bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Self-organizing motors divide active liquid droplets
Authors: Weirich Kimberly L. , Dasbiswas Kinjal , Witten Thomas A. , Vaikuntanathan Suriyanarayanan , Gardel Margaret L.
Published: August 2018

The cytoskeleton is a collection of protein assemblies that dynamically impose spatial structure in cells and coordinate processes such as cell division and mechanical regulation. Biopolymer filaments, cross-linking proteins, and enzymatically active motor proteins collectively self-organize into various precise cytoskeletal assemblies critical for specific biological functions. An outstanding question is how the precise spatial organization arises from the component macromolecules. We develop a new system to investigate simple physical mechanisms of self-organization in biological assemblies. Using a minimal set of purified proteins, we create droplets of cross-linked biopolymer filaments. Through the addition of enzymatically active motor proteins we construct composite assemblies, evocative of cellular structures such as spindles, where the inherent anisotropy drives motor self-organization and droplet deformation. These results suggest that simple physical principles underlie the self-organization in complex biological assemblies and inform bio-inspired materials design.
Negative T cell selection on non-random peptides promotes robust self-nonself discrimination
Authors: Wortel Inge M N , Keşmir Can , De Boer Rob J , Mandl Judith N , Textor Johannes
Published: August 2018

Our adaptive immune system has the remarkable ability to distinguish previously unseen foreign peptides from harmless self. This self-foreign discrimination was long thought to arise from the silencing of self-reactive T cells during negative selection in the thymus, but recent data show that negative selection is far from complete. Here we ask how a repertoire containing many self-reactive T cells can nevertheless discriminate self from foreign. We address this question using realistic-scale computational models of the T cell repertoire. Our models show that moderate T cell cross-reactivity automatically skews the post-selection repertoire towards peptides that differ systematically from self. But even when no systematic differences between self and foreign exist, discrimination remains possible if the peptides presented in the thymus are chosen in a way that minimizes the co-occurrence of similar, redundant self peptides. Thus, our model predicts that negative selection on a well-chosen subset of self peptides biases the resulting repertoire towards better detection of both self-similar and -dissimilar pathogens. This effect would allow the immune system to "learn self by example", an ability shared with cognitive systems.
Population based hospitalization burden of laboratory-confirmed hand, foot and mouth disease caused by multiple enterovirus serotypes in southern China
Authors: Yu Shuanbao , Liao Qiaohong , Zhou Yonghong , Hu Shixiong , Chen Qi , Luo Kaiwei , Chen Zhenhua , Luo Li , Huang Wei , Dai Bingbing , He Min , Liu Fengfeng , Qiu Qi , Ren Lingshuang , van Doorn H. Rogier , Yu Hongjie
Published: August 2018

Background

Hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) is spread widely across Asia, and the hospitalization burden is as yet not well understood. Here, we estimated serotype-specific and age-specific hospitalization rates of HFMD in Southern China.

Methods

We enrolled pediatric patients admitted to 3/3 county-level hospitals and 3/23 township level hospitals in Anhua county, Hunan (CN) with HFMD, and collected samples to identify enterovirus serotypes by RT-PCRs between October 2013 and September 2016. The information of other eligible but un-enrolled patients were retrospectively collected from the same six hospitals. Monthly number of hospitalizations for all causes was collected from each of 23 township level hospitals to extrapolate hospitalizations associated with HFMD among these.

Results

During the three years, an estimated 3,236 pediatric patients were hospitalized with lab-confirmed HFMD, and among these only one patient was severe. The mean hospitalization rates were 660 (95% CI: 638-684) per 100,000 person-years for lab-confirmed HFMD, with higher rates among CV-A16 and CV-A6 associated HFMD (213 vs 209 per 100,000 person-years), and lower among EV-A71, CV-A10 and other enteroviruses associated HFMD (134, 39 and 66 per 100,000 person-years,p<0.001). Children aged 12-23 months had the highest hospitalization rates (3,594/100,000 person-years), followed by those aged 24-35 months (1,828/100,000 person-years) and 6-11 months (1,572/100,000 person-years). Compared with other serotypes, CV-A6-associated hospitalizations were evident at younger ages.

Conclusions

Our study indicates a substantial hospitalization burden associated with non-severe HFMD in a rural county in southern China. Future mitigation policies should take into account the disease burden identified, and optimize interventions for HFMD.
The Evolutionary History of the Orexin/Allatotropin GPCR Family: From Placozoa and Cnidaria to Vertebrata
Authors: María Eugenia Alzugaray , María Cecilia Bruno , María José Villalobos Sambucaro , Rafael Ronderos Jorge
Published: August 2018

