bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Retroperitoneal Hemorrhage After Sacral Neurostimulator Placement for Urgency Urinary Incontinence
Authors: Kinman Casey L. , Hobson Deslyn T.G. , Agrawal Anubhav , Vyleta Martin S. , Francis Sean L.
Published: June 2017

Sacral neuromodulation (SNM) is an effective therapy for patients who experience urinary incontinence, idiopathic urinary retention, and fecal incontinence. Although typically a low-risk procedure, rarely, it can be associated with significant hemorrhage. A 61-year-old woman on chronic anticoagulation underwent uncomplicated implantation of SNM for refractory urgency urinary incontinence. Anticoagulation was held on the day of surgery and resumed on postoperative day 1. On postoperative day 2, the patient developed an extensive retroperitoneal hemorrhage. This was successfully treated by angioembolization of the left lateral sacral artery with the InterStim device left in situ. At 6-month follow-up, the device was functioning properly, and the patient's urinary symptoms were well controlled. Retroperitoneal hemorrhage is a rare complication after SNM placement. Conservative management with angioembolization should be considered as a first-line approach.
Preimplantation Kidney Biopsies of Extended Criteria Donors Have a Heavier Inflammatory Burden Than Kidneys From Standard Criteria Donors
Authors: Mazeti-Felicio Camila M. , Caldas Heloisa C. , Fernandes-Charpiot Ida M.M. , Dezotti Camila Z. , Baptista Maria A.S.F. , Abbud-Filho Mario
Published: June 2017

Background

Donors after brain death develop a systemic proinflammatory state that may predispose the kidneys to injury after transplantation. Because it is not known whether this inflammatory environment similarly affects the kidneys from expanded criteria donor (ECD) and standard criteria donors (SCD), we sought to evaluate differences in the gene expression of inflammatory cytokines in preimplantation biopsies (PIBx) from ECD and SCD kidneys.

Methods

Cytokines gene expression was measured in 80 PIBx (SCD, 52; ECD, 28) and associated with donor variables.

Results

Normal histology and chronic histological lesions were not different between both types of kidneys. ECD kidneys showed significant increase in the transcripts of MCP-1, RANTES, TGF-β1, and IL-10 when compared with SCD. Kidneys presenting normal histology had similar inflammatory profile except by a higher expression of RANTES observed in ECD (P = 0.04). Interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy (interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy ≥ 1) were associated with higher expression of TGF-β1, RANTES, and IL-10 in ECD compared with SCD kidneys. Cold ischemia time of 24 hours or longer was significantly associated with upregulation of FOXP3, MCP-1, RANTES, and IL10, whereas longer duration of donor hospitalization significantly increased gene expression of all markers. High FOXP3 expression was also associated with lower level of serum creatinine at 1 year. Donor age was not associated with any of the transcripts studied.

Conclusions

PIBx of ECD exhibit a higher gene expression of inflammatory cytokines when compared with SCD kidneys. This molecular profile may be a specific ECD kidney response to brain death and may help to predict the posttransplant outcomes of ECD recipients.
Outcomes of Liver Transplant Recipients With Autoimmune Liver Disease Using Long-Term Dual Immunosuppression Regimen Without Corticosteroid
Authors: Satapathy Sanjaya K. , Jones Ollie D. , Vanatta Jason M. , Kamal Faisal , Kedia Satish K. , Jiang Yu , Nair Satheesh P. , Eason James D.
Published: June 2017

Background

Liver transplant (LT) recipients with autoimmune liver disease (primary sclerosing cholangitis, primary biliary cholangitis, autoimmune hepatitis) are at increased risk of developing acute cellular rejection (ACR), and in many cases graft failure due to recurrent disease. We describe our experience with dual immunosuppression without steroid maintenance and analyze its effect on disease recurrence; ACR; patient and graft survivals; and complications, such as sepsis and de novo malignancy.

Methods

We included 74 consecutive LT recipients (April 2006 to April 2013) with autoimmune liver disease (primary sclerosing cholangitis, 20; primary biliary cholangitis, 23; autoimmune hepatitis, 31) from a single transplant center. Immunosuppression protocol included rabbit antithymocyte globulin for induction and mycophenolate mofetil with tacrolimus or sirolimus/everolimus indefinitely for maintenance.

Results

Overall 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year patient survival was 95.9%, 90.4%, 82,2% and 74.9%, re–graft-free survival was 93.2%, 86.3%, 79.9%, and 72.8%, respectively (median follow-up, 5.5 years). In a multivariate Cox regression analysis, sepsis during post-LT period (P = 0.040; hazard ratio [HR], 2.52; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.04-6.11), steroid use for ACR (P = 0.037; HR, 2.60; 95% CI, 1.06-6.34), and younger age (<40 years) at LT (P = 0.038; HR, 2.53; 95% CI, 1.05-6.10) predicted graft survival, whereas steroid use for ACR was the only variable that was predictive of overall patient survival (P = 0.004; HR, 4.10; 95% CI, 1.59-10.52). Overall, 34 biopsy-proven ACR was noted in 22 LT recipients (30%), 13 (17.5%) had disease recurrence, and 34 episodes of sepsis occurred in 19 patients.

