bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Patch test results of hand eczema patients: relation to clinical types
Authors: Boonstra M.B. , Christoffers W.A. , Coenraads P.J. , Schuttelaar M.L.A.
Published: September 2014

Background

Allergic contact dermatitis is a well‐known cause of hand eczema, although the influence of contact allergens on different clinical types of hand eczema remains still unclear.

Objective

To identify most common positive tested allergens among hand eczema patients and to define the relation between specific contact allergies and clinical types of hand eczema according to the guidelines of the Danish Contact Dermatitis Group (DCDG).

Methods

We included 1571 hand eczema subjects who were patch tested from 1 January 2002 to 31 December 2013. They were retrospectively classified according to the guidelines of the DCDG into six clinical types: recurrent vesicular hand eczema, chronic fissured hand eczema, hyperkeratotic palmar eczema, pulpitis, interdigital eczema and nummular hand eczema according to a newly developed flow chart. The prevalence of sensitizations and association with clinical type, atopic dermatitis, age and gender were studied.

Results

A total of 1395 subjects were classified into one of the six clinical types. The most frequently found clinical types were recurrent vesicular hand eczema (39.7%) and chronic fissured hand eczema (35.5%). Subjects with recurrent vesicular hand eczema were significantly more likely to have a contact allergy (OR 1.55), whereas subjects with hyperkeratotic palmar eczema and pulpitis were less likely to be sensitized (OR 0.51; OR 0.44). Overall, metals (nickel sulphate, cobalt chloride), fragrances and preservatives (methylchloroisothiazoline/methylisothiazoline, methyldibromoglutaronitrile) were the most frequent sensitizers in patients with hand eczema. This did not deviate in the different clinical types, although subjects with recurrent vesicular hand eczema were significantly more frequently sensitized to nickel sulphate and other allergens compared to other clinical types of hand eczema.

Conclusion

In the diagnostic work up of hand eczema subjects with recurrent vesicular hand eczema should be patch tested, especially women of older age, although the need for patch testing in males with hyperkeratotic palmar eczema might be less imperative.
Factors predictive of drop‐out and weight loss success in weight management of obese patients
Authors: Ortner Hadžiabdić M. , Mucalo I. , Hrabač P. , Matić T. , Rahelić D. , Božikov V.
Published: September 2014

Background

The prevention and treatment of overweight and obese individuals on a population‐wide basis is challenging because patients have difficulties with adhering to weight loss programmes. The present study aimed to evaluate patients' adherence to the weight reduction programme by identifying factors predictive of both drop‐out rate and weight loss success.

Methods

One‐hundred and twenty‐four obese patients participated in a 12‐month weight reduction programme, involving group therapy during an intensive 5‐day educational intervention, followed by five, 2‐h follow‐up visits. The primary outcome measures included drop‐out rate and percentage weight loss. Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, as well as type of diet, were explored as potential predictive factors. Type of diet was assigned based on randomisation. Regression analyses were conducted to identify predictive variables of drop‐out and weight loss success.

Results

In total, 33.1% of all recruited participants were deemed successful because they reduced the initial weight by more than 5% after the 12‐month intervention. The overall attrition rate was 32.3%. In a multiple regression model, initial weight loss and marital status were the strongest predictors of weight loss success after 1‐year period (r2 = 0.481, P < 0.001). In a separate analysis, subjects more likely to drop‐out were those with a lower educational level [odds ratio (OR) = 3.26, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.22–8.70, P = 0.018] and a higher level of obesity (OR = 0.974, 95% CI = 0.95–0.99, P = 0.010).

Conclusions

The present study demonstrates that initial weight loss at 1 month made the strongest unique contribution to the prediction of percentage weight loss after 12 months, whereas being married was a negative predictor. Those with a lower educational level and a higher level of obesity were more likely to drop‐out.
Lichenoid dysplasia revisited – evidence from a review of Indian archives
Authors: Patil Shankargouda , Rao Roopa S. , Sanketh D. S. , Warnakulasuriya Saman
Published: September 2014

Aim and objectives

To report on the prevalence of ‘lichenoid dysplasia’ (LD) in oral mucosal biopsies previously reported as oral lichen planus (OLP), oral lichenoid lesion (OLL) and oral epithelial dysplasia (OED). Based on this case series, to postulate whether features of dysplasia are present in biopsies with a diagnosis of OLP or OLL and vice versa that warrant a separate diagnostic entity of ‘lichenoid dysplasia’.

Material and methods

This retrospective, multicentre study was carried out by retrieving archival slides of cases diagnosed with OLP, OLL and OED. Diagnostic criteria for the study were based on published guidelines from seminal papers. A total of 165 cases, 70 OLP and OLL and 95 epithelial dysplasia cases, were re‐examined. The diagnosis of OLPs and OLLs was first reconfirmed according to published diagnostic criteria. They were then verified for microscopic features of epithelial dysplasia. Among cases of leukoplakia diagnosed with epithelial dysplasia, we further verified for the presence of lichenoid features.

Results

A total of 70 cases of OLP and OLL were microscopically evaluated (OLP‐54; OLL‐16). Epithelial dysplasia was noted in 11 cases (OLP – 8 of 54; OLL – 3 of 16). Nineteen cases of OLP (19 of 54) were found to bear features of OLLs as per published diagnostic criteria. Among the OED group, 22 of the 95 cases showed lichenoid features.

