bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Estimating the Efficacy of Alcoholics Anonymous without Self‐Selection Bias: An Instrumental Variables Re‐Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials
Authors: Humphreys Keith , Blodgett Janet C. , Wagner Todd H.
Published: November 2014

Background

Observational studies of Alcoholics Anonymous' (AA) effectiveness are vulnerable to self‐selection bias because individuals choose whether or not to attend AA. The present study, therefore, employed an innovative statistical technique to derive a selection bias‐free estimate of AA's impact.

Methods

Six data sets from 5 National Institutes of Health–funded randomized trials (1 with 2 independent parallel arms) of AA facilitation interventions were analyzed using instrumental variables models. Alcohol‐dependent individuals in one of the data sets (n = 774) were analyzed separately from the rest of sample (n = 1,582 individuals pooled from 5 data sets) because of heterogeneity in sample parameters. Randomization itself was used as the instrumental variable.

Results

Randomization was a good instrument in both samples, effectively predicting increased AA attendance that could not be attributed to self‐selection. In 5 of the 6 data sets, which were pooled for analysis, increased AA attendance that was attributable to randomization (i.e., free of self‐selection bias) was effective at increasing days of abstinence at 3‐month (B = 0.38, p = 0.001) and 15‐month (B = 0.42, p = 0.04) follow‐up. However, in the remaining data set, in which preexisting AA attendance was much higher, further increases in AA involvement caused by the randomly assigned facilitation intervention did not affect drinking outcome.

Conclusions

For most individuals seeking help for alcohol problems, increasing AA attendance leads to short‐ and long‐term decreases in alcohol consumption that cannot be attributed to self‐selection. However, for populations with high preexisting AA involvement, further increases in AA attendance may have little impact.
Stratification of Risk of Death in Severe Acute Alcoholic Hepatitis Using a Panel of Adipokines and Cytokines
Authors: Rachakonda Vikrant , Gabbert Charles , Raina Amit , Li Huanan , Malik Shahid , DeLany James P. , Behari Jaideep
Published: November 2014

Background

Dysregulated adipose tissue metabolism has been implicated in the pathogenesis of alcoholic liver disease in murine models. We aimed to characterize serum markers of adipose tissue metabolism and inflammation in patients with severe acute alcoholic hepatitis (AAH) and determine their utility to predict survival in severe AAH.

Methods

A prospective, case–control study design was used. Seventy‐six patients hospitalized with severe AAH and 25 ambulatory patients with alcoholic cirrhosis as controls were included. Serum samples were collected for biochemical analyses. Patients were followed for 180 days after enrollment to determine the survival.

Results

AAH patients exhibited higher serum glycerol and free fatty acid levels, suggesting enhanced adipose tissue triglyceride hydrolysis. Patients with AAH demonstrated a distinct serum lipidomic profile compared with alcoholic cirrhosis but not in systemic and adipose‐specific insulin resistance. AAH patients had higher serum resistin and plasmin activation inhibitor‐1 levels, while serum leptin was decreased. Serum levels of the prolipolytic cytokines tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α), interleukin (IL)‐6, IL‐8, and IL‐15 were significantly higher in AAH patients. Only 53% of AAH patients survived 180 days after admission, while all cirrhotic patients were alive at the end of the study period. Among patients with severe AAH, white blood cell count, hemoglobin, resistin, IL‐6 and TNF‐α were associated with 180‐day survival, and all 5 markers demonstrated accuracy by area under receiver–operator curve analysis. Serum IL‐6 levels ≥38.66 pg/ml most precisely identified deaths in severe AAH. Patients with IL‐6 ≥ 38.66 pg/ml had significantly decreased mean survival compared to those with lower levels.

Conclusions

AAH patients demonstrate evidence of increased adipose tissue lipolysis and altered serum lipidomic profile compared with alcoholic cirrhosis patients. IL‐6 may be a useful biomarker to risk stratify severe AAH patients at the highest risk of mortality.
Markers of Apoptosis Induction and Proliferation in the Orbitofrontal Cortex in Alcohol Dependence
Authors: Whittom Angela , Villarreal Ashley , Soni Madhav , Owusu‐Duku Beverly , Meshram Ashish , Rajkowska Grazyna , Stockmeier Craig A. , Miguel‐Hidalgo Jose J.
Published: November 2014

Background

Alcohol‐dependent (ALC) subjects exhibit glial and neuronal pathology in the prefrontal cortex (PFC). However, in many patients, neurophysiological disturbances are not associated with catastrophic cell depletion despite prolonged alcohol abuse. It is still unclear how some relevant markers of a cell's propensity to degenerate or proliferate are changed in the PFC of ALC subjects without major neurological disorders.

Methods

Levels of pro‐apoptotic caspase 8 (C8), X‐linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP), direct IAP binding protein with low pI (DIABLO), proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), and density of cells immunoreactive for proliferation marker Ki‐67 (Ki‐67‐IR) were measured postmortem in the left orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) of 29 subjects with alcohol dependence and 23 nonpsychiatric comparison subjects.