Conclusions

Dual immunosuppression protocol in LT recipients with autoimmune liver disease without corticosteroid maintenance had acceptable rates of survival and ACR without predisposing patients to the adverse effects of long-term steroid therapy.
MIP-MAP: High Throughput Mapping ofCaenorhabditis elegansTemperature Sensitive Mutants via Molecular Inversion Probes
Authors: Mok CA , Au V , Thompson OA , Edgley ML , Gevirtzman L , Yochem J , Lowry J , Memar N , Wallenfang M , Rasoloson D , Bowerman B , Schnabel R , Seydoux G , Moerman DG , Waterston RH
Published: June 2017

Temperature sensitive (TS) alleles are important tools for the genetic and functional analysis of essential genes in many model organisms. While isolating TS alleles is not difficult, determining the TS-conferring mutation can be problematic. Even with whole-genome sequencing (WGS) data there is a paucity of predictive methods for identifying TS alleles from DNA sequence alone. We assembled 173 TS lethal mutants ofCaenorhabditis elegansand used WGS to identify several hundred mutations per strain. We leveraged single molecule molecular inversion probes (MIPs) to sequence variant sites at high depth in the cross-progeny of TS mutants and a mapping strain with identified sequence variants but no apparent phenotypic differences from the reference N2 strain. By sampling for variants at ~1Mb intervals across the genome we genetically mapped mutant alleles at a resolution comparable to current standards in a process we call MIP-MAP. The MIP-MAP protocol, however, permits high-throughput sequencing of multiple TS mutation mapping libraries at less than 200K reads per library. Using MIP-MAP on a subset of TS mutants, via a competitive selection assay and standard recombinant mutant selection, we defined TS-associated intervals of 3Mb or less. Our results suggest this collection of strains contains a diverse library of TS alleles for genes involved in development and reproduction. MIP-MAP is a robust method to genetically map mutations in both viable and essential genes. The MIPs protocol should allow high-throughput tracking of genetic variants in any mixed population.
Evolutionary proteomics uncovers ciliary signaling components
Authors: Sigg Monika Abedin , Menchen Tabea , Johnson Jeffery , Lee Chanjae , Choksi Semil P. , Garcia Galo , Busengdal Henriette , Dougherty Gerard , Pennekamp Petra , Werner Claudius , Rentzsch Fabian , Krogan Nevan , Wallingford John B. , Omran Heymut , Reiter Jeremy F.
Published: June 2017

Cilia are organelles specialized for movement and signaling. To infer when during animal evolution signaling pathways became associated with cilia, we characterized the proteomes of cilia from three organisms: sea urchins, sea anemones and choanoflagellates. From these ciliomes, we identified 437 high confidence ciliary candidate proteins conserved in mammals, including known regulators of Hh, GPCR and TRP channel signaling. The phylogenetic profiles of their ciliary association indicate that the Hh and GPCR pathways were linked to cilia before the origin of bilateria and TRP channels before the origin of animals. We demonstrated that some of the candidates not previously implicated in ciliary biology localized to cilia and further investigated ENKUR, a TRP channel-interacting protein that we identified in the cilia of all three organisms. In animals, ENKUR is expressed by cells with motile cilia, ENKUR localizes to cilia in diverse organisms and, in bothXenopus laevisand mice, ENKUR is required for patterning the left/right axis. Moreover, mutation ofENKURcauses situs inversus in humans. Thus, proteomic profiling of cilia from diverse eukaryotes defines a conserved ciliary proteome, reveals ancient connections to Hh, GPCR and TRP channel signaling, and uncovers a novel ciliary protein that controls vertebrate development and human disease.
Positional effects revealed in Illumina Methylation Array and the impact on analysis
Authors: Jiao Chuan , Zhang Chunling , Dai Rujia , Xia Yan , Wang Kangli , Giase Gina , Chen Chao , Liu Chunyu
Published: June 2017

With the evolution of rapid epigenetic research, Illumina Infinium HumanMethylation BeadChips have been widely used to study DNA methylation. However, in evaluating the accuracy of this method, we found that the commonly used Illumina HumanMethylation BeadChips are substantially affected by positional effects; the DNA sample’s location in a chip affects the measured methylation levels. We analyzed three HumanMethylation450 and three HumanMethylation27 datasets by using four methods to prove the existence of positional effects. Three datasets were analyzed further for technical replicate analysis or differential methylation CpG sites analysis. The pre- and post-correction comparisons indicate that the positional effects could alter the measured methylation values and downstream analysis results. Nevertheless, ComBat, linear regression and functional normalization could all be used to minimize such artifact. We recommend performing ComBat to correct positional effects followed by the correction of batch effects in data preprocessing as this procedure slightly outperforms the others. In addition, randomizing the sample placement should be a critical laboratory practice for using such experimental platforms. Code for our method is freely available at: https://github.com/ChuanJ/posibatch.
Fractional Field Theory Approach to Protein Folding Dynamics
Authors: Nasrolahpour Hosein
Published: June 2017

Understanding biological complexity is one of the most important scientific challenges nowadays. Protein folding is a complex process involving many interactions between the molecules. Fractional calculus is an effective modeling tool for complex systems and processes. In this work we have proposed a new fractional field theoretical approach to protein folding.
Genetic drift does not sufficiently explain patterns of electric signal variation among populations of the mormyrid electric fishParamormyrops kingsleyae
Authors: Picq Sophie , Sperling Joshua , Cheng Catherine J. , Carlson Bruce A. , Gallant Jason R.
Published: June 2017