Conclusion

The study confirms lichenoid features may be found in OEDs and epithelial dysplasia may be found in OLP/OLL. We reconfirm that these microscopic features may coexist. Our findings require further discussion by a panel of experts to redefine the entity known as ‘lichenoid dysplasia’. Future studies should address the concept of lichenoid dysplasia that may assist to resolve any controversies with regard to the malignant potential of OLP.
An Exploration of Family and Juvenile Justice Systems to Reduce Youth HIV/STI Risk
Authors: Elkington Katherine S. , Belmonte Kimberly , Latack Jessica A. , Mellins Claude Ann , Wasserman Gail A. , Donenberg Geri R. , Hirsch Jennifer S.
Published: September 2014

Using in‐depth interviews with 20 probation youth (60% female; 35% White; 30% Hispanic; mean age: 15 years, range = 13–17), their caregivers (100% female; mean age: 44 years, range = 34–71), and 12 female probation officers (100% White; mean age: 46 years, range = 34–57), we explored how family and probation systems exacerbate or mitigate sexual risk. We conducted thematic analyses of interviews, comparing narratives of families of sexually risky (n = 9) versus nonsexually risky (n = 11) youth. Family functioning differed by youth sexual risk behavior around quality of relationships, communication, and limit setting and monitoring. The involvement of families of sexually risky youth in probation positively influenced family functioning. Data suggest that these families are amenable to intervention and may benefit from family‐based HIV/STI interventions delivered in tandem with probation.
Familism Values, Perspective Taking, and Prosocial Moral Reasoning: Predicting Prosocial Tendencies Among Mexican American Adolescents
Authors: Knight George P. , Carlo Gustavo , Basilio Camille D. , Jacobson Ryan P.
Published: September 2014

Mexican American youth often engage in relatively high levels of prosocial behaviors. We theorize that this may be due to a cultural value system that encourages familism values, which, in turn, may foster the development of sociocognitive processes that promote prosocial behaviors. Two hundred and five Mexican American early adolescent youth (Mage = 10.9 years, SD = 0.84; 51% girls) reported their familism values, perspective taking, prosocial moral reasoning, and six types of prosocial behaviors. The results indicated that perspective taking partially mediated the relation between familism values and the specific prosocial tendencies theoretically linked to the Mexican American culture. The study demonstrated the utility of integrating cultural and traditional developmental mechanisms in attempting to explain prosocial behaviors.
Body Image Disturbances and Predictors of Body Dissatisfaction Among Hispanic and White Preadolescents
Authors: Olvera Norma , McCarley Kendall , Rodriguez Augusto X. , Noor Nausheen , Hernández‐Valero María A.
Published: September 2014

This study assessed ethnic and gender differences in ideal body size, body dissatisfaction (BD), and the relationship between BD and various predictors (e.g., body composition indicators and cardiorespiratory fitness). The sample consisted of 190 White and Hispanic preadolescents aged 10–13 years. Demographic, percent body fat (%BF), body mass index (BMI), body image variables, and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) were examined. A significant Gender × Ethnicity interaction was found for ideal body size (p < .05), with Hispanic girls preferring the thinnest figures and Hispanic boys the largest figures, compared to their counterparts. No significant gender or ethnic differences in BD were observed. After controlling for demographic and cultural variables, increased %BF and BMI scores predicted greater BD, whereas CRF did not.
Hopes and Fears for the Future Among Chinese Adolescents
Authors: Zhang Wenxin , Chen Liang , Yu Fengjie , Wang Shuqiong , Nurmi Jari‐Erik
Published: September 2014

This study examined the contents of adolescents' hopes and fears for the future in a sample of 1,975 urban and rural 8th, 10th, and 12th graders in China. Chinese adolescents' hopes and fears were most often related to future education, occupation, parental well‐being, marriage and family, academics, leisure activities, wealth, interpersonal relationships, collective issues, and self‐related issues. Urban adolescents compared to rural ones reported more hopes for education and leisure activities and held fewer hopes and fears for parental well‐being and interpersonal relationships. Males reported more hopes and fears for marriage, whereas females reported more hopes and fears for parental well‐being. These results suggest the important role of the social and cultural context in adolescents' future thinking.
Undermining Adolescent Autonomy With Parents and Peers: The Enduring Implications of Psychologically Controlling Parenting
Authors: Hare Amanda L. , Szwedo David E. , Schad Megan M. , Allen Joseph P.
Published: September 2014

This study used a longitudinal, multimethod design to examine whether teens' perceptions of maternal psychological control predicted lower levels of adolescent autonomy displayed with their mothers and peers over time. Significant predictions from teens' perceptions of maternal psychological control to teens' displays of autonomy in maternal and peer relationships were found at age 16 after accounting for adolescent displays of autonomy with mothers and peers at age 13, indicating relative changes in teens' autonomy displayed with their mother and a close peer over time. Results suggest that the ability to assert one's autonomy in mid‐adolescence may be influenced by maternal behavior early in adolescence, highlighting the importance of parents minimizing psychological control to facilitate autonomy development for teens.
Reward‐Modulated Response Inhibition, Cognitive Shifting, and the Orbital Frontal Cortex in Early Adolescence
Authors: Zhai Zu Wei , Pajtek Stefan , Luna Beatriz , Geier Charles F. , Ridenour Ty A. , Clark Duncan B.
Published: September 2014

