bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Motor learning in real-world pool billiards
Authors: Haar Shlomi , van Assel Camille M. , Faisal A. Aldo
Published: April 2019

The neurobehavioral mechanisms of human motor-control and learning evolved in free behaving, real-life settings, yet this is studied mostly in reductionistic lab-based experiments. Here we take a step towards a more real-world motor neuroscience using wearables for naturalistic full-body motion-tracking and the sports of pool billiards to frame a real-world skill learning experiment. First, we asked if well-known features of motor learning in lab-based experiments generalize to a real-world task. We found similarities in many features such as multiple learning rates, and the relationship between task-related variability and motor learning. Our data-driven approach reveals the structure and complexity of movement, variability, and motor-learning, enabling an in-depth understanding of the structure of motor learning in three ways: First, while expecting most of the movement learning is done by the cue-wielding arm, we find that motor-learning affects the whole body, changing motor-control from head to toe. Second, during learning, all subjects decreased their movement variability and their variability in the outcome. Subjects who were initially more variable were also more variable after learning. Lastly, when screening the link across subjects between initial variability in individual joints and learning, we found that only the initial variability in the right forearm supination shows a significant correlation to the subjects’ learning rates. This is in-line with the relationship between learning and variability: while learning leads to an overall reduction in movement variability, only initial variability in specific task-relevant dimensions can facilitate faster learning.
Hello, is that me you are looking for? A re-examination of the role of the DMN in off-task thought
Authors: Murphy Charlotte , Poerio Giulia , Sormaz Mladen , Wang Hao-Ting , Vatansever Deniz , Allen Micah , Margulies Daniel S. , Jefferies Elizabeth , Smallwood Jonathan
Published: April 2019

Neural activity within the default mode network (DMN) is widely assumed to relate to processing during off-task states, however it remains unclear whether this association emerges from a shared role in self or social cognition. In the current study, we examine the possibility that the role of the DMN in ongoing thought emerges from contributions to specific features of off-task experience such as self-relevant or social content. A group of participants described their experiences while performing a laboratory task over a period of days. In a different session, neural activity was measured while participants performed self/other judgements. Despite the prominence of social and personal content in off-task reports, there was no association with neural activity during off-task trait adjective judgements. Instead, during both self and other judgements we found recruitment of caudal posterior cingulate cortex - a core DMN hub - was above baseline for individuals whose laboratory experiences were characterised as detailed. These data provide little support for a role of the DMN in self or other content in the off-task state and instead suggest a role in how on-going thought is represented.
Institutional and economic determinants of corporate social responsibility disclosure by banks
Authors: Oliveira Jonas da Silva , Azevedo Graça Maria do Carmo , Silva Maria José Pires Carvalho
Published: April 2019

Purpose

This study aims to explore the firm’s and country-level institutional forces that determine banks’ CSR reporting diversity, during the recent global financial crisis.

Design/methodology/approach

Specifically, this study assesses whether economic and institutional conditions explain CSR disclosure strategies used by 30 listed and unlisted banks from six countries in the context of the recent 2007/2008 global financial crisis. The annual reports and social responsibility reports of the largest banks in Canada, the UK, France, Italy, Spain and Portugal were content analyzed.

Findings

The findings suggest that economic factors do not influence CSR disclosure. Institutional factors associated with the legal environment, industry self-regulation and the organization’s commitments in maintaining a dialogue with relevant stakeholders are crucial elements in explaining CSR reporting. Consistent with the Dillard etal.’s (2004) model, CSR disclosure by banks not only stems from institutional legitimacy processes, but also from strategic ones.

Practical implications

The findings highlight the importance of CSR regulation to properly monitor manager’s’ opportunistic use of CSR information and regulate the assurance activities (regarding standards, their profession or even the scope of assurance) to guarantee the proper credibility reliability of CSR information.

Originality/value

The study makes two major contributions. First, it extends and modifies the model used by Chihet al.(2010). Second, drawn on the new institutional sociology, this study develops a theoretical framework that combines the multilevel model of the dynamic process of institutionalization, transposition and deinstitutionalization of organizational practices developed by Dillardet al.(2004) with Campbell’s (2007) theoretical framework of socially responsible behavior. This theoretical framework incorporates a more inclusive social context, aligned with a more comprehensive sociology-based institutional theory (Dillardet al., 2004; Campbell, 2007), which has never been used in the CSR reporting literature hitherto.
Young carers in England: Findings from the 2018 BBC survey on the prevalence and nature of caring among young people
Authors: Joseph Stephen , Kendall Claire , Toher Deirdre , Sempik Joe , Holland Jennifer , Becker Saul
Published: April 2019

Background

Many young people are involved in caring for parents, siblings, or other relatives who have an illness or disability. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of caring by young people in England.

Method

A national survey of 925 English young people was conducted using the 18‐item survey version of the Multidimensional Assessment of Caring Activities Checklist for Young Carers.

Results

Around 7% of young people were identified as doing at least a high amount of caring activity and 3% a very high amount. Most frequently, caring by a young person is for a mother or a sibling, with a physical disability. Caring activity consisted mostly of domestic activities, household management, and emotional care.

