bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of grass–legume mixtures on the production and photosynthetic capacity of constructed grasslands in Inner Mongolia, China
Authors: Liu Min , Gong Ji-Rui , Pan Yan , Luo Qin-Pu , Zhai Zhan-Wei , Xu Sha , Yang Li-Li
Published: November 2016

Constructed grasslands are primary restoration measures in areas with degraded natural grasslands. Grass–legume mixtures are chosen to obtain high production and forage quality; however, the photosynthetic and other traits of such mixtures are not well understood. In this study, we evaluated the effects of grass–legume mixtures on the growth and photosynthetic capacity of three forage crops over two growing seasons. Bromus inermis and Elymus nutans were grown as monocultures or in mixtures with Medicago sativa. We analysed forage yields, quality, gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters. The grass–legume mixtures improved the forage yield, root : shoot ratio, and contents of crude protein and lignin. Compared with the monoculture, grasses in the mixtures had higher net photosynthesis, water-use efficiency (WUE), and leaf nitrogen (N) content, but lower carbon : N ratio, and distributed more absorbed light to photosynthetic electron transport and thermal dissipation. In the mixture, B. inermis had a higher light-saturation point, indicating high light-use efficiency. Elymus nutans had a lower light-compensation point and dark respiration rate, suggesting good shade tolerance. However, water deficits decreased biomass and photosynthetic capacity in the E. nutans–M. sativa mixture, suggesting that E. nutans was sensitive to soil moisture. The B. inermis–M. sativa mixture had greater and more consistent biomass and WUE.
Hidāyat’s Libidinal Hell: Persian Fiction and Inscribing the Demonic
Authors: Mozafari Arshavez
Published: November 2016

The prominent modern Iranian author Ṣādiq Hidāyat (1903‒51/1281‒1330 sh.) was arguably the most observant expositor of the contortions within the inner world of Iranian demonology during the first Pahlavī period (1921‒41/1299‒1320 sh.). Through an investigation of his many interbellum titles, such as “Zindah bih Gūr,” “S.G.L.L.,” and “‘Alavīyah Khanum,” the purpose of this paper is to flesh out Hidāyat’s role as a demonographer, meaning someone who inscribes the demonic in his works. It is argued that Hidāyat’s uniqueness was located in his ability to allow the demonic, “the world as it is before the human imagination begins to work on it,” to interact with man at his most nihilistic moment. As such, it is unsurprising that recognition of the demonic was often simultaneously the moment when the voice and visage of Nature itself became apparent.
Improving Mobile Phone Speech Recognition by Personalized Amplification: Application in People with Normal Hearing and Mild-to-Moderate Hearing Loss
Authors: Kam Anna Chi Shan , Sung John Ka Keung , Lee Tan , Wong Terence Ka Cheong , van Hasselt Andrew
Published: November 2016

Purpose:

In this study, the authors evaluated the effect of personalized amplification on mobile phone speech recognition in people with and without hearing loss.

Methods:

This prospective study used double-blind, within-subjects, repeated measures, controlled trials to evaluate the effectiveness of applying personalized amplification based on the hearing level captured on the mobile device. The personalized amplification settings were created using modified one-third gain targets. The participants in this study included 100 adults of age between 20 and 78 years (60 with age-adjusted normal hearing and 40 with hearing loss). The performance of the participants with personalized amplification and standard settings was compared using both subjective and speech-perception measures. Speech recognition was measured in quiet and in noise using Cantonese disyllabic words. Subjective ratings on the quality, clarity, and comfortableness of the mobile signals were measured with an 11-point visual analog scale. Subjective preferences of the settings were also obtained by a paired-comparison procedure.

Results:

The personalized amplification application provided better speech recognition via the mobile phone both in quiet and in noise for people with hearing impairment (improved 8 to 10%) and people with normal hearing (improved 1 to 4%). The improvement in speech recognition was significantly better for people with hearing impairment. When the average device output level was matched, more participants preferred to have the individualized gain than not to have it.

Conclusions:

The personalized amplification application has the potential to improve speech recognition for people with mild-to-moderate hearing loss, as well as people with normal hearing, in particular when listening in noisy environments.
Comparison of Sleep Latency and Number of SOREMPs in the Home and Hospital With a Modified Multiple Sleep Latency Test: A Randomized Crossover Study
Authors: Beiske Kornelia K. , Sand Trond , Rugland Eyvind , Stavem Knut
Published: November 2016

Purpose:

Comparison of mean sleep latencies and number of sleep-onset rapid eye movement periods (SOREMPs) between modified multiple sleep latency test (MSLT) performed in the unattended home and in-hospital laboratory setting.

Methods:

A randomized crossover single-blinded design. Thirty-four subjects referred to MSLT for suspected hypersomnia or narcolepsy were included. Participants were randomized to perform modified MSLT in the unattended home or in the hospital first. Scores in the two settings were compared using Wilcoxon signed-rank test or exact McNemar test. Agreement between home and hospital categorized mean sleep latency and number of SOREMPs was assessed using simple kappa (κ) and proportion agreement. Agreement between home and hospital mean sleep latency was assessed using a Bland–Altman plot and an intraclass correlation coefficient.

