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The well-written Psychiatric Times article concluded, 'it is urgent for the field of psychiatry to reconcile the significant differences in remission rates for patients with [major depressive disorder; MDD] as [...]

Introduction Pregnancy, childbirth, and child well-being are identified by Healthy People 2030 as priority topics for improving the health of all Americans. New Mexico is the fifth largest state geographically with most of the state's 33 counties considered rural or frontier. Accessing health care services is challenging in this resource-poor environment. The need to provide maternal and child health (MCH) education in the state was the impetus for developing a graduate certificate in maternal and child public health. Methods The hybrid MCH graduate certificate engaged professionals in formal training that included a public health approach to addressing MCH issues in the state's diverse communities. Grant funds paid for the tuition, books and travel for students providing an opportunity to individuals who otherwise could not have pursued graduate education and professional development. Results Over a 4-year period, two cohorts were recruited, educated, and evaluated. The evaluations reflected an increase in competency knowledge scores for all students. Discussion This model of MCH education was successful at delivering public health graduate education to MCH practitioners and increasing their knowledge and skills. Listening to students and communities as to what their MCH public health needs are and responding with a flexible educational model provided individuals with information and tools that could be used to improve maternal and child health and reduce health disparities in rural, tribal, and underserved communities., Author(s): K. Tollestrup [sup.1] , T. Thomas [sup.1] , N. Stone [sup.1] , S. Chambers [sup.1] , P. Sedillo [sup.1] , F. Perry [sup.1] , S. Forster-Cox [sup.2] Author Affiliations: [...]

This study compares the lexical composition of 118 children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) aged 12 to 84 months with 4626 vocabulary-matched typically developing toddlers with and without language delay, aged 8 to 30 months. Children with ASD and late talkers showed a weaker noun bias. Additionally, differences were identified in the proportion of nouns and verbs, and in the semantic categories of animals, toys, household items and vehicles. Most differences appear to reflect the extent of the age differences between the groups. However, children with ASD produced fewer high-social verbs than typical talkers and late talkers, a difference that might be associated with ASD features. In sum, our findings identified areas of overlap and distinction across the developing lexical profiles., Author(s): Eva Jiménez [sup.1] , Eileen Haebig [sup.2] , Thomas T. Hills [sup.1] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.7372.1, 0000 0000 8809 1613, Department of Psychology, University of Warwick, , University Road, [...]

Climate-induced increases in tree mortality are reported for many forests worldwide. Understanding the potential effects on carbon pools requires long-term monitoring of changes in forest biomass. We measured aboveground biomass (AGB) of living trees over a 34-year period (1982-2016) in permanent plots with varying stand ages, species compositions, and topographic settings in a subalpine forest in the Colorado Front Range. Stand-level and species-level AGB varied spatially and temporally in relation to stand age, successional processes, and site moisture classification. Young (ca. 122 years) postfire stands composed of lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var. latifolia Engelm. ex S. Watson) had lower mean AGB than older (>250 years) mixed-species stands. Mesic stands had higher AGB than xeric or hydric stands of similar age. At the level of individual species, significant shifts in AGB among species were primarily explained by successional replacement of shade-intolerant pines by shade-tolerant Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii Parry ex Engelm.) and subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa (Hook.) Nutt.). The permanent plot network recorded significant shifts in species dominance and tree densities between 1982 and 2016, reflecting successional patterns developing over several centuries and the effects of recent localized windthrow, insects, and pathogens. Despite increases in tree mortality, there was a general pattern of increasing AGB across the forest. Key words: forest biomass, subalpine forest, permanent plots, forest dynamics, Colorado Front Range. On rapporte une augmentation de la mortalite des arbres en lien avec le climat dans plusieurs forets un peu partout dans le monde. Un suivi a long terme des changements dans la biomasse forestiere est necessaire pour comprendre les effets potentiels des reservoirs de carbone. Nous avons mesure la biomasse aerienne (BA) des arbres vivants pendant une periode de 34 ans (1982-2016) dans des placettes d'echantillonnage permanent representatives d'une variete d'ages, de compositions en especes et de configurations topographiques des peuplements forestiers dans une foret subalpine situee dans le Front Range du Colorado. La BA a l'echelle du peuplement et de l'espece variait dans l'espace et dans le temps en relation avec l'age du peuplement, les processus successionnels et la classification des stations basee sur l'humidite du sol. Les jeunes (~122 ans) peuplements issus de feux et composes de pin tordu latifolie (Pinus contorta var. latifolia Engelm. ex S. Watson) avaient une BA plus faible que les peuplements mixtes plus vieux (>250 ans). Les peuplements etablis sur des stations mesiques avaient une plus grande BA que les peuplements du meme age etablis sur des stations xeriques ou hydriques. A l'echelle de l'espece, d'importantes variations interspecifiques de la BA s'expliquaient principalement par le remplacement successionnel des pins intolerants a l'ombre par l'epicea d'Engelmann (Picea engelmannii Parry ex Engelm.) et le sapin subalpin (Abies lasiocarpa (Hook.) Nutt.), des essences tolerantes a l'ombre. Le reseau de placettes d'echantillonnage permanent a connu des variations importantes dans la dominance des especes et la densite des arbres de 1982 a 2016. Ces variations refletent des patrons successionnels evoluant sur plusieurs siecles ainsi que les effets recents et localises des chablis, des insectes et des pathogenes. Malgre l'augmentation de la mortalite des arbres, la tendance generale allait dans le sens d'un accroissement de la BA a travers la foret. [Traduit par la Redaction] Mots-cles : biomasse forestiere, foret subalpine, placettes d'echantillonnage permanent, dynamique forestiere, Front Range du Colorado., Introduction Recent climate-induced increases in tree mortality have been documented in forests worldwide and are likely to profoundly affect aboveground forest biomass and, therefore, carbon storage (van Mantgem et al. [...]

It remains unknown what causes inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), including signaling networks perpetuating chronic gastrointestinal inflammation in Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), in humans. According to an analysis of up to 500 patients with IBD and 100 controls, we report that key transcripts of the IL-7 receptor (IL-7R) pathway are accumulated in inflamed colon tissues of severe CD and UC patients not responding to either immunosuppressive/corticosteroid, anti- TNF, or anti-[[alpha].sub.4][[beta].sub.7] therapies. High expression of both IL7R and IL-7R signaling signature in the colon before treatment is strongly associated with nonresponsiveness to anti-TNF therapy. While in mice IL-7 is known to play a role in systemic inflammation, we found that in humans IL-7 also controlled [[alpha].sub.4][[beta].sub.7] integrin expression and imprinted gut-homing specificity on T cells. IL-7R blockade reduced human T cell homing to the gut and colonic inflammation in vivo in humanized mouse models, and altered effector T cells in colon explants from UC patients grown ex vivo. Our findings show that failure of current treatments for CD and UC is strongly associated with an overexpressed IL-7R signaling pathway and point to IL-7R as a relevant therapeutic target and potential biomarker to fill an unmet need in clinical IBD detection and treatment., Introduction Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) consists of 2 major forms, ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD), which are chronic relapsing gastrointestinal disorders characterized by chronic intestinal inflammation, dysregulated immune [...]

