bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A new freshwater chrysophyte, Chrysomorula cohaerens gen. et sp. nov. (Chrysophyceae, Chrysocapsaceae) from North America
Authors: WUJEK DANIEL E.
Published: April 2013

A new freshwater chrysophyte genus and species, Chrysomorula cohaerens, is described from the United States. Chrysomorula cohaerens is a distinct taxon of non-motile heterokont chrysophyte. It forms macroscopic mucilaginous colonies attached to aquatic macrophytes, filamentous algae, and other substrata. Each colony is initially held together forming a hollow sphere by the confluence of its cell walls. The colony is at first a sphere, becoming ovoid to irregular with growth in size. Thus, it differs from other similar chrysophyte genera such as Heimiochrysis and Chalkopyxis. Cells bear pseudocilia.
Review of Rhabdiasidae (Nematoda) from the Holarctic
Authors: KUZMIN YURIY
Published: April 2013

The review deals with the species of Rhabdiasidae Railliet, 1915 occurring in the Holarctic. Descriptions of 26 species from the genera Rhabdias Stiles et Hassal, 1905 (21 species), Entomelas Travassos, 1930 (4 species), and KurolonemaSzczerbak et Sharpilo, 1969 (1 species) are presented. Additionally, 5 species of Rhabdias are listed as species inquirenda, and 4 species are included into the review, since they have been reported close to south-eastern border of Palaearctic (the exact distribution is unknown). Keys to the Holarctic species and diagnoses of the genera are provided. An overview of the information on the biology, morphology and taxonomy of Rhabdiasidae is also presented, as well as the host-parasite list of Holarctic Rhabdiasidae.
Revision of the Histopona italica group (Araneae: Agelenidae), with the description of two new species
Authors: BOLZERN ANGELO , PANTINI PAOLO , ISAIA MARCO
Published: April 2013

During a large survey of agelenid spiders from different private and museum collections, a closer examination of material from all over Italy (including type material and fresh material) previously identified as Histopona italica Brignoli 1977, disclosed two new species for science, both belonging to the italica group. Based on the results of the present work, we describe Histopona leonardoi sp. n. and H. fioni sp. n. and revise the distribution pattern of H. italica group in Italy and Switzerland. Drawings and photographs of relevant structures and a table summary of the diagnostic characters allowing a fast separation of the species are provided.
Two new genera of tube-making spittlebugs (Hemiptera: Machaerotidae: Enderleiniini)
Authors: BELL ADAM J. , CRYAN JASON R.
Published: April 2013

Two new monotypic spittlebug genera and their type species in the family Machaerotidae, subfamily Enderleiniinae, are described and illustrated: Labramachaerota korupa gen. & sp. n. (with type locality in Cameroon) and Kyphomachaerota maaia gen. & sp. n. (with type locality in Sarawak, Malaysia).
A new species of Suezichthys (Teleostei: Perciformes: Labridae) from the south-eastern Pacific, with a redefinition of the genus and a key to species
Authors: RUSSELL BARRY C. , WESTNEAT MARK W.
Published: April 2013

A new species of the fish family Labridae, Suezichthys rosenblatti, is described from specimens collected at Isla San Felix, Isla Juan Fernandez and Isla San Ambrosio, off the coast of Chile. Suezichthys rosenblatti is distinct in having a combi-nation of 11 dorsal fin soft rays and 11 anal fin soft rays. It falls in the group of species that has 1½ scale rows above the lateral line and lack a scaly sheath at the base of the dorsal and anal fins (S. aylingi Russell, S. caudovittatus Russell, S. gracilis (Steindachner & Döderlein) and S. soelae Russell). Unlike other members of this group, S. rosenblatti has haemal arches on vertebrae 10–11 (versus haemal arch only on vertebra 10). The monotypic Nelabrichthys ornatus (Carmichael) is now included in the genus Suezichthys and a revised generic description and key to species of Suezichthys is provided. The occurrence of S. rosenblatti in the south-eastern Pacific and S. ornatus in the south-western Indian Ocean and south Atlantic Ocean represent major range extensions of the genus Suezichthys.
Blamada rubripronota, a new genus and species of the tribe Saperdini (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Lamiinae) from Southeast Asia
Authors: LIN MEI-YING , HOLZSCHUH CAROLUS
Published: April 2013

A new saperdine species belonging to a new genus, Blamada rubripronota gen. et sp. nov., is described from Laos, Viet-nam and China. The genus differs from other genera of the tribe Saperdini in having the antennal scape bearing an expand-ed and ridged ring at apex, and second antennomere relatively longer (more than 1/4 of scape in length) than that of other saperdine taxa.
Twentieth-Century Oceanic Carbon Uptake and Storage in CESM1(BGC)*
Authors: Long Matthew C. , Lindsay Keith , Peacock Synte , Moore J. Keith , Doney Scott C.
Published: April 2013