Cell-cell communication is a basic principle in all organisms, necessary to facilitate the coordination and integration between cell populations. These systems act by mean of chemical messengers. Peptides constitute a highly diversified group of intercellular messengers widely distributed in nature, and regulate a great number of physiological processes in Metazoa. Being crucial for life, it would seem that they have appeared in the ancestral group from which Metazoa evolved, and were highly conserved along the evolutionary process. Peptides act mainly through G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs), a great family of transmembrane molecules. GPCRs are also widely distributed in nature being present not only in metazoan, but also in Choanoflagellata (unicellular eukariotes related with metazoans), and even in Fungi. Among GPCRs, the Allatotropin/Orexin (AT/Ox) family is particularly characterized by the presence of the DRWmotif in the second intracellular loop (IC Loop 2), and seems to be present in Cnidaria, Placozoa and in Bilateria, suggesting that it also was present in the common ancestor of Metazoa. Looking for the evolutionary history of this GPCR family we searched in the GenBank for sequences corresponding to this family of receptors (i.e. seven transmembrane domain and the E/DRW motif at the second IC Loop 2). Our results show that AT/Ox receptors were highly conserved along evolutionary history of Metazoa, and that they might be defined by the presence of the E/DRWYAI motif at the level of IC Loop 2. Molecular phylogenetic analyses performed by Maximum Likelihood method suggest that AT/Ox family of receptors reflects evolutionary relationships that agree with current understanding of phylogenetic relationships in Actinopterygii and Sauropsida, including also the largely discussed position of Testudines.
Structure of the Fc fragment of the NIST reference antibody RM8671
Authors: Gallagher D. Travis , Galvin Connor V. , Karageorgos Ioannis
Published: August 2018

As the link between antigen binding and immune activation, the antibody Fc region has received extensive structural study. In this report, the structure of the Fc fragment of the NIST IgG1 mAb (reference material 8671) is described at 2.1 Å resolution in space group P212121, with approximate unit-cell parameters a = 50, b = 80, c = 138 Å. Prior Fc structures with a wide variety of modifications are also surveyed, focusing on those in the same crystal form. To facilitate the analysis of conformations, a reference frame and a two-parameter metric are proposed, considering the CH2 domains as mobile with respect to a fixed dimeric CH3 core. Over several human Fc structures, a significant variation in Fc elbow conformations is observed, which may serve to facilitate the regulation of Fc effector signaling.
Evaluation of industry cluster competitiveness: a quantitative approach
Authors: Bhawsar Pragya , Chattopadhyay Utpal
Published: August 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide a quantitative approach to measure industry clusters competitiveness.

Design/methodology/approach

An attempt has been made to construct a composite indicator backed up by a conceptually grounded framework, by means of Analytical Hierarchical Process technique. Four industry clusters from auto sector in India are chosen for manifestation of the methodology.

Findings

The proposed methodology sufficiently emphasises on the order of significance of the factors/indicators that make a cluster competitive. The study demonstrates the comparative competitiveness performance of four select industry clusters from India.

Research limitations/implications

The methodology only focusses on auto clusters from India, application of the model/methodology needs to be extended to other set of industries that follows tier structure, or belong to other developing nations to corroborate the findings.

Practical implications

The proposed approach is a useful tool to provide guidance to policy-makers and in monitoring industry clusters progress.

Originality/value

The paper offers an empirical approach for measuring competitiveness of industry clusters. So far there has been only a minuscule research on cluster competitiveness using empirical methods specifically in case of developing countries like India. Because of the heterogeneity of actors in industry clusters and absence of cluster relevant databases, its performance has been mostly captured via means of case studies. This study is one of its kind that renders comparison of competitiveness across industry clusters by combining secondary data with the perception of cluster actors.
How customer orientation enhances salespeople’s performance? A case study from an international market
Authors: Abu ELSamen Amjad , Akroush Mamoun N.
Published: August 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the mediating role of salespeople’s customer orientation on the relationship between sales manager personal characteristics, fellow salespeople’s characteristics, job satisfaction and adaptive selling and salespeople’s performance in the insurance industry in Jordan.

Design/methodology/approach

A structured and self-administered survey was employed targeting 500 insurance salespeople working at insurance companies operating in Jordan. The final sample size was 320 salespeople representing a response rate of 64 percent. A Confirmatory factor analysis was used to assess the research constructs dimensions, unidimensionality, validity and composite reliability. Structural path analysis was also used to test the hypothesized relationships of the research model.

Findings

The empirical findings indicate that salespeople’s customer orientation fully mediates the effect of fellow salespeople’s characteristics and adaptive selling on salespeople’s performance. Sales managers’ personal characteristics have a direct effect on salespeople’s performance, contrary to job satisfaction that had no effect on salespeople’s performance.

Research limitations/implications

This paper has examined only five factors that affected directly and indirectly salespeople’s performance; meanwhile other factors may affect their performance, such as salespeople experience, internal marketing and corporate image. Additionally, the fact that paper’s sample consisted only of insurance salespeople working at insurance companies limits its generalization potential to other industries.

Practical implications

The findings emphasize the importance of fostering good relationships among fellow salespeople’s characteristics and adaptive selling strategies. Further, sales managers’ personal characteristics directly affecting salespeople’s performance signifies the importance to hire managers with the right personal approach.

Originality/value

This paper represents one of the early attempts that investigate factors affecting salespeople’s performance through the mediating role of customer orientation. Accordingly, the findings shed more light into the strategic role of this construct in enhancing salespeople’s performance. Also, the paper is the first of its kind to build and examine an integrated model of salespeople’s performance in the insurance market of Jordan, which provides valuable empirical evidence concerning the drivers of salespeople’s performance in the insurance industry in Jordan.
The impact of CEO arrogance on top management team attitudes
Authors: Toscano Roberta , Price Gavin , Scheepers Caren
Published: August 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to test the effects of CEO arrogance on key attitudes of a company’s top management team (TMT).