Immaturities in cognitive shifting are associated with adolescent risk behaviors. The orbital frontal cortex (OFC) regulates reward processing and response inhibition. This study tested the relationship between cognitive shifting, OFC activity, and reward‐modulated response inhibition in young adolescents. An fMRI antisaccade (AS) paradigm examined the effects of reward conditions on inhibitory response and OFC processing. A validated self‐report inventory assessed cognitive shifting. Compared with neutral, reward trials showed better AS performance and increased OFC activation. Cognitive shifting positively associated with AS performance in reward and neutral trials. Poorer cognitive shifting predicted greater OFC activation. Results indicate lower OFC efficiency, as greater activation to achieve correct performance, underlies cognitive shifting problems. These neurocognitive impairments are relevant for understanding adolescent risk behaviors.
DIALYSIS SERVICES FOR TOURISTS TO THE VENETO REGION: A QUALITATIVE STUDY
Authors: Footman Katharine , Mitrio Silva , Zanon Dario , Glonti Ketevan , Risso‐Gill Isabelle , McKee Martin , Knai Cécile
Published: September 2014

Background

The European Union has an established mechanism which enables patients with end‐stage kidney disease (ESKD) to receive dialysis abroad, allowing them to benefit from the legal right to freedom of movement. The number of patients seeking dialysis abroad has increased in recent years and the Veneto Region of Italy, a major tourist destination, has made significant investment in providing tourist haemodialysis services.

Aims

To understand the issues involved in providing dialysis services for tourists moving within the European Union, such as the experience of patients using the service, the challenges faced by professionals and patients and continuity of care.

Design

Semi‐structured interviews.

Participants

Interviews were conducted with patients, health professionals and key stakeholders in two dialysis centres set up for tourists in the Veneto Region's Local Health Authority 10.

Results

The study uncovered high levels of patient satisfaction and a positive impact on patients' quality of life. However, the service faces a number of challenges relating to accessibility, language barriers and continuity of care for the patient when leaving Veneto. The study also demonstrates the importance of coordinating care prior to the tourists' stay.

Conclusions

Tourist dialysis centres are necessary to make the right to freedom of movement for patients with ESKD a reality. The findings suggest that communicating and coordinating high‐quality care across borders in the EU may be facilitated by increased standardisation of norms and documents for continuity of care, such as care plans and discharge summaries.
Bilingual flipcharts help improve oral health‐related knowledge and self‐efficacy of Korean‐American caregivers of preschoolers
Authors: Chi Donald L. , Ko Alice , Kim Jeffrey Y.
Published: September 2014

Objective

We have limited knowledge on ways to improve oral health‐related behaviors for caregivers of minority preschoolers. Our objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of a bilingual educational flipchart.

Methods

We piloted a bilingual flipchart with Korean‐American caregivers of preschoolers (n = 219) and administered pre‐/post‐intervention surveys. The paired t‐test evaluated changes in knowledge and self‐efficacy (for all caregivers and stratified by acculturation).

Results

There were significant improvements in knowledge on the bacterial etiology of tooth decay (P = 0.02), mother‐to‐child transmission of tooth decay (P = 0.03), fluoride toothpaste safety (P < 0.0001), and dental visit frequency (P < 0.0001). Caregivers' self‐efficacy to keep their child's teeth healthy also improved (P < 0.0001). There were differences in knowledge measures based on caregivers' acculturation.

Conclusions

Bilingual educational materials help improve the oral health‐related knowledge and self‐efficacy of Korean‐American caregivers of preschoolers. Larger confirmatory studies are needed and future work should evaluate clinical outcomes associated with improved knowledge and self‐efficacy.
Temporal variability in the isotopic niches of rocky shore grazers and suspension‐feeders
Authors: Richoux Nicole B. , Ndhlovu Rachel T.
Published: September 2014

Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios were measured in rocky inter‐tidal suspension‐feeders (brown mussels and cape reef worms) and grazers (goat's eye limpets and cape sea urchins) to determine the influences of lifestyle and time on the diets of consumers. Niche partitioning between consumer species within the same feeding guild was assessed using isotopic niche area (a proxy for trophic niche). Specimens were collected monthly at a single site in Southeastern South Africa from July 2010 to June 2011. Temporal variations in isotopic signatures were generally greater in the suspension‐feeders compared with the grazers, isotopic niche widths were smaller in the suspension‐feeders and intra‐population variations in isotope signatures were larger in the grazers. No inter‐specific niche overlap (according to standard ellipse areas) was observed within either feeding guild unless standardization calculations were used. Temporal variations in the diets of all the consumers appeared uncoupled from temporal variability in the isotopic signatures of basal resources in the region; as such, shifts in the consumer diets most likely pertained to feeding behaviour and food preferences. Our data provide new insights into how syntopic rocky shore consumers coexist by partitioning their temporally variable food environment.
Genetic and non‐genetic factors that increase the risk of non‐syndromic cleft lip and/or palate development
Authors: Bezerra JF , Oliveira GHM , Soares CD , Cardoso ML , Ururahy MAG , Neto FPF , Lima‐Neto LG , Luchessi AD , Silbiger VN , Fajardo CM , de Oliveira SR , Almeida M das G , Hirata RDC , de Rezende AA , Hirata MH
Published: September 2014

Objectives

We investigated the relationship between non‐syndromic cleft lip/palate (NSCLP) and polymorphisms in methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR), methionine synthase (MTR), methionine synthase reductase (MTRR), and RFC1, as well as the corresponding interactions with environmental factors.

