bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Alternative splicing of bicistronic MOCS1 defines a novel mitochondrial protein maturation mechanism
Authors: Mayr Simon Julius , Röper Juliane , Schwarz Geunter
Published: September 2018

Molybdenum cofactor biosynthesis is a conserved multistep pathway. The first step, the conversion of GTP to cyclic pyranopterin monophosphate (cPMP), requires bicsistronic MOCS1. Alternative splicing of MOCS1 in exons 1 and 9 produces four different N-terminal and three different C-terminal products (type I-III). Type I splicing results in bicistronic transcripts with two open reading frames, of which only the first, MOCS1A, is translated, whereas type II/III splicing produces two-domain MOCS1AB proteins. Here, we report and characterize the mitochondrial translocation of alternatively spliced MOCS1 proteins. While MOCS1A requires exon 1a for mitochondrial translocation, MOCS1AB variants target to mitochondria via an internal motif overriding the N-terminal targeting signal. Within mitochondria, MOCS1AB undergoes proteolytic cleavage resulting in mitochondrial matrix localization of the MOCS1B domain. In conclusion we found that MOCS1 produces two functional proteins, MOCS1A and MOCS1B, which follow different translocation routes before mitochondrial matrix import, where both proteins collectively catalyze cPMP biosynthesis. MOCS1 protein maturation provides a novel mechanism of alternative splicing ensuring the coordinated targeting of two functionally related mitochondrial proteins encoded by a single gene.
A heterochromatic histone methyltransferase lowers nucleosome occupancy at euchromatic promoters
Authors: Chen H.M. , Sackton T.B. , Mutlu B. , Wang J. , Keppler-Ross S. , Levine E. , Liu T. , Mango S.E.
Published: September 2018

H3K9me3 (histone H3 modified with tri-methylation at lysine 9) is a hallmark of transcriptional silencing and heterochromatin. However, its global effects on the genome, including euchromatin, are less well understood. Here we develop Formaldehyde-Assisted Identification of Regulatory Elements (FAIRE) forC. elegansto examine the chromatin configuration of mutants that lack virtually all H3K9me3, while leaving H3K9me1 and H3K9me2 intact. We find that nucleosomes are mildly disrupted, and levels of H3K9me2 and H3K27me3 rise in mutant embryos. In addition to these expected changes, the most dramatic change occurs in euchromatin: many regions encompassing transcription start sites (TSSs) gain an average of two nucleosomes in mutants. The affected regions normally lack H3K9me3, revealing a locus non-autonomous role for H3K9me3. Affected TSSs are associated with genes that are active in epithelia and muscles, and implicated in development, locomotion, morphogenesis and transcription. Mutant embryos develop normally under ideal laboratory conditions but die when challenged, with defects in morphogenesis and development. Our findings reveal that H3K9me3 protects transcription start sites within euchromatin from nucleosome deposition. These results may be relevant to mammals, where diseases that disrupt the nuclear lamina and heterochromatin can alter epithelial and muscle gene expression.
Further Investigation of Mitochondrial Biogenesis and Gene Expression of Key Regulators in Ascites- Susceptible and Ascites-Resistant Broiler Research Lines
Authors: Al-Zahrani Khaloud , Licknack Timothy , Watson Destiny L. , Anthony Nicholas B. , Rhoads Douglas D.
Published: September 2018

We have extended our previous survey of the association of mitochondrial prevalence in particular tissues with ascites susceptibility in broilers. We previously reported that in breast muscle of 22 week old susceptible line male birds had significantly higher mtDNA copy number relative to nuclear copy number (mtDNA/nucDNA), compared to resistant line male birds. The higher copy number correlated with higher expression of PPARGC1A mRNA gene. Ascites is a significant metabolic disease associated with fast-growing meat-type chickens (broilers) and is a terminal result of pulmonary hypertension syndrome. We now report the mtDNA/nucDNA ratio in lung, liver, heart, thigh, and breast of both genders at 3, and 20 weeks old. At 3 weeks the mtDNA/nucDNA ratio is significantly higher in lung, breast, and thigh for susceptible line males compared to the resistant line males. Conversely, we see the opposite for lung and breast in females. At 20 weeks of age the differences between males from the two lines is lost for lung, and thigh. Although there is a significant reduction in the mtDNA/nucDNA ratio of breast from 3 weeks to 20 weeks in the susceptible line males, the susceptible males remain higher than resistant line males for this specific tissue. We assessed relative expression of five genes known to regulate mitochondrial biogenesis for lung, thigh and breast muscle from males and females of both lines with no consistent pattern to explain the marked gender and line differences for these tissues. Our results indicate clear sex differences in mitochondrial biogenesis establishing a strong association between the mtDNA quantity in a tissue-specific manner and correlated with ascites-phenotype. We propose that mtDNA/nucDNA levels could serve as a potential predictive marker in breeding programs to reduce ascites.
Improving anti-oxidation performance of 430 SS by fabricating co-contained spinel coating as solid oxide fuel cells interconnect
Authors: Cheng Fupeng , Cui Jinglong , Xu Shuai , Li Song , Zhang Pengchao , Sun Juncai
Published: September 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to improve the performance of AISI 430 stainless steel (430 SS) in increasing its oxidation resistance, suppressing coating spalling and cracking, sustaining appropriate conductivity and blocking Cr evaporation as an interconnect material for intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cells; a protective co-contained coating is formed onto stainless steel via the surface alloying process and followed by thermal oxidation.