The mormyrid fish speciesParamormyrops kingsleyaeemits an electric organ discharge (EOD) with a dual role in communication and electrolocation. Populations ofP. kingsleyaehave either biphasic or triphasic EODs, a feature which characterizes interspecific signal diversity among theParamormyropsgenus. We quantified variation in EODs of 327P. kingsleyaefrom 9 populations throughout Gabon and compared it to genetic variation estimated from 5 neutral microsatellite loci. We found no correlation between electric signal and genetic distances, suggesting that EOD divergence between populations ofP. kingsleyaecannot be explained by drift alone. An alternative hypothesis is that EOD differences are a cue for assortative mating, which would requireP. kingsleyaebe capable of differentiating between divergent EOD waveforms. Using a habituation-dishabituation assay, we found thatP. kingsleyaecan discriminate between triphasic and biphasic EOD types. Nonetheless, patterns of genetic and electric organ morphology divergence provide evidence for hybridization between signal types. Although reproductive isolation with respect to signal type is not absolute, our results suggest that EOD variation inP. kingsleayehas the potential to serve as a cue for assortative mating and point to selective forces rather than drift as important drivers of signal evolution.
1.8 Å resolution crystal structure of the carbapenem intrinsic resistance protein CarF
Authors: Tichy Evelyn M. , Hardwick Steven W. , Luisi Ben F. , Salmond George P. C.
Published: June 2017

The natural production of the β-lactam antibiotic carbapenem in bacteria involves a group of enzymes that form a synthetic pathway as well as proteins that protect the cell from self-intoxification by the products. Here, the crystal structure of CarF, one of the two proteins that confer resistance to synthesis of the antibiotic in the host organism, is reported. The CarF fold places it within a widely occurring structural family, indicating an ancient structural origin from which the resistance function has been derived.
Developing school resilience for disaster mitigation: a confirmatory factor analysis
Authors: Dwiningrum Siti Irene Astuti
Published: June 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to create a valid and fit instrument to measure school resilience, and to understand teachers’ and students’ contributions to build school resilience.

Design/methodology/approach

The construct of school resilience is adapted from Henderson and Milstein’s (2003) concept regarding two factors: mitigating risk factor in environment and building resilience in the environment. Senior high school teachers and students in a disaster-prone area in Indonesia were chosen as the sample using purposive sampling technique.

Findings

The results of this research are that the instrument is considered as good, valid, reliable, and fit for measuring the students’ and the teachers’ contributions in building school resilience; and the results of the confirmatory factor analysis test of the hypothesized model of school resilience of teachers and students in a disaster-prone area are in line with the empirical data. Based on the analysis of the value of the major loading factors, teachers and students show different contributions. In building school resilience for disaster mitigation, teachers begin by mitigating risk factor in the environment whereas students tend to give a priority to build resilience in the environment.

Practical implications

The results of this study are applicable to develop school resilience on disaster mitigation, and the instrument of the research provides a practical contribution to broader research scope, in terms of different population, school level, socio-cultural background, and disaster-prone area.

Originality/value

This study presents reliable instrument to measure teachers and students’ contribution in building school resilience. This study also sought to understand the different contributions shown by teachers and students in building school resilience for disaster mitigation.
African portfolio entrepreneurship and the creation of jobs
Authors: Malfense Fierro Antonio Cornelius , Noble David , Hatem Omaima , Balunywa Waswa
Published: June 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to focus on large-scale portfolio entrepreneurship and its impact on the creation of stable wage employment in African economies.

Design/methodology/approach

The three studies focussed on Egypt, Uganda, and Malawi were all exploratory, inductive, and qualitative studies, which involved semi-structured interviews with 65 entrepreneurial founders of some of these countries’ most prominent business portfolios between 2009 and 2012. The data were collected through face-to-face interviews, which lasted between one and four hours, with the founders of each of these portfolios.

Findings

This inductive and qualitative study finds a connection between the creation of stable wage-paying jobs and portfolio entrepreneurship in three countries, representing three of the four different archetypal African economies. It also finds a strong connection between the development of new industries and portfolio entrepreneurship.

Practical implications

The practical and societal implications of these findings are incredibly important. The current and looming shortage of stable wage employment in Africa is reaching calamitous proportions. The growth in religion-affiliated terrorism and high-risk economic migration to Europe can be directly related to the lack of employment opportunities in African nations. The findings indicate that portfolio entrepreneurs are major players in the creation of such employment opportunities and government policies focussing on this area, as compared to focussing solely on SMEs, may be more effective in mitigating some of the drivers for emigration and terrorism.

Originality/value

This is the only study of its kind that investigates the role of large-scale portfolio entrepreneurship in the growth of employment opportunities in Africa.
A qualitative analysis of capital budgeting in cotton ginning plants
Authors: Lima Afonso Carneiro , da Silveira José Augusto Giesbrecht , Matos Fátima Regina Ney , Xavier André Moura
Published: June 2017

Purpose

To analyze capital budgeting practice in a group of small cotton ginning firms in Brazil. The study aims at describing how investment decision-making in the agribusiness context may be influenced by heuristics and by the business setting.