Conclusion

This study provides the most up to date and methodologically sophisticated survey data on the prevalence of young caring in England, with implications for policy and practice.
Treatment in childhood central nervous system demyelinating disorders
Authors: Konuskan Bahadir , Anlar Banu
Published: April 2019

The last two decades witnessed significant advances in the treatment of acquired demyelinating disorders: thirteen new agents have been approved for the treatment of multiple sclerosis in adults by the European Medicines Agency and US Food and Drug Administration in the last twenty years. Although the long‐term efficacy and safety profiles of some new drugs are still being assessed in paediatric MS, clinicians may have to use them in the management of paediatric onset MS resistant to first‐line medications, based on results obtained in adult‐onset disease. This review summarizes the current approach to treatment in children with demyelinating syndromes.

What this paper adds

Serological markers affect management in paediatric demyelinating diseases.

Antibodies against aquaporin‐4 and myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein should be tested in children with acute demyelinating disease.

New therapeutic agents currently in trial for pediatric disease should be used with close follow‐up.
Zelda and the maternal‐to‐zygotic transition in cockroaches
Authors: Ventos‐Alfonso Alba , Ylla Guillem , Belles Xavier
Published: April 2019

In the endopterygote Drosophila melanogaster, Zelda is an activator of the zygotic genome during the maternal‐to‐zygotic transition (MZT). Zelda binds cis‐regulatory elements (TAGteam heptamers), making chromatin accessible for gene transcription. Zelda has been studied in other endopterygotes: Apis mellifera and Tribolium castaneum, and the paraneopteran Rhodnius prolixus. We studied Zelda in the cockroach Blattella germanica, a hemimetabolan, short germ‐band, and polyneopteran species. B. germanica Zelda has the complete set of functional domains, which is typical of species displaying ancestral features concerning embryogenesis. Interestingly, we found D. melanogaster TAGteam heptamers in the B. germanica genome. The canonical one, CAGGTAG, is present at a similar proportion in the genome of these two species and in the genome of other insects, suggesting that the genome admits as many CAGGTAG motifs as its length allows. Zelda‐depleted embryos of B. germanica show defects involving blastoderm formation and abdomen development, and genes contributing to these processes are down‐regulated. We conclude that in B. germanica, Zelda strictly activates the zygotic genome, within the MZT, a role conserved in more derived endopterygote insects. In B. germanica, zelda is expressed during MZT, whereas in D. melanogaster and T. castaneum it is expressed beyond this transition. In these species and A. mellifera, Zelda has functions even in postembryonic development. The expansion of zelda expression beyond the MZT in endopterygotes might be related with the evolutionary innovation of holometabolan metamorphosis.

Databases

The RNA‐seq datasets of B. germanica, D. melanogaster, and T. castaneum are accessible at the GEO databases GSE99785, GSE18068, GSE63770, and GSE84253. In addition, the RNA‐seq library from T. castaneum adult females is available at SRA: SRX021963. The B. germanica reference genome is available as BioProject PRJNA203136.
Progressive failure of brittle rocks with non‐isometric flaws: Insights from acousto‐optic‐mechanical (AOM) data
Authors: Zhang Jian‐Zhi , Zhou Xiao‐Ping , Zhou Lun‐Shi , Berto Filippo
Published: April 2019

Uniaxial compression tests combined with nondestructive testing techniques are performed to explore the roles of non‐isometric flaws in crack developments in brittle rocks. The acoustic emission (AE) rate‐process theory is adopted to analyze fracture‐related AE event rate characteristics. The full‐field optical method is applied to detect cracking modes. Experimental results show that AE activity is quite active when the matrix microcracking is dominant, while after each macrocracking event, AE activity becomes inactive because of the stress release. Multiphysical data for each tested flaw configuration faithfully confirm the rupture progressivity. The larger the flaw length ratio, the lower the peak stress (also peak axial strain and elastic modulus), as well as the more progressive the cracking process. Moreover, ultimate failure is triggered by the shear fracturing from the relatively long flaw. The short flaw is conditionally involved in ultimate failure when the stress buildup effect dominates. Finally, the fracture mechanism of brittle rocks with non‐isometric flaws is revealed.
Prophylactic protocol for dental care in ligneous gingivitis due to severe plasminogen deficiency: Case report and review of literature
Authors: Sartori Maria T. , Sivolella Stefano , Di Pasquale Irene , Saggiorato Graziella , Perini Alessandro , Boscaro Francesca , Fabris Fabrizio
Published: April 2019

Introduction

Severe plasminogen (PLG) deficiency causes ligneous conjunctivitis, a rare disease characterized by the growth of fibrin‐rich pseudomembranes on mucosal surfaces; gums involvement leads to ligneous gingivitis (LG). Specific therapy for LG is not available yet. We report a prophylactic treatment with enoxaparin and fresh frozen plasma (FFP) for invasive dental procedures in a patient with LG, and a review of literature on LG treatment.

Methods

A 43‐year‐old female with LG was studied. In order to prevent LG recurrence after dental care, FFP before and the day after the procedure, and enoxaparin were administered in addition to proper minimally invasive dentistry techniques and implant surgery.

Results

Plasminogen deficiency was confirmed by reduced PLG antigen (25 μg/mL) and activity (20%) levels, and genetic analysis. PLG levels rose to 46% after FFP transfusion and returned to baseline after 48 hours. Minimally invasive dental procedures and implants were performed. Small gingival pseudomembranes developed soon thereafter in some cases but disappeared within a few weeks; no bleeding complications were observed.