Results

Alcohol subjects had significantly higher levels of the 14 kDa C8 fragment (C8‐14), an indicator of C8 activation. However, there was no change in the levels of DIABLO, XIAP, or in the DIABLO/XIAP ratio. PCNA protein level and density of Ki‐67‐IR cells were not significantly changed in alcoholics, although PCNA levels were increased in older ALC subjects as compared to controls.

Conclusions

Significant increase of a C8 activation indicator was found in alcoholism, but without significant changes in XIAP level, DIABLO/XIAP ratio, or Ki‐67 labeling. These results would help to explain the absence of catastrophic cell loss in the PFC of many ALC subjects, while still being consistent with an alcoholism‐related vulnerability to slow decline in glial cells and neurons in the OFC of alcoholics.
Postmenopausal hot flushes and bone mineral density: a longitudinal study
Authors: Tuomikoski Pauliina , Ylikorkala Olavi , Mikkola Tomi S.
Published: November 2014

Objective

To study the possible association between menopausal hot flushes and bone mineral density.

Design

Observational study.

Setting

University clinic.

Population

Healthy women (n = 143) with or without hot flushes, 6–36 months postmenopausal after participating in a 6‐month hormone therapy trial.

Methods

The women prospectively recorded the number and severity of hot flushes for 2 weeks. Bone mineral density in lumbar and hip bones was measured with dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry at recruitment and reassessed in 114 women approximately 6.2 years later.

Main outcome measures

Hot flushes and bone mineral density.

Results

At recruitment, hot flushes were absent in 22 women, mild in 32, moderate in 28, and severe in 61. Lumbar bone mineral densities in non‐flushing women (1.130 ± 0.022 g/cm2; mean ± SEM), and in those with mild (1.088 ± 0.024 g/cm2), moderate (1.082 ± 0.030 g/cm2) or severe (1.102 ± 0.019 g/cm2) hot flushes did not differ, nor were there differences in hip bone mineral densities between the four study groups. During the follow‐up, lumbar bone mineral density decreased by a mean of 0.4 ± 0.1% a year in women not using hormone therapy, and increased by 0.1 ± 0.2% a year in hormone therapy users (p = 0.019). The respective non‐significant changes in left and right total hip bone mineral densities were – −0.6 ± 0.01 and −1.0 ± 0.1 for the non‐users, and −0.4 ± 0.1 and −0.6 ± 0.2 for hormone therapy users. These changes in bone mineral density bore no relation to the hot flush status at baseline.

Conclusion

In recently menopausal women, hot flushes do not appear to determine bone mass density.
Foetus or child? Abortion discourse and attributions of humanness
Authors: Mikołajczak Małgorzata , Bilewicz Michał
Published: November 2014

Due to moral, religious, and cultural sensibilities, the topic of abortion still gives rise to controversy. The ongoing public debate has become visibly polarized with the usage of the pro‐life versus pro‐choice rhetoric. The aim of the current research was to investigate whether the language used in abortion discourse can affect people's attitudes by changing their attributions of humanity to unborn. Across three experimental studies we showed that participants who read about a ‘foetus’, compared to a ‘child’ declared higher support for elective abortion (Study 1; N = 108), this effect can be explained by greater humanness, as reflected in human nature traits, attributed to the child (vs. the foetus; Study 2; N = 121). The effect is mediated uniquely by attribution of human nature, but not by human uniqueness traits (Study 3; N = 120). These findings serve as a starting point for discussion of the role of language in shaping attitudes on abortion and other morally ambiguous issues.
The relationship between Insulin‐like Growth Factor 1, sex steroids and timing of the pubertal growth spurt
Authors: Cole T.J. , Ahmed M.L. , Preece M.A. , Hindmarsh P. , Dunger D.B.
Published: November 2014

Objective

Progress through puberty involves a complex hormonal cascade, but the individual contributions of hormones, particularly IGF‐1, are unknown. We reanalysed Chard growth study data to explore the tempo of puberty based on changes in both height and hormone levels, using a novel method of growth curve analysis.

Design and Subjects

Schoolboys (n = 54) and girls (n = 70) from Chard, Somerset, England, recruited in 1981 at age 8/9 and followed to age 16.

Measurements

Every 6 months, height and Tanner stages (genitalia, breast, pubic hair) were recorded, and in a subsample (24 boys, 27 girls), blood samples were taken. Serum IGF‐1, testosterone (boys) and oestradiol (girls) were measured by radioimmunoassay. Individual growth curves for each outcome were analysed using variants of the super‐imposition by translation and rotation (SITAR) method, which estimates a mean curve and subject‐specific random effects corresponding to size, and age and magnitude of peak velocity.

Results

The SITAR models fitted the data well, explaining 99%, 65%, 86% and 47% of variance for height, IGF‐1, testosterone and oestradiol, respectively, and 69–88% for the Tanner stages. During puberty, the variables all increased steeply in value in individuals, the ages at peak velocity for the different variables being highly correlated, particularly for IGF‐1 vs height (r = 0·74 for girls, 0·92 for boys).

