bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Calorimetric Methods for Measuring Stability and Reusability of Membrane Immobilized Enzymes
Authors: Mason Marco , Scampicchio Matteo , Quinn Colette F. , Transtrum Mark K. , Baker Nicholas , Hansen Lee D. , Kenealey Jason D.
Published: December 2017

The aim of this work is to develop calorimetric methods for characterizing the activity and stability of membrane immobilized enzymes. Invertase immobilized on a nylon‐6 nanofiber membrane is used as a test case. The stability of both immobilized and free invertase activity was measured by spectrophotometry and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC). Differential scanning calorimetry was used to measure the thermal stability of the structure and areal concentration of invertase on the membrane. This is the 1st demonstration that ITC can be used to determine activity and stability of an enzyme immobilized on a membrane. ITC and spectrophotometry show maximum activity of free and immobilized invertase at pH 4.5 and 45 to 55 °C. ITC determination of the activity as a function of temperature over an 8‐h period shows a similar decline of activity of both free and immobilized invertase at 55 °C.

Practical Application

Enzyme‐catalyzed reactions occur in mild and environmentally friendly conditions, but are usually too costly to use in food manufacturing. When free enzymes are used, they are used once and replaced for each reaction, but enzymes immobilized on a solid support can be reused and have the additional advantage of being removed from the product. In this study, new calorimetric methods that are universally applicable to characterizing immobilized enzymes are used to determine the activity, stability, and reusability of invertase immobilized on a nanofiber support.
Hyperspectral Imaging in Tandem with R Statistics and Image Processing for Detection and Visualization of pH in Japanese Big Sausages Under Different Storage Conditions
Authors: Feng Chao‐Hui , Makino Yoshio , Yoshimura Masatoshi , Thuyet Dang Quoc , García‐Martín Juan Francisco
Published: December 2017

The potential of hyperspectral imaging with wavelengths of 380 to 1000 nm was used to determine the pH of cooked sausages after different storage conditions (4 °C for 1 d, 35 °C for 1, 3, and 5 d). The mean spectra of the sausages were extracted from the hyperspectral images and partial least squares regression (PLSR) model was developed to relate spectral profiles with the pH of the cooked sausages. Eleven important wavelengths were selected based on the regression coefficient values. The PLSR model established using the optimal wavelengths showed good precision being the prediction coefficient of determination (Rp2) 0.909 and the root mean square error of prediction 0.035. The prediction map for illustrating pH indices in sausages was for the first time developed by R statistics. The overall results suggested that hyperspectral imaging combined with PLSR and R statistics are capable to quantify and visualize the sausages pH evolution under different storage conditions.

Practical Application

In this paper, hyperspectral imaging is for the first time used to detect pH in cooked sausages using R statistics, which provides another useful information for the researchers who do not have the access to Matlab. Eleven optimal wavelengths were successfully selected, which were used for simplifying the PLSR model established based on the full wavelengths. This simplified model achieved a high Rp2 (0.909) and a low root mean square error of prediction (0.035), which can be useful for the design of multispectral imaging systems.
American Heart Association 2017
Authors: Carracher Ann M. , Marathe Payal H. , Close Kelly L.
Published: December 2017

Ann M. Carracher, Payal H. Marathe, and Kelly L. Close are of Close Concerns (http://www.closeconcerns.com), a healthcare information company focused exclusively on diabetes and obesity care. Close Concerns publishes Closer Look, a periodical that brings together news and insights in these areas. Each month, the Journal of Diabetes includes this News feature, in which Carracher, Marathe, and Close review the latest developments relevant to researchers and clinicians.
Opportunities and Challenges for CGE Models in Analysing Taxation
Authors: Freebairn John
Published: December 2017

Taxation analysis seeks to describe the effects of current taxes, make forecasts and assess proposed reform options. In each case, the effects on market outcomes, distribution of the tax burden and distortions to decisions and economic efficiency are estimated. When second‐round effects are important, including for most taxes on business and where exemptions from comprehensive tax bases are significant, general equilibrium models are required. A computer general equilibrium model (CGE) with detailed and disaggregated industry, product and factor markets has great potential to quantify the general equilibrium effects of taxation. Challenges and areas for development of available CGE models for taxation analysis include the following: disaggregation of households to assess distribution effects and allow for different elasticities; modelling the effects of the hybrid tax treatment of different household saving and investment options; disaggregation of some business decisions to capture the effects of departures from comprehensive tax bases and of decision‐makers facing different tax systems; and modelling and conveying the implications of imperfect knowledge of key assumptions and parameters.
Molecular mechanisms underlying stress response and adaptation
Authors: Sun Shuang , Zhou Jun
Published: December 2017

