bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Functional Benefits of Tai Chi Training in Senior Housing Facilities
Authors: Manor Brad , Lough Matt , Gagnon Margaret M. , Cupples Adrienne , Wayne Peter M. , Lipsitz Lewis A.
Published: August 2014

Objectives

To determine the effects of tai chi training on functional performance and walking with and without the addition of the performance of a cognitive task, in older adults living in supportive housing facilities.

Design

Secondary data analysis comparing a single‐blind, randomized controlled trial of tai chi training with an attention‐matched educational control intervention with crossover to tai chi.

Setting

Two supportive housing facilities.

Participants

Sixty‐six men and women living in supportive housing facilities entered the study, and 57 aged 87 ± 7 completed all study procedures.

Intervention

Interventions consisted of two 1‐hour‐long instructor‐led group sessions per week for 12 weeks. Tai chi training consisted of movements based upon the Yang‐style short form. Educational sessions consisted of lectures and discussions of age‐related health topics.

Measurements

Subjects were tested for physical function (Short Physical Performance Battery, SPPB), balance (Berg Balance Scale, BBS), mobility (timed up‐and‐go, TUG), and walking speed under normal and cognitive dual‐task conditions.

Results

The tai chi group exhibited greater improvement in SPPB scores (baseline 8.1 ± 2.9, follow‐up 9.0 ± 2.6) than controls (baseline 8.2 ± 2.6, follow‐up 8.2 ± 2.6) (P = .005). Tai chi also increased normal and dual‐task walking speed (P < .001) yet did not affect BBS (P = .02) or TUG (P = .02) after accounting for multiple comparisons. The dual‐task cost (percentage change) to walking speed was unaffected. After the crossover tai chi intervention, the control group improved performance in the SPPB, BBS, and TUG, and increased walking speed under normal and dual‐task conditions (P = .008).

Conclusion

Tai chi training may be a safe and effective therapy to help improve physical function and dual‐task walking in very old adults living in supportive housing facilities.
Use of Combination Antihypertensive Therapy Initiation in Older Americans without Prevalent Cardiovascular Disease
Authors: Li Xiaojuan , Camelo Castillo Wendy , Stürmer Til , Pate Virginia , Gray Christine L. , Simpson Ross J. , Setoguchi Soko , Hanson Laura C. , Jonsson Funk Michele
Published: August 2014

Objectives

To describe new users of antihypertensive medications and identify predictors of combination therapy initiation in older Americans.

Design

Retrospective observational cohort study.

Setting

Population‐based study using U.S. Medicare fee‐for‐service healthcare claims (2007–2010).

Participants

Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 and older with no recent diagnoses, procedures, or medications for cardiovascular disease who newly initiated an antihypertensive therapy (n = 275,493; 210,605 initiated monotherapy, 64,888 initiated combination therapy).

Measurements

Multivariable Poisson regression was used to assess factors associated with initiation of combination therapy versus monotherapy, including participant characteristics, prescriber characteristics, and participant encounters with the healthcare system.

Results

Initiation of combination therapy increased from 21.9% in 2007 to 24.7% in 2010. The most frequently initiated combinations were angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitors with thiazide (29.7%) and angiotensin II receptor antagonists with thiazide (18.7%). Blacks (prevalence ratio (PR) = 1.48, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.45–1.51 vs whites), individuals seeing a generalist (PR = 1.10, 95% CI = 1.07–1.14), individuals seeing more than one doctor (PR = 3.38, 95% CI = 3.33–3.44), and participants with no pharmacy claims in the previous 6 months (PR = 1.34, 95% CI = 1.30–1.37 vs ≥3 unique drug classes) were more likely to initiate combination therapy, whereas those who had more outpatient visits in the previous 12 months were less likely to initiate combination therapy (per five visits, PR = 0.82, 95% CI = 0.80–0.83).

Conclusion

Nearly one in four new users of antihypertensive medications aged 65 and older started treatment with combination therapy. Blacks, individuals living in the south, and those with fewer outpatient physician office visits were more likely to initiate combination therapy. Further research is needed to determine whether this approach to managing hypertension is being well targeted to individuals who will require combination treatment.
Metabolized‐Water Breeding Diseases in Urban India: Sociospatiality of Water Problems and Health Burden in Ahmedabad City
Authors: Saravanan V.S. , Mavalankar Dileep , Kulkarni Suhas P. , Nussbaum Sven , Weigelt Martin
Published: August 2014

Studies on urban metabolism have provided important insights in the material and sociopolitical issues associated with the flow of water. However, there is a dearth of studies that reveal how infrastructure, as a hybrid of social and material construct, facilitates disease emergence. The article brings together urban metabolism, political ecology, and anthropological studies to examine the social construction and reconstruction of the material flow through everyday practices for addressing the water problem and its health burden in Ahmedabad city. The article georeferences the water problems and occurrence of diseases and, through interviews, documents Ahmedabad's sociospatial characteristics of water problems and health burden in two case study wards. Through a situated understanding of the everyday practices, the infrastructure is exposed through leakages, reveals the citizens desire for better water quality, and struggle to gain access to water using diverse ‘pressure’ tactics. It is these social‐material constructs of water that give structure and coherence to urban space, which spatially coincides with the occurrence of diseases. It reveals the sociopolitical drivers of the water problems and identifies different hypotheses of the hotspots of disease emergences. The methodology offers a way forward for researchers and development agencies to improve the surveillance and monitoring of water infrastructure and public health through an incremental approach that takes into consideration the diffuse interplay of power by diverse actors. It charts out avenues for building on the urban metabolism by emphasizing the importance of examining the sociospatiality of the everyday practices for improving resource use efficiencies in cities of rapidly growing economies.
A two‐hybrid screen identifies an unconventional role for the intermediate filament peripherin in regulating the subcellular distribution of the SNAP25‐interacting protein, SIP30
Authors: Gentil Benoit J. , McLean Jesse R. , Xiao Shangxi , Zhao Beibei , Durham Heather D. , Robertson Janice
Published: August 2014