Conclusions

IGF‐1, like height, the sex steroids and Tanner stages, rises steeply in individuals during puberty, with the timings of the rises tightly synchronized within individuals. This suggests that IGF‐1 may play an important role in determining the timing of puberty.
Expression of core clock genes in colorectal tumour cells compared with normal mucosa: a systematic review of clinical trials
Authors: Fonnes S. , Donatsky A. M. , Gögenur I.
Published: November 2014

Aim

Experimental studies have shown that some circadian core clock genes may act as tumour suppressors and have an important role in the response to oncological treatment. This study investigated the evidence regarding modified expression of core clock genes in colorectal cancer and its correlation to clinicopathological features and survival.

Method

A systematic review was conducted without meta‐analysis according to the PRISMA guidelines on 24 March 2014 using PubMed and EMBASE. Eligibility criteria were: study design, original research article, English language, human subjects and gene expression of colorectal cancer cells compared with healthy mucosa cells from specimens analysed by real‐time or quantitative real‐time polymer chain reaction. The expression of the core clock genes Period, Cryptochrome, Bmal1 and Clock in colorectal tumours were compared with healthy mucosa and correlated with clinicopathological features and survival.

Results

Seventy‐four articles were identified and 11 studies were included. Overall, gene expression of Period was significantly decreased in colorectal cancer cells compared with healthy mucosa cells. This tendency was also seen in the gene expression of Clock. Other core clock genes did not appear to be differentially expressed. Decreased Period gene expression was correlated to some clinicopathological features.

Conclusion

The Period genes seemed to be modified in colorectal tumour cells compared with normal mucosa. Core clock genes might be possible future biomarkers in colorectal cancer.
Copper sheathing and the British slave trade
Authors: Solar Peter M. , Rönnbäck Klas
Published: November 2014

British slave traders were early and rapid adopters of the new technique of sheathing ships' hulls with copper. From the 1780s this innovation increased sailing speeds of British slave ships by about a sixth, prolonged the ships' lives by at least a half, and reduced the death rates of slaves on the middle passage by about half. It was, above all, the fall in death rates, and possibly the improved condition of surviving slaves, that made the investment so compelling. Copper sheathing may have paid for itself in a single voyage, even though it was usually good for several. By the 1790s few slave ships, even if making only a single voyage, were uncoppered. These results confirm that copper sheathing was one of the major improvements in shipping productivity before the use of iron and steam in the mid‐nineteenth century.
Constructing a layered electrical conductivity model using k nearest‐neighbour predictions and a combination of two proximal sensors
Authors: Piikki K. , Wetterlind J. , Söderström M. , Stenberg B.
Published: November 2014

A strategy to produce layered high‐resolution apparent electrical conductivity (ECa) models of agricultural fields by distance‐weighted k nearest‐neighbour prediction (kNN) was tested at three farms. Electromagnetic induction (EMI) measurements were combined with measurements made with a dipole probe. Depth‐layer‐specific ECa values from the probe measurements were interpolated in the attribute space of the EMI measurements with the distance‐weighted kNN method. This analysis resulted in high‐resolution ECa maps for depth intervals of 0–0.2 and 0.4–0.6 or 0.4–0.8 m. The ECa values measured with the dipole probe ranged between 6.1 and 40.2 mS m−1, and at two of the three farms investigated it was possible to create ECa maps at two depths with mean absolute errors of 1.1–3.8 mS m−1. At the third farm the predictions were less accurate. Combining data from two fundamentally different sensors of ECa for kNN predictions was deemed to be an efficient way to produce 3‐D information on arable soil. However, it seems to be essential that the dipole probe and the EMI measurements are made under similar conditions.
Basking Activity is Modulated by Health State but is Constrained by Conspicuousness to Predators in Male Spanish Terrapins
Authors: Ibáñez Alejandro , Marzal Alfonso , González‐Blázquez Manuel , López Pilar , Martín José
Published: November 2014

Aerial basking may have several benefits for freshwater turtles in addition to thermoregulation such as removing parasites from the skin, which would improve health state. However, basking outside of water may be risky because it may expose freshwater turtles to terrestrial predators. Here, we monitored the basking activity of male Spanish terrapins (Mauremys leprosa) in a wild population of the south‐western of the Iberian Peninsula. We also measured body size, health state parameters, parasite prevalence, and limb coloration of these individuals. We aimed to examine whether basking may improve health state of turtles. The results showed that male turtles with higher basking activity were those parasitized byHepatozoonand that had lower total white blood cell (WBC). This might indicate that turtles in worse health condition increase their time spent basking to improve their immune system. In addition, because basking might be risky, we also expected that turtles with more conspicuous coloration should reduce their basking activity to avoid being detected by potential predators. We found that infected turtles, but not uninfected ones, that spent more time basking also had less bright coloration in limb stripes. Our study provides evidence that basking activity may improve health state of terrapins, but that color conspicuity may increase costs of basking, especially for parasitized individuals. Understanding the balance between the benefits and the costs of basking might be essential for the conservation of freshwater turtle populations.
The fate of phosphorus in decomposing fish carcasses: a mesocosm experiment
Authors: Boros Gergely , Takács Péter , Vanni Michael J.
Published: November 2014

An outdoor mesocosm experiment was conducted to study the process of phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) release during fish carcass decomposition and its implications for the functioning of warm, shallow temperate lakes after massive fish kills. Specifically, we compared differences in the fate of P released from carcasses of two fish species that differ in body P concentrations and the ecosystem responses to these fish‐derived nutrient inputs.