Environmental stresses are ubiquitous and unavoidable to all living things. Organisms respond and adapt to stresses through defined regulatory mechanisms that drive changes in gene expression, organismal morphology, or physiology. Immune responses illustrate adaptation to bacterial and viral biotic stresses in animals. Dysregulation of the genotoxic stress response system is frequently associated with various types of human cancer. With respect to plants, especially halophytes, complicated systems have been developed to allow for plant growth in high salt environments. In addition, drought, waterlogging, and low temperatures represent other common plant stresses. In this review, we summarize representative examples of organismal response and adaptation to various stresses. We also discuss the molecular mechanisms underlying the above phenomena with a focus on the improvement of organismal tolerance to unfavorable environments.
HMMoce: An R package for improved geolocation of archival‐tagged fishes using a hidden Markov method
Authors: Braun Camrin D. , Galuardi Benjamin , Thorrold Simon R.
Published: December 2017

Electronic tagging of marine fishes is commonly achieved with archival tags that rely on light levels and sea surface temperatures to retrospectively estimate movements. However, methodological issues associated with light‐level geolocation have constrained meaningful inference to species where it is possible to accurately estimate time of sunrise and sunset. Most studies have largely ignored the oceanographic profiles collected by the tag as a potential way to refine light‐level geolocation estimates.

Open‐source oceanographic measurements and outputs from high‐resolution models are increasingly available and accessible. Temperature and depth profiles recorded by electronic tags can be integrated with these empirical data and model outputs to construct likelihoods and improve geolocation estimates.

The R package HMMoce leverages available tag and oceanographic data to improve position estimates derived from electronic tags using a hidden Markov approach. We illustrate the use of the model and test its performance using example blue and mako shark archival tag data. Model results were validated using independent, known tracks and compared to results from other geolocation approaches.

HMMoce exhibited as much as six‐fold improvement in pointwise error as compared to traditional light‐level geolocation approaches. The results demonstrated the general applicability of HMMoce to marine animals, particularly those that do not frequent surface waters during crepuscular periods.
Abundance, diet and prey selection of arboreal lizards in a grazed tropical woodland
Authors: Nordberg Eric J. , Murray Paul , Alford Ross , Schwarzkopf Lin
Published: December 2017

The diet of predators is a critical determinant of their ecological effects. Small vertebrate predators of invertebrates are often characterized as diet generalists based on diet descriptions, but few studies examine prey availability to determine whether prey choice occurs. We studied the prey availability in relation to the diet of two common and abundant, but understudied small vertebrates: Gehyra dubia, an arboreal nocturnal gecko, and Cryptoblepharus australis, an arboreal diurnal skink. We sampled lizards in two major woodland habitat types, Reid River box (Eucalyptus brownii) and Silver‐leaf ironbark (Eucalyptus melanophloia) and among four cattle grazing regimes (ranging from moderate – heavy stocking). Cryptoblepharus australis were more abundant in the Silver‐leaf ironbark habitat, but there was no effect of grazing regime on their abundance. In contrast, G. dubia did not differ significantly in abundance in relation to habitat type, but were more abundant in paddocks with heavier stocking rates. We quantified invertebrate prey available to lizards in these habitats using defined‐area searches and light trapping. Invertebrate community composition did not differ significantly between the habitat types or among the four grazing regimes. Although G. dubia and C. australis both occupied the same microhabitats, they were temporally segregated based on their activity times. While both species are apparently habitat generalists, we found that G. dubia and C. australis are selective in their diets. Only half of the invertebrate groups available in the environment occurred in the diets of either lizard species. Both species positively selected Coleoptera (beetles), Araneae (spiders), and Scorpiones (scorpions), and they exhibited high dietary niche overlap (O = 0.97). We suggest the increased availability of the top three preferred prey groups (beetles, spiders, and scorpions) may contribute to the high abundances of G. dubia in heavily grazed areas.
Metabolism of 14C‐labelled pentagalloylglucose by Epirrita autumnata and Agriopis aurantiaria (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) and implications for the nutrition of geometrid defoliators
Authors: Salminen Juha‐Pekka
Published: December 2017

The metabolism of pentagalloylglucose, the immediate biosynthetic precursor of both ellagitannins and gallotannins, was investigated in larvae of two geometrid species, autumnal moth Epirrita autumnata and scarce umber Agriopis aurantiaria. The aim was to determine yet unknown metabolic patterns of the widely distributed hydrolysable tannins in these model lepidopteran species. Pentagalloylglucose was applied in [U‐14C]‐labelled, leaf‐painted form in the larval diet. During the 24 h experiment, the radioactivity was distributed between all larval fractions studied, e.g. hemolymph, gut, the rest of the body, CO2 exhaled and frass excreted. Detailed chemical analyses and subfractionation of the larval fractions revealed that both species significantly modified the structure of pentagalloylglucose; it was the main 14C‐active component in none of the larval fractions. E. autumnata and A. aurantiaria were able to partially hydrolyse pentagalloylglucose as evidenced by the presence of 14C‐labelled gallic acid in the gut and in frass. The production of 14CO2 by these two species showed that they were either able to liberate CO2 from the COOH moiety of gallic acid or that they were able to use some parts of the pentagalloylglucose even as an energy source. Also newly formed, not yet characterised tannin metabolites were detected especially in the gut, hemolymph and body samples, in both soluble and insoluble forms. These findings emphasise that the hydrolysable tannin metabolism in insects is much more complex than earlier speculated and that there is a great variation within and between insect species in their ability to metabolise these polyphenolic plant metabolites. All this should be taken into account especially in attempts trying to explain insect performance on a leaf diet solely by correlations with the foliar tannin levels: the metabolic fate of tannins might be more important determinant of insect performance than the ingested amount of tannins per se.
Shifting Bordering and Rescue Practices in the Central Mediterranean Sea, October 2013–October 2015
Authors: Garelli Glenda , Heller Charles , Pezzani Lorenzo , Tazzioli Martina
Published: December 2017