Results:

There was no difference between home and hospital assessment of mean sleep latency (P = 0.86). Two or more SOREMPs were found more frequently on modified MSLTs performed at home compared with those at the hospital (7 and 2, respectively; P = 0.025). Agreement was moderate for categorized sleep latency (κ = 0.53) and fair for categorized SOREMPs (κ = 0.39) in the 2 settings. Analysis of mean sleep latency using intraclass correlation coefficient showed a very good agreement between the two settings.

Conclusions:

Group mean sleep latency for home modified MSLTs seems to be reliable compared with that for the attended sleep-laboratory setting. Higher rate of SOREMP in the unattended home suggests that napping in a familiar environment facilitates the transition into REM sleep. Further studies are needed to assess the normal limit, sensitivity, and specificity for SOREMP at home before the clinical utility of home-based napping can be determined.
Assessment of Antibody Library Diversity through Next Generation Sequencing and Technical Error Compensation.
Authors: Fantini Marco , Pandolfini Luca , Lisi Simonetta , Chirichella Michele , Arisi Ivan , Terrigno Marco , Goracci Martina , Cremisi Federico , Cattaneo Antonino
Published: November 2016

Antibody libraries are important resources to derive antibodies to be used for a wide range of applications, from structural and functional studies to intracellular protein interference studies to developing new diagnostics and therapeutics. Whatever the goal, the key parameter for an antibody library is its diversity, i.e. the number of distinct elements in the collection, which directly reflects the probability of finding in the library an antibody against a given antigen, of sufficiently high affinity. Quantitative evaluation of antibody library diversity and quality has been for a long time inadequately addressed, due to the high similarity and length of the sequences of the library. Diversity was usually inferred by the transformation efficiency and tested either by fingerprinting and/or sequencing of a few hundred random library elements. Inferring diversity from such a small sample is, however, very rudimental and gives limited information about the real complexity, because complexity does not scale linearly with sample size. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) has opened new ways to tackle the antibody library diversity quality assessment. However, much remains to be done to fully exploit the potential of NGS for the quantitative analysis of antibody repertoires and to overcome current limitations. To obtain a more reliable antibody library complexity estimate here we show a new, PCR-free, NGS approach to sequence antibody libraries on Illumina platform, coupled to a new bioinformatic analysis and software (Diversity Estimator of Antibody Library, DEAL) that allows to reliably estimate the diversity, taking in consideration the sequencing error.
Structural and theoretical characterization of a new twisted 4′-substituted terpyridine compound: 4′-(isoquinolin-4-yl)-2,2′:6′,2′′-terpyridine
Authors: Granifo Juan , Arévalo Beatriz , Gaviño Rubén , Suárez Sebastián , Baggio Ricardo
Published: November 2016

4′-Substituted derivatives of 2,2′:6′,2′′-terpyridine with N-containing heteroaromatic substituents, such as pyridyl groups, might be able to coordinate metal centres through the extra N-donor atom, in addition to the chelating terpyridine N atoms. The incorporation of these peripheral N-donor sites would also allow for the diversification of the types of noncovalent interactions present, such as hydrogen bonding and π–π stacking. The title compound, C24H16N4, consists of a 2,2′:6′,2′′-terpyridine nucleus (tpy), with a pendant isoquinoline group (isq) bound at the central pyridine (py) ring. The tpy nucleus deviates slightly from planarity, with interplanar angles between the lateral and central py rings in the range 2.24 (7)–7.90 (7)°, while the isq group is rotated significantly [by 46.57 (6)°] out of this planar scheme, associated with a short Htpy...Hisqcontact of 2.32 Å. There are no strong noncovalent interactions in the structure, the main ones being of the π–π and C—H...π types, giving rise to columnar arrays along [001], further linked by C—H...N hydrogen bonds into a three-dimensional supramolecular structure. An Atoms In Molecules (AIM) analysis of the noncovalent interactions provided illuminating results, and while confirming the bonding character for all those interactions unquestionable from a geometrical point of view, it also provided answers for some cases where geometric parameters are not informative, in particular, the short Htpy...Hisqcontact of 2.32 Å to which AIM ascribed an attractive character.
Non-fragile robust H∞ control of nonlinear networked control systems with time-varying delay and unknown actuator failures
Authors: Zhi Yueming , Jiang Shun , Pan Feng
Published: November 2016

Purpose

This paper is concerned with non-fragile robust H∞ control problems for nonlinear networked control systems (NCSs) with time-varying delay and unknown actuator failures. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

The system parameters are allowed to have time-varying uncertainties and the actuator faults are unknown but whose upper and lower bounds are known. By using some lemmas, uncertainties can be replaces with the known values. By taking the exogenous disturbance and network transmission delay into consideration, a delay nonlinear system model is constructed.