Ocean carbon uptake and storage simulated by the Community Earth System Model, version 1–Biogeochemistry [CESM1(BGC)], is described and compared to observations. Fully coupled and ocean-ice configurations are examined; both capture many aspects of the spatial structure and seasonality of surface carbon fields. Nearly ubiquitous negative biases in surface alkalinity result from the prescribed carbonate dissolution profile. The modeled sea–air CO2 fluxes match observationally based estimates over much of the ocean; significant deviations appear in the Southern Ocean. Surface ocean pCO2 is biased high in the subantarctic and low in the sea ice zone. Formation of the water masses dominating anthropogenic CO2 (Cant) uptake in the Southern Hemisphere is weak in the model, leading to significant negative biases in Cant and chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) storage at intermediate depths. Column inventories of Cant appear too high, by contrast, in the North Atlantic. In spite of the positive bias, this marks an improvement over prior versions of the model, which underestimated North Atlantic uptake. The change in behavior is attributable to a new parameterization of density-driven overflows. CESM1(BGC) provides a relatively robust representation of the ocean–carbon cycle response to climate variability. Statistical metrics of modeled interannual variability in sea–air CO2 fluxes compare reasonably well to observationally based estimates. The carbon cycle response to key modes of climate variability is basically similar in the coupled and forced ocean-ice models; however, the two differ in regional detail and in the strength of teleconnections.
Characteristics of Landfalling Atmospheric Rivers Inferred from Satellite Observations over the Eastern North Pacific Ocean
Authors: Matrosov Sergey Y.
Published: April 2013

Narrow elongated regions of moisture transport known as atmospheric rivers (ARs), which affect the West Coast of North America, were simultaneously observed over the eastern North Pacific Ocean by the polar-orbiting CloudSat and Aqua satellites. The presence, location, and extent of precipitation regions associated with ARs and their properties were retrieved from measurements taken at 265 satellite crossings of AR formations during the three consecutive cool seasons of the 2006–09 period. Novel independent retrievals of AR mean rain rate, precipitation regime types, and precipitation ice region properties from satellite measurements were performed. Relations between widths of precipitation bands and AR thicknesses (as defined by the integrated water vapor threshold of 20 mm) were quantified. Precipitation regime partitioning indicated that “cold” precipitation with a significant amount of melting precipitating ice and “warm” rainfall conditions with limited or no ice in the atmospheric column were observed, on average, with similar frequencies, though the cold rainfall fraction had an increasing trend as AR temperature decreased. Rain rates were generally higher for the cold precipitation regime. Precipitating ice cloud and rainfall retrievals indicated a significant correlation between the total ice amounts and the resultant rain rate. Observationally based statistical relations were derived between the boundaries of AR precipitation regions and integrated water vapor amounts and between the total content of precipitating ice and rain rate. No statistically significant differences of AR properties were found for three different cool seasons, which were characterized by differing phases of El Niño–Southern Oscillation.
The Social Making of a Historian: Fritz Fischer’s Distancing From Bourgeois-Conservative Historiography, 1930–60
Authors: Petzold Stephan
Published: April 2013

In 2003, revelations about Fritz Fischer’s Nazi past caused surprise in Germany. To many commentators it appeared mysterious, if not suspicious, that an outspoken critic of German national history had changed his views so radically after 1945. This article explores Fischer’s socialization into the historical profession during the Third Reich and the legacy of this socialization after 1945. It points to significant continuities in the way Fischer positioned himself vis-a-vis the dominant historical traditions in Germany. The article demonstrates that embracing national socialist views provided Fischer with an opportunity to distinguish himself from the bourgeois-conservative mainstream that dominated late Weimar historiography. This disposition turned into a relatively stable professional identity. Although Fischer significantly altered his political views and his interpretation of German history after 1945, his postwar experiences only provided the historiographical ingredients for an already existing socio-cultural disposition. As a result, he developed a particular approach to the study of German history which was at odds with established views. The publication of Griff nach der Weltmacht in 1961 was thus not the beginning of his disagreements with his more conservative colleagues, but rather the culmination of a process which had already begun in the 1930s.
The Fischer Controversy, Documents and the ‘Truth’ About the Origins of the First World War
Authors: Mombauer Annika
Published: April 2013

This article focuses on the ‘document-driven’ nature of the Fischer controversy and the conviction of both the Fischer school and its critics that utilizing ever more archival documents would inevitably unearth ‘the truth’ about the origins of the First World War. It argues that the controversy left a lasting legacy precisely because of its positivist focus on documents as artefacts capable of revealing an indisputable ‘truth’ about the causes of the war, which shaped all subsequent debates. It further contends that the topic has sidestepped postmodern attempts to relativize history, because in an emotive debate that has for decades been defined by war-guilt allegations and apologia, the concept of historical truth is still held valid by historians participating in the debate. The article concludes by arguing that, as the First World War no longer affects contemporary politics, war-guilt no longer needs to concern those seeking to explain its causes. The shift from contemporary history to a history divorced from our own experience might lead historians finally be able to identify document-based probabilities, if not an undisputable truth, about how the war started.
Fritz Fischer's ‘Programme for Revolution’: Implications for a Global History of Germany in the First World War
Authors: Jenkins Jennifer
Published: April 2013