Design/methodology/approach

This research adopted an exploratory and qualitative approach in gauging the practice of capital budgeting in Brazilian cotton ginning firms and discussing actual managerial decision-making. Data collection involved interviews with managers of ten different firms and a further content analysis was performed.

Findings

Results reveal a practical managerial approach aimed at ensuring satisfactory net operating results in the short run. Sophistication in capital budgeting is not considered as essential, as institutional and strategic environment influences directly affect impose high risks. Investment decision-making is highly influenced by managerial experience.

Research limitations/implications

Because of the chosen research approach, results may lack generalizability. However, in addressing a specific sector in a specific location, one can identify and craft strategies in response to managerial needs more effectively.

Practical implications

The paper clarifies how heuristics, managerial experience and the institutional context may influence investment decision-making in cotton ginning operations. It also suggests how actions aimed at evaluating risk and improving the screening of investment perspectives could contribute to improve investment decisions.

Originality/value

The paper provides an in-depth perspective in addressing the practice of capital budgeting in the context of a specific activity and describing key issues related to it.
Optimal duration of fasting period after endoscopic submucosal dissection for gastric epithelial neoplasia: A prospective evaluation
Authors: Oh Kwang Hoon , Lee Sang Jin , Park Jong Kyu
Published: June 2017

OBJECTIVE

There are currently no standardized guidelines for adequately determining the fasting period following gastric endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD). The aim of this study was to determine the appropriate fasting period.

METHODS

The enrolled patients were randomized into a short and a long‐fasting group. In the short‐fasting group, patients had fasted until the day after the ESD. In the long‐fasting group, patients had fasted until 2 days after the ESD. A second‐look endoscopy was performed immediately prior to starting to eat meals. The primary end‐point was the measurement of discomfort‐related ESD after starting meals such as epigastric pain, heartburn, regurgitation, nausea and vomiting. Secondary end‐points included the bleeding rate after starting meals, hospital stay, patient satisfaction and hemostasis upon second‐look endoscopy.

RESULTS

We analyzed data from 101 of 110 randomized patients. Both groups demonstrated similar baseline characteristics. There were no significant differences in reports of epigastric pain, heartburn, regurgitation, nausea and vomiting after starting meals. Both groups demonstrated similar hemostasis rates upon second‐look endoscopy (26% vs 31.4%, P = 0.551) and bleeding rate (4% vs 0%, P = 0.149). The duration of hospital stay was significantly shorter in the short‐fasting group (4.3 days vs 5.1 days, P < 0.001), and patient satisfaction was greater (P = 0.003) than in the long‐fasting group.

CONCLUSIONS

A short fasting protocol does not cause discomfort related to ESD or influence post‐ESD bleeding. Moreover, the short fasting protocol results in shorter hospital stays and greater patient satisfaction.
Bioelectroventing: an electrochemical‐assisted bioremediation strategy for cleaning‐up atrazine‐polluted soils
Authors: Domínguez‐Garay Ainara , Quejigo Jose Rodrigo , Dörfler Ulrike , Schroll Reiner , Esteve‐Núñez Abraham
Published: June 2017

The absence of suitable terminal electron acceptors (TEA) in soil might limit the oxidative metabolism of environmental microbial populations. Bioelectroventing is a bioelectrochemical strategy that aims to enhance the biodegradation of a pollutant in the environment by overcoming the electron acceptor limitation and maximizing metabolic oxidation. Microbial electroremediating cells (MERCs) are devices that can perform such a bioelectroventing. We also report an overall profile of the 14C‐ATR metabolites and 14C mass balance in response to the different treatments. The objective of this work was to use MERC principles, under different configurations, to stimulate soil bacteria to achieve the complete biodegradation of the herbicide 14C‐atrazine (ATR) to 14CO2 in soils. Our study concludes that using electrodes at a positive potential [+600 mV (versus Ag/AgCl)] ATR mineralization was enhanced by 20‐fold when compared to natural attenuation in electrode‐free controls. Furthermore, ecotoxicological analysis of the soil after the bioelectroventing treatment revealed an effective clean‐up in < 20 days. The impact of electrodes on soil bioremediation suggests a promising future for this emerging environmental technology.
Efficacy of self‐adjusting file, XP‐endo finisher and passive ultrasonic irrigation on the removal of calcium hydroxide paste from an artificial standardized groove
Authors: Kfir Anda , Blau‐Venezia Nuphar , Goldberger Tomer , Abramovitz Itzhak , Wigler Ronald
Published: June 2017

The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of self‐adjusting file (SAF), XP‐endo finisher (XP), passive ultrasonic irrigation (PUI) and conventional syringe and needle irrigation (SNI) in the removal of Ca(OH)2 from an artificial groove. Eighty mandibular incisors with single oval canals were prepared to size 40/0.04 and split longitudinally. A standardised groove was prepared in the apical third and filled with Ca(OH)2. The root halves were reassembled and divided into two control groups (n = 4) and four experimental groups (n = 18) according to the removal methods used. The amount of residual Ca(OH)2 was evaluated using a four‐grade scoring system. The differences among the groups were analysed using the Kruskal–Wallis test (P < 0.05). SAF, XP and PUI removed significantly more Ca(OH)2 than SNI (P < 0.001), although there were no significant differences among them (P = 0.209). None of the tested methods could completely clean Ca(OH)2 from the groove.
Contesting Australian Asylum Policy: Political Alienation, Socratic Citizenship, and Cosmopolitan Critique
Authors: Muldoon Paul
Published: June 2017