Findings

Based on Lyapunov stability theory, linear matrix inequalities (LMIs) and free weighting matrix methods, the sufficient conditions for the existence of the non-fragile robust H∞ controller gain are derived and which can obtained by solving the LMIs. Finally, a numerical example is provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed methods.

Originality/value

The introduced approach is interesting for NCSs with time-varying delay and unknown actuator failures.
Aerial vehicle guidance based on passive machine learning technique
Authors: Chithapuram Chethan Upendra , Cherukuri Aswani Kumar , Jeppu Yogananda V.
Published: November 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to develop a new guidance scheme for aerial vehicles based on artificial intelligence. The new guidance scheme must be able to intercept maneuvering targets with higher probability and precision compared to existing algorithms.

Design/methodology/approach

A simulation setup of the aerial vehicle guidance problem is developed. A model-based machine learning technique known as Q-learning is used to develop a new guidance scheme. Several simulation experiments are conducted to train the new guidance scheme. Orthogonal arrays are used to define the training experiments to achieve faster convergence. A well-known guidance scheme known as proportional navigation guidance (PNG) is used as a base model for training. The new guidance scheme is compared for performance against standard guidance schemes like PNG and augmented proportional navigation guidance schemes in presence of sensor noise and computational delays.

Findings

A new guidance scheme for aerial vehicles is developed using Q-learning technique. This new guidance scheme has better miss distances and probability of intercept compared to standard guidance schemes.

Research limitations/implications

The research uses simulation models to develop the new guidance scheme. The new guidance scheme is also evaluated in the simulation environment. The new guidance scheme performs better than standard existing guidance schemes.

Practical implications

The new guidance scheme can be used in various aerial guidance applications to reach a dynamically moving target in three-dimensional space.

Originality/value

The research paper proposes a completely new guidance scheme based on Q-learning whose performance is better than standard guidance schemes.
A culture of peace and leadership education
Authors: Schellhammer Erich P.
Published: November 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the connections between the principles of a culture of peace and leadership education. It argues that leadership should be informed by the values of a culture of peace. This, in turn, compels leadership education to teach mindsets, values and competencies aligned with a culture of peace.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper explores the evolution of leadership theory within the context of an increasingly complex world. It then uses United Nations materials to identify principles for a culture of peace as it is now widely acknowledged by the world community. Identifying correspondence between both theoretical realms the paper identifies peace leadership education goals that are supported by established peace organizations and by philosophical and psychological scholarship.

Findings

The paper establishes a direct link between the values of a culture of peace and leadership that is adequate as well as successful to address the complexity of today’s world. It also identifies key principles that need to be adopted by leadership education to prepare students to become effective leaders. The paper also explores essential educational tools for leadership educators.

Practical implications

The theoretical framework presented in this paper can be used to adjust leadership education to give practical guidance for aspiring leaders. It is also useful for peace and conflict studies programmes interested in developing peace leaders.

Originality/value

The interrelationship between leadership studies and peace and conflict studies constitutes a new field of academic inquiry. The present paper is one of the first in the field and is intended to further establish this new disciplinary orientation.
New developments in peace leadership
Authors: Ricke-Kiely Theresa
Published: November 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide a viewpoint on leadership development in the conflict transformation and peacebuilding fields, highlighting a need for the inclusion of some new topics to address contemporary leadership concerns.

Design/methodology/approach

The author provides experiential reflections on developing global leaders in the peacebuilding field.

Findings

This paper illustrates the importance of developing peacebuilders, currently used methods, and describes prospective topics that may enhance learning and effectiveness.

Practical implications

This paper offers suggestions for academics and practitioners on new ways of teaching leadership development to those professionals in the field of peacebuilding.

Originality/value

The author describes challenges and opportunities in leadership development for peace professionals in a global context.
Internal auditor characteristics, internal audit effectiveness, and moderating effect of senior management
Authors: Endaya Khaled Ali , Hanefah Mustafa Mohd
Published: November 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the direct relationship between internal auditor’s characteristics[1] and internal audit effectiveness[2], and the moderating effect of senior management[3] support.

Design/methodology/approach

Standard multiple regression and moderated multiple regression are applied, and the data were collected from 114 members of Libyan Association of Accountants and Auditors[4] by using personally administered questionnaire.

Findings

The findings reveal that internal auditor’s characteristics have a significant impact on internal audit effectiveness, and senior management support has a moderating effect.

Practical implications

The findings would encourage Libyan organizations to concentrate on the issue of internal audit effectiveness, and will strengthen the capacity of internal auditing in public organizations.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the literature of both internal audit and management studies and represents the first effort to examine the impact of internal auditor’s characteristics on internal audit effectiveness with senior management support as a moderating variable.
Measuring unobservable factors in residential developments: a structural equation approach
Authors: Lundgren Berndt Allan , Wallentin Fan Yang
Published: November 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how to measure the effect of unobservable factors on residential choice behaviour in an attempt to advance the understanding of how to perform advanced market analysis. This research is important to residential developers, as the diversity of preferences is increasingly driven by lifestyle-based households and affluent households.