Peripherin is a type III intermediate filament protein, the expression of which is associated with the acquisition and maintenance of a terminally differentiated neuronal phenotype. Peripherin up‐regulation occurs during acute neuronal injury and in degenerating motor neurons of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The functional role(s) of peripherin during normal, injurious, and disease conditions remains unknown, but may be related to differential expression of spliced isoforms. To better understand peripherin function, we performed a yeast two‐hybrid screen on a mouse brain cDNA library using an assembly incompetent peripherin isoform, Per‐61, as bait. We identified new peripherin interactors with roles in vesicular trafficking, signal transduction, DNA/RNA processing, protein folding, and mitochondrial metabolism. We focused on the interaction of Per‐61 and the constitutive isoform, Per‐58, with SNAP25 interacting protein 30 (SIP30), a neuronal protein involved in SNAP receptor‐dependent exocytosis. We found that peripherin and SIP30 interacted through coiled‐coil domains and colocalized in cytoplasmic aggregates in SW13vim(−) cells. Interestingly, Per‐61 and Per‐58 differentially altered the subcellular distribution of SIP30 and SNAP25 in primary motor neurons. Our findings suggest a novel role of peripherin in vesicle trafficking.

image

The functional roles of the intermediate filament peripherin remain enigmatic. We performed a two‐hybrid screen and identified that peripherin interacts with SIP30 (a), a vesicle trafficking protein. Per‐58 and toxic Per‐61 isoforms coaggregated with SIP30 in SW13vim(−) cells and altered SIP30 and SNAP25 subcellular localization in primary motor neurons (b). Our results support a role for peripherin in vesicle trafficking.
Melatonin normalizes clinical and biochemical parameters of mild inflammation in diet‐induced metabolic syndrome in rats
Authors: Cano Barquilla Pilar , Pagano Eleonora S. , Jiménez‐Ortega Vanesa , Fernández‐Mateos Pilar , Esquifino Ana I. , Cardinali Daniel P.
Published: August 2014

The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of melatonin to affect mild inflammation in the metabolic syndrome (MS) induced by a high‐fat diet in rats. Adult Wistar male rats were divided into four groups (n = 16/group): (i) control diet (3% fat); (ii) high‐fat (35%) diet; (iii) high‐fat diet + melatonin; and (iv) melatonin. Rats had free access to high‐fat or control chow and one of the following drinking solutions for 10 wk: (a) tap water; (b) 25 μg/mL of melatonin. Plasma interleukin (IL)‐1β, IL‐4, IL‐6, IL‐10, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐α, interferon (IFN)‐γ, and C‐reactive protein (CRP) were measured at two time intervals, that is, the middle of daylight period and the middle of the scotophase. In addition, a number of somatic and metabolic components employed clinically to monitor the MS were measured. Melatonin decreased the augmented circulating levels of IL‐1β, IL‐6, TNF‐α, IFN‐γ, and CRP seen in obese rats and restored the depressed levels of IL‐4 and IL‐10. Rats fed with the high‐fat diet showed significantly higher body weights and augmented systolic blood pressure from the third and fourth week onwards, respectively, melatonin effectively preventing these changes. In high‐fat‐fed rats, circulating low‐density lipoprotein‐cholesterol, total cholesterol, and triglyceride concentration augmented significantly, melatonin being effective to counteract these changes. Melatonin‐treated rats showed a decreased insulin resistance, the highest values of plasma high‐density lipoprotein‐cholesterol, and the lowest values of plasma uric acid. The results indicate that melatonin is able to normalize the altered biochemical pro‐inflammatory profile seen in rats fed with a high‐fat diet.
The Sphagnum microbiome supports bog ecosystem functioning under extreme conditions
Authors: Bragina Anastasia , Oberauner‐Wappis Lisa , Zachow Christin , Halwachs Bettina , Thallinger Gerhard G. , Müller Henry , Berg Gabriele
Published: August 2014