This counter‐mapping project illustrates the areas of intervention of different operations geared toward rescue and enforcement between 2013 and 2015, including the Italian Navy's “Mare Nostrum” search and rescue mission, the EU border agency Frontex's “Triton” enforcement operation, the humanitarian interventions of commercial vessels, and the action of civil‐society rescue vessels such as those operated by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF—Doctors Without Borders). The project offers a spatial understanding of the Mediterranean border‐scape, the practices of rescue and enforcement that occur within it, and the risk of sea‐crossing at this particular moment. Through these maps, the Central Mediterranean Sea emerges as a striking laboratory from which novel legal arrangements, surveillance technologies, and institutional assemblages converge.
Nonparametric estimation of the dynamic range of music signals
Authors: Coretto Pietro , Giordano Francesco
Published: December 2017

The dynamic range is an important parameter which measures the spread of sound power, and for music signals it is a measure of recording quality. There are various descriptive measures of sound power, none of which has strong statistical foundations. We start from a nonparametric model for sound waves where an additive stochastic term has the role of catching transient energy. This component is recovered by a simple rate‐optimal kernel estimator that requires a single data‐driven tuning parameter. The distribution of its variance is approximated by a consistent random subsampling method that is able to cope with the massive size of the typical dataset. Based on the latter, we propose a statistic, and an estimation method that is able to represent the dynamic range concept consistently. The behaviour of the statistic is assessed based on a large numerical experiment where we simulate dynamic compression on a selection of real‐world music signals. Application of the method to real data also shows how the proposed method can predict subjective experts' opinions about the hifi quality of a recording.
Mental rotation and the human body: Children's inflexible use of embodiment mirrors that of adults
Authors: Krüger Markus , Ebersbach Mirjam
Published: December 2017

Adults’ mental rotation performance with body‐like stimuli is enhanced if these stimuli are anatomically compatible with a human body, but decreased by anatomically incompatible stimuli. In this study, we investigated these effects for kindergartners and first‐graders: When asked to mentally rotate cube configurations attached with human body parts in an anatomically compatible way, allowing for the projection of a human body, children performed better than with pure cube combinations. By contrast, when body parts were attached in an anatomically incompatible way, disallowing the projection of a human body, children performed worse than with pure combinations. This experiment is of specific interest against the background of two different theoretical approaches concerning imagery and the motor system in development: One approach assumes an increasing integration of motor processes and imagery over time that enables older children and adults to requisition motor resources for imagery processes, while the other postulates that imagery stems from early sensorimotor processes in the first place, and is disentangled from it over time. The finding that children of the two age groups tested show exactly the same effects as adults when mentally rotating anatomically compatible and incompatible stimuli is interpreted in favour of the latter approach.

Statement of contribution

What is already known on this subject?

In mental rotation, adults perform better when rotating anatomically possible stimuli as compared to rotating standard cube combinations.

Performance is worse when rotating anatomically impossible stimuli.

What does this study add?

The present study shows that children's mental transformations mirror those of adults in these respects.

In case of the anatomically impossible stimuli, this highlights an inflexible use of embodiment in both age groups.

This is in line with the Piagetian assumption of imagery being based on sensorimotor processes.
Paradox Lost: The Disappearing Female Job Satisfaction Premium
Authors: Green Colin P. , Heywood John S. , Kler Parvinder , Leeves Gareth
Published: December 2017

Using the original data source of Clark, we show that over the last two decades the female satisfaction gap he documented has vanished. This reflects a strong secular decline in female job satisfaction. This decline happened both because younger women became less satisfied as they aged, and because new female workers entered with lower job satisfaction than their early 1990s peers. Decompositions make clear that the decline does not reflect changing job characteristics for women but rather their increasingly less favourable evaluation of job characteristics. These findings fit with the suggestion that women in the early 1990s had a gap between their labour market expectations and actual experience that has since closed and that the gender satisfaction gap has vanished as a consequence.
Relationship of implant stability and bone density derived from computerized tomography images
Authors: Merheb Joe , Vercruyssen Marjolein , Coucke Wim , Quirynen Marc
Published: December 2017

Background and Purpose

Implant stability is one of the most important factors influencing osseointegration. Using stereolithographical guides for maximizing precision, this study aimed at investigating the relationship between implant stability and bone density derived from computerized tomography analysis.

