bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Immunofluorescence staining protocol for STED nanoscopy of Plasmodium-infected red blood cells
Authors: Mehnert Ann-Kathrin , Simon Caroline Sophie , Guizetti Julien
Published: September 2018

Immunofluorescence staining is the key technique for visualizing organization of endogenous cellular structures in single cells. Labeling and imaging of blood stage Plasmodium falciparum has always been challenging since it is a small intracellular parasite. The gold standard for parasite immunofluorescence is fixation in suspension with addition of minute amounts of glutaraldehyde to the paraformaldehyde-based solution. While this maintains red blood cell integrity, it has been postulated that antigenicity of the parasite proteins was, if at all, only slightly reduced. Here we show the deleterious effect that even these small quantities of glutaraldehyde can have on immunofluorescence staining quality and present an alternative cell seeding protocol that allows fixation with only paraformaldehyde. The highly improved signal intensity and staining efficiency enabled us to carry out RescueSTED nanoscopy on microtubules and nuclear pores and describe their organization in greater detail throughout the blood stage cycle.

Highlights

- Omitting glutaraldehyde from fixative improves immunofluorescence staining

- STED nanoscopy is readily applicable to infected red blood cells

- Intranuclear microtubules are nucleated from distinct sites
The human ventromedial prefrontal cortex: sulcal morphology and its influence on functional organization
Authors: LOPEZ-PERSEM Alizée , Verhagen Lennart , Amiez Céline , Petrides Michael , Sallet Jérome
Published: September 2018

The ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), which comprises several distinct cytoarchitectonic areas, is a key brain region supporting decision-making processes and it has been shown to be one of the main hubs of the Default Mode Network, a network classically activated during resting state. We here examined the inter-individual variability in the vmPFC sulcal morphology in 57 humans (37 females) and demonstrated that the presence/absence of the inferior rostral sulcus and the subgenual intralimbic sulcus influences significantly the sulcal organization of this region. Furthermore, the sulcal organization influences the location of the vmPFC peak of the Default Mode Network, demonstrating that the location of functional activity can be affected by local sulcal patterns. These results are critical for the investigation of the function of the vmPFC and show that taking into account the sulcal variability might be essential to guide the interpretation of neuroimaging studies.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT

The ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) is one of the main hubs of the Default Mode Network and plays a central role in value coding and decision-making. The present study provides a complete description of the inter-individual variability of anatomical morphology of this large portion of prefrontal cortex and its relation to functional organization. We have shown that two supplementary medial sulci predominantly determine the organization of the vmPFC, which in turn affect the location of the functional peak of activity in this region. Those results show that taking into account the variability in sulcal patterns might be essential to guide the interpretation of neuroimaging studies of the human brain and of the vmPFC in particular.
Knockdown of the translocon protein EXP2, reduces growth and protein export in malaria parasites
Authors: Charnaud Sarah C. , Kumarasingha Rasika , Bullen Hayley E. , Crabb Brendan S. , Gilson Paul R.
Published: September 2018

Malaria parasites remodel their host erythrocytes to gain nutrients and avoid the immune system. Host erythrocytes are modified by hundreds of effectors proteins exported from the parasites into the host cell. Protein export is mediated by the PTEX translocon comprising five core components of which EXP2 is considered to form the putative pore that spans the vacuole membrane enveloping the parasite within its erythrocyte. To explore the function and importance of EXP2 for parasite survival in the asexual blood stage of Plasmodium falciparum we inducibly knocked down the expression of EXP2. Reduction in EXP2 expression strongly reduced parasite growth proportional to the degree of protein knockdown and tended to stall development about half way through the asexual cell cycle. Once the knockdown inducer was removed and EXP2 expression restored, parasite growth recovered dependent upon the length and degree of knockdown. To establish EXP2 function and hence the basis for growth reduction, the trafficking of an exported protein was monitored following EXP2 knockdown. This resulted in severe attenuation of protein export and is consistent with EXP2, and PTEX in general, being the conduit for export of proteins into the host compartment.
Developmental changes in plasticity, synaptic, glia, and connectivity protein levels in rat medial prefrontal cortex
Authors: Jia Margaret , Travaglia Alessio , Pollonini Gabriella , Fedele Giuseppe , Alberini Cristina M.
Published: September 2018

The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) plays a critical role in complex brain functions including decision-making, integration of emotional, and cognitive aspects in memory processing and memory consolidation. Because relatively little is known about the molecular mechanisms underlying its development, we quantified rat mPFC basal expression levels of sets of plasticity, synaptic, glia, and connectivity proteins at different developmental ages. Specifically, we compared the mPFC of rats at postnatal day 17 (PN17), when they are still unable to express long-term contextual and spatial memories, to rat mPFC at PN24, when they have acquired the ability of long-term memory expression and finally to the mPFC of adult rats. We found that, with increased age, there are remarkable and significant decreases in markers of cell activation and significant increases in proteins that mark synaptogenesis and synapse maturation. Furthermore, we found significant changes in structural markers over the ages, suggesting that structural connectivity of the mPFC increases over time. Finally, the substantial biological difference in mPFC at different ages suggest caution in extrapolating conclusions from brain plasticity studies conducted at different developmental stages.
Evaluation of environmentally friendly inhibitor for corrosion of mild steel in phosphoric acid solution: unconventional approach
Authors: Rashid Khalid , Khadom Anees
Published: September 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate the corrosion inhibition of mild steel alloy in 2 M H3PO4solution by the pomegranate peel extract as a friendly inhibitor was studied at various temperatures, inhibitor concentrations and immersion times.