In the autumn of 1914 the German Foreign Office launched a sweeping programme of global insurrection, which created networks of agents and information reaching from Berlin to Tehran, Calcutta and San Francisco. Yet Germany's pioneering role in instigating ‘revolutionary subversion' during the First World War has to date not been fully explored. In Germany's Aims in the First World War, Fritz Fischer placed insurrection at the centre of his study of war aims and strategies, yet what he called the ‘revolution programme' was quickly sidelined as a topic during the early years of the Fischer controversy. This article explores this absence. It analyses the historiographical place of the revolution programme in the Fischer controversy and argues for a general re-evaluation of Fischer's work in order to raise questions about how Germany's Aims could contribute to a ‘global turn' in the exploration of German actions in the First World War.
Reactions from the Other Germany: The Fischer Controversy in the German Democratic Republic
Authors: Stibbe Matthew
Published: April 2013

This article seeks to understand East German reactions to the Fischer controversy within the broader context of German-German historiographical relations during the Cold War. For an interpretive framework it draws on Christoph Kleßmann’s notion of the history of the two Germanys after 1945 as being the record of an asymmetrical process of ‘intertwining and differentiation’ ( Verflechtung und Abgrenzung). With varying degrees of scepticism and enthusiasm, East German scholars of the First World War sought to maintain links with, and at the same time to distance themselves ideologically from, the ‘Fischer school’ in Hamburg. Beyond this, Fischer’s particular mode of challenging the dominance of the historist tradition in West Germany enjoyed a very positive reception in the GDR and had a genuine and significant impact on the methodological approach and style of argumentation adopted by at least two of the main East German experts on the 1914–18 period. In a final section, the article examines what these findings can tell us more generally about the interlinked nature of East and West German historiography, in spite of the divisions of the Cold War.
Old Knowledge and New Research: A Summary of the Conference on the Fischer Controversy 50 Years On
Authors: Steinberg Jonathan
Published: April 2013

The richness and intensity of the three-day conference, promoted by the German Historical Institute in London from 13 to 15 October 2011, made the summary I was asked to provide unusually difficult. I had 31 pages of notes on the papers presented. The following summary suggests ways in which the standard accounts of the July Crisis need to be altered by new research on the Great Powers in the decade before 1914 and on the July Crisis itself, the days between the assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo and the declarations of war.
‘Outcast From History’: The Fischer Controversy and British Historiography
Authors: Otte T.G.
Published: April 2013

Fritz Fischer’s 1961 Griff nach der Weltmacht enjoys a well-deserved reputation as a landmark in later twentieth-century German historiography. The impact of the so-called ‘Fischer controversy’ on British scholarship, by contrast, was varied and ambiguous. Even so, the reaction of British historians to Fischer’s work as such and the fierce public debate it generated in West Germany is revealing on a number of counts. It throws into sharper relief different interpretations of Great Power politics in the long nineteenth century that reflect different national academic traditions. As this article shows, moreover, Fischer’s work burst onto the scene at a time of considerable turmoil in the historical profession in the United Kingdom. This examination of the reaction to Fischer’s work thus throws a revealing light also on the state of history as an academic discipline as well as on contemporary perceptions of West German politics and society.
Memory Disorders in the Law Courts
Authors: Kopelman Michael
Published: April 2013

This paper reviews the ways in which memory disorders and memory distortions arise in the criminal courts. Amnesia for offences is considered in terms of automatisms, alcohol, and crimes of passion. False memories arise in false confessions, allegations of false memory for child sexual abuse, and, just occasionally, with respect to delusional memories. More generally, memory and neuropsychiatric disorders may have implications at each stage of the legal process (fitness to plead, the insanity defence, cases of automatism, diminished responsibility, and at sentencing). However, patients with memory and neuropsychiatric disorders remain very vulnerable within legal and court processes.
A case of neonatal tetanus presented within 24 hours of life
Authors: Chatterjee Sayan , Hemram Sunil , Bhattacharya Subhasish , Khuntdar Bidyut Kumar
Published: April 2013

Neonatal tetanus is still prevalent in developing countries such as India. Generally, neonatal tetanus is seen in babies of unimmunized mothers beyond the second day of life. A neonate presented to us on the 4th hour of birth with a periumbilical ulcer. The baby's antenatal and birth history was uneventful. The mother had been immunized against tetanus. At presentation, the baby was active, alert and sucking normally. Avery small ulcer was noted below the umbilicus. Subsequently, the baby developed rigidity and a tonic spasm of its body with recurrent seizures from the 18th hour of its birth and by 21st hour. It also had a full blown clinical picture of neonatal tetanus including: masseter spasm; generalized rigidity; a high pitched cry: and intermittent opisthotonos posturing. An ulcer gradually enlarged to 5 × 4 cm and a swab from ulcer showed Clostridium tetani (both on Gram staining and culture). A review of the published literature did not reveal any case that had presented so early. Therefore, this is probably the first case of neonatal tetanus being reported within the 21st hour of birth.
Paediatric head injuries in the Kwazulu-Natal Province of South Africa: a developing country perspective
Authors: Okyere-Dede Ebenezer K , Nkalakata Munyaradzi C , Nkomo Tshepo , Hadley G P , Madiba Thandinkosi E
Published: April 2013