Studies of forest dynamics commonly assume that species composition of the seedling bank reflects the composition of the future forest canopy. However, many forest types exhibit persistent differences in relative dominance of species in the seedling bank versus the forest canopy. Species-specific differences in tree vital rates (e.g., in-growth, mortality, height growth, canopy residence time) across canopy positions may explain this discord in dominance between seedling banks and forest canopies. We tested for differences in tree vital rates for two widely distributed, coexisting species in subalpine forests of the Rocky Mountains, North America. We quantified seedling bank dynamics (>950 aged seedlings) and vital rates in permanent plots (>2500 trees) from 1982 to 2017 to determine if differences in vital rates explained the shift from seedling bank dominance by subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa (Hook.) Nutt.) to codominance of the main canopy by subalpine fir and Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii Parry ex Engelm.). Higher rates of fir recruitment into the main canopy were balanced by equally high rates of mortality, whereas spruce exhibited higher rates of net population increase and longer residence time in the main canopy. Projections of future forest trajectories from seedling bank composition can be improved by considering species-specific differences in vital rates.Key words: permanent forest plots, long-term study, forest demography, seedling bank, forest dynamics, Colorado Front Range.Les etudes portant sur la dynamique forestiere supposent generalement que la composition en especes de la banque de semis est le reflet de la composition du futur couvert forestier. Cependant, de nombreux types forestiers comportent des differences persistantes de dominance relative des especes entre la banque de semis et le couvert forestier. Les differences de taux vitaux des arbres (par exemple, le recrutement, la mortalite, la croissance en hauteur, le temps de sejour dans le couvert) entre les especes en fonction de la position dans le couvert peuvent expliquer ce desaccord de dominance entre la banque de semis et le couvert forestier. Nous avons examine les differences de taux vitaux des arbres entre deux especes coexistantes tres repandues dans les forets subalpines des montagnes Rocheuses, en Amerique du Nord. Nous avons quantifie la dynamique des banques de semis (>950 semis ages) et les taux vitaux dans des placettes permanentes (>2500 arbres) de 1982 a 2017 pour determiner si des differences de taux vitaux expliquaient le passage d'une banque de semis dominee par le sapin subalpin (Abies lasiocarpa (Hook.) Nutt.) a une codominance du couvert principal par le sapin subalpin et l'epinette d'Engelmann (Picea engelmannii Parry ex Engelm.). Le taux de recrutement plus eleve du sapin dans le couvert principal etait compense par un taux de mortalite tout aussi eleve, alors que l'epinette avait un taux plus eleve d'augmentation nette de la population et une plus longue duree de sejour dans le couvert principal. La projection des futures trajectoires forestieres a partir de la composition des banques de semis peut etre amelioree en tenant compte des differences de taux vitaux entre les especes. [Traduit par la Redaction]Mots-cles : placettes forestieres permanentes, etude a long terme, demographie forestiere, banque de semis, dynamique forestiere, Front Range du Colorado., IntroductionTree seedlings are the source of the future forest canopy. Studies of forest dynamics commonly assume that species composition of the seedling bank reflects the composition of the future forest [...]

Dystonia is a debilitating hyperkinetic movement disorder, which can be transmitted as a monogenic trait. Here, we describe homozygous frameshift, nonsense, and missense variants in TSPOAP1, which encodes the active-zone RIM-binding protein 1 (RIMBP1), as a genetic cause of autosomal recessive dystonia in 7 subjects from 3 unrelated families. Subjects carrying loss-of-function variants presented with juvenile-onset progressive generalized dystonia, associated with intellectual disability and cerebellar atrophy. Conversely, subjects carrying a pathogenic missense variant (p.Gly1808Ser) presented with isolated adult-onset focal dystonia. In mice, complete loss of RIMBP1, known to reduce neurotransmission, led to motor abnormalities reminiscent of dystonia, decreased Purkinje cell dendritic arborization, and reduced numbers of cerebellar synapses. In vitro analysis of the p.Gly1808Ser variant showed larger spike-evoked calcium transients and enhanced neurotransmission, suggesting that RIMBP1-linked dystonia can be caused by either reduced or enhanced rates of spike-evoked release in relevant neural networks. Our findings establish a direct link between dysfunction of the presynaptic active zone and dystonia and highlight the critical role played by well-balanced neurotransmission in motor control and disease pathogenesis., Introduction Dystonia is a disabling hyperkinetic movement disorder characterized by an excess of sustained, often repetitive, involuntary twisting movements, and abnormal postures (1). Dystonia, after Parkinson's disease and essential tremor, [...]

Background/Objectives: Vitamin B.sub.12 deficiency during pregnancy has been associated with increased risk of adverse perinatal outcomes. However, few studies have investigated the burden and determinants of vitamin B.sub.12 status in young infants. This study was conducted to determine the associations between maternal and infant vitamin B.sub.12 status. Subjects/Methods: Pregnant women participating in a vitamin B.sub.12 supplementation trial in Bangalore, India, were randomized to receive vitamin B.sub.12 (50 [mu]g) or placebo supplementation daily during pregnancy through 6 weeks postpartum. All women received 60 mg of iron and 500 [mu]g of folic acid daily during pregnancy, as per standard of care. This prospective analysis was conducted to determine the associations between maternal vitamin B.sub.12 biomarkers (that is, plasma vitamin B.sub.12, methylmalonic acid (MMA) and tHcy) during each trimester with infant vitamin B.sub.12 status (n=77) at 6 weeks of age. Results: At baseline ([[less-than or slanted equal to]14 weeks of gestation), 51% of mothers were vitamin B.sub.12 deficient (vitamin B.sub.120.26 [mu]mol/l); 44% of infants were vitamin B.sub.12 deficient at 6 weeks of age. After adjusting for vitamin B.sub.12 supplementation, higher vitamin B.sub.12 concentrations in each trimester were associated with increased infant vitamin B.sub.12 concentrations and lower risk of vitamin B.sub.12 deficiency in infants (P Conclusions: Impaired maternal vitamin B.sub.12 status throughout pregnancy predicted higher risk of vitamin B.sub.12 deficiency in infants, after adjusting for vitamin B.sub.12 supplementation. Future interventions are needed to improve vitamin B.sub.12 status periconceptionally, and to ensure optimal vitamin B.sub.12 status and health outcomes in pregnant women and their children., Author(s): J L Finkelstein [sup.1] [sup.2] , A V Kurpad [sup.2] [sup.3] , T Thomas [sup.4] , K Srinivasan [sup.5] [sup.6] , C Duggan [sup.2] [sup.7] Author Affiliations: (1) Division [...]