Design/methodology/approach

A weight loss method was used to evaluate the corrosion rate. The experimental Taguchi design method was used for the distribution of experiments. The experimental design gave results which were impossible to show graphically. However, this problem was solved effectively with the aid of regression analysis.

Findings

Corrosion rate increased with temperature according to Arrhenius equation. It was found that the efficiency of inhibition was increased with an increase in the concentration of inhibitor and immersion time. However, this diminishes with increased temperature. According to Langmuir isotherm, the inhibitor was adsorbed physically on steel surface. The negative sign of estimated heat of adsorption suggests a stable spontaneous inhibition process. Combination of mathematical and statistical analysis was proposed to demonstrate the results of corrosion rate with high correlation coefficients. In addition, Fourier transform infrared spectrometer examinations confirmed that the organic inhibitor consists of phenolic components as main materials.

Originality/value

Using unconventional approach for evaluation of environmentally friendly inhibitor for corrosion of mild steel in phosphoric acid solution.
When do investors value board gender diversity?
Authors: Groening Christopher
Published: September 2018

Purpose

This paper aims to use the passage of the Italian Gender Diversity Law to help isolate the effects of board gender diversity on firm value by investigating conditions under which such diversity provides greater role-enhancing resources to the board.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper used a one-day event study to measure when gender diversity matters to investors. Abnormal returns from Italian firms were used to study investors’ anticipated outcomes of the effect of gender diversity on firm value.

Findings

Board gender diversity is financially beneficial especially for firms with a male dual CEO and board chair and with few or no women on board committees and firms that operate in industries with greater levels of competition. Addition of these moderators more than doubles the variance explained. Moreover, the effect of gender is isolated in this study, which examined investor reaction to the expectation of increases in the number of female board members, rather than to specific female appointees.

Social implications

Determining the conditions when a gender diverse matters to firm value is important for shareholders, policymakers and advocates for gender equality. The findings illustrate precise conditions for stakeholders to make the case for board gender diversity as achieving financial reward, in addition to societal benefit.

Originality/value

The value of a gender diverse board is contingent on the company’s need for diverse resources (e.g. more competition, lack of gender diversity on committees or CEO duality). This paper provides insight as to why prior research linking board gender diversity to firm value finds seemingly contradictory results. Thus, this paper provides useful insights for researchers, boards and legislative bodies.
Pilot study to measure wheelchair users’ space requirements in the bathroom
Authors: Morales Ernesto , Gamache Stéphanie , Routhier François , Rousseau Jacqueline , Doyle Olivier
Published: September 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe a methodology to measure the circulation area required by a manual or powered wheelchair within a toilet stall and present the range of possible results that can be collected when used in an experimental bathroom setup.

Design/methodology/approach

A bathroom environment containing a toilet, grab bars and two transparent acrylic panels suspended on rails to simulate walls was built. Three setups were experimented: 1,500 mm from the walls, 1,500 mm diagonally from the toilet and 1,700 mm from the walls. For each of the participants, markers were placed on the back and on the rear of the wheelchair and one on the toes of the participants. The Vicon® optical motion capture system was used to register the markers’ position in the 3D space.

Findings

The methodology proved to be relatively easy to install, efficient and easy to interpret in terms of results. It provides specific points from which it is possible to measure the trajectories of markers and calculate the polygonal projection of the area covered by each participant. The results showed that manual and powered wheelchair users required, respectively, 100 and 300 mm more than the minimum 1,500 mm wall-to-wall area to complete a rotation task in front of the toilet.

Originality/value

These results showed that the 1,500 mm gyration area proposed in the Canadian Code of Construction is not sufficient for manual and powered wheelchair users to circulate easily in toilet stalls. The methodology can provide evidence to support the improvement of construction norms in terms of accessible circulation areas.
Intestinal barrier integrity in patients with plaque psoriasis
Authors: Sikora Mariusz , Chrabąszcz Magdalena , Maciejewski Cezary , Zaremba Michał , Waśkiel Anna , Olszewska Małgorzata , Rudnicka Lidia
Published: September 2018

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory systemic disease. Growing evidence suggests that human homeostasis depends on a mutualistic relationship with gut bacteria that produce a number of biologically active compounds. Therefore, enteric microbiota dysbiosis with gut barrier disruption may be an important factor in the development of chronic inflammatory diseases. The aim of our study was to assess non‐invasive markers of intestinal barrier integrity in patients with moderate to severe psoriasis. Concentrations of claudin‐3 (intestinal epithelial tight junction structure) and intestinal fatty acid binding protein (I‐FABP; marker of enterocyte damage) were determined in the blood of patients with chronic plaque psoriasis (n = 20) and healthy individuals (n = 20) using commercially available enzyme‐linked immunoassay test kits. Claudin‐3 concentration was higher in patients with psoriasis compared with healthy control (median, 54.07 vs 42.36 ng/mL; P < 0.001). Patients with psoriasis also had elevated concentration of plasma I‐FABP (median, 708.8 vs 147.1 pg/mL; P < 0.05). Our results support the hypothesis that dysfunction of the intestinal barrier in psoriasis disturbs the homeostatic equilibrium between the microbiota and immune system. Further studies are needed in order to develop new therapeutic interventions based on modulation of intestinal permeability.
Alopecia areata and overt thyroid diseases: A nationwide population‐based study
Authors: Han Tae Young , Lee June Hyunkyung , Noh Tai Kyung , Choi Min Wha , Yun Jae‐Seung , Lee Kyung Ho , Bae Jung Min
Published: September 2018