Materials and Methods

One hundred ninety‐five implants were placed in 48 patients using digitally designed stereolithographical surgical guides. Ninety‐five implants were placed using a mucosa supported guide and 100 implants were placed using a bone supported guide. Implant stability was measured by means of resonance frequency analysis (RFA) and damping capacity assessment (Periotest, PTV). Bone density (Hounsfield units) was measured at different regions of interest (ROI) and cortex thickness was measured around each implant.

Results

Implant stability correlated significantly with the different ROI. The best correlation for RFA was obtained for the spongious bone ROI (r = .64) and PTV best correlated with the coronal cortex density (r = −.41). Shorter implants (9 mm) had a significantly lower primary stability than longer implants (11, 13, 15 mm). Primary stability was also significantly higher in 4 mm diameter implants than in 3.5 mm diameter implants. A formula for the prediction of primary stability based on the different variables investigated was developed.

Conclusions

Bone density and cortex thickness have a significant influence on implant primary stability. Longer and wider implants reached higher primary stability than shorter and narrower implants. These correlations lose their significance after osseointegration has taken place. Implant stability can be predicted based on an preoperative analysis of bone characteristics.
FAM20C could be targeted by TET1 to promote odontoblastic differentiation potential of human dental pulp cells
Authors: Li Qimeng , Yi Baicheng , Feng Zhihui , Meng Runsha , Tian Cheng , Xu Qiong
Published: December 2017

Objectives

Ten‐eleven translocation 1 (TET1) is a DNA methylcytosine (mC) dioxygenase discovered recently that can convert 5‐mC into 5‐hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC). We previously reported that TET1 promotes odontoblastic differentiation of human dental pulp cells (hDPCs). The gene encoding the family with sequence similarity 20, member C (FAM20C) protein, is a potential TET1 target and showed demethylation during odontoblastic differentiation of hDPCs in our previous study. This study aimed to explore whether TET1‐mediated hydroxymethylation could activate the FAM20C gene, thereby regulating hDPC differentiation.

Materials and methods

The expression pattern of FAM20C and its potential changes during odontoblastic induction of hDPCs were assessed by Western blotting. Lentivirus‐mediated transduction with short hairpin RNA (shRNA) was used to knock down FAM20C and TET1 expression in hDPCs. The mineralization potential of hDPCs was evaluated with an ALPase activity assay and by observing the mineralized matrix deposition and the expression of odontoblast‐related markers DSPP and DMP1. Recombinant human FAM20C protein (rhFAM20C) was reintroduced into shTET1 cells in a rescue experiment. The dynamic hydroxymethylation status of the FAM20C gene promoter was examined using hydroxymethylated DNA immunoprecipitation (IP)‐PCR. Chromatin IP‐PCR and agarose gel electrophoresis were utilized to validate the recruitment of TET1 to its target loci in the FAM20C promoter.

Results

FAM20C protein level was upregulated after the odontoblastic induction of hDPCs. shRNA‐mediated FAM20C suppression reduced the expression of DSPP and DMP1 after odontoblastic induction for 7 and 14 days. ALPase activity was reduced on day 7, and the formation of mineralized nodules was attenuated on day 14 after odontoblastic induction in FAM20C‐inhibited hDPCs. Genomic 5hmC levels significantly decreased, and total 5mC levels increased in TET1‐deficient hDPCs. In addition, a significant reduction in FAM20C also emerged. The rhFAM20C treatment of shTET1 cells attenuated the mineralization abnormalities caused by TET1 depletion. TET1 depletion prompted a decline in 5hmC levels in several regions on the FAM20C promoter. Enhanced TET1 recruitment was detected at the corresponding loci in the FAM20C promoter during odontoblastic induction.

Conclusion

TET1 knockdown suppressed odontoblastic differentiation by restraining its direct binding to FAM20C promoter, and hence inhibiting FAM20C hydroxymethylation and subsequent transcription. These results suggest that TET1 potentially promotes the cytodifferentiation potential of hDPCs through its DNA demethylation machinery and upregulation of FAM20C protein expression.
The Financialization of Finance? Demonetization and the Dubious Push to Cashlessness in India
Authors: Chandrasekhar C.P. , Ghosh Jayati
Published: December 2017

This Debate contribution describes the promotion of digital rather than cash payments as a form of the financialization of finance, in its role as a payments system, with reference to recent Indian experience. The arguments in favour of reducing cash usage must be seen relative to the costs of digital payments, for both society and individuals. The drastic demonetization episode in India, which removed 86 per cent of the value of notes in circulation at one stroke in November 2016, was partly justified in terms of forcing a shift to cashless transactions. However, such a shift requires that adequate infrastructure be in place in terms of banking and connectivity, both of which are currently lacking in India. The article also identifies other concerns with digital transactions including higher costs and the possibilities of loss of privacy, fraud, identity theft and surveillance. The obsession with digital transactions as a marker of social and material progress is misplaced; it may become yet another means by which finance extracts rentier incomes out of relatively poor populations.
Improving Women's Substantive Representation in Community Government: Evidence from Chinese Villages
Authors: Sargeson Sally , Jacka Tamara
Published: December 2017