Background: Arterial stiffness may contribute to depression via cerebral microvascular damage, but evidence for this is scarce. We therefore investigated whether arterial stiffness is associated with depressive symptoms and whether cerebral small vessel disease contributes to this association. Methods: This cross-sectional study included a subset of participants from the AGES-Reykjavik study second examination round, which was conducted from 2007 to 2011. Arterial stiffness (carotid- femoral pulse wave velocity [CFPWV]), depressive symptoms (15-item geriatric depression scale [GDS-15]) and cerebral small vessel disease (MRI) were determined. Manifestations of cerebral small vessel disease included higher white matter hyperintensity volume, subcortical infarcts, cerebral microbleeds, Virchow-Robin spaces and lower total brain parenchyma volume. Results: We included 2058 participants (mean age 79.6 yr; 59.0% women) in our analyses. Higher CFPWV was associated with a higher GDS-15 score, after adjustment for potential confounders (P 0.096, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.005-0.187). Additional adjustment for white matter hyperintensity volume or subcortical infarcts attenuated the association between CFPWV and the GDS-15 score, which became nonsignificant (p > 0.05). Formal mediation tests showed that the attenuating effects of white matter hyperintensity volume and subcortical infarcts were statistically significant. Virchow-Robin spaces, cerebral microbleeds and cerebral atrophy did not explain the association between CFPWV and depressive symptoms. Limitations: Our study was limited by its cross-sectional design, which precludes any conclusions about causal mediation. Depressive symptoms were assessed by a self-report questionnaire. Conclusion: Greater arterial stiffness is associated with more depressive symptoms; this association is partly accounted for by white matter hyperintensity volume and subcortical infarcts. This study supports the hypothesis that arterial stiffness leads to depression in part via cerebral small vessel disease., Introduction Depression and depressive symptoms are frequently encountered in older individuals. (1) Depressive symptoms in older populations, even in the absence of a clinical diagnosis of depression, are associated with [...]

Climate change may inhibit tree regeneration following disturbances such as wildfire, altering post-disturbance vegetation trajectories. We implemented a field experiment to examine the effects of manipulations of temperature and water on ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Douglas ex P. Lawson & C. Lawson) and Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) seedlings planted in a low-elevation, recently disturbed setting of the Colorado Front Range. We implemented four treatments: warmed only (Wm), watered only (Wt), warmed and watered (WmWt), and control (Co). We found that measures of growth and survival varied significantly by treatment type. Average growth and survival was highest in the Wt plots, followed by the Co, WmWt, and Wm plots, respectively. This general trend was observed for both conifer species, although average growth and survival was generally higher in ponderosa pine than in Douglas-fir. Our findings suggest that warming temperatures and associated drought are likely to inhibit post- disturbance regeneration of ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir in low-elevation forests of the Colorado Front Range and that future vegetation composition and structure may differ notably from historic patterns in some areas. Our findings are relevant to other forested ecosystems in which a warming climate may similarly inhibit regeneration by dominant tree species. Key words: field experiment, tree regeneration, climate change, wildfire, ponderosa pine, open-top chambers. Les changements climatiques pourraient inhiber la regeneration des arbres a la suite de perturbations telles qu'un feu, ce qui modifierait les trajectoires de la vegetation apres une perturbation. Nous avons effectue une experience de terrain pour etudier les effets de manipulations de la temperature et de l'eau sur la croissance et la survie des semis de pin ponderosa (Pinus ponderosa Douglas ex P. Lawson & C. Lawson) et de douglas de Menzies (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) plantes a faible altitude dans un milieu recemment perturbe du Colorado Front Range (CFR). Nous avons etabli quatre traitements : rechauffement seulement (Wm), arrosage seulement (Wt), rechauffement et arrosage (WmWt) et temoin (Co). Nous avons observe que les mesures de croissance et de survie variaient significativement selon le traitement. La croissance et la survie etaient en moyenne les plus elevees dans les parcelles Wt suivies respectivement des parcelles Co, WmWt, et Wm. Cette tendance generale a ete observee chez les deux especes de conifere meme si la croissance et la survie etaient en general meilleures chez le pin ponderosa que chez le douglas de Menzies. Nos resultats indiquent que l'augmentation de la temperature et la secheresse qui y est associee vont probablement inhiber la regeneration qui suit une perturbation chez le pin ponderosa et le douglas de Menzies dans les forets du CFR situees a faible altitude et que la composition et la structure de la regeneration pourraient dans le futur etre tres differentes de la configuration historique dans certaines regions. Bien que notre etude mette l'accent sur les forets du CFR situees a faible altitude nos resultats sont pertinents pour d'autres ecosystemes forestiers oU le rechauffement du climat peut de facon similaire inhiber la regeneration des especes dominantes. [Traduit par la Redaction] Mots-cles: experience de terrain, regeneration des arbres, changement climatique, feu de foret, pin ponderosa, chambres a ciel ouvert., Introduction Recent studies of vegetation patterns following wildfire have been motivated by concern that climate change and (or) potential increases in wildfire severity may alter postfire vegetation trajectories by inhibiting [...]

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Iron in high doses or when given to non-anaemic women may have adverse effects on pregnancy outcomes. This study aimed to estimate the supplemental iron intake in non-anaemic pregnant women attending an urban antenatal care setting in South India and examine the association of supplemental iron intake with birth outcomes. SUBJECTS/METHODS: A cohort of 1196 non-anaemic pregnant women was studied. Daily supplemental iron intake was calculated as total supplemental iron consumed (mg) during pregnancy divided by the total number of days the supplement was recommended. Association of tertiles of supplemental iron intake with term low birth weight (tLBW), preterm delivery and small for gestational age (SGA) was examined using log-binomial regression, adjusting for maternal age, height, body mass index at recruitment, parity, education and type of delivery. RESULTS: Mean haemoglobin in trimester 1 was 12.4 [+ or -] 0.9 g/dl and mean supplemental iron intake was 37.7 [+ or -] 4.0 mg/day. Women in the highest tertile (> 39.2 mg/day) of supplemental iron intake had an increased risk of tLBW as compared with the lowest tertile ([less than or equal to] 36.6 mg/day) (adjusted risk ratio: 1.89; 95% confidence interval: 1.26, 2.83). Although supplemental iron intake was negatively correlated with gestational age (r = - 0.20, P < 0.001) and birth weight (r = - 0.07, P = 0.011), there was no association between preterm delivery or SGA and supplemental iron intake. CONCLUSIONS: It appears that iron supplementation in non-anaemic pregnant women may not be beneficial, as we have observed the adverse effects with a prescribed dose of 45 mg/day. This may warrant the consideration of an individualized approach for antenatal iron supplementation, especially in non-anaemic women. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2015) 69, 609-613; doi: 10.1038/ejcn.2014.248; published online 19 November 2014, INTRODUCTION Globally, it is estimated that about 40% of pregnant women are anaemic, (1) and in India this estimate is almost 60%, making it a serious public health problem. (2) [...]

