From the Cover: Ecosystem responses in the southern Caribbean Sea to global climate change

Over the last few decades, rising greenhouse gas emissions have promoted poleward expansion of the large-scale atmospheric Hadley circulation that dominates the Tropics, thereby affecting behavior of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) and North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). Expression of these changes in tropical marine ecosystems is poorly understood because of sparse observational datasets. We link contemporary ecological changes in the southern Caribbean Sea to global climate change indices. Monthly observations from the CARIACO Ocean Time-Series between 1996 and 2010 document significant decadal scale trends, including a net sea surface temperature (SST) rise of ∼1.0 ± 0.14 °C (±SE), intensified stratification, reduced delivery of upwelled nutrients to surface waters, and diminished phytoplankton bloom intensities evident as overall declines in chlorophyll a concentrations (ΔChla = −2.8 ± 0.5%⋅y⁻¹) and net primary production (ΔNPP = −1.5 ± 0.3%⋅y⁻¹). Additionally, phytoplankton taxon dominance shifted from diatoms, dinoflagellates, and coccolithophorids to smaller taxa after 2004, whereas mesozooplankton biomass increased and commercial landings of planktivorous sardines collapsed. Collectively, our results reveal an ecological state change in this planktonic system. The weakening trend in Trade Winds (−1.9 ± 0.3%⋅y⁻¹) and dependent local variables are largely explained by trends in two climatic indices, namely the northward migration of the Azores High pressure center (descending branch of Hadley cell) by 1.12 ± 0.42°N latitude and the northeasterly progression of the ITCZ Atlantic centroid (ascending branch of Hadley cell), the March position of which shifted by about 800 km between 1996 and 2009.     

Hb Grand Junction (HBB: c.348_349delinsG; p.His117IlefsX42): A New Hyperunstable Hemoglobin Variant

Hyperunstable hemoglobinopathy (HUH) [dominantly inherited β-thalassemia (β-thal)] is a relatively rare form of congenital hemolytic anemia in which mutations occur in the genes encoding for α and β chains, or both chains of the hemoglobin (Hb) molecule. We describe two Hispanic adolescents with a new unstable Hb variant (HBB: c.348_349delinsG; p.His117IlefsX42), resulting from a frameshift mutation at codons 115/116 of the β-globin gene. Both patients also have a 3.7?kb deletion on one α gene, leading to a decreased imbalance between α and β chain formation, and subsequently a milder phenotype than that seen in other hyperunstable Hb variants.     

Associations Among GABRG1, Level of Response to Alcohol, and Drinking Behaviors

Background:  Recent studies of the genetics of alcoholism have focused on a cluster of genes encoding for γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA_A) receptor subunits, which is thought to play a role in the expression of addiction phenotypes. This study examined allelic associations between 2 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the GABRG1 gene (rs1391166 and rs1497571) and alcohol phenotypes, namely level of response to alcohol, alcohol use patterns, and alcohol-related problems.
Method:  Participants were non-treatment-seeking seeking hazardous drinkers ( n  = 124) who provided DNA samples, participated in a face-to-face interview for level of response to alcohol, and completed a series of drinking and individual differences measures.
Results:  Analyses revealed that a SNP of the GABRG1 gene (rs1497571) was associated with level of response to alcohol and drinking patterns in this subclinical sample. Follow-up mediational analyses were also conducted to examine putative mechanisms underlying these associations.
Discussion:  These findings replicate and extend recent research suggesting that genetic variation at the GABRG1 locus may underlie the expression of alcohol phenotypes, including level of response to alcohol.     

A novel use of a split sheath to maintain vessel access when guidewire exchange is not possible

After inserting a catheter into a vessel, guidewire exchange technique must be used to maintain vascular access. If the lumen of the catheter is blocked and the guidewire exchange cannot be used, the catheter can only be removed, vascular access is lost, and an alternate vascular approach attempted. We describe a technique to remove the blocked catheter and still maintain vascular access. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Two-year outcome of patients treated with sirolimus- versus paclitaxel-eluting stents in an unselected population with coronary artery disease (from the REWARDS Registry)

Multiple studies comparing sirolimus-eluting stents (SES) and paclitaxel-eluting stents (PES) in patients with coronary artery disease have been performed. Despite these comparisons, it remains uncertain whether a differential in long-term efficacy and safety exists. Unselected patients treated exclusively with 1 drug-eluting stent type were enrolled in the Registry Experience at the Washington Hospital Center with Drug-Eluting Stents. There were 2,099 patients (3,766 lesions) treated with SES and 1,079 patients (1,850 lesions) treated with PES. Patients were followed at 30 days, 1 year, and 2 years for the clinical endpoints of death, myocardial infarction, target vessel revascularization, and definite and definite/probable stent thrombosis. Patients in the SES group had more dyslipidemia, history of congestive heart failure, and ostial lesions; patients treated with PES had more previous coronary artery bypass surgery, unstable angina, and type C lesions. At 2 years, unadjusted major adverse cardiac events (MACE) (22.6% vs 21.1%, p = 0.3) and target vessel revascularization (13.3% vs 11.2%, p = 0.1) were comparable. The incidence of definite stent thrombosis was higher in the SES group (1.8% vs 0.9%, p = 0.05) driven by early events. Similar results were seen after adjustment for baseline differences: MACE (hazard ratio 1.1, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.9 to 1.3, p = 0.5), definite stent thrombosis (hazard ratio 2.3, 95% CI 1.0 to 5.2, p = 0.05), and target vessel revascularization (hazard ratio 1.1, 95% CI 0.9 to 1.4, p = 0.4). The incidence and rate of late stent thrombosis (>30 days) were similar (0.7% vs 0.5%, p = 0.4 and 0.24%/year, both groups, respectively). In conclusion, no major differential in long-term safety or efficacy was detected between SES and PES; both stent types were efficacious in reducing revascularization but were limited by a small continual increase in late stent thrombosis.