bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Durability of Response in Children Treated With Pegylated Interferon alfa‐2a ± Ribavirin for Chronic Hepatitis C
Authors: Schwarz Kathleen B. , Molleston Jean P. , Jonas Maureen M. , Wen Jessica , Murray Karen F. , Rosenthal Philip , Gonzalez‐Peralta Regino P. , Lobritto Steven J. , Mogul Douglas , Pavlovic Vedran , Warne Charles , Wat Cynthia , Thompson Bruce
Published: August 2015

Objectives:

No long‐term data have been published on the durability of response following pegylated interferon (PegIFN) treatment in children with chronic hepatitis C. This prospective, multicenter, long‐term follow‐up (LTFU) study aimed to assess long‐term durability of sustained virological response (SVR), long‐term safety and tolerability, and the association between IL28B genotype and treatment response, in children previously treated with PegIFN alfa‐2a ± ribavirin (RBV) in the PEDS‐C trial.

Methods:

A total of 93 patients were assessed for enrollment, and 38 enrolled in the study. Patients attended 2 study visits: 5 (mean 5.6, range 4.1–6.6) and 6 (6.6, 5.1–7.7) years after treatment cessation. Standardized medical history, physical examination, and laboratory testing were performed at these visits. Reminder telephone calls were conducted at 4 and 8 months after the initial visit.

Results:

The LTFU cohort was the representative of the original PEDS‐C cohort because both baseline and treatment characteristics were comparable. Of the 38 participants, 21 achieved SVR (responders) during the PEDS‐C trial and 17 had not (nonresponders). All 21 responders maintained undetectable hepatitis C virus RNA during the LTFU (4.4–7.0 years after achieving SVR) in contrast to the nonresponders who demonstrated persistent viremia. IL28B CC genotype was associated with SVR (67% vs 30% in non‐CC, P = 0.028).

Conclusion:

Long‐term durability of SVR is excellent following PegIFN alfa‐2a treatment in children with chronic hepatitis C; SVR is higher in those with IL28B CC versus non‐CC.
Practice Variations in the Management of Inflammatory Bowel Disease Between Pediatric and Adult Gastroenterologists
Authors: Assa Amit , Avni Irit , Ben‐Bassat Ofer , Niv Yaron , Shamir Raanan
Published: August 2015

Background:

Different practice guidelines and consensus statements for both pediatric‐ and adult‐onset inflammatory bowel disease exist. Although variations in medical care among gastroenterologists are common, it is unknown whether there are fundamental differences between disciplines. The primary aim of the present study was to investigate differences in common practices across disciplines.

Methods:

This was a prospective, questionnaire‐based survey of gastroenterologists attending gastroenterology meetings in Israel. The questionnaire covered attitudes to medical resources, diagnostic and follow‐up measures as well as therapeutic approaches.

Results:

Overall, 120 (60%) of the approached adult gastroenterologists (AGs) and 49 (75%) pediatric gastroenterologists (PGs) completed the questionnaire. The 2 groups differed significantly in various practice areas. Pediatric patients are seen more frequently and for longer appointments. PGs tend to assess thiopurine metabolites (96% vs 47%) more often during treatment. There is a significant variation in practice between groups concerning infectious serology status and vaccinations. Methotrexate in Crohn patients is used more commonly by PGs (55% vs 22%). Long‐term combination therapy of thiopurines and anti‐tumor necrosis factorα agents is used more often by AGs. In patients with ulcerative colitis AGs use oral 5‐aminosalicylic acid once daily (51% vs 21%) and add rectal agents from the first day of treatment (72% vs 35%) more often as compared with PGs.

Conclusions:

This study demonstrates that common practices in inflammatory bowel disease patients differ significantly between adult and pediatric practitioners. These findings call for investigating the reasons for these differences and promoting strategies to diminish these gaps.
Do Distinct Functional Dyspepsia Subtypes Exist in Children?
Authors: Turco Rossella , Russo Marina , Martinelli Massimo , Castiello Rosa , Coppola Vincenzo , Miele Erasmo , Staiano Annamaria
Published: August 2015

Background and Aim:

Two different subtypes of functional dyspepsia (FD) are recognized in adults: epigastric pain syndrome (EPS) and postprandial distress syndrome (PDS). The aim of the study was to assess the presence of FD subtypes in childhood at diagnosis and to observe changes at follow‐up.

Methods:

A total of 100 patients with a diagnosis of FD based on pediatric Rome III criteria were consecutively enrolled. FD subtypes were successively classified through adult Rome III classification. Children were revaluated after 6 months of follow‐up (T1).

Results:

At T0, 17 (17%) of 100 patients were classified as EPS, whereas 47 (47%) of 100 patients fulfilled criteria for PDS. In 36 (36%) of 100 children an overlap between the 2 subtypes was identified. Nausea was significantly higher in PDS and overlap groups when compared with EPS (χ2 = 21.7, P = 0.0001; χ2 = 20.7, P = 0.0001). Headache was significantly increased in PDS and overlap groups compared with patients with EPS (χ2 = 9.8, P = 0.001; χ2 = 13.1, P = 0.0001, respectively). At T1 among children belonging to PDS group at enrolment, 9 of 47 (19.1%) changed to EPS group, and 9 of 47 (19.1%) changed to the overlap group. Five (29.4%) of 17 patients and 2 (11.8%) of 17 children diagnosed as having EPS at T0 switched to PDS and overlap group, respectively. Of the 36 patients with overlap at enrollment, 11 (30.6%) satisfied criteria for PDS, and 7 (19.4%) switched to EPS group.