Pyrazinylketene (9) and 4-pyrimidinylketene (11), identified by their IR absorption at 2128 and 2130 [cm.sup.-1], respectively, are formed in C[H.sub.3]CN as transient intermediates by photolysis of the corresponding diazoketones. The corresponding ylides 10 and 12 are formed concurrently as longer-lived intermediates identified by their distinctive IR and UV absorption. Reactions of 2-pyridylketene and of 9 and 11 with diethylamine form initial amide enol intermediates leading to dihydroheteroarene intermediates and then to amides, whereas amide enols are not observed in reactions with n-butylamine. Reactions with water give observable dihydroheteroarenes. 2,5-Bis(ketenyl)pyrazine (33) is formed by photolysis of 2,5-bis(diazoacetyl)pyrazine (32) together with the corresponding bis(ylide) 35. The latter is calculated to have two geometrically isomeric structures (bond-stretch isomers) with similar energies, one with a central six-membered aromatic ring and another with a 10-pi electron aromatic system. Key words: ketenes, cycloadditions, ylides, amination, hydration, kinetics, pyrimidines, pyrazines. Le pyrazinylcetene (9) et le 4-pyrimidinylcetene (11), identifies respectivement par leur pic d'absorption IR a 2 128 et a 2 130 [cm.sup.-1], se forment dans l'acetonitrile, comme intermediates de transition, par photolyse des diazocetones correspondantes. Les ylures correspondants 10 et 12, qui se forment simultanement comme intermediates plus durables, ont ete identifies par leurs pics d'absorption IR et UV distinctifs. Les reactions entre le 2-pyridylcetene, les composes 9 et 11 et la diethylamine forment initialement des enols d'amides intermediates, qui se transforment ensuite en dihydroheteroarenes intermediates, et enfin, en amides, tandis que l'on n'observe pas la formation d'enols d'amides dans les reactions avec la n-butylamine. Dans les reactions avec l'eau, on peut observer la formation de dihydroheteroarenes. La 2,5-bis(cetenyl)pyrazine (33) est formee par photolyse de la 2,5-bis(diazoacetyl)pyrazine (32), en meme temps que le bis(ylure) 35 correspondant. On obtient par calcul que ce dernier peut exister sous deux formes isomeriques geometriques (isomeres d'elongation) d'energies semblables, l'une etant formee d'un cycle aromatique central a six atomes et l'autre, d'un systeme aromatique a dix electrons pi. [Traduit par la Redaction] Mots-cles : cetenes, cycloadditions, ylures, amination, hydratation, cinetique, pyrimidines, pyrazines., Introduction Heteroarylketenes (1) are prominent members of the ketene family, (2,3) and we have been engaged in efforts to prepare and observe further examples of these species and to delineate [...]

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Stunting is significantly associated with lifetime morbidity and poorer cognitive outcomes in children. Although several studies have examined the relationship between stunting, catch-up growth and cognitive performance in young populations, this relationship has not yet been explored in school-aged children. In this study, we used data from three different nutritional intervention studies conducted over a 4-year period on school-age children in Bangalore, India to assess these relationships. SUBJECTS/METHODS: A battery of cognitive tests was conducted before each intervention to determine whether stunting status at baseline was related to cognitive performance across four separate domains, and repeated after a 6-month period to assess whether changes to stunting status is related to cognitive advancement. RESULTS: Results of independent t-tests showed that while stunted children had significantly poorer performance on short-term memory, retrieval ability and visuospatial ability tests (P = 0.023, 0.026 and 0.028, respectively), there was no significant difference in the change in cognitive scores following nutritional interventions over a 6-month period between those who remained stunted and those who were no longer stunted (P > 0.10). CONCLUSIONS: Evidently, stunting remains associated with cognitive ability in school-age children; however, the reversal of these effects in this age group may be quite difficult. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2014) 68, 14-18; doi: 10.1038/ejcn.2013.208; published online 30 October 2013 Keywords: stunting; height for-age Z-score; cognition; school-age children, INTRODUCTION In 2009, UNICEF reported that approximately half of all children in India are stunted, accounting for one-third of the world's stunted population. (1) Stunting, the physical manifestation of early [...]

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Although there are some studies on familial clustering of metabolic risk factors, there are few on clustering of diet and physical activity. The aim of this study was to identify the extent of familial clustering of weight status, diet and physical activity in urban and rural families in South India. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Anthropometric, dietary and physical activity data were obtained for 325 offspring aged 8-21 years and both their parents from urban and rural South India. However, 294 single offspring and their parents were used for analysis. Body mass index (BMI) was computed and individuals categorized as normal, underweight and overweight/obese. Diet was assessed using food frequency questionnaires and physical activity using physical activity questionnaires. RESULTS: Offspring BMI correlated significantly (P CONCLUSIONS: Diet, physical activity and BMI of children, adolescents and young adults in India is associated with parental behavior. Health promotion aimed at reducing obesity in these groups should address familial issues. doi: 10.1038/ejcn.2012.192;published online 12 December 2012 Keywords: diet intake; physical activity; obesity; parents; offspring, INTRODUCTION Levels of overweight and obesity are increasing in both developed and developing countries. Although individual energy intake and expenditure are the direct determinants of weight gain, attitudes and behavior [...]

After host entry through mucosal surfaces, human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) disseminates to lymphoid tissues to establish a generalized infection of the immune system. The mechanisms by which this virus spreads [...]

Background/Objectives: Few studies have shown that supplementation with micronutrients (MNs) or n-3 fatty acids may have health benefits such as reduced morbidity in schoolchildren. The effect of a combination of these nutrients has never been investigated. This study aimed to determine the effect of a combination of two different doses of MN and n-3 fatty acids on morbidity in schoolchildren in Bangalore, India. Subjects/Methods: In all 598 children (6-10 years) received foods fortified with either high (100% recommended dietary allowance) or low (15% recommended dietary allowance) MN, combined with either high (900 mg α-linolenic acid (ALA) plus 100 mg docosahexaenoic acid) or low (140 mg ALA) n-3 fatty acids for 1 year. Morbidity was measured by weekly self-reports using a structured questionnaire. Poisson regression analyses of episodes/child/year and duration/episode adjusted for age and sex were performed on clusters of symptoms, including upper and lower respiratory tract infections (URTI and LRTI), gastrointestinal complaints (GI) and general symptoms of illness to observe MN and n-3 fatty acid treatment effects. Results: Children consuming high n-3 fatty acids had significantly fewer episodes of URTI/child/year (relative risk (RR) = 0.88, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.79, 0.97) and significantly shorter duration/episode of URTI (RR = 0.81, 95% CI: 0.78, 0.85), LRTI (RR = 0.91, 95% CI: 0.85, 0.97), GI complaints (RR = 0.79, 95% CI: 0.74, 0.85) and general symptoms (RR = 0.90, 95% CI: 0.82, 0.98) compared with children who received low n-3 fatty acid intervention. The high MN intervention reduced the duration of general symptoms (RR = 0.89, 95% CI: 0.82, 0.98). Conclusion: Although n-3 fatty acids may be beneficial for reducing illness in Indian schoolchildren, more research is needed to confirm presence of combined effect with MN. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2012) 66, 452-458; doi: 10.1038/ejcn.2011.178; published online 19 October 2011 Keywords: multiple micronutrients; n-3 fatty acids; morbidity; schoolchildren, Introduction Micronutrient (MN) deficiencies have been shown to be prevalent in children in developing countries, even within urban middle class populations (Diaz et al., 2003; Srihari et al., 2007). Although [...]

Background/Objectives: To objectively measure rates of breast-feeding to infants born in a baby-friendly hospital in Bangalore, India, and to capture home-based compliance to exclusive breastfeeding (EBF). Subjects/Methods: Breast-milk (BM) and non-breast-milk (NBM) water intake were assessed in 50 mother-infant pairs using a deuterium dilution technique at months 1, 3 and 6. Results: Complementary feeding (CF) was introduced as early as 1 month among 44% of the infants, and only 14.2% remained as exclusively breastfed by month 6. Intake of BM significantly declined from 166 to 87 ml/kg/day and NBM significantly increased from 23 to 51 ml/kg/day from month 1-6 (P Conclusions: Despite intensive counseling at birth and during the immediate postnatal period in a baby-friendly hospital, early CF was observed at home. Reason for the early introduction of CF was primarily a crying infant. Home- and community-oriented approaches should be designed to address barriers and improve EBF rates. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2012) 66, 459-465; doi: 10.1038/ejcn.2011.179; published online 19 October 2011 Keywords: exclusive breastfeeding; breast-milk intake; non-breast-milk water intake; breastfeeding barriers, Introduction The WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) until 6 months of age with the introduction of complementary foods thereafter, and continued breastfeeding until 2 years of age (Kramer and Kakuma, [...]

