bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Construction of three-dimensional printed anatomic models for frontal sinus education
Authors: Low Christopher M , Choby Garret , Viozzi Megan , Morris Jonathan M
Published: May 2019

Background

The anatomy of the frontal sinus can pose a challenge for many neuroradiolgists and otolaryngologists, especially trainees. While much of resident education occurs in didactics, self-study or in the operating room, studies suggest that some trainees prefer hands-on learning. Three-dimensional (3D) printing technology provides users the opportunity to make customizable low-cost objects that provide tactile learning—a learning modality that may be preferable in education.

Methods

Three-dimensional printed models of frontal sinus anatomy based on selected patient computed tomography scans that represent various air cells according to the International Frontal Sinus Classification (IFAC) as different colored solid structures were printed using binder jetting.

Results

Seven unique de-identified patient scans were selected as the basis for the models so that all frontal cell types described in the IFAC scheme are represented between all 3D printed models.

Conclusion

This paper describes the technology and process necessary to create these models.
Assessment of the utility of the National Health Service England Low Back and Radicular Pain Pathway: analysis of patient reported outcomes
Authors: McKeag Philip , Eames Niall , Murphy Lynn , McKenna Raymond , Simpson Eilish , Graham Gillian
Published: May 2019

Introduction:

Lumbar disc herniation causing radiculopathy is a common reason for referral to spinal out-patient clinics. At our centre following routine referral, patients wait a mean of 109 weeks for a consultation with a spinal surgeon. A pathway in keeping with the National Health Service England Low Back and Radicular Pain Pathway was introduced with two objectives. Patients would be seen sooner by suitably trained health care professionals to avoid long waiting times for assessment with a spinal surgeon, and if a set of criteria were met, they would receive a selective nerve root injection to manage their pain.

Methods:

Patients were seen by specially trained orthopaedic physiotherapists following routine general practitioner (GP) referral. A radiologically guided nerve root injection was carried out if patients had radicular pain between 6 and 52 weeks duration and a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan demonstrating an intervertebral disc prolapse correlating with their radicular symptoms. Patient-recorded outcome measures were taken before and after nerve root injection.

Results:

Seventy five patients entered the pathway. Mean patient age was 49.9 years and 27 patients (36.0%) were male. Mean time from referral to assessment was 15.5 weeks. Mean visual analogue score (VAS) for leg pain was 7.4 out of 10 before nerve root injection and 4.8 out of 10 following nerve root injection (p < 0.001). Mean Oswestry Low Back Pain Disability Questionnaire score before nerve root injection was 58.4% and 49.7% following nerve root injection (p = 0.024). Mean Euroqol EQ-5D-5L Health Index was 0.2 before nerve root injection and 0.4 afterwards (p < 0.001).

Conclusion:

This study suggests that this pathway may help to reduce waiting times for patients with lumbar radiculopathy secondary to intervertebral disc prolapse. The resulting enhanced care may be associated with a reduction in leg and back pain and an improvement in quality of life.
Fatigue in primary Sjögren’s syndrome: A proteomic pilot study of cerebrospinal fluid
Authors: Larssen Eivind , Brede Cato , Hjelle Anne , Tjensvoll Anne Bolette , Norheim Katrine Brække , Bårdsen Kjetil , Jonsdottir Kristin , Ruoff Peter , Omdal Roald , Nilsen Mari Mæland
Published: May 2019

Objectives:

Fatigue is a frequent and often disabling phenomenon that occurs in patients with chronic inflammatory and immunological diseases, and the underlying biological mechanisms are largely unknown. Because fatigue is generated in the brain, we aimed to investigate cerebrospinal fluid and search for molecules that participate in the pathophysiology of fatigue processes.

Methods:

A label-free shotgun proteomics approach was applied to analyze the cerebrospinal fluid proteome of 20 patients with primary Sjögren’s syndrome. Fatigue was measured with the fatigue visual analog scale.

Results:

A total of 828 proteins were identified and the 15 top discriminatory proteins between patients with high and low fatigue were selected. Among these were apolipoprotein A4, hemopexin, pigment epithelium-derived factor, secretogranin-1, secretogranin-3, selenium-binding protein 1, and complement factor B.

Conclusion:

Most of the discriminatory proteins have important roles in regulation of innate immunity, cellular stress defense, and/or functions in the central nervous system. These proteins and their interacting protein networks may therefore have central roles in the generation and regulation of fatigue, and the findings contribute with evidence to the concept of fatigue as a biological phenomenon signaled through specific molecular pathways.
Typology of advertising music components and consumers’ responses to the brand
Authors: Zoghaib Alice
Published: May 2019

The present research aims to explore the effects of advertising music components (MCs) on brand perception, attitude, and purchase intentions using the cross-fertilization between research in marketing and musicology. Previous research has shown that the MCs (e.g. tempo, mode, and timbre) of advertising music can influence brand perception. However, few MCs have been studied and without controlling the influence of all MCs. In addition, existing categorizations of MCs are not applied to advertising music and mainly focus on classical music. A preliminary study analyzing 125 advertising music pieces with musicologists provides a typology of advertising MCs and of induced brand perceptions. Four experiments then explore the effects of advertising MCs in different contexts (music in the foreground, music in the background with a neutral message, music in the background with a non-neutral message, and replication with a real, well-known brand). The research indicates the influence of each advertising MC on brand perception while controlling for all MCs. In particular, some MCs induce the same brand perception. Their perceptual influence remains the same when they are in the background or when they are incongruent. They can even change the perception of a well-known brand, as well as influence brand attitude and purchase intentions. Conceptual and methodological implications for research on music and brand management as well as managerial implications are discussed.
The most unique discussion of the 21st century? The debate on the Anthropocene pictured in seven points
Authors: Bińczyk Ewa
Published: May 2019