Nutrients liberated from bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus) and gizzard shad (Dorosoma cepedianum) carcasses induced phytoplankton blooms and high total P and N concentrations in the water column within a week after carcass addition; these effects persisted for ˜2–3 weeks. Subsequently, water column P was transferred to other ecosystem compartments, primarily sediments and benthic algae.

Fish species identity influenced the effects only slightly; decomposition of gizzard shad triggered the highest maximal chlorophyll‐a concentrations in the water column, while the highest coverage of benthic algae and lowest biomass of periphytic biofilm were found in mesocosms containing bluegill carcasses. Both bluegill and gizzard shad carcasses decomposed completely during the experimental period (˜3 months). Thus, apparently all carcass nutrients were mineralised into bioavailable forms and taken up by other ecosystem compartments.

Fallen fish carcasses are not probably to represent long‐term P sinks in warm‐temperate shallow lakes. Decomposition following large mortality events can induce fleeting algal blooms in these ecosystems.
‘Because you can't live on love’: living kidney donors’ perspectives on compensation and payment for organ donation
Authors: Shaw Rhonda M. , Bell Lara J.M.
Published: November 2014

Context and objective

Living kidney donation accounts for approximately half of all kidney transplantation in many countries and is central to health policy focused on increasing organ supply. However, little examination of the economic consequences of living kidney donation has been undertaken from the perspective of donors themselves. This article documents living kidney donors’ views regarding recompense and payment for organ donation, based on their experience.

Participants

Twenty‐five living kidney donors from New Zealand participated in this study.

Methods

This qualitative study, based on thematic analysis, uses semi‐structured in‐depth interviews to examine the experiences of living kidney donors. Themes were organized around altruism and the ‘gift’, perceptions of shared corporeality and identity, and donor support.

Results

Most participants agreed the donation process was costly in terms of time and money. Many incurred personal costs, and some experienced financial hardship. All the participants viewed financial hardship as a barrier to organ donation and favoured recompense for direct and indirect costs. Most did not support payment for organs, and none supported commercialization.

Discussion and conclusions

The findings show that framing organ donation as a ‘gift’ can stymie discussion about reciprocity, remuneration and exchange, making talk about financial recompense difficult. Financial well‐being, nonetheless, has implications for the ability to care for self and others post‐operatively. We conclude that the economic consequences for living kidney donors in jurisdictions where recompense for direct and indirect costs is insufficient are unfair. Review of financial assistance for live organ donors is therefore recommended.
Bad Romance: A Crip Feminist Critique of Queer Failure
Authors: Johnson Merri Lisa
Published: November 2014

This article critiques Jack Halberstam's concept of queer failure through a feminist cripistemological lens. Challenging Halberstam's interpretation of Erika Kohut inThe Piano Teacher(Jelinek 1988) as a symbol of postcolonial angst rather than a figure of psychosocial disability, the article establishes a critical coalition between crip feminist theory and queer‐of‐color theory to promote a materialist politics and literal‐minded reading practice designed to recognize minority subjectivities (both fictional and in “real life”) rather than exploiting them for their metaphorical resonance. In asserting that Erika Kohut is better understood as a woman with borderline personality disorder (BPD), and in proposing borderline personality disorder as a critical optic through which to read bothThe Piano TeacherandThe Queer Art of Failure(Halberstam 2011), the article challenges the usual cultural undermining of epistemic authority that comes with the BPD diagnosis. It asserts instead that BPD might be a location of more, rather than less, critical acumen about the negative affects that accompany queer (and crip) failures, and reflect on what we might call a borderline turn in queer theory. On a broader level, the article joins an emergent conversation in crip theory about the reluctance of queer theory to address disability in meaningful and substantive ways.
Supplementary feeding increases Common Buzzard Buteo buteo productivity but only in poor‐quality habitat
Authors: Rooney Eimear , Reid Neil , Montgomery W. Ian
Published: November 2014

Temporal heterogeneity in the effects of food supply during the breeding season on the productivity of the Common Buzzard Buteo buteo was investigated in a supplementary feeding experiment. Pairs were fed artificially (1) before egg‐laying, (2) after chicks hatched and (3) continuously throughout the season, and compared with (4) unfed controls. Pairs fed before egg‐laying had marginally larger clutches than those not fed, but lay date, egg volume and weight, brood size and hatching success were unaffected. Territorial quality had far greater effects, with pairs nesting in low‐quality habitats (bog, scrub and semi‐natural grassland) laying later and having lower hatching success, smaller broods and fewer fledglings than those in more productive agricultural landscapes. Supplementary feeding after egg hatching neutralized the negative effect of poor habitat, resulting in fed birds having significantly more fledglings. This study emphasizes the importance of food availability when provisioning chicks in suboptimal habitats and has implications for the success of diversionary feeding in reducing game losses to Buzzards.
The role performance of public health nurses as clinical instructors in Japan
Authors: Kotera S. , Matsuda N.
Published: November 2014

Aim

To investigate the factors associated with the role performance of public health nurses as clinical instructors in Japan.

