bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
High prostate cancer gene 3 (PCA3) scores are associated with elevated Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System (PI‐RADS) grade and biopsy Gleason score, at magnetic resonance imaging/ultrasonography fusion software‐based targeted prostate biopsy after a previous negative standard biopsy
Authors: De Luca Stefano , Passera Roberto , Cattaneo Giovanni , Manfredi Matteo , Mele Fabrizio , Fiori Cristian , Bollito Enrico , Cirillo Stefano , Porpiglia Francesco
Published: April 2016

Objective

To determine the association among prostate cancer gene 3 (PCA3) score, Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System (PI‐RADS) grade and Gleason score, in a cohort of patients with elevated prostate‐specific antigen (PSA), undergoing magnetic resonance imaging/ultrasonography fusion software‐based targeted prostate biopsy (TBx) after a previous negative randomised ‘standard’ biopsy (SBx).

Patients and Methods

In all, 282 patients who underwent TBx after previous negative SBx and a PCA3 urine assay, were enrolled. The associations between PCA3 score/PI‐RADS and PCA3 score/Gleason score were investigated by K‐means clustering, a receiver operating characteristic analysis and binary logistic regression.

Results

The PCA3 score difference for the negative vs positive TBx cohorts was highly statistically significant. A 1‐unit increase in the PCA3 score was associated to a 2.4% increased risk of having a positive TBx result. A PCA3 score of >80 and a PI‐RADS grade of ≥4 were independent predictors of a positive TBx. The association between the PCA3 score and PI‐RADS grade was statistically significant (the median PCA3 score for PI‐RADS grade groups 3, 4, and 5 was 58, 104, and 146, respectively; P = 0.006). A similar pattern was detected for the relationship between the PCA3 score and Gleason score; an increasing PCA3 score was associated with a worsening Gleason score (median PCA3 score equal to 62, 105, 132, 153, 203, and 322 for Gleason Score 3+4, 4+3, 4+4, 4+5, 5+4, and 5+5, respectively; P < 0.001).

Conclusion

TBx improved PCA3 score diagnostic and prognostic performance for prostate cancer. The PCA3 score was directly associated both with biopsy Gleason score and PI‐RADS grade: notably, in the ‘indeterminate’ PI‐RADS grade 3 subgroup.
Design, synthesis, and biological characterization of tamibarotene analogs as anticancer agents
Authors: Jiang Yuqi , Li Xiaoyang , Wang Xue , Wang Zhonglan , Zhang Jian , Wu Jingde , Xu Wenfang
Published: April 2016

In our efforts of developing novel compounds as potential anticancer agents, a series of tamibarotene analogs containing Zn2+‐binding moieties were designed and developed. Biological characterization identified compound 7b as the most potent one with improved antiproliferative activities against multiple cancer cell lines, compared to parent compound tamibarotene. Further characterization also demonstrated that compound 7b exhibited moderate activities as a histone deacetylase inhibitor with IC50 of 1.8 ± 0.1 μm, thus suggesting that this could contribute to the improved antiproliferative activities of 7b. Pharmacokinetic studies revealed that compound 7b could release tamibarotene after administration and prolong the circulation time of tamibarotene, and this may also potentially contribute to the improved antiproliferative activities. Collectively, the results demonstrated that compound 7b could serve as a new lead for further development of more potent analogs as potential anticancer agents.
A generalized approach for producing, quantifying, and validating citizen science data from wildlife images
Authors: Swanson Alexandra , Kosmala Margaret , Lintott Chris , Packer Craig
Published: April 2016