Sphagnum‐dominated bogs represent a unique yet widely distributed type of terrestrial ecosystem and strongly contribute to global biosphere functioning. Sphagnum is colonized by highly diverse microbial communities, but less is known about their function. We identified a high functional diversity within the Sphagnum microbiome applying an Illumina‐based metagenomic approach followed by de novo assembly and MG‐RAST annotation. An interenvironmental comparison revealed that the Sphagnum microbiome harbours specific genetic features that distinguish it significantly from microbiomes of higher plants and peat soils. The differential traits especially support ecosystem functioning by a symbiotic lifestyle under poikilohydric and ombrotrophic conditions. To realise a plasticity–stability balance, we found abundant subsystems responsible to cope with oxidative and drought stresses, to exchange (mobile) genetic elements, and genes that encode for resistance to detrimental environmental factors, repair and self‐controlling mechanisms. Multiple microbe–microbe and plant–microbe interactions were also found to play a crucial role as indicated by diverse genes necessary for biofilm formation, interaction via quorum sensing and nutrient exchange. A high proportion of genes involved in nitrogen cycle and recycling of organic material supported the role of bacteria for nutrient supply. 16S rDNA analysis indicated a higher structural diversity than that which had been previously detected using PCR‐dependent techniques. Altogether, the diverse Sphagnum microbiome has the ability to support the life of the host plant and the entire ecosystem under changing environmental conditions. Beyond this, the moss microbiome presents a promising bio‐resource for environmental biotechnology – with respect to novel enzymes or stress‐protecting bacteria.
Long‐term sevelamer treatment lowers serum fibroblast growth factor 23 accompanied with increasing serum Klotho levels in chronic haemodialysis patients
Authors: Lin Hsin‐Hung , Liou Hung‐Hsiang , Wu Ming‐Shiou , Lin Ching‐Yuang , Huang Chiu‐Ching
Published: August 2014

Aims

Fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) and Klotho are associated with vascular calcification and cardiovascular disease in dialysis patients. Sevelamer has been shown to reduce progression of vascular calcification. This study aimed to determine the long‐term effect of sevelamer treatment on serum FGF23 and Klotho levels in chronic haemodialysis (HD) patients.

Methods

In the post‐hoc analysis, we measured serum FGF23, Klotho and other biochemical factors (Ca, P, i‐PTH, hsCRP, LDL‐C) in 50 haemodialysis patients, who completed a 48‐week, open‐Label, controlled randomized parallel‐group study. Twenty‐three patients received sevelamer and 27 patients received calcium carbonate.

Results

After 48‐week sevelamer treatment, there were significant changes with lower LDL‐C (from 2.82 ± 0.78 to 1.65 ± 0.53 mmol/L, P = 0.000), lower FGF23 (from 2465.97 (2568.88) to 795.61 (1098.39), P = 0.000) and higher s‐Klotho levels (from 189.35 (161.88) to 252.94 (517.80) pg/mL, P = 0.000). In calcium carbonate group, there were no significant changes of LDL‐C and FGF23, but with a borderline significant increase of s‐Klotho level (from 142.34 (265.24) to 188.57 (252.38) pg/mL, P = 0.054). Multivariate analysis showed that FGF23 decrement was associated with sevelamer treatment (β = −0.277, P = 0.005), change of serum phosphate (β = 0.609, P = 0.000) and calcium levels (β = 0.635, P = 0.000). The increase of serum Klotho was associated with the decrease of serum phosphate (β = 0.490, P = 0.019).

Conclusion

Maintenance HD patients had lower serum FGF23 levels, accompanied with significantly increased serum Klotho levels, after 48‐week sevelamer treatment. The FGF23 decrement was associated with sevelamer use, the change of serum phosphate and calcium levels. The serum Klotho increment was proportional to the phosphate‐lowering power of the binders.
Renal function assessment in child and adolescent heart transplant recipients during routine cardiac catheterization
Authors: Lin Kimberly Y. , Furth Susan L. , Schwartz George J. , Shaddy Robert E. , Ruebner Rebecca L.
Published: August 2014

CKD identification after pediatric heart transplantation (PHT) is limited by inaccuracies in estimates of GFR. We hypothesized that GFR can be measured by a modified iohexol clearance protocol in PHT recipients and that the CKiD formula provides a better estimate of GFR than other estimating equations. A cross‐sectional study of PHT recipients, ages 2–18 yr, undergoing coronary angiography was undertaken. The angiography dose of iohexol was divided by the area under the curve from three iohexol levels post‐infusion to calculate GFR. Agreement between iGFR and multiple estimating equations (eGFR) was assessed. In 31 subjects, median age was 15.0 yr (IQR 7.6, 16.6). Mean iGFR was 93.8 (s.d. 22.5) mL/min/1.73 m2; 16 (52%) had an iGFR <90 mL/min/1.73 m2. The full CKiD formula (mean eGFR 88.9, s.d. 14.9) had low bias (−5.0), narrowest 95% limits of agreement (−42.0, 32.1), highest 30% (94%) and 10% (52%) accuracy, and highest correlation coefficient (0.576) relative to iGFR. We describe a novel modified iohexol clearance method to assess GFR after PHT. Over half of the cohort had an iGFR <90, suggesting CKD. The full CKiD formula performs best with respect to bias, accuracy, and correlation.
Pollination syndromes in a specialised plant‐pollinator interaction: does floral morphology predict pollinators in Calceolaria?
Authors: Murúa M. , Espíndola A.
Published: August 2014