Design/method/approach

An experimental design involving a business simulation is used to test the effects of a CEO’s perceived arrogance and humility on the TMT in a boardroom setting.

Findings

The study finds that, as predicted, arrogant CEOs adversely impacts TMT engagement, cohesiveness, collaboration and consensual decision-making. Thus, the higher the level of CEO arrogance, the lower the levels of positive TMT attitudes. The study intriguingly also finds that CEOs who displayed humility also negatively influenced the attitudes of the TMT.

Research limitations/implications

The study took place in South Africa, which may limit the generalizability of the findings. The use of a laboratory experiment may affect the ecological validity of the findings.

Practical implications

The results demonstrate that a “Goldilocks” area of neutrality between arrogance and humility should be sought after by CEOs and recruiters of CEOs. If this is impossible, humble CEOs are preferable to arrogant ones.

Originality/value

This paper empirically demonstrates that arrogant leaders negatively impact their TMT followers in a boardroom environment across a number of attitudes that are keys to the success of effectively managing a corporation. The study also demonstrates that moderation is desired by followers and that CEOs being perceived as overly humble is almost as bad as being perceived as arrogant.
Additive manufacturing technology: mapping social impacts
Authors: Matos Florinda , Jacinto Celeste
Published: August 2018

Purpose

Recent developments in additive manufacturing (AM) technology have emphasized the issue of social impacts. However, such effects are still to be determined. So, the purpose of this paper is to map the social impacts of AM technology.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodological approach applied in this study combines a literature review with computer-aided content analysis to search for keywords related to social impacts. The content analysis technique was used to identify and count the relevant keywords in academic documents associated with AM social impacts.

Findings

The study found that AM technology social impacts are still in an exploratory phase. Evidence was found that several social challenges of AM technology will have an influence on the society. The topics associated with fabrication, customization, sustainability, business models and work emerged as the most relevant terms that can act as “pointers” to social impacts.

Research limitations/implications

The research on this subject is strongly conditioned by the scarcity of empirical experience and, consequently, by the scarcity of data and publications on the topic.

Originality/value

This study gives an up-to-date contribution to the topic of AM social impacts, which is still little explored in the literature. Moreover, the methodological approach used in this work combines bibliometrics with computer-aided content analysis, which also constitutes a contribution to support future literature reviews in any field. Overall, the results can be used to improve academic research in the topic and promote discussion among the different social actors.
How “care values” as discursive practices effect the ethics of a care-setting
Authors: Moreau Jeannine Therese , Rudge Trudy
Published: August 2018

Purpose

This paper examines how certain care values permeate, legitimize and authorize hospitalized-older-adults’ care, technologies and practices. The purpose of this paper is to expose how values are not benign but operate discursively establishing “orders of worth” with significant effect on the ethics of the care-setting.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper draws from a discursive ethnography to see “up close” on a surgical unit how values influence nurse/older-adult-patient care occasions in the domain of older-adults and functional decline. Data are from participant observations, conversations, interviews, chart reviews and reviewed literature. Foucauldian discursive analytics rendered values recognizable and analyzable as discursive practices. Discourse is a social practice of knowledge production constituting and giving meaning to what it represents.

Findings

Analysis reveals how care values inhere discourses like measurement, efficiency, economics, risk and functional decline (loss of capacity for independent living) pervading care technologies and practices, subjugating older adults’ bodies to techniques, turning older persons into measurable objects of knowledge. These values determine social conditions of worth, objectifying, calculating, normalizing and homogenizing what it means to be old, ill and in hospital.

Originality/value

Seven older adult patients and attendant nurses were followed for their entire hospitalization. The ethnography renders visible how care values as discursive practices rationalize the social order and operations of everyday care. Analytic outcomes offer insights of how dominant care values enabled care technologies and practices to govern hospitalized-older-adults as a population to be ordered, managed and controlled, eliding possibilities of engaging humanistic patient-centered care.
An experimental investigation of top–down effects of consumer diversity on producer temporal stability
Authors: Valone Thomas J. , Balaban‐Feld Jesse
Published: August 2018

In multitrophic systems, the diversity of consumers can affect the abundances and temporal stability of the species they consume via ‘top‐down’ effects. However, little is known about how variation in consumer functional diversity affects the temporal stability of aggregate producer communities.

We use data from a long‐term experiment to determine how variation in rodent granivore functional richness affected the temporal stability of the annual plant communities whose seeds they consume. Experimental plots excluded either all granivorous rodents, just large‐bodied kangaroo rat granivores, or no rodents.

Over the 11‐year period studied, reductions in rodent granivory resulted in higher annual plant community abundance and higher abundance of exotic Erodium cicutarium, but lower annual plant species richness and diversity. However, there was no effect of the consumer experimental treatments on annual plant community temporal stability.