Design/methodology/approach

In this work, oxidation behavior of coated specimen is studied during isothermal and cyclic oxidation measurements. Moreover, the conductivity is also investigated by area specific resistance (ASR) measurement.

Findings

Co-contained spinel layer shows an outstanding performance in preventing oxidation and improving conductivity compared with uncoated specimens. The protective spinel coating also reduces the ASR for coated specimen (0.0576O cm2) as compared to the uncoated specimen (1.87296O cm2) after isothermal oxidation.

Originality/value

The probable mechanism of co-contained alloy converting into spinel and the spinel transfer electron is presented.
DRAA e-resources usage statistics services in China: research and practice
Authors: Ye Lan , Yang Wei , Lin Weiming
Published: September 2018

Purpose

This paper aims to share some experiences and practical activities related to the use and management of usage data in the Digital Resource Acquisition Alliance of Chinese Academic Libraries (DRAA) as a reference for library consortia engaged in providing usage statistics services of e-resources to member libraries.

Design/methodology/approach

A literature review and online survey are used to analyze the research and practice of e-resources usage statistics conducted internationally. The case of DRAA is introduced to present how DRAA develops usage statistics services and promotes the implementation of the Standardized Usage Statistics Harvesting Initiative (SUSHI) to deliver usage statistics to member libraries. Future developments and enhancements are also described.

Findings

The main actions taken by DRAA to develop usage statistics services are as follows: development of the DRAA Usage Statistics Portal to provide a single point of access to usage statistics from participating publishers on behalf of member libraries; development of a SUSHI client, taking the lead in promoting SUSHI implementation to automatically obtain usage statistics in Chinese academic libraries; establishment of a working group on usage statistics and the China Academic Library and Information System/DRAA Standards and Recommended Practices Research Task Group to form a long-term mechanism for monitoring and gathering usage statistics; and strengthening of the understanding and application of standards and best practices for libraries and vendors in China. Scheduled enhancements in the future include a deep analysis and utilization of usage statistics, the promotion of Counting Online Usage of NeTworked Electronic Resources and SUSHI to Chinese academic resource publishers and raising awareness about normalizing usage statistics.

Originality/value

This paper has pertinence and wider implications for library consortia engaged in providing e-resources usage statistics services to member libraries.
Determinants of behavioural intentions in the audit market
Authors: Ghebremichael Asmerom Atewebrhan
Published: September 2018

Purpose

This study uses conceptualizations and models of service quality and behavioural intentions from the service marketing and audit quality literature to investigate the influence of supervisory board members’ perceptions about various dimensions of audit quality on their behavioural intentions. These dimensions pertain to auditor’s technical competence, functional (service) quality and auditor independence.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey of supervisory board members of large and medium companies in The Netherlands is made to identify audit quality dimensions. The multivariate analysis is used to identify the quality dimensions influencing supervisory board members’ behavioural intentions.

Findings

Overall, the author’s results indicate that the quality dimensions identified in this study have significant influence mainly in the supervisory board members’ intention to refer their auditors to an acquaintance. In this regard, the salient determinants are the functional quality dimensions and auditor independence. The technical quality dimensions are not found to be crucial. In contrast, most of the quality dimensions are not significant determinants of supervisory board members’ intention to retain or recommend the purchase of non-audit services from the auditor albeit having a minor influence. The results have some implications for regulators and audit firms.

Research limitations/implications

The author’s results are limited by the low response rate that did not allow us to conduct factor analysis on all the functional and technical variables at the same time.

Originality/value

This paper is the first to integrate service quality and behavioural intentions concepts from the marketing literature and auditing literature and apply it in a corporate governance setting.
Hungry for the queen: Honeybee nutritional environment affects worker pheromone response in a life stage‐dependent manner
Authors: Walton Alexander , Dolezal Adam G. , Bakken Marit A. , Toth Amy L.
Published: September 2018

Animal nutritional state can profoundly affect behaviour, including an individual's tendency to cooperate with others. We investigated how nutritional restriction at different life stages affects cooperative behaviour in a highly social species, Apis mellifera honeybees.

We found that nutritional restriction affects a worker's queen pheromone response, a behavioural indicator of investment in group vs. individual reproduction. Nutritional restriction at the larval stage led to reduced ovary size and increased queen pheromone response, whereas nutritional restriction at the adult stage led to reduced lipid stores and reduced queen pheromone response.

We argue that these differences depend upon the extent of reproductive plasticity at these life stages and that individual worker honeybees may adjust their behavioural and physiological traits in response to nutritional stress to invest nutritional resources in either their own or their colony's reproduction.