Conclusions:

Two distinct FD subtypes are identifiable in pediatric population. A high percentage of overlap and a variation of subtype over time were found, suggesting a common pathophysiologic mechanism.
Solitary Hepatic Nodule Adjacent to the Right Portal Vein
Authors: Alhammad Abdullah , Kamath Binita M. , Chami Rose , Ng Vicky L. , Chavhan Govind B.
Published: August 2015

Background:

Hepatic lesions have been described in Alagille syndrome (ALGS) in isolated case reports, and most of these have been reported to be hepatocellular carcinoma.

Objectives:

The aim of the present study was to determine the frequency, imaging, and histopathologic characteristics of hepatic lesions in children with ALGS.

Methods:

Available abdominal imaging of children with ALGS was retrospectively reviewed to note the presence of any focal liver lesion, its location, and imaging characteristics. Other findings including signs of portal hypertension, portal lymph nodes, and splenic and renal abnormalities were also noted. Findings were correlated with pathology in available cases and with clinical follow‐up.

Results:

Of 55 children with clinically and/or genetically confirmed ALGS followed in the liver clinic, 39 (19 boys, 20 girls; mean age 8.9 years) with imaging available on picture archival and communication system were included in the study. Focal hepatic lesions were seen in 12 of the 39 (30%) children, solitary in 11 and multiple in 1. Ten of these children had a large nodule adjacent to the right portal vein. The median diameter of the lesions was 8.1 cm (range 5.6–9.8 cm). Magnetic resonance imaging features and pathology in available cases were suggestive of a regenerative nodule. α‐fetoprotein levels were normal in all except 1 child who had mild elevation.

Conclusions:

Combining our series and previous case reports, the presence of a large nodule adjacent to the right portal vein appears to be a common finding in ALGS. The typical location, normal α‐fetoprotein levels, and magnetic resonance imaging features with vessels coursing through the lesion can reliably differentiate this benign nodule from hepatocellular carcinoma.
Local population structure and patterns of Western Hemisphere dispersal forCoccidioides spp., the fungal cause of Valley Fever
Authors: Engelthaler David M. , Roe Chandler C. , Hepp Crystal M. , Teixeira Marcus , Driebe Elizabeth M. , Schupp James M. , Gade Lalitha , Waddell Victor , Komatsu Kenneth , Arathoon Eduardo , Logemann Heidi , Thompson George R. , Chiller Tom , Barker Bridget , Keim Paul , Litvintseva Anastastia P.
Published: August 2015

Coccidioidomycosis (or Valley Fever) is a fungal disease with high morbidity and mortality that affects tens of thousands of people each year. This infection is caused by two sibling species,Coccidioides immitisandC. posadasii, which are endemic to specific arid locales throughout the Western Hemisphere, particularly the desert southwest of the United States. Recent epidemiological and population genetic data suggest that the geographic range of coccidioidomycosis is expanding as new endemic clusters have been identified in the state of Washington, well outside of the established endemic range. The genetic mechanisms and epidemiological consequences of this expansion are unknown and require better understanding of the population structure and evolutionary history of these pathogens. Here we perform multiple phylogenetic inference and population genomics analyses of 68 new and 18 previously published genomes. The results provide evidence of substantial population structure inC. posadasiiand demonstrate presence of distinct geographic clades in central and southern Arizona as well as dispersed populations in Texas, Mexico, South America and Central America. Although a smaller number ofC. immitisstrains were included in the analyses, some evidence of phylogeographic structure was also detected in this species, which has been historically limited to California and Baja Mexico. Bayesian analyses indicated thatC. posadasiiis the more ancient of the two species and that Arizona contains the most diverse subpopulations. We propose a southern Arizona-northern Mexico origin forC. posadasiiand describe a pathway for dispersal and distribution out of this region.
Dynamical System Modeling to Simulate Donor T Cell Response to Whole Exome Sequencing-Derived Recipient Peptides Demonstrates Different Alloreactivity Potential In HLA-Matched and Mismatched Donor-Recipient Pairs
Authors: Abdul Razzaq B , Scalora A , Koparde VN , Meier J , Mahmood M , Salman S , Jameson-Lee M , Serrano M , Sheth N , Voelkner M , Kobulnicky DJ , Roberts CH , Ferreira-Gonzalez A , Manjili MH , Buck GA , Neale MC , Toor AA
Published: August 2015