Nineteen years after Stoermer’s and Crutzen’s proposal, the article poses questions regarding the sources of the captivating uniqueness dwelling in the idea of the Anthropocene and in the debate surrounding it. The distinctiveness of the Anthropocene debate is elucidated in seven points. These points discuss: (1) a shocking confrontation of timeframes, (2) the drama surrounding the risk of losing the future, (3) a bold reinterpretation of the basic philosophical concepts, (4) the unification of different disciplines around a common research agenda, (5) the central problem of irreversibility, (6) the eschatological dimension of the debate, (7) the vision of the debate as a warning and a catalyst for political change.
Inter-relatedness of underlying factors for injury and violence among adolescents in rural coastal Kenya: A qualitative study
Authors: Ssewanyana Derrick , van Baar Anneloes , Mwangala Patrick N , Newton Charles R , Abubakar Amina
Published: May 2019

We utilized a socio-ecological model to explore views from 85 young people and 10 local stakeholders on forms and underlying factors for unintentional injury, violence, self-harm, and suicidal behavior of adolescents in Kilifi County, Kenya. Young people took part in 11 focus group discussions, whereas 10 in-depth interviews were conducted with the local stakeholders. Road traffic accidents, falls, fights, sexual and gender-based violence, theft, and vandalism were viewed as common. There was an overlap of risk factors, especially at intra- and interpersonal levels (gender, poverty, substance use, parenting behavior, school drop-out). Some broader-level risk factors were insecure neighborhoods and risky sources of livelihood. Research is needed to quantify burden and to pilot feasible injury prevention interventions in this setting.
The Impact of Riluzole on Neurobehavioral Outcomes in Preclinical Models of Traumatic and Nontraumatic Spinal Cord Injury: Results From a Systematic Review of the Literature
Authors: Tetreault Lindsay A. , Zhu Mary P. , Wilson Jefferson R. , Karadimas Spyridon K. , Fehlings Michael G.
Published: May 2019

Study Design:

Systematic review.

Objective:

To evaluate the impact of riluzole on neurobehavioral outcomes in preclinical models of nontraumatic and traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI).

Methods:

An extensive search of the literature was conducted in Medline, EMBASE, and Medline in Process. Studies were included if they evaluated the impact of riluzole on neurobehavioral outcomes in preclinical models of nontraumatic and traumatic SCI. Extensive data were extracted from relevant studies, including sample characteristics, injury model, outcomes assessed, timing of evaluation, and main results. The SYRCLE checklist was used to assess various sources of bias.

Results:

The search yielded a total of 3180 unique citations. A total of 16 studies were deemed relevant and were summarized in this review. Sample sizes ranged from 14 to 90, and injury models included traumatic SCI (n = 9), degenerative cervical myelopathy (n = 2), and spinal cord-ischemia (n = 5). The most commonly assessed outcome measures were BBB (Basso, Beattie, Besnahan) locomotor score and von Frey filament testing. In general, rats treated with riluzole exhibited significantly higher BBB locomotor scores than controls. Furthermore, riluzole significantly increased withdrawal thresholds to innocuous stimuli and tail flick latency following application of radiant heat stimuli. Finally, rats treated with riluzole achieved superior results on many components of gait assessment.

Conclusion:

In preclinical models of traumatic and nontraumatic SCI, riluzole significantly improves locomotor scores, gait function, and neuropathic pain. This review provides the background information necessary to interpret the results of clinical trials on the impact of riluzole in traumatic and nontraumatic SCI.
Quadrilateral space syndrome: The forgotten differential
Authors: Hong Choon Chiet , Thambiah Matthew Dhanaraj , Manohara Ruben
Published: May 2019

The quadrilateral space is bounded by the teres minor superiorly, the teres major inferiorly, the long head of the triceps medially and the shaft of the humerus laterally. The axillary nerve and posterior circumflex humeral artery pass through this space to enter the posterior compartment of the upper arm. Quadrilateral space syndrome (QSS) is caused by entrapment of the axillary nerve or its main branches and/or the posterior circumflex humeral artery in the quadrilateral space by internal or external compression. QSS can often be difficult to diagnose, given that patients may present with non-specific symptoms. As such, patients may be misdiagnosed with more common disorders of the shoulder. We report a case of QSS masquerading initially as rotator cuff pathology with positive impingement signs.
Analyzing the Time Course of Pupillometric Data
Authors: van Rij Jacolien , Hendriks Petra , van Rijn Hedderik , Baayen R. Harald , Wood Simon N.
Published: May 2019