The premise that increasing the number of women in government improves the representation of women's views and needs continues to motivate efforts in developing countries to raise the proportion of women in political office by means of gender‐differentiating ideologies and gender‐affirmative actions. This article raises the concern that a focus on boosting women's descriptive representation distracts attention from other interventions that potentially might be more effective in improving women's substantive representation. The article theoretically compares factors that have the potential to affect the two dimensions of representation, and empirically investigates which of these are conducive to women's substantive representation in community government. Based on case studies of villages in one rich and one poor province of China, the authors conclude that higher democratic quality, combined with stronger financial resources and institutions, produce greater improvements in women's substantive representation than gender ideologies and affirmative actions. This finding challenges the strategies used by development agencies, and identifies factors with the potential to improve women's representation in government, even in one‐party states.
Educational outcomes for children with cerebral palsy: a linked data cohort study
Authors: Gillies Malcolm B , Bowen Jennifer R , Patterson Jillian A , Roberts Christine L , Torvaldsen Siranda
Published: December 2017

Aim

To identify a cohort of children with cerebral palsy (CP) from hospital data; determine the proportion that participated in standardized educational testing and attained a score within the normal range; and describe the relationship between test results and motor symptoms.

Method

This population‐based retrospective cohort study used data from New South Wales, Australia. We linked hospital data for children younger than 16 years of age admitted between 1st July 2000 and 31st March 2014 to education data from 2009 to 2014. Hospital diagnosis codes were used to identify a cohort of children with CP (n=3944) and describe their motor symptoms. Educational outcomes in the CP cohort were compared with those among children without CP.

Results

Of those with educational data (n=1770), 46% were exempt from reading assessment because of intellectual or functional disability, 7% were absent or withdrawn from testing and 47% participated in testing. About 30% of all children with educational data had test scores in the normal range. The proportion was greatest among those with hemiplegia (>40%) and lowest among those with tetraplegia (<10%).

Interpretation

One‐third of children with CP participated in standardized testing and achieved a result in the normal range. The proportions were lower in children with more severe motor symptoms.

What this paper adds

From 2009 to 2014, most Australian children with cerebral palsy (CP) attended a mainstream school.

The rate of disability‐related exemption from standardized educational testing was almost 50%.

Thirty per cent of children with CP achieved educational scores in the normal range.
Life satisfaction is a protective factor against the onset of Type 2 diabetes in men but not in women: findings from the MONICA/KORA cohort study
Authors: Piciu A. M. , Johar H. , Lukaschek K. , Thorand B. , Ladwig K. H.
Published: December 2017

Aims

To investigate the association of high life satisfaction with incident Type 2 diabetes separately in men and women.

Methods

A longitudinal analysis was conducted among the 7107 participants (3664 men, 51.5%; 3443 women, 48.5%) aged 25–74 years (mean ± sd age 47.8 ±13.7 years) of two population‐based MONICA/KORA surveys conducted in 1989–1995 and followed up until 2009. Life satisfaction was assessed using a one‐item instrument with a six‐order response level, which was dichotomized into high vs medium or low. Sex‐specific hazard ratios were estimated using Cox proportional hazards models.

Results

Crude incidence rates for Type 2 diabetes per 10 000 person‐years were lower in participants with high than in those with medium or low life satisfaction (men: 57 vs 73; women: 37 vs 48). In men with high life satisfaction, there was a 27% risk reduction in incident Type 2 diabetes (hazard ratio 0.73, 95% CI 0.56–0.94; P=0.02) in a model adjusted for sociodemographic, behavioural and clinical risk factors. The association lost statistical significance after further adjusting for depressed mood (hazard ratio 0.79, 95% CI 0.61–1.03). Life satisfaction was not significantly associated with incident Type 2 diabetes in women.

Conclusion

Life satisfaction may be a valuable asset in assessing risk of Type 2 diabetes, especially in men, and in the development of more effective prevention strategies to deter onset of diabetes. More research is needed to investigate the underlying potential causal pathways that may link life satisfaction to the development of Type 2 diabetes.
Sulfonylurea vs insulin therapy in individuals with sulfonylurea‐sensitive permanent neonatal diabetes mellitus, attributable to a KCNJ11 mutation, and poor glycaemic control
Authors: Stanik J. , Dankovcikova A. , Barak L. , Skopkova M. , Palko M. , Divinec J. , Klimes I. , Gasperikova D.
Published: December 2017

Background

Therapy with sulfonylurea is preferable to insulin in the majority of individuals with KCNJ11 mutations, but not all of these people achieve target levels of HbA1c in long‐term follow‐up. We aimed to compare sulfonylurea therapy with insulin treatment in two sulfonylurea‐sensitive individuals with a KCNJ11 mutation who had poorly controlled permanent neonatal diabetes mellitus.