These results support the role of nutritional stress in the maintenance of cooperative behaviour, and we suggest that historical nutritional scarcity may be an important contributor to the evolution of extreme forms of cooperation.

A plain language summary is available for this article.
Cognitive aspects of social competence in the current New South Wales Kindergarten to Grade Six Syllabuses
Authors: Challita Julianne , Chapparo Christine , Hinitt Joanne
Published: September 2018

Background/aim

Occupational therapists are commonly referred children who find reduced social competence a barrier to participation in school activities. Little is known about the social skills expected of children at school and the thinking strategies children use during social interactions. This study aimed to investigate the social skills expected of children during school‐based learning activities in the current NSW K‐6 Syllabuses and the types of cognitive strategies expected during social interactions.

Methods

A qualitative text‐based approach was adopted to explore the range of social skills expected of children at school. A content analysis of text‐based data was used to identify specific social skills represented in the current NSW K‐6 Syllabuses and the types of cognitive strategies required. Cognitive strategy use items from the PRPP System of Task Analysis were used to identify expected ways of thinking that related to social competence outcomes as stated in the Syllabus.

Results

Findings revealed a high number of social skills represented in expected learning outcomes for all six subjects included in the analysis. Four categories representing expected social behaviours across the syllabuses were identified: intrapersonal skills: communication by language; interpersonal skills and responding to others. Each desired social competence phrase embedded within syllabus objectives aligned with at least one item from the PRPP System of Task Analysis. The highest representation of expected strategy use was items from Recall (memory) and Planning (problem solving and evaluating) Quadrants.

Conclusion

Investigation into the types of cognitive strategies embedded within Syllabus objectives which relate to social competence can assist therapists more accurately target social skills and associated cognitive strategies required for occupational performance at school. Findings from the study support the use of the PRPP System of Task Analysis for identifying and addressing cognitive strategy use during occupational therapy assessment and intervention.
The Nun's Story: ‘True in its Essentials’
Authors: Buerkle Darcy
Published: September 2018

Multiple but ultimately unsanctioned desires brought Fred Zinnemann's film The Nun's Story (1959) into being. The traces of those desires and their abnegation reside both on the level of narrative and, most provocatively, in the visual testimony that the film provides for them. Departing from previous scholarship and exploring the film for its historiographic challenges and spectatorial implications for the gendered and sexualised subject, this essay reaches beyond demonstrating the myriad ways that the Production Code by the late 1950s had trained directors and spectators to find queer sexuality in allusion and subtext. Drawing on psychoanalysis and affect theory, this article examines the reception of Kathryn Hulme's 1956 book on which the film is based as context for the film's subsequent formal production history and cinematic specificities.
Work–family spillover and crossover effects of authentic leadership in China
Authors: Zhou Aiqin , Yang Ziwei , Kwan Ho Kwong , Chiu Randy K
Published: September 2018

This study investigated the relationship between authentic leadership as perceived by employees and romantic love as rated by their spouses. It also focused on the mediating role of employee work‐to‐family positive spillover and the moderating role of employee work–home segmentation preference. Data from 200 employee–spouse couples collected in three waves in China indicated that work‐to‐family positive spillover mediated the relationship between authentic leadership and romantic love. In addition, work–home segmentation preference attenuated the relationships among authentic leadership, work‐to‐family positive spillover, and romantic love, as well as the indirect effect of work‐to‐family positive spillover on the relationship between authentic leadership and romantic love. Our findings make important theoretical contributions and contribute practical insight into the leadership and work–family literature.
Gender Differences in Plasma Ghrelin Levels in Hemodialysis Patients
Authors: Sakao Yukitoshi , Ohashi Naro , Sugimoto Mitsushige , Ichikawa Hitomi , Sahara Shu , Tsuji Takayuki , Kato Akihiko , Fujigaki Yoshihide , Sugimoto Ken , Furuta Takahisa , Yasuda Hideo
Published: September 2018

Ghrelin is an orexigenic hormone mainly secreted by the stomach, and it decreases according to the severity of gastric atrophy. Ghrelin has multiple favorable functions, including protein anabolism enhancement, anti‐inflammatory activity, and cardiovascular protection, and is associated with survival in hemodialysis (HD) patients. Although the plasma level and role of ghrelin may be different depending on gender, they have not been completely assessed in HD patients. We enrolled 80 (male/female: 51/29) maintenance HD patients. An upper gastrointestinal endoscopic examination was performed for all patients to determine the severity of gastric mucosal atrophy and Helicobacter pylori infection. We measured plasma acyl and desacyl ghrelin levels and assessed the association between ghrelin levels and relevant clinical parameters, including nutrition, inflammation, atherosclerosis, and bone metabolism, by gender. Both acyl and desacyl ghrelin levels in female HD patients were significantly higher than those in male HD patients. When stratified by gastric mucosal atrophy, these gender differences were observed only in patients without gastric atrophy. In female patients, acyl ghrelin level was negatively correlated with age. In male patients, both acyl and desacyl ghrelin levels were positively correlated with bone mineral density. Multiple regression analysis showed significant positive correlations between both ghrelin levels and female gender after adjusting for confounding factors. Plasma ghrelin levels were higher in female HD patients than in male HD patients. The gender difference was more evident in patients without gastric atrophy.
The art of vector engineering: towards the construction of next‐generation genetic tools
Authors: Nora Luísa Czamanski , Westmann Cauã Antunes , Martins‐Santana Leonardo , Alves Luana de Fátima , Monteiro Lummy Maria Oliveira , Guazzaroni María‐Eugenia , Silva‐Rocha Rafael
Published: September 2018