This article provides a tutorial for analyzing pupillometric data. Pupil dilation has become increasingly popular in psychological and psycholinguistic research as a measure to trace language processing. However, there is no general consensus about procedures to analyze the data, with most studies analyzing extracted features from the pupil dilation data instead of analyzing the pupil dilation trajectories directly. Recent studies have started to apply nonlinear regression and other methods to analyze the pupil dilation trajectories directly, utilizing all available information in the continuously measured signal. This article applies a nonlinear regression analysis, generalized additive mixed modeling, and illustrates how to analyze the full-time course of the pupil dilation signal. The regression analysis is particularly suited for analyzing pupil dilation in the fields of psychological and psycholinguistic research because generalized additive mixed models can include complex nonlinear interactions for investigating the effects of properties of stimuli (e.g., formant frequency) or participants (e.g., working memory score) on the pupil dilation signal. To account for the variation due to participants and items, nonlinear random effects can be included. However, one of the challenges for analyzing time series data is dealing with the autocorrelation in the residuals, which is rather extreme for the pupillary signal. On the basis of simulations, we explain potential causes of this extreme autocorrelation, and on the basis of the experimental data, we show how to reduce their adverse effects, allowing a much more coherent interpretation of pupillary data than possible with feature-based techniques.
“What the Hell Is This, and Who the Hell Are You?” Role and Identity Negotiation in Research-Practice Partnerships
Authors: Farrell Caitlin C. , Harrison Christopher , Coburn Cynthia E.
Published: May 2019

In research-practice partnerships (RPPs), the line between researcher and practitioner can be blurred, and the roles for everyone involved may be unclear. Yet little is known about how these roles are negotiated and with what consequences for collaborative efforts. Guided by organizational theory, we share findings from a multiyear case study of one RPP, drawing on observations of partnership leadership meetings and interviews with school district leaders and partners. Role negotiation occurred in more than one third of leadership meetings, as evidenced by identity-referencing discourse. When roles were unclear, collaborative efforts stalled; once partners renegotiated their roles, it changed how they engaged in the work together. Several forces contributed to these dynamics, including the partner’s ambitious yet ambiguous identity and the introduction of new members to the group. This study offers implications for those engaged in partnership work and provides a foundation for future research regarding role negotiation in RPPs.
Fungibility in the Academia
Authors:   The Queer Diaspora Collective
Published: May 2019

In this position article, we tackle fungibility, precariousness and separateness in the academia. Speaking as young humanities and social sciences scholar in North America, we argue that the current neoliberal conditions in higher education can be understood as alienation from work in the Marxian sense. Hence, the kind of intervention that challenges the fungibility has to be anti-alienation. Based on our collective organizing, we would delineate and call for a collective turn in terms of how new academics organize themselves and produce knowledge. Indeed, this piece should be read as a collective manifesto rather than a once and for all solution to profound problems in higher education. The true ‘for the people’ higher education needs to be constructed around collectivism and sustainable knowledge production.
The state of naloxone: Access amid a public health crisis
Authors: Fudin Jeffrey , Persico Amelia L , Bettinger Jeffrey J , Wegrzyn Erica L
Published: May 2019

Over the past decade, opioid use has been at the forefront of a public health crisis throughout the United States. In response to the tremendous negative societal, personal, and economic impacts that the growing opioid crisis has caused, several governmental agencies began to respond. These efforts include declaration of a nationwide public health emergency, increased public health surveillance of the epidemic, research support for pain and addiction, and increased access to overdose-reversing drugs such as naloxone. Naloxone access, in particular, has become a priority. In the United States, pharmacists have had the opportunity to play a crucial role in promoting access to naloxone. Since initial approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1971 as an antidote to opioid agonist overdose, naloxone access has evolved significantly. Today many states have authorized standing orders for naloxone, allowing it to be dispensed by pharmacists without a patient-specific prescription, and all 50 states and the District of Columbia allow medical providers to prescribe take-home naloxone to at-risk patients. While the opioid epidemic itself remains a contentious topic of political, ethical, and medical debate, it is widely acknowledged that mitigation strategies that could lessen morbidity and mortality are essential. Improved access to naloxone is one such strategy which remains at the forefront during this public health crisis.
Pepper Place Farmers’ Market and the Need for Research and Strategy
Authors: Anderson Reynolds , Sheffield Matthew , Smith Joie C. , Carson Charles M. , Eason Clifton C.
Published: May 2019

Pepper Place Market, a farmers’ market created in 1999 in Birmingham, Alabama, was designed as the centerpiece and foundation to support the long-term urban revitalization plan in Birmingham’s historic Lakeview District. Cathy Jones, the founder and inspiration behind the market, began the market on land owned by her family’s real estate company, Sloss Real Estate. The Pepper Place Market initially operated solely on cash flow received from farmers and artisans. In 2011, the market began soliciting sponsorships. The market’s leadership wanted to expand the market but struggled with negative net income. The organization had no unified marketing strategy or marketing plan. The limited promotion in which Pepper Place Market engaged was inconsistent and lacked a clear, strong messaging. Realizing the market needed to do more, Jones believed conducting marketing research and creating a strategic marketing plan should be their next steps.
NAB-Paclitaxel Improves Disease-Free Survival in Early Breast Cancer: GBG 69–GeparSepto
Authors: Untch Michael , Jackisch Christian , Schneeweiss Andreas , Schmatloch Sabine , Aktas Bahriye , Denkert Carsten , Schem Christian , Wiebringhaus Hermann , Kümmel Sherko , Warm Mathias , Fasching Peter A. , Just Marianne , Hanusch Claus , Hackmann John , Blohmer Jens-Uwe , Rhiem Kerstin , Schmitt Wolfgang D. , Furlanetto Jenny , Gerber Bernd , Huober Jens , Nekljudova Valentina , von Minckwitz Gunter , Loibl Sibylle
Published: May 2019

PURPOSE

The GeparSepto trial demonstrated that weekly nanoparticle albumin-bound (NAB)–paclitaxel significantly improves the pathologic complete remission rate compared with weekly solvent-based (sb) paclitaxel followed by epirubicin plus cyclophosphamide as neoadjuvant treatment in patients with primary breast cancer (BC). Here, we report data on long-term outcomes.