Design/methodology/approach

Information about the pros and cons of renting an apartment in an ongoing residential development project in Stockholm came from interviews using the laddering technique. Qualitative data were subsequently analysed using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis to confirm which factors had the highest effect on an overall assessment of living in the development and a value-for-money conclusion.

Findings

Among the potentially important factors identified, respondents who became residents perceived the development to be more noise-free than those who did not when stating the overall value of living in the development and making a value-for-money conclusion. The perception of noise differed between the two groups, meaning that those who did not become residents believed the development to be more exposed to noise. The standard of the apartment was the second most influential factor when stating the overall value of living in the development and making a value-for-money conclusion. The belief of being able to relax in the home environment had no significant effect on overall value for either group.

Originality/value

The results show that confirmatory factor analysis can be used in measuring the effect of unobservable factors in residential choice behaviour. The methodology presented may advise developers, architects or planners in evaluating those attributes that create value-for-money to improve, for example, overall design solutions in urban development projects.
Home-to-work spillover and employability among university employees
Authors: Veld Monique , van der Heijden Béatrice I.J.M. , Semeijn Judith H.
Published: November 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between positive and negative home-to-work spillover, i.e., home-to-work facilitation (HWF) and home-to-work conflict (HWC) with employability. Moreover, this study also examined whether the relationship between home-to-work spillover and employability varied between academic and support staff employees.

Design/methodology/approach

An on-line self-report questionnaire was distributed among academic (n=139) and support staff employees (n=215) working at a Dutch university for distance-learning education. Thoroughly validated measures of home-to-work spillover and employability were used. The employability measure consisted of five dimensions: occupational expertise, anticipation and optimization, personal flexibility, corporate sense, and balance. Hypotheses were tested using hierarchical multivariate regression analyses including interaction effects.

Findings

HWF was positively related to anticipation and optimization only, while HWC appeared to be negatively associated with all employability dimensions. As expected, the relationships between HWF and HWC on the one hand and the specific employability dimensions on the other hand were stronger for support staff employees than for academic staff employees.

Originality/value

This study has extended research on employability, by focusing on the home context of employees as a possible antecedent. So far, studies have largely ignored the home context of employees, when investigating employability outcomes. Another contribution was the focus on both positive (facilitation) and negative (conflict) spillover from home-to-work, whereas previous studies mainly focused on one type of spillover only. Finally, the authors had the unique opportunity to compare support staff and academic staff employees in one and the same study.
Recognition of side effects as implicit-opinion words in drug reviews
Authors: Ebrahimi Monireh , Yazdavar Amir Hossein , Salim Naomie , Eltyeb Safaa
Published: November 2016

Purpose

Many opinion-mining systems and tools have been developed to provide users with the attitudes of people toward entities and their attributes or the overall polarities of documents. In addition, side effects are one of the critical measures used to evaluate a patient’s opinion for a particular drug. However, side effect recognition is a challenging task, since side effects coincide with disease symptoms lexically and syntactically. The purpose of this paper is to extract drug side effects from drug reviews as an integral implicit-opinion words.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper proposes a detection algorithm to a medical-opinion-mining system using rule-based and support vector machines (SVM) algorithms. A corpus from 225 drug reviews was manually annotated by a medical expert for training and testing.

Findings

The results show that SVM significantly outperforms a rule-based algorithm. However, the results of both algorithms are encouraging and a good foundation for future research. Obviating the limitations and exploiting combined approaches would improve the results.

Practical implications

An automatic extraction for adverse drug effects information from online text can help regulatory authorities in rapid information screening and extraction instead of manual inspection and contributes to the acceleration of medical decision support and safety alert generation.

Originality/value

The results of this study can help database curators in compiling adverse drug effects databases and researchers to digest the huge amount of textual online information which is growing rapidly.
Tweets speak louder than leaders and masses
Authors: Gul Sumeer , Mahajan Iram , Nisa Nahida Tun , Shah Tariq Ahmad , Asifa Jan , Ahmad Suhail
Published: November 2016

Purpose

Twitter as a social tool allows people to express their views, emotions or communicate information within brevity of 140 character limit. It has provided an opportunity to researchers to tab users’ expressions on social or political issues, be it natural calamity, elections and alike. The purpose of this paper is to assess how people explored Twitter to express their views regarding state assembly elections of Jammu and Kashmir (India).

Design/methodology/approach

The authors performed content analysis of 4,537 tweets that were posted by 1,420 different Twitter users over a period of 78 days (October 30, 2014 through January 15, 2015).

Findings

Users were found to be active on the days of polling while post-polling period witnessed a huge influx in particular on the day of voting and declaration of results. Nearly 94 percent users have posted around 50 percent of tweets and there were only 81 handles which posted remaining 50 percent tweets. In additions to people, news agencies, anonymous groups and social/political groups have expressed their views on this event. Nearly one-fourth tweets were retweeted and one-fourth tweets were marked favorite. Users have mostly providing news updates or personnel commentaries about the election process.