When recombinant DNA technology was developed more than 40 years ago, no one could have imagined the impact it would have on both society and the scientific community. In the field of genetic engineering, the most important tool developed was the plasmid vector. This technology has been continuously expanding and undergoing adaptations. Here, we provide a detailed view following the evolution of vectors built throughout the years destined to study microorganisms and their peculiarities, including those whose genomes can only be revealed through metagenomics. We remark how synthetic biology became a turning point in designing these genetic tools to create meaningful innovations. We have placed special focus on the tools for engineering bacteria and fungi (both yeast and filamentous fungi) and those available to construct metagenomic libraries. Based on this overview, future goals would include the development of modular vectors bearing standardized parts and orthogonally designed circuits, a task not fully addressed thus far. Finally, we present some challenges that should be overcome to enable the next generation of vector design and ways to address it.
Gaming and strategic opacity in incentive provision
Authors: Ederer Florian , Holden Richard , Meyer Margaret
Published: September 2018

We study the benefits and costs of “opacity” (deliberate lack of transparency) of incentive schemes as a strategy to combat gaming by better informed agents. In a two‐task moral hazard model in which only the agent knows which task is less costly, the agent has an incentive to focus his effort on the less costly task. Opaque schemes, which make a risk‐averse agent uncertain about which task will be more highly rewarded, mitigate such gaming but impose more risk. We identify environments in which opaque schemes not only dominate transparent ones, but also eliminate the costs of the agent's hidden information.
Competition for traders and risk
Authors: Bijlsma Michiel , Boone Jan , Zwart Gijsbert
Published: September 2018

Perverse incentives for banks' traders have played a role in the financial crisis. We study how labor market competition interacts with the structure of compensation to result in excessive risk taking. In a model with trader moral hazard and adverse selection on trader abilities, we demonstrate how banks optimally induce top traders to take more risk as competition on the labor market intensifies, even if banks internalize the costs of negative outcomes. Distorting risk‐taking incentives allows banks to reduce the surplus offered to low‐ability traders. We find that increasing bank capital requirements does not unambiguously reduce risk taking by top traders.
Product variety, across‐market demand heterogeneity, and the value of online retail
Authors: Quan Thomas W. , Williams Kevin R.
Published: September 2018

Online retail gives consumers access to an astonishing variety of products. However, the additional value created by this variety depends on the extent to which local retailers already satisfy local demand. To quantify the gains and account for local demand, we use detailed data from an online retailer and propose methodology to address a common issue in such data—sparsity of local sales due to sampling and a significant number of local zeros. Our estimates indicate products face substantial demand heterogeneity across markets; as a result, we find gains from online variety that are 45% lower than previous studies.
Feasibility and validity of mobile cognitive testing in patients with substance use disorders and healthy controls
Authors: Bouvard Alexandra , Dupuy Maud , Schweitzer Pierre , Revranche Mathieu , Fatseas Melina , Serre Fuschia , Misdrahi David , Auriacombe Marc , Swendsen Joel
Published: September 2018

Background and Objectives

Mobile testing of executive deficits in substance‐related addictions is highly novel but requires validation.

Methods

Sixty‐one individuals (34 patients, 27 healthy controls) completed Ecological Momentary Assessments with mobile executive tests.

Results

Compliance with the tests was high (78% to 91%) in both the patient and control groups. No fatigue effects were detected, practice effects were observed for controls only, and convergent validity was found relative to neuropsychological assessments.

Conclusions The use of mobile cognitive testing is feasible and valid in this population.

Scientific Significance Mobile cognitive tests provide new opportunities for both research and clinical intervention. (Am J Addict 2018;27:553–556)
Cataract couching and the goat's eye
Authors: Leffler Christopher T. , Schwartz Stephen G. , Peterson Eric , Busscher Joshua
Published: September 2018

At the start of the third century, a story told by Claudius Aelianus, Leonidas of Alexandria and pseudo‐Galen held that couching originated when a goat with cataract punctured its eye with a thorn. The significance of this story is unknown. We reviewed Graeco‐Roman texts to identify the relevance of the goat to the eye. In the works of Hippocrates, Aristotle and Galen, the goat's eye was an eye with intermediate brightness or colour. A dark brown eye with a black pupil was healthy and required no treatment. A bright glaukos eye, with extensive corneal edema or scarring, was not amenable to couching. An eye with a white cataract behind an undilated pupil would appear to have an intermediate brightness and was potentially amenable to couching. The origin myth probably arose when an instructor explained that couching works best for a goat's eye, that is, an eye with intermediate brightness.
The penetration and distribution of topical atropine in animal ocular tissues
Authors: Wang Louis Zizhao , Syn Nicholas , Li Shiya , Barathi Veluchamy Amutha , Tong Louis , Neo Jason , Beuerman Roger W. , Zhou Lei
Published: September 2018

Purpose

To conduct a multi‐tissue investigation on the penetration and distribution of topical atropine in myopia treatment, and determine if atropine is detectable in the untreated contralateral eye after uniocular instillation.

