bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
MYSTERIES OF THE HUMAN FETUS REVEALED
Authors: Sandman Curt A.
Published: July 2015

The impressive program of research from the DiPietro laboratory succeeds in its aim to document the ontogeny of human fetal neurobehavioral development. From studies of great depth and breadth, and wielding creative methods of assessment, DiPietro et al. open a window into the largely inaccessible developing human fetal brain. This commentary, with reference to the seminal cardiovascular studies of the Laceys, supports the measures of the fetal heart to index fetal well‐being and to provide evidence of stimulus processing. A separate case is made that the DiPietro program provides unique and invaluable information for assessing the influential Developmental Origins of Health and Disease or Fetal Programming Models. The goal of these models, to predict or understand the influences of early experience or response patterns on later postnatal life, is identical to the ultimate goal of the DiPietro program. Because human fetal behavior is uncontaminated by socialization or parenting or peers, it may be the best reflection of fetal exposures. The remarkable neurobehavioral profiles generated by the DiPietro program can make a critical contribution to the Fetal Programming Model in terms of sensitive and critical periods of nervous system vulnerability and to specify gestational periods of neurobehavioral risk.
Polycistronic artificial miRNA‐mediated resistance to Wheat dwarf virus in barley is highly efficient at low temperature
Authors: Kis András , Tholt Gergely , Ivanics Milán , Várallyay Éva , Jenes Barnabás , Havelda Zoltán
Published: July 2015

Infection of Wheat dwarf virus (WDV) strains on barley results in dwarf disease, imposing severe economic losses on crop production. As the natural resistance resources against this virus are limited, it is imperative to elaborate a biotechnological approach that will provide effective and safe immunity to a wide range of WDV strains. Because vector insect‐mediated WDV infection occurs during cool periods in nature, it is important to identify a technology which is effective at lower temperature. In this study, we designed artificial microRNAs (amiRNAs) using a barley miRNA precursor backbone, which target different conservative sequence elements of the WDV strains. Potential amiRNA sequences were selected to minimize the off‐target effects and were tested in a transient sensor system in order to select the most effective constructs at low temperature. On the basis of the data obtained, a polycistronic amiRNA precursor construct (VirusBuster171) was built expressing three amiRNAs simultaneously. The construct was transformed into barley under the control of a constitutive promoter. The transgenic lines were kept at 12–15 °C to mimic autumn and spring conditions in which major WDV infection and accumulation take place. We were able to establish a stable barley transgenic line displaying resistance to insect‐mediated WDV infection. Our study demonstrates that amiRNA technology can be an efficient tool for the introduction of highly efficient resistance in barley against a DNA virus belonging to the Geminiviridae family, and this resistance is effective at low temperature where the natural insect vector mediates the infection process.
Tubulointerstitial lesions in lupus nephritis: International multicentre study in a large cohort of patients with repeat biopsy
Authors: Pagni Fabio , Galimberti Stefania , Galbiati Eleonora , Rebora Paola , Pietropaolo Veronica , Pieruzzi Federico , Smith Andrew James , Ferrario Franco
Published: July 2015

Background

The glomerulocentric International Society of Nephrology/Renal Pathology Society (ISN/RPS) classification is the gold standard for the evaluation of lupus nephritis, while tubulointerstitial (TIN) parameters are often under‐recognized in pathological reports.

Methods

Renal biopsies from 142 patients who underwent repeat biopsy (RB) were evaluated for the following histological parameters: (i) inflammatory interstitial infiltrates; (ii) interstitial fibrosis; (iii) tubulitis; and (iv) tubular atrophy. The inter‐relationships between the four TIN variables were explored by multivariate analysis. A linear mixed model was used to investigate the potential impact of TIN variables on eGFR and proteinuria at the two biopsy occasions.

Results

The study showed that moderate‐severe lesions were not so frequent at the reference biopsy, but more extensively represented upon RB. A strong association was found between the two inflammatory indices and between those related to chronic damage, while the relationship with the ISN/RPS classification was present at RB. If class IV‐G was the most related with TIN (especially at RB), the existence of primary TIN in class II patients was also confirmed. Finally, our results support the hypothesis that tubulitis is an independent predictive factor for eGFR.

Conclusions

We recommend that the standard histological evaluation of SLE nephritis also includes TIN features.
Intraoperative biomarkers in renal transplantation
Authors: Lohkamp Laura‐Nanna , Öllinger Robert , Chatzigeorgiou Antonios , Illigens Ben Min‐Woo , Siepmann Timo
Published: July 2015

The emerging need for biomarkers in the management of renal transplantation is highlighted by the severity of related complications such as acute renal failure and ischaemia/reperfusion injury (IRI) and by the increasing efforts to identify novel markers of these events to predict and monitor delayed graft function (DGF) and long‐term outcome. In clinical studies candidate markers such as kidney injury molecule‐1, neutrophil gelatinase‐associated lipocalin and interleukin‐18 have been demonstrated to be valid biomarkers with high predictive value for DFG in a post‐transplant setting. However, studies investigating biomarkers for early diagnosis of IRI and assumable DGF as well as identification of potential graft recipients at increased risk at the time point of transplantation lack further confirmation and translation into clinical practice. This review summarizes the current literature on the value of IRI biomarkers in outcome prediction following renal transplantation as well their capacity as surrogate end points from an intraoperative perspective.
Prenatal antibiotic use and risk of childhood wheeze/asthma: A meta‐analysis
Authors: Zhao Desheng , Su Hong , Cheng Jian , Wang Xu , Xie Mingyu , Li Kesheng , Wen Liying , Yang Huihui
Published: July 2015

Background

Existing body of knowledge suggests that antibiotic use during pregnancy was inconsistently associated with childhood wheeze/asthma. The aim of this study was to determine whether exposure to antibiotic during pregnancy could increase the risk for childhood wheeze/asthma using a comprehensive meta‐analysis.