Pollination syndromes are defined as suites of floral traits evolved in response to selection imposed by a particular group of pollinators (e.g., butterflies, hummingbirds, bats). Although numerous studies demonstrated their occurrence in plants pollinated by radically different pollinators, it is less known whether it is possible to identify them within species pollinated by one functional pollinator group. In such a framework, we expect floral traits to evolve also in response to pollinator subgroups (e.g., species, genera) within that unique functional group. On this, specialised pollination systems represent appropriate case studies to test such expectations. Calceolaria is a highly diversified plant genus pollinated by oil‐collecting bees in genera Centris and Chalepogenus. Variation in floral traits in Calceolaria has recently been suggested to reflect adaptations to pollinator types. However, to date no study has explicitly tested that observation. In this paper, we quantitatively test that hypothesis by evaluating the presence of pollination syndromes within the specialised pollination system formed by several Calceolaria and their insect pollinators. To do so, we use multivariate approaches and explore the structural matching between the morphology of 10 Calceolaria taxa and that of their principal pollinators. Our results identify morphological matching between floral traits related to access to the reward and insect traits involved in oil collection, confirming the presence of pollinator syndromes in Calceolaria. From a general perspective, our findings indicate that the pollination syndrome concept can be also extended to the intra‐pollinator group level.
Effects of the duration of cold stratification on early life stages of the Mediterranean alpine plantSilene ciliata
Authors: García‐Fernández A. , Escudero A. , Lara‐Romero C. , Iriondo J. M.
Published: August 2014

Cold stratification provided by snow cover is essential to break seed dormancy in many alpine plant species. The forecast reduction in snow precipitation and snow cover duration in most temperate mountains as a result of global warming could threaten alpine plant populations, especially those at the edge of their species distribution, by altering the dynamics of early life stages. We simulated some effects of a reduction in the snow cover period by manipulating the duration of cold stratification in seeds ofSilene ciliata, a Mediterranean alpine specialist. Seeds from three populations distributed along an altitudinal gradient were exposed to different periods of cold stratification (2, 4 and 6 months) in the laboratory and then moved to common garden conditions in a greenhouse. The duration of the cold stratification treatment and population origin significantly affected seed emergence percentage, emergence rate and seedling size, but not the number of seedling leaves. The 6‐month and 4‐month cold stratification treatments produced higher emergence percentages and faster emergence rates than seeds without cold stratification treatment. No significant cold stratification duration x seed population origin interactions were found, thus differential sensitivity to cold stratification along elevation is not supported.
Assessment, validation and deployment strategy of a two‐barcode protocol for facile genotyping of duckweed species
Authors: Borisjuk N. , Chu P. , Gutierrez R. , Zhang H. , Acosta K. , Friesen N. , Sree K. S. , Garcia C. , Appenroth K. J. , Lam E.
Published: August 2014

Lemnaceae, commonly called duckweeds, comprise a diverse group of floating aquatic plants that have previously been classified into 37 species based on morphological and physiological criteria. In addition to their unique evolutionary position among angiosperms and their applications in biomonitoring, the potential of duckweeds as a novel sustainable crop for fuel and feed has recently increased interest in the study of their biodiversity and systematics. However, due to their small size and abbreviated structure, accurate typing of duckweeds based on morphology can be challenging. In the past decade, attempts to employ molecular barcoding techniques for species assignment have produced promising results; however, they have yet to be codified into a simple and quantitative protocol. A study that compiles and compares the barcode sequences within all known species of this family would help to establish the fidelity and limits of this DNA‐based approach. In this work, we compared the level of conservation between over 100 strains of duckweed for two intergenic barcode sequences derived from the plastid genome. By using over 300 sequences publicly available in the NCBI database, we determined the utility of each of these two barcodes for duckweed species identification. Through sequencing of these barcodes from additional accessions, 30 of the 37 known species of duckweed could be identified with varying levels of confidence using this approach. From our analyses using this reference dataset, we also confirmed two instances where mis‐assignment of species has likely occurred. Potential strategies for further improving the scope of this technology are discussed.
Toward a Theory of Personalist Parties: Concept Formation and Theory Building
Authors: Kostadinova Tatiana , Levitt Barry
Published: August 2014

Personalistic leadership—the exercise of authority vested in influential individuals based on personal attributes rather than organizational role—is a political phenomenon not limited by time or space. But what do we mean when we say that a political leader or a party is “personalistic”? While the theme of personalist leadership is not absent from political analyses, there is a lack of scholarly consensus on core elements of the concept itself. The goal of this article is to define in clearer terms what personalism is and how it differs from concepts such as charisma, populism, and anti‐establishment politics. We introduce a parsimonious definition based on intra‐organizational power and identify a party as personalist if two conditions are met: a dominant leader and a weakly structured organization. Finally, we present a more comprehensive typology of parties based on those two criteria and briefly illustrate the utility of our approach for explaining personalist formations as a distinct organizational type.
Personalist Parties in the Third Wave of Democratization: A Comparative Analysis of Peru and Bulgaria
Authors: Levitt Barry , Kostadinova Tatiana
Published: August 2014

In this article, we deploy the concept of personalism in a comparative study of two Third Wave democracies, Peru and Bulgaria. What factors explain the prevalence and success of personalistic parties? We analyze in rich detail the personalist parties that emerged in Peru and Bulgaria, focusing on the role of leaders and on parties' organizational development (or lack thereof). Adopting an institutionalist approach, we assess the impact of party regulation and financing, electoral rules, and domestic regime type (as well as international institutions) on these political entrepreneurs. We conclude that institutions did incentivize and constrain personalistic leadership, although other factors were also relevant. And while organized parties are now scarce in both countries, party politics in Peru is even more personality driven than in Bulgaria.
The Expression and Localization of Crb3 in Developmental Stages of the Mice Embryos and in Different Organs of 1‐week‐old Female Mice
Authors: Yin Y , Sheng J , Hu R , Yang Y , Qing S
Published: August 2014