METHODS

Patients with histologically confirmed primary BC were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to 12 times weekly NAB-paclitaxel 150 mg/m2 (after study amendment, 125 mg/m2) or weekly sb-paclitaxel 80 mg/m2 followed in both arms by four times epirubicin 90 mg/m2 plus cyclophosphamide 600 mg/m2 every 3 weeks. Patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive BC received dual antibody treatment with trastuzumab (8 mg/kg loading dose followed by 6 mg/kg every 3 weeks) and pertuzumab (840 mg loading dose followed by 420 mg every 3 weeks) concurrently to chemotherapy and continued for 1 year.

RESULTS

A total of 1,206 patients started treatment, 606 with NAB-paclitaxel and 600 with sb-paclitaxel. After a median follow-up of 49.6 months (range, 0.5 to 64.0 months), 243 invasive disease–free survival (iDFS) events were reported (143 in the sb-paclitaxel and 100 in the NAB-paclitaxel arm). At 4 years, overall patients treated with NAB-paclitaxel had a significantly better iDFS compared with sb-paclitaxel (84.0% v 76.3%; hazard ratio, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.51 to 0.86; P = .002), whereas overall survival did not significantly differ between the two treatment arms (89.7% v 87.2%, respectively; hazard ratio, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.59 to 1.16; P = .260). Long-term follow-up of the treatment-related peripheral sensory neuropathy (PSN) showed a significant decrease of the median time to resolve PSN after NAB-paclitaxel 125 mg/m2 compared with NAB-paclitaxel 150 mg/m2.

CONCLUSION

The significantly higher pathologic complete response rate with NAB-paclitaxel translated into a significantly improved iDFS in patients with early BC as compared with sb-paclitaxel. PSN improved much faster under NAB-paclitaxel 125 mg/m2 compared with NAB-paclitaxel 150 mg/m2.
Diabetic Gastroparesis
Authors: Bharucha Adil E , Kudva Yogish C , Prichard David O
Published: May 2019

This review covers the epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical features, diagnosis, and management of diabetic gastroparesis, and more broadly diabetic gastroenteropathy, which encompasses all the gastrointestinal manifestations of diabetes mellitus. Up to 50% of patients with type 1 and type 2 DM and suboptimal glycemic control have delayed gastric emptying (GE), which can be documented with scintigraphy, 13C breath tests, or a wireless motility capsule; the remainder have normal or rapid GE. Many patients with delayed GE are asymptomatic; others have dyspepsia (i.e., mild to moderate indigestion, with or without a mild delay in GE) or gastroparesis, which is a syndrome characterized by moderate to severe upper gastrointestinal symptoms and delayed GE that suggest, but are not accompanied by, gastric outlet obstruction. Gastroparesis can markedly impair quality of life, and up to 50% of patients have significant anxiety and/or depression. Often the distinction between dyspepsia and gastroparesis is based on clinical judgement rather than established criteria. Hyperglycemia, autonomic neuropathy, and enteric neuromuscular inflammation and injury are implicated in the pathogenesis of delayed GE. Alternatively, there are limited data to suggest that delayed GE may affect glycemic control. The management of diabetic gastroparesis is guided by the severity of symptoms, the magnitude of delayed GE, and the nutritional status. Initial options include dietary modifications, supplemental oral nutrition, and antiemetic and prokinetic medications. Patients with more severe symptoms may require a venting gastrostomy or jejunostomy and/or gastric electrical stimulation. Promising newer therapeutic approaches include ghrelin receptor agonists and selective 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor agonists.
Chronic Calcineurin Inhibition via Cyclosporine A Impairs Visuospatial Learning After Isoflurane Anesthesia
Authors: Speigel Iris A. , Ma Christopher M. , Bichler Edyta K. , Gooch Jennifer L. , García Paul S.
Published: May 2019

BACKGROUND:

Clinical studies implicate the perioperative period in cognitive complications, and increasing experimental evidence shows that the anesthetic agents can affect neuronal processes that underpin learning and memory. Calcineurin, a Ca2+-dependent phosphatase critically involved in synaptic plasticity, is activated after isoflurane exposure, but its role in the neurological response to anesthesia is unclear.

METHODS:

We investigated the effect of chronic calcineurin inhibition on postanesthetic cognitive function. Mice were treated with 30 minutes of isoflurane anesthesia during a chronic cyclosporine A regimen. Behavioral end points during the perianesthesia period were quantified. Visuospatial learning was assessed with the water radial arm maze. Total and biotinylated surface protein expression of the α5β3γ2 γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) type A receptors was measured. Expression of the GABA synthesis enzyme glutamate decarboxylase (GAD)-67 was also measured.