Methods

PubMed, MEDLINE, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) were systematically searched for studies up to September 10, 2014, and additional studies were found by searching reference lists of relevant articles. For this meta‐analysis, cohort studies and case–control studies assessing the association between antibiotic use during pregnancy and risk of childhood wheeze/asthma were included. Extracted data were mainly pooled using random‐effects model. Study quality was assessed using the Newcastle–Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale (NOS).

Results

Ten studies were identified in final analysis. Pooling analysis of these studies showed an OR of 1.20 (95% CI, 1.13–1.27) for wheeze/asthma. After excluding case–control studies and prospective studies without achieving high scores on the NOS, the pooled OR was 1.18 (95% CI, 1.11–1.26). We found the risk of antibiotic use and pooled ORs of wheeze/asthma were 1.09 (95% CI, 0.92–1.29) for the first trimester, 1.14 (95% CI, 1.01–1.29) for the second trimester, and 1.33 (95% CI, 1.11–1.60) for the third trimester, respectively.

Conclusions

This meta‐analysis suggests that antibiotic exposure during pregnancy may increase the risk of wheeze/asthma in childhood. Besides, the risk of developing wheeze/asthma in childhood was marked during last two trimesters of pregnancy. Future studies of large‐size and prospective cohorts which adequately address concerns for confounder bias are needed to examine the relationship between antibiotic use and risk of childhood asthma.
Integrating transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis to understand natural leaf senescence in sunflower
Authors: Moschen Sebastián , Bengoa Luoni Sofía , Di Rienzo Julio A. , Caro María del Pilar , Tohge Takayuki , Watanabe Mutsumi , Hollmann Julien , González Sergio , Rivarola Máximo , García‐García Francisco , Dopazo Joaquin , Hopp Horacio Esteban , Hoefgen Rainer , Fernie Alisdair R. , Paniego Norma , Fernández Paula , Heinz Ruth A.
Published: July 2015

Leaf senescence is a complex process, which has dramatic consequences on crop yield. In sunflower, gap between potential and actual yields reveals the economic impact of senescence. Indeed, sunflower plants are incapable of maintaining their green leaf area over sustained periods. This study characterizes the leaf senescence process in sunflower through a systems biology approach integrating transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses: plants being grown under both glasshouse and field conditions. Our results revealed a correspondence between profile changes detected at the molecular, biochemical and physiological level throughout the progression of leaf senescence measured at different plant developmental stages. Early metabolic changes were detected prior to anthesis and before the onset of the first senescence symptoms, with more pronounced changes observed when physiological and molecular variables were assessed under field conditions. During leaf development, photosynthetic activity and cell growth processes decreased, whereas sucrose, fatty acid, nucleotide and amino acid metabolisms increased. Pathways related to nutrient recycling processes were also up‐regulated. Members of the NAC, AP2‐EREBP, HB, bZIP and MYB transcription factor families showed high expression levels, and their expression level was highly correlated, suggesting their involvement in sunflower senescence. The results of this study thus contribute to the elucidation of the molecular mechanisms involved in the onset and progression of leaf senescence in sunflower leaves as well as to the identification of candidate genes involved in this process.
Facial expression perception correlates with verbal working memory function in schizophrenia
Authors: Hagiya Kumiko , Sumiyoshi Tomiki , Kanie Ayako , Pu Shenghong , Kaneko Koichi , Mogami Tamiko , Oshima Sachie , Niwa Shin‐ichi , Inagaki Akiko , Ikebuchi Emi , Kikuchi Akiko , Yamasaki Syudo , Iwata Kazuhiko , Nakagome Kazuyuki
Published: July 2015

Aims

Facial emotion perception is considered to provide a measure of social cognition. Numerous studies have examined the perception of emotion in patients with schizophrenia, and the majority has reported impaired ability to recognize facial emotion perception. We aimed to investigate the correlation between facial expression recognition and other domains of social cognition and neurocognition in Japanese patients with schizophrenia.

Methods

Participants were 52 patients with schizophrenia and 53 normal controls with no history of psychiatric diseases. All participants completed the Hinting Task and the Social Cognition Screening Questionnaire. The Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia was administered only to the patients. Facial emotion perception measured by the Facial Emotion Selection Test (FEST) was compared between the patients and normal controls.

Results

Patients performed significantly worse on the FEST compared to normal control subjects. The FEST total score was significantly positively correlated with scores of the Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia attention subscale, Hinting Task, Social Cognition Screening Questionnaire Verbal Working Memory and Metacognition subscales. Stepwise multiple regression analysis revealed that verbal working memory function was positively related to the facial emotion perception ability in patients with schizophrenia.