Methods

Nine mature New Zealand white rabbits were evenly divided into three groups. Each group was killed at 5, 24 and 72 hr, respectively, following uniocular instillation of 0.05 ml of 1% atropine. Tissues were sampled after enucleation: conjunctiva, sclera, cornea, iris, ciliary body, lens, retina, aqueous, and vitreous humors. The assay for atropine was performed using liquid chromatography‐mass spectrometry (LC‐MS), and molecular tissue distribution was illustrated using matrix‐assisted laser desorption ionization‐imaging mass spectrometry (MALDI‐IMS) via an independent experiment on murine eyes.

Results

At 5 hr, the highest (mean ± SEM) concentration of atropine was detected in the conjunctiva (19.05 ± 5.57 ng/mg, p < 0.05) with a concentration gradient established anteriorly to posteriorly, as supported by MALDI‐IMS. At 24 hr, preferential binding of atropine to posterior ocular tissues occurred, demonstrating a reversal of the initial concentration gradient. Atropine has good ocular bioavailability with concentrations of two magnitudes higher than its binding affinity in most tissues at 3 days. Crossing‐over of atropine to the untreated eye occurred within 5 hr post‐administration.

Conclusion

Both transcorneal and transconjunctival‐scleral routes are key in atropine absorption. Posterior ocular tissues could be important sites of action by atropine in myopic reduction. In uniocular atropine trials, cross‐over effects on the placebo eye should be adjusted to enhance results reliability. Combining the use of LC‐MS and MALDI‐IMS can be a viable approach in the study of the ocular pharmacokinetics of atropine.
Elevation of serum oxidative stress in patients with retina vein occlusions
Authors: Chen Kuan‐Hsuan , Hsiang En‐Lin , Hsu Min‐Yen , Chou Yueh‐Ching , Lin Tai‐Chi , Chang Yuh‐Lih , Tsai Ching‐Yao , Li Tzu‐Hsuan , Woung Lin‐Chung , Chen Shih‐Jen , Peng Chi‐Hsien , Hwang De‐Kuang
Published: September 2018

Purpose

Retina vein occlusion (RVO) is a visual‐threatening retinal disease that causes irreversible impaired quality of life. The contribution of oxidative stress behind clinical course of RVO was rarely investigated. The study aimed to measure the serum oxidative biomarker in patients with RVO to investigate further physical response.

Methods

We measured the serum levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), 8‐hydroxy‐2‐deoxyguanosine (8OHdG), Sirutin 1 (SIRT1), peroxisome proliferator‐ activated receptor gamma (PPAR‐r), Peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor gamma coactivator 1‐alpha (PGC‐1α), orkhead box protein O1 (FOXO1), orkhead box protein O3 (FOXO3), catalase, (SOD) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) among 19 patients with cataract as control group and 36 patients with RVO, respectively.

Results

The mean MDA, 8OHdG and hydrogen peroxide in the serum were significantly higher in patients with RVO compared with the results in control group subjects. Whereas SIRT1, PPAR‐r, PGC‐1, FOXO1, FOXO3, catalase and SOD levels in serum were significantly decreased in patients with RVO compared with control group.

Conclusion

We demonstrated that the serum level of MDA, 8OHdG and hydrogen peroxide is increased in patients with RVO. Among these, the elevation of MDA, 8OHdG and hydrogen peroxide suggests the increasing of serum oxidative stress in RVO patients. All enzymes related reactive oxygen species scavenge were decreased. Thus, focal RVO may increase systemic oxidative stress within serum.
Cosmopolitan sidestep: University life, intimate geopolitics and the hidden costs of “Global” citizenship
Authors: Dimpfl Mike , Smith Sara
Published: September 2018

In higher education in the US today, particular practices of global engagement are positioned as essential to student learning. Institutional stakeholders foreground the potential of outward‐facing orientation to the globe while sidestepping local connections to racial inequality and injustice foregrounded by student and waged‐worker activism. Faculty and student composition, course content and hierarchies of waged work have been targeted by activists from within and without. In this example, relations between labour, students and administrators at a large southern research university in the USA reveal the mechanisms by which especially neoliberal cosmopolitanisms require an intentional and narrow rendering of what and who counts in the production of campus life. A discussion of student activism and changes to housekeeping work practices reveal how power is produced and divided by controlling and corralling particular kinds of social reproductive labour. In light of the redistribution and erasure of this labour, we argue that US universities are geopolitical in nature, shaping young people's orientations to an imagined global citizenship to create a specific form of cosmopolitanism that centres whiteness and makes claim to a globally oriented generosity rather than a justice‐oriented framework with explicit connections to the breadth of waged work undergirding university life and practice. To create this possibility, the university frequently side‐steps complex interconnections between student life and systems of racialised, ethnicised and gendered exploitation in local spaces in favour of a focus of similar inequalities in the world “out there.”
Dialogic Collaboration across Sectors: Partnering for Sustainability
Authors: Colaner Nathan , Imanaka Jessica Ludescher , Prussia Gregory E.
Published: September 2018