RESULTS:

Mice treated with cyclosporine A before anesthesia showed significant deficits in visuospatial learning compared to sham and cyclosporine A–treated mice (n = 10 per group, P = .0152, Tukey post hoc test). Induction and emergence were unaltered by cyclosporine A. Analysis of hippocampal protein expression revealed an increased surface expression of the α5 GABA type A receptor subunit after isoflurane treatment (P = .019, Dunnett post hoc testing), as well as a decrease in GAD-67 expression. Cyclosporine A did not rescue either effect.

CONCLUSIONS:

Our results confirm the work of others that isoflurane induces changes to inhibitory network function and exclude calcineurin inhibition via cyclosporine A as an intervention. Further, our studies suggest that calcineurin mediates a protective role in the neurological response to anesthesia, and patients receiving cyclosporine A may be an at-risk group for memory problems related to anesthesia.
Society for Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology Consensus Statement: Monitoring Recommendations for Prevention and Detection of Respiratory Depression Associated With Administration of Neuraxial Morphine for Cesarean Delivery Analgesia
Authors: Bauchat Jeanette R. , Weiniger Carolyn F. , Sultan Pervez , Habib Ashraf S. , Ando Kazuo , Kowalczyk John J. , Kato Rie , George Ronald B. , Palmer Craig M. , Carvalho Brendan
Published: May 2019

The majority of women undergoing cesarean delivery in the United States receive neuraxial morphine, the most effective form of postoperative analgesia for this surgery. Current American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) and American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine (ASRA) recommend respiratory monitoring standards following neuraxial morphine administration in the general surgical population that may be too frequent and intensive when applied to the healthy obstetric population receiving a single dose of neuraxial morphine at the time of surgery. There is limited evidence to support or guide the optimal modality, frequency, and duration of respiratory monitoring in the postoperative cesarean delivery patient receiving a single dose of neuraxial morphine. Consistent with the mission of the Society for Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology (SOAP) to improve outcomes in pregnancy for women and neonates, the purpose of this consensus statement is to encourage the use of this highly effective analgesic technique while promoting safe practice and patient-centered care. The document aims to reduce unnecessary interruptions from respiratory monitoring in healthy mothers while focusing vigilance on monitoring in those women at highest risk for respiratory depression following neuraxial morphine administration. This consensus statement promotes the use of low-dose neuraxial morphine and multimodal analgesia after cesarean delivery, gives perspective on the safety of this analgesic technique in healthy women, and promotes patient risk stratification and perioperative risk assessment to determine and adjust the intensity, frequency, and duration of respiratory monitoring.
Targeting specificity of nuclear-encoded organelle proteins with a self-assembling split-fluorescent protein toolkit
Authors: Sharma Mayank , Kretschmer Carola , Lampe Christina , Stuttmann Johannes , Klösgen Ralf Bernd
Published: May 2019

A large number of nuclear-encoded proteins are targeted to the organelles of endosymbiotic origin, namely mitochondria and plastids. To determine the targeting specificity of these proteins, fluorescent protein tagging is a popular approach. However, ectopic expression of fluorescent protein fusions commonly results in considerable background signals and often suffers from the large size and robust folding of the reporter protein, which may perturb membrane transport. Among the alternative approaches that have been developed in recent years, the self-assembling split-fluorescent protein (sasplit-FP) technology appears particularly promising to analyze protein targeting specificity in vivo. Here, we improved the sensitivity of this technology and systematically evaluated its utilization to determine protein targeting to plastids and mitochondria. Furthermore, to facilitate high-throughput screening of candidate proteins we developed a Golden Gate-based vector toolkit (PlaMinGo). As a result of these improvements, dual targeting could be detected for a number of proteins that had earlier been characterized as being targeted to a single organelle only. These results were independently confirmed with a plant phenotype complementation approach based on the immutans mutant.

This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.
Comparing thermal performance curves across traits: how consistent are they?
Authors: Kellermann Vanessa , Chown Steven L. , Schou Mads Fristrup , Aitkenhead Ian , Janion-Scheepers Charlene , Clemson Allannah , Scott Marina Telonis , Sgrò Carla M.
Published: May 2019

Thermal performance curves (TPCs) are intended to approximate the relationship between temperature and fitness, and are commonly integrated into species distributional models for understanding climate change responses. However, TPCs may vary across traits because selection and environmental sensitivity (plasticity) differ across traits or because the timing and duration of the temperature exposure, here termed time-scale, may alter trait variation. Yet the extent to which TPCs vary temporally and across traits is rarely considered in assessments of climate change responses. Using a common garden approach, we estimate TPCs for standard metabolic rate (SMR), and activity in Drosophila melanogaster at three test temperatures (16, 25 and 30 °C), using flies from each of six developmental temperatures (16, 18, 20, 25, 28 and 30 °C). We examined the effects of time-scale of temperature exposure (mins/hours vs days/weeks) in altering the TPC shape, position and commonly used descriptors of the TPC- thermal optimum (TOPT), thermal limits (TMIN and TMAX) and thermal breadth (TBR). In addition we collated previously published estimates of TPCs for fecundity and egg-to-adult viability in D. melanogaster. We found that the descriptors of the TPCs varied across traits (egg-to-adult viability, SMR, activity and fecundity), but variation in TPCs within these traits was small across studies when measured at the same time-scales. The time-scale at which traits were measured contributed to greater variation in TPCs than the observed variance across traits, although the relative importance of time-scale differed depending on the trait (activity vs fecundity). Variation in the TPC across traits and time-scales suggests that TPCs using single traits may not be an accurate predictor of fitness and thermal adaptation across environments.
Selenoprotein T as a new positive inotrope in the goldfish Carassius auratus
Authors: Rosa Mazza , Alfonsina Gattuso , Sandra Imbrogno , Loubna Boukhzar , Serena Leo , Yamine Mallouki Ben , Mariacristina Filice , Carmine Rocca , Tommaso Angelone , Youssef Anouar , Carmela Cerra Maria
Published: May 2019