Synthesis. The loss of consumers from an ecosystem need not necessarily destabilize the producer community, even when loss of consumers results in reduced producer richness and diversity.
Climate and leaf traits, not latitude, explain variation in plant–herbivore interactions across a species' range
Authors: Loughnan Deirdre , Williams Jennifer L.
Published: August 2018

Spatial variation in abiotic and biotic factors creates local contexts that influence the intensity of plant–herbivore interactions. Some previous studies have accounted for the complexity of these interactions with latitudinal clines, while the absence of such clines in many other systems suggests other, often unknown, local community factors may instead explain the variation in herbivory across populations.

We investigated plant–herbivore interactions across the entire range of a long‐lived tree (Quercus garryana), evaluating the relative importance of climate, latitude, population size, and insect feeding guilds in determining leaf phenotype and the extent and variation in insect herbivory. In this ecosystem, rain shadows create a nonlinear relationship between climate and latitude, allowing us to disentangle the effects of environmental factors. By performing similar analyses on trees grown in a common garden, we were able to assess the relative importance of environmental factors to leaf defence traits and herbivory.

Total herbivory varied significantly among populations, and was best explained by variation in spring precipitation, leaf traits, and tree population size, but not latitude. The relative importance of each of these factors changed over the growing season and with insect feeding guild. Conversely, damage in the common garden did not vary among trees from different origins when grown in a constant environment, leading us to believe variation in damage in natural populations is more likely the result of the local environments.

Leaf traits (trichome density and specific leaf area) varied significantly among populations, but neither showed an effect of latitude. Variation in both traits was best explained by tree size, and seasonal temperatures or precipitation. We found no variation in insect diversity among field populations, but abundance varied with mean summer precipitation and population size.

Synthesis. Seasonal precipitation consistently explained the geographical variation in the extent of herbivory to Q.  garryana, while latitude and winter temperatures, factors that are commonly associated with latitudinal gradients in the intensity of species interactions, did not. Our findings highlight the importance of local climates and functional traits in shaping biotic interactions and intraspecific variation in plant–insect interactions across large spatial scales.
Nitrite and nitrate chemical biology and signalling
Authors: DeMartino Anthony W , Kim‐Shapiro Daniel B. , Patel Rakesh P , Gladwin Mark T
Published: August 2018

Inorganic nitrate (NO3−), nitrite (NO2−) and NO are nitrogenous species with a diverse and interconnected chemical biology. The formation of NO from nitrate and nitrite via a reductive ‘nitrate–nitrite–NO’ pathway and resulting in vasodilation is now an established complementary route to traditional NOS‐derived vasodilation. Nitrate, found in our diet and abundant in mammalian tissues and circulation, is activated via reduction to nitrite predominantly by our commensal oral microbiome. The subsequent in vivo reduction of nitrite, a stable vascular reserve of NO, is facilitated by a number of haem‐containing and molybdenum‐cofactor proteins. NO generation from nitrite is enhanced during physiological and pathological hypoxia and in disease states involving ischaemia–reperfusion injury. As such, modulation of these NO vascular repositories via exogenously supplied nitrite and nitrate has been evaluated as a therapeutic approach in a number of diseases. Ultimately, the chemical biology of nitrate and nitrite is governed by local concentrations, reaction equilibrium constants, and the generation of transient intermediates, with kinetic rate constants modulated at differing physiological pH values and oxygen tensions.

Linked Articles

This article is part of a themed section on Nitric Oxide 20 Years from the 1998 Nobel Prize. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v176.2/issuetoc
Depressive symptoms, frailty, and adverse outcomes among kidney transplant recipients
Authors: Konel Jonathan M. , Warsame Fatima , Ying Hao , Haugen Christine E. , Mountford Alexandra , Chu Nadia M. , Crews Deidra C. , Desai Niraj M. , Garonzik‐Wang Jacqueline M. , Walston Jeremy D. , Norman Silas P. , Segev Dorry L. , McAdams‐DeMarco Mara A.
Published: August 2018

Depressive symptoms and frailty are each independently associated with morbidity and mortality in kidney transplant (KT) recipients. We hypothesized that having both depressive symptoms and frailty would be synergistic and worse than the independent effect of each. In a multicenter cohort study of 773 KT recipients, we measured the Fried frailty phenotype and the modified 18‐question Center for Epidemiologic Studies‐Depression Scale (CES‐D). Using adjusted Poisson regression and survival analysis, we tested whether depressive symptoms (CES‐D score > 14) and frailty were associated with KT length of stay (LOS), death‐censored graft failure (DCGF), and mortality. At KT admission, 10.0% of patients exhibited depressive symptoms, 16.3% were frail, and 3.6% had both. Recipients with depressive symptoms were more likely to be frail (aOR = 3.97, 95% CI: 2.28‐6.91, P < 0.001). Recipients with both depressive symptoms and frailty had a 1.88 times (95% CI: 1.70‐2.08, P < 0.001) longer LOS, 6.20‐fold (95% CI:1.67‐22.95, P < 0.01) increased risk of DCGF, and 2.62‐fold (95% CI:1.03‐6.70, P = 0.04) increased risk of mortality, compared to those who were nonfrail and without depressive symptoms. There was only evidence of synergistic effect of frailty and depressive symptoms on length of stay (P for interaction < 0.001). Interventions aimed at reducing pre‐KT depressive symptoms and frailty should be explored for their impact on post‐KT outcomes.
Antibody‐mediated rejection implies a poor prognosis in kidney transplantation: Results from a single center
Authors: Ciancio Gaetano , Gaynor Jeffrey J. , Guerra Giselle , Sageshima Junichiro , Roth David , Chen Linda , Kupin Warren , Mattiazzi Adela , Tueros Lissett , Ruiz Phillip , Vianna Rodrigo , Burke George W.
Published: August 2018

