats were treated with vehicle or melatonin (5 mg/kg) prior to MCAO, and cerebral cortical tissues were collected 24 hr after MCAO. Parvalbumin and hippocalcin levels were decreased in vehicle‐treated animal with MCAO, whereas melatonin prevented the ischemic injury‐induced reduction in these proteins. In cultured hippocampal cells, glutamate toxicity decreased parvalbumin and hippocalcin levels, while melatonin treatment prevented the glutamate exposure‐induced diminished in these proteins levels. Melatonin also attenuated the glutamate toxicity‐induced increase in intracellular Ca2+ levels. These results suggest that the maintenance of parvalbumin and hippocalcin levels by melatonin in ischemic injury contributes to the neuroprotective effect of melatonin against neuronal cell damage.
The Immunohistochemical Analysis of Antigens such as RCAS1 and B7H4 in the Cervical Cancer Nest and within the Fibroblasts and Macrophages Infiltrating the Cancer Microenvironment
Authors: Galazka Krystyna , Opławski Marcin , Windorbska Wiesława , Skret‐Magierlo Joanna , Koper Krzysztof , Basta Paweł , Mach Paweł , Dutch‐Wicherek Magdalena , Mazur Aleksandra , Wicherek Lukasz
Published: April 2012

Introduction

The presence of the aggressive phenotype of the tumor seems to be indicated by the local infiltration of cancer cells and by the development of metastases in the lymph nodes. This phenotype is related to the intensity of the suppressive profile of the tumor microenvironment. The aim of our study has been to gather information about the expression of both RCAS1 and B7H4 proteins in the macrophages and fibroblasts present within both the microenvironment of cervical cancer tumors and the cancer cells present on the front of the cancer nest.

Methods

We analyzed the immunoreactivity levels of such antigens as B7H4 and RCAS1 in the macrophages and fibroblasts of the cancer microenvironment and within the cancer nest in the tissue samples derived from patients on whom both a radical hysterectomy and a lymphadenectomy had been performed following a diagnosis of uterine cervical carcinoma. These patients were then divided into two subgroups according to the extent of the local and distant advancement of the cancer – that is, according to the FIGO stage and the presence or absence of lymph node metastases.

Results

RCAS1 immunoreactivity levels on the front of the cancer nest statistically significantly increase according to the FIGO stage or the extent of the local spread of the disease while B7H4 immunoreactivity levels on the tumor front increase in relation to the extent of the distant spread of the disease or the presence of lymph nodes metastases.

Conclusion

The intensity of the suppressive profile of the cervical cancer microenvironment indicated by the presence of both RCAS1 and B7H4 on the front of the tumor and in the macrophages and fibroblasts infiltrating the cancer stroma seems to correlate with the extent of both the local and distant advancement of the disease.
Sertoli Cell Quiescence – New Insights
Authors: Hayrabedyan Soren , Todorova Krassimira , Pashova Shina , Mollova Margarita , Fernández Nelson
Published: April 2012

It is currently accepted that the Sertoli cells are proliferatively active only during the embryogenesis and early fetal development, seizing to divide after puberty, when the spermatogenic niche is prepared, and they become terminally differentiated. So far, only seasonal breeders from mammals have been reported as having season‐dependent variations in adult Sertoli cells number and proliferation activity. In this review, we will try to shed light on testis somatic cell plasticity and discuss new evidence for some unique proliferative features Sertoli cells harbor.
Development and pilot testing of a radiation therapist‐led educational intervention for breast cancer patients prior to commencing radiotherapy
Authors: HALKETT Georgia KB , SCHOFIELD Penelope , O'CONNOR Moira , YORK Debra , JEFFORD Michael , JIWA Moyez , SPRY Nigel , TAYLOR Mandy , ARANDA Sanchia
Published: April 2012

Aim:  To describe the development of the content and pilot testing of a radiation therapist‐led educational intervention for breast cancer patients about to commence radiotherapy. Pilot testing consisted of testing the intervention for appropriateness, feasibility and acceptance.

Methods:  A tailored intervention consisting of two face‐to‐face meetings with a radiation therapist (one before radiation planning, the other before treatment) was developed using Level I evidence for preparing patients for potentially threatening procedures. Training of intervention radiation therapists consisted of two communication skills workshops. Radiation therapists' consultations were tape‐recorded and analyzed. The feasibility of the intervention was assessed by response rates and feedback from patients and radiation therapists. Patients completed surveys at baseline and following each intervention delivery. The main outcome measures were anxiety and depression, patient concerns and knowledge about radiotherapy.

Results:  Response rates were considered acceptable. Twelve patients were enrolled and completed baseline measures. Nine patients completed follow‐up measures following the second consultation. Preliminary results showed a trend for a decrease in anxiety and depression levels following the first consultation. There was also a decrease in concerns about radiotherapy and an increase in patients' knowledge. The instruments showed variability at baseline and discriminated between different responses over time. Radiation therapists adhered to providing the interventions. Interviews with radiation therapists and patients demonstrated that the intervention was feasible and acceptable.

Conclusion:  This pilot study demonstrated that this new intervention is both feasible and acceptable to radiation therapists and patients. The intervention is now being assessed using a randomized controlled trial.