Selenoprotein T (SELENOT) is a thioredoxin-like protein, which mediates oxidoreductase functions via its redox active motif Cys-X-X-Sec. In mammals, SELENOT is expressed during ontogenesis and progressively decreases in adult tissues. In the heart, it is re-expressed after ischemia and induces cardioprotection against ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. SELENOT is present in teleost fish, including the goldfish Carassius auratus. This study aimed to evaluate the cardiac expression of SELENOT, and the effects of exogenous PSELT (a 43-52 SELENOT derived-peptide) on the heart function of C. auratus, a hypoxia tolerance fish model. We found that SELENOT was expressed in cardiac extracts of juvenile and adult fish, located in the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) together with calsequestrin-2. Expression increased under acute hypoxia. On ex vivo isolated and perfused goldfish heart preparations, under normoxia, PSELT dose-dependently increased Stroke Volume (SV), Cardiac Output (Q̇), and Stroke Work (SW), by involving cAMP, PKA, L-type calcium channels, SERCA2a pumps, and pAkt. Under hypoxia, PSELT did not affect myocardial contractility. Only at higher concentrations (10−8 -10−7 M) an increase of SV and Q̇ was observed. It also reduced the cardiac expression of 3-NT, a tissue marker of nitrosative stress which increases under low oxygen availability. These data are the first to propose SELENOT 43-52, PSELT, as a cardiac modulator in fish, with a potential protective role under hypoxia.
Food-derived volatiles enhance consumption inDrosophila melanogaster
Authors: Reisenman Carolina E. , Scott Kristin
Published: May 2019

Insects use multiple sensory modalities when searching for and accepting a food source, in particular odor and taste cues. Food-derived odorants are generally involved in mediating long-and short-range attraction. Taste cues, on the other hand, act directly by contact with the food source, promoting the ingestion of nutritious food and the avoidance of toxic substances. It is possible, however, that insects integrate information from these sensory modalities during the process of feeding itself. Here, using a simple feeding assay, we investigated whether odors modulate food consumption in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. We found that the presence of both single food-derived odorants and complex odor mixtures enhanced consumption of an appetitive food. Feeding enhancement depended on the concentration and the chemical identity of the odorant. Volatile cues alone were sufficient to mediate this effect, as feeding was also increased when animals were prevented from contacting the odor source. Both males and females, including virgin females, increased ingestion in the presence of food-derived volatiles. Moreover, the presence of food-derived odorants significantly increased the consumption of food mixtures containing aversive bitter compounds, suggesting that flies integrate diverse olfactory and gustatory cues to guide feeding decisions, including in situations in which animals are confronted with stimuli of opposite valence. Overall, these results show that food-derived olfactory cues directly modulate feeding in D. melanogaster, enhancing ingestion.
One Week of Step Reduction Lowers Myofibrillar Protein Synthesis Rates in Young Men
Authors: SHAD BRANDON J. , THOMPSON JANICE L. , HOLWERDA ANDREW M. , STOCKS BEN , ELHASSAN YASIR S. , PHILP ANDREW , VAN LOON LUC J. C. , WALLIS GARETH A.
Published: May 2019

Purpose

Across the lifespan, physical activity levels decrease and time spent sedentary typically increases. However, little is known about the impact that these behavioral changes have on skeletal muscle mass regulation. The primary aim of this study was to use a step reduction model to determine the impact of reduced physical activity and increased sedentary time on daily myofibrillar protein synthesis rates in healthy young men.

Methods

Eleven men (22 ± 2 yr) completed 7 d of habitual physical activity (HPA) followed by 7 d of step reduction (SR). Myofibrillar protein synthesis rates were determined during HPA and SR using the deuterated water (2H2O) method combined with the collection of skeletal muscle biopsies and daily saliva samples. Gene expression of selected proteins related to muscle mass regulation and oxidative metabolism were determined via real time reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR).

Results

Daily step count was reduced by approximately 91% during SR (from 13,054 ± 2763 steps per day to 1192 ± 330 steps per day; P < 0.001) and this led to an increased contribution of sedentary time to daily activity (73% ± 6% to 90% ± 3%; P < 0.001). Daily myofibrillar protein synthesis decreased by approximately 27% from 1.39 ± 0.32%·d−1 during HPA to 1.01 ± 0.38%·d−1 during SR (P < 0.05). Muscle atrophy F-box and myostatin mRNA expression were upregulated, whereas mechanistic target of rapamycin, p53, and PDK4 mRNA expression were downregulated after SR (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

One week of reduced physical activity and increased sedentary time substantially lowers daily myofibrillar protein synthesis rates in healthy young men.
Effects of Instrument-assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization on Musculoskeletal Properties
Authors: IKEDA NAOKI , OTSUKA SHUN , KAWANISHI YOZO , KAWAKAMI YASUO
Published: May 2019

Purpose

Instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM) has been reported to improve joint range of motion (flexibility). However, it is not clear whether this change in the joint range of motion is accompanied by any alterations in the mechanical and/or neural properties. This study aimed to investigate the effects of IASTM in plantarflexors and Achilles tendon on the mechanical and neural properties of them.