Case report

We report on two individuals with a KCNJ11 mutation (p.R201H) who are currently aged 35 (SVK1) and 21 years (SVK2). These individuals were switched from insulin to sulfonylurea in 2005. Data from the first 4 (SVK2) and 8 years (SVK1) of the follow‐up showed improved diabetes control and increased quality of life for both individuals. During the following years, however, both individuals failed to retain good diabetes control (HbA1c ≤ 53 mmol/mol; 7.0%). We therefore changed the therapy to a combination of insulin and sulfonylurea in both individuals, or to insulin monotherapy in SVK1, and compared the effects on HbA1c with those of sulfonylurea monotherapy. HbA1c levels in both individuals worsened after adding insulin to sulfonylurea [67 mmol/mol (8.3%) vs 77 mmol/mol (9.2%) in SVK1 and 106 mmol/mol (11.8%) vs 110±19 mmol/mol (12.2±1.7%) in SVK2], and after switching to only insulin therapy in SVK1 [57 mmol/mol (7.4%) vs 62 mmol/mol (7.8%)] when compared with sulfonylurea monotherapy.

Discussion

Our data show that sulfonylurea monotherapy might be preferable to insulin in people with permanent neonatal diabetes mellitus sensitive to sulfonylurea even when HbA1c is above target.
ARE WORKERS WILLING TO PAY TO JOIN A BETTER TEAM?
Authors: Zimmerfaust Thomas
Published: December 2017

Using data from the Major League Baseball free‐agent market, this study is the first to show that the productivity expected of the team a worker will join produces a significant, negative compensating wage differential. The younger workers in the sample drive this result, trading 25% of their wages to join teams with an expected productivity one standard deviation higher. This investment can be recouped if a reasonable increase in human capital occurs. These results are robust to contract length‐wage simultaneity and indicate that investment in human capital motivates the observed tradeoff, suggesting a new pathway through which human capital accumulation can affect wages. Reliable measures of workers' own past productivity and the productivity expected of a worker's future team provide key advantages to identifying these effects. (JEL J31, J24, M54)
Subjective quality of life in recent onset of psychosis patients and its association with sociodemographic variables, psychotic symptoms and clinical personality traits
Authors: Sevilla‐Llewellyn‐Jones Julia , Cano‐Domínguez Pablo , de‐Luis‐Matilla Antonia , Espina‐Eizaguirre Alberto , Moreno‐Kustner Berta , Ochoa Susana
Published: December 2017

Aim

There is lack of research on the study of clinical personality traits in recent onset of psychosis (ROP) patients. The aims of this research were to study the relations among psychosocial, personality and clinical characteristics in ROP patients and also the effect that significant variables had on the different domains of Quality of Life (QoL).

Methods

Data for these analyses were obtained from 81 ROP patients. The Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory, the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale and the World Health Organization Quality of Life Brief Scale were used to assess personality, symptoms and QoL.

Results

Correlations between the negative symptoms and the physical, psychological and social domains of QoL, and the disorganized symptoms and physical domain, were found. Furthermore, the physical, psychological and social relationship domains of QoL were lower in patients with schizoid traits and the psychological domain was lower in patients with depressive traits. In contrast, the psychological and social domains were higher in patients with histrionic traits, while the physical domain was higher for patients with narcissistic traits. Multiple linear regressions demonstrated that negative symptoms and narcissistic and depressive traits explained 16.9% of the physical domain. Narcissistic and depressive traits explained 15% of the psychological domain. Finally, the negative symptoms and histrionic traits explained 13.7% of the social domain.

Conclusions

QoL seems to be better explained by negative psychotic symptoms and some clinical personality traits. Our results support the importance of integrated intervention approaches that consider personality.
Reading from the middle: Heidegger and the narrative self
Authors: Roth Ben
Published: December 2017

Heidegger's Being and Time is an underappreciated venue for pursuing work on the role narrative plays in self‐understanding and self‐constitution, and existing work misses Heidegger's most interesting contribution. Implicit in his account of Dasein (an individual human person) is a notion of the narrative self more compelling than those now on offer. Bringing together an adaptive interpretation of Heidegger's notion of “thrown projection”, Wolfgang Iser's account of “the wandering viewpoint”, and more recent Anglo‐American work on the narrative self, I argue that we read our ongoing existences in the same way that, mid‐story, we read a narrative. Reading is a better master metaphor than authorship, narration, plot, or character to guide investigations of narrative's relation to the self. It is not merely a metaphor, however, as the hermeneutic structures involved in interpreting existence and a narrative from the middle are the same.
Containment and ‘rational health’: Moran and psychoanalysis
Authors: Harcourt Edward
Published: December 2017

The paper focuses on Richard Moran's account (inAuthority and Estrangement) of the distinction between attitudes that meet, and alternatively fail to meet, his transparency criterion for what he calls rational health, and compare this with the psychoanalytic distinction between contained and uncontained states of mind. On the face of it, Moran's distinction appears to be a useful theoretical deepening of the psychoanalytic distinction. On closer examination, however, it appears that (a) rational health is a more demanding standard than containment, so the rationally unhealthy contains much that is mentally (quite) healthy; and (b) more seriously, some states that meet the “transparency” condition are manifestly mentally unhealthy. So transparency needs to be supplemented by an independently understood notion of containment to approach a realistic norm of mental health/ill health.
A novel lateral flow immunoassay for the rapid detection of anti‐Dsg3 IgG serum autoantibodies in pemphigus vulgaris
Authors: Schmidt Thomas , Mauracher Susanne , Bender Lena , Greene Brandon , Kurzhals Jonas , Eming Rüdiger , Dostatni Ralf , Hertl Michael
Published: December 2017