We investigated the causes, management and outcome of head injuries in paediatric patients admitted to the paediatric surgery unit at King Edward VIII Hospital overa 3-year period, from 1999 to 2001. There were 506 patients (331 male; M:F ratio 2:1) and the mean age was 71.99 +36.8 months (2 weeks to 180 months). The injuries were due to: motor vehicle crashes (324); falls (121); assault (30); inadvertent injury (23); and unknown (11). Forty-nine patients (9%) were admitted with a Glasgow Coma Scale ≤8. The most common intracranial pathology on computed tomography was: intracranial haematoma/haemorrhage (44); contusion (16); and brain oedema (10). Nineteen patients (3.4%) underwent neurosurgical intervention and the rest were managed conservatively. Eighteen died in hospital (3.6%). The mean hospital stay was 5 ± 12 days. Twenty-three patients (4.5%) were discharged with neurological sequelae. Few paediatric patients are admitted with severe head injury: the majority from blunt injury caused by motor vehicle crashes. Management mainly requires simple neurological observation in a general ward with a surprisingly good prognosis. Specific protocols for paediatric head injuries have been proposed based on these findings.
Pure cerebellitis due to scrub typhus: a unique case report
Authors: Karanth Suman S , Gupta Anurag , Prabhu Mukhyaprana
Published: April 2013

We report the case of a 24-year old Indian man who presented with: high fever; drowsiness; an eschar and gross cerebellar dysfunction with horizontal gaze nystagmus; ataxic speech; and truncal ataxia. Scrub typhus was diagnosed by serological tests. This is the first case of a pure cerebellar involvement as the only manifestation of scrub typhus in the published literature.
Percutaneous needle aspiration in uncomplicated amebic liver abscess: a randomized trial
Authors: Bammigatti Chanaveerappa , Ramasubramanian NS , Kadhiravan Tamilarasu , Das Ashok Kumar
Published: April 2013

Amoebic liver abscess develops in less than 1% of patients with amoebaisis and metronidazole is the drug of choice for the treatment of amebic liver abscess. Abscesses of less than 5 cm can be treated with metronidazole alone. However, abscesses of more than 10 cm must undergo ultrasound guided percutaneous needle aspiration along with metronidazole. The role of percutaneous needle aspiration in abscesses of 5 to 10 cm is not clear. Fifty-seven patients with a solitary, right lobe, uncomplicated amoebic liverabscess of 5–10 cm were randomized to receive either metronidazole alone (control group; n = 29) or ultrasound guided percutaneous needle aspiration along with metronidazole (intervention group; n = 28). Although the resolution of pain and fever occurred earlier in the intervention group (27 h and 17 h, respectively) than the control group (48 h and 30 h, respectively), the difference was not statistically significant ( P = 0.16 and 0.48, respectively). There were no deaths during the study period and treatment failure, complications (rupture of abscess), days to normalization of leukocytosis and duration of hospitalization were similar in both groups. Ultrasound guided percutaneous needle aspiration along with metronidazole was no better than metronidazole alone in the management of uncomplicated, solitary, right lobe amoebic liver abscess of 5 to 10 cm.
Lymphatic filariasis elimination programme in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India: drug coverage and compliance post eight rounds of MDA
Authors: Sunish I P , Shriram A N , Sivan A , Kartick C , Saha B P , Vijayachari P
Published: April 2013

Lymphatic filariasis (LF) is endemic in the Andaman and Nicobar islands, including the lone foci for a diurnally sub-periodic form of Wuchereria bancrofti in the Nancowry group of islands. A programme to eliminate LF was launched in 2004 by the Directorate of Health Services, Andaman and Nicobar Administration which involved a single annual mass drug administration (MDA) using diethylcarbamazine (DEC) with albendazole. So far, eight rounds of MDA have been implemented through the Public Health Care network. The pattern of antifilarial drug distribution and compliance achieved in the on-going LF elimination programme in these islands has been assessed. This is the first systematic effort undertaken in these remote islands to assess the coverage and compliance with the LF elimination programme. This study covered 900 households in each of the 3 districts. There were a largest number of side effects in the Nicobar district (6.4%). Non-consumption of drugs ranged from 18.6% (Nicobar) to 42% (North and Middle Andaman). A survey revealed that almost 95.3% of the respondents had heard about MDA from the drug distributors. Therefore, the distributors should be involved in programmes designed to educate the community at risk of acquiring filarial infection and the possible side effects of the drugs.
Decentralisation and the Politics of Water Allocation in West Bengal
Authors: Chakrabarti Bhaskar
Published: April 2013

In order to overcome inefficient allocation of natural resources, there is a trend to make government more accountable to local people through decentralisation. Today, when farmers are moving away from the agricultural sector in West Bengal, India, for which water scarcity is one of the main causes, low participation in the local government are a cause for alarm. I search for the causes behind the low level of participation of local people in decision-making processes regarding water management. I analyse the complex process of decentralisation, and show how water allocation at the village level is nested within various levels of hierarchy. These involve politics over access to water and relations of power that include interactions between political parties, government agencies and the local elite. The political interference in the decentralisation process creates problems in local participation and decision-making that lead to a skewed allocation of water.
Does Political Representation Ensure Empowerment? Scheduled Tribes in Decentralised Local Governments of India
Authors: Patnaik Pratyusna
Published: April 2013