Immune reconstitution kinetics and subsequent clinical outcomes in HLA matched recipients of allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT) are variable and difficult to predict. Considering SCT as a dynamical system, may allow sequence differences across the exomes of the transplant donors and recipients to be used tosimulatean alloreactive T cell response, which may allow better clinical outcome prediction. To accomplish this, whole exome sequencing was performed on 34 HLA matched SCT donor-recipient pairs (DRP), and the nucleotide sequence differences translated to peptides. The binding affinity of the peptides to the relevant HLA in each DRP was determined. The resulting array of peptide-HLA binding affinity values in each patient was considered as anoperatormodifying a hypothetical T cell repertoirevector, in which each T cell clone proliferates in accordance to the logistic equation of growth. Using an iterating system of matrices, each simulated T cell clone’s growth was calculated with the steady state population being proportional to the magnitude of the binding affinity of the driving HLA-peptide complex. Incorporating competition between T cell clones responding to different HLA-peptide complexes reproduces a number of features of clinically observed T cell clonal repertoire in the simulated repertoire. These include, sigmoidal growth kinetics of individual T cell clones and overall repertoire, Power Law clonal frequency distribution, increase in repertoire complexity over time with increasing clonal diversity and finally, alteration of clonal dominance when a different antigen array is encountered, such as in stem cell transplantation. The simulated, alloreactive T cell repertoire was markedly different in HLA matched DRP. The patterns were differentiated by rate of growth, and steady state magnitude of the simulated T cell repertoire and demonstrate a possible correlation with survival. In conclusion, exome wide sequence differences in DRP may allow simulation of donor alloreactive T cell response to recipient antigens and may provide a quantitative basis for refining donor selection and titration of immunosuppression following SCT.
CG methylation covaries with differential gene expression between leaf and floral bud tissues ofBrachypodium distachyon
Authors: Roessler Kyria , Takuno Shohei , Gaut Brandon S.
Published: August 2015

DNA methylation has the potential to influence plant growth and development through its influence on gene expression. To date, however, the evidence from plant systems is mixed as to whether patterns of DNA methylation vary significantly among tissues and, if so, whether these differences affect tissue-specific gene expression. To address these questions, we analyzed both bisulfite sequence (BSseq) and transcriptomic sequence data from three biological replicates of two tissues (leaf and floral bud) from the model grass speciesBrachypodium distachyon.Our first goal was to determine whether tissues were more differentiated in DNA methylation than explained by variation among biological replicates. Tissues were more differentiated than biological replicates, but the analysis of replicated data revealed high (>50%) false positive rates for the inference of differentially methylated sites (DMSs) and differentially methylated regions (DMRs). Comparing methylation to gene expression, we found that differential CG methylation consistently covaried negatively with gene expression, regardless as to whether methylation was within genes, within their promoters or even within their closest transposable element. The relationship between gene expression and either CHG or CHH methylation was less consistent. In total, CG methylation in promoters explained 9% of the variation in tissue-specific expression across genes, suggesting that CG methylation is a minor but appreciable factor in tissue differentiation.
Service provider barriers to treatment and care for people with mental health and alcohol and other drug comorbidity in a metropolitan region of South Australia
Authors: de Crespigny Charlotte , Grønkjær Mette , Liu Dennis , Moss John , Cairney Imelda , Procter Nicholas , Posselt Miriam , Francis Jebaraj Hepsibah Sharmil , Schultz Tim , Banders Andris , King Rosie , Lee Deb , Galletly Cherrie
Published: August 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to elicit clinicians’ and workers’ knowledge, experiences and opinions of key issues pertaining to comorbidity service needs of people aged 12 years and over in a metropolitan region of South Australia.

Design/methodology/approach

– As one component of a participatory action research project, this qualitative study used semi-structured interviews with mental health (MH) and alcohol and other drug (AOD) clinicians and workers (n=20).

Findings

– The participants expressed concerns involving stigma towards their clients. They highlighted lack of adequate MH and AOD comorbidity service accessibility and models, regularly available clinical comorbidity workforce development, and practice supervision and skills training. These factors influenced participants’ and their colleagues’ capacity and ability to access and provide appropriate help for people needing integrated treatment and care of their co-existing comorbid conditions.

Practical implications

– Findings highlight the need for coordinated and integrated, individualised holistic comorbidity services, including treatment and care best suited to Aboriginal people and refugees.

Originality/value

– This study emphasises the importance of government and non-government MH and AOD services ensuring that comorbidity is responded to collaboratively and systemically. It also demonstrates the importance of professional development.
You never know what’s around the next corner: exploring practitioners ' hope inspiring practices
Authors: Sælør Knut Tore , Ness Ottar , Borg Marit , Biong Stian
Published: August 2015

Purpose

– Hope is regarded central to recovery in a broad range of health conditions including mental health and substance use problems. Still the phenomenon, along with its implications to research and practice, has gained limited attention. The purpose of this paper is to explore first-person accounts of how practitioners nurture and inspire hope.

Design/methodology/approach

– This qualitative study is part of a larger action research project. Data were collected using in-depth interviews with eight participants. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed applying thematic analysis.

Findings

– Hope was perceived as a central phenomenon to practitioners within mental health and substance use services. The following overarching themes were identified through thematic analysis: “Believing in oneself and others,” “Seeing and acknowledging opportunities” and “maneuvering towards hope.”

Research limitations/implications

– It seems that there is a need for extending knowledge in how practitioners may inspire hope. In addition there seems to be a need for developing more knowledge on how practitioners’ own hope may be nurtured within a system that is constantly undergoing change and new demands.