Pemphigus vulgaris (PV) is a severe autoimmune blistering disease of the skin and mucous membranes. As autoantibodies play an essential role in the disease pathogenesis, the serological detection of anti‐desmoglein 3 IgG represents a central tool in the diagnosis of the disease. In this study, we show the validation of a novel lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) which rapidly detects anti‐desmoglein 3 (Dsg3) IgG in human serum. In contrast to other diagnostic procedures, the assay is compact and simple to perform and delivers a fast ”yes” or “no” answer within 10 minutes without additional hardware requirements for test evaluation. For validation, a blinded collection of 200 sera including 100 sera from 14 PV patients, 75 sera from 24 bullous pemphigoid patients and 25 sera from 6 patients with pemphigus foliaceus collected at different time points during disease was used. Presence or non‐presence of anti‐Dsg3 IgG within sera was confirmed using a commercially available Dsg3‐ELISA. For qualitative evaluation, Dsg3‐LFIA test results were assessed by two independent groups of human observers. Furthermore, quantitative evaluation using POCScan reader was applied. The Dsg3‐LFIA demonstrated reliable test results with a sensitivity and specificity of 78.1% and 97.1%, respectively. Test results from POCScan and human observers showed a substantial agreement. The Dsg3‐LFIA represents a new diagnostic tool for the immediate and reliable detection of anti‐desmoglein 3 serum IgG autoantibodies that does not require additional hardware. Further prospective trials are warranted to validate the Dsg3 LFIA in pemphigus.
Functional role of the core gap in the middle part of tropomyosin
Authors: Matyushenko Alexander M. , Shchepkin Daniil V. , Kopylova Galina V. , Bershitsky Sergey Y. , Koubassova Natalia A. , Tsaturyan Andrey K. , Levitsky Dmitrii I.
Published: December 2017

Tropomyosin (Tpm) is an α‐helical coiled‐coil actin‐binding protein playing an essential role in the regulation of muscle contraction. The middle part of the Tpm molecule has some specific features, such as the presence of noncanonical residues as well as a substantial gap at the interhelical interface, which are believed to destabilize a coiled‐coil and impart structural flexibility to this part of the molecule. To study how the gap affects structural and functional properties of α‐striated Tpm (the Tpm1.1 isoform that is expressed in cardiac and skeletal muscles) we replaced large conserved apolar core residues located at both sides of the gap with smaller ones by mutations M127A/I130A and M141A/Q144A. We found that in contrast with the stabilizing substitutions D137L and G126R studied earlier, these substitutions have no appreciable influence on thermal unfolding and domain structure of the Tpm molecule. They also do not affect actin‐binding properties of Tpm. However, they strongly increase sliding velocity of regulated actin filaments in an in vitro motility assay and cause an oversensitivity of the velocity to Ca2+ similar to the stabilizing substitutions D137L and G126R. Molecular dynamics shows that the substitutions studied here increase bending stiffness of the coiled‐coil structure of Tpm, like that of G126R/D137L, probably due to closure of the interhelical gap in the area of the substitutions. Our results clearly indicate that the conserved middle part of Tpm is important for the fine tuning of the Ca2+ regulation of actin–myosin interaction in muscle.
Diel habitat selection of largemouth bass following woody structure installation in Table Rock Lake, Missouri
Authors: Harris J. M. , Paukert C. P. , Bush S. C. , Allen M. J. , Siepker M. J.
Published: December 2017

Largemouth bass Micropterus salmoides (Lacepède) use of installed habitat structure was evaluated in a large Midwestern USA reservoir to determine whether or not these structures were used in similar proportion to natural habitats. Seventy largemouth bass (>380 mm total length) were surgically implanted with radio transmitters and a subset was relocated monthly during day and night for one year. The top habitat selection models (based on Akaike's information criterion) suggest largemouth bass select 2–4 m depths during night and 4–7 m during day, whereas littoral structure selection was similar across diel periods. Largemouth bass selected boat docks at twice the rate of other structures. Installed woody structure was selected at similar rates to naturally occurring complex woody structure, whereas both were selected at a higher rate than simple woody structure. The results suggest the addition of woody structure may concentrate largemouth bass and mitigate the loss of woody habitat in a large reservoir.
Identification of prognostic factors for activities of daily living in elderly patients after hospitalization for acute infectious disease in Japan: A 6‐month follow‐up study
Authors: Goto Ryohei , Watanabe Hiroki , Haruta Junji , Tsutsumi Madoka , Yokoya Shoji , Maeno Tetsuhiro
Published: December 2017

Aim

We investigated factors that predict the prognosis of activities of daily living (ADL) in elderly patients who had undergone rehabilitation during hospitalization for acute infectious disease.