The article examines the process of political inclusion through representation and its promises and potentials for empowerment of Scheduled Tribes in decentralised governance in India. It perceives political representation as a process, and tries to explore the potentials of such political representation to include and empower the Scheduled Tribes in matters of decentralised governance. Based on a theoretical review of the concept of representation, the article examines the substantive and descriptive representation of Scheduled Tribes in Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs). The article concludes that political representation, manifested through participation of representatives in PRIs may form necessary conditions to bring Scheduled Tribes into institutions of decision-making, but are not sufficient to empower them, especially in the absence of supportive and enabling institutional arrangements.
The IT Industry and Economic Development in India: A Critical Study
Authors: Barnes Thomas
Published: April 2013

Many scholars have questioned the role of the IT industry in India’s economic development. Some have correctly highlighted the limited impact of IT firms in creating occupations accessible to less-educated people or the modest impact of industry output on the livelihoods of people from poorer households and communities. There are thus strong arguments against governments giving fiscal and industrial priority to the IT industry. However, this article explains why the state is unlikely to heed this redistributive agenda. It argues that state assistance to the IT industry has been predicated upon four main factors: India’s surplus of skilled and technically qualified young workers, the dominant role of software services within the IT industry, the formation of political relations between industrialists and state institutions and, finally, the crucial role of software service export earnings in the stabilisation of India’s external position. Even the uncertainty generated by the global financial crisis has, thus far, been unable to dislodge software service exports from their central role in India’s economic policymaking framework. Short of a radical change in the status quo, we are unlikely to see a commensurate change in policy settings.
VaccImm: simulating peptide vaccination in cancer therapy
Authors: von Eichborn Joachim , Woelke Anna Lena , Castiglione Filippo , Preissner Robert
Published: April 2013

Background

Despite progress in conventional cancer therapies, cancer is still one of the leading causes of death in industrial nations. Therefore, an urgent need of progress in fighting cancer remains. A promising alternative to conventional methods is immune therapy. This relies on the fact that low-immunogenic tumours can be eradicated if an immune response against them is induced. Peptide vaccination is carried out by injecting tumour peptides into a patient to trigger a specific immune response against the tumour in its entirety. However, peptide vaccination is a highly complicated treatment and currently many factors like the optimal number of epitopes are not known precisely. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate how certain parameters influence the therapy.

Results

We present the VaccImm Server that allows users to simulate peptide vaccination in cancer therapy. It uses an agent-based model that simulates peptide vaccination by explicitly modelling the involved cells (immune system and cancer) as well as molecules (antibodies, antigens and semiochemicals). As a new feature, our model uses real amino acid sequences to represent molecular binding sites of relevant immune cells. The model is used to generate detailed statistics of the population sizes and states of the single cell types over time. This makes the VaccImm web server well suited to examine the parameter space of peptide vaccination in silico. VaccImm is publicly available without registration on the web at http://bioinformatics.charite.de/vaccimm; all major browsers are supported.

Conclusions

The VaccImm Server provides a convenient way to analyze properties of peptide vaccination in cancer therapy. Using the server, we could gain interesting insights into peptide vaccination that reveal the complex and patient-specific nature of peptide vaccination.
Exome sequencing of senescence-accelerated mice (SAM) reveals deleterious mutations in degenerative disease-causing genes
Authors: Tanisawa Kumpei , Mikami Eri , Fuku Noriyuki , Honda Yoko , Honda Shuji , Ohsawa Ikuro , Ito Masafumi , Endo Shogo , Ihara Kunio , Ohno Kinji , Kishimoto Yuki , Ishigami Akihito , Maruyama Naoki , Sawabe Motoji , Iseki Hiroyoshi , Okazaki Yasushi , Hasegawa-Ishii Sanae , Takei Shiro , Shimada Atsuyoshi , Hosokawa Masanori , Mori Masayuki , Higuchi Keiichi , Takeda Toshio , Higuchi Mitsuru , Tanaka Masashi
Published: April 2013

Background

Senescence-accelerated mice (SAM) are a series of mouse strains originally derived from unexpected crosses between AKR/J and unknown mice, from which phenotypically distinct senescence-prone (SAMP) and -resistant (SAMR) inbred strains were subsequently established. Although SAMP strains have been widely used for aging research focusing on their short life spans and various age-related phenotypes, such as immune dysfunction, osteoporosis, and brain atrophy, the responsible gene mutations have not yet been fully elucidated.