Background/Objectives: The prevalence of iron deficiency (ID) and iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is high in India and appear unchanging over decades. To understand the persistence of these disorders, it is critical to measure iron (Fe) absorption from cereal-based Indian meals, its modulation by ID and the time-course of the response of hemoglobin (Hb) to Fe intake. Subjects/Methods: Fe absorption from rice-based meals was measured by the erythrocyte incorporation of the stable isotope label at 14 days in IDA (N = 15) and Fe replete (IR) women (N = 15). Hb level was used as surrogate for Fe status, and a response curve for Fe absorption versus the Hb level for a rice-based meal was constructed from measured data. This relations hip was used as input for a mathematical model that examined the Hb response to different Fe intakes in normal and anemic women. Results: The mean fractional Fe absorption from a rice-based meal in IR and IDA women was 2.7% and 8.3%, respectively. The model predicted that Fe intakes between 20 and 55 mg/day in low bio-availability diets would result in stable, non-anemic levels of Hb in women over a 1-year period. Conclusion: This mathematical model suggests that with a Fe intake of 20-30 mg/day and a dietary bioavailability of 3-5%, Hb concentration would hover around 12 g/dl with a variability of 0.5 g/dl in pre-menopausal adult women. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2012) 66, 481-487; doi: 10.1038/ejcn.2011.169; published online 5 October 2011 Keywords: anemia; iron deficiency; iron absorption; bio-availability; mathematical modeling; hemoglobin response, Introduction The high prevalence of iron deficiency anemia (IDA) in the Indian women has been resistant to change for decades (International Institute for Population Sciences 2006) despite programs to improve [...]

Animal migrations are important to the healthy function of many ecosystems. When biotic and abiotic cues are altered by climate change, migrations may be disrupted. Climate change has the potential to disrupt these migrations by altering habitat, changing resource availability, increasing habitat disturbance, changing phenology, and stopping migration. The act of migration (i.e., potentially travelling long distances) causes species to confront a wide range of climatic changes that make adaptation especially difficult. Future research goals should strive to obtain long-term data on migrations and better understand how--and whether--migratory species adapt to changes in climate. Future management techniques should strive to maximize the ability of the target species to adapt to climate change by providing species with more options (e.g., protecting alternative migration corridors) to react to changes in their habitat., I. INTRODUCTION II. Climate Change Effects on Animal Migration A. Habitat Alteration B. Changes in Resource A variability C. Increases in Disturbance D. Changes in Phenology E. Migration Cessation F. [...]

GANDHI AND JESUS: THE SAVING POWER OF NONVIOLENCE Terrance J. Rynne New York: Orbis Books, 2008 Paper, 228 pages, $20.00 It is a challenging task to select two great 'souls' [...]

Litter and dead wood affect important processes in forest ecosystems such as nutrient and carbon cycling and are key influences on biodiversity and fire behavior. Increased tree mortality rates in western North America associated with climate trends and increased bark beetle activity highlight the need to better understand the dynamics of litter and dead wood following tree death. For eight old-growth stands in a subalpine forest landscape in northern Colorado (USA), we compared litter and dead wood loads beneath more than 200 dead and live Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii Parry ex Engelm.), subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa (Hook.) Nutt.), and lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Douglas ex Loudon). The dynamics of litter and dead wood were analyzed using chronosequences of tree death dates over >100 years that we determined from tree rings. Immediately following tree death, high loads of litter accumulated, particularly for the biggest spruces, which accumulated 10 times more litter than live spruces (five times more for fir, two times more for pine). We estimated a higher decay rate of litter for spruce (half-life of four years) than for pine (15 years) and fir (19 years). The accumulation rates for dead wood following tree death were highly variable among trees, but maximum accumulation was attained during the first 50-60 years. Resume: La litiere et le bois mort ont des effets sur d'importants processus dans les ecosystemes forestiers tels que le recyclage des nutriments et du carbone et ils ont une influence determinante sur la biodiversite et le comportement du feu. L'augmentation du taux de mortalite des arbres dans l'ouest de l'Amerique du Nord, associee aux tendances climatiques et a l'augmentation de l'activite des scolytes, fait ressortir le besoin de mieux comprendre la dynamique de la litiere et du bois mort apres la mort des arbres. Nous avons compare la charge de litiere et de bois mort sous plus de 200 tiges, mortes et vivantes, d'epicea d'Engelmann (Picea engelmannii Parry ex Engelm.), de sapin subalpin (Abies lasiocarpa (Hook.) Nutt.) et de pin tordu (Pinus contorta Douglas ex Loudon) dans huit vieux peuplements faisant partie d'un paysage de fore t subalpine du nord du Colorado, aux E tats-Unis. La dynamique de la litiere et du bois mort a ete analysee a partir de chronosequences etablies sur plus de 100 ans en utilisant la date de la mort des arbres determinee grace aux cernes annuels. Immediatement apres la mort des arbres, des charges importantes de litiere se sont accumulees, particulierement sous les plus gros epiceas qui accumulaient 10 fois plus de litiere que les epiceas vivants (cinq fois dans le cas du sapin et deux fois plus dans le cas du pin). Nous avons estime que le taux de decomposition de la litiere etait plus eleve sous les epiceas (demi-vie de quatre ans) que sous les pins (15 ans) et les sapins (19 ans). Le taux d'accumulation du bois mort apres la mort des arbres variait enormement d'un arbre a l'autre mais l'accumulation maximum etait atteinte durant les 50-60 premieres annees. [Traduit par la Redaction], Introduction Increased rates of non-catastrophic tree mortality (i.e., background mortality), as well as catastrophic tree mortality (i.e., disturbance-induced mortality) related to regional warming appear to be occurring in western North [...]