Subjects and Methods

One hundred and forty NSCLP patients and their mothers, as well as 175 control individuals and their mothers, were recruited. Information regarding smoking and alcohol consumption was recorded. Blood samples were obtained in order to measure serum folate and cobalamin, as well as, plasma total homocysteine concentrations and to extract DNA. Polymorphisms in MTHFR(677C>T and 1298A>C), MTR(2756A>G), MTR(66A>G), and RFC1(80A>G) were analyzed by PCR–restriction fragment length polymorphism.

Results

Among the patients, 59.5% had cleft lip and palate, 22.0% had cleft palate, and 18.5% had cleft lip only. Maternal alcohol consumption and reduced folic acid concentrations in both children and mothers (P < 0.001 and P = 0.003, respectively) were risk factors for NSCLP. Patients and their mothers carrying the MTHFR 667T allele showed lower serum folate than CC (P = 0.011 and P = 0.030, respectively). Mothers who carried the MTHFR 1298C allele exhibited increased risk of having a child with NSCLP, after adjusting for alcohol consumption (OR: 1.75, 95% CI: 1.03–2.99, P = 0.038).

Conclusions

Reduced folic acid levels, alcohol consumption, and the MTHFR 677T and 1298C alleles may have contributed to NSCLP development in this sample population from Rio Grande do Norte.
Post‐transplant adjustment – The later years
Authors: Fredericks Emily M. , Zelikovsky Nataliya , Aujoulat Isabelle , Hames Anna , Wray Jo
Published: September 2014

As survival rates for pediatric solid organ transplantation have continued to improve, researchers and healthcare providers have increasingly focused on understanding and enhancing the HRQOL and psychosocial functioning of their patients. This manuscript reviews the psychosocial functioning of pediatric transplant recipients during the “later years,” defined as more than three yr post‐transplant, and focuses on the day‐to‐day impact of living with a transplant after the immediate period of adjustment and early years after surgery. Key topics reviewed include HRQOL, cognitive functioning, impact on the family, regimen adherence, and transition of responsibility for self‐management tasks. Overall, pediatric transplant recipients evidence impairment in HRQOL, neuropsychological outcomes, and family functioning as compared to non‐transplant recipients. However, the degree of impairment is influenced by a variety of factors including, disease severity, age, solid organ type, and study methodologies. Studies are limited by small samples, cross‐sectional design, and the lack of universal assessment battery to allow for comparisons across solid organ populations. Areas for future research are discussed.
Editorial Approaches to Wittgenstein's Nachlass: Towards a Historical Appreciation
Authors: Erbacher Christian
Published: September 2014

Building on the unpublished correspondence between Ludwig Wittgenstein's literary executors Rush Rhees, Elizabeth Anscombe and Georg Henrik von Wright, this paper sketches the historical development of different editorial approaches to Wittgenstein's Nachlass. Using the metaphor of a ladder, it is possible to distinguish seven significant “rungs” or “steps” in the history of editing Wittgenstein's writings. The paper focuses particularly on the first four rungs, elucidating how Rhees, Anscombe and von Wright developed different editorial approaches that resulted in significant differences in their editions. The paper sheds light on how these editorial differences are grounded in the editors' divergent understandings of their task. It is suggested that future research may investigate the development of editorial approaches to Wittgenstein's Nachlass as a human story of philosophical inheritance.
Forty Years of Research on Xeroderma Pigmentosum at the US National Institutes of Health
Authors: Kraemer Kenneth H. , DiGiovanna John J.
Published: September 2014

In 1968, Dr. James Cleaver reported defective DNA repair in cultured cells from patients with xeroderma pigmentosum. This link between clinical disease and molecular pathophysiology has sparked interest in understanding not only the clinical characteristics of sun sensitivity, damage and cancer that occurred in XP patients but also the mechanisms underlying the damage and repair. While affected patients are rare, their exaggerated UV damage provides a window into the workings of DNA repair. These studies have clarified the importance of a functioning DNA repair system to the maintenance of skin and neurologic health in the general population. Understanding the role of damage in causing cancer, neurologic degeneration, hearing loss and internal cancers provides an opportunity for prevention and treatment. Characterizing complementation groups pointed to the importance of different underlying genes. Studying differences in cancer age of onset and underlying molecular signatures in cancers occurring either in XP patients or the general population has led to insights into differences in carcinogenic mechanisms. The accelerated development of cancers in XP has been used as a model to discover new cancer chemopreventive agents. An astute insight can be a “tipping point” triggering decades of productive inquiry.
How to Be an Ethical Expressivist
Authors: Silk Alex
Published: September 2014