Originality/value

The study is first of its kind using Twitter to represent the sentiments of people during floods.
Generalized multinucleate cell angiohistiocytoma: case report and literature review
Authors: Wang Ming , Abdul‐fattah Bilal , Wang Cuiyan , Zhao Yun , Qu Xiaoying , Al‐Muriesh Maher , Wang Xia , Zhu Li , Qian Yue , Huang Changzheng , Chen Siyuan
Published: November 2016

Background

Multinucleate cell angiohistiocytoma (MCAH) is an uncommon benign fibrohistiocytic and vascular proliferation, which usually occurs as slow‐growing grouped reddish‐brown to purple papules and nodules on the distal extremities or face. Patients with generalized MCAH are extremely rare and to our knowledge, there are no more than 11 cases reported previously in the medical literature.

Objective

To describe the clinical, histopathologic features and immunohistochemical characteristics of all reported cases of generalized MCAH and investigate any potential clinicopathological correlations.

Methods

A systematic review of the literature was done with information collected and organized in a table. A new case report is also described in a 42‐year‐old female with generalized MCAH. Histopathologic and immunohistochemical features of multiple biopsies were analyzed.

Results

Men and women are equally affected. It is crucial to take multiple biopsies preferably from newly formed lesions to reach the correct diagnosis. The divergent results in immunohistochemistry staining for CD68 and estrogen receptor (ER) alpha necessitate further studies to reach a precise etiology and pathogenesis and secure it with certainty.

Conclusion

Awareness of the clinicopathological hallmarks is important to avoid underdiagnosis of MCAH and the immunohistochemical features may contribute to understanding the pathogenesis of this rare disease.
Interspecific variation in neighbour–stranger discrimination in ants of theNeoponera apicaliscomplex
Authors: YAGOUND BORIS , CROWET MATHILDE , LEROY CHLOÉ , POTEAUX CHANTAL , CH ÂLINE NICOLAS
Published: November 2016

1. The ecological success of social insects lies in their ability to prevent the exploitation of colony resources by competitors or parasites. Nestmate recognition is therefore of crucial importance in maintaining the integrity of the colony. Furthermore, inter‐colony competitive relationships are often complex, as many species discriminate between neighbours and strangers, with reduced (the dear enemy phenomenon) or increased levels of aggression towards nearby colonies, depending on the species. In this context, between‐species comparisons could be particularly helpful to investigate the proximate causes underlying this context‐dependent phenomenon, but these are notoriously lacking.

2. Here an attempt was made to circumvent this drawback by studying three closely related sympatric ant species with very similar life histories that belong to theNeoponera apicaliscomplex. The present study investigated how nestmate recognition and inter‐colony competitive relationships were influenced by spatial, chemical and genetic distances between colonies.

3. It was found that one species,N. apicalismorph 7, showed a clear dear enemy phenomenon with no influence of chemical and genetic distances, suggesting the existence of a learning process. In contrast,N. apicalismorph 4 andNeoponera verenaemorph 1 failed to show any strong discrimination between close and distant non‐nestmates.

4. These results are discussed in the light of the observed interspecific variation in nesting preferences, possibly constraining the opportunities of familiarisation between nearby nests, and modulating the competition for resources between colonies.

5. It is argued that this study further reinforces the relative threat level hypothesis as an ultimate explanation for neighbour–stranger discrimination processes.
The phosphodiesterase type 2 inhibitor BAY 60‐7550 reverses functional impairments induced by brain ischemia by decreasing hippocampal neurodegeneration and enhancing hippocampal neuronal plasticity
Authors: Soares Ligia Mendes , Meyer Erika , Milani Humberto , Steinbusch Harry W. M. , Prickaerts Jos , de Oliveira Rúbia M. Weffort
Published: November 2016

Cognitive and affective impairments are the most characterized consequences following cerebral ischemia. BAY 60‐7550, a selective phosphodiesterase type 2 inhibitor (PDE2‐I), presents memory‐enhancing and anxiolytic‐like properties. The behavioral effects of BAY 60‐7550 have been associated with its ability to prevent hydrolysis of both cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) thereby interfering with neuronal plasticity. Here, we hypothesize that PDE2‐I treatment could promote functional recovery after brain ischemia. Mice C57Bl/6 were submitted to bilateral common carotid artery occlusion (BCCAO), an experimental model of transient brain ischemia, for 20 min. During 21 days after reperfusion, the animals were tested in a battery of behavioral tests including the elevated zero maze (EZM), object location task (OLT) and forced swim test (FST). The effects of BAY 60‐7550 were evaluated on neuronal nuclei (NeuN), caspase‐9, cAMP response element‐binding protein (CREB), phosphorylated CREB (pCREB) and brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression in the hippocampus. BCCAO increased anxiety levels, impaired hippocampus‐dependent cognitive function and induced despair‐like behavior in mice. Hippocampal neurodegeneration was evidenced by a decrease in NeuN and increase incaspase‐9 protein levels in BCCAO mice. Ischemic mice also showed low BDNF protein levels in the hippocampus. Repeated treatment with BAY 60‐7550 attenuated the behavioral impairments induced by BCCAO in mice. Concomitantly, BAY 60‐7550 enhanced expression of pCREB and BDNF protein levels in the hippocampus of ischemic mice. The present findings suggest that chronic inhibition of PDE2 provides functional recovery in BCCAO mice possibly by augmenting hippocampal neuronal plasticity.
Modulation of cue‐triggered reward seeking by cholinergic signaling in the dorsomedial striatum
Authors: Ostlund Sean B. , Liu Angela T. , Wassum Kate M. , Maidment Nigel T.
Published: November 2016