A substantial body of literature in the management discipline has evolved to make the case for and analyze the impacts of cross‐sector partnerships (CSPs). Yet, not all of these CSPs manifest the requisite collaborative propensities to achieve much more than superficial sustainability. Moreover, other disciplines like economics need to be brought to bear on analyses of such partnerships. In this article, we frame sustainable development challenges as collective action problems. We argue that over‐emphasizing the role of a single actor or institution will not yield genuine sustainability. Instead, we propose that a collaborative orientation is necessary for business managers as they deal with challenges as expansive and complex as those presented by goals of the sustainability of the natural environment. Cross‐sector collaborative partnerships (CSCPs) are needed to achieve collective responsibility, wherein dialogic CSCPs issue in a new paradigm of collaborative markets. Market‐based solutions that ignore or minimize the important contributions that may be made by government, academia, and civil society organizations must give way to new models of collaboration across sectors. We identity specific challenges and opportunities for cross‐sector collaboration and provide case examples. There are important limits to addressing environmental and ethics problems from a single sector focus, and we show how meaningful sustainability can be facilitated within a dialogic cross‐sector collaborative perspective.
Population pharmacokinetics of carboplatin, etoposide and melphalan in children: a re‐evaluation of paediatric dosing formulas for carboplatin in patients with normal or mild impairment of renal function
Authors: Duong J.K. , Veal G.J. , Nath C.E. , Shaw P.J. , Errington J. , Ladenstein R. , Boddy A.V.
Published: September 2018

Aims

Carboplatin dosage is calculated by using the estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR) to achieve a target plasma area under the plasma concentration–time curve (AUC). The aims of the present study were to investigate factors that influence the pharmacokinetics of carboplatin in children with high‐risk neuroblastoma, and whether target exposures for carboplatin were achieved using current treatment protocols.

Methods

Data on children receiving high‐dose carboplatin, etoposide and melphalan for neuroblastoma were obtained from two study sites [European International Society for Paediatric Oncology (SIOP) Neuroblastoma study, Children's Hospital at Westmead; n = 51]. A population pharmacokinetic model was built for carboplatin to evaluate various dosing formulas. The pharmacokinetics of etoposide and melphalan was also investigated. The final model was used to simulate whether target carboplatin AUC (16.4 mg ml–1·min) would be achieved using the paediatric Newell formula, modified Calvert formula and weight‐based dosing.

Results

Allometric weight was the only significant, independent covariate for the pharmacokinetic parameters of carboplatin, etoposide and melphalan. The paediatric Newell formula and modified Calvert formula were suitable for achieving the target AUC of carboplatin for children with a GFR <100 ml min–1 1.73 m–2 but not for those with a GFR ≥100 ml min–1 1.73 m–2. A weight‐based dosing regimen of 50 mg kg–1 achieved the target AUC more consistently than the other formulas, regardless of renal function.

Conclusions

GFR did not appear to influence the pharmacokinetics of carboplatin after adjusting pharmacokinetic parameters for weight. This model‐based approach validates the use of weight‐based dosing as an appropriate alternative for carboplatin in children with either mild renal impairment or normal renal function.
A review of the Ghana National Health Insurance Scheme claims database: possibilities and limits for drug utilization research
Authors: Ankrah Daniel , Hallas Jesper , Odei James , Asenso‐Boadi Francis , Dsane‐Selby Lydia , Donneyong Macarius
Published: September 2018

Background

There are inadequate data on prescribed drug utilization in Sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA). Drug utilization research (DUR) in this region is hampered by lack of access to databases that capture prescribed drug utilization such as health insurance claims, electronic medical records and disease registries. The primary objective of this MiniReview was to describe the content of the NHIS claims database in the context of the health care system in Ghana. We will also review the possibilities and limitations of analysing this novel database for drug utilization research (DUR) in Ghana.

Methods

We reviewed the history, composition of the database, coverage and health systems in Ghana. To demonstrate the application of the NHIS claims database for DUR, we reviewed the NHIS’ drug formulary (NHIS medicines’ list), assessed and quantified the utilization of the top 25 most commonly prescribed medicines and their distributions by age, sex, region of residence and by MDCs.