An association between alopecia areata (AA) and other autoimmune diseases has been reported. We investigated the associations between AA and overt autoimmune thyroid diseases. A nationwide, population‐based, cross‐sectional study was performed using the Korea National Health Insurance claims database. We defined patients with AA as those whose records showed at least four physician contacts in which AA, alopecia totalis (AT) or alopecia universalis (AU) was the principal diagnosis. We also established an age‐ and sex‐matched control group without AA. In a subgroup analysis, patients with AT or AU were classified into the severe AA group, and the remainder were classified into the mild to moderate AA group. Patients with AA were at an increased risk of Graves’ disease (odds ratio [OR], 1.415; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.317–1.520) and Hashimoto thyroiditis (OR, 1.157; 95% CI, 1.081–1.237), and the associations were stronger in the severe AA group (Graves’ disease: OR, 1.714; 95% CI, 1.387–2.118; Hashimoto thyroiditis: OR, 1.398; 95% CI, 1.137–1.719). In conclusion, AA was significantly associated with overt autoimmune thyroid diseases. Furthermore, the risk was much higher in the severe AA group.
EGFR inhibitor, AG1478, inhibits inflammatory infiltration and angiogenesis in mice with diabetic retinopathy
Authors: Ju Xin , Yang Xi , Yan Tao , Chen Huaicheng , Song Zongming , Zhang Zongduan , Wu Wencan , Wang Yi
Published: September 2018

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is one of the most frequently occurring microvascular complications of diabetes. Recent evidence indicates that epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFRs) are critical pathogenic players in non‐neoplastic diseases, including diabetic cardiomyopathy and DR. However, the precise pathogenic mechanism of EGFR in DR has yet to be fully understood. In this study, we developed a type 1 diabetic early‐stage retinopathy mouse model using injections of streptozotocin and an oxygen‐induced end‐stage diabetic retinopathy (OIR) model characterized by hypoxia‐induced revascularization. We tested the hypothesis that the pathogenesis of DR can be reduced by the classic EGFR inhibitor, AG1478, in the mouse models. Our data indicated that treatment of AG1478 prevented retinal dysfunction, and reduced impairment of retinal structures as well as mitochondrial structures in retinal blood vessels in diabetic mice. Furthermore, AG1478 reduced neovascular tufts formation but had no effects on revascularization at the avascular sites when compared to untreated littermates in the OIR model. Our findings provide strong evidence that EGFR critically promoted retinal dysfunction, retinal structural impairment, and retinal vascular abnormalities in models of DR. We conclude that EGFR can be a potential important therapeutic target for treatment of DR.
When patients’ invisible work becomes visible: non‐adherence and the routine task of pill‐taking
Authors: Huyard Caroline , Haak Harm , Derijks Luc , Lieverse Louis
Published: September 2018

While the biographical dimensions of chronic illness have been well researched, the concrete dimensions of patients’ work have not been as thoroughly investigated as yet. With the growing concern for self‐management, such research would be timely. This study aims to better understand patients’ invisible work by highlighting the causes of unintentional non‐adherence as well as strategies for adherence. For this purpose, it defines medical treatment adherence as the repetition of the pattern of tasks through which a patient succeeds, in a technical sense, in taking the right medication at the right time, in the right amount, for the right duration. Applying a failure modes and effects analysis approach to 48 semi‐structured interviews with Dutch patients, it shows the negative impact of schedule changes, pressure, positioning changes, lack of backup pills and lack of verification tools. Symmetrically, it highlights the role of anchoring, sequencing, positioning, cueing, correcting and verifying. This result points to the need for an analytical approach of patients’ work and treatment adherence that would build on the role of routines in organisations and in the workplace.
The virtuous circle of human resource investments: A precrisis and postcrisis analysis
Authors: Roca‐Puig Vicente , Bou‐Llusar Juan‐Carlos , Beltrán‐Martín Inmaculada , García‐Juan Beatriz
Published: September 2018

We propose a dynamic model of positive feedback between human resource (HR) investments and companies' economic performance. The model assumes that HR investment increases profitability through labor productivity and, in turn, profitability improves HR investment through organizational slack. Based on data from a sample of 2,497 industrial companies over a 7‐year period (2005–2011), longitudinal analysis corroborates the existence of a two‐way relationship between HR investment and profitability over time. However, the emergence of an economic crisis weakens this feedback, identifying the effect of organizational slack on HR investment as the weakest causal chain link. In a postcrisis period, HR investment is not such a high priority for managers.
The Finishing Technique of the Stone Monuments of Persepolis: Further Studies and New Findings Through the Use of Non‐Destructive Analytical Techniques
Authors: Ridolfi S. , Laurenzi Tabasso M. , Askari Chaverdi A. , Callieri P.
Published: September 2018