Practical implications

– Participants considered their own hope as a prerequisite in being able to hope on behalf of others and strategies for inspiring hope were presented on both an individual and system level. Working conditions and challenges within the service system in itself entailed challenges, which at times made nurturing hope difficult. Systems need to embrace flexibility and openness, allowing efforts aimed at inspiring hope to be made. In addition, practitioner’s own hope and the importance of nurturing it, needs to be acknowledged within services. Hope needs to be viewed as a joint venture, in context and in relation to others.

Originality/value

– The paper contributes to the knowledge base on hope inspiring practices within a field sometimes associated with challenges and despair. It points out some important preconditions in relation to the challenges practitioners might encounter, both on an individual level and in relation to the service systemper se.
Cannabis psychosis, gender matters
Authors: Hamilton Ian , Galdas Paul , Essex Holly
Published: August 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to draw together key literature and analyses of data on admissions for cannabis psychosis in National Health Service hospitals in England (extracted from Hospital Episode Statistics (HES)) to highlight what is known about gender differences in cannabis psychosis and point towards suggestions for improving gender-sensitive treatment and future research.

Design/methodology/approach

– Analysis of British Crime Survey data and HES data were used in combination with data from previously published epidemiological studies to compare gender differences.

Findings

– Male cannabis users outnumber female users by 2:1, a similar gender ratio is found for those admitted to hospital with a diagnosis of schizophrenia or psychosis. However this ratio increases significantly for those admitted to hospital with a diagnosis of cannabis psychosis, with males outnumbering females by 4:1.

Research limitations/implications

– Consistent patterns in gender ratios for people admitted to hospital with cannabis psychosis over a period of 11 years are reported, it is not clear why this gender difference persists but it warrants further investigation which would be aided by improved gender recording at a systemic level.

Practical implications

– This review brings into focus the marked gender differences in cannabis psychosis. Attending to gender is important for research and treatment with the aim of improving understanding and providing gender-sensitive services.

Originality/value

– This paper adds to the literature on gender differences in cannabis psychosis.
An efficient clustering algorithm for wireless sensor networks
Authors: Alnuaimi Mariam , Shuaib Khaled , Alnuaimi Klaithem , Abed-Hafez Mohammed
Published: August 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to propose a new node energy-efficient algorithm with energy threshold to replace cluster heads. The proposed algorithm uses node ranking to elect cluster heads based on energy levels and positions of the nodes in reference to the base station (BS) used as a sink for gathered information. Because the BS calculates the number of rounds a cluster head can remain for as a cluster head in advance, this reduces the amount of energy wasted on replacing cluster heads each round which is the case in most existing algorithms, thus prolonging the network lifetime. In addition, a hybrid redundant nodes duty cycle is used for nodes to take turn in covering the monitored area is shown to improve the performance further.

Design/methodology/approach

– Authors designed and implemented the proposed algorithm in MATLAB. The performance of the proposed algorithm was compared to other well-known algorithms using different evaluation metrics. The performance of the proposed algorithm was enhanced over existing ones by incorporating different mechanisms such as the use of an energy-based threshold value to replace CHs and the use of a hybrid duty-cycle on nodes.

Findings

– Through simulation, the authors showed how the proposed algorithm outperformed PEGASIS by 15 per cent and LEACH by almost 70 per cent for the network life-time criterion. They found that using a fixed pre-defined energy threshold to replace CHs improved the network lifetime by almost 15 per cent. They also found that the network lifetime can be further improved by almost 7 per cent when incorporating a variable energy threshold instead of a fixed value. In addition to that, using hybrid-redundant nodes duty-cycle has improved the network lifetime by an additional 8 per cent.

Originality/value

– The authors proposed an energy-efficient clustering algorithm for WSNs using node ranking in electing CHs and energy threshold to replace CHs instead of being replaced every round.
Managerial decision making under specific emotions
Authors: Bachkirov Alexandre A.
Published: August 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate decision-processing effects of incidental emotions in managerial decision-making situations.

Design/methodology/approach

– A complex multi-attribute, multi-alternative decision task related to international human resources management is used as a research vehicle. The data are obtained by means of an electronic information board.

Findings

– Happiness and anger cause the decision maker to process less decision-relevant information, whereas fear activates more detail-oriented processing. The results are explained within the valence model and cognitive-appraisal framework.

Research limitations/implications

– A boundary condition of the study is the level of induced emotions. Processing effects of extremely high levels of emotions are not examined, which necessarily limits the generalizability of the findings. Also, the experiment focusses on the decision-processing effects of single isolated emotions extracted by manipulations; future research needs to examine decision-making implications of an entire emotion episode, which is likely to contain emotion mixtures.

Practical implications

– For managers, this study demonstrates the importance of being mindful of how incidental emotional states can bias choice processing in complex managerial decisions.

Originality/value

– This study extends earlier organizational research by focussing on decision-making consequences of emotion, rather than those of mood or stress. It brings together research on incidental emotions and process-tracing methodologies, thereby allowing for more direct assessment of the observed effects. Decision-processing consequences of emotion are shown to persist throughout a content-rich managerial decision task without being neutralized by an intensive cognitive engagement.
eMaintenance ontologies for data quality support
Authors: Aljumaili Mustafa , Wandt Karina , Karim Ramin , Tretten Phillip
Published: August 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore the main ontologies related to eMaintenance solutions and to study their application area. The advantages of using these ontologies to improve and control data quality will be investigated.