Expressivism promises an illuminating account of the nature of normative judgment. But worries about the details of expressivist semantics have led many to doubt whether expressivism's putative advantages can be secured. Drawing on insights from linguistic semantics and decision theory, I develop a novel framework for implementing an expressivist semantics that I callordering expressivism. I argue that by systematically interpreting the orderings that figure in analyses of normative terms in terms of the basic practical attitude of conditional weak preference, the expressivist can explain the semantic properties of normative sentences in terms of the logical properties of that attitude. Expressivism's problems with capturing the logical relations among normative sentences can be reduced to the familiar, more tractable problem of explaining certain coherence constraints on preferences. Particular attention is given to the interpretation of wide‐scope negation. The proposed solution is also extended to other types of embedded contexts—most notably, disjunctions.
Overexpression of the IbMYB1 gene in an orange‐fleshed sweet potato cultivar produces a dual‐pigmented transgenic sweet potato with improved antioxidant activity
Authors: Park Sung‐Chul , Kim Yun‐Hee , Kim Sun Ha , Jeong Yu Jeong , Kim Cha Young , Lee Joon Seol , Bae Ji‐Yeong , Ahn Mi‐Jeong , Jeong Jae Cheol , Lee Haeng‐Soon , Kwak Sang‐Soo
Published: September 2014

The R2R3‐type protein IbMYB1 is a key regulator of anthocyanin biosynthesis in the storage roots of sweet potato [Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam]. Previously, we demonstrated that IbMYB1 expression stimulated anthocyanin pigmentation in tobacco leaves and Arabidopsis. Here, we generated dual‐pigmented transgenic sweet potato plants that accumulated high levels of both anthocyanins and carotenoids in a single sweet potato storage root. An orange‐fleshed cultivar with high carotenoid levels was transformed with the IbMYB1 gene under the control of either the storage root‐specific sporamin 1 (SPO1) promoter or the oxidative stress‐inducible peroxidase anionic 2 (SWPA2) promoter. The SPO1‐MYB transgenic lines exhibited higher anthocyanin levels in storage roots than empty vector control (EV) or SWPA2‐MYB plants, but carotenoid content was unchanged. SWPA2‐MYB transgenic lines exhibited higher levels of both anthocyanin and carotenoids than EV plants. Analysis of hydrolyzed anthocyanin extracts indicated that cyanidin and peonidin predominated in both overexpression lines. Quantitative reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction analysis demonstrated that IbMYB1 expression in both IbMYB1 transgenic lines strongly induced the upregulation of several genes in the anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway, whereas the expression of carotenoid biosynthetic pathway genes varied between transgenic lines. Increased anthocyanin levels in transgenic plants also promoted the elevation of proanthocyanidin and total phenolic levels in fresh storage roots. Consequently, all IbMYB1 transgenic plants displayed much higher antioxidant activities than EV plants. In field cultivations, storage root yields varied between the transgenic lines. Taken together, our results indicate that overexpression of IbMYB1 is a highly promising strategy for the generation of transgenic plants with enhanced antioxidant capacity.
Study on salt tolerance with YHem1 transgenic canola (Brassica napus)
Authors: Sun Xin‐e , Feng Xin‐xin , Li Cui , Zhang Zhi‐ping , Wang Liang‐ju
Published: September 2014

5‐Aminolevulinic acid (5‐ALA) has been suggested for improving plant salt tolerance via exogenous application. In this study, we used a transgenic canola (Brassica napus), which contained a constituted gene YHem1 and biosynthesized more 5‐ALA, to study salt stress responses. In a long‐term pot experiment, the transgenic plants produced higher yield under 200 mmol L−1 NaCl treatment than the wild type (WT). In a short‐term experiment, the YHem1 transformation accelerated endogenous 5‐ALA metabolism, leading to more chlorophyll accumulation, higher diurnal photosynthetic rates and upregulated expression of the gene encoding Rubisco small subunit. Furthermore, the activities of antioxidant enzymes, including superoxide dismutase, guaiacol peroxidase, catalase and ascorbate peroxidase, were significantly higher in the transgenic plants than the WT, while the levels of O2·− and malondialdehyde were lower than the latter. Additionally, the Na+ content was higher in the transgenic leaves than that in the WT under salinity, but K+ and Cl− were significantly lower. The levels of N, P, Cu, and S in the transgenic plants were also significantly lower than those in the WT, but the Fe content was significantly improved. As the leaf Fe content was decreased by salinity, it was suggested that the stronger salt tolerance of the transgenic plants was related to the higher Fe acquisition. Lastly, YHem1 transformation improved the leaf proline content, but salinity decreased rather than increased it. The content of free amino acids and soluble sugars was similarly decreased as salinity increased, but it was higher in the transgenic plants than that in the WT.
Suicidal Ideation in Gay Men and Lesbians in South Korea: A Test of the Interpersonal‐Psychological Model
Authors: Kim SungYeon , Yang Eunjoo
Published: September 2014

Gay men and lesbians in South Korea are alienated and stigmatized due to the country's low tolerance of social differences, resulting in distress and suicidal impulses. This study investigated the predictors of suicidal ideation in a gay and lesbian group in South Korea based on the interpersonal‐psychological theory of suicide. Differences between the gay and lesbian group and the heterosexual group were found in the direct path between perceived burdensomeness and suicidal ideation. The relationship was significant for both groups, but the path coefficient was greater for lesbians and gay men than for heterosexuals. These findings imply that perceived burdensomeness may be a more critical factor in suicidal ideation of lesbians and gay men.
A new variant of killer‐cell immunoglobulin‐like receptor KIR3DL1*03101 isolated using sequence‐based techniques
Authors: Yindom L.‐M. , Wong G. , de Silva T. I. , Rowland‐Jones S. L.
Published: September 2014