Methods

This randomized, controlled, crossover study included 14 healthy volunteers (11 men and 3 women, 21–32 yr). IASTM was performed on the skin over the posterior part of the lower leg for 5 min and targeted the soft tissues (gastrocnemii, soleus, and tibialis posterior muscles; overlying deep fascia; and Achilles tendon). As a control condition, the same participants rested for 5 min between pre- and postmeasurements without IASTM on a separate day. The maximal ankle joint dorsiflexion angle (dorsiflexion range of motion), the peak passive torque (stretch tolerance), and the ankle joint stiffness (slope of the relationship between passive torque and ankle joint angle) during the measurement of the dorsiflexion range of motion and muscle stiffness of the triceps surae (using shear wave elastography) were measured before and immediately after the interventions.

Results

After IASTM, the dorsiflexion range of motion significantly increased by 10.7% ± 10.8% and ankle joint stiffness significantly decreased by −6.2% ± 10.1%. However, peak passive torque and muscle stiffness did not change. All variables remained unchanged in the repeated measurements of controls.

Conclusion

IASTM can improve joint range of motion, without affecting the mechanical and neural properties of the treated muscles.
Low-Carbohydrate Training Increases Protein Requirements of Endurance Athletes
Authors: GILLEN JENNA B. , WEST DANIEL W. D. , WILLIAMSON ERIC P. , FUNG HUGO J. W. , MOORE DANIEL R.
Published: May 2019

Introduction

Training with low-carbohydrate (CHO) availability enhances markers of aerobic adaptation and has become popular to periodize throughout an endurance-training program. However, exercise-induced amino acid oxidation is increased with low muscle glycogen, which may limit substrate availability for postexercise protein synthesis. We aimed to determine the impact of training with low-CHO availability on estimates of dietary protein requirements.

Methods

Eight endurance-trained males (27 ± 4 yr, 75 ± 10 kg, 67 ± 10 mL·kg body mass−1·min−1) completed two trials matched for energy and macronutrient composition but with differing CHO periodization. In the low-CHO availability trial (LOW), participants consumed 7.8 g CHO−1·kg−1 before evening high-intensity interval training (10 × 5 min at 10-km race pace, 1 min rest) and subsequently withheld CHO postexercise (0.2 g·kg−1). In the high-CHO availability trial (HIGH), participants consumed 3 g CHO·kg−1 during the day before high-intensity interval training, and consumed 5 g CHO·kg−1 that evening to promote muscle glycogen resynthesis. A 10-km run (~80% HRmax) was performed the following morning, fasted (LOW) or 1 h after consuming 1.2 g CHO·kg−1 (HIGH). Whole-body phenylalanine flux and oxidation were determined over 8 h of recovery via oral [13C]phenylalanine ingestion, according to standard indicator amino acid oxidation methodology, while consuming sufficient energy, 7.8 g CHO·kg−1·d−1, and suboptimal protein (0.93 g·kg−1·d−1).

Results

Fat oxidation (indirect calorimetry) during the 10-km run was higher in LOW compared with HIGH (0.99 ± 0.35 g·min−1 vs 0.60 ± 0.26 g·min−1, P < 0.05). phenylalanine flux during recovery was not different between trials (P > 0.05) whereas phenylalanine oxidation (reciprocal of protein synthesis) was higher in LOW compared with HIGH (8.8 ± 2.7 μmol·kg−1·h−1 vs 7.9 ± 2.4 μmol·kg−1·h−1, P < 0.05), suggesting a greater amino acid requirement to support rates of whole-body protein synthesis.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that performing endurance exercise with low-CHO availability increases protein requirements of endurance athletes.
Measuring Productivity: Lessons from Tailored Surveys and Productivity Benchmarking
Authors: Atkin David , Khandelwal Amit K. , Osman Adam
Published: May 2019

We use tailored surveys and benchmarking in the flat-weave rug industry to better understand the shortcomings of standard productivity measures. Quantity-based productivity (TFPQ) performs poorly because of variation in product specifications across firms. Controlling for specifications aligns TFPQ with lab benchmarks. We also collect quality metrics to construct quality productivity (the ability to produce quality given inputs) and find substantial dispersion across firms. This motivates interest in multidimensional productivity, or capability. As quality productivity is negatively correlated with TFPQ, revenue-based productivity (TFPR) may perform better at capturing capabilities in settings where better firms make products with more demanding specifications that have greater input requirements.
Exports and Invoicing: Evidence from the 2015 Swiss Franc Appreciation
Authors: Auer Raphael , Burstein Ariel , Erhardt Katharina , Lein Sarah M.
Published: May 2019