Results

To identify mutations specific to SAMP strains, we performed whole exome sequencing of 6 SAMP and 3 SAMR strains. This analysis revealed 32,019 to 38,925 single-nucleotide variants in the coding region of each SAM strain. We detectedOgg1p.R304W andMbd4p.D129N deleterious mutations in all 6 of the SAMP strains but not in the SAMR or AKR/J strains. Moreover, we extracted 31 SAMP-specific novel deleterious mutations. In all SAMP strains except SAMP8, we detected a p.R473W missense mutation in theLdb3gene, which has been associated with myofibrillar myopathy. In 3 SAMP strains (SAMP3, SAMP10, and SAMP11), we identified a p.R167C missense mutation in thePrxgene, in which mutations causing hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy (Dejerine-Sottas syndrome) have been identified. In SAMP6 we detected a p.S540fs frame-shift mutation in theIl4ragene, a mutation potentially causative of ulcerative colitis and osteoporosis.

Conclusions

Our data indicate that different combinations of mutations in disease-causing genes may be responsible for the various phenotypes of SAMP strains.
A multistep genomic screen identifies new genes required for repair of DNA double-strand breaks in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: McKinney Jennifer Summers , Sethi Sunaina , Tripp Jennifer DeMars , Nguyen Thuy N , Sanderson Brian A , Westmoreland James W , Resnick Michael A , Lewis L Kevin
Published: April 2013

Background

Efficient mechanisms for rejoining of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) are vital because misrepair of such lesions leads to mutation, aneuploidy and loss of cell viability. DSB repair is mediated by proteins acting in two major pathways, called homologous recombination and nonhomologous end-joining. Repair efficiency is also modulated by other processes such as sister chromatid cohesion, nucleosome remodeling and DNA damage checkpoints. The total number of genes influencing DSB repair efficiency is unknown.

Results

To identify new yeast genes affecting DSB repair, genes linked to gamma radiation resistance in previous genome-wide surveys were tested for their impact on repair of site-specific DSBs generated by in vivo expression of EcoRI endonuclease. Eight members of the RAD52 group of DNA repair genes (RAD50, RAD51, RAD52, RAD54, RAD55, RAD57, MRE11 and XRS2) and 73 additional genes were found to be required for efficient repair of EcoRI-induced DSBs in screens utilizing both MATa and MATα deletion strain libraries. Most mutants were also sensitive to the clastogenic chemicals MMS and bleomycin. Several of the non-RAD52 group genes have previously been linked to DNA repair and over half of the genes affect nuclear processes. Many proteins encoded by the protective genes have previously been shown to associate physically with each other and with known DNA repair proteins in high-throughput proteomics studies. A majority of the proteins (64%) share sequence similarity with human proteins, suggesting that they serve similar functions.

Conclusions

We have used a genetic screening approach to detect new genes required for efficient repair of DSBs in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The findings have spotlighted new genes that are critical for maintenance of genome integrity and are therefore of greatest concern for their potential impact when the corresponding gene orthologs and homologs are inactivated or polymorphic in human cells.
RIC-3 differentially modulates α4β2 and α7 nicotinic receptor assembly, expression, and nicotine-induced receptor upregulation
Authors: Dau Alejandro , Komal Pragya , Truong Mimi , Morris Geoff , Evans Gareth , Nashmi Raad
Published: April 2013

Background

Recent work has shown that the chaperoneresistant toinhibitors of acetylcholinesterase (RIC-3) is critical for the folding, maturation and functional expression of a variety of neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. α7 nicotinic receptors can only assemble and functionally express in select lines of cells, provided that RIC-3 is present. In contrast, α4β2 nicotinic receptors can functionally express in many cell lines even without the presence of RIC-3. Depending on the cell line, RIC-3 has differential effects on α4β2 receptor function – enhancement in mammalian cells but inhibition inXenopusoocytes. Other differences between the two receptor types include nicotine-induced upregulation. When expressed in cell lines, α4β2 receptors readily and robustly upregulate with chronic nicotine exposure. However, α7 nicotinic receptors appear more resistant and require higher concentrations of nicotine to induce upregulation. Could the coexpression of RIC-3 modulate the extent of nicotine-induced upregulation not only for α7 receptors but also α4β2 receptors? We compared and contrasted the effects of RIC-3 on assembly, trafficking, protein expression and nicotine-induced upregulation on both α7 and α4β2 receptors using fluorescent protein tagged nicotinic receptors and Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) microscopy imaging.

Results

RIC-3 increases assembly and cell surface trafficking of α7 receptors but does not alter α7 protein expression in transfected HEK293T cells. In contrast, RIC-3 does not affect assembly of α4β2 receptors but increases α4 and β2 subunit protein expression. Acute nicotine (30 min exposure) was sufficient to upregulate FRET between α4 and β2 subunits. Surprisingly, when RIC-3 was coexpressed with α4β2 receptors nicotine-induced upregulation was prevented. α7 receptors did not upregulate with acute nicotine in the presence or absence of RIC-3.

Conclusions

These results provide interesting novel data that RIC-3 differentially regulates assembly and expression of different nicotinic receptor subunits. These results also show that nicotine-mediated upregulation of α4β2 receptors can be dynamically regulated by the presence of the chaperone, RIC-3. This could explain a novel mechanism why high affinity α4β2 receptors are upregulated in specific neuronal subtypes in the brain and not others.
Age-specific contacts and travel patterns in the spatial spread of 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic
Authors: Apolloni Andrea , Poletto Chiara , Colizza Vittoria
Published: April 2013

Background

Confirmed H1N1 cases during late spring and summer 2009 in various countries showed a substantial age shift between importations and local transmission cases, with adults mainly responsible for seeding unaffected regions and children most frequently driving community outbreaks.