Contents

Crumbs homolog 3 (Crb3) is a member of the Crumbs family of proteins. This protein may play a role in epithelial cell polarity and is associated with tight junctions at the apical surface of epithelial cells. Alternative transcriptional splice variants that encode different Crb3 isoforms have been characterized. The expression of Crb3 mRNA and protein was observed in the pre‐implantation mouse embryos and different organs of 1‐week‐old mouse, and Crb3 expression was primarily observed in the cytoplasm. Crb3 was expressed in a unique temporal pattern in pre‐implantation embryos. The main characteristic of Crb3 expression was that the positive signals were stronger in the mature oocytes and zygotes than in the 2‐cell, 4‐cell, and 8‐cell stages and the morula, but a similar level of high expression was observed in blastocysts. Therefore, the Crb3 expression signal during the course of development process grew gradually stronger from the 2‐cell stage to blastocyst. In addition, Crb3 protein was widely distributed in each stage of the post‐implantation embryos. Crb3 expression was observed in the inner cell mass, trophoblast cells and endoderm of E4.5d embryos; in the chorion, amnion, trophoblast cells, yolk sac endoderm and embryo ectoderm of E7.5d embryos; in the amnion and limb bud of E8.0d embryos; and in the semicircular canal epithelium, retina, lens vesicle and liver tissue of E13.5d embryos. Crb3 was expressed at different levels in different organs of 1‐week‐old mouse with the strengths in the following order: kidney > small intestine > stomach > uterus > liver > skeletal muscle > cerebellum > brain. The presence of Crb3 in many organs and the regularity of Crb3 distribution in the process of mouse embryonic development indicate that Crb3 protein plays an important role in establishing and maintaining the polarity of mouse embryos.
Climate Change‐related Aarhus Conflicts: How Successful are Procedural Rights in EU Climate Law?
Authors: Peeters Marjan , Nóbrega Sandra
Published: August 2014

This article provides insights into the consequences of the Aarhus Convention in the field of European Union (EU) climate change law. It discusses climate change cases concerning environmental procedural rights that are decided by the Court of Justice of the EU and the Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee (ACCC). Regarding access to environmental information, cases reveal reluctance on the part of governments to provide climate‐related information. Regarding public participation, the ACCC has illustrated that the EU Renewable Energy Directive falls short in light of the Aarhus Convention. Given the need to adopt even more stringent measures to reduce greenhouse gases, more case law is expected. A systematic analysis of case law will help us to understand to what extent EU climate policy complies with the Aarhus Convention. Such an analysis will also show what lessons can be learned from the Aarhus Convention for putting the procedural provisions of the UNFCCC into practice.
Systematic Review of the Manifestations of Congenital Rubella Syndrome in Infants and Characterization of Disability‐Adjusted Life Years (DALYs)
Authors: Simons Emily A. , Reef Susan E. , Cooper Louis Z. , Zimmerman Laura , Thompson Kimberly M.
Published: August 2014

Congenital rubella syndrome (CRS) continues to cause disability among unvaccinated populations in countries with no or insufficient rubella vaccine coverage to prevent transmission. We systematically reviewed the literature on birth outcomes associated with CRS to estimate the duration, severity, and frequency of combinations of morbidities. We searched PubMed, the Science Citation Index, and references from relevant articles for studies in English with primary data on the frequency of CRS manifestations for ≥20 cases and identified 65 studies representing 66 study populations that met our inclusion criteria. We abstracted available data on CRS cases with one or more hearing, heart, and/or eye defect following maternal rubella infection during the period of 0–20 weeks since the last menstrual period. We assessed the quality and weight of the available evidence using a modified Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. Most of the evidence originates from studies in developed countries of cohorts of infants identified with CRS in the 1960s and 1970s, prior to the development of standardized definitions for CRS and widespread use of vaccine. We developed estimates of undiscounted disability‐adjusted life years (DALYs) lost per CRS case for countries of different income levels. The estimates ranged from approximately 19 to 39 for high‐income countries assuming optimal treatment and from approximately 29 to 39 DALYs lost per CRS case in low‐ and lower‐ middle‐income countries assuming minimal treatment, with the lower bound based on 2010 general global burden of disease disability weights and the upper bound based on 1990 age‐specific and treatment‐specific global burden of disease disability weights. Policymakers and analysts should appreciate the significant burden of disability caused by CRS as they evaluate opportunities to manage rubella.
Intensity estimation for inhomogeneous Gibbs point process with covariates‐dependent chemical activity
Authors: Šedivý Ondřej , Penttinen Antti
Published: August 2014