Two major barriers to achieving long‐term graft survival include patient nonadherence in taking the prescribed immunosuppression and antibody‐mediated rejection(AMR). We were therefore interested in determining the prognostic impact of developing an AMR component to rejection in a prospective randomized trial of 200 kidney transplant recipients who received dual induction therapy (rATG combined with either daclizumab or alemtuzumab) and planned early corticosteroid withdrawal. With a median follow‐up of 96 months post‐transplant, 40/200 developed a first BPAR; 9/200 developed a second BPAR. An AMR component to rejection was observed in 70% (28/40) of cases. Percentages having C4d deposition, histopathologic evidence of acute AMR, and presence of DSAs/non‐DSAs at the time of first developing the AMR component were 64.3% (18/28), 60.7% (17/28), and 53.6% (15/28), respectively. Development of an AMR component was associated with a significantly higher death‐censored graft failure rate following rejection in comparison with the patient state of experiencing BPAR but without developing an AMR component (estimated hazard ratio: 4.52, P = 0.01). The observed percentage developing graft failure following development of an AMR component was 53.6% (15/28) vs only 20.0%(3/15) if it was not observed. Actuarial death‐censored graft survival at 60 months following development of an AMR component was 28.3 ± 11.9%. In summary, it appears that more effective AMR prevention/treatment strategies are warranted.
Is chronic lymphocytic inflammation with pontine perivascular enhancement responsive to steroids (CLIPPERS) in children the same condition as in adults?
Authors: Sa Mario , Green Lydia , Abdel‐Mannan Omar , Chong W K Kling , Jacques Thomas , Clarke Antonia , Childs Anne‐Marie , Lim Ming , Hemingway Cheryl , Hacohen Yael
Published: August 2018

This case series describes three children with chronic lymphocytic inflammation with pontine perivascular enhancement responsive to steroids (CLIPPERS), an inflammatory condition characterized by a relapsing–remitting disease course responsive to steroids. The patients (two males, age 3y and 13y; one female, age 14y) presented with ataxia, dysarthria, and multiple cranial neuropathies. All patients demonstrated bilateral nodular lesions with contrast enhancement in the brainstem and cerebellum on magnetic resonance imaging, and perivascular lymphocytes and macrophages infiltrates on brain biopsies. Despite an initially good response to corticosteroids, all patients eventually became steroid‐dependent or ‐resistant, with frequent relapses on maintenance immunosuppressive therapy. Natalizumab and intravenous immunoglobulin stopped neurological disease progression in Patient 1 but he died at 17 years from respiratory complications. Patient 2 went into remission on infliximab and intravenous methylprednisolone for several months but was then diagnosed with Epstein–Barr virus driven B‐cell lymphoma 3 years after symptom onset. Patient 3 failed to respond to treatment and died 4 years after diagnosis. CLIPPERS disease in children is aggressive, with poor response to immunotherapy. Earlier use of newer immunotherapeutic agents such as natalizumab may be beneficial. Potential side effects need to be considered carefully.

What this paper adds

Paediatric chronic lymphocytic inflammation with pontine perivascular enhancement responsive to steroids (CLIPPERS) appears a more severe condition than previously reported in adults.

Aggressive treatment before neuroaxonal loss may be required for a better outcome.
Migratory monarchs that encounter resident monarchs show life‐history differences and higher rates of parasite infection
Authors: Satterfield Dara A. , Maerz John C. , Hunter Mark D. , Flockhart D.T. Tyler , Hobson Keith A. , Norris D. Ryan , Streit Hillary , de Roode Jacobus C. , Altizer Sonia
Published: August 2018

Environmental change induces some wildlife populations to shift from migratory to resident behaviours. Newly formed resident populations could influence the health and behaviour of remaining migrants. We investigated migrant–resident interactions among monarch butterflies and consequences for life history and parasitism. Eastern North American monarchs migrate annually to Mexico, but some now breed year‐round on exotic milkweed in the southern US and experience high infection prevalence of protozoan parasites. Using stable isotopes (δ2H, δ13C) and cardenolide profiles to estimate natal origins, we show that migrant and resident monarchs overlap during fall and spring migration. Migrants at sites with residents were 13 times more likely to have infections and three times more likely to be reproductive (outside normal breeding season) compared to other migrants. Exotic milkweed might either attract migrants that are already infected or reproductive, or alternatively, induce these states. Increased migrant–resident interactions could affect monarch parasitism, migratory success and long‐term conservation.
Phase‐amplitude coupling between interictal high‐frequency activity and slow waves in epilepsy surgery
Authors: Motoi Hirotaka , Miyakoshi Makoto , Abel Taylor J. , Jeong Jeong‐Won , Nakai Yasuo , Sugiura Ayaka , Luat Aimee F. , Agarwal Rajkumar , Sood Sandeep , Asano Eishi
Published: August 2018

Objective

We hypothesized that the modulation index (MI), a summary measure of the strength of phase‐amplitude coupling between high‐frequency activity (>150 Hz) and the phase of slow waves (3‐4 Hz), would serve as a useful interictal biomarker for epilepsy presurgical evaluation.