The complete length genomic sequence of KIR3DL1*03101 differs from KIR3DL1*0010101 at multiple intronic and exonic sites.
Three hundred and seventy‐two novel HLA class II alleles identified in potential hematopoietic stem cell donors from Germany, the United States, and Poland
Authors: Hernández‐Frederick C. J. , Cereb N. , Giani A. S. , Ruppel J. , Maraszek A. , Pingel J. , Sauter J. , Schmidt A. H. , Yang S. Y.
Published: September 2014

We have characterized 372 novel human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class II alleles identified in newly registered stem cell donors, this includes 281 HLA‐DRB1 alleles, 89 HLA‐DQB1 alleles and 2 HLA‐DPB1 alleles. Most novel alleles were single nucleotide variants when compared to their respective most homologous alleles. In 66.4% of all novel alleles non‐synonymous nucleotide variations were identified, in 30.4% synonymous substitutions and in 3.2% nonsense mutations. Ninty‐three (25.0%) novel alleles were found in several individuals; most often these were novel HLA‐DRB1 alleles. Lastly, we underline the importance of recruiting ethnic minority donors in countries such as Germany and the United States, as novel alleles were frequently found among these groups.
A novel HLA allele, HLA‐B*55:50, was identified by sequence‐based typing
Authors: Zhang K.‐L. , Li X.‐F. , Zhang X. , Lin F.‐Q. , Li J.‐P.
Published: September 2014

HLA‐B*55:50 has one nucleotide change from HLA‐B*55:02:01 where 169 R is changed to L.
HLA‐DRB1*15:02:11, a variant of HLA‐DRB1*15:02:01, revealed in a Taiwanese patient awaiting hematopoietic stem cell transplantation
Authors: Yang K. L. , Lee S. K. , Hung J. H. , Lin P. Y.
Published: September 2014

One nucleotide replacement in codon 80 of HLA‐DRB1*15:02:01 results in a novel allele, HLA‐DRB1*15:02:11.
Genomic full length sequence of a novel killer‐cell immunoglobulin‐like receptor, KIR3DL1*0010103 identified by sequencing
Authors: Yindom L.‐M. , James K. , de Silva T. I. , Rowland‐Jones S. L.
Published: September 2014

KIR3DL1*0010103 differs from KIR3DL1*0010101 with four single nucleotide polymorphisms.
The Fregoli Delusion: A Disorder of Person Identification and Tracking
Authors: Langdon Robyn , Connaughton Emily , Coltheart Max
Published: September 2014

Fregoli delusion is the mistaken belief that some person currently present in the deluded person's environment (typically a stranger) is a familiar person in disguise. The stranger is believed to be psychologically identical to this known person (who is not present) even though the deluded person perceives the physical appearance of the stranger as being different from the known person's typical appearance. To gain a deeper understanding of this contradictory error in the normal system for tracking and identifying known persons, we conducted a detailed survey of all the Fregoli cases reported in the literature since the seminal Courbon and Fail (1927) paper. Our preliminary reading of these cases revealed a notable lack of definitional clarity. So, we first formulated a classification scheme of different person misidentification delusions so as to identify those cases that qualified as instances of Fregoli according to the above characterization: the mistaken belief that a known person is present in the environment in a different guise to his or her typical appearance. We identified 38 clear cases of this type and set out to answer a series of questions motivated by current hypotheses about the origin of the Fregoli delusion. We asked whether the patients misidentified particular strangers, made reference to the misidentified known persons using wigs or plastic surgery (or other techniques to disguise their appearance), misidentified many different strangers or only one, showed other symptoms (in particular, other misidentification delusions), and made inferences about the motives of the known persons in disguise. We conclude by discussing the implications of our findings for current hypotheses concerning the origin of the Fregoli delusion.
The pulmonary vasculature – lessons from Tibetans and from rare diseases of oxygen sensing
Authors: Frise Matthew C. , Robbins Peter A.
Published: September 2014

New Findings

What is the topic of this review?

This review is principally concerned with results from studies of the pulmonary vasculature in humans, particularly in relation to hypoxia and rare diseases that affect oxygen sensing.

What advances does it highlight?

This review highlights the degree to which the hypoxia‐inducible factor (HIF) transcription system influences human pulmonary vascular responses to hypoxia. Upregulation of the HIF pathway augments hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction, while alterations to the pathway found in Tibetans are associated with suppression of the progressive increase in pulmonary artery pressure with sustained hypoxia. It also highlights the potential importance of iron, which modulates the HIF pathway, in modifying the pulmonary vascular response to hypoxia.