Results

As of December 2014, about 40% (~10.5 million) of the Ghanaian population were active beneficiaries of NHIS. There were 1.43 million unique patients in the NHIS claims database who received services from about 81 providers located in 9 out of the 10 regions in Ghana. The mean age of this sample of beneficiaries was 31 (standard deviation, 22) years, a third of whom were aged <18 years old. Nearly, 2 out of every 3 beneficiaries were females. On average, there were approximately 3 outpatient visits per beneficiary in 2015. There were about 522 unique drugs on the NHIS medicine list. Overall, analgesic was the most prescribed class of medicine (mostly paracetamol and diclofenac). Antimalarials, artemether‐lumefantrine, were observed as the second most prescribed medicines followed by anti‐infectives (metronidazole) and antihypertensives (amlodipine).

Conclusion

The Ghana NHIS claims database is a great resource for DUR. This database could also be extended to facilitate pharmacoepidemiological and other health services’ research especially if transformed into one of the existing standardized common data models.
Dosing recommendations based on population pharmacokinetics of tacrolimus in Mexican adult patients with kidney transplant
Authors: Reséndiz‐Galván Juan Eduardo , Medellín‐Garibay Susanna Edith , Milán‐Segovia Rosa del Carmen , Niño‐Moreno Perla del Carmen , Isordia‐Segovia Javier , Romano‐Moreno Silvia
Published: September 2018

The aim of this study was to perform a population pharmacokinetic analysis of tacrolimus in Mexican adult kidney transplant patients to analyse the influence of clinical and genetic covariates to propose a dosage regimen. Kidney transplant patients (>18 years old) receiving oral tacrolimus treatment were included in the current study. The population pharmacokinetic model was built using a one‐compartment model and the First Order Conditional Estimation method with Interaction (FOCEI via NONMEM v.7.3.). A total of 600 tacrolimus trough blood concentrations from 52 kidney transplant patients were analysed. Tacrolimus clearances were 26, 18.8 and 12.3 L/h, for patients with genetic polymorphisms CYP3A5*1*1, *1*3 and *3*3, respectively. The influence of haematocrit was inversely related to tacrolimus clearance, following an allometric power function. Total volume of distribution was 604 L. Interindividual variability associated with tacrolimus clearance and distribution volume for the final model was 33 and 63%, respectively, with a residual error of 2.5 ng/mL. Relative bioavailability was calculated between generic formulations A (0.53) and B (1) of tacrolimus. Internal validation was performed through bootstrap analysis to evaluate the stability of the final model; external validation was performed in a new group of patients (n = 13) to estimate residual errors on basic (57.8%) and final (34.8%) models. Finally, stochastic simulations were performed to propose a dosage regimen based on haematocrit, CYP3A5 genotype and generic formulation of tacrolimus. A stable and predictive population pharmacokinetic model of tacrolimus was developed for Mexican adult kidney transplant patients; additionally, the proposed dosage regimen of tacrolimus should be prospectively validated.
University students’ emotions in virtual learning: a review of empirical research in the 21st century
Authors: Henritius Eija , Löfström Erika , Hannula Markku S.
Published: September 2018

This paper presents a systematic review of university students’ emotions in connection with virtual learning based on 91 articles published between 2002 and 2017 in four international journals that focus on virtual learning and educational technology or on learning in higher education. These journals were considered potential channels for research on emotions in virtual learning and higher education. The objective was to analyse the articles for concepts and theoretical background related to virtual learning and emotions, contextual focus, methodological choice, and/or results. The review showed that the most common emotion‐related concept was “satisfaction.” The most common context for the articles was a complete non‐physical learning environment (e.g. Second Life). Approximately 60% of the articles used quantitative methods. The most common design for studying emotions was an explanatory design. Students’ emotions were mainly studied through concepts related to emotion (e.g. “satisfaction”). Yet only a few of the studies focused on the fluctuation of emotions in the course of events, relying instead on post hoc data that treat students’ emotions as traits rather than states.
Silencing human epidermal growth factor receptor‐3 radiosensitizes human luminal A breast cancer cells
Authors: He Guofeng , Di Xiaoke , Yan Jingjing , Zhu Caiqiang , Sun Xinchen , Zhang Shu
Published: September 2018

Endocrine therapy and radiotherapy are the main treatments for luminal A breast cancer. However, drug and radiotherapy resistance could occur during long‐term treatment, leading to local recurrence and distant metastasis. Some studies have found that drug resistance might be related to human epidermal growth factor receptor‐3 (HER3) overexpression. However, whether HER3 plays a role in radiotherapy resistance is unknown. The purpose of this study is to elucidate the effect of HER3 in radiotherapy and to assess whether HER3 could be a potential target for radiosensitivity. We used retroviruses to construct stable low expression of HER3 in MCF‐7 and ZR75‐1cells. The CCK‐8 assay was used to observe proliferation. Colony‐forming assay was used to detect radiosensitivity. Flow cytometry was used to observe the cell cycle and apoptosis. Immunofluorescence assay was used to detect the number of γH2AX foci in the nucleus with or without ionizing radiation (IR). Western blot analysis was used to verify the change of relative proteins. Nude mice were used to observe tumor growth in vivo. In our study, silencing HER3 reduced cell proliferation and clone formation ability after IR, so silencing HER3 increased the sensitivity of luminal A breast cancer cells to radiotherapy. In terms of radiosensitivity mechanisms, it is suggested that the silencing of HER3 enhanced IR‐induced DNA damage, reduced DNA repair, and increased apoptosis and G2/M arrest. In addition, silencing HER3 combined with IR clearly inhibited the transplanted tumor growth in vivo. Therefore, we concluded that HER3 played a role in radiotherapy resistance. Silencing HER3 increased the radiosensitivity of luminal A breast cancer cells and HER3 could be a potential target for radiosensitivity.
The evolution of treatment over 80 years at the outpatient department of the Viennese school of dentistry
Authors: Haririan Hady , Pachel‐Tettinger Dagmara , Kirchner Johannes , Moritz Andreas , Rausch‐Fan Xiaohui
Published: September 2018