Conclusions

These results point to the concept that facial emotion perception and some types of working memory use common cognitive resources. Our findings may provide implications for cognitive rehabilitation and related interventions in schizophrenia.
Sexual attractiveness shared by both sexes mediates same‐sex sexual behaviour in the parasitoid wasp Telenomus triptus
Authors: Todoroki Yusuke , Mochizuki Ko , Numata Hideharu
Published: July 2015

The mating behaviour of a quasi‐gregarious egg parasitoid Telenomus triptus Nixon (Hymenoptera: Platygastridae), which exploits egg masses of a stink bug Piezodorus hybneri (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae), is examined in the laboratory. In this parasitoid wasp, male adults that emerge earlier stay at the natal egg mass and mate with subsequently emerging females. In the present study, a male adult that encounters the emergence of another male always waits for it to egress, and then mounts the newly emerging male. To examine why males of T. triptus show same‐sex sexual behaviour, male adults are presented with a parasitized host egg mass or a freshly killed wasp. Male adults are observed to remain at host egg masses from which only male wasp(s) had emerged. In addition, male adults attempt to copulate with freshly killed young male wasps. It is suggested that newly emerging male wasps are targets of same‐sex sexual behaviour because they possess cues for male sexual behaviour similar to the cues of females. Both the sex and age of freshly killed wasps affect the frequency of the sexual behaviour of male adults: females are more attractive than males, although their attractiveness declines with age. When the mating opportunity is restricted to the natal egg mass, the costs of failing to notice newly emerging female adults should be extremely high. Therefore, males are forced not to discriminate the sex, resulting in same‐sex sexual behaviour.
DNA Ligases I and III Support Nucleotide Excision Repair in DT40 Cells with Similar Efficiency
Authors: Paul‐Konietzko Katja , Thomale Juergen , Arakawa Hiroshi , Iliakis George
Published: July 2015

In eukaryotic cells helix‐distorting DNA lesions like cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPDs) and 6–4 pyrimidine‐pyrimidone photoproducts (6–4 PPs) are efficiently removed by nucleotide excision repair (NER). NER is a multistep process where in the end, subsequent to replication over the gap, the remaining nick is sealed by a DNA ligase. Lig1 has been implicated as the major DNA ligase in NER. Recently, Lig3 has been implicated as a component of a NER subpathway that operates in dividing cells, but which becomes particularly important in nondividing cells. Here, we use DT40 cells and powerful gene targeting approaches for generating DNA ligase mutants to examine the involvement and contribution of Lig1 and Lig3 in NER using cell survival measured by colony formation, and repair kinetics of CPD by immunofluorescence microscopy and immuno‐slot‐blotting. Our results demonstrate an impressive and previously undocumented potential of Lig3 to substitute for Lig1 in removing helix‐distorting DNA lesions by NER in proliferating cells. We show for the first time in a clean genetic background a functional redundancy in NER between Lig1 and Lig3, which appears to be cell cycle independent and which is likely to contribute to the stability of vertebrate genomes.
Estrogen and cancers of the colorectum, breast, and lung in postmenopausal women
Authors: Honma Naoko , Hosoi Takayuki , Arai Tomio , Takubo Kaiyo
Published: July 2015

As estrogens play an important role in maintaining physiological function in various organs, the estrogen decrease after menopause is thought to cause various diseases frequently observed in postmenopausal or elderly women. With the aging of society and a decrease in infectious or vascular diseases, neoplasms have now become the most frequent cause of death in Japan. Cancers of the colorectum, breast, and lung have been rapidly increasing both in incidence and death, especially among postmenopausal women. Interestingly, all three of these cancers are associated with estrogens. In premenopausal women, ovarian estrogens plays major roles in the female reproductive organs through the classic estrogen receptor, ER‐α. In postmenopausal women, however, estrogens produced/activated by peripherally localized estrogen‐metabolizing enzymes such as aromatase, which converts androgen into estrogens, are thought to play physiologically and pathobiologically important roles in various organs through second ER, namely ER‐β, distributing systemically. In this article, the association of estrogens with these cancers in postmenopausal or elderly women are reviewed, especially focusing on the role of ER‐β and peripheral estrogen metabolism. The possibility of prevention or treatment of these diseases through estrogenic control is also discussed.
Alternative inoculum sources for fire blight: the potential role of fruit mummies and non‐host plants
Authors: Weißhaupt S. , Köhl L. , Kunz S. , Hinze M. , Ernst M. , Schmid A. , Voegele R. T.
Published: July 2015

Fire blight is the most damaging bacterial disease in apple production worldwide. Cankers and symptomless infected shoots are known as sites for the overwintering of Erwinia amylovora, subsequently providing primary inoculum for infection in the spring. In the present work, further potential sources of inoculum were investigated. Real‐time PCR assays covering a 3‐year‐period classified 19·9% of samples taken from fruit mummies as positive. Bacterial abundance in fruit mummies during autumn, winter and spring was up to 109 cells per gram of tissue and correlated well with later infection rates of blossoms. Blossoms of non‐host plants growing close to infected trees were also shown to be colonized by E. amylovora and to enable epiphytic survival and propagation of bacteria. The results indicate a potential role of fruit mummies and buds in overwintering and as a source of primary inoculum for dissemination of the pathogen early in the growing season. Non‐host blossoms may also serve as an inoculum source in the build‐up of the pathogen population. Both aspects may contribute significantly to the epidemiology of E. amylovora. The significance of infected rootstocks as an inoculum source is also discussed. Fruit mummies might be used to determine pathogen pressure in an orchard before the beginning of the blooming period.
Arno River floods and the Cinquecento grotto at the Boboli garden
Authors: Kelley Shannon
Published: July 2015