Conclusions

In our patient with LG, the adoption of combined haematological and dentistry protocols appeared to be safe and effective in preventing abnormal gingival pseudomembranes growth after dental interventions, maintaining a healthy periodontal condition.
12R‐lipoxygenase activity is reduced in photodamaged facial stratum corneum. A novel activity assay indicates a key function in corneocyte maturation
Authors: Guneri D. , Voegeli R. , Munday M. R. , Lane M. E. , Rawlings A. V.
Published: April 2019

Background

During the late stage of keratinocyte differentiation, corneocytes gain a strong protein–lipid structure: the corneocyte envelopes (CE), composed of the inner corneocyte protein envelope (CPE) and the outer corneocyte lipid envelope (CLE). The hydrophobicity of CEs depends on the covalent attachment of linoleoyl‐acyl‐ceramides by transglutaminases (TG). These ceramides are processed by a range of other enzymes, including 12R‐lipoxygenase (12R‐LOX), before the covalent attachment of the free ω‐hydroxyceramides to the CPE surface to form the CLE. The mechanical strength of CE is obtained with the formation of isodipeptide bonds by TG. The increase in hydrophobicity and rigidity leads to CE maturation which supports the integrity and mechanical resistance of the stratum corneum (SC).

Objectives

The aim of this work was to develop and validate a novel enzyme activity assay for 12R‐LOX in tape strippings of photo‐exposed (PE) cheek and photo‐protected (PP) post‐auricular SC of healthy Chinese volunteers (n = 12; age 25 ± 3 years).

Results

A fluorescence‐based assay was developed with ethyl linoleic acid as the substrate and a polyclonal antibody against 12R‐LOX as an inhibitor. The specificity was shown by the lack of effect by a LOX inhibitor (ML351) and an epidermal‐type lipoxygenase 3 (eLOX3) antibody on the acquired 12R‐LOX activity. Reduced 12R‐LOX activity was observed in the outer compared to the inner SC layers. Moreover, dramatically lower activity was shown in the PE vs. PP samples. Furthermore, the enzyme activity has a positive correlation (r = 0.94 ± 0.03) with CE maturity, in particular hydrophobicity, and a negative correlation (r = −0.96 ± 0.01) with transepidermal water loss (TEWL).

Conclusion

This novel enzyme assay revealed a lower 12R‐LOX activity in tape strippings from PE cheek for the first time. This finding is in line with less mature CEs and higher TEWL compared to PP post‐auricular samples. This study indicates a strong link between 12R‐LOX activity and CE maturation and SC integrity.
The economic significance of laws relating to employment protection and different forms of employment: Analysis of a panel of 117 countries, 1990–2013
Authors: ADAMS Zoe , BISHOP Louise , DEAKIN Simon , FENWICK Colin , MARTINSSON GARZELLI Sara , RUSCONI Giudy
Published: April 2019

The authors use time series econometric analysis applying non‐stationary panel data methods to estimate the relationships between employment protection legislation and legal protection of different forms of employment (part‐time, fixed‐term and agency work), and economic outcomes, with a data set based on the Centre for Business Research Labour Regulation Index (CBR–LRI), covering 117 countries from 1970 to 2013. Findings suggest that these laws have become significantly more protective over time and that strengthening worker protection is associated with an increase in labour's share of national income, rising labour force participation, rising employment, and falling unemployment, although the observed magnitudes are small when set against wider economic trends.
Economics for the right to work
Authors: BRANCO Manuel C.
Published: April 2019

This article argues that mainstream economic theory is one of the main reasons why the human right to work, which was recognized by the international community in 1966, appears not to have been taken seriously. In the mainstream discourse, labour is a cost, employment is a second‐tier objective, individuals are resources with production specifications, and rights are rigidities. Economics based on human rights and seeking to promote the right to work must construe that right as more than just fighting unemployment, regard full employment as an end in itself and place the individual at the heart of its raison d'être.
Patterns of parents’ perspectives on protecting young children from secondhand smoke exposure: A Q‐methodology study
Authors: Huang Chiu‐Mieh , Liao Jung‐Yu , Huang Su‐Fei , Hsu Yi‐Ting , Hsu Hsiao‐Pei , Guo Jong‐Long
Published: April 2019

Aims

To identify and describe the various patterns of parents’ perspectives on avoiding secondhand smoke exposure.

Design

Q methodology was applied to investigate the parental perspectives of 50 parents.

Methods

The study was implemented from September–December 2016. Forty‐two Q‐statements were constructed based on the literature related to parental attitudes and prevention practices regarding preventing young children from experiencing secondhand smoke exposure. A series of Q‐sorts was performed by the participants to rank the statements into a Q‐sort grid. PQMethod 2.35 software was used to perform principal component analysis to identify different patterns of parents’ perspectives.

Results

Five patterns of shared perspectives, which accounted for 62% of the total variance, were derived from the analysis: (a) lack of confidence to confront smokers in non‐smoking areas; (b) awareness of health hazards but not ready to take preventive actions; (c) emphasis on parental responsibility and behavioural guidance; (d) awareness of health rights protected by legislation; and (e) strong willingness to take protective actions.