Methods

We investigated 123 patients who underwent focal cortical resection following extraoperative electrocorticography recording and had at least 1 year of postoperative follow‐up. We examined whether consideration of MI would improve the prediction of postoperative seizure outcome. MI was measured at each intracranial electrode site during interictal slow‐wave sleep. We compared the accuracy of prediction of patients achieving International League Against Epilepsy class 1 outcome between the full multivariate logistic regression model incorporating MI in addition to conventional clinical, seizure onset zone (SOZ), and neuroimaging variables, and the reduced logistic regression model incorporating all variables other than MI.

Results

Ninety patients had class 1 outcome at the time of most recent follow‐up (mean follow‐up = 5.7 years). The full model had a noteworthy outcome predictive ability, as reflected by regression model fit R2 of 0.409 and area under the curve (AUC) of receiver operating characteristic plot of 0.838. Incomplete resection of SOZ (P < 0.001), larger number of antiepileptic drugs at the time of surgery (P = 0.007), and larger MI in nonresected tissues relative to that in resected tissue (P = 0.020) were independently associated with a reduced probability of class 1 outcome. The reduced model had a lower predictive ability as reflected by R2 of 0.266 and AUC of 0.767. Anatomical variability in MI existed among nonepileptic electrode sites, defined as those unaffected by magnetic resonance imaging lesion, SOZ, or interictal spike discharges. With MI adjusted for anatomical variability, the full model yielded the outcome predictive ability of R2 of 0.422, AUC of 0.844, and sensitivity/specificity of 0.86/0.76.

Significance

MI during interictal recording may provide useful information for the prediction of postoperative seizure outcome.
Good vibrations: Itch induction by whole body vibration exercise without the need of a pruritogen
Authors: Mueller Simon , Fischer Marilena , Herger Simon , Nüesch Corina , Egloff Christian , Itin Peter , Cajacob Lucian , Brandt Oliver , Mündermann Annegret
Published: August 2018

Mechanically induced itch is an important cofactor in many patients with chronic itch. However, studying mechanical itch in a controlled environment is challenging because it is difficult to evoke. We investigated the use of whole body vibration (WBV) exercise, a training method used for musculoskeletal rehabilitation, to experimentally evoke mechanical itch. Mild to severe itch ascending from the soles to the groins was evoked in 16 of 20 healthy participants. We observed a characteristic on/off itch crescendo pattern reflecting the alternating intervals of vibration and no vibration. Wheals or an angioedema was absent, and serum mast cell tryptase was not increased by the exercise. Participants described the evoked sensation primarily as “itching” with some nociceptive components. Itch intensity correlated with the intensity of a concomitant erythema (R = 0.45, P = 0.043) and with the rise in skin temperature (R = 0.54, P = 0.017). Hence, WBV can be used as an easily applicable, noninvasive, investigator‐ and user‐friendly framework for studying mechanical itch. Moreover, WBV allows to “switch itch on and off” rapidly and to simultaneously study interactions between itch, skin blood flow and skin temperature.
Thresholds and drivers of coral calcification responses to climate change
Authors: Kornder Niklas A. , Riegl Bernhard M. , Figueiredo Joana
Published: August 2018

Increased temperature and CO2 levels are considered key drivers of coral reef degradation. However, individual assessments of ecological responses (calcification) to these stressors are often contradicting. To detect underlying drivers of heterogeneity in coral calcification responses, we developed a procedure for the inclusion of stress–effect relationships in ecological meta‐analyses. We applied this technique to a dataset of 294 empirical observations from 62 peer‐reviewed publications testing individual and combined effects of elevated temperature and pCO2 on coral calcification. Our results show an additive interaction between warming and acidification, which reduces coral calcification by 20% when pCO2 levels exceed 700 ppm and temperature increases by 3°C. However, stress levels varied among studies and significantly affected outcomes, with unaffected calcification rates under moderate stresses (pCO2 ≤ 700 ppm, ΔT < 3°C). Future coral reef carbon budgets will therefore depend on the magnitude of pCO2 and temperature elevations and, thus, anthropogenic CO2 emissions. Accounting for stress–effect relationships enabled us to identify additional drivers of heterogeneity including coral taxa, life stage, habitat, food availability, climate, and season. These differences can aid reef management identifying refuges and conservation priorities, but without a global effort to reduce CO2 emissions, coral capacity to build reefs will be at risk.
Contemporary breeding biology of critically endangered Regent Honeyeaters: implications for conservation
Authors: Crates Ross , Rayner Laura , Stojanovic Dejan , Webb Matthew , Terauds Aleks , Heinsohn Robert
Published: August 2018