Background

Newly graduated public health nurses in Japan have competencies that are below the minimum requirements of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare because of their limited clinical experience in undergraduate clinical education. Public health nurses play crucial roles in the clinical practicum and their role performance as clinical instructors is a key to successful learning outcomes.

Methods

This study targeted public health nurses in governmental public health centres and those who had gained experience as an undergraduate clinical instructor for nursing students. A self‐administered questionnaire was distributed to a national sample of 1467 public health nurses. Data were collected from July 2011 to September 2011.

Results

In total, 722 of 1467 questionnaires were completed (nurse age 22–64 years). Of the participants, almost half (49%) strongly disagreed (3%) or disagreed (46%) that they had confidence in their role as a clinical instructor, and preparation programmes for clinical instructors had been attended by just 262 (36.3%). Years of experience as public health nurses, previous attendance of preparation programmes, viewing their role positively, professional identity and professional competency were significantly associated with performance. Logistic regression analysis revealed that nurses with higher role performance scores had higher self‐confidence, greater interests in their role and higher professional identity.

Conclusions

The self‐confidence and interests of public health nurses in their role as clinical instructors as well as their professional identity were found to be significant predictors of their role performance as clinical instructors.

Implications for Nursing Practice and Education

The factors identified in our investigation can be used to predict effective clinical instructors and to develop preparation programmes to enhance their confidence and interests and potentially increase their role satisfaction.
Impact of a financial incentive policy on Korean nurse staffing
Authors: Kim Y. , Kim J.
Published: November 2014

Aim

This study was designed to determine (1) the impact of policy on longitudinal changes in nurse staffing levels and (2) the characteristics of policy‐responsive Korean hospitals.

Background

A policy of varying nursing fees according to staffing grade by measuring the nurse‐to‐bed ratio has been implemented in Korean hospitals since 1999 with the aim of satisfying patient care needs and providing safe and high‐quality nursing care.

Methods

Nurse staffing hospital characteristics data were collected from Korean Hospital Nurses Association yearbooks for the period 1996–2011. The obtained time series nurse staffing data were analysed by assessing the nurse‐to‐bed ratio. Graphs were used to view nurse staffing trends in various nursing units by hospital type during the study period. Mixed repeated‐measures modelling was used to analyse nurse staffing and hospital characteristics, with year categorized as a dummy variable. There were 585 and 1239 observations related to measurements of nurse staffing grade in 44 tertiary and 193 general hospitals, respectively. For measuring the nurse staffing grade in intensive care units, the number of observations for general hospitals was decreased to 1170.

Results

Long‐term nurse staffing in general and intensive care units was improved post‐policy compared with pre‐policy in both tertiary and general hospitals. Nurse staffing was improved more in Seoul than in other areas and was significantly better for hospitals with more beds for both hospital types.

Conclusion and implications for nursing and health policy

Although the financial incentive policy implemented in Korea has had an overall positive result on nurse staffing, the effect was not assure in small‐sized hospitals in rural area. A more refined method for calculating nurse staffing and increasing financial incentives relative to staffing grade is needed to improve hospital nurse staffing.
STICKY ENDS
Authors: Vakili Keyvan
Published: November 2014

An ongoing new paper by Keyvan Vakili looks at the role of mobility in academic knowledge transfer
SHAPING TOMORROW
Authors: Crainer Stuart , Dearlove Des
Published: November 2014

How does a large multinational put values and aspirations to work? Can it change how it thinks about business and conducts itself? Stuart Crainer and Des Dearlove gained inside access to Japanese technology giant Fujitsu and its mission to shape a better future for society
BUBBLE LOGIC
Authors: Cocco João F.
Published: November 2014

From London to Dubai, soaring real estate prices are causing worries about an impending bubble. But how do you spot a bubble from a boom? João Cocco provides the logic
THE THREE LAWS OF ORGANODYNAMICS
Authors: Sherwood Dennis
Published: November 2014

Dennis Sherwood takes thermodynamics as the model for three laws to extract the best possible work from organisations. Welcome to the new science of organodynamics.
MENTOR MASTERS
Authors: Pokatilo Alexey
Published: November 2014

100mentors promises to shake up the global consulting industry
Exploring the cognitive features in children with autism spectrum disorder, their co‐twins, and typically developing children within a population‐based sample
Authors: Brunsdon Victoria E. A. , Colvert Emma , Ames Catherine , Garnett Tracy , Gillan Nicola , Hallett Victoria , Lietz Stephanie , Woodhouse Emma , Bolton Patrick , Happé Francesca
Published: November 2014

Background

The behavioural symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are thought to reflect underlying cognitive deficits/differences. The findings in the literature are somewhat mixed regarding the cognitive features of ASD. This study attempted to address this issue by investigating a range of cognitive deficits and the prevalence of multiple cognitive atypicalities in a large population‐based sample comprising children with ASD, their unaffected co‐twins, and typically developing comparison children.

Methods

Participants included families from the Twins Early Development Study (TEDS) where one or both children met diagnostic criteria for ASD. Overall, 181 adolescents with a diagnosis of ASD and 73 unaffected co‐twins were included, plus an additional 160 comparison control participants. An extensive cognitive battery was administered to measure IQ, central coherence, executive function, and theory of mind ability.