Conclusion

Our findings revealed the shared perspectives of five groups of parents. The exploration of clusters of parents could assist healthcare professionals in acknowledging parents’ tendencies related to attitudes and responses towards secondhand smoke exposure.

Impact

Using a forced distribution through the Q‐sorting technique, the particular perspective patterns of parents’ experiences would be captured. These findings can serve as a useful guide for researchers and practitioners to develop tailored intervention programs for parents with the purpose of reducing secondhand smoke exposure in young children.
Augmenter of liver regeneration protects the kidney from ischaemia‐reperfusion injury in ferroptosis
Authors: Huang Li‐li , Liao Xiao‐hui , Sun Hang , Jiang Xiao , Liu Qi , Zhang Ling
Published: April 2019

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common and severe clinical condition with high morbidity and mortality. Ischaemia‐reperfusion (I/R) injury remains the major cause of AKI in the clinic. Ferroptosis is a recently discovered form of programmed cell death (PCD) that is characterized by iron‐dependent accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Compelling evidence has shown that renal tubular cell death involves ferroptosis, although the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Augmenter of liver regeneration (ALR) is a widely distributed multifunctional protein that is expressed in many tissues. Our previous study demonstrated that ALR possesses an anti‐oxidant function. However, the modulatory mechanism of ALR remains unclear and warrants further investigation. Here, to elucidate the role of ALR in ferroptosis, ALR expression was inhibited using short hairpin RNA lentivirals (shRNA) in vitro model of I/R‐induced AKI. The results suggest that the level of ferroptosis is increased, particularly in the shRNA/ALR group, accompanied by increased ROS and mitochondrial damage. Furthermore, inhibition of system xc‐ with erastin aggravates ferroptosis, particularly silencing of the expression of ALR. Unexpectedly, we demonstrate a novel signalling pathway of ferroptosis. In summary, we show for the first time that silencing ALR aggravates ferroptosis in an in vitro model of I/R. Notably, we show that I/R induced kidney ferroptosis is mediated by ALR, which is linked to the glutathione‐glutathione peroxidase (GSH‐GPx) system.
miRNA‐210‐3p regulates trophoblast proliferation and invasiveness through fibroblast growth factor 1 in selective intrauterine growth restriction
Authors: Li Lin , Huang Xuan , He Zhiming , Xiong Yuanyan , Fang Qun
Published: April 2019

Selective intrauterine growth restriction (sIUGR), which affects approximately 10%‐15% of monochorionic (MC) twin pregnancies, is highly associated with intrauterine foetal death and neurological impairment in both twins. Data suggest that unequal sharing of the single placenta is the main contributor to birth weight discordance. While MC twins and their placenta derive from a single zygote and harbour almost identical genetic material, the underlying mechanisms of phenotypic discrepancies in MC twins remain unclear. MicroRNAs are small non‐coding RNA molecules that regulate gene expression but do not change the DNA sequence. Our preliminary study showed that microRNA‐210‐3p (miR‐210‐3p) was significantly upregulated in the placental share of the smaller sIUGR twin. Here, we investigate the potential role of miR‐210‐3p in placental dysplasia, which generally results from dysfunction of trophoblast cells. Functional analysis revealed that miR‐210‐3p, induced by hypoxia‐inducible factor 1α (HIF1α) under hypoxic conditions, suppressed the proliferation and invasiveness of trophoblast cell lines. Further RNA sequencing analysis and luciferase reporter assays were performed, revealing that fibroblast growth factor 1 (FGF1) is an influential target gene of miR‐210‐3p. Moreover, correlations among miR‐210‐3p levels, HIF1α and FGF1 expression and the smaller placental share were validated in sIUGR specimens. These findings suggest that upregulation of miR‐210‐3p may contribute to impaired placentation of the smaller twin by decreasing FGF1 expression in sIUGR.
Fabella prevalence rate increases over 150 years, and rates of other sesamoid bones remain constant: a systematic review
Authors: Berthaume Michael A. , Di Federico Erica , Bull Anthony M. J.
Published: April 2019

The fabella is a sesamoid bone located behind the lateral femoral condyle. It is common in non‐human mammals, but the prevalence rates in humans vary from 3 to 87%. Here, we calculate the prevalence of the fabella in a Korean population and investigate possible temporal shifts in prevalence rate. A total of 52.83% of our individuals and 44.34% of our knees had fabellae detectable by computed tomography scanning. Men and women were equally likely to have a fabella, and bilateral cases (67.86%) were more common than unilateral ones (32.14%). Fabella presence was not correlated with height or age, although our sample did not include skeletally immature individuals. Our systematic review yielded 58 studies on fabella prevalence rate from 1875–2018 which met our inclusion criteria, one of which was an outlier. Intriguingly, a Bayesian mixed effects generalized linear model revealed a temporal shift in prevalence rates, with the median prevalence rate in 2000 (31.00%) being ~ 3.5 times higher than that in 1900 (7.64%). In all four countries with studies before and after 1960, higher rates were always found after 1960. Using data from two other systematic reviews, we found no increase in prevalence rates of 10 other sesamoid bones in the human body, indicating that the increase in fabella prevalence rate is unique. Fabella presence/absence is due to a combination of genetic and environmental factors: as the prevalence rates of other sesamoid bones have not changed in the last 100 years, we postulate the increase in fabella prevalence rate is due to an environmental factor. Namely, the global increase in human height and weight (due to improved nutrition) may have increased human tibial length and muscle mass. Increases in tibial length could lead to a larger moment arm acting on the knee and on the tendons crossing it. Coupled with the increased force from a larger gastrocnemius, this could produce the mechanical stimuli necessary to initiate fabella formation and/or ossification.
Factors that Influence Direction Deviation in Freehand Implant Placement
Authors: Tang Tianhong , Huang Zhuoli , Liao Luman , Gu Xiaoyu , Zhang Jiazheng , Zhang Xiuyin
Published: April 2019

Purpose

This retrospective study investigates the accuracy of freehand implant placement and whether the factors of presence of an adjacent tooth, implant quadrant, number of missing teeth, and location of the implant site influence direction and angulation deviations.