Methods

We introduce a multi-host stochastic metapopulation model with two age classes to analytically investigate the role of a heterogeneously mixing population and its associated non-homogeneous travel behaviors on the risk of a major epidemic. We inform the model with demographic data, contact data and travel statistics of Europe and Mexico, and calibrate it to the 2009 H1N1 pandemic early outbreak. We allow for variations of the model parameters to explore the conditions of invasion under different scenarios.

Results

We derive the expression for the potential of global invasion of the epidemic that depends on the transmissibility of the pathogen, the transportation network and mobility features, the demographic profile and the mixing pattern. Higher assortativity in the contact pattern greatly increases the probability of spatial containment of the epidemic, this effect being contrasted by an increase in the social activity of adults vs. children. Heterogeneous features of the mobility network characterizing its topology and traffic flows strongly favor the invasion of the pathogen at the spatial level, as also a larger fraction of children traveling. Variations in the demographic profile and mixing habits across countries lead to heterogeneous outbreak situations. Model results are compatible with the H1N1 spatial transmission dynamics observed.

Conclusions

This work illustrates the importance of considering age-dependent mixing profiles and mobility features coupled together to study the conditions for the spatial invasion of an emerging influenza pandemic. Its results allow the immediate assessment of the risk of a major epidemic for a specific scenario upon availability of data, and the evaluation of the potential effectiveness of public health interventions targeting specific age groups, their interactions and mobility behaviors. The approach provides a general modeling framework that can be used for other types of partitions of the host population and applied to different settings.
Inactivation of an enterovirus by airborne disinfectants
Authors: Thevenin Thomas , Lobert Pierre-Emmanuel , Hober Didier
Published: April 2013

Background

The activity of airborne disinfectants on bacteria, fungi and spores has been reported. However, the issue of the virucidal effect of disinfectants spread by fogging has not been studied thoroughly.

Methods

A procedure has been developed to determine the virucidal activity of peracetic acid-based airborne disinfectants on a resistant non-enveloped virus poliovirus type 1. This virus was laid on a stainless carrier. The products were spread into the room by hot fogging at 55°C for 30 minutes at a concentration of 7.5 mL.m-3. Poliovirus inoculum, supplemented with 5%, heat inactivated non fat dry organic milk, were applied into the middle of the stainless steel disc and were dried under the air flow of a class II biological safety cabinet at room temperature. The Viral preparations were recovered by using flocked swabs and were titered on Vero cells using the classical Spearman-Kärber CPE reading method, the results were expressed as TCID50.ml-1.

Results

The infectious titer of dried poliovirus inocula was kept at 105 TCID50.mL-1 up to 150 minutes at room temperature. Dried inocula exposed to airborne peracetic acid containing disinfectants were recovered at 60 and 120 minutes post-exposition and suspended in culture medium again. The cytotoxicity of disinfectant containing medium was eliminated through gel filtration columns. A 4 log reduction of infectious titer of dried poliovirus inocula exposed to peracetic-based airborne disinfectant was obtained.

Conclusion

This study demonstrates that the virucidal activity of airborne disinfectants can be tested on dried poliovirus.
Healthcare cost of type 1 diabetes mellitus in new-onset children in a hospital compared to an outpatient setting
Authors: Jasinski Christopher F , Rodriguez-Monguio Rosa , Tonyushkina Ksenia , Allen Holley
Published: April 2013

Background

Type 1 diabetes is among the most prevalent chronic childhood diseases in the US. Initial type 1 diabetes management education and care can take place in different clinical settings. This study assessed metabolic outcomes (i.e. hemoglobin A1C), healthcare utilization and costs among new-onset type 1 diabetic children who received initial diabetes education and care in a hospital compared to those children in an outpatient pediatric endocrinology clinic.

Methods

A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted from the payer’s perspective. New-onset type 1 diabetic children, aged 1–18, presented at Baystate Children’s Hospital (Massachusetts) from 2008–2009 were included in the study if lab test confirmed diagnosis and there was one year of follow-up. Inpatients spent at least one night in the hospital during a 10-day diagnosis period and received all or part of diabetes education there. Outpatients were diagnosed and received all diabetes education in a pediatric endocrinology clinic. Metabolic outcomes were measured at diagnosis and at one year post-diagnosis. Healthcare charges and electronic medical records data were reviewed from 2008–2010. Healthcare costs components included diagnostic test, pediatric, endocrinology and hospitalists care, critical and emergency care, type 1 diabetes related supplies, prescription drugs, and IV products.

Results

Study sample included 84 patients (33 inpatient and 51 outpatients). No statistically significant differences in patient demographic characteristics were found between groups. There were no statistically significant differences in metabolic outcomes between groups. Total cost at one year post-diagnosis per new-onset type 1 diabetic child was $12,332 and $5,053 in the inpatient and outpatient groups, respectively. The average healthcare cost for pediatric endocrinology care was $4,080 and $3,904 per child in the inpatient and outpatient groups, respectively.