To authenticate to the full-text of this article, please visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-954X.2010.01943.x Byline: Alexander Thomas T. Smith (*) Abstract: Abstract The rise of the Christian Right and the pro-life movement over the last fifty years has transformed US politics in general, and the Republican Party in particular. Its seemingly all-pervasive influence on contemporary US politics has commanded much social scientific attention. However, policy debates over embryonic stem cell research during the Presidency of George W. Bush exposed deep, moral fissures amongst American conservatives. As one of the most recent 'hot button' issues in America's culture wars, embryonic stem cell research appeared to energize the under-studied moderate wing of the 'Grand Old Party' (GOP), which belatedly emerged to challenge what often seems like a homogeneous and monolithic Christian Right. This paper argues that during the 109.sup.th United States Congress, moderate Republicans identified in embryonic stem cells a powerful entity around which to mobilise themselves as a set of otherwise diverse interests. This enabled them to imagine a political future for themselves in which they could successfully challenge the hegemony of the Christian Right in grassroots Republican Party politics. In states like Missouri, however, which fought a referendum on embryonic stem cell research in the 2006 midterm elections, it could be argued that emboldened GOP moderates overplayed their hand. Furthermore, a fully-formed GOP moderate counter-movement to the Christian Right failed to materialize as centrists and moderates were amongst the first to lose their seats when the Democrats reclaimed Congress at the 2006 midterms. Author Affiliation: (*)University of Huddersfield

The trade-off between exploration and exploitation is common to a wide variety of problems involving search in space and mind. The prevalence of this trade-off and its neurological underpinnings led us to propose domain-general cognitive search processes (Hills, Todd, & Goldstone, 2008). We propose further that these are consistent with the idea of a central executive search process that combines goal-handling across subgoal hierarchies. In the present study, we investigate 3 aspects of this proposal. First, the existence of a unitary central executive search process should allow priming from 1 search task to another and at multiple hierarchical levels. We confirm this by showing cross-domain priming from a spatial search task to 2 different cognitive levels within a lexical search task. Second, given the neural basis of the proposed generalized cognitive search process and the evidence that the central executive is primarily engaged during complex tasks, we hypothesize that priming should require search in the sense of a self-regulated making and testing of sequential predictions about the world. This was confirmed by showing that when participants were allowed to collect spatial resources without searching for them, no priming occurred. Finally, we provide a mechanism for the underlying search process and investigate 3 alternative hypotheses for subgoal hierarchies using the central executive as a search process model (CESP). CESP envisions the central executive as having both emergent and unitary processes, with one of its roles being a generalized cognitive search process that navigates goal hierarchies by mediating persistence on and switching between subgoals. Keywords: working memory, central executive, foraging, search, priming DOI: 10.1037/a0020666

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jml.2010.06.002 Byline: Thomas T. Hills (a), Josita Maouene (b), Brian Riordan (c), Linda B. Smith (d) Keywords: Network analysis; Age of acquisition; Child-directed speech; Free association; Contextual diversity; Word learning Abstract: Previous studies demonstrated that statistical properties of adult generated free associates predict the order of early noun learning. We investigate an explanation for this phenomenon that we call the associative structure of language: early word learning may be driven in part by contextual diversity in the learning environment, with contextual diversity in caregiver speech correlating with the cue-target structure in adult free association norms. To test this, we examined the co-occurrence of words in caregiver speech from the CHILDES database and found that a word's contextual diversity -- the number of unique word types a word co-occurs with in caregiver speech -- predicted the order of early word learning and was highly correlated with the number of unique associative cues for a given target word in adult free association norms. The associative structure of language was further supported by an analysis of the longitudinal development of early semantic networks (from 16 to 30months) using contextual co-occurrence. This analysis supported two growth processes: The lure of the associates, in which the earliest learned words have more connections with known words, and preferential acquisition, in which the earliest learned words are the most contextually diverse in the learning environment. We further discuss the impact of word class (nouns, verbs, etc.) on these results. Author Affiliation: (a) Cognitive and Decision Sciences, University of Basel, Switzerland (b) Department of Psychology, Grand Valley State University, United States (c) Aptima, Inc., United States (d) Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, United States Article History: Received 5 August 2009; Revised 4 June 2010

Background/Objectives: Helicobacter pylori infection and iron and vitamin [B.sub.12] deficiencies are widespread in economically disadvantaged populations. There is emerging evidence that H. pylori infection has a negative effect on the absorption of these micronutrients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of H. pylori infection on the efficacy of micronutrient (including iron and vitamin [B.sub.12])-fortified foods supplied for 1 year in marginally nourished children. Subjects/Methods: In all, 543 Indian children, aged 6-10 years, participated in a double-blind, randomized controlled intervention trial, receiving foods fortified with either high (100% Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA)) or low (15% RDA) amounts of iron, vitamin [B.sub.12] and other micronutrients. The presence of H. pylori infection was diagnosed by the [sup.13]C-labeled urea breath test at 11 months after the start of the intervention. Blood hemoglobin, serum ferritin (SF), total body iron and plasma vitamin [B.sub.12] were estimated at baseline and 12 months, and differences between these time points were assessed using an independent t-test. Results: Overall, the prevalence of H. pylori infection in this group of children was 79%. Baseline hemoglobin, SF, body iron and vitamin [B.sub.12] concentrations were not associated with H. pylori infection. The response to the intervention (either high or low amounts of iron and vitamin [B.sub.12] fortification) in terms of change in iron markers and vitamin [B.sub.12] status did not differ between children with and without H. pylori infection. Conclusions: This study shows that the presence of H. pylori infection did not affect the efficacy of long-term iron and vitamin [B.sub.12] fortification in these marginally nourished children. doi: 10.1038/ejcn.2010.126; published online 4 August 2010 Keywords: H. pylori infection; iron deficiency; vitamin [B.sub.12]; micronutrients; children; India, Introduction Helicobacter pylori is a Gram-negative bacterium that colonizes the gastric mucosa in humans (Parsonnet, 1998; Sarker et al, 2004). Prevalence of H. pylori infection among developing country populations is [...]

Changes in neuronal activity are accompanied by the release of vasoactive mediators that cause microscopic dilation and constriction of the cerebral microvasculature and are manifested in macroscopic blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) functional MRI (fMRI) signals. We used two-photon microscopy to measure the diameters of single arterioles and capillaries at different depths within the rat primary somatosensory cortex. These measurements were compared with cortical depth-resolved fMRI signal changes. Our microscopic results demonstrate a spatial gradient of dilation onset and peak times consistent with 'upstream' propagation of vasodilation toward the cortical surface along the diving arterioles and 'downstream' propagation into local capillary beds. The observed BOLD response exhibited the fastest onset in deep layers, and the 'initial dip' was most pronounced in layer I. The present results indicate that both the onset of the BOLD response and the initial dip depend on cortical depth and can be explained, at least in part, by the spatial gradient of delays in microvascular dilation, the fastest response being in the deep layers and the most delayed response in the capillary bed of layer I. blood flow | cortical layer | hemodynamic | imaging | somatosensory doi/ 10.1073/pnas.1006735107

The use of a mesoscale model--based four-dimensional data assimilation (FDDA) system for generating mesoscale climatographies is demonstrated. This dynamical downscaling method utilizes the fifth-generation Pennsylvania State University--National Center for Atmospheric Research Mesoscale Model (MM5), wherein Newtonian relaxation terms in the prognostic equations continually nudge the model solution toward surface and upper-air observations. When applied to a mesoscale climatography, the system is called Climate-FDDA (CFDDA). Here, the CFDDA system is used for downscaling eastern Mediterranean climatographies for January and July. The downscaling method performance is verified by using independent observations of monthly rainfall, Quick Scatterometer (QuikSCAT) ocean-surface winds, gauge rainfall, and hourly winds from near-coastal towers. The focus is on the CFDDA system's ability to represent the frequency distributions of atmospheric states in addition to time means. The verification of the monthly rainfall climatography shows that CFDDA captures most of the observed spatial and interannual variability, although the model tends to underestimate rainfall amounts over the sea. The frequency distributions of daily rainfall are also accurately diagnosed for various regions of the Levant, except that very light rainfall days and heavy precipitation amounts are overestimated over Lebanon. The verification of the CFDDA against QuikSCAT ocean winds illustrates an excellent general correspondence between observed and modeled winds, although the CFDDA speeds are slightly lower than those observed. Over land, CFDDA- and the ECMWF-derived wind climatographies when compared with mast observations show similar errors related to their inability to properly represent the local orography and coastline. However, the diurnal variability of the winds is better estimated by CFDDA because of its higher horizontal resolution. DOI: 10.1175/2009JAMC2351.1

The study attempts to evaluate the efficacy and safety of contraindicated medications like enoxaparin and eptifibatide among dialysis patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The results indicate that in many cases use of such drugs led to an increased risk of in-hospital major bleeding.