Design/methodology/approach

– A literature study has been done to explore the eMaintenance ontologies in the different areas. These ontologies are mainly related to content structure and communication interface. Then, ontologies will be linked to each step of the data production process in maintenance.

Findings

– The findings suggest that eMaintenance ontologies can help to produce a high-quality data in maintenance. The suggested maintenance data production process may help to control data quality. Using these ontologies in every step of the process may help to provide management tools to provide high-quality data.

Research limitations/implications

– Based on this study, it can be concluded that further research could broaden the investigation to identify more eMaintenance ontologies. Moreover, studying these ontologies in more technical details may help to increase the understandability and the use of these standards.

Practical implications

– It has been concluded in this study that applying eMaintenance ontologies by companies needs additional cost and time. Also the lack or the ineffective use of eMaintenance tools in many enterprises is one of the limitations for using these ontologies.

Originality/value

– Investigating eMaintenance ontologies and connecting them to maintenance data production is important to control and manage the data quality in maintenance.
Phase III clinical study of maxacalcitol ointment in patients with palmoplantar pustulosis: A randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled trial
Authors: Umezawa Yoshinori , Nakagawa Hidemi , Tamaki Kunihiko
Published: August 2015

Palmoplantar pustulosis (PPP) often shows resistance to treatment. Vitamin D3 analog (VitD3) has been widely used for the treatment of psoriasis, however, the efficacy and safety of topical VitD3 treatment of PPP are not fully confirmed. Maxacalcitol topical ointment (22‐oxacalcitriol [OCT]) was applied twice daily for 8 weeks. Evaluation of efficacy was based on scored skin findings for three main symptoms (erythema, pustules/vesicles and keratinization/scales). The primary and secondary end‐points were the total and symptom‐specific scores of skin findings, respectively. A total of 188 patients with moderate or severe PPP were enrolled in the study and were randomized into either the OCT group (n = 95) or placebo group (n = 93). The total scores (mean ± standard error) of skin findings at the last observation adjusting for those on day 1 were 5.0 ± 0.20 in the OCT group and 6.9 ± 0.20 in the placebo group. There was a significant decrease in the total score of skin findings in the OCT group compared with the placebo group (P < 0.0001). In particular, the score of pustules/vesicles drastically decreased in the OCT group. In terms of safety, the incidence of adverse reactions in the OCT and placebo groups were 11.6% and 9.7%, respectively. These results indicate that OCT is effective and highly safe in the management of PPP. Topical OCT treatment was found to show a potent action on pustules/vesicles thereby contributing to the cure of PPP.
Analysis of laboratory data on ultrasonic monitoring of permeability reduction due to biopolymer formation in unconsolidated granular media
Authors: Berryman J.G. , Kwon T.‐H. , Dou S. , Ajo‐Franklin J.B. , Hubbard S.S.
Published: August 2015

We show how to estimate the fluid permeability changes due to accumulated biopolymer within the pore space of a granular material using laboratory measurements of overall permeability, together with various well‐known quantitative measures (e.g., porosity, specific surface area, and formation factor) of the granular medium microstructure. The main focus of the paper is on mutual validation of existing theory and a synthesis of new experimental results. We find that the theory and data are in good agreement within normal experimental uncertainties. We also establish quantitative empirical relationships between seismic and/or acoustic attenuation and overall permeability for these same systems.
Contrasting responses of male and female foraging effort to year‐round wind conditions
Authors: Lewis Sue , Phillips Richard A. , Burthe Sarah J. , Wanless Sarah , Daunt Francis
Published: August 2015

There is growing interest in the effects of wind on wild animals, given evidence that wind speeds are increasing and becoming more variable in some regions, particularly at temperate latitudes. Wind may alter movement patterns or foraging ability, with consequences for energy budgets and, ultimately, demographic rates.

These effects are expected to vary among individuals due to intrinsic factors such as sex, age or feeding proficiency. Furthermore, this variation is predicted to become more marked as wind conditions deteriorate, which may have profound consequences for population dynamics as the climate changes. However, the interaction between wind and intrinsic effects has not been comprehensively tested.

In many species, in particular those showing sexual size dimorphism, males and females vary in foraging performance. Here, we undertook year‐round deployments of data loggers to test for interactions between sex and wind speed and direction on foraging effort in adult European shags Phalacrocorax aristotelis, a pursuit‐diving seabird in which males are c. 18% heavier.

We found that foraging time was lower at high wind speeds but higher during easterly (onshore) winds. Furthermore, there was an interaction between sex and wind conditions on foraging effort, such that females foraged for longer than males when winds were of greater strength (9% difference at high wind speeds vs. 1% at low wind speeds) and when winds were easterly compared with westerly (7% and 4% difference, respectively).