Conclusion

Provision of initial type 1 diabetes education and care to new-onset non-critically ill children in a hospital setting increases healthcare costs without improving patient’s glycemic control in the first year post-diagnosis.
Air pollution and hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome in South Korea: an ecological correlation study
Authors: Han Seung Seok , Kim Sunhee , Choi Yunhee , Kim Suhnggwon , Kim Yon Su
Published: April 2013

Background

The effects of air pollution on the respiratory and cardiovascular systems, and the resulting impacts on public health, have been widely studied. However, little is known about the effect of air pollution on the occurrence of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS), a rodent-borne infectious disease. In this study, we evaluated the correlation between air pollution and HFRS incidence from 2001 to 2010, and estimated the significance of the correlation under the effect of climate variables.

Methods

We obtained data regarding HFRS, particulate matter smaller than 10 μm (PM10) as an index of air pollution, and climate variables including temperature, humidity, and precipitation from the national database of South Korea. Poisson regression models were established to predict the number of HFRS cases using air pollution and climate variables with different time lags. We then compared the ability of the climate model and the combined climate and air pollution model to predict the occurrence of HFRS.

Results

The correlations between PM10 and HFRS were significant in univariate analyses, although the direction of the correlations changed according to the time lags. In multivariate analyses of adjusted climate variables, the effects of PM10 with time lags were different. However, PM10 without time lags was selected in the final model for predicting HFRS cases. The model that combined climate and PM10 data was a better predictor of HFRS cases than the model that used only climate data, for both the study period and the year 2011.

Conclusions

This is the first report to document an association between HFRS and PM10 level.
Impact of smoking and smoking cessation on overweight and obesity: Scotland-wide, cross-sectional study on 40,036 participants
Authors: Mackay Daniel F , Gray Linsay , Pell Jill P
Published: April 2013

Background

Weight control is cited by some people, especially adolescent girls, as a reason for commencing smoking or not quitting. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between smoking behaviour and being overweight or obese, overall and by age and sex sub-groups.

Methods

We used data from the six Scottish Health Surveys conducted to date (1995–2010) to undertake a population-based, cross-sectional study on 40,036 participants representative of the adult (≥16 years) Scottish population. Height and weight were measured by a trained interviewer, not self-reported.

Results

24,459 (63.3%) participants were overweight (BMI ≥25 kg/m2) and 9,818 (25.4%) were obese (BMI ≥30 kg/m2). Overall, current smokers were less likely to be overweight than never smokers. However, those who had smoked for more than 20 years (adjusted OR 1.54, 95% CI 1.41-1.69, p < 0.001) and ex-smokers (adjusted OR 1.18, 95% CI 1.11-1.25, p < 0.001) were more likely to be overweight. There were significant interactions with age. Participants 16–24 years of age, were no more likely to be overweight if they were current (adjusted OR 1.01, 95% CI 0.84-1.20, p = 0.944) or ex (adjusted OR 0.88, 95% CI 0.67-1.14, p = 0.319) smokers. The same patterns pertained to obesity.

Conclusions

Whilst active smoking may be associated with reduced risk of being overweight among some older adults, there was no evidence to support the belief among young people that smoking protects them from weight gain. Making this point in educational campaigns targeted at young people may help to discourage them from starting to smoke.
Impact of methylene blue and atorvastatin combination therapy on the apparition of cerebral malaria in a murine model
Authors: Dormoi Jérome , Briolant Sébastien , Desgrouas Camille , Pradines Bruno
Published: April 2013

Background

Proveblue®, a methylene blue dye that complies with European Pharmacopoeia and contains limited organic impurities and heavy metals of recognized toxicity, showed in vitro synergy against Plasmodium falciparum when combined with atorvastatin, an inhibitor of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-Coenzyme A reductase. The objective of this study was to evaluate the in vivo efficacy of Proveblue® when combined with atorvastatin in a murine model of experimental cerebral malaria.

Methods

Forty female C57Bl6/N mice were divided into four groups (control, atorvastatin 40 mg/kg for seven days, Proveblue® 10 mg/kg for five days and atorvastatin combined with Proveblue®), infected with Plasmodium berghei ANKA parasites by intraperitoneal inoculation and observed for 45 days.

Results

Treatment with atorvastatin alone did not demonstrate an effect significantly different from no treatment (p = 0.0573). All the mice treated by atorvastatin alone died. Treatment with Proveblue® or a combination of Proveblue® and atorvastatin was significantly increased survival of cerebral malaria (p = 0.0011 and 0.0002, respectively). Although there was only one death in the atorvastatin and Proveblue® combination treatment group (10%) versus two deaths (22%) with Proveblue® treatment, the effect on cerebral malaria was not significant (p = 0.283).

Conclusions

The present work demonstrated, for the first time, the high efficacy of Proveblue® in preventing cerebral malaria. Atorvastatin alone or in combination appears to possess limited use for preventing cerebral malaria. Combination of atorvastatin with lower doses of Proveblue® (<10 mg/kg/day) should be evaluated to show potential synergistic effects in cerebral malaria prevention.