Background/Objectives: Fetal energy demands are met from the oxidation of maternally supplied glucose and amino acids. During the fasted state, the glucose supply is thought to be met by gluconeogenesis. Underweight women with low body mass index (BMI) might be unable to adequately supply amino acids to satisfy the demands of gluconeogenesis. Subjects/Methods: Glucose kinetics were measured during the first and second trimesters of pregnancy in 10 low-BMI and 10 normal-BMI pregnant women at the 12th hour of an overnight fast using a primed 6 h U-[sup.13]C glucose infusion and was correlated to maternal dietary and anthropometric variables and birth weight. Results: Low-BMI mothers consumed more energy, carbohydrates and protein, had faster glucose production ([R.sub.a]) and oxidation rates in the first trimester. In the same trimester, dietary energy and carbohydrate correlated with glucose production, glycogenolysis and glucose oxidation in all women. Both groups had similar rates of gluconeogenesis in the first and second trimesters. Glucose [R.sub.a] in the second trimester was weakly correlated with the birth weight (r = 0.4, P = 0.07). Conclusions: Maternal energy and carbohydrate intakes, not BMI, appear to influence glucose [R.sub.a] and oxidation in early and mid pregnancy. doi: 10.1038/ejcn.2009.33; published online 27 May 2009 Keywords: BMI; LBW; glucose kinetics; gluconeogenesis; glycogenolysis; pregnancy, Introduction The prevalence of low birth weight (LBW) is high in Indian babies (Chhabra et al., 2004) and is a significant contributor to neonatal morbidity and mortality (Bang et al., [...]

Background/Objectives: There is a high prevalence of diabetes mellitus associated with insulin resistance in Indian adults, probably due to an inappropriately high accumulation of body fat at lower body mass indices (BMIs, kg/[m.sup.2]), as well as to a lower skeletal muscle mass. Although skeletal muscle is an important site of glucose disposal, the strength of its association with insulin sensitivity (IS) is unknown in the Indian population. Subjects/Methods: This was a cross-sectional study performed to assess the association of body fat, muscle and muscle function with IS in 51 young, healthy, nonobese Indian men with BMI ranging from 15 to 25 kg/[m.sup.2], using hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp method. Results: The median IS was 5.32 (mg/(kg min))/([micro]U/ml), lower, upper quartile, 4.03, 6.56); (SI units: 4.25, lower, upper quartile, 3.22, 5.24 ([micro]mol/(kg min))/(pmol/I)). A multiple linear regression of the natural log transformed value of IS on BMI and body muscle mass measured as the appendicular lean soft tissue (expressed as a percentage of body weight) explained 49% of the variance in IS. Independently, body fat percent and muscle (handgrip) strength showed significant bivariate correlations with IS (p=-0.61, P Conclusions: BMI and body fat have been shown to be inversely related to IS at higher BMIs. This study indicates that a relative increase in BMI and reduced muscle mass and possibly function are also associated with reduced IS in lean Indian men. doi:10.1038/ejcn.2009.32; published online 27 May 2009 Keywords: hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp; fat mass; skeletal muscle mass; muscle function, Introduction Diabetes is a large emerging problem in India (Mohan et al., 2007). Insulin resistance (IR) in Indians as in other populations is strongly associated with measures of overall obesity [...]

Uno's reformulation of Marx's value-form theory has not been correctly understood. In highlighting the process of the emergence of money from the value expression of the commodity, not from commodity exchanges, it makes the first important step towards releasing economic theory from its bourgeois confines. In responding to Arthur's critique of the Uno School, here Sekine stresses the importance of distinguishing the supplier's value expression of the commodity from its demanders' measurement of value, in the light of which he shows that the passage from expanded to general value form, whether by Marx or by Arthur, makes no economic sense., Introduction Christopher Arthur has taken the trouble to critique the Unoist approach to value-form theory (Arthur, 2006), while celaborating on his own reformulation of Marx's seminal contribution to this important [...]

The case study of a middle-aged female teacher with a history of hypertension approaching urgent care with symptoms of chest pressure and light-headedness is analyzed. Relevant pathological tests were carried out and the condition was diagnosed as apical ballooning syndrome which closely resembles the symptoms of myocardial infarction.

Thomas M. Bloch New York: Jossey-Bass, A Wiley Imprint, 2008 Hardcover, 240 pages, $24.95 Thomas M. Bloch is the author of Stand for the Best: What I Learned after Leaving [...]

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tips.2009.05.006 Byline: Giovanni Monteleone (1), Francesco Pallone (1), Thomas T. Macdonald (2) Abstract: Cytokines have a decisive role in initiating and shaping pathologic responses in patients with various immune-inflammatory diseases. Recent studies indicate that interleukin (IL)-21, a cytokine produced mostly by activated CD4+ T cells, participates in the tissue damage in various tissues, owing to its ability to regulate the function of immune and non-immune cells. For instance, IL-21 controls the differentiation and functional activity of T cells, B cells and NK cells, limits the differentiation of inducible regulatory T cells (Tregs), and makes T cells resistant to the Treg-mediated immunesuppression. It also stimulates epithelial cells and fibroblasts to produce inflammatory mediators. Here, we focus on data supporting the pathogenic role of IL-21 in human inflammatory diseases and discuss pre-clinical studies that suggest that neutralization of IL-21 in vivo could be a new biological therapy to combat immune-mediated pathologies, such as inflammatory bowel diseases, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus. Author Affiliation: (1) Department of Internal Medicine, University of Rome 'Tor Vergata', Rome 00133, Italy (2) Institute of Cell and Molecular Science, Bart's and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, London, E1 2AT, UK

To authenticate to the full-text of this article, please visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0706.2009.17592.x Byline: Christof Bigler, Thomas T. Veblen Abstract: For trees, fast growth rates and large size seem to be a fitness benefit because of increased competitiveness, attainment of reproductive size earlier, reduction of generation times, and increased short-term survival chances. However, fast growth rates and large size entail reduced investment in defenses, lower wood density and mechanical strength, increased hydraulic resistance as well as problems with down-regulation of growth during periods of stress, all of which may decrease tree longevity. In this study, we investigated the relationship between longevity and growth rates of trees and quantified effects of spatial environmental variation (elevation, slope steepness, aspect, soil depth) on tree longevity. Radial growth rates and longevities were determined from tree-ring samples of 161 dead trees from three conifer species in subalpine forests of the Colorado Rocky Mountains (Abies lasiocarpa, Picea engelmannii) and the Swiss Alps (Picea abies). For all three species, we found an apparent tradeoff between growth rate to the age of 50 years and longevity (i.e. fast early growth is associated with decreased longevity). This association was particularly pronounced for larger P. engelmannii and P. abies, which attained canopy size, however, there were also significant effects for smaller P. engelmannii and P. abies. For the more shade-tolerant A. lasiocarpa, tree size did not have any effect. Among the abiotic variables tested only northerly aspect significantly favored longevity of A. lasiocarpa and P. engelmannii. Trees growing on south-facing aspects probably experience greater water deficits leading to premature tree death, and/or shorter life spans may reflect shorter fire intervals on these more xeric aspects. Empirical evidence from other studies has shown that global warming affects growth rates of trees over large spatial and temporal scales. For moist-cool subalpine forests, we hypothesize that the higher growth rates associated with global warming may in turn result in reduced tree longevity and more rapid turnover rates. Article History: Manuscript Accepted 23 February 2009 Article note: C. Bigler (christof.bigler@env.ethz.ch), Inst. of Terrestrial Ecosystems, Dept of Environmental Sciences, ETH Zurich, CH-8092 Zurich, Switzerland. CH and T. T. Veblen, Dept of Geography, Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80903, USA.