Do differences in border price adjustment by currency of invoicing carry over to allocations? We document the cross-industry variation in the response of Swiss export prices and export values by currency of invoicing of border prices in the aftermath of the large and abrupt Swiss franc (CHF) appreciation in January 2015. Industries with higher CHF-invoicing shares (and a larger increase in foreign-currency denominated prices) experienced substantially weaker export growth in the two-year period after January 2015.
An Economist’s Perspective on the Bitcoin Payment System
Authors: Huberman Gur , Leshno Jacob D. , Moallemi Ciamac
Published: May 2019

The paper's introduction offers a high-level review of Bitcoin's features, especially its governance by protocol. The paper proceeds to summarize Bitcoin's analysis as a payment system. It pays particular attention to a comparison between Bitcoin and a firm-run payment system.
The Effects of Second-Generation Rent Control on Land Values
Authors: Mense Andreas , Michelsen Claus , Kholodilin Konstantin A.
Published: May 2019

Second generation rent control seeks to prevent negative quantity effects by exempting newly built units. The artificially lowered rent in the controlled segment makes renting attractive for households that would otherwise not have rented in the market, replacing households with higher willingness to pay for housing. These households bid up prices in the free market segment, giving rise to an opposite-sign spillover from the controlled to the free market (Mense, Michelsen, and Kholodilin 2017). This paper documents a positive effect of “second generation” rent control on the value of vacant, buildable land.
The Rise of the Gig Economy: Fact or Fiction?
Authors: Abraham Katharine G. , Haltiwanger John , Sandusky Kristin , Spletzer James
Published: May 2019

Gig work mediated through online platforms has received much recent attention. We find only one sector--the transportation services sector--in which there is unambiguous evidence of substantial and rapidly growing gig activity. A challenge for tracking and understanding the rise in gig activity is that core household surveys are missing the recent overall rise in self-employment that is apparent in administrative and private sector transactions data. We show that this limitation of available household survey data is evident even in the transportation services sector, where the growth in self-employment activity since 2013 has been exponential.
The Evolution of the Online Platform Economy: Evidence from Five Years of Banking Data
Authors: Farrell Diana , Greig Fiona , Hamoudi Amar
Published: May 2019

Measuring the gig economy has been challenging. Drawing on anonymized administrative banking data, we measure supply-side participation in the online platform economy between 2013 and 2018. We find 2.3 million account holders who received payments from 128 transportation, non-transport work, selling, and leasing platforms. Participation grew rapidly, particularly in the transportation sector. Average monthly revenues declined among drivers and increased among lessors even within metro areas. At least a third--and likely more--of the decline in transportation revenues is driven by decreases in hours worked. These findings raise important policy questions and motivate promising directions for future work.
Noisy Memory and Over-Reaction to News
Authors: Azeredo da Silveira Rava , Woodford Michael
Published: May 2019

We propose a model of optimal decision-making subject to a memory constraint. The constraint is a limit on the complexity of memory measured using Shannon's mutual information, as in models of rational inattention. We show that the model implies that both forecasts and actions will exhibit idiosyncratic random variation; that beliefs will fluctuate forever around the rational-expectations (perfect-memory) beliefs with a variance that does not fall to zero; and that more recent news will be given disproportionate weight. The model provides a simple explanation for a number of features of expectations in laboratory and field settings.
Emotional Tagging and Belief Formation: The Long-Lasting Effects of Experiencing Communism
Authors: Laudenbach Christine , Malmendier Ulrike , Niessen-Ruenzi Alexandra
Published: May 2019

Growing evidence in macrofinance suggests long-lasting effects of personally experienced outcomes on beliefs. To understand the underlying mechanism we turn to the neurological foundations of memory formation. We propose that emotional tagging plays a crucial role in assigning weights in the belief formation process. We use exposure to communism as well as variation in its emotional tagging to predict long-run beliefs. We show that living under communism has long-term effects on beliefs about its benefits. In addition, positive and negative emotional tags strongly affect the (pro- or anti-communist) direction of beliefs, providing anchors to memory that seem hard to reverse.
Intergenerational Human Capital Spillovers: Indonesia’s School Construction and Its Effects on the Next Generation
Authors: Mazumder Bhashkar , Rosales-Rueda Maria , Triyana Margaret
Published: May 2019

We analyze the effects of increased access to education in one generation on human capital outcomes in the next generation. Using longitudinal data, we exploit the geographical and cohort variations in exposure to a massive primary school construction program in the 1970s in Indonesia. We show that the school building project increases primary school completion rates among both men and women. We find that children whose mothers were exposed to the school building project score higher on the national primary school examination, suggesting the importance of maternal education in the intergenerational transmission of human capital.
Gender Equality and Positive Action: Evidence from UK Universities
Authors: Gamage Danula K. , Sevilla Almudena
Published: May 2019

This paper examines the impact of the Athena Scientific Women's Academic Network (SWAN) Charter on the wages and employment trajectories of female faculty. The Athena SWAN Charter is a gender equality initiative that formally recognizes good practice towards the representation and career progression of women in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM) through an accreditation process. We find that the gender wage gap closes after Athena SWAN accreditation. However, female faculty at the non-professorial level are not more likely to be promoted to professor after accreditation, or to move to an Athena SWAN accredited university. Taken together these results suggest that the higher wage growth experienced by female non-professorial faculty after Athena SWAN accreditation is likely to come from pay rises within a particular rank.