The dorsomedial striatum (DMS) has been strongly implicated in flexible, outcome‐based decision making, including the outcome‐specific Pavlovian‐to‐instrumental transfer effect (PIT), which measures the tendency for a reward‐predictive cue to preferentially motivate actions that have been associated with the predicted reward over actions associated with different rewards. Although the neurochemical underpinnings of this effect are not well understood, there is growing evidence that striatal acetylcholine signaling may play an important role. This study investigated this hypothesis by assessing the effects of intra‐DMS infusions of the nicotinic antagonist mecamylamine or the muscarinic antagonist scopolamine on expression of specific PIT in rats. These treatments produced dissociable behavioral effects. Mecamylamine infusions enhanced rats’ tendency to use specific cue‐elicited outcome expectations to select whichever action was trained with the predicted outcome, relative to their performance when tested after vehicle infusions. In contrast, scopolamine infusions appeared to render instrumental performance insensitive to this motivational influence of reward‐paired cues. These drug treatments had no detectable effect on conditioned food cup approach behavior, indicating that they selectively perturbed cue‐guided action selection without producing more wide‐ranging alterations in behavioral control. Our findings reveal an important role for DMS acetylcholine signaling in modulating the impact of cue‐evoked reward expectations on instrumental action selection.
Ageing affects dual encoding of periodicity and envelope shape in rat inferior colliculus neurons
Authors: Herrmann Björn , Parthasarathy Aravindakshan , Bartlett Edward L.
Published: November 2016

Extracting temporal periodicities and envelope shapes of sounds is important for listening within complex auditory scenes but declines behaviorally with age. Here, we recorded local field potentials (LFPs) and spikes to investigate how ageing affects the neural representations of different modulation rates and envelope shapes in the inferior colliculus of rats. We specifically aimed to explore the input–output (LFP‐spike) response transformations of inferior colliculus neurons. Our results show that envelope shapes up to 256‐Hz modulation rates are represented in the neural synchronisation phase lags in younger and older animals. Critically, ageing was associated with (i) an enhanced gain in onset response magnitude from LFPs to spikes; (ii) an enhanced gain in neural synchronisation strength from LFPs to spikes for a low modulation rate (45 Hz); (iii) a decrease in LFP synchronisation strength for higher modulation rates (128 and 256 Hz) and (iv) changes in neural synchronisation strength to different envelope shapes. The current age‐related changes are discussed in the context of an altered excitation‐inhibition balance accompanying ageing.
Geographies of memory, place and identity: Intersections in remembering war and conflict
Authors: Drozdzewski Danielle , De Nardi Sarah , Waterton Emma
Published: November 2016

The terms memory, place and identity exemplify the core concerns of geographical inquiry – focusing on linkages between people, place, and culture. In this review, we hone in on the intersections between these three terms in the context of the remembrance of war and conflict. We seek to highlight how memory informs the construction and maintenance of identities (personal, national, and supranational) post‐conflict and post‐war, and how these identities are drawn upon and articulated through place. In doing so, we also explore how investigations of and in memory benefit from methodologies that engage with more‐than‐human and more‐than‐representational approaches. We take this stance because memory is a powerful force invoking experience, emotion, and an awakening of the senses. Its affective capacity moves beyond stoic representations of memory in stone and marble, for example; it can be smelt, touched, felt, imagined, tasted, and heard. Any one of these sensations has the agency to transport us not only to different times but to different places. With this in mind, we use this review to investigate how memory (re)produces and maintains the identity of places, communities, and nations. Understanding the links between memory, identity, and place also leads to a concomitant process of comprehending the influence of a politics of memory in the (re)production of both places and identities.
Dietary fructose‐induced hepatocellular carcinoma development manifested in mice lacking apoptosis inhibitor of macrophage (AIM)
Authors: Ozawa Takayuki , Maehara Natsumi , Kai Toshihiro , Arai Satoko , Miyazaki Toru
Published: November 2016