Materials and Methods

According to specific inclusion and exclusion criteria, a total of 112 implants from 75 partially edentulous patients were recruited for this retrospective study. The implants were inserted using a freehand approach by one experienced clinician (right‐handed). The full thickness flap was elevated to expose the alveolar bone in the implant surgery, and the implant crown consisted of an all‐ceramic restoration retained by cement. The planned implant position was preoperatively determined using implant planning software. The postoperative implant position was determined by analyzing the alignment after optically scanning the dentition using a specifically designed registration model in Geomagic Studio software. The deviations between the planned and postoperative implant positions were then calculated. The outcomes included direction and angulation deviations between the planned and postoperative implant positions. All data were analyzed by ANOVA, Bonferroni correction, regression analysis, and one‐sample t‐tests conducted using SPSS.

Results

The 3D deviations between planned and postoperative implant positions were 1.22 ± 0.63 mm at the entrance point, 1.91 ± 1.17 mm at the apical point, and 7.93 ± 5.56° in angulation. The presence of adjacent teeth influenced deviations in the mesiodistal (F = 4.338, p = 0.006) and buccolingual directions (F = 3.017, p = 0.033) at the entrance point and mesiodistal angulation (F = 7.979, p < 0.001). The quadrant influenced deviation in the buccolingual direction at the apical point (F = 6.093, p = 0.001) and buccolingual angulation (F = 6.457, p < 0.001). The number of missing teeth had no effect on deviations of direction and angulation of implants. The location of the implant site affected the deviation in the buccolingual direction at the entrance point (F = 3.096, p = 0.049) and the mesiodistal direction at the apical point (F = 3.724, p = 0.027).

Conclusion

The 3D accuracy of freehand‐placed implants could be acceptable in clinical situations. The results showed that the presence of an adjacent tooth and the quadrant and the location of the implant site influenced the direction and angulation deviations of the implant position; however, the factor of number of missing teeth did not.
Elevated C‐reactive protein in umbilical cord blood: Neonatal case review
Authors: Kitano Taito , Takagi Kumiko , Arai Ikuyo , Yasuhara Hajime , Ebisu Reiko , Ohgitani Ayako , Minowa Hideki
Published: April 2019

Background

C‐reactive protein (CRP) has limited placental transportability. Relying on CRP level in umbilical cord blood alone is an inaccurate way to predict early onset neonatal sepsis, and we retrospectively reviewed the clinical courses of neonates with elevated CRP in umbilical cord blood.

Methods

This study was a retrospective case review of neonates with elevated CRP in umbilical cord blood (>0.5 mg/dL) in the Nara Prefecture General Medical Center, Nara, Japan between February 2013 and August 2017. We investigated the association of maternal and neonatal factors with neonatal clinical course. Then, we compared the cases of neonates with and without elevated CRP in umbilical cord blood.

Results

The subjects consisted of a total of 22 neonates with elevated CRP in umbilical cord blood and 344 neonates without elevated CRP in umbilical cord blood. Of the 22 neonates with elevated CRP, 18 had some symptoms of sepsis at birth, but the symptoms of 85% of the symptomatic patients resolved ≤24 h after birth. Two neonates with elevated CRP in umbilical cord blood had bacteremia, and they had poor prognoses. Elevated CRP in umbilical cord blood was associated with length of antimicrobials (P = 0.021), immature/total neutrophil ratio (P = 0.017), and pathological chorioamnionitis (CAM; P = 0.028) on multivariable logistic regression analysis.

Conclusion

Elevated CRP in umbilical cord blood was associated with pathological CAM. Most symptoms of sepsis resolved <24 h after birth.
Continuity of Care and Risk of Readmission: An Investigation into the Healthcare Journey of Heart Failure Patients
Authors: Senot Claire
Published: April 2019

We investigate the association between continuity of care mechanisms and a patient's risk of readmission in the context of one chronic condition, heart failure. We define continuity of care as the level of consistency across patient care episodes. We dynamically measure continuity of individual referring provider; continuity of physical location, which links multiple individual providers; and continuity of Accountable Care Organization, which spans a variety of individual and institutional providers. We compile a unique large‐scale dataset that includes patient‐level claims, to follow heart failure patients throughout inpatient and outpatient settings in 2014. Our final sample covers 44,129 episodes of care for 3263 patients. Using a competitive‐risks survival model, we find that all three continuity mechanisms are associated with a patient's lower risk of readmission. This exploratory study contributes to operations management literature by identifying effective integration mechanisms in the setting of healthcare delivery. In addition, by providing the first quantitative evidence for the critical role of multiple simultaneous mechanisms in ensuring continuity of care, this study offers important preliminary insights for public policy efforts.
Comparing Classification Trees to Discern Patterns of Terrorism*
Authors: Saiya Nilay , Scime Anthony
Published: April 2019

Objective

Though applied widely in the fields of medicine, finance, ecology, psychology, and computer science, machine learning algorithmic‐based methods are a relatively novel approach to social scientific analysis that have yet to be extensively applied. Yet as we argue in this article, a specific form of algorithmic analysis known as C4.5 classification trees has much to offer social analysis and, specifically, the study of social and political violence.