The human pulmonary circulation loses its natural distensibility during sustained hypoxia, leading to pulmonary arterial hypertension and a much higher workload for the right ventricle. The hypoxia‐inducible factor (HIF) pathway is implicated in this pulmonary vascular response to continued hypoxia by animal studies, and additionally, by rare human diseases where the pathway is upregulated. However, there are no known human genetic diseases downregulating HIF. Tibetans, though, demonstrate blunted pulmonary vascular responses to sustained hypoxia. This seems to be accounted for by an altered HIF pathway as a consequence of natural selection over a period of many thousands of years lived at high altitude. In addition to genetic differences, iron is another important modulator of HIF pathway function. Experimental work in humans demonstrates that manipulation of iron stores can influence the behaviour of the pulmonary circulation during hypoxia, in ways analogous to that seen in Tibetans and patients with rare diseases that affect oxygen sensing. The importance of physiological differences in iron bioavailability in modulating hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction in health and disease is yet to be established.
Influence of muscle metaboreceptor stimulation on middle cerebral artery blood velocity in humans
Authors: Braz Igor D. , Scott Clare , Simpson Lydia L. , Springham Emma L. , Tan Beverly W. L. , Balanos George M. , Fisher James P.
Published: September 2014

New Findings

What is the central question of this study?

Is the ability of metabolically sensitive skeletal muscle afferents (muscle metaboreceptors) to increase cerebral perfusion masked by a hyperventilation‐mediated reduction in the arterial (indexed using end‐tidal hence cerebral vasoconstriction, during post exercise muscle ischaemia?

What is the main finding and its importance?

We found that cerebral perfusion is elevated during post exercise muscle ischaemia when is clamped at baseline, but when is permitted to fluctuate no such elevation occurs. These findings indicate that muscle metaboreceptors increase cerebral perfusion when the confounding effects of changes in are obviated.

Regional anaesthesia to attenuate skeletal muscle afferent feedback abolishes the exercise‐induced increase in middle cerebral artery mean blood velocity (MCA Vmean). However, such exercise‐related increases in cerebral perfusion are not preserved during post exercise muscle ischaemia (PEMI) where the activation of metabolically sensitive muscle afferents is isolated. We tested the hypothesis that a hyperventilation‐mediated decrease in the arterial partial pressure of CO2, hence cerebral vasoconstriction, masks the influence of muscle metaboreceptor stimulation on MCA Vmean during PEMI. Ten healthy men (20 ± 1 years old) performed two trials of fatiguing isometric hand‐grip exercise followed by PEMI, in control conditions and with end‐tidal CO2 ( clamped at ∼1 mmHg above the resting partial pressure. In the control trial, decreased from rest during hand‐grip exercise and PEMI, while MCA Vmean was unchanged from rest. By design, remained unchanged from rest throughout the clamp trial, while MCA Vmean increased during hand‐grip (+10.6 ±1.8 cm s−1) and PEMI (+9.2 ± 1.6 cm s−1; P < 0.05 versus rest and control trial). Increases in minute ventilation and mean arterial pressure during hand‐grip and PEMI were not different in the control and clamp trials (P > 0.05). These findings indicate that metabolically sensitive skeletal muscle afferents play an important role in the regional increase in cerebral perfusion observed in exercise, but that influence can be masked by a decrease in when they are activated in isolation during PEMI.
Can Bayliss and Starling gut hormones cure a worldwide pandemic?
Authors: Scott R. V. , Tan T. M. , Bloom S. R.
Published: September 2014

Bayliss and Starling first coined the term ‘hormone’ with reference to secretin, a substance they found that was produced by the gut, but released into the blood stream to act at a distance. The intestine is now known as the largest endocrine organ in the body, and it produces numerous hormones with a wide range of functions. These include controlling appetite and energy homeostasis. Obesity is one of the greatest health threats facing the world today. At present, the only successful treatment is surgery. Bariatric procedures such as the Roux‐en‐Y bypass work by elevating gut hormones that induce satiety. Significant research has gone into producing versions of these hormones that can be delivered therapeutically to treat obesity. This review looks at the role of gut hormones in obesity, and the development of gut hormone‐derived obesity treatments.
A mathematical model of salt‐sensitive hypertension: the neurogenic hypothesis
Authors: Averina Viktoria A. , Othmer Hans G. , Fink Gregory D. , Osborn John W.
Published: September 2014

Salt sensitivity of arterial pressure (salt‐sensitive hypertension) is a serious global health issue. The causes of salt‐sensitive hypertension are extremely complex and mathematical models can elucidate potential mechanisms that are experimentally inaccessible. Until recently, the only mathematical model for long‐term control of arterial pressure was the model of Guyton and Coleman; referred to as the G‐C model. The core of this model is the assumption that sodium excretion is driven by renal perfusion pressure, the so‐called ‘renal function curve’. Thus, the G‐C model dictates that all forms of hypertension are due to a primary shift of the renal function curve to a higher operating pressure. However, several recent experimental studies in a model of hypertension produced by the combination of a high salt intake and administration of angiotensin II, the AngII–salt model, are inconsistent with the G‐C model. We developed a new mathematical model that does not limit the cause of salt‐sensitive hypertension solely to primary renal dysfunction. The model is the first known mathematical counterexample to the assumption that all salt‐sensitive forms of hypertension require a primary shift of renal function: we show that in at least one salt‐sensitive form of hypertension the requirement is not necessary. We will refer to this computational model as the ‘neurogenic model’. In this Symposium Review we discuss how, despite fundamental differences between the G‐C model and the neurogenic model regarding mechanisms regulating sodium excretion and vascular resistance, they generate similar haemodynamic profiles of AngII–salt hypertension. In addition, the steady‐state relationships between arterial pressure and sodium excretion, a correlation that is often erroneously presented as the ‘renal function curve’, are also similar in both models. Our findings suggest that salt‐sensitive hypertension is not due solely to renal dysfunction, as predicted by the G‐C model, but may also result from neurogenic dysfunction.
Healthy humans with a narrow upper airway maintain patency during quiet breathing by dilating the airway during inspiration
Authors: Cheng Shaokoon , Brown Elizabeth C. , Hatt Alice , Butler Jane E. , Gandevia Simon C. , Bilston Lynne E.
Published: September 2014