The consumption of fructose, including the use of high‐fructose corn syrup as a sweetener, has increased continuously in recent decades. Although the involvement of fructose in the development of metabolic diseases has been emphasized recently, whether fructose intake increases susceptibility to steatosis‐associated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is unclear. Here, we investigated this issue using mice lacking a circulating protein, apoptosis inhibitor of macrophage (AIM, encoded by cd5l). AIM does not induce carcinogenesis of hepatocytes, but provokes necrotic death specifically in AIM‐bound cancer cells through complement cascade activation, thereby preventing HCC tumor development in wild‐type mice. When subjected to a high‐fructose diet (HFrD), AIM‐deficient (AIM–/–) mice showed liver steatosis and subsequent liver inflammation as well as fibrosis, but at much milder levels compared with mice fed a high‐fat diet. However, AIM–/– mice were markedly susceptible to HCC tumor development, whereas no wild‐type mice developed the disease. Systemic metabolic states, including obesity and insulin resistance, were similar in both types of mice after HFrD challenge, indicating no influence of AIM on HFrD‐induced metabolic changes. Our results suggest that dietary fructose increases the risk for liver carcinogenesis and that individuals with low blood AIM levels may be susceptible to HCC under chronic fructose intake.
Bleeding and liver transplantation outcomes in haemophilia
Authors: Mehta K. D. , Ragni M. V.
Published: November 2016

Background

Hepatitis C is the major cause of end‐stage liver disease and the major indication for orthotopic liver transplantation (OLTx) in individuals with haemophilia.

Aim

To assess the epidemiology and outcomes of OLTx in U.S. haemophilia patients.

Methods

We investigated haemophilia liver transplant recipients between 1993 and 2012, using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample, identified by ICD9 code 50.59.

Results

Of the 11 267 (weighted n = 54 691) patients undergoing OLTx, 44 (0.4%; weighted n = 213) had haemophilia. Those with haemophilia were more likely than non‐haemophilic OLTx recipients to have bleeding complications (45.3% vs. 31.5%, P = 0.009) and hypovolemic shock (7.0% vs. 1.1%, P < 0.0001). They also had a significantly higher incidence of HIV (24.8% vs. 0.5%, P < 0.005), hepatitis B (16.2% vs. 7.9%, P = 0.04) and vitamin K deficiency (2.1% vs. 0.02%, P < 0.001). In spite of these differences, there was no difference in in‐hospital mortality between haemophilic and non‐haemophilic recipients (6.8% vs. 6.2%, P = 0.9). In multivariate logistic regression, bleeding complications in haemophilia increased the risk of in‐hospital mortality by more than 3‐fold (P < 0.0001), and disseminated intravascular coagulation increased the risk of bleeding complications in haemophilic recipients by over 10‐fold (P < 0.0001).

Conclusions

Bleeding complications are common in haemophilia OLTx recipients. Thus, aggressive correction of coagulation defects in this group may be a medically sound approach to reduce complications and mortality associated with OLTx.
Factors affecting patient presentation at a national dermatology referral clinic in Kampala, Uganda
Authors: Song Eunice S. , Musinguzi Patrick , Dieckhaus Kevin D.
Published: November 2016

Background

This study sought to gain a better understanding of the patient population in Kampala and was further designed to elucidate barriers that may delay individuals from receiving proper dermatologic care.

Methods

The study took place at the dermatovenereology clinic of a tertiary care hospital in Kampala. New adult patients were surveyed in July and August of 2013. The primary dependent variable was time from reported onset of symptoms to presentation to the clinic. Participant demographic characteristics, medical and treatment history, and perception of illness as measured by the dermatology life quality index (DLQI) were assessed.

Results

A total of 232 subjects participated in the study. The most common skin diseases were allergic (20.3%), infectious (15.1%), follicular (7.8%), and papulosquamous (7.8%) disorders. Greater home distance from the clinic correlated with later presentation times (r = 0.259, P < 0.001). DLQI score was not correlated with presentation time. HIV+ individuals presented earlier (mean 5 vs. 11 months, P = 0.043) and had higher DLQI scores (mean 12.6 vs. 9.3, P = 0.006) than HIV– individuals. The majority of participants (72.5%) had contact with at least one other healthcare worker (HCW) for management of their dermatologic symptoms; 65.8% reported that these previous treatments were ineffective.

Conclusions

Efforts to educate HCWs should be focused on districts outside of Kampala and highlight recognition and proper treatment of allergic diseases. HCWs should aggressively treat skin problems in HIV+ individuals. HCWs practicing in Kampala without formal dermatological training should refer patients with skin disease to the clinic, as patients may receive care that is more appropriate.
Ultrasonography as an objective tool for assessment of infantile hemangioma treatment with propranolol
Authors: Rotter Anita , Samorano Luciana Paula , de Oliveira Labinas Glaucia Helena , Alvarenga Juliana Gobbi , Rivitti‐Machado Maria Cecília , Bouer Márcio , Santos Paulo C. C. , Silvestre Daniel A. M. , de Oliveira Zilda Najjar Prado
Published: November 2016

Background

Infantile hemangiomas (IHs) are the most common benign vascular tumors of childhood. Propranolol is an effective drug in treating IH. A reliable and complementary instrument is necessary to evaluate IH response to propranolol in addition to clinical and photographic assessments. Ultrasonography is a simple and non‐invasive technique that enables precise measurements of tumor size and contributes to objective follow‐up.