Objectives

The delivery of oral health services, diagnostics and treatment underwent significant changes in the 20th century thanks to achievements by pioneers in dentistry. The Golden Age of Dentistry in Vienna, Austria, was marked by renowned dentists like Bernhard Gottlieb in the 1930s. Data records from the outpatient department of this period have been found and served as a source from which to draw comparisons between those days and the present. To date, data supporting an overall perception of advances in dentistry during the last century in tooth preservation and patients’ demands have been lacking. The aim of this study was to evaluate changes in treatments and patient characteristics between the interwar period and the present and to assess how treatments for dental emergencies developed.

Methods

Patients’ records were extracted from books handwritten from January to May 1933 and compared with electronically generated data from the same period in 2013. In total, patient data from 10 111 individuals (3878 in 1933 and 6233 in 2013) were analysed. Comparisons were undertaken for gender, age, place of residence, diagnosis and therapy.

Results

Various statistically significant demographic and treatment differences were found between 1933 and 2013. Patients’ mean ages in 2013 and 1933 were 42 and 31 years, respectively. In 2013, there were significantly more women than in 1933 (3378 vs 1936), with 54% women in 2013 and 50% women in 1933. In 2013, there were significantly fewer tooth extractions as dental emergency treatment than in 1933 (2% vs 34%).

Conclusions

Treatment in the outpatient department is much more conservative in the 21st century. The characteristics of patients visiting the outpatient department have changed over the generations, and treatment needs should be evaluated accordingly.
Applying deep learning to right whale photo identification
Authors: Bogucki Robert , Cygan Marek , Khan Christin Brangwynne , Klimek Maciej , Milczek Jan Kanty , Mucha Marcin
Published: September 2018

Photo identification is an important tool for estimating abundance and monitoring population trends over time. However, manually matching photographs to known individuals is time‐consuming. Motivated by recent developments in image recognition, we hosted a data science challenge on the crowdsourcing platform Kaggle to automate the identification of endangered North Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis). The winning solution automatically identified individual whales with 87% accuracy with a series of convolutional neural networks to identify the region of interest on an image, rotate, crop, and create standardized photographs of uniform size and orientation and then identify the correct individual whale from these passport‐like photographs. Recent advances in deep learning coupled with this fully automated workflow have yielded impressive results and have the potential to revolutionize traditional methods for the collection of data on the abundance and distribution of wild populations. Presenting these results to a broad audience should further bridge the gap between the data science and conservation science communities.
Characterizing efforts to reduce consumer demand for wildlife products
Authors: Veríssimo Diogo , Wan Anita K. Y.
Published: September 2018

The unsustainable trade in wildlife is a key threat to Earth's biodiversity. Efforts to mitigate this threat have traditionally focused on regulation and enforcement, and there is a growing interest in campaigns to reduce consumer demand for wildlife products. We aimed to characterize these behavior‐change campaigns and the evidence of their impacts. We searched peer‐reviewed and grey literature repositories and over 200 institutional websites to retrieve information on demand‐reduction campaigns. We found 236 campaigns, mainly in the grey literature. Since the 1970s, the number of campaigns increased, although for over 15% a start date could not be found. Asia was the primary focus, although at the national level the United States was where most campaigns took place. Campaigns most often focused on a single species of mammal; other vertebrates groups, with the exception of sharks, received limited attention. Many campaigns focused on broad themes, such as the wildlife trade in general or seafood. Thirty‐seven percent of campaigns reported some information on their inputs, 98% on strategies, 70% on outputs, 37% on outcomes (i.e., changes in the target audience), and 9% on impacts (i.e., biological changes or threat reduction). Information on outcomes and impacts was largely anecdotal or based on research designs that are at a high risk of bias, such as pre‐ and postcampaign comparisons. It was unclear whether demand‐reduction campaigns had direct behavioral or biological impacts. The lack of robust impact evaluation made it difficult to draw insights to inform future efforts, a crucial part of effectively addressing complex issues, such as the wildlife trade. If demand‐reduction campaigns are to become a cornerstone of the efforts to mitigate the unsustainable trade in wildlife, conservationists need to adopt more rigorous impact evaluation and a more collaborative approach that fosters the sharing of data and insights.