Although river water was vital to the textile industry and agrarian economy, Italian city‐states suffered catastrophic flooding during the sixteenth century. We know this since these natural disasters are well documented in chronicles and diaries, and preserved by flood markers on buildings throughout Florence and Rome. The Arno bisects Florence, which I argue commemorated frequent floods and inundations in one of the Medici's grottos, Bernardo Buontalenti's Grotta grande (1582–93), built inside the Boboli garden. In Part I of this article, I examine the Arno's relationship to Florence, its perennial flooding, and the Medici's stewardship of water in the city. The article then offers specific reasons that the Grotta grande signifies crisis: the presence of deluge and rain grottos across Italy, Filippo Baldinucci's biography of Buontalenti in the Notizie de’ Professori del Disegno (1681), and Francesco Bocchi's treatment of this space and others in his 1591 guidebook, Le bellezze della citta di Fiorenza. Ultimately I argue that Grotta grande was an artistic coping strategy for the trauma we associate with severe natural disaster, and that it memorializes the fragility of human affairs in light of the colossal forces of nature in Florence, a city obsessed with art and legacy.
Building and Interpreting Macro/Micro Estimates of Accrued‐to‐Date Pension Liabilities: French Reforms as a Case Study
Authors: Blanchet Didier , Le Minez Sylvie , Marino Anthony
Published: July 2015

Estimates of accrued‐to‐date pension liabilities (ADL) should become more widely accessible to statisticians and decision makers in the near future, in application of new SNA requirements. This raises two questions: how can such estimates be routinely produced, and what for? Microsimulation helps in answering the first question of the “how.” It allows ADL computations that take into account the complexity of pension rules. Concerning the “what for” question, it is known that ADL are not an indicator of global financial sustainability. Messages they convey are more interesting at the micro level, from a household perspective. This fosters the case for microsimulation which spontaneously generates consistent micro/macro results. We illustrate these points using the French situation as a case study. We emphasize one aspect of French reforms that may concern other countries as well: the move to price indexation and the connection it creates between sustainability and growth assumptions.
Longitudinal Analysis of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire Scores of the Millennium Cohort Study Children in England UsingM-Quantile Random-Effects Regression
Authors: Tzavidis Nikos , Salvati Nicola , Schmid Timo , Flouri Eirini , Midouhas Emily
Published: July 2015

Multilevel modelling is a popular approach for longitudinal data analysis. Statistical models conventionally target a parameter at the centre of a distribution. However, when the distribution of the data is asymmetric, modelling other location parameters, e.g. percentiles, may be more informative. We present a new approach, M-quantile random-effects regression, for modelling multilevel data. The proposed method is used for modelling location parameters of the distribution of the strengths and difficulties questionnaire scores of children in England who participate in the Millennium Cohort Study. Quantile mixed models are also considered. The analyses offer insights to child psychologists about the differential effects of risk factors on children's outcomes.
Vitamin C and E supplementation blunts increases in total lean body mass in elderly men after strength training
Authors: Bjørnsen T. , Salvesen S. , Berntsen S. , Hetlelid K. J. , Stea T. H. , Lohne‐Seiler H. , Rohde G. , Haraldstad K. , Raastad T. , Køpp U. , Haugeberg G. , Mansoor M. A. , Bastani N. E. , Blomhoff R. , Stølevik S. B. , Seynnes O. R. , Paulsen G.
Published: July 2015

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of vitamin C and E supplementation on changes in muscle mass (lean mass and muscle thickness) and strength during 12 weeks of strength training in elderly men. Thirty‐four elderly males (60–81 years) were randomized to either an antioxidant group (500 mg of vitamin C and 117.5 mg vitamin E before and after training) or a placebo group following the same strength training program (three sessions per week). Body composition was assessed with dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry and muscle thickness by ultrasound imaging. Muscle strength was measured as one‐repetition maximum (1RM). Total lean mass increased by 3.9% (95% confidence intervals: 3.0, 5.2) and 1.4% (0, 5.4) in the placebo and antioxidant groups, respectively, revealing larger gains in the placebo group (P = 0.04). Similarly, the thickness of m. rectus femoris increased more in the placebo group [16.2% (12.8, 24.1)] than in the antioxidant group [10.9% (9.8, 13.5); P = 0.01]. Increases of lean mass in trunk and arms, and muscle thickness of elbow flexors, did not differ significantly between groups. With no group differences, 1RM improved in the range of 15–21% (P < 0.001). In conclusion, high‐dosage vitamin C and E supplementation blunted certain muscular adaptations to strength training in elderly men.
Exploring attitudes toward eating disorders among elite athlete support personnel
Authors: McArdle S. , Meade M. M. , Moore P.
Published: July 2015