In the face of the hard‐line approach to asylum‐seekers currently being taken by both the major political parties in Australia, alienated cosmopolitans have been increasingly inclined to disidentify with the Australian nation and declare “not in my name”. Although sympathetic both to the cosmopolitan position and to these acts of principled dissent, I express reservations about such an approach on the grounds that it distances the cosmopolitan elite from the democratic mass and inclines towards irresponsibility. Drawing on Socrates as an exemplar, I investigate how citizens with cosmopolitan sensibilities might resist injustice on universal moral grounds without being either condemned by or exiled from their local political community. Ultimately, I argue in favour of an embedded cosmopolitanism that engages critically with the political ethos and calls on citizens to take responsibility for protecting the state in its ideal image.
Evaluation of the Reverse Mortgage Option in Hong Kong
Authors: Han Wei , Wang Ping , Xu Hao , Choi June‐Sung
Published: June 2017

The reverse mortgage is a very useful financial product for senior citizens who own homes but do not have a cash income, while it is a high‐risk product from the lender's perspective. One of benefits of reverse mortgages is that the debt limit is restricted to the scope of the disposition price of the collateralized house, which is considered a put option to borrowers. The present study evaluates the option value of the reverse mortgage in Hong Kong through an empirical analysis using the Black–Scholes option‐pricing model. Moreover, the present study shows specific monetary values through option matching to the consumer situation, contributing to the increased understanding of reverse mortgages from the consumer's point of view.
Is Decoupling Possible? Association between Affluence and Household Carbon Emissions in the Philippines
Authors: Seriño Moises Neil V.
Published: June 2017

This paper investigates whether or not affluence is associated with carbon emissions at the household level in the Philippines. While there is abundant literature on this issue, limited studies are available for developing countries. We estimate household carbon emissions by combining input–output analysis with household expenditure. The results suggest that household carbon emissions are increasing non‐monotonically with a non‐existent turning point as households accumulate more assets. This is further supported by quintile estimates showing huge disparity in emissions between poor and rich households. Although household carbon emissions in the Philippines are not alarming, evidence suggests that it is likely households will lead a carbon‐intensive lifestyle as they become more affluent.
Strategic communication related to academic performance: Evidence from China
Authors: Zhao Li , Chen Lulu , He Luwei , Heyman Gail D.
Published: June 2017

We examined a range of forms of strategic communication relevant to academic performance among 151 seventh‐ and eleventh‐grade adolescents in China. Participants were asked to rate the frequency of their engagement of strategic communication and to evaluate the possible motives for each strategy. The most commonly adopted strategy was to give a vague response about one's own performance, and the predominant motives for strategic communication were the desires to outcompete others, to be prosocial, and to be modest. Males were more likely than females to focus on gaining social approval, and eleventh graders were more likely than seventh graders to focus on being prosocial and modest when engaging in strategic communication. These findings provide insight into the development of strategic communication beyond Western culture.

Statement of contribution

What is already known on this subject?

Adolescents in the West often hide their effort to appear more competent or to gain social acceptance.

Little is known about other communication strategies related to academic performance.

Little is known about the development of these strategies in non‐Western samples.

What does this study add? 

We show that in China, as in Western cultures, children often engage in strategic communication.

We demonstrate links between different forms of strategic communication and specific motives.

We demonstrate that strategic communication can be motivated by outcompeting others, by being prosocial, and by being modest.
Increased expression of (immuno)proteasome subunits during epileptogenesis is attenuated by inhibition of the mammalian target of rapamycin pathway
Authors: Broekaart Diede W. M. , van Scheppingen Jackelien , Geijtenbeek Karlijne W. , Zuidberg Mark R. J. , Anink Jasper J. , Baayen Johannes C. , Mühlebner Angelika , Aronica Eleonora , Gorter Jan A. , van Vliet Erwin A.
Published: June 2017

Objective

Inhibition of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway reduces epileptogenesis in various epilepsy models, possibly by inhibition of inflammatory processes, which may include the proteasome system. To study the role of mTOR inhibition in the regulation of the proteasome system, we investigated (immuno)proteasome expression during epileptogenesis, as well as the effects of the mTOR inhibitor rapamycin.

Methods

The expression of constitutive (β1, β5) and immunoproteasome (β1i, β5i) subunits was investigated during epileptogenesis using immunohistochemistry in the electrical post‐status epilepticus (SE) rat model for temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). The effect of rapamycin was studied on (immuno)proteasome subunit expression in post‐SE rats that were treated for 6 weeks. (Immuno)proteasome expression was validated in the brain tissue of patients who had SE or drug‐resistant TLE and the effect of rapamycin was studied in primary human astrocyte cultures.