We studied the interaction between tRNA and three polyamine analogues (1,11-diamino-4,8-diazaundecane*4HC1 (333), 3,7,11,15-tetrazaheptadecane*4HC1 (BE-333), and 3,7,11,15,19-pentazahenicosane*5HC1 (BE-3333)) using FTIR, UV-visible, and CD spectroscopic methods. Spectroscopic evidence showed that polyamine analogues bound tRNA via guanine N7, adenine, uracil 02, and the backbone phosphate ([PO.sup.-.sub.2]) groups, while the most reactive sites for biogenic polyamines were guanine N7/06, adenine N7, uracil 02, and sugar 2'-OH groups as well as the backbone phosphate group. The binding constants of polyamine analogue -tRNA recognition were lower than those of the biogenic polyamine-tRNA complexes, with [K.sub.333] = 2.8 (±0.5) x [10.sup.4], [K.sub.BE-333] = 3.7 (±0.7) X [10.sup.4], [K.sub.BE-3333] = 4.0 (±0.9) X [10.sup.4], [K.sub.spm] = 8.7 (±0.9) x [10.sup.5], [K.sub.spd] = 6.1 (±0.7) x [10.sup.5], and [K.sub.put] = 1.0 (±0.3) x [10.sup.5] mol/L. tRNA remained in the A-family conformation; however, it aggregated at high polyamine analogue concentrations. Key words: tRNA, polyamines, preferential binding site, binding constant, DNA aggregation, DNA stability, FTIR spectroscopy. Resume : Nous avons etudie l'interaction entre l'ARNt et trois analogues de polyamines (1,11-diamino-4,8-diazaundecane*4HC1 (333), 3,7,11,15-tetrazaheptadecane*4HC1 (BE-333) et 3,7,11,15,19-pentazahenicosane*5HC1 (BE-3333)) par des methodes spectroscopiques en IRTF, en UV-visible et par DC. Les donnees spectroscopiques ont montre que les analogues de polyamines lient l'ARNt par le N7 de la guanine, l'adenine, 1'O2 de l'uracile et par les phosphate ([PO.sup.-.sub.2]) groupes du squelette, alors que les sites les plus reactifs envers les polyamines biogenes etaient le N7/06 de la guanine, le N7 de l'adenine, le 02 de l'uracile et le groupe 2'-OH du sucre ainsi que le squelette de phosphate. Les constantes de liaison des analogues de polyamines a l'ARNt etaient plus faibles que celles des polyamines biogenes : [K.sub.333] = 2,8 (± 0,5) x [10.sup.4], [K.sub.BE-333] = 3,7 (±0,7) x [10.sup.4], [K.sub.BE-3333] = 4,0 (±0,9) x [10.sup.4], [K.sub.spm] = 8,7 (±0,9) x [10.sup.5], [K.spd] = 6,1 (±0,7) x [10.sup.5] et [K.sub.put] = 1,0 (±0,3) x [10.sup.5] mol/L. L'ARNt demeurait en conformation de famille A mais il formait des agregats a haute concentration d'analogues de polyamine. Mots-cles : ARNt, polyamines, site de liaison preferentiel, constante de liaison, agregation d'ADN, stabilite d'ADN, spectroscopie IRTF. [Traduit par la Redaction], Introduction Biogenic polyamines are positively charged organic molecules present in all cells and participate in cellular functions, including gene regulation, DNA packaging, and proliferation (Pegg 1988; Thomas and Thomas 2001; [...]

Phosphoinositide (PI) lipids are intracellular membrane signaling intermediates and effectors produced by localized PI kinase and phosphatase activities. Although many signaling roles of PI kinases have been identified in cultured cell lines, transgenic animal studies have produced unexpected insight into the in vivo functions of specific PI 3- and 5-kinases, but no mammalian PI 4-kinase (PI4K) knockout has previously been reported. Prior studies using cultured cells implicated the PI4K2[alpha] isozyme in diverse functions, including receptor signaling, ion channel regulation, endosomal trafficking, and regulated secretion. We now show that despite these important functions, mice lacking PI4K2[alpha] kinase activity initially appear normal. However, adult [Pi4k2a.sup.GT/GT] animals develop a progressive neurological disease characterized by tremor, limb weakness, urinary incontinence, and premature mortality. Histological analysis of aged [Pi4k2a.sup.GT/GT] animals revealed lipofuscin-like deposition and gliosis in the cerebellum, and loss of Purkinje cells. Peripheral nerves are essentially normal, but massive axonal degeneration was found in the spinal cord in both ascending and descending tracts. These results reveal a previously undescribed role for aberrant PI signaling in neurological disease that resembles autosomal recessive hereditary spastic paraplegia. genetrap | hereditary spastic paraplegia | phosphoinositide | lipofuscin | neurodegeneration

To authenticate to the full-text of this article, please visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9280.2009.02365.x Byline: Thomas T. Hills (1), Mounir Maouene (2), Josita Maouene (3), Adam Sheya (3), Linda Smith (3) Abstract: ABSTRACT Analyses of adult semantic networks suggest a learning mechanism involving preferential attachment: A word is more likely to enter the lexicon the more connected the known words to which it is related. We introduce and test two alternative growth principles: preferential acquisition-words enter the lexicon not because they are related to well-connected words, but because they connect well to other words in the learning environment-and the lure of the associates-new words are favored in proportion to their connections with known words. We tested these alternative principles using longitudinal analyses of developing networks of 130 nouns children learn prior to the age of 30 months. We tested both networks with links between words represented by features and networks with links represented by associations. The feature networks did not predict age of acquisition using any growth model. The associative networks grew by preferential acquisition, with the best model incorporating word frequency, number of phonological neighbors, and connectedness of the new word to words in the learning environment, as operationalized by connectedness to words typically acquired by the age of 30 months. Author Affiliation: (1)Cognitive and Decision Sciences, University of Basel (2)UFR: Artificial Intelligence and Bioinformatics, ENSAT, Tangier, Morocco (3)Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University Article History: (R eceived 5/20/08; R evision accepted 11/7/08) Article note: Address correspondence to Thomas T. Hills, Cognitive and Decision Sciences, University of Basel, Switzerland, e-mail: thomas.hills@unibas.ch.