To date, little is known about the beliefs, attitudes, and experiences of athlete support personnel (ASP) working in elite sport toward disordered eating (DE) and eating disorders (EDs). This study seeks to explore this area of mental health, employing an attribution model of stigma as a conceptual lens. Interviews were undertaken with 14 service providers (seven males and seven females) working in high‐performance sport in Ireland. In contrast to previous research in the general population, findings revealed that sport‐based personnel, in the main, did not hold the individual responsible for the development of their eating disorder. The predominant emotional response of those who had worked with an athlete with a known or suspected eating disorder was anxiety and worry. In line with the findings of previous studies with other health professionals, negative views on the prognosis of those with EDs were expressed by the ASP. Furthermore, confidentiality was found to be a significant barrier to bringing athletes' disclosure of problematic eating or exercise behavior to the fore. The findings of this study add to the limited research exploring attitudes toward EDs in sport and highlights the importance of greater education and openness toward this particular mental health problem.
Understanding the Fishing ‘Community’: The Role of Communities of the Mind
Authors: Ross Natalie
Published: July 2015

This article explores what is meant by the term fishing ‘community’ by evidencing shared ‘communities of the mind’ from people living and working in coastal areas linked to fishing. Using empirical data collected through in‐depth interviews and participant observation in three Scottish case‐study locations, this article identifies three key features that support the underpinning resilience of fishing communities: a connection to, and empathy with, those involved in fishing; the valuing of freedom and autonomy associated with a positive fishing identity; and a closing of ranks against the three external spectres of ‘policy’, ‘science’ and ‘the public’. The controversies that arise at the interface between current fisheries management systems and the heterogeneous nature of the fishing ‘community’ suggest that policymakers may need to pay more attention to communities of the mind, taking into account the strength of attachment to fishing as a positive identity and the substantial commitment to the sector that people show.
Constraints and Opportunities for Small‐Scale Fishing Livelihoods in a Post‐Productivist Coastal Setting
Authors: Salmi Pekka
Published: July 2015

In many European areas, recent transitions in rural development can be described as a shift from an emphasis on food production to a diversity of new forms of natural resource utilisation. This shift towards post‐productivism is characteristic to many coastal areas, where commercial fisheries try to adapt their strategies with other activities, interests and ideologies, such as the protection of biodiversity, leisure use and tourism. This article analyses opportunities and governance arrangements that support commercial fishers' adaptation within a post‐productivist setting, focusing on the Archipelago Sea region in southwest Finland. Relying on interview, survey and documentary material, the case‐study recognises new forms of multifunctional activities that enhance the viability and resilience of coastal communities and also deliver benefits to the environmental and leisure sectors.
Europe's Coastal Fisheries: Instability and the Impacts of Fisheries Policy
Authors: Symes David , Phillipson Jeremy , Salmi Pekka
Published: July 2015

This article discusses the precarious situation of Europe's coastal fisheries in an increasingly complex world where environmental, economic, political and social instabilities – either separately or interactively – threaten their future sustainability. It draws particular attention to key lessons from resilience thinking and the role that social sciences can play in developing a deeper understanding of the nature of change and the processes shaping the vulnerability, resilience and adaptation of fishing communities and livelihoods, as well as the dangers implicit in certain aspects of fisheries policy. The article concludes by introducing the articles in this special issue of Sociologia Ruralis on ‘Resilience and Adaptation of Fishing Communities’.
Achieving Sustainable Development of Local Fishing Interests: The Case of Pays d'Auray flag
Authors: van de Walle Gilles , Gomes da Silva Serge , O'Hara Eamon , Soto Paul
Published: July 2015

Axis 4 of the European Fisheries Fund (2007–2013) offers a new means of support to the fisheries sector. Drawing on the experience from the rural LEADER programme it paves the way for integration of the fisheries sector within the wider local economy. Implementation is devolved to Fisheries Local Action Groups (FLAGS), public‐private partnerships responsible for preparing a development strategy and the selection and co‐funding of projects initiated by local stakeholders that will deliver the strategic objectives. The Pays d'Auray on Brittany's south coast – important for both sea fisheries and shellfish cultivation – has undergone extensive urbanisation and tourism development leading to space use conflicts and increased pressure on local ecosystem services. The article examines a selection of projects that demonstrate how the local fishing industry, business community and conservation interests are coming together to address the problems and so enhance the area's environmental image and lay the foundations for sustainable development of the fisheries sector.
The Current Health of Metropolitan Labour Markets in the United States
Authors: Mulligan Gordon F. , Reid Neil , Moore Michael S.
Published: July 2015

Much recent research on US labour markets has turned to tracing out the dramatic changes that accompanied and followed the events of the Great Recession (2007–2009). But to date this research has led to more temporal as opposed to spatial detail about those changes. This paper uses an online data set to assess the relative economic health (performance) of the US's more than 350 metropolitan labour markets during and after the Great Recession. These data address both the current level (e.g. unemployment rate) and the recent trend (e.g. 3‐year job growth) in the economic health of those labour markets. Multivariate analysis generates one sub‐index for level and a second sub‐index for trend and then an overall performance index is calculated. But, after recognising that heterogeneity in these labour markets exists according to their different sizes, this paper re‐examines those online data using four separate population size classes. New indices are then generated reflecting the relative sizes of the metropolitan labour markets and the new rankings that follow differ in important ways from the original rankings. The findings also indicate a disjuncture now exists between the economic health of Snowbelt versus Sunbelt cities. Coming immediately out of the Great Recession the average economic health of Northern cities is much better than that of Southern cities.
Spatial Differentiation in Industrial Dynamics. The Case of the Netherlands (1994–2005)
Authors: Capasso Marco , Cefis Elena , Frenken Koen
Published: July 2015