Results

In post‐SE rats, increased (immuno)proteasome expression was detected throughout epileptogenesis in neurons and astrocytes within the hippocampus and piriform cortex and was most evident in rats that developed a progressive form of epilepsy. Rapamycin‐treated post‐SE rats had reduced (immuno)proteasome protein expression and a lower number of spontaneous seizures compared to vehicle‐treated rats. (Immuno)proteasome expression was also increased in neurons and astrocytes within the human hippocampus after SE and in patients with drug‐resistant TLE. In vitro studies using cultured human astrocytes showed that interleukin (IL)‐1β‐induced (immuno)proteasome gene expression could be attenuated by rapamycin.

Significance

Because dysregulation of the (immuno)proteasome system is observed before the occurrence of spontaneous seizures in rats, is associated with progression of epilepsy, and can be modulated via the mTOR pathway, it may represent an interesting novel target for drug treatment in epilepsy.
Effective population sizes of a major vector of human diseases, Aedes aegypti
Authors: Saarman Norah P. , Gloria‐Soria Andrea , Anderson Eric C. , Evans Benjamin R. , Pless Evlyn , Cosme Luciano V. , Gonzalez‐Acosta Cassandra , Kamgang Basile , Wesson Dawn M. , Powell Jeffrey R.
Published: June 2017

The effective population size (Ne) is a fundamental parameter in population genetics that determines the relative strength of selection and random genetic drift, the effect of migration, levels of inbreeding, and linkage disequilibrium. In many cases where it has been estimated in animals, Ne is on the order of 10%–20% of the census size. In this study, we use 12 microsatellite markers and 14,888 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to empirically estimate Ne in Aedes aegypti, the major vector of yellow fever, dengue, chikungunya, and Zika viruses. We used the method of temporal sampling to estimate Ne on a global dataset made up of 46 samples of Ae. aegypti that included multiple time points from 17 widely distributed geographic localities. Our Ne estimates for Ae. aegypti fell within a broad range (~25–3,000) and averaged between 400 and 600 across all localities and time points sampled. Adult census size (Nc) estimates for this species range between one and five thousand, so the Ne/Nc ratio is about the same as for most animals. These Ne values are lower than estimates available for other insects and have important implications for the design of genetic control strategies to reduce the impact of this species of mosquito on human health.
Animating geographies of making: Embodied slow scholarship for participant‐researchers of maker cultures and material work
Authors: Carr Chantel , Gibson Chris
Published: June 2017

Accounts of making as a social and economic practice, and as a process of material transformation, are accumulating both within and beyond geography. In this article, we turn our attention to how geographers have engaged viscerally with the labour process of making, by putting their own bodies to work, as makers themselves, or alongside those of research participants. Such embodied interventions extend academic understandings of the everyday, embodied accumulation of skill and tacit knowledge, as well as offering an alternative, methodologically transparent approach to nonrepresentational modes of writing. We review how geographers interested in making have found ways in which to deeply engage the field, often building on longstanding personal interests and auto‐ethnographic methods, in the face of pragmatic concerns for safety and security in the workplace, as well as the time constraints of the neoliberal academy. We conclude that the flourishing slow scholarship on geographies of making has opened up a productive portal through which to re‐connect work and the body. Deeper insights arise from implicating our labouring selves in both the making, as well as writing about making.
The significance of mountain glaciers as sentinels of climate and environmental change
Authors: Mark Bryan G. , Fernández Alfonso
Published: June 2017

Mountain glaciers are transient hydrologic reservoirs persisting at the habitable extremes of Earth that both document and respond to climate change. They withhold water in solid phase from other reservoirs and ultimately impact sea levels. Moreover, they are valued resources with economic and cultural significance for human societies living below them. They also preserve histories of past climates. Yet, when climate change forces glaciers to lose mass, the water and suspended matter flow downstream with various impacts. Profoundly, current glacier and environmental changes are now accelerating and being propelled by human activity. Diverse consequences of these changes are emerging, and many are negative for society. Nevertheless, these changes coincide with a time in human history during which science is able to observe changes with unprecedented detail. Geography has a key role to play in analyzing the patterns and impacts of mountain glacier changes over multiple spatial and temporal scales and involving an integrated approach that draws on different disciplines and innovative technology to account for interactions between multiple spheres of the Earth System.
‘DIE HAUPTSACHE IST, PLUMP DENKEN LERNEN’: BRECHT'S HERRNBURGER BERICHT AS A GDR LEARNING PLAY
Authors: Brady Martin
Published: June 2017

This essay looks at the Herrnburger Bericht (1951) by Bertolt Brecht and Paul Dessau in terms of its simplicity. Following a discussion of difficulty as modernism's ‘default position’, Brecht and Dessau's semi‐staged cantata is examined as an example of what Walter Benjamin, reviewing Brecht's Dreigroschenroman, affirmatively termed ‘plumpes Denken’. The blatancy of the Herrnburger Bericht is examined as a dialectical response to the ‘Formalismusdebatte’ around Brecht and Dessau's opera Die Verurteilung des Lukullus of the previous year, as a work for young performers and spectators, and as a distant relative of Brecht's ‘Lehrstücke’ of the late 1920s (in particular Der Flug der Lindberghs and Das Badener Lehrstück vom Einverständnis). Whilst acknowledging that the Herrnburger Bericht did not achieve the status its author and composer had hoped for, the afterlife of one of its numbers – ‘Bitten der Kinder’ – is noted.