Results

Differences between groups (ASD, co‐twin, control) are reported on tasks assessing theory of mind, executive function, and central coherence. The ASD group performed atypically in significantly more cognitive tasks than the unaffected co‐twin and control groups. Nearly a third of the ASD group presented with multiple cognitive atypicalities.

Conclusions

Multiple cognitive atypicalities appear to be a characteristic, but not universal feature, of ASD. Further work is needed to investigate whether specific cognitive atypicalities, either alone or together, are related to specific behaviours characteristic of ASD.
Calcium silicate cement‐induced remineralisation of totally demineralised dentine in comparison with glass ionomer cement: tetracycline labelling and two‐photon fluorescence microscopy
Authors: ATMEH A.R. , CHONG E.Z. , RICHARD G. , BOYDE A. , FESTY F. , WATSON T.F.
Published: November 2014

Two‐photon fluorescence microscopy, in combination with tetracycline labelling, was used to observe the remineralising potentials of a calcium silicate‐based restorative material (BiodentineTM) and a glass ionomer cement (GIC:​Fuji​IX) on totally demineralised dentine. Forty demineralised dentine discs were stored with either cement in three different solutions: phosphate buffered saline (PBS) with tetracycline, phosphate‐free tetracycline, and tetracycline‐free PBS. Additional samples of demineralised dentine were stored alone in the first solution. After 8‐week storage at 37 °C, dentine samples were imaged using two‐photon fluorescence microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. Samples were later embedded in PMMA and polished block surfaces studied by 20 kV BSE imaging in an SEM to study variations in mineral concentration. The highest fluorescence intensity was exhibited by the dentine stored with BiodentineTM in the PBS/tetracycline solution. These samples also showed microscopic features of matrix remineralisation including a mineralisation front and intra‐ and intertubular mineralisation. In the other solutions, dentine exhibited much weaker fluorescence with none of these features detectable. Raman spectra confirmed the formation of calcium phosphate mineral with Raman peaks similar to apatite, while no mineral formation was detected in the dentine stored in cement‐free or PBS‐free media, or with GIC. It could therefore be concluded that BiodentineTM induced calcium phosphate mineral formation within the dentine matrix when stored in phosphate‐rich media, which was selectively detectable using the tetracycline labelling.
Imaging nanoparticle‐algae interactions in three dimensions using Cytoviva microscopy
Authors: VALLOTTON P. , ANGEL B. , MCCALL M. , OSMOND M. , KIRBY J.
Published: November 2014

Plasmonic resonances of metal‐based nanoparticles are increasingly used for ultrasensitive imaging assays. In this context, the CytovivaTM microscopy platform has greatly gained in popularity. In essence, Cytoviva is an optimized dark field microscope that permits detection of particles down to a few nanometers in size. A significant limitation of Cytoviva up to now has been that it only provided for single plane imaging. The datasets produced by this technique therefore only show a partial view of the sample – not ideally suited to analysis. Here we explain how to overcome this limitation by mounting the Cytoviva condenser on an automated microscope with Z‐scanning capability. Our method allows three‐dimensional mapping of nanoparticles in their full three‐dimensional cellular context. We apply this technique to study the interaction of silver and cerium dioxide nanoparticles with cells of the green alga, Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata, a system of significant environmental relevance because algae underlie much of the aquatic food chain. Our objective was to develop a technique to visualize in detail the interaction of nanoparticles with cells in three dimensions, such that one may, for example, determine whether a particular nanoparticle is inside a cell, at its very surface, or at a distance from it.
Comparative architectural properties of limb muscles in Crocodylidae and Alligatoridae and their relevance to divergent use of asymmetrical gaits in extant Crocodylia
Authors: Allen Vivian , Molnar Julia , Parker William , Pollard Andrea , Nolan Grant , Hutchinson John R.
Published: November 2014

Crocodiles and their kin (Crocodylidae) use asymmetrical (bounding and galloping) gaits when moving rapidly. Despite being morphologically and ecologically similar, it seems alligators and their kin (Alligatoridae) do not. To investigate a possible anatomical basis for this apparent major difference in locomotor capabilities, we measured relative masses and internal architecture (fascicle lengths and physiological cross‐sectional areas) of muscles of the pectoral and pelvic limbs of 40 individuals from six representative species of Crocodylidae and Alligatoridae. We found that, relative to body mass, Crocodylidae have significantly longer muscle fascicles (increased working range), particularly in the pectoral limb, and generally smaller muscle physiological cross‐sectional areas (decreased force‐exerting capability) than Alligatoridae. We therefore hypothesise that the ability of some crocodylians to use asymmetrical gaits may be limited more by the ability to make large, rapid limb motions (especially in the pectoral limb) than the ability to exert large limb forces. Furthermore, analysis of scaling patterns in muscle properties shows that limb anatomy in the two clades becomes more divergent during ontogeny. Limb muscle masses, fascicle lengths and physiological cross‐sectional areas scale with significantly larger coefficients in Crocodylidae than Alligatoridae. This combination of factors suggests that inter‐clade disparity in maximal limb power is highest in adult animals. Therefore, despite their apparent morphological similarities, both mean values and scaling patterns suggest that considerable diversity exists in the locomotor apparatus of extant Crocodylia.
Stratified medicine for the use of antidiabetic medication in treatment of type II diabetes and cancer: where do we go from here?
Authors: Emami‐Riedmaier A. , Schaeffeler E. , Nies A. T. , Mörike K. , Schwab M.
Published: November 2014