Methods

The present prospective cohort study included 131 patients who were hospitalized due to acute infectious disease and who had undergone rehabilitation during hospitalization. Patient characteristics collected from medical records included age, sex and comorbidity score. The level of ADL 2 weeks before admission was assessed by interview at the start of rehabilitation. Grip strength testing, Short Physical Performance Battery as an assessment of lower limb function and the Mini‐Mental State Examination as an assessment of cognitive status were carried out at the time of hospital discharge. The level of ADL at 6 months after discharge was assessed by telephone interview. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors that independently predict ADL dependence (defined as being dependent in one or more ADL items at 6 months after discharge).

Results

The average age of participants was 81.5 years, and 52.7% were women. A total of 22.1% of patients showed dependence in an ADL at 6‐month follow‐up. Factors that predicted an ADL dependence were comorbidity score (OR 4.19, 95% CI 1.19–14.69) and lower limb function (OR 0.51, 95% CI 0.36–0.72) at discharge.

Conclusions

The present findings have implications for the healthcare planning and well‐being of elderly patients during hospitalization and after discharge. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2018; 18: 615–622.
Association between statin use and physical function among community‐dwelling older Japanese adults
Authors: Kawai Hisashi , Ihara Kazushige , Kera Takeshi , Hirano Hirohiko , Fujiwara Yoshinori , Tanaka Masashi , Kojima Motonaga , Obuchi Shuichi
Published: December 2017

Aim

Statin‐associated muscle symptoms (SAMS) are the muscle‐related side‐effects of statins, but the association between statin use and physical function among community‐dwelling older adults is unclear. The objective of the present study was to examine the association between statin use and physical function among community‐dwelling older Japanese adults by considering the risk factors of statin‐associated muscle symptoms.

Methods

The participants were 1022 community‐dwelling older adults aged 65–88 years, who participated in comprehensive health checkups from 2013 to 2015. Statin use in the participants (381 men and 559 women) was verified by using data from their medicine notebooks. The differences between statin use (users and non‐users) and physical functions (grip strength, knee extension torque, normal and maximum gait speed, Timed Up & Go test, one‐legged stance, quadriceps muscle thickness and echo intensity) were analyzed using the t‐test. Multiple regression analyses were also carried out to examine the association between statin use and physical function.

Results

A total of 93 men (24.4%) and 154 women (27.5%) were statin users. Grip strength, normal gait speed and one‐legged stance declined significantly in statin users compared with the non‐users. In multiple regression analysis while controlling for the risk factors of statin‐associated muscle symptoms, including age, sex, body mass index and number of medicines, no independent association, between statin use and the reduction of physical functions, was observed.

Conclusions

Statin use was not associated with the decline of physical function in community‐dwelling older Japanese adults. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2018; 18: 623–630.
Up‐to‐seven criteria as a useful predictor for tumor downstaging to within Milan criteria and Child–Pugh grade deterioration after initial conventional transarterial chemoembolization
Authors: Yasui Yutaka , Tsuchiya Kaoru , Kurosaki Masayuki , Takeguchi Takaya , Takeguchi Yuko , Okada Mao , Wang Wan , Kubota Yohei , Goto Tomoyuki , Komiyama Yasuyuki , Higuchi Mayu , Takaura Kenta , Hayashi Tsuguru , Takada Hitomi , Tamaki Nobuharu , Nakanishi Hiroyuki , Itakura Jun , Takahashi Yuka , Asahina Yasuhiro , Enomoto Nobuyuki , Himeno Yoshiro , Izumi Namiki
Published: December 2017

Aim

Intermediate‐stage hepatocellular carcinoma varies widely in tumor burden and liver function. This study aimed to clarify the importance of subclassification by the up‐to‐seven criteria in both clinical course and liver function deterioration in such patients.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed 224 patients with Child–Pugh grade A who underwent initial transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) for hepatocellular carcinoma. Tumor downstaging to within the Milan criteria within 1 year and liver function worsening as Child–Pugh grade deterioration from A to B were analyzed.

Results

The median survival time was 35.8 months. Forty‐five patients had no recurrence within 1 year after initial TACE. Of the 179 patients with at least one recurrence within a year, 44 (25%) achieved tumor downstaging to within the Milan criteria and showed significantly longer survival than non‐downstaged ones (P = 0.02). Logistic regression univariate analysis revealed that up‐to‐seven criteria fulfillment was associated with tumor downstaging to within the Milan criteria (odds ratio 2.6; P = 0.007). The median deterioration time was 26.7 months. Multivariate analysis revealed that beyond the up‐to‐seven criteria (hazard ratio [HR] 1.9; P = 0.005) was an independent factor associated with Child–Pugh grade deterioration, along with serum albumin (HR 1.54; P = 0.01), serum bilirubin (HR 1.49; P = 0.02), and prothrombin time (HR 1.54; P = 0.04).

Conclusions

The up‐to‐seven criteria had prognostic value and could predict non‐critical recurrence and maintenance of Child–Pugh grade in patients who underwent initial conventional TACE.