Dieser Aufsatz untersucht die Einfachheit des Herrnburger Berichts (1951) von Bertolt Brecht und Paul Dessau. Nach einer Auswertung des Begriffs der Schwierigkeit als Grundposition der Moderne wird Brechts und Dessaus ‘halbszenische Chorkantate’ als Beispiel des ‘plumpen Denkens’ analysiert. Diesen affirmativen Begriff prägte Walter Benjamin in seiner Rezension von Brechts Dreigroschenroman. Die Offensichtlichkeit bzw. Unverfrorenheit des Herrnburger Berichts wird als dialektische Reaktion auf die Formalismusdebatte um Brechts und Dessaus Oper Die Verurteilung des Lukullus im vorausgehenden Jahr untersucht, als ein Werk für junge DarstellerInnen, MusikerInnen und ZuschauerInnen, sowie als entfernter Verwandter des Brechtschen Lehrstücks der ausgehenden zwanziger Jahre (vor allem Der Flug der Lindberghs und Das Badener Lehrstück vom Einverständnis). Der ausbleibende Erfolg des Herrnburger Berichts wird nicht geleugnet, aber zum Schluß wird das auch bis heute andauernde Nachleben des Liedes ‘Bitten der Kinder’ skizziert.
Rapid cooling and geospeedometry of granitic rocks exhumation within a volcanic arc: A case study from the Central Slovakian Neovolcanic Field (Western Carpathians)
Authors: Kohút Milan , Danišík Martin
Published: June 2017

U–Pb Sensitive High‐Resolution Ion MicroProbe (SHRIMP) dating of zircon in combination with (U–Th)/He dating of zircon and apatite is applied to constrain the emplacement and exhumation history of the youngest granitic rocks in the Western Carpathians collected in the Central Slovakian Neovolcanic Field. Two samples of diorite from the locality Banky, and granodiorite from Banská Hodruša yield the U–Pb zircon concordia ages of 15.21 ±0.19 Ma and 12.92 ±0.27 Ma, respectively, recording the time of zircon crystallization and the intrusions’ emplacement. Zircon (U–Th)/He ages of 14.70 ±0.94 (Banky) and 12.65 ±0.61 Ma (Banská Hodruša), and apatite (U–Th)/He ages of 14.45 ±0.70 Ma (diorite) and 12.26 ±0.77 Ma (granodiorite) are less than 1 Myr younger than the corresponding zircon U–Pb ages. For both diorite and granodiorite rocks their chronological data thus document a simple cooling process from magmatic crystallization/solidification temperatures to near‐surface temperatures in the Middle Miocene, without subsequent reheating. Geospeedometry data suggest for rapid cooling at an average rate of 678 ±158 °C/Myr, and the exhumation rate of 5 mm/year corresponding to active tectonic‐forced exhumation. The quick cooling is interpreted to record the exhumation of the studied granitic rocks complex that closely followed its emplacement, and was likely accompanied by a drop in the paleo‐geothermal gradient due to cessation of volcanic activity in the area.
Simplified Jackknife Variance Estimates for Fuzzy Measures of Multidimensional Poverty
Authors: Betti Gianni , Gagliardi Francesca , Verma Vijay
Published: June 2017

In this paper, we present a practical methodology for variance estimation for multi‐dimensional measures of poverty and deprivation of households and individuals, derived from sample surveys with complex designs and fairly large sample sizes. The measures considered are based on fuzzy representation of individuals' propensity to deprivation in monetary and diverse non‐monetary dimensions. We believe this to be the first original contribution for estimating standard errors for such fuzzy poverty measures.

The second objective is to describe and numerically illustrate computational procedures and difficulties in producing reliable and robust estimates of sampling error for such complex statistics. We attempt to identify some of these problems and provide solutions in the context of actual situations. A detailed application based on European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions data for 19 NUTS2 regions in Spain is provided.
The local in the global: regions, employment systems and multinationals
Authors: Almond Phil , Gonzalez Maria C. , Lavelle Jonathan , Murray Gregor
Published: June 2017

This article examines how the international competition to attract and retain foreign direct investment shapes the governance of business and employment systems. Through an examination of global production networks and the changing role of the state in economic governance, it highlights the sub‐national regional space as an important level of institutional adaptation. Specifically, it explores how regions organise themselves to compete for inward investment, and the potential role of industrial relations actors within this. It argues that both research into multinational companies, and of the governance of employment systems more generally, need to incorporate an analysis of regional competition for productive investment more fully into their analysis.
Microscopy visualisation confirms multi‐species biofilms are ubiquitous in diabetic foot ulcers
Authors: Johani Khalid , Malone Matthew , Jensen Slade , Gosbell Iain , Dickson Hugh , Hu Honhua , Vickery Karen
Published: June 2017