We compare the industrial dynamics in the core, semi‐periphery and periphery in the Netherlands in terms of firm entry‐exit, size, growth and location patterns. The contribution of our work is to provide the first comprehensive study on spatial differentiation in industrial dynamics for all firm sizes and all sectors, including services. We find that location patterns are largely consistent with the spatial product lifecycle model: traditional Fordist sectors are over‐represented in the periphery, while sectors associated with the ICT paradigm are over‐represented in the core, with the notable exception of science‐based manufacturing. Second, where the industrial dynamics in manufacturing sectors follow the predicted patterns, the industrial dynamics in service sectors largely contradict product lifecycle theory. We conclude that the spatial product lifecycle theory applies well to traditional manufacturing, while more specific theories are required to understand the location and industrial dynamics of science‐based industries and service industries.
Angiographic Variation of the Internal Carotid Artery and its Branches in Horses
Authors: Khairuddin Nurul H. , Sullivan Martin , Pollock Patrick J.
Published: July 2015

Objectives

To record the angiographic anatomy of the equine internal carotid artery (ICA) using angiography techniques.

Study design

In vitrodescriptive study.

Sample Population

Equine cadaver specimens (n = 50).

Methods

Head and neck specimens from horses of mixed breed, age, sex, and use without a history of guttural pouch disease had carotid and cerebral angiography using conventional (n = 7) and rotational angiography (43). Angiographic findings were verified by arterial latex casts.

Results

Variation in ICA anatomy was categorized into 4 groups: (1) the internal carotid and occipital arteries arising as a common trunk; (2) an aberrant branch of the extra‐cranial ICA connected to the basilar artery; (3) an aberrant branch of the ICA ramifying into the surrounding tissue and not connected to any other vessels; and (4) an aberrant branch of the ICA giving rise to several smaller satellite branches, including connections to the caudal branch of the ipsilateral occipital artery.

Conclusion

Rotational angiography is useful for identification of anatomic variation in the ICA that could be important in achieving vascular occlusion in the treatment of guttural pouch mycosis.
Predicting Non-performing Loans by Financial Ratios for Small and Medium Entities in Lebanon
Authors: Azar Samih Antoine , Nasr Marybel
Published: July 2015

This study examines the ability of financial ratios in predicting the financial state of small and medium entities (SME) in Lebanon. This financial state can be either one of well-performing loans or one of non-performing loans. An empirical study is conducted using a data analysis of the financial statements of 222 SMEs in Lebanon for the years 2011 and 2012, of which 187 have currently well-performing loans and 35 have currently non-performing loans. Altman Z-scores are calculated, independent samples t-tests are performed, and models are developed using the binary logistic regression. Empirical evidence shows that the Altman Z-scores are able to predict well the solvent state of SMEs having well-performing loans, but are unable to predict accurately the bankruptcy state of the SMEs having non-performing loans. The independent samples t-tests revealed that five financial ratios are statistically significantly different between SMEs having well-performing loans and those having non-performing loans. Finally, a logistic regression model is developed for each year under study with limited success. In all cases accuracy results are inferred showing the percentage of companies that are accurately classified for being solvent and bankrupt, in addition to the two standard measures of error: the Type I errors and the Type II errors. Although a high accuracy is achieved in correctly classifying non-distressed and distressed firms, the Type I errors are in general relatively large. By contrast the Type II errors are in general relatively low.
Heuristics on pairing-friendly abelian varieties
Authors: Boxall John , Gruenewald David
Published: July 2015

We discuss heuristic asymptotic formulae for the number of isogeny classes of pairing-friendly abelian varieties of fixed dimension $g\geqslant 2$ over prime finite fields. In each formula, the embedding degree $k\geqslant 2$ is fixed and the rho-value is bounded above by a fixed real ${\it\rho}_{0}>1$. The first formula involves families of ordinary abelian varieties whose endomorphism ring contains an order in a fixed CM-field $K$ of degree $g$ and generalizes previous work of the first author when $g=1$. It suggests that, when ${\it\rho}_{0}g$. The second formula involves families whose endomorphism ring contains an order in a fixed totally real field $K_{0}^{+}$ of degree $g$. It suggests that, when ${\it\rho}_{0}>2g/(g+2)$ (and in particular when ${\it\rho}_{0}>1$ if $g=2$), there are infinitely many isogeny classes of $g$-dimensional abelian varieties over prime fields whose endomorphism ring contains an order of $K_{0}^{+}$. We also discuss the impact that polynomial families of pairing-friendly abelian varieties has on our heuristics, and review the known cases where they are expected to provide more isogeny classes than predicted by our heuristic formulae.
Interactive effects of hypoxia, hypercapnia and lung volume on sympathetic nerve activity in humans
Authors: Jouett Noah P. , Watenpaugh Donald E. , Dunlap Mark E. , Smith Michael L.
Published: July 2015

New Findings

What is the central question of this study?