At present, the global diabetes epidemic is affecting 347 million individuals, 90% of whom are diagnosed with type II diabetes mellitus (T2DM). T2DM is commonly treated with more than one type of therapy, including oral antidiabetic drugs (OADs) and agents used in the treatment of diabetic complications. Several pharmacological classes of OADs are currently available for the treatment of T2DM, of which insulin secretagogues (i.e. sulphonylureas and meglitinides), insulin sensitizers [thiazolidinediones (TZDs)] and biguanides are the most commonly prescribed. Although many of these OADs have been used for more than half a century in the treatment of T2DM, the pharmacogenomic characteristics of these compounds have only recently been investigated, primarily in retrospective studies. Recent advances in pharmacogenomics have led to the identification of polymorphisms that affect the expression and function of drug‐metabolizing enzymes and drug transporters, as well as drug targets and receptors. These polymorphisms have been shown to affect the therapeutic response to and side effects associated with OADs. The aim of this review was to provide an up‐to‐date summary of some of the pharmacogenomic data obtained from studies of T2DM treatment, with a focus on polymorphisms in genes affecting pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and treatment outcome of the most commonly prescribed OADs. In addition, the implications of pharmacogenomics in the use of the OAD metformin in cancer will be briefly discussed. Finally, we will focus on recent advances in novel ‘omics’ technologies and discuss how these might aid in the personalized management of T2DM.
Accuracy of Judgments of Personality Based on Textual Information on Major Life Domains
Authors: Borkenau Peter , Mosch Alice , Tandler Nancy , Wolf Annegret
Published: November 2014

We studied the accuracy of personality impressions relying on textual information on important life domains. Specifically, how is accuracy moderated by the trait being judged, information being provided, judgeability of target persons, and perceptiveness of judges? A sample of 208 students was recruited in groups of four mutual acquaintances who described themselves and each other on a measure of the Five‐Factor Model of personality. Moreover, they wrote essays on their hobbies, friends, family, academic studies, and plans for the future and provided self‐reports on possible predictors of expressive accuracy. The essays were delivered to 130 strangers who reported their impressions of the personality of the targets and provided self‐reports on possible predictors of perceptive accuracy. Accuracy was measured by correlating these impressions with the descriptions of the targets by their acquaintances. The judges used the available information efficiently. Overall, impressions of Openness to Experience were most accurate, but accuracy depended on the information being provided. Several predictors of expressive and perceptive accuracy were identified using Biesanz's (2010) social accuracy model. The results advance our understanding of factors contributing to and moderating the accuracy of personality impressions based on textual information.
Oxidative stress in oral diseases
Authors: Kesarwala AH , Krishna MC , Mitchell JB
Published: November 2014

Oxidative species, including reactive oxygen species (ROS), are components of normal cellular metabolism and are required for intracellular processes as varied as proliferation, signal transduction, and apoptosis. In the situation of chronic oxidative stress, however, ROS contribute to various pathophysiologies and are involved in multiple stages of carcinogenesis. In head and neck cancers specifically, many common risk factors contribute to carcinogenesis via ROS‐based mechanisms, including tobacco, areca quid, alcohol, and viruses. Given their widespread influence on the process of carcinogenesis, ROS and their related pathways are attractive targets for intervention. The effects of radiation therapy, a central component of treatment for nearly all head and neck cancers, can also be altered via interfering with oxidative pathways. These pathways are also relevant to the development of many benign oral diseases. In this review, we outline how ROS contribute to pathophysiology with a focus toward head and neck cancers and benign oral diseases, describing potential targets and pathways for intervention that exploit the role of oxidative species in these pathologic processes.
The Kata Kolok Pointing System: Morphemization and Syntactic Integration
Authors: de Vos Connie
Published: November 2014

Signed utterances are densely packed with pointing signs, reaching a frequency of one in six signs in spontaneous conversations (de Vos, 2012; Johnston, 2013a; Morford & MacFarlane, 2003). These pointing signs attain a wide range of functions and are formally highly diversified. Based on corpus analysis of spontaneous pointing signs in Kata Kolok, a rural signing variety of Bali, this paper argues that the full meaning potentials of pointing signs come about through the integration of a varied set of linguistic and extralinguistic cues. Taking this hybrid nature of pointing phenomena into account, it is argued that pointing signs may become an intrinsic aspect of sign language grammars through two mechanisms: morphemization and syntactic integration. Although not entailed in this research, this approach could implicate that some highly systematized pointing systems of speaking communities may to a degree be grammatical as well.
Logic as Marr's Computational Level: Four Case Studies
Authors: Baggio Giosuè , van Lambalgen Michiel , Hagoort Peter
Published: November 2014