Key points

During quiet breathing, the muscles of the upper airway of healthy humans contract to dilate the airway during inspiration.

We used dynamic tagged magnetic resonance imaging to show that the amount of active upper airway dilatation during inspiration increases as airway cross‐sectional area decreases.

Older and more overweight subjects have smaller airways, and this is linked to increased active airway dilatation.

These data show that healthy subjects with narrow airways can overcome anatomical risk factors for airway collapse by actively dilating their airways during inspiration.

In contrast, obstructive sleep apnoea patients with similarly narrow airways show either little or no dilatory motion during inspiration or abnormal bi‐directional movement. This regulation of airway behaviour fails in these patients.

A patent upper airway is essential for survival. Increased age, obesity and some upper airway anatomical features are associated with failure to maintain upper airway patency during sleep, leading to obstructive sleep apnoea. However, many healthy subjects with these risk factors do not develop this condition. The aim of this study was to determine how anatomical factors and active dilator muscle contraction contribute to upper airway patency in healthy volunteers across a broad range of age and body mass index (BMI). A ‘tagged’ magnetic resonance imaging technique quantified respiratory‐related motion of the anterior and lateral walls of the upper airway during quiet breathing in the supine position. Fifty‐two subjects aged 22−68 years with BMI from 17.5 to 40.1 kg m−2 were studied. Higher BMI was associated with smaller airway cross‐sectional area at the level of soft palate (P < 0.05). The genioglossus moved anteriorly to dilate the upper airway during inspiration. This movement increased with increasing BMI, increasing age, a smaller airway area, and steeper tongue‐base angle (all P < 0.05). Motion of the lateral upper airway at the soft‐palate level was variable and less strongly linked to anatomical features of the upper airway. Multiple regression indicated that anterior genioglossus motion decreased with increasing airway area (P = 0.03) and with increasing tongue‐base angle (P = 0.02). These data suggest that healthy humans, including those whose anatomy places them at increased risk of airway closure, can maintain upper airway patency by dynamically dilating the airway during inspiration.
Suprachiasmatic nucleus function and circadian entrainment are modulated by G protein‐coupled inwardly rectifying (GIRK) channels
Authors: Hablitz L. M. , Molzof H. E. , Paul J. R. , Johnson R. L. , Gamble K. L.
Published: September 2014

Key points

Many time‐of‐day cues are mediated by G protein‐coupled signals within the clock centre (the suprachiasmatic nucleus, SCN) of the mammalian brain.

The role of G protein‐coupled inwardly rectifying potassium (GIRK) channels in SCN function and entrainment has yet to be determined.

GIRK channels are necessary for proper day‐time SCN neuronal resting membrane potential, neuropeptide Y signalling, and re‐entrainment to phase advances of the light–dark (LD) cycle.

GIRK channel activation is sufficient to mimic non‐photic phase shifts of the molecular clock.

GIRK channels act as an essential part of the non‐photic entrainment system, and could play a critical role in diseases such as epilepsy or addiction that have strong circadian comorbidities.

G protein signalling within the central circadian oscillator, the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), is essential for conveying time‐of‐day information. We sought to determine whether G protein‐coupled inwardly rectifying potassium channels (GIRKs) modulate SCN physiology and circadian behaviour. We show that GIRK current and GIRK2 protein expression are greater during the day. Pharmacological inhibition of GIRKs and genetic loss of GIRK2 depolarized the day‐time resting membrane potential of SCN neurons compared to controls. Behaviourally, GIRK2 knockout (KO) mice failed to shorten free running period in response to wheel access in constant darkness and entrained more rapidly to a 6 h advance of a 12 h:12 h light–dark (LD) cycle than wild‐type (WT) littermate controls. We next examined whether these effects were due to disrupted signalling of neuropeptide Y (NPY), which is known to mediate non‐photic phase shifts, attenuate photic phase shifts and activate GIRKs. Indeed, GIRK2 KO SCN slices had significantly fewer silent cells in response to NPY, likely contributing to the absence of NPY‐induced phase advances of PER2::LUC rhythms in organotypic SCN cultures from GIRK2 KO mice. Finally, GIRK channel activation is sufficient to cause a non‐photic‐like phase advance of PER2::LUC rhythms on a Per2Luc+/− background. These results suggest that rhythmic regulation of GIRK2 protein and channel function in the SCN contributes to day‐time resting membrane potential, providing a mechanism for the fine tuning responses to non‐photic and photic stimuli. Further investigation could provide insight into disorders with circadian disruption comorbidities such as epilepsy and addiction, in which GIRK channels have been implicated.