Recent development of intensity estimation for inhomogeneous spatial point processes with covariates suggests that kerneling in the covariate space is a competitive intensity estimation method for inhomogeneous Poisson processes. It is not known whether this advantageous performance is still valid when the points interact. In the simplest common case, this happens, for example, when the objects presented as points have a spatial dimension. In this paper, kerneling in the covariate space is extended to Gibbs processes with covariates‐dependent chemical activity and inhibitive interactions, and the performance of the approach is studied through extensive simulation experiments. It is demonstrated that under mild assumptions on the dependence of the intensity on covariates, this approach can provide better results than the classical nonparametric method based on local smoothing in the spatial domain. In comparison with the parametric pseudo‐likelihood estimation, the nonparametric approach can be more accurate particularly when the dependence on covariates is weak or if there is uncertainty about the model or about the range of interactions. An important supplementary task is the dimension reduction of the covariate space. It is shown that the techniques based on the inverse regression, previously applied to Cox processes, are useful even when the interactions are present. © 2014 The Authors. Statistica Neerlandica © 2014 VVS.
Full‐length KIR3DL1*022 detected in an African donor
Authors: Yindom L.‐M. , James K. , de Silva T. I. , Rowland‐Jones S. L.
Published: August 2014

KIR3DL1*022 is significantly different from the most common West African allele – KIR3DL1*01501.
Pelger–Huët Anomaly in a cat
Authors: Deshuillers Pierre , Raskin Rose , Messick Joanne
Published: August 2014

A 14‐year‐old, spayed female Domestic Shorthair cat was referred to the Purdue University Veterinary Teaching Hospital (PUVTH) for iodine 131 treatment of hyperthyroidism. Upon arrival, a biochemistry profile and a CBC were performed. Approximately 50% of the neutrophils and all the eosinophils observed were hyposegmented with a mature, condensed chromatin pattern. Nuclei had a band to “dumbbell” shape, and rarely a round shape, suggesting a Pelger–Huët anomaly or a pseudo Pelger–Huët. Based on both a negative FeLV and FIV tests, the absence of any clinical signs to support an inflammatory process, and the persistence of this granulocytic morphology 6 months after its previous admission to the PUVTH, a diagnosis of Pelger–Huët anomaly was established in this cat.
Design for 1:2 Internal Resonances in In-Plane Vibrations of Plates With Hyperelastic Materials
Authors: Tripathi Astitva , Bajaj Anil K.
Published: August 2014

With advances in technology, hyperelastic materials are seeing use in varied applications ranging from microfluidic pumps, artificial muscles to deformable robots. Development of such complex devices is leading to increased use of hyperelastic materials in the construction of components undergoing dynamic excitation such as the wings of a micro-unmanned aerial vehicle or the body of a serpentine robot made of hyperelastic polymers. Since the strain energy potentials of various hyperelastic material models have nonlinearities present in them, exploration of their nonlinear dynamic response lends itself to some interesting consequences. In this work, a structure made of a Mooney–Rivlin hyperelastic material and undergoing planar vibrations is considered. Since the Mooney–Rivlin material's strain energy potential has quadratic nonlinearities, a possibility of 1:2 internal resonance is explored. A finite element method (FEM) formulation implemented in Matlab is used to iteratively modify a base structure to get its first two natural frequencies close to the 1:2 ratio. Once a topology of the structure is achieved, the linear mode shapes of the structure can be extracted from the finite element analysis, and a more complete nonlinear Lagrangian formulation of the hyperelastic structure can be used to develop a nonlinear two-mode dynamic model of the structure. The nonlinear response of the structure can be obtained by application of perturbation methods such as averaging on the two-mode model. It is shown that the nonlinear strain energy potential for the Mooney–Rivlin material makes it possible for internal resonance to occur in such structures. The effect of nonlinear material parameters on the dynamic response is investigated.
Automatic Reasoning for Defining Lathe Operations for Mill-Turn Parts: A Tolerance Based Approach
Authors: Fu Wentao , Eftekharian Ata A. , Campbell Matthew I. , Kurtoglu Tolga
Published: August 2014

With the increase in computer-controlled hybrid machining (e.g., mill-turn machining), one needs to discern what features of a part are created during turning (i.e., with a lathe cutter) versus those created by milling. Given a generic part, it is desirable to extract the turnable and nonturnable features in order to obtain feasible machining plans. A novel approach for automating this division and for defining the resulting turning operations in a hybrid process is proposed in this paper. Given a mill-turn part, the algorithm first identifies the dominant rotational-axis in order to quickly generate the axisymmetric “as-lathed” model. This model is then subtracted from the original part to isolate the nonturnable features. Next, the as-lathed model is translated to a label-rich graph, which is fed into a grammar reasoning algorithm to produce feasible turning sequences. During the turning process planning, the knowledge encapsulated in the design tolerances is used to guide the generation of feasible turning sequences. Two case studies are provided to explain the details of our algorithm. One of the suggested turning plans is compared with a manually proposed plan from an expert machinist and the results show the optimality of our plan in satisfying the prescribed tolerances.
Design of a Dielectric Elastomer Cylindrical Actuator With Quasi-Constant Available Thrust: Modeling Procedure and Experimental Validation
Authors: Berselli Giovanni , Mammano Giovanni Scirè , Dragoni Eugenio
Published: August 2014