The central question of this study was to investigate the interaction of mild exposures to O2 and CO2 on chemoreflex control of SNA and the modulation of lung volume and respiratory phase on this interaction.

What is the main finding and its importance?

We demonstrate that the synergistic interaction of oxygen‐ and carbon dioxide‐chemosensitive control of the sympathetic nervous system with hypoxia and hypercapnia exists at very mild excitatory stimuli, is significantly overridden by lung inflation and does not extend to inhibitory modulation by hypocapnia in healthy subjects. These findings demonstrate the important inhibitory modulation of sympathetic nerve activity by lung inflation mechanisms in healthy individuals even in the presence of strong sympathoexcitatory stimuli.

We hypothesized that simultaneous stimulation of O2‐ and CO2‐sensitive chemoreflexes produces synergistic activation of the sympathetic nervous system and that this effect would be most apparent at low lung volume (expiratory) phases of respiration. Each subject (n = 11) breathed 16 gas mixtures in random order: a 4 × 4 matrix of normoxic to hypoxic (8, 12, 16 and 21% O2) combined with normocapnic to hypercapnic gases (0, 2, 4 and 6% CO2). Tidal volume, arterial pressure, heart rate and muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) were measured continuously before and while breathing each gas mixture for 2 min. Changes in MSNA were determined for each gas mixture. The MSNA was subdivided into low and high lung volume and respiratory phases to investigate further modulation by components of normal respiratory phase. Both hypoxia and hypercapnia increased mean MSNA independently. Mean and low lung volume MSNA increased exponentially with increasing levels of combined hypoxia and hypercapnia and resulted in a significant interaction (P < 0.01). In contrast, MSNA during the high lung volume phase of respiration never increased significantly (P > 0.4). Similar but less pronounced effects were found for expiratory and inspiratory phases of respiration. These effects created marked respiratory periodicity in MSNA at higher levels of combined hypoxia and hypercapnia. Finally, the response to hypoxia was not affected by hypocapnia, suggesting that the interaction occurs only during excitatory chemosensitive stimuli. These data indicate that hypoxia and hypercapnia interact to elicit synergistic sympathoexcitation and that withdrawal of sympathoinhibitory effects of lung inflation exaggerates this chemoreflex interaction.
Differential thermosensitivity in mixed syndrome cardiac sodium channel mutants
Authors: Abdelsayed Mena , Peters Colin H. , Ruben Peter C.
Published: July 2015

Key points

The E1784K mixed syndrome mutant of the cardiac voltage‐gated sodium channel, NaV1.5, responds differently to temperature changes compared to the R1193Q mutant and wild‐type (WT) NaV1.5.

In E1784K, elevated temperature causes a larger increase in persistent current; there is also an increase in use‐dependent inactivation at 1 Hz, which is not apparent at 3 Hz.

WT NaV1.5 and R1193Q channels respond similarly to temperature changes.

Action potential modelling (from extrapolated temperature coefficient (Q10)values) predicts the effects of differential temperature sensitivity on the cardiac action potential: greater attenuation of the epicardial action potential occurs in E1784K as temperature shifts from hypothermic to hyperthermic conditions, and when transient outward potassium currents are increased.

The results from the action potential model predict that, at febrile temperatures, E1784K channels results in a larger transmural voltage gradient.

Hyperthermia exacerbates the Brugada syndrome 1 (BrS1) phenotype, which may be arrhythmogenic in E1784K mutants.

Cardiac arrhythmias are often associated with mutations in SCN5A the gene that encodes the cardiac paralogue of the voltage‐gated sodium channel, NaV1.5. The NaV1.5 mutants R1193Q and E1784K give rise to both long QT and Brugada syndromes. Various environmental factors, including temperature, may unmask arrhythmia. We sought to determine whether temperature might be an arrhythmogenic trigger in these two mixed syndrome mutants. Whole‐cell patch clamp was used to measure the biophysical properties of NaV1.5 WT, E1784K and R1193Q mutants. Recordings were performed using Chinese hamster ovary (CHOk1) cells transiently transfected with the NaV1.5 α subunit (WT, E1784K, or R1193Q), β1 subunit, and eGFP. The channels’ voltage‐dependent and kinetic properties were measured at three different temperatures: 10ºC, 22ºC, and 34ºC. The E1784K mutant is more thermosensitive than either WT or R1193Q channels. When temperature is elevated from 22°C to 34°C, there is a greater increase in late INa and use‐dependent inactivation in E1784K than in WT or R1193Q. However, when temperature is lowered to 10°C, the two mutants show a decrease in channel availability. Action potential modelling using Q10 fit values, extrapolated to physiological and febrile temperatures, show a larger transmural voltage gradient in E1784K compared to R1193Q and WT with hyperthermia. The E1784K mutant is more thermosensitive than WT or R1193Q channels. This enhanced thermosensitivity may be a mechanism for arrhythmogenesis in patients with E1784K sodium channels.
Effects of Initial Perturbations in the Early Moments of an Explosive Dispersal of Particles
Authors: Annamalai Subramanian , Rollin Bertrand , Ouellet Frederick , Neal Christopher , Jackson Thomas L. , Balachandar S.
Published: July 2015