Method

This article describes four novel classification model comparison techniques for the C4.5 classification method and applies them to the study of terrorism.

Results

Our state‐level analysis suggests that there is something fundamentally different in the targeting choices of religious and secular terrorists.

Conclusion

This analysis highlights the ability of classification trees to heighten our understanding of terrorism and even provide recommendations to policymakers for avoiding future attacks.
Are Presidential Inversions Inevitable? Comparing Eight Counterfactual Rules for Electing the U.S. President*
Authors: Cervas Jonathan R. , Grofman Bernard
Published: April 2019

Objectives

We offer a typology of possible reforms to the Electoral College (EC) in terms of changes to its two most important structural features: seat allocations that are not directly proportional to population and winner‐take‐all outcomes at the state level. This typology allows us to classify four major variants of “reform” to the present EC in a parsimonious fashion. Many of the proposals we consider have been suggested by well‐known figures, some debated in Congress, and they include what we view as most likely to be taken seriously. We evaluate these proposals solely in terms of one simple criterion: “Would they be expected to reduce the likelihood of inversions between EC and popular vote outcomes?”

Methods

We answer this question by looking at the data on actual presidential election outcomes at the state level over the entire period 1868–2016, and at the congressional‐district level over the period 1956–2016. We consider the implications for presidential outcomes of these different alternative mechanisms, in comparison to the actual electoral outcome and the popular vote outcome. In addition, we consider the implications of a proposal to increase the size of the U.S. House (Ladewig and Jasinski, 2008).

Results

Our results show that inversions from the popular vote happen under all proposed alternatives at nearly the same rate as under the current EC rules, with some proposals actually making inversions more frequent.

Conclusions

The major difference between the present EC rule and alternative rules is not in frequency of inversions, but is in which particular years the inversions occur. As for the proposal to increase the size of the House, we show that any realistic increase in House size would have made no difference for the 2016 outcome.
Cenozoic development of northern Svalbard based on thermochronological data
Authors: Dörr Nina , Lisker Frank , Piepjohn Karsten , Spiegel Cornelia
Published: April 2019

Northern Svalbard represents a basement high surrounded by the Norwegian‐Greenland Sea/Fram Strait, Eurasian Basin, the Barents Shelf and the onshore Central Tertiary Basin (CTB). Published apatite fission track (AFT) data indicate Mesozoic differential, fault‐controlled uplift and exhumation of the region. Thermal history modelling of published and new AFT and (U–Th–Sm)/He ages of 51–153 Ma in the context of regional stratigraphy and geomorphology implies at least two, possibly three, uplift and exhumation stages since late Mesozoic, separated by episodes of subsidence and sediment deposition. Late Cretaceous/Palaeocene exhumation and subsequent burial appear to be related with the transition of compressional to transpressional collision of Svalbard and Greenland during the Eurekan Orogeny. Renewed exhumation since the Oligocene probably results from passive margin formation after the separation of Svalbard and Greenland, when a new offshore sedimentary basin opened west of Svalbard. Final uplift since the Miocene eventually re‐exposed the palaeosurface of northern Svalbard.
Towards a molecular understanding of endosomal trafficking by Retromer and Retriever
Authors: Chen Kai‐En , Healy Michael D. , Collins Brett M.
Published: April 2019

Endosomes are dynamic intracellular compartments that control the sorting of a constant stream of different transmembrane cargos either for ESCRT‐mediated degradation or for egress and recycling to compartments such as the Golgi and the plasma membrane. The recycling of cargos occurs within tubulovesicular membrane domains and is facilitated by peripheral membrane protein machineries that control both membrane remodelling and selection of specific transmembrane cargos. One of the primary sorting machineries is the Retromer complex, which controls the recycling of a large array of different cargo molecules in cooperation with various sorting nexin (SNX) adaptor proteins. Recently a Retromer‐like complex was also identified that controls plasma membrane recycling of cargos including integrins and lipoprotein receptors. Termed “Retriever,” this complex uses a different SNX family member SNX17 for cargo recognition, and cooperates with the COMMD/CCDC93/CCDC22 (CCC) complex to form a larger assembly called “Commander” to mediate endosomal trafficking. In this review we focus on recent advances that have begun to provide a molecular understanding of these two distantly related transport machineries.
A consensus redefinition of transfusion‐related acute lung injury
Authors: Vlaar Alexander P.J. , Toy Pearl , Fung Mark , Looney Mark R. , Juffermans Nicole P. , Bux Juergen , Bolton‐Maggs Paula , Peters Anna L. , Silliman Christopher C. , Kor Daryl J. , Kleinman Steve
Published: April 2019

BACKGROUND

Transfusion‐related acute lung injury (TRALI) is a serious complication of blood transfusion and is among the leading causes of transfusion‐related morbidity and mortality in most developed countries. In the past decade, the pathophysiology of this potentially life‐threatening syndrome has been increasingly elucidated, large cohort studies have identified associated patient conditions and transfusion risk factors, and preventive strategies have been successfully implemented. These new insights provide a rationale for updating the 2004 consensus definition of TRALI.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

An international expert panel used the Delphi methodology to develop a redefinition of TRALI by modifying and updating the 2004 definition. Additionally, the panel reviewed issues related to TRALI nomenclature, patient conditions associated with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and TRALI, TRALI pathophysiology, and standardization of reporting of TRALI cases.