A novel design for a dielectric elastomer (DE) actuator is presented. The actuator is obtained by coupling a cylindrical DE film with a series of slender beams axially loaded beyond their buckling limit. Similar to previous published solutions, where different actuator geometries were coupled with compliant mechanisms of various topologies, the elastic beams are designed so as to provide a suitable compensating force that allows obtaining a quasi-constant available thrust along the entire actuator stroke. Whilst the elastic beam are sized on the basis of an analytical procedure, the overall system performance is evaluated by means of multiphysics finite element (FE) analysis, accounting for the large deflection of the buckled-beam springs (BBSs) and for the DE material hyperelasticity. Numerical and experimental results are finally provided, which demonstrate the prediction capabilities of the proposed modeling method and confirm that well-behaved cylindrical actuators can be conceived and produced.
The effects of dosage and duration of auditory training for older adults with hearing impairment
Authors: Humes Larry E. , Kinney Dana L. , Brown Sara E. , Kiener Anna L. , Quigley Tera M.
Published: August 2014

This study explored a range of training dosages and durations for a word-based auditory-training procedure for older adults with hearing impairment. Three groups received a different “dose”: 2x/week; 3x/week; no training. Fifteen training sessions comprised a “cycle” which was repeated three times for each dosage. Groups that completed training performed significantly better than controls for speech-in-noise materials included in the training regimen, with no significant difference observed between the 2x or 3x/week training groups. Based on these results, as well as prior literature on learning theory, training 2x or 3x/week for 5–15 weeks appears to be sufficient to yield training benefits with this training regimen.
Effects of Sprint Training With or Without Ball Carry in Elite Rugby Players
Authors: Seitz Laurent B. , Barr Matt , Haff G. Gregory
Published: August 2014

Purpose:

To compare the effects of sprint training with or without ball carry on the sprint performance of elite rugby league players.

Methods:

Twenty-four elite rugby league players were divided into a ball-carry group (BC; n = 12) and a no-ball-carry group (NBC; n = 12). The players of the BC group were required to catch and carry the ball under 1 arm during each sprint, whereas the NBC group performed sprints without carrying a ball. The 8-wk training intervention took place during the precompetitive phase of the season and consisted of 2 sessions/wk. Sprint performance was measured before and after the training intervention with 40-m linear sprints performed under 2 conditions: with and without ball carry. Split times of 10, 20, and 40 m were recorded for further analysis. A 3-way (group × time × condition) factorial ANOVA was performed to compare changes in sprint performance with and without the ball, before and after the training intervention for both BC and NBC training groups.

Results:

The BC and NBC groups experienced similar improvements in 10-, 20-, and 40-m sprint times and accelerations, regardless of the condition under which the sprint tests were performed (P = .19).

Conclusions:

Sprint training while carrying a rugby ball is as effective as sprint training without carrying a rugby ball for improving the sprint performance of elite rugby league players.
Monitoring Neuromuscular Fatigue in Team-Sport Athletes Using a Cycle-Ergometer Test
Authors: Wehbe George , Gabbett Tim , Dwyer Dan , McLellan Christopher , Coad Sam
Published: August 2014

Purpose:

To compare a novel sprint test on a cycle ergometer with a countermovement-jump (CMJ) test for monitoring neuromuscular fatigue after Australian rules football match play.

Methods:

Twelve elite under-18 Australian rules football players (mean ± SD age 17.5 ± 0.6 y, stature 184.7 ± 8.8 cm, body mass 75.3 ± 7.8 kg) from an Australian Football League club’s Academy program performed a short sprint test on a cycle ergometer along with a single CMJ test 1 h prematch and 1, 24, and 48 h postmatch. The cycle-ergometer sprint test involved a standardized warm-up, a maximal 6-s sprint, a 1-min active recovery, and a 2nd maximal 6-s sprint, with the highest power output of the 2 sprints recorded as peak power (PP).

Results:

There were small to moderate differences between postmatch changes in cycle-ergometer PP and CMJ PP at 1 (ES = 0.49), 24 (ES = –0.85), and 48 h postmatch (ES = 0.44). There was a substantial reduction in cycle-ergometer PP at 24 h postmatch (ES = –0.40) compared with 1 h prematch.

Conclusions:

The cycle-ergometer sprint test described in this study offers a novel method of neuromuscular-fatigue monitoring in team-sport athletes and specifically quantifies the concentric component of the fatigue-induced decrement of force production in muscle, which may be overlooked by a CMJ test.
The Effect of Ankle Taping to Restrict Plantar Flexion on Ball and Foot Velocity During an Instep Kick in Soccer
Authors: Sasadai Junpei , Urabe Yukio , Maeda Noriaki , Shinohara Hiroshi , Fujii Eri
Published: August 2014

Context:

Posterior ankle impingement syndrome is a common disorder in soccer players and ballet dancers. In soccer players, it is caused by the repetitive stress of ankle plantar flexion due to instep kicking. Protective ankle dorsiflexion taping is recommended with the belief that it prevents posterior ankle impingement. However, the relationship between ankle taping and ball-kicking performance remains unclear.

Objective:

To demonstrate the relationship between the restrictions of ankle taping and performance of an instep kick in soccer.

Design:

Laboratory-based repeated-measures.

Setting:

University laboratory.

Participants:

11 male university soccer players.

Intervention:

The subjects’ ankle plantar flexion was limited by taping. Four angles of planter flexion (0°, 15°, 30°, and without taping) were formed by gradation limitation. The subjects performed maximal instep kicks at each angle.