The results supported our prediction that sex‐specific differences in foraging effort would become more marked as wind conditions worsen. Since foraging time is linked to demographic rates in this species, our findings are likely to have important consequences for population dynamics by amplifying sex‐specific differences in survival rates.
Understanding snacking through a practice theory lens
Authors: Twine Richard
Published: August 2015

This article approaches snacking from a practice theory perspective in order to understand how this reframing may afford new insights. In doing so it also contributes to sociological thinking on eating practices and their reproduction as well as reflecting upon the ontological assertions of practice theory and its theory of social change. In particular this article argues that the re‐conceptualisation serves to clarify a sociological research agenda for eating practices associated with snacking. It is argued that setting snacking within routine temporalities and spatialities and as bound up in the recursivity between practices and relations is especially important for thinking about snacking sociologically. In common with applications of practice theory in the field of sustainability transitions the aim is to move beyond individualistic assumptions of behaviour change and instead situate snacking as an eating practice with health implications that has emerged within the social, temporal, economic and cultural organisation of everyday life.
Evaluating estimators of species richness: the importance of considering statistical error rates
Authors: Gwinn Daniel C. , Allen Michael S. , Bonvechio Kimberly I. , V. Hoyer Mark , Beesley Leah S.
Published: August 2015

The performance of species richness estimators can be highly variable. Evaluating the accuracy and precision of different estimators for different assemblages is common in the ecological literature, but estimator performance is rarely measured in terms of research goals such as detecting patterns in diversity.

We evaluated the efficacy of nonparametric richness estimators to detect changes (i.e. type‐I and type‐II error rates) in species richness using two experimental designs: a block design and a trend analysis. We also evaluated estimator efficacy across a variety of species‐abundance distributions, species number and sample sizes. The evaluation was performed using simulated data that mimicked the qualities of real data to ensure real‐world relevance.

We found that the bias and precision of all estimators evaluated had high sensitivity to sample size and shifts in the species‐abundance distribution. Importantly, all estimators demonstrated elevated type‐I error rates when the species‐abundance distribution varied. These inflated type‐I error rates resulted in spurious conclusions about patterns in species richness.

Results suggest that caution should be taken when using nonparametric estimators to detect pattern in species richness. Furthermore, estimator evaluations should always include measures of type‐I and type‐II error rates. These quantities can reveal the inference consequences of the dependency of estimator bias and precision on community and sampling characteristics.
Ethanol drives aversive conditioning through dopamine 1 receptor and glutamate receptor‐mediated activation of lateral habenula neurons
Authors: Zuo Wanhong , Fu Rao , Hopf Frederic Woodward , Xie Guiqin , Krnjević Kresimir , Li Jing , Ye Jiang‐Hong
Published: August 2015

There has been increasing interest in the lateral habenula (LHb) given its potent regulatory role in many aversion‐related behaviors. Interestingly, ethanol can be rewarding as well as aversive; we therefore investigated whether ethanol exposure alters pacemaker firing or glutamate receptor signaling in LHb neurons in vitro and also whether LHb activity in vivo might contribute to the acquisition of conditioned place aversion to ethanol. Surprisingly, in epithalamic slices, low doses of ethanol (1.4 mM) strongly accelerated LHb neuron firing (by ~60%), and ethanol's effects were much reduced by blocking glutamate receptors. Ethanol increased presynaptic glutamate release, and about half of this effect was mediated by dopamine subtype 1 receptors (D1Rs) and cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP)‐dependent signaling pathways. In agreement with these findings, c‐Fos immunoreactivity in LHb regions was enhanced after a single administration of a low dose of ethanol (0.25 g/kg i.p.). Importantly, the same dose of ethanol in vivo also produced strong conditioned place aversion, and this was prevented by inhibiting D1Rs or neuronal activity within the LHb. By contrast, a higher dose (2 g/kg) led to ethanol conditioned place preference, which was enhanced by inhibiting neuronal activity or D1Rs within the LHb and suppressed by infusing aminomethylphosphonic acid or the D1R agonist SKF38393 within the LHb. Our in vitro and in vivo observations show, for the first time, that ethanol increases LHb excitation, mediated by D1R and glutamate receptors, and may underlie a LHb aversive signal that contributes to ethanol‐related aversion.
Relating off‐premises alcohol outlet density to intentional and unintentional injuries
Authors: Morrison Christopher , Smith Karen , Gruenewald Paul J. , Ponicki William R. , Lee Juliet P. , Cameron Peter
Published: August 2015

Aims

This study investigated the hypotheses that (i) intentional and unintentional injuries occur more frequently in areas with greater density of off‐premises alcohol outlets; and (ii) larger and chain outlets selling cheaper alcohol contribute more substantially to injury risk than smaller and independent outlets.

Design

Ecological cross‐sectional.

Setting

From the 256 Statistical Area level 2 (SA2) census units in Melbourne, Australia, we selected a random sample of 62 units. There were 2119 Statistical Area level 1 (SA1) units nested within the selected SA2 units.

Participants

The selected units contained 295 off‐premises outlets.

Measurements

Two independent observers conducted premises assessments in all off‐premises outlets, assessing the volume of alcohol available for sale (paces of shelf space), price (least wine price) and other operating characteristics (chain versus independent, drive‐through). Outlet counts, assessed outlet characteristics and other area characteristics (population density, median age, median income, retail zoning) were aggregated within SA1 units. Dependent variables were counts of ambulance attended intentional injuries (assaults, stabbings, shootings) and unintentional injuries (falls, crush injuries and object strikes).