Citizen science has the potential to expand the scope and scale of research in ecology and conservation, but many professional researchers remain skeptical of data produced by nonexperts. We devised an approach for producing accurate, reliable data from untrained, nonexpert volunteers. On the citizen science website www.snapshotserengeti.org, more than 28,000 volunteers classified 1.51 million images taken in a large‐scale camera‐trap survey in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. Each image was circulated to, on average, 27 volunteers, and their classifications were aggregated using a simple plurality algorithm. We validated the aggregated answers against a data set of 3829 images verified by experts and calculated 3 certainty metrics—level of agreement among classifications (evenness), fraction of classifications supporting the aggregated answer (fraction support), and fraction of classifiers who reported “nothing here” for an image that was ultimately classified as containing an animal (fraction blank)—to measure confidence that an aggregated answer was correct. Overall, aggregated volunteer answers agreed with the expert‐verified data on 98% of images, but accuracy differed by species commonness such that rare species had higher rates of false positives and false negatives. Easily calculated analysis of variance and post‐hoc Tukey tests indicated that the certainty metrics were significant indicators of whether each image was correctly classified or classifiable. Thus, the certainty metrics can be used to identify images for expert review. Bootstrapping analyses further indicated that 90% of images were correctly classified with just 5 volunteers per image. Species classifications based on the plurality vote of multiple citizen scientists can provide a reliable foundation for large‐scale monitoring of African wildlife.
Place‐based and data‐rich citizen science as a precursor for conservation action
Authors: Haywood Benjamin K. , Parrish Julia K. , Dolliver Jane
Published: April 2016

Environmental education strategies have customarily placed substantial focus on enhancing ecological knowledge and literacy with the hope that, upon discovering relevant facts and concepts, participants will be better equipped to process and dissect environmental issues and, therefore, make more informed decisions. The assumption is that informed citizens will become active citizens––enthusiastically lobbying for, and participating in, conservation‐oriented action. We surveyed and interviewed and used performance data from 432 participants in the Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team (COASST), a scientifically rigorous citizen science program, to explore measurable change in and links between understanding and action. We found that participation in rigorous citizen science was associated with significant increases in participant knowledge and skills; a greater connection to place and, secondarily, to community; and an increasing awareness of the relative impact of anthropogenic activities on local ecosystems specifically through increasing scientific understanding of the ecosystem and factors affecting it. Our results suggest that a place‐based, data‐rich experience linked explicitly to local, regional, and global issues can lead to measurable change in individual and collective action, expressed in our case study principally through participation in citizen science and community action and communication of program results to personal acquaintances and elected officials. We propose the following tenets of conservation literacy based on emergent themes and the connections between them explicit in our data: place‐based learning creates personal meaning making; individual experience nested within collective (i.e., program‐wide) experience facilitates an understanding of the ecosystem process and function at local and regional scales; and science‐based meaning making creates informed concern (i.e., the ability to discern both natural and anthropogenic forcing), which allows individuals to develop a personalized prioritization schema and engage in conservation action.
Nutritional predictors of mortality after discharge in elderly patients on a medical ward
Authors: Buscemi Silvio , Batsis John A. , Parrinello Gaspare , Massenti Fatima M. , Rosafio Giuseppe , Sciascia Vittoria , Costa Flavia , Pollina Addario Sebastiano , Mendola Serena , Barile Anna M. , Maniaci Vincenza , Rini Nadia , Caimi Gregorio
Published: April 2016

Background

Malnutrition in elderly inpatients hospitalized on medical wards is a significant public health concern. The aim of this study was to investigate nutritional markers as mortality predictors following discharge in hospitalized medical elderly patients.

Materials and methods

This is a prospective observational cohort study with follow‐up of 48 months. Two hundred and twenty‐five individuals aged 60 and older admitted from the hospital emergency room in the past 48 h were investigated at the medical ward in the University hospital in Palermo (Italy). Anthropometric and clinical measurements, Mini‐nutritional Assessment (MNA) questionnaire, bioelectrical (BIA) phase angle (PA), grip strength were obtained all within 48 h of admission. Mortality data were verified by means of mortality registry and analysed using Cox‐proportional hazard models.

Results

Ninety (40%) participants died at the end of follow‐up. There were significant relationships between PA, MNA score, age and gender on mortality. Patients in the lowest tertile of PA (< 4·6°) had higher mortality estimates [I vs II tertile: hazard ratio (HR) = 3·40; 95% confidence interval (CI