Increasing evidence within the literature has identified the presence of biofilms in chronic wounds and proposed that they contribute to delayed wound healing. This research aimed to investigate the presence of biofilm in diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) using microscopy and molecular approaches and define if these are predominantly mono‐ or multi‐species. Secondary objectives were to correlate wound observations against microscopy results in ascertaining if clinical cues are useful in detecting wound biofilm. DFU tissue specimens were obtained from 65 subjects. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and peptide nucleic acid fluorescent in situ hybridisation (PNA‐FISH) techniques with confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) were used to visualise biofilm structures. Next‐generation DNA sequencing was performed to explore the microbial diversity. Clinical cues that included the presence of slough, excessive exudate, a gel material on the wound bed that reforms quickly following debridement, poor granulation and pyocyanin were correlated to microscopy results. Of the 65 DFU specimens evaluated by microscopy, all were characterised as containing biofilm (100%, P < 0·001). The presence of both mono‐species and multi‐species biofilms within the same tissue sections were detected, even when DNA sequencing analysis of DFU specimens revealed diverse polymicrobial communities. No clinical correlations were identified to aid clinicians in identifying wound biofilm. Microscopy visualisation, when combined with molecular approaches, confirms biofilms are ubiquitous in DFUs and form either mono‐ or multi‐species biofilms. Clinical cues to aid clinicians in detecting wound biofilm are not accurate for use in DFUs. A paradigm shift of managing DFUs needs to consider anti‐biofilm strategies.
MODELS OF HOST‐PARASITOID INTERACTIONS TO DETERMINE THE OPTIMAL INSTAR OF PARASITIZATION FOR PEST CONTROL
Authors: Barclay Hugh J.
Published: June 2017

Four models are presented to investigate the effects of the host instar that is parasitized on host equilibrium numbers. The models are age structured and density dependent. The models indicate that the equilibrium density of adult hosts is a positive function of the host age at attack. This result is independent of the host survivorship curve. The effects of the other parameters are outlined, and compared for the various positions of density dependence. The equilibria of both parasitoids and hosts are generally larger when density dependence is in the parasitoids than when in the hosts. Numerical runs indicate that the birth rate and stage‐specific survivorship of the hosts are the most important parameters of the system in determining both stability around equilibrium and the host growth rate below equilibrium.
ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGES AND OPTION VALUES
Authors: Fisher A.C. , Hanemann W.M.
Published: June 2017

The purpose of this paper is to clarify a concept — option value — that has arisen in environmental literature, to illustrate how it might be measured, and to indicate its potential importance. Option value arises when failure to control environmental disruption leads to irreversible losses of uncertain magnitude. We show that, even in the absence of risk aversion, replacing random variables representing benefits of control with their expected values results in an underestimate of benefits and that the required “correction factor” is option value. An example shows that option value can be substantial relative to conventionally estimated benefits (from 10 percent to over 50 percent in the example).
WHITHER OIL PRICES: THE EVIDENCE FROM THEORY
Authors: Fisher Anthony C.
Published: June 2017

This paper suggests a likely course of oil prices over the next several yearsn the basis of theoretical models of the world oil market calibrated to pre‐1973 levels of prices, production, and reserves. The current competitive environment, with price in the $10‐$16 per barrel range and increasing very gradually, should prevail until the early 1990's. At that time excess supply and excess capacity in the industry will all but disappear, making a jump to the OPEC cartel's joint wealth‐maximizing price of about $25‐$30 per barrel likely.
PROTECTING A FOREST AGAINST FIRE: OPTIMAL PROTECTION PATTERNS AND HARVEST POLICIES
Authors: Reed William J.
Published: June 2017

A model for determining the optimal level of expenditure on fire protection for a forest, through time, is developed. The model requires the specification of a function relating the probability of fire at a given age to the current level of expenditure. Use of the Pontryagin Maximum Principle enables the determination of the optimal protection schedule for a single rotation with a fixed cutting age. The optimal cutting age and protection schedule for an ongoing succession of stands on a site can be determined numerically by an iterative technique.
COASTAL STATES, DISTANT WATER FISHING NATIONS AND EXTENDED JURISDICTION: A PRINCIPAL–AGENT ANALYSIS
Authors: Clarke F.H. , Munro G.R.
Published: June 2017

This paper is concerned with the issue of optimal economic arrangements between coastal states and distant water fishing nations under Extended Jurisdiction. It is argued that the issue is appropriately examined within the framework of principal‐agent analysis. The coastal state, having property rights to the relevent fishery resources, is seen as the principal; the distant water fishing nation (s) is (are) seen as the agent(s). Circumstances under which it will, and will not, be possible for the coastal state to establish incentive schemes that will allow it to achieve first best situations are analysed.
ALLOCATIVE EFFICIENCY AND THE SEGMENTATION OF EXHAUSTIBLE RESOURCE OWNERSHIP
Authors: Berck Peter , Cecchetti Stephen G.
Published: June 2017

This paper shows that a segmentation of resource ownership from the ownership of others factors of production may lead to capital market failure. The paper considers the case where resource owners and users are separate, they both have isoelastic utility, and the production technology is CES in resources and one other factor called labor. When the elasticity of substitution of resources for labor is greater than one, laborers will not purchase and save resources. Their desired extraction path for the resource would be to use more of the resource at the beginning of the planning period than the market allocation provides.
STRUCTURAL MODELING OF EXPECTATIONS AND OPTIMIZATION IN A FISHERY
Authors: Rosenman Robert E.
Published: June 2017

This paper presents and analyzes a structural approach for modeling fishery exploitation. Using techniques well known in the macroeconomics literature, it provides a better understanding of the role between the firm and the industry in a common property fishery, and it indicates how firms' expectations and behavior can have limiting effects on policies formulated at the aggregate level. An application to Atlantic mackerel is performed.