Main Outcome Measures:

The movements of the kicking legs and the ball were captured using 3 high-speed cameras at 200 Hz. The direct linear-transformation method was used to obtain 3-dimensional coordinates using a digitizing system. Passive ankle plantar-flexion angle, maximal plantar-flexion angle at ball impact, ball velocity, and foot velocity were measured. The data were compared among 4 conditions using repeated-measures ANOVA, and the correlations between ball velocity and foot velocity and between ball velocity and toe velocity were calculated.

Results:

Ankle dorsiflexion taping could gradually limit both passive plantar flexion and plantar flexion at the impact. Furthermore, limitation of 0° and 15° reduced the ball velocity generated by instep kicks.

Conclusion:

Plantar-flexion-limiting taping at 30° has a potential to prevent posterior ankle impingement without decreasing the ball velocity generated by soccer instep kicks.
The tyrosine kinase Lyn limits the cytokine responsiveness of plasma cells to restrict their accumulation in mice
Authors: Infantino Simona , Jones Sarah A. , Walker Jennifer A. , Maxwell Mhairi J. , Light Amanda , O’Donnell Kristy , Tsantikos Evelyn , Peperzak Victor , Phesse Toby , Ernst Matthias , Mackay Fabienne , Hibbs Margaret L. , Fairfax Kirsten A. , Tarlinton David M.
Published: August 2014

A nonreceptor tyrosine kinase inhibits cytokine signaling to prevent the persistence of antibody-secreting cells.
Targeting aPKC disables oncogenic signaling by both the EGFR and the proinflammatory cytokine TNFα in glioblastoma
Authors: Kusne Yael , Carrera-Silva Eugenio A. , Perry Anthony S. , Rushing Elisabeth J. , Mandell Edward K. , Dietrich Justin D. , Errasti Andrea E. , Gibbs Daniel , Berens Michael E. , Loftus Joseph C. , Hulme Christopher , Yang Weiwei , Lu Zhimin , Aldape Kenneth , Sanai Nader , Rothlin Carla V. , Ghosh Sourav
Published: August 2014

Targeting a kinase common to both the EGFR and TNFα signaling pathways may prevent drug resistance in glioblastoma.
Science Signaling
Podcast: 12 August 2014
Authors: Talbot Will S. , VanHook Annalisa M.
Published: August 2014

The orphan receptor GPR126 is activated by binding to type IV collagen.
Timing Responses to Infection
Authors: Berndt Jason D.
Published: August 2014

Circadian rhythms in lung epithelial cells affect neutrophil recruitment in response to infection.
Resistome Analysis of Enterobacter cloacae CY01, an Extensively Drug-Resistant Strain Producing VIM-1 Metallo-β-Lactamase from China
Authors: Yang Ling , Wu Ai-Wu , Su Dan-Hong , Lin Yong-Ping , Chen Ding-Qiang , Qiu Yu-Rong
Published: August 2014

Resistome analysis of clinical VIM-1-producing
Enterobacter cloacae
strain CY01 from China revealed the presence of multiple resistance determinants. Two resistance plasmids were identified in CY01. The pCY-VIM plasmid was 14 kb in size and possessed a replicase gene (
repA
), a gene cluster encoding the partitioning function (
parABC
), and a carbapenemase gene (
bla
VIM-1
). Another 5.9-kb plasmid, pCY-MdT, with an
aac
(
6
′)-
Ib
gene, was very closely related (13 nucleotide differences) to pMdT1, a ColE1 plasmid carrying
aac
(
6
′)-
Ib-cr4
.
Impact of Lopinavir-Ritonavir or Nevirapine on Bedaquiline Exposures and Potential Implications for Patients with Tuberculosis-HIV Coinfection
Authors: Svensson Elin M. , Dooley Kelly E. , Karlsson Mats O.
Published: August 2014

Concomitant treatment of tuberculosis (TB) and HIV is recommended and improves outcomes. Bedaquiline is a novel drug for the treatment of multidrug-resistant (MDR) TB; combined use with antiretroviral drugs, nevirapine, or ritonavir-boosted lopinavir (LPV/r) is anticipated, but no clinical data from coinfected patients are available. Plasma concentrations of bedaquiline and its M2 metabolite after single doses were obtained from interaction studies with nevirapine or LPV/r in healthy volunteers. The antiretrovirals' effects on bedaquiline and M2 pharmacokinetics were assessed by nonlinear mixed-effects modeling. Potential dose adjustments were evaluated with simulations. No significant effects of nevirapine on bedaquiline pharmacokinetics were identified. LPV/r decreased bedaquiline and M2 clearances to 35% (relative standard error [RSE], 9.2%) and 58% (RSE, 8.4%), respectively, of those without comedication. As almost 3-fold (bedaquiline) and 2-fold (M2) increases in exposures during chronic treatment with LPV/r are expected, dose adjustments are suggested for evaluation. Efficacious, safe bedaquiline dosing for MDR-TB patients receiving antiretrovirals is important. Modeling results suggest that bedaquiline can be coadministered with nevirapine without dose adjustments. The predicted elevation of bedaquiline and M2 levels during LPV/r coadministration may be a safety concern, and careful monitoring is recommended. Further data are being collected in coinfected patients to determine whether dose adjustments are needed. (These studies have been registered at ClinicalTrials.gov under registration numbers NCT00828529 [study C110] and NCT00910806 [study C117].)