RESULTS

In the redefinition, the term “possible TRALI” has been dropped. The terminology of TRALI Type I (without an ARDS risk factor) and TRALI Type II (with an ARDS risk factor or with mild existing ARDS) is proposed. Cases with an ARDS risk factor that meet ARDS diagnostic criteria and where respiratory deterioration over the 12 hours before transfusion implicates the risk factor as causative should be classified as ARDS. TRALI remains a clinical diagnosis and does not require detection of cognate white blood cell antibodies.

CONCLUSIONS

Clinicians should report all cases of posttransfusion pulmonary edema to the transfusion service so that further investigation can allow for classification of such cases as TRALI (Type I or Type II), ARDS, transfusion‐associated circulatory overload (TACO), or TRALI or TACO cannot distinguish or an alternate diagnosis.
Enhancement of excitatory transmission in NTS neurons projecting to ventral medulla of rats exposed to sustained hypoxia is blunted by minocycline
Authors: Lima‐Silveira Ludmila , Accorsi‐Mendonça Daniela , Bonagamba Leni G. H. , Almado Carlos Eduardo L. , da Silva Melina P. , Nedoboy Polina E. , Pilowsky Paul M. , Machado Benedito H.
Published: April 2019

Key points

Rats subjected to sustained hypoxia (SH) present increases in arterial pressure (AP) and in glutamatergic transmission in the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) neurons sending projections to ventrolateral medulla (VLM).

Treatment with minocycline, a microglial inhibitor, attenuated the increase in AP in response to SH.

The increase in the amplitude of glutamatergic postsynaptic currents in the NTS‐VLM neurons, induced by postsynaptic mechanisms, was blunted by minocycline treatment.

The number of microglial cells was increased in the NTS of vehicle‐treated SH rats but not in the NTS of minocycline‐treated rats.

The data show that microglial recruitment/proliferation induced by SH is associated with the enhancement of excitatory neurotransmission in NTS‐VLM neurons, which may contribute to the observed increase in AP.

Short‐term sustained hypoxia (SH) produces significant autonomic and respiratory adjustments and triggers activation of microglia, the resident immune cells in the brain. SH also enhances glutamatergic neurotransmission in the NTS. Here we evaluated the role of microglial activation induced by SH on the cardiovascular changes and mainly on glutamatergic neurotransmission in NTS neurons sending projections to the ventrolateral medulla (NTS‐VLM), using a microglia inhibitor (minocycline). Direct measurement of arterial pressure (AP) in freely moving rats showed that SH (24 h, fraction of inspired oxygen () 0.1) in vehicle and minocycline (30 mg/kg i.p. for 3 days)‐treated groups produced a significant increase in AP in relation to control groups under normoxic conditions, but this increase was significantly lower in minocycline‐treated rats. Whole‐cell patch‐clamp recordings revealed that the active properties of the membrane were comparable among the groups. Nevertheless, the amplitudes of glutamatergic postsynaptic currents, evoked by tractus solitarius stimulation, were increased in NTS‐VLM neurons of SH rats. Changes in asynchronous glutamatergic currents indicated that the observed increase in amplitude was due to postsynaptic mechanisms. These changes were blunted in the SH group previously treated with minocycline. Using immunofluorescence, we found that the number of microglial cells was increased in the NTS of vehicle‐treated SH rats but not in the NTS neurons of minocycline‐treated rats. Our data support the concept that microglial activation induced by SH is associated with the enhancement of excitatory neurotransmission in NTS‐VLM neurons, which may contribute to the increase in AP observed in this experimental model.
Predicting the variable ocean carbon sink
Authors: Li H. , Ilyina T. , Müller W. A. , Landschützer P.
Published: April 2019

The oceanic uptake of CO
2
varies substantially in time; here, we show that we can predict this uptake 2 years into the future.
Identification of entacapone as a chemical inhibitor of FTO mediating metabolic regulation through FOXO1
Authors: Peng Shiming , Xiao Wen , Ju Dapeng , Sun Baofa , Hou Nannan , Liu Qianlan , Wang Yanli , Zhao Haijiao , Gao Chunchun , Zhang Song , Cao Ran , Li Pengfei , Huang Huanwei , Ma Yongfen , Wang Yankai , Lai Weiyi , Ma Zhixiong , Zhang Wei , Huang Song , Wang Hailin , Zhang Zhiyuan , Zhao Liping , Cai Tao , Zhao Yong-Liang , Wang Fengchao , Nie Yongzhan , Zhi Gang , Yang Yun-Gui , Zhang Eric Erquan , Huang Niu
Published: April 2019