Recent experiments have shown that when a dense layer of solid particles surrounding a high-energy reactive material is explosively dispersed, the particles cluster locally leading to jetlike patterns. The formation of these coherent structures has yet to be fully understood and is believed to have its origin in the early moments of the explosive dispersal. This paper focuses on the early moments of an explosive dispersal of particles. In particular, the effect of initial perturbations on both the gas and particulate phase is investigated, considering heavy particles with a low initial particle volume fraction. Two-dimensional simulations are carried out, and results suggest that a distinctive heterogeneity in the form of a single wavelength perturbation in the rapidly expanding detonation products does not have a significant impact on the early evolution of neither the gas phase nor the cloud of particles. In contrast, the equivalent distinctive heterogeneity in the initial particle volume fraction distribution lingers for the duration of our simulations. Developing instabilities in the gas phase and at the inner- and outer-most front of the particle bed display a dominant wavelength equal to the wavelength of the initial perturbation in the particle volume fraction.
Bayesian Inference for Parameter Estimation in Transient Heat Transfer Experiments
Authors: Renjith Raj R. , Venugopal G. , Rajkumar M. R.
Published: July 2015

In this study, an inverse heat transfer problem of parameter estimation using Bayesian inference is considered. Single parameter (specific heat of solid material) estimation as well as simultaneous estimation of two parameters (specific heat and emissivity) is done using a methodology combining the Bayesian inference with Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) based sampling method. Computation of posterior probability density function (PPDF), using Bayes formula, is central to the inverse determination of parameters using Bayesian inference approach. Maximum-a-posteriori (MAP) and posterior mean are used to report the values of the estimated parameters and the uncertainties in the estimated parameters are characterized by the variance of the PPDF. The estimated value of specific heat and emissivity is well in agreement with reported value in literature.
Increasing Protein Distribution Has No Effect on Changes in Lean Mass During a Rugby Preseason
Authors: MacKenzie-Shalders Kristen L. , King Neil A. , Byrne Nuala M. , Slater Gary J.
Published: July 2015

Increasing the frequency of protein consumption is recommended to stimulate muscle hypertrophy with resistance exercise. This study manipulated dietary protein distribution to assess the effect on gains in lean mass during a rugby preseason. Twenty-four developing elite rugby athletes (age 20.1 ± 1.4 years, mass 101.6 ± 12.0 kg; M ± SD) were instructed to consume high biological value (HBV) protein at their main meals and immediately after resistance exercise while limiting protein intake between meals. To manipulate protein intake frequency, the athletes consumed 3 HBV liquid protein supplements (22 g protein) either with main meals (bolus condition) or between meals (frequent condition) for 6 weeks in a 2 × 2 crossover design. Dietary intake and change in lean mass values were compared between conditions by analysis of covariance and correlational analysis. The dietary manipulation successfully altered the protein distribution score (average number of eating occasions containing > 20 g of protein) to 4.0 ± 0.8 and 5.9 ± 0.7 (p < .01) for the bolus and frequent conditions, respectively. There was no difference in gains in lean mass between the bolus (1.4 ± 1.5 kg) and frequent (1.5 ± 1.4 kg) conditions (p = .91). There was no clear effect of increasing protein distribution from approximately 4–6 eating occasions on changes in lean mass during a rugby preseason. However, other dietary factors may have augmented adaptation.
Validation of Accelerometer Prediction Equations in Children with Chronic Disease
Authors: Stephens Samantha , Takken Tim , Esliger Dale W. , Pullenayegum Eleanor , Beyene Joseph , Tremblay Mark , Schneiderman Jane , Biggar Doug , Longmuir Pat , McCrindle Brian , Abad Audrey , Ignas Dan , Van Der Net Janjaap , Feldman Brian
Published: July 2015

The purpose of this study was to assess the criterion validity of existing accelerometer-based energy expenditure (EE) prediction equations among children with chronic conditions, and to develop new prediction equations. Children with congenital heart disease (CHD), cystic fibrosis (CF), dermatomyositis (JDM), juvenile arthritis (JA), inherited muscle disease (IMD), and hemophilia (HE) completed 7 tasks while EE was measured using indirect calorimetry with counts determined by accelerometer. Agreement between predicted EE and measured EE was assessed. Disease-specific equations and cut points were developed and cross-validated. In total, 196 subjects participated. One participant dropped out before testing due to time constraints, while 15 CHD, 32 CF, 31 JDM, 31 JA, 30 IMD, 28 HE, and 29 healthy controls completed the study. Agreement between predicted and measured EE varied across disease group and ranged from (ICC) .13–.46. Disease-specific prediction equations exhibited a range of results (ICC .62–.88) (SE 0.45–0.78). In conclusion, poor agreement was demonstrated using current prediction equations in children with chronic conditions. Disease-specific equations and cut points were developed.
Producing nitric oxide by pulsed electrical discharge in air for portable inhalation therapy
Authors: Yu Binglan , Muenster Stefan , Blaesi Aron H. , Bloch Donald B. , Zapol Warren M.
Published: July 2015

Generating nitric oxide from air by pulsed electrical discharge produces therapeutic levels of nitric oxide for inhalation and provides effective pulmonary vasodilation.