Identifying factors influencing the demographics of threatened species is essential for conservation, but a lack of comprehensive demographic data often impedes the effective conservation of rare and mobile species. We monitored breeding of critically endangered and semi‐nomadic Regent Honeyeaters Anthochaera phrygia (global population c. 100 pairs) over 3 years throughout their range. Overall nest success probability (0.317) was highly spatially variable and considerably lower than previous estimates for this (and many other honeyeater) species, as was productivity of successful nests (mean 1.58 juveniles fledged). Nest surveillance revealed high predation rates by a range of birds and arboreal mammals as the primary cause of nest failure. An estimated 12% of pairs either failed to establish a territory or their nests did not reach the egg stage. We also found a male bias to the adult sex ratio, with an estimated 1.18 males per female. Juvenile survival for the first 2 weeks after fledging was high (86%). Management interventions that aim to increase nest success in areas of low nest survival must be investigated to address an apparent decline in reproductive output and avoid extinction of the Regent Honeyeater. We show that temporal and spatial variation in the breeding success of rare and highly mobile species can be quantified with robust population monitoring using sampling regimens that account for their life histories. Understanding the causes of spatio‐temporal variation in breeding success can enhance conservation outcomes for such species through spatially and temporally targeted recovery actions.
The roles of TNFAIP2 in cancers and infectious diseases
Authors: Jia Lin , Shi Yundong , Wen Yi , Li Wei , Feng Jing , Chen Ceshi
Published: August 2018

TNFα‐induced protein 2 (TNFAIP2) is a primary response gene of TNFα. TNFAIP2 is highly expressed in immune cells and the urinary bladder. The expression of TNFAIP2 is regulated by multiple transcription factors and signalling pathways, including NF‐κB, KLF5 and retinoic acid. Physiologically, TNFAIP2 appears to be a multiple functional mediator not only for inflammation, angiogenesis and tunneling nanotube (TNT) formation but also as a regulator of cell proliferation and migration. The expression of TNFAIP2 is frequently abnormal in human cancers and in infectious diseases. Due to its significant functions in cell proliferation, angiogenesis, migration and invasion, TNFAIP2 could be a potential diagnostic biomarker and therapeutic target for cancer.
Radiation effects on Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae) reproductive behaviour
Authors: Krüger Alexandra P. , Schlesener Daniele C. H. , Martins Liliane N. , Wollmann Jutiane , Deprá Maríndia , Garcia Flávio R. M.
Published: August 2018

Female remating is a widespread behaviour, reported in several insect species. This behaviour can affect the efficiency of sterile insect technique (SIT); however, little is known about the postcopulatory behaviour of some pest species considered as candidates to be controlled by this technique, such as Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura, 1931) (Diptera: Drosophilidae). In this study, we investigated the effects of male and female sterilization on mating and remating behaviour of D. suzukii. First, we tested the occurrence of multiple mating in different combinations between sterile and fertile males and females. Then, we tested the effects of male and female sterility on female propensity to mate and remate. We found an overall low remating rate by D. suzukii females. Male sterility did not influence mating and remating likelihood; however, copula duration of sterile males was shorter compared to fertile males. On the other hand, sterile females were less likely to mate. Our findings encourage further research regarding the use of SIT to control D. suzukii.
A qualitative exploration of patients’ experiences with and perceptions of recommencing feeding after colorectal surgery
Authors: Rattray M. , Marshall A. P. , Desbrow B. , Roberts S.
Published: August 2018

Background

Many patients who undergo lower gastrointestinal surgery neither recommence feeding within timeframes outlined by evidence‐based guidelines, nor meet their nutrition requirements in hospital. Given that the success of timely and adequate post‐operative feeding is largely reliant on patient adherence, the present study explored patients’ perceptions of recommencing feeding after colorectal surgery to determine areas of improvement to meet their needs and expectations.

Methods

This qualitative study involved one‐on‐one, semi‐structured interviews with patients receiving care after colorectal surgery in an Australian tertiary teaching hospital. Purposive sampling was used to ensure maximal variation in age, sex, procedural type and post‐operative nutrition care experience. Interviews were audio recorded, with data transcribed verbatim before being thematically analysed. Emergent themes and subthemes were discussed by all investigators to ensure consensus of interpretation.

Results

Sixteen patients were interviewed (female 56%; age 61.5 ± 12.3 years). Three overarching themes emerged from the data: (i) patients make food‐related decisions based on ideologies, experience and trust; (ii) patients appreciate the opportunity to participate in their nutrition care; and (iii) how dietary information is communicated influences patients’ perceptions of and behaviours towards nutrition.

Conclusions

Enabling patients to select from a wide range of foods from post‐operative day 1 (by prescribing an unrestricted diet in line with evidence‐based practice guidelines) in conjunction with delivering clear, simple and encouraging dietary‐related information may facilitate patient participation in care and increase oral intakes among patients who have undergone colorectal surgery.
Pallidin is a novel interacting protein for cytohesin‐2 and regulates the early endosomal pathway and dendritic formation in neurons
Authors: Ito Akiko , Fukaya Masahiro , Saegusa Shintaro , Kobayashi Emi , Sugawara Takeyuki , Hara Yoshinobu , Yamauchi Junji , Okamoto Hirotsugu , Sakagami Hiroyuki
Published: August 2018