Entacapone improves metabolic homeostasis in diet-induced obese mice through a direct effect on an
FTO-FOXO1
regulatory axis.
Asparagine Is a Critical Limiting Metabolite for Vaccinia Virus Protein Synthesis during Glutamine Deprivation
Authors: Pant Anil , Cao Shuai , Yang Zhilong
Published: April 2019

Viruses rely on their infected host cells to provide nutrients and energy for replication. Vaccinia virus, the prototypic member of the poxviruses, which comprise many significant human and animal pathogens, prefers glutamine to glucose for efficient replication. Here, we show that the preference is not because glutamine is superior to glucose as the carbon source to fuel the tricarboxylic acid cycle for vaccinia virus replication. Rather interestingly, the preference is because the asparagine supply for efficient viral protein synthesis becomes limited in the absence of glutamine, which is necessary for asparagine biosynthesis. We provide further genetic and chemical evidence to demonstrate that asparagine availability plays a critical role in efficient vaccinia virus replication. This discovery identifies a weakness of vaccinia virus and suggests a possible direction to intervene in poxvirus infection.
Draft Genome Sequence of Multidrug-Resistant Enterococcus faecium Strain E1298, with a Sequence Type 1274 Profile, Recovered from the Cloacal Microbiome of a Tropical Screech Owl (Megascops choliba) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Authors: Freitas Andréa Andrade Rangel , Souza Stephanie Silva Rodrigues , Faria Adriana Rocha , Planet Paul J. , Merquior Vânia Lúcia Carreira , Teixeira Lúcia Martins
Published: April 2019

Here, we present the draft genome sequence of
Enterococcus faecium
strain E1298, a representative of the clonal complex 17 (CC17), identified as sequence type 1274 (ST1274) and resistant to multiple classes of antimicrobials, isolated from the cloaca of a tropical screech owl (
Megascops choliba
) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Draft Genome Sequences of Two Glycoalkaloid-Degrading
Arthrobacter
Strains Isolated from Green Potato Peel
Authors: Hennessy Rosanna C. , Park Byeonghyeok , Pathiraja Duleepa , Choi In-Geol , Schultz-Johansen Mikkel , Stougaard Peter
Published: April 2019

Here, we report the genome sequences of two
Arthrobacter
sp. strains isolated from potato and capable of degrading the toxic potato-derived glycoalkaloids (GAs) α-chaconine and α-solanine. Information from the genome sequences will provide insight into the genetic mechanism of GA degradation by these isolates.
Chronic cough and cystic lung disease caused byBordetella bronchisepticain a patient with AIDS
Authors: Sameed Muhammad , Sullivan Scott , Marciniak Ellen T , Deepak Janaki
Published: April 2019

A 24-year-old man with a history of HIV and large B cell lymphoma (currently in remission) presented with fever, dry cough and dizziness. His CD4+ count was undetectable, and the HIV viral load was 109 295 cop/mL. Physical examination revealed fever, hypotension and tachycardia with coarse breath sounds in the middle and lower chest zones bilaterally. Chest imaging showed diffuse abnormal micronodular and patchy infiltrates, without focal consolidation. A cavitary lesion was noted measuring 5×2 cm in axial dimensions within the left lower lobe and multiple small cystic lesions in the background. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid culture grewBordetella bronchiseptica. The patient was empirically treated with vancomycin and piperacillin–tazobactam for multifocal pneumonia with concerns for sepsis and was started on combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) with abacavir/dolutegravir/lamivudine. Symptoms improved after day 3 of therapy, and the patient was discharged home on 2 weeks of moxifloxacin, in addition to the cART and appropriate chemoprophylaxis.
Private sector engagement and contributions to immunisation service delivery and coverage in Sudan
Authors: Ahmed Nada , DeRoeck Denise , Sadr-Azodi Nahad
Published: April 2019

For more than two decades, the private sector in the Sudan (henceforth, Sudan), including non-governmental organisations and for-profit providers, has played a key role in delivering immunisation services, especially in the conflict-affected Darfur region and the most populated Khartoum state. The agreements that the providers enter into with state governments necessitate that they are licenced; follow the national immunisation policy and reporting and supervision requirements; use the vaccines supplied by government; and offer vaccinations free-of-charge. These private providers are well integrated into the states’ immunisation programmes as they take part in the Ministry of Health immunisation trainings and district review meetings and they are incorporated into annual district immunisation microplans. The purpose of this article is to describe the private sector contributions to equitable access to immunisation services and coverage, as well as key challenges, lessons learned and future considerations. Fifty-five per cent of private health facilities in Sudan (411 out of 752) provide immunisation services, with 75% (307 out of 411) based in Khartoum state and the Darfur region. In 2017, private providers administered around 16% of all third doses of pentavalent (diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, hepatitis B and Haemophilus influenzae type b) vaccines to children. Private health providers of immunisation services have especially been critical in filling the gaps in government services in hard-to-reach or conflict-affected areas and among marginalised populations, and thus in reducing inequities in access. Through its experience in engaging the private sector, Sudan has learned the importance of regulating and licencing private facilities and incorporating them into the immunisation programme’s decision-making, planning, regular evaluation and supervision system to ensure their compliance with immunisation guidelines and the overall quality of services. In moving forward, strategic engagement with the private sector will become more prominent as Sudan transitions out of donors’ financial assistance with its projected income growth.