Findings

In univariable analyses, chain outlets were larger (r = 0.383; P < 0.001) and sold cheaper alcohol (r = −0.484; P < 0.001) compared with independent outlets. In Bayesian spatial Poisson models, off‐premises outlet density was positively related to both intentional [incidence rate ratio (IRR) = 1.38; 95% credible interval (CI) = 1.19, 1.60] and unintentional injuries (IRR = 1.18; 95% CI = 1.06, 1.30). After disaggregation by outlet characteristics, chain outlet density was also related to both intentional (IRR = 1.35; 95% CI = 1.11, 1.64) and unintentional injuries (IRR = 1.20; 95% CI = 1.08, 1.38).

Conclusions

Greater off‐premises outlet density is related to greater incidence of traumatic injury, and chain outlets appear to contribute most substantially to traumatic injury risk.
Sodium channel haploinsufficiency and structural change in ventricular arrhythmogenesis
Authors: Jeevaratnam K. , Guzadhur L. , Goh Y. M. , Grace A. A. , Huang C. L.‐H.
Published: August 2015

Normal cardiac excitation involves orderly conduction of electrical activation and recovery dependent upon surface membrane, voltage‐gated, sodium (Na+) channel α‐subunits (Nav1.5). We summarize experimental studies of physiological and clinical consequences of loss‐of‐function Na+ channel mutations. Of these conditions, Brugada syndrome (BrS) and progressive cardiac conduction defect (PCCD) are associated with sudden, often fatal, ventricular tachycardia (VT) or fibrillation. Mouse Scn5a+/− hearts replicate important clinical phenotypes modelling these human conditions. The arrhythmic phenotype is associated not only with the primary biophysical change but also with additional, anatomical abnormalities, in turn dependent upon age and sex, each themselves exerting arrhythmic effects. Available evidence suggests a unified binary scheme for the development of arrhythmia in both BrS and PCCD. Previous biophysical studies suggested that Nav1.5 deficiency produces a background electrophysiological defect compromising conduction, thereby producing an arrhythmic substrate unmasked by flecainide or ajmaline challenge. More recent reports further suggest a progressive decline in conduction velocity and increase in its dispersion particularly in ageing male Nav1.5 haploinsufficient compared to WT hearts. This appears to involve a selective appearance of slow conduction at the expense of rapidly conducting pathways with changes in their frequency distributions. These changes were related to increased cardiac fibrosis. It is thus the combination of the structural and biophysical changes both accentuating arrhythmic substrate that may produce arrhythmic tendency. This binary scheme explains the combined requirement for separate, biophysical and structural changes, particularly occurring in ageing Nav1.5 haploinsufficient males in producing clinical arrhythmia.
Chronic intermittent toluene inhalation in adolescent rats results in metabolic dysfunction with altered glucose homeostasis
Authors: Dick A L W , Simpson A , Qama A , Andrews Z , Lawrence A J , Duncan J R
Published: August 2015

Background and Purpose

Abuse of toluene‐containing inhalants is an increasing public health problem, especially among adolescents. Abuse during adolescence is associated with emaciation, while industrial exposure leads to altered glycaemic control suggesting metabolic instability. However, the relationship between adolescent inhalant abuse and metabolic dysfunction remains unknown.

Experimental Approach

To model human abuse patterns, we exposed male adolescent Wistar rats [postnatal day (PND) 27] to chronic intermittent inhaled toluene (CIT, 10 000 ppm) or air (control) for 1 h·day−1, three times a week for 4 weeks. Feeding and body composition were monitored. After 4 weeks, circulating metabolic hormone concentrations and responses to a glucose tolerance test (GTT) were measured. Dietary preference was measured by giving animals access to either a ‘western diet’ plus standard chow (WC + SC) or standard chow alone during 4 weeks of abstinence. Metabolic hormones and GTT were subsequently measured.

Key Results

Adolescent CIT exposure significantly retarded weight gain, altered body composition, circulating metabolic hormones and responses to a GTT. While reduced body weight persisted, responses to a GTT and circulating hormones appeared to normalize for animals on standard chow following abstinence. In CIT‐exposed WC + SC rats, we observed impaired glucose tolerance associated with altered metabolic hormones. Analysis of hypothalamic genes revealed differential expression profiles in CIT‐exposed rats following both the exposure period and abstinence, suggesting a central contribution to inhalant‐induced metabolic dysfunction.

Conclusion and Implications

CIT exposure during adolescence has long‐term effects on metabolic function, which may increase the risk of disorders related to energy balance and glycaemic control.
24‐Month‐Old Children With Larger Oral Vocabularies Display Greater Academic and Behavioral Functioning at Kindergarten Entry
Authors: Morgan Paul L. , Farkas George , Hillemeier Marianne M. , Hammer Carol Scheffner , Maczuga Steve
Published: August 2015