The studies on the finishing technique of the stone monuments in Persepolis (Iran) are part of the archaeological project jointly launched in 2008 by Iran and Italy, named ‘From Palace to Town’. The first experimental results, obtained on a very limited number of samples, revealed that the Achaemenid builders and sculptors used a white pigment, a kind of bone white, calcium fluorapatite, obtained by burning animal bones, to hide the dark grey colour of the stone. In order to verify these unexpected results, a new campaign was implemented to analyse a much larger number of samples. XRF spectrometry, a non‐destructive technique, was used and the experimental results were further elaborated by PCA. The presence of a white superficial layer was confirmed, and the use of fluorapatite was confirmed as well, but only on monuments attributed to the Xerxes period or later, while in the earlier monuments the white layer was obtained using gypsum.
Granular cell astrocytoma: an aggressive IDH‐wildtype diffuse glioma with molecular genetic features of primary glioblastoma
Authors: Vizcaino M. Adelita , Palsgrove Doreen N. , Yuan Ming , Giannini Caterina , Cabrera‐Aldana Eibar Ernesto , Pallavajjala Aparna , Burger Peter C. , Rodriguez Fausto J.
Published: September 2018

Granular cell astrocytoma (GCA) is a rare adult infiltrating glioma subtype. We studied a series of 39 GCAs. Median age of presentation was 57.8 years and most cases developed in the frontal or temporal lobes. Tumors included grade II (n = 14), grade III (n = 11), and grade IV (n = 14) by WHO criteria. Granular cell morphology was diffuse in 31 (79%) cases and partial in eight (21%). Immunohistochemistry showed frequent positivity for GFAP (28 of 31), OLIG2 (16 of 16), and CD68 (27 of 30), but HAM56, CD163, and IBA‐1 histiocytic markers were all negative (22 of 22). IDH1(R132H) was negative in all the cases tested (16 of 16), while ATRX expression was retained (12 of 12). Cytogenetics demonstrated monosomy 10 (6 of 6) cases, +7 in 4 (of 6), −13q in 4 of 6, and −14 in 4 of 6. Next‐generation sequencing demonstrated mutations in PTEN/PIK3 genes in 6/13 (46%), NF1 in 3 of 10 (30%), TP53 in 3 of 13 (23%), PALB2 in 3 of 10 (30%), STAG2 in 3 of 10 (30%), EGFR mutation/amplification in 3 of 13 (23%), and AR in 2 of 10 (20%). CDKN2A/B deletion was identified in 5 of 13 (30%) cases (homozygous deletion in 4). The TERT C228T mutation was identified in 9 of 13 (69%). No mutations were encountered in IDH1, IDH2, CIC, FUBP1, H3F3A, BRAF or ATRX genes. The mean overall survival was 11.3 months. Patients >60 years old at diagnosis had a worse survival than patients <60 years (P = 0.001). There were no statistically significant differences in survival by WHO grade, extent of granular cell change, sex or MIB‐1 (P > 0.05). GCA is a variant of IDH‐wildtype diffuse glioma with aggressive behavior irrespective of grade and extent of granular cell morphology, and with molecular genetic features corresponding to primary glioblastoma.
Health‐related quality of life experiences in children and adolescents born with esophageal atresia: A Swedish–German focus group study
Authors: Witt Stefanie , Dellenmark‐Blom Michaela , Flieder Sofie , Dingemann Jens , Abrahamsson Kate , Jönsson Linus , Gatzinsky Vladimir , Chaplin John Eric , Ure Benno , Dingemann Carmen , Bullinger Monika , Sommer Rachel , Quitmann Julia Hannah
Published: September 2018

Background

Esophageal atresia (EA) is a rare malformation of the esophagus, which needs surgical treatment. Survival rates have reached 95%, but esophageal and respiratory morbidity during childhood is frequent. Child and parent perspectives and cultural and age‐specific approaches are fundamental in understanding children's health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) and when developing a pediatric HRQoL questionnaire. We aimed to increase the conceptual and cross‐cultural understanding of condition‐specific HRQoL experiences among EA children from Sweden and Germany and investigate content validity for an EA‐specific HRQoL questionnaire.

Methods

Eighteen standardized focus groups (FGs) with 51 families of EA children aged 2–17 years in Sweden (n = 30 families) and Germany (n = 21 families) were used to explore HRQoL experiences, which were content analyzed into HRQoL domains. The Swedish HRQoL domains were analyzed first and used as framework to evaluate HRQoL content reported in the German FGs. HRQoL experiences were then categorized as physical, social, and emotional HRQoL burden or resource.

Results

One thousand nine hundred eight HRQoL statements were recorded. All nine EA‐specific HRQoL domains identified in the Swedish FGs (eating, social relationships, general life issues, communication, body issues, bothersome symptoms, confidence, impact of medical treatment, and additional difficulties due to concomitant anomalies) were recognized in the FGs held in Germany, and no additional EA‐specific HRQoL domain was found. The HRQoL dimensions referenced physical burden (n = 655, 34.5%), social burden (n = 497, 26.0%), social resources (n = 303, 15.9%), emotional burden (n = 210, 11.0%), physical resources (n = 158, 8.3%), and emotional resources (n = 85, 4.5%).

Conclusion

This first international FG study to obtain the EA child and his or her parents' perspective on HRQoL suggests Swedish‐German qualitative comparability of the HRQoL domains and content validity for a cross‐cultural EA‐specific HRQoL questionnaire. EA children make positive and negative HRQoL experiences, but prominently related to physical and social burden, which underlines appropriate follow‐up care and future research.
Personal factors associated with the attitudes of nurses towards patients with obesity: a literature review
Authors: Goad E. , Gleeson K. , Jackson S.
Published: September 2018

This literature review explores the association between body mass index and self‐esteem in nurses, alongside their attitudes towards patients who have obesity. These variables have either previously been linked to weight bias, or with prejudice more generally, but findings in this context are inconclusive. Searches were conducted through Psychology Cross Search, PubMed, Web of Science, Proquest Allied Health Professionals and Google Scholar. Ten studies met the inclusion criteria and were tabulated and critiqued using appropriate appraisal tools. The literature covered a time span of over 30 years with the type and quality of study methodologies varying. Research was rarely underpinned by theory. As such, no consensus was reached in drawing together the findings but the direction of future research needed to address these issues is discussed. Further research should focus on developing the literature using an appropriate theoretical underpinning in order to better understand the research that has begun further afield.
Is independence the same as participation for young people with disabilities?
Authors: Granlund Mats
Published: September 2018

This commentary is on the original article by van Gorp et al. on pages 194–203 of this issue.
mGlu1 tonically regulates levels of calcium‐permeable AMPA receptors in cultured nucleus accumbens neurons through retinoic acid signaling and protein translation
Authors: Loweth Jessica A. , Reimers Jeremy M. , Caccamise Aaron , Stefanik Michael T. , Woo Kenneth Kin Yan , Chauhan Nirav M. , Werner Craig T. , Wolf Marina E.
Published: September 2018

In several brain regions, ongoing metabotropic glutamate receptor 1 (mGlu1) transmission has been shown to tonically suppress synaptic levels of Ca2+‐permeable AMPA receptors (CP‐AMPARs) while pharmacological activation of mGlu1 removes CP‐AMPARs from these synapses. Consistent with this, we previously showed in nucleus accumbens (NAc) medium spiny neurons (MSNs) that reduced mGlu1 tone enables and mGlu1 positive allosteric modulation reverses the elevation of CP‐AMPAR levels in the NAc that underlies enhanced cocaine craving in the “incubation of craving” rat model of addiction. To better understand mGlu1/CP‐AMPAR interactions, we used a NAc/prefrontal cortex co‐culture system in which NAc MSNs express high CP‐AMPAR levels, providing an in vitro model for NAc MSNs after the incubation of cocaine craving. The non‐specific group I orthosteric agonist dihydroxyphenylglycine (10 min) decreased cell surface GluA1 but not GluA2, indicating CP‐AMPAR internalization. This was prevented by mGlu1 (LY367385) or mGlu5 (MTEP) blockade. However, a selective role for mGlu1 emerged in studies of long‐term antagonist treatment. Thus, LY367385 (24 hr) increased surface GluA1 without affecting GluA2, whereas MTEP (24 hr) had no effect. In hippocampal neurons, scaling up of CP‐AMPARs can occur through a mechanism requiring retinoic acid (RA) signaling and new GluA1 synthesis. Consistent with this, the LY367385‐induced increase in surface GluA1 was blocked by anisomycin (translation inhibitor) or 4‐(diethylamino)‐benzaldehyde (RA synthesis inhibitor). Thus, mGlu1 transmission tonically suppresses cell surface CP‐AMPAR levels, and decreasing mGlu1 tone increases surface CP‐AMPARs via RA signaling and protein translation. These results identify a novel mechanism for homeostatic plasticity in NAc MSNs.
Estimating soil texture from vis–NIR spectra
Authors: Hobley E. U. , Prater I.
Published: September 2018

Vis–NIR spectroscopy is a low‐cost method for proximal soil sensing, enabling rapid analysis of soil texture as an alternative to more laborious analytical methods. In this study we used partial least squares regression (PLSR) and random forest (RF) models trained on vis–NIR spectra of 173 soil samples from across Germany to estimate soil sand (63–2000 µm), silt (2–63 µm) and clay (< 2 µm) contents. Models were trained with different spectral processing methods. Texture was also estimated by averaging results across different models and by calculating each fraction as the difference from 100% of the sum of the other fractions. The PLSR models predicted clay and sand best, whereas RF performed better for predicting silt fractions. Spectral processing did not improve clay predictions, but standardized normal variate spectra predicted the silt fraction best, and log‐inverse spectra improved modelling of the sand fraction. The best models explained > 90% of variance in the evaluation samples of the textural fractions. Residual prediction deviations were > 3 for all fractions, which together with good accuracy indicated excellent model performance. Model averaging across the top three performing models improved the predictive performance of all fractions. Calculating each fraction from the sum of the other two fractions predicted only the sand fraction well, but increased model bias. In addition, we evaluated the models for their reliability at predicting the cumulative sum of the three fractions for samples of unknown textural composition (n = 1186). In a novel approach, we identified poorly predicted samples by propagating errors from the model uncertainties for the individual soil fractions, namely those samples whose cumulative sum lies outside the range covered by 100% ± propagated error from the three fractions. This new method provides the opportunity to optimize analyses efficiently because these samples can be prioritized and used to check and update the models.

Highlights

Partial least squares regression and random forest models of vis–NIR spectra predict soil texture reliably.

Cumulative sums of independently predicted fractions enabled error estimation.

Error propagation allowed robust classification of the whole soil texture.

Error propagation identified poorly predicted samples, optimizing laboratory resources.
5‐hydroxytryptophan attenuates imiquimod‐induced psoriasiform dermatitis probably through inhibition of IL‐17A production and keratinocyte activation
Authors: Hsu Peng‐Yang , Yang Hui‐Ju , Yang Tao‐Hsiang , Su Che‐Chun
Published: September 2018

Psoriasis is a chronic autoimmune disease with keratinocyte activation and lymphocyte infiltration in the skin. Our previous study found that 5‐hydroxytryptophan (5(OH)Trp), a tryptophan metabolite, alleviated collagen‐induced arthritis and suppressed cytokine production. In this study, we evaluated the effects of 5(OH)Trp in a mouse model for psoriasiform dermatitis, induced by imiquimod (IMQ). We showed that 5(OH)Trp significantly reduced the cumulative scores, epidermal thickness and ki‐67 expression in the skin. In addition, 5(OH)Trp decreased local and systemic inflammation. Moreover, 5(OH)Trp significantly inhibited keratinocyte activation with decrease in IL‐6 production and p‐Erk1/2 and p‐STAT3 expression. 5(OH)Trp also inhibited the differentiation of IFN‐γ‐ and IL‐17A‐expressing CD4+ T cells and related cytokine production (TNF‐α, IL‐6, IL‐17A and IFN‐γ) in splenocytes. In conclusion, 5(OH)Trp can inhibit imiquimod‐induced psoriasiform dermatitis in mice and inhibit activation in keratinocytes and splenocytes.
Balancing resource protection and fishing activity: The case of the European hake in the northern Iberian Peninsula
Authors: Pennino Maria Grazia , Vilela Raul , Bellido Jose M. , Velasco Francisco
Published: September 2018

One of the fundamental aims of the Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management is to ensure the long‐term sustainability of the fishery by protecting key life‐cycle habitats, such as recruitment areas. In this study, we apply a hurdle Bayesian hierarchical spatio‐temporal model that describes the abundance of European hake (Merluccius merluccius) recruits in the northern continental shelf of the Iberian Peninsula. Our findings clearly show four persistent nurseries, the main one being located along the continental shelf of the Artabrian gulf (off La Coruña). The preferential habitats identified for the hake recruits are areas within a bathymetric range of 120–200 m, with 15–16°C of Sea Surface Temperature, a Chl‐a concentration of 0.8–1.2 mg/m3 and low values of seabed rugosity (unconsolidated substrates). Searching for a compromise with fisheries, we also assess the degree of overlap of the main nursery areas with two fisheries footprints, a local one using Vessel Monitoring System data of trawl fishery of Marín, and a global one using Automatic Identification System data of different type of trawlers (bottom otter, beam and midwater trawls). The two fisheries footprints present different degree of overlapping in distinct areas, highlight the need of specific fleet‐adapted management rules in order to protect juvenile stages. We discuss that understanding the distributional patterns associated with key life stages, such as recruitment, and their interaction with fishing activities, is essential for applying appropriate spatial management measures and improving fishery sustainability.
Organizational interventions and the creation of gendered knowledge: US universities and NSF ADVANCE
Authors: Zippel Kathrin , Ferree Myra Marx
Published: September 2018

Universities are sites of both elite knowledge production and reproduction of intersecting gendered inequalities. The US National Science Foundation (NSF) ‘Increasing the Participation and Advancement of Women in Academic Science and Engineering Careers’ (ADVANCE) programme uses universities’ role as self‐reflective knowledge producers to design changes promoting gender equality. This knowledge is shaped by the institutional context of its production: NSF as a funder of scientific research; US universities as participants in highly competitive markets; managerialism as a condition of modern higher education systems; and separation of basic from applied research in the hierarchy of science. The tensions and underlying power dimensions of these contexts reveal local challenges that ADVANCE interventions navigate and the broader politics shaping what and how ADVANCE discovers. Yet, as a learning‐oriented intervention, ADVANCE changes over time to create and incorporate more gendered knowledge about inequalities, to legitimize feminist understandings of organizations, and to challenge the division between fundamental and applied knowledge.
Interventions to support shared decision making for hypertension: A systematic review of controlled studies
Authors: Johnson Rachel A. , Huntley Alyson , Hughes Rachael A. , Cramer Helen , Turner Katrina M. , Perkins Ben , Feder Gene
Published: September 2018

Background

Hypertension (high blood pressure) is a common long‐term health condition. Patient involvement in treating and monitoring hypertension is essential. Control of hypertension improves population cardiovascular outcomes. However, for an individual, potential benefits and harms of treatment are finely balanced. Shared decision making has the potential to align decisions with the preferences and values of patients.

Objective

Determine the effectiveness of interventions to support shared decision making in hypertension.

Search strategy

Searches in MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Web of Science and PsycINFO up to 30 September 2017.

Eligibility criteria

Controlled studies evaluating the effects of shared decision‐making interventions for adults with hypertension compared with any comparator in any setting and reporting any outcome measures.

Results

Six studies (five randomized controlled trials) in European primary care were included. Main intervention components were as follows: training for health‐care professionals, decision aids, patient coaching and a patient leaflet. Four studies, none at low risk of bias, reported a measure of shared decision making; the intervention increased shared decision making in one study. Four studies reported blood pressure between 6 months and 3 years after the intervention; there was no difference in blood pressure between intervention and control groups in any study. Lack of comparability between studies prevented meta‐analysis.

Conclusions

Despite widespread calls for shared decision making to be embedded in health care, there is little evidence to inform shared decision making for hypertension, one of the most common conditions managed in primary care.
Impact of sex hormones on immune function and multiple sclerosis development
Authors: Ysrraelit María C. , Correale Jorge
Published: September 2018

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the central nervous system (CNS) affecting young people and leading to demyelination and neurodegeneration. The disease is clearly more common in women, in whom incidence has been rising. Gender differences include: earlier disease onset and more frequent relapses in women; and faster progression and worse outcomes in men. Hormone‐related physiological conditions in women such as puberty, pregnancy, puerperium, and menopause also exert significant influence both on disease prevalence as well as on outcomes. Hormonal and/or genetic factors are therefore believed to be involved in regulating the course of disease. In this review, we discuss clinical evidence for the impact of sex hormones (estrogens, progesterone, prolactin, and testosterone) on MS and attempt to elucidate the hormonal and immunological mechanisms potentially underlying these changes. We also review current knowledge on the relationship between sex hormones and resident CNS cells and provide new insights in the context of MS. Understanding these molecular mechanisms may contribute to the development of new and safer treatments for both men and women.
The GO4KIDDS School Satisfaction Scale
Authors: Perry Adrienne , Charles Meisha , Ncube Busi , Weiss Jonathan
Published: September 2018

Background

School experience is an important part of the life of children with developmental disabilities (DD) and their families. Research suggests that parents of children vary in their level of satisfaction with their child's school, but methodology and results have varied and no consistent reliable measure of school satisfaction exists. This paper presents a new brief measure of school satisfaction along with preliminary information on its psychometric properties.

Method

Parents (n = 185) of children with moderate to severe DD completed a longer questionnaire that included the 9‐item GO4KIDDS School Satisfaction Scale.

Results

The GO4KIDDS School Satisfaction Scale demonstrates high internal consistency reliability (α = 0.93), good item‐total correlations, and strong correlations with a single‐item rating of school satisfaction.

Conclusions

Results support reliability and validity, making the proposed scale valuable for survey research investigating school satisfaction among parents of children with DD.
Screening for syphilis with dual algorithms: analysis of discordant and concordant serology results in a population with a low prevalence of syphilis
Authors: Zhuang Y.‐H. , Liu H. , Tang J. , Wang Y.‐Z. , Zheng X.‐H. , Gong Y. , Xu X.‐F. , Gao X. , Lu R.‐Q. , Ju S.‐G. , Guo L.
Published: September 2018

Background

Currently, many laboratories have switched the traditional screening algorithm (TSA) to reverse screening algorithm (RSA) for the efficiencies in high‐volume syphilis screening. However, confusions have been arisen regarding this paradigm shift.

Objective

To compare the performance of two algorithms with head‐to‐head mode.

Methods

Sera screening for syphilis were tested in parallel with chemiluminescence immunoassay (CIA) and toluidine red unheated serum test (TRUST). CIA‐reactive sera from the RSA were reflexively tested with TRUST and confirmed with Treponema pallidum particle agglutination assay (TPPA), while the TRUST‐reactive serology from the TSA were afterwards tested with TPPA.

Results

A total of 110 663 serum samples were screened. The RSA identified 2259 (2.0%) CIA‐reactive results, of which 377 (16.7%) showed TPPA nonreactive results, while the TSA identified 934 (0.8%) TRUST‐reactive results, of which 67 (7.2%) showed TPPA‐nonreactive results. Among the 2259 CIA‐reactive results, 1392 (61.6%) were TRUST‐nonreactive, of which 350 (25.1%) were TPPA‐nonreactive. A total of 182 sera from the 350 TPPA‐nonreactive sera were further tested by a second CIA (VITROS Syphilis TPA, VITROS TPA), of which 155 (85.2%) were nonreactive and 27 (14.8%) were reactive. The 27 VITROS TPA‐reactive sera were further tested with a treponemal Western blot assay (Euroimmun IgG Western Blot, EuroWB), of which 11 (41%) were indeterminate, 6 (22%) were nonreactive and 10 (37%) were reactive. Among the 10 EuroWB‐reactive sera, two seroconverted to TPPA 1:80+/− after 1‐year follow‐up. Of 867 CIA‐reactive/TRUST‐reactive results, 27 (3.1%) were TPPA‐nonreactive.

Conclusions

The RSA identified more patients with reactive treponemal serology. However, it also yielded an increased likely false‐reactive rate compared with the TSA, especially those results with low index values and TRUST‐nonreactive serology, were necessary to retest with a second treponemal test. Further testing results with TPPA, VITROS TPA and EuroWB suggested the false‐reactive CIA screening results and the likely false‐nonreactive TPPA results when the reactive treponemal results screened with RSA were to be identified.
Outpatient Antibiotic Prescribing for Older Adults in the United States: 2011 to 2014
Authors: Kabbani Sarah , Palms Danielle , Bartoces Monina , Stone Nimalie , Hicks Lauri A.
Published: September 2018

Objectives

To characterize antibiotics prescribed to older adults to guide efforts to improve antibiotic use.

Design

Descriptive analysis.

Setting

Ambulatory.

Participants

Adults aged 65 and older in the United States.

Measurements

Information on outpatient antibiotic prescriptions dispensed for older adults from 2011 to 2014 was extracted from the IQVIA Xponent database. A chi‐square trend analysis was conducted to assess annual changes in antibiotic prescribing rates. A descriptive analysis of prescribing rates by antibiotic, age group, sex, state, Census region, and provider specialty was conducted.

Results

From 2011 to 2014, outpatient antibiotic prescribing rates remained stable in older U.S. adults (P = .89). In 2014, older adults were dispensed 51.6 million prescriptions (1,115 prescriptions/1,000 persons). Persons aged 75 and older had a higher prescribing rate (1,157 prescriptions/1,000 persons) than those aged 65 to 74 (1,084 prescriptions/1,000 persons). Prescribing rates were highest in the South 1228 prescriptions/1,000 persons) and lowest in the West (854 prescriptions/1,000 persons). The most commonly prescribed class was quinolones, followed by penicillins and macrolides. Azithromycin was the most commonly prescribed drug, followed by amoxicillin and ciprofloxacin. Internists and family physicians prescribed 43% of antibiotic courses.

Conclusion

On average, in 2014, U.S. adults aged 65 and older received enough outpatient antibiotic courses for every older adult to receive at least 1. Quinolones and azithromycin are potential targets for assessing the appropriateness of antibiotic prescribing in this population. Interventions to improve use targeting internists and family physicians in the South Census region might have the potential to have the greatest effect.
Long‐Term Acute Care Hospital Use of Non‐Mechanically Ventilated Hospitalized Older Adults
Authors: Makam Anil N. , Nguyen Oanh Kieu , Xuan Lei , Miller Michael E. , Halm Ethan A.
Published: September 2018

Objectives

To determine why non‐mechanically ventilated hospitalized older adults are transferred to long‐term acute care (LTAC) hospitals rather than remaining in the hospital.

Design

Observational cohort.

Setting

National Medicare data.

Participants

Non‐mechanically ventilated hospitalized adults aged 65 and older with fee‐for‐service Medicare in 2012 who were transferred to an LTAC hospital (n=1,831) or had a prolonged hospitalization without transfer (average hospital length of stay or longer of those transferred to an LTAC hospital) and had one of the 50 most common hospital diagnoses leading to LTAC transfer (N=12,875).

Measurements

We assessed predictors of transfer using a multilevel model, adjusting for patient‐, hospital‐, and hospital referral region (HRR)‐level factors. We estimated proportions of variance at each level and adjusted hospital‐ and HRR‐specific LTAC transfer rates using sequential models.

Results

The strongest predictor of transfer was being hospitalized near an LTAC hospital (<1.4 vs > 33.6 miles, adjusted odds ratio=6.2, 95% confidence interval (CI)=4.2–9.1). After adjusting for case mix, differences between hospitals explained 15.4% of the variation in LTAC use and differences between regions explained 27.8%. Case mix–adjusted LTAC use was high in the South, where many HRRs had rates between 20.3% and 53.1%, whereas many HRRs were less than 5.4% in the Pacific Northwest, North, and New England. From our fully adjusted model, the median adjusted hospital LTAC transfer rate was 7.2% (interquartile range 2.8–17.5%), with substantial within‐region variation (intraclass coefficient=0.25, 95% CI=0.21–0.30).

Conclusions

Nearly half of the variation in LTAC use is independent of illness severity and is explained by which hospital and what region the individual was hospitalized in. Because of the greater fragmentation of care and Medicare spending with LTAC transfers (because LTAC hospitals generate a separate bundled payment from the hospital), greater attention is needed to define the optimal role of LTAC hospitals in caring for older adults. J Am Geriatr Soc 66:2112–2119, 2018.
Avoidance of apoptosis as a mechanism of drug resistance
Authors: DIVE C.
Published: September 2018

Inherent or acquired drug resistance is a major obstacle for the successful treatment of cancers. Many mechanisms of drug resistance have been described including a decreased drug uptake, an increase in DNA damage repair, enhanced drug detoxification, an altered level or mutation of the intracellular drug target or an increased drug efflux from the cell. Most of these mechanisms impinge upon the interaction of a drug with its cellular target or immediate consequences of such as interaction. For example. a decrease in the cellular levels of topoisomerase II thwarts the efficacy of certain topoisomerase II inhibitors, and enhanced levels of glutathione increase resistance to DNA alklyating agents. However, some tumours are inherently resistant to all chemotherapeutic agents, i.e. with different mechanisms of action. What is the mechanism(s) underlying this pleiotropic drug resistance? One possibility is that such drug‐resistant tumour cells have an abnormally high threshold for the engagement of apoptosis (programmed cell death). The suppression of apoptosis as a mechanism for drug resistance is discussed in this article.