Objective

To demonstrate the use of serial ultrasonography as an adjunctive tool for assessment of IH treatment with propranolol.

Patients and methods

A retrospective study of 19 patients with IH treated with propranolol was conducted from January 2009 to March 2014. Data of individual IH volume at the beginning and at least 6 months after the onset of treatment and overall volume reduction by ultrasonographic measurement were obtained.

Results

We observed a statistically significant IH volume reduction of approximately 0.51 cm3. This volume corresponds to an average reduction of 47% in the final volume compared with the initial volume.

Conclusion

Ultrasonographic measurements contribute to demonstrate tumor regression and IH response to propranolol. Thus, ultrasonography is an important instrument to guide therapeutic strategies.
Beta‐blockers are under‐prescribed in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and co‐morbid cardiac disease
Authors: Neef P. A. , McDonald C. F. , Burrell L. M. , Irving L. B. , Johnson D. F. , Steinfort D. P.
Published: November 2016

The use of beta‐blockers in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and co‐morbid cardiovascular disease is controversial, despite increasing evidence to support their use as safe and efficacious. This study retrospectively assessed the rates of beta‐blocker prescription in patients admitted to two Australian tertiary hospitals for acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. This revealed that less than half of patients (45%) with known cardiac indications were receiving beta‐blocker therapy, evident across all degrees of airways disease severity. Further work is needed to ensure that medical management of this patient group is optimised.
Pharyngoesophageal dysphagia: an under recognised, potentially fatal, but very treatable feature of systemic sclerosis
Authors: Rajapakse C.
Published: November 2016

Dysfunction of upper pharyngoesophageal region in systemic sclerosis (SSc) is infrequent, poorly recognised and poorly documented in the literature. Yet, it can have very distressing and even fatal consequences that may yet be very responsive to appropriate management. This paper documents the findings and outcome of management of a series of five patients with SSc who had pharyngoesophageal dysphagia to demonstrate the above. Following the documentation of a patient with SSc that had severe pharyngoesophageal dysphagia in 1981, this paper reports the findings in five patients with SSc presenting thereafter, having the same manifestations. Patients 1–4 who had barium swallow and fluoroscopy, demonstrated pharyngoesophageal dysfunction as basis of their symptoms. Patient 1 had fatal outcome from pulmonary haemorrhage following repeated bouts of aspiration pneumonia. Patients 2 and 3 had a long history of SSc and were on appropriate medical treatment. They developed a short history of dysphagia that resolved with additional improvements in swallowing techniques. Patient 4 had a short history of scleroderma, but severe and very distressing dysphagia that failed to respond to improved swallowing techniques alone, but responded well to the addition of medical treatment for SSc, over a 14–24 months period. Patient 5 had a short history of SSc and dysphagia that responded well to medical treatment over 6–12months. We conclude that pharyngoesophageal dysphagia in SSc, is a rare, very distressing and potentially fatal manifestation that can have a very favourable outcome with appropriate management.
Percutaneous Trans‐Coronary Venous Mitral Annuloplasty in Patients With Functional Mitral Regurgitation: Analysis of Poznan Carillon Registry Data
Authors: Kałmucki Piotr , Jerzykowska Olga , Dankowski Rafał , Baszko Artur , Kramer Lucyna , Szyszka Andrzej , Siminiak Tomasz
Published: November 2016

Objectives

The purpose of our study is to verify, whether percutaneous mitral annuloplasty results in reverse remodeling in patients with functional mitral regurgitation (FMR) and impaired ejection fraction (EF) and to investigate which echo parameters may help in prediction of the efficacy of the procedure.

Background

FMR exacerbates left ventricular (LV) dilatation and contributes to both LV remodeling and heart failure.

Methods

We analyzed baseline and 1 month follow‐up data in 22 consecutive patients with FMR, who underwent successful percutaneous trans‐coronary venous mitral annuloplasty with the Carillon device.

Results

Significant reduction of FMR echo parameters, including vena contracta (VC), effective regurgitant orifice area (EROA), and regurgitant volume (RV) were observed and maintained throughout 1 month follow up and did not correlate with baseline annular, LV or with the left atrial diameters. Baseline mitral tenting area correlated negatively with the relative improvement (% difference) of EROA (r = −0.5898) and RV (r = −0.4363), but not with VC (r = 0.1341). In addition, increased EF as well as a significant reduction in left ventricular diameters were noted. The increase in EF negatively correlated with the change in EROA (r = −0.50058), PISA (r = −0.5327), and RV (r = −0.5457). Baseline mitral tenting area significantly correlated with the 1 month change in EF (r = 0.5946) and stroke volume (r = 0.6913).

Conclusions

The improvement of FMR after treatment with the Carillon device is associated with LV reverse remodeling and an increase in systolic performance, that correlates with the reduction in mitral regurgitation, being not dependent on baseline heart diameters. Mitral tenting area seems to be an important parameter in prediction of benefit from percutaneous mitral annuloplasty.