Data were analyzed from a population‐based, longitudinal sample of 8,650 U.S. children to (a) identify factors associated with or predictive of oral vocabulary size at 24 months of age and (b) evaluate whether oral vocabulary size is uniquely predictive of academic and behavioral functioning at kindergarten entry. Children from higher socioeconomic status households, females, and those experiencing higher quality parenting had larger oral vocabularies. Children born with very low birth weight or from households where the mother had health problems had smaller oral vocabularies. Even after extensive covariate adjustment, 24‐month‐old children with larger oral vocabularies displayed greater reading and mathematics achievement, increased behavioral self‐regulation, and fewer externalizing and internalizing problem behaviors at kindergarten entry.
Sclerosteosis caused by a novel nonsense mutation of SOST in a consanguineous family
Authors: He Wen‐Tao , Chen Chen , Pan Chu , Zhang Mu‐Xun , Yu Xue‐Feng , Wang Dao‐Wen , Hu Shu‐Hong
Published: August 2015

Sclerosteosis, characterized by the hyperostosis of cranial and tubular bones, is a rare autosomal recessive hereditary disorder caused by mutation of SOST gene. Four nonsense mutations of SOST have been identified worldwide. Here, we report two affected siblings who carried a novel nonsense mutation of SOST in a consanguineous family from China. The proband manifested typical symptoms of sclerosteosis, whereas the symptoms were absent in another affected sibling. Two nucleotide substitutions in exon 2 of SOST were identified, c.444_445TC>AA, resulting in a premature stop codon, p.Cys148→Stop. This truncated mutation loses 66 amino acid residues which contain 3 cysteine residues of the cysteine‐knot motif, leading to loss of function of SOST. The symptoms of sclerosteosis may be clinically heterogeneous in some patients, even with the same mutation. Our results support the notion that founder effects from the ancestors contribute to the disease onset.
Genetic evaluation of patients with Alström syndrome in the Polish population
Authors: Zmyslowska A. , Borowiec M. , Antosik K. , Ploski R. , Ciechanowska M. , Iwaniszewska B. , Jakubiuk‐Tomaszuk A. , Janczyk W. , Krawczynski M. , Salmonowicz B. , Stelmach M. , Mlynarski W.
Published: August 2015

Alström syndrome (AS) is a rare syndromic form of obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2D) in children coexisting with retinal dystrophy and disorders of many organs caused by the mutations in ALMS1 gene. Aim of this study was to identify the causative mutations in ALMS1 in a group of 12 patients of Polish origin with clinical symptoms of AS, and their 21 first‐degree relatives. Using DNA sequencing, nine different mutations including three novel were identified. These mutations were not present in 212 Polish individuals with no symptoms of AS, subjected to whole‐exome sequencing and collected in a national registry. Looking for genotype–phenotype relationships, we confirmed a severe phenotype in a boy with homozygous mutation in exon 16, and a relationship between a presence of T2D and mutations in exon 19. Evaluation of the type of mutation and its clinical effects gives hope for earlier diagnosis of AS in future patients and more advanced therapeutic approaches for patients with already diagnosed AS.
Impact of co‐existent thyroiditis on clinical outcome in papillary thyroid carcinoma with high preoperative serum antithyroglobulin antibody: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Nam H.‐Y. , Lee H.Y. , Park G.C.
Published: August 2015

Objectives

The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of co‐existent chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis (CLT) on changes in serum antithyroglobulin antibody (TgAb) and clinical outcome in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) patients with high preoperative serum TgAb.

Design

A retrospective cohort study.

Setting

University teaching hospital.

Participants

Thirty‐seven PTC patients with high preoperative serum TgAb level (≥100 U/mL) were evaluated. All patients underwent total thyroidectomy followed by high‐dose I‐131 ablation.

Main outcome measures

Per cent changes of TgAb between pre‐treatment and post‐treatment, and disease‐free survival were calculated.

Results

Twenty‐two patients (59.5%) had co‐existent CLT, and seven had residual/recurrent tumours. There was a higher proportion of females among the patients with CLT compared to those without CLT (95.5% versus 66.7%; P = 0.0306). There were trends towards more aggressive pathologies, such as tumour size, extrathyroidal extension, surgical margin and lymph node stage, in PTC without CLT than in that with co‐existent CLT. Pre‐treatment and post‐treatment TgAb were all higher in PTC with co‐existent CLT. But, per cent changes of TgAb between pre‐treatment and post‐treatment were no significant difference between PTC with and without CLT (P < 0.05). Patients with co‐existent CLT showed a significantly lower residual/recurrent tumour rate than those without CLT (4.5% versus 40%; P = 0.0113).

Conclusion

Residual/recurrent tumour rate was lower in PTC patients with co‐existent CLT than in those without CLT.
Primary cutaneous follicular helper T‐cell lymphoma
Authors: Santonja Carlos , Soto Carlos , Manso Rebeca , Requena Luis , Piris Miguel Angel , Rodríguez‐Pinilla Socorro María
Published: August 2015

Follicular helper T‐cells (TFH) represent a specific subset of CD4‐positive helper T‐cells that help B‐cells to differentiate into long‐lived antibody‐secreting plasma cells or memory B‐cells. The expression of TFH markers in neoplastic T‐cells, traditionally related to the angioimmunoblastic (AITL) subgroup of peripheral T‐cell lymphomas, is nowadays well‐known to be more widespread than previously thought. We report hereby a case of cutaneous T‐cell lymphoma in a 75‐year‐old woman, whose morphological and immunophenotypical features raises the differential diagnosis between cutaneous involvement by AITL and the recently described primary cutaneous T‐cell lymphoma with follicular helper‐phenotype.