Cytohesin‐2 is a member of the guanine nucleotide exchange factors for ADP ribosylation factor 1 (Arf1) and Arf6, which are small GTPases that regulate membrane traffic and actin dynamics. In this study, we first demonstrated that cytohesin‐2 localized to the plasma membrane and vesicles in various subcellular compartment in hippocampal neurons by immunoelectron microscopy. Next, to understand the molecular network of cytohesin‐2 in neurons, we conducted yeast two‐hybrid screening of brain cDNA libraries using cytohesin‐2 as bait and isolated pallidin, a component of the biogenesis of lysosome‐related organelles complex 1 (BLOC‐1) involved in endosomal trafficking. Pallidin interacted specifically with cytohesin‐2 among cytohesin family members. Glutathione S‐transferase pull‐down and immunoprecipitation assays further confirmed the formation of a protein complex between cytohesin‐2 and pallidin. Immunofluorescence demonstrated that cytohesin‐2 and pallidin partially colocalized in various subsets of endosomes immunopositive for EEA1, syntaxin 12, and LAMP2 in hippocampal neurons. Knockdown of pallidin or cytohesin‐2 reduced cytoplasmic EEA1‐positive early endosomes. Furthermore, knockdown of pallidin increased the total dendritic length of cultured hippocampal neurons, which was rescued by co‐expression of wild‐type pallidin but not a mutant lacking the ability to interact with cytohesin‐2. In contrast, knockdown of cytohesin‐2 had the opposite effect on total dendritic length. The present results suggested that the interaction between pallidin and cytohesin‐2 may participate in various neuronal functions such as endosomal trafficking and dendritic formation in hippocampal neurons.

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Cover Image for this issue: doi: 10.1111/jnc.14197.
Reduction of abdominal skin laxity in women postvaginal delivery using the synergistic emission of radiofrequency and targeted pressure energies
Authors: Fritz Klaus , Salavastru Carmen , Gyurova Magdalina
Published: August 2018

Objective

This study evaluates clinical efficacy of a novel device which uses combined emission of radiofrequency and targeted pressure energy, for reduction of abdominal skin laxity.

Methods

This was a multicentric, randomized, parallel group‐controlled prospective study. Forty‐six women 6‐36 months after delivery with abdominal skin laxity were randomly assigned to Group A or Group B. Group A received four treatments with BTL UNISON device (BTL Industries Inc, Boston, MA, USA); and, Group B didn't receive any treatments. Skin viscoelasticity was measured using a skin analyzer at baseline and 3 months posttreatments. Standardized digital photographs were evaluated for the severity of skin laxity. Patient comfort and satisfaction were evaluated by standardized questionnaires.

Results

Subjects’ weight remained stable. In 95% of treated patients the umbilical circumference decreased (average − 1.43 cm, P < 0.0001). The average of skin viscoelasticity changes in individual patients totaled + 37.6%/3.29 Mpa (retraction time − 62.6 ms/−22.5%; suction pressure + 1.21 Mpa/+13.9%) (all P < 0.0001). The overall elasticity improved in 90.9% of patients. The control group changes were insignificant. Based on independent photo assessment there was an improvement in the degree of skin laxity in 86% of treated patients. The average laxity score across all treated patients decreased from 1.79 (moderate laxity) at baseline to 1.1 (mild laxity) 3 months posttreatments. Ninety percent of treated patients expressed satisfaction with achieved results. Therapy didn't cause any pain.

Conclusions

We conclude the investigated device can significantly reduce signs of early postpartum laxity in abdominal area. As such, it is a promising alternative to surgical procedures.
Comparative study of fractional Erbium: YAG laser vs combined therapy with topical steroid as an adjuvant treatment in melasma
Authors: Abdel‐Raouf Mohamed Hamza , Ali Nasif Ghada , Saad Abdel‐Azim Eman , Abd El‐Fatah Ahmed Mira
Published: August 2018

Background

Melasma is an acquired disorder of symmetrical hyperpigmentation. Several treatment methods are available for patients with melasma, including topical compounds, broad‐spectrum photoprotection, camouflage, chemical peels, and laser and light therapies which represent potentially promising options for patients who are refractory to other modalities.

Objective

To evaluate and compare the clinical, histopathological, and immunohistochemical changes in melasma after fractional Er:YAG laser versus fractional Er:YAG laser and topical steroids.

Methods

Twenty‐two patients were treated with fractional Er:YAG laser on both sides of the face with the use of topical steroid only on the left side to make left‐to‐right‐side comparison. Clinical evaluation, histopathological, and immunohistochemical assessment for skin specimens were performed before treatment and 3 months after the end of sessions.

Results

Treatment by fractional Er:YAG laser on the right side showed significant decrease in MASI score with clinical outcome which considered as excellent in three patients (13.6%), very good in six (27.2%), good in eight (36.3%), and fair in five (22.7%) with significant decrease in basal pigmentation and reorganization of dermal collagen and decreased number of MART1‐positive cells. After combined therapy, the decrease in MASI score was highly significant with the clinical outcome which considered as excellent in six patients (27.2%), very good in 10 (45.4%), good in three (13.6%), and fair in three (13.6%). The histological changes were highly evident and more significant.

Conclusion

Clinical, histopathological, and immunohistochemical improvement was evident on both sides, with more significant better outcome with the use of combined therapy on the left side. However, combined therapy was more beneficial for Fitzpatrick skin type III rather than type IV.