We sketch four applications of Marr's levels‐of‐analysis methodology to the relations between logic and experimental data in the cognitive neuroscience of language and reasoning. The first part of the paper illustrates the explanatory power of computational level theories based on logic. We show that a Bayesian treatment of the suppression task in reasoning with conditionals is ruled out by EEG data, supporting instead an analysis based on defeasible logic. Further, we describe how results from an EEG study on temporal prepositions can be reanalyzed using formal semantics, addressing a potential confound. The second part of the article demonstrates the predictive power of logical theories drawing on EEG data on processing progressive constructions and on behavioral data on conditional reasoning in people with autism. Logical theories can constrain processing hypotheses all the way down to neurophysiology, and conversely neuroscience data can guide the selection of alternative computational level models of cognition.
Postswirl Maneuvering Propulsor
Authors: Huyer Stephen A.
Published: November 2014

This research examines the novel use of a postswirl propulsor to generate side forces sufficient for undersea vehicle control. Numerical simulations using the commercial computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code Fluent® were used to predict the side forces for open and ducted, post-swirl propulsors configured with an upstream rotor and movable downstream stator row. By varying the pitch angles of the stator blade about the circumference, it is possible to generate a mean stator side force that can be used to maneuver the vehicle while generating sufficient roll to counter the torque produced by the rotor. A simple geometric configuration was used to minimize body geometry effects to better understand the flow physics with simulations conducted in a water tunnel environment. Flow computations highlighted the component forces and were used to characterize the velocity fields between the rotor and stator blade rows as well as the velocity field in the stator wake. There was significant coupling between the rotor and stator blade rows as demonstrated by the rotor wake velocity profiles. While the flow fields were coupled, there was not a significant difference in rotor axial or side forces except for the largest pitch amplitudes. Predictions showed that the maneuvering propulsor generated side forces predominantly by the stator and body that significantly exceeded those produced by conventional undersea vehicle control surfaces with side force coefficients on the order of 0.5. These forces are approximately three times larger than those generated by conventional control surfaces on 21 in. unmanned undersea vehicles (UUV's). Even for zero flow velocities, side forces were produced due to the induced flow produced by the rotor over the stator, further demonstrating the potential for this technology to be used for undersea vehicle maneuvering.
Dynamics of Globally and Dissipatively Coupled Resonators
Authors: Sabater Andrew B. , Rhoads Jeffrey F.
Published: November 2014

This work explores the dynamics of arrays of globally and dissipatively coupled resonators. These resonator arrays are shown to be capable of exhibiting seemingly new collective behaviors which are highly sensitive to the dispersion of the natural frequencies of the constituent resonators in the array, the intrinsic damping of the resonators in the array, and the magnitude of the global coupling coefficient that captures the strength of the dissipative coupling. These behaviors have been identified within the work as group attenuation, confined attenuation, and group resonance. Group and confined attenuation are associated with an absence of energy and are strongly dependent on the dispersion of the natural frequencies. In cases of moderate dissipative coupling, the effects of group and confined attenuation could be interpreted as frequency-dependent damping. In cases where the global coupling coefficient is large, group resonance is significant. This effect is synonymous with the resonances of the constituent resonators being shared and occurring at frequencies in between the isolated resonators' natural frequencies. Accordingly, one could view group resonance as the antithesis of localization, in that the localization of the modes of a conservatively coupled system with a finite dispersion of the constituent resonators' natural frequencies is most significant when the coupling is weak. The authors believe that collective behaviors, such as those described herein, have direct applicability in new single-input, single-output resonant mass sensors, and, with extension, a variety of other sensing and signal processing systems.
The Perspective of Ontario Girls’ Youth Hockey as an Alternative Sport Model
Authors: Bean Corliss , Forneris Tanya , Robidoux Michael A.
Published: November 2014

Ice hockey is one of the most played sports by youth in Canada, and over the past twenty years, female participation rates in hockey have increased by nearly 900% (Hockey Canada, 2005; 2009). However, despite female involvement in the sport, much controversy still remains for women crossing the gender line of ‘malestream’ (Hall, 1996) hockey. The goal of this paper is to use a case study to offer information about the dynamics of female youth hockey in terms of team play, parental interaction in the stands, and youth and parental commentary about their experiences. Through video and researcher observations, extensive field notes, and interviews, the context of female hockey was examined. Results revealed that female hockey may indeed be an environment that provides a unique experience for players. Four overarching themes emerged: 1) rule differences; 2) seriousness; 3) positive parental support; and 4) emphasis on team play and social relationships.
Actinomycotic osteomyelitis of the cranial vault presenting with headache: an unusual presentation
Authors: Roopesh Kumar V R , Madhugiri Venkatesh S , Gundamaneni Sudheer Kumar , Verma Surendra Kumar
Published: November 2014

A case of left parietal calvarial actinomycotic osteomyelitis in a young woman is described. She had no predisposing illnesses. She had delivered a live child at term and presented in the puerperal period. No extracranial focus of infection was identified. She responded well to a combination of surgery and medical therapy and had an excellent outcome. The authors emphasise the importance of establishing a histopathological diagnosis since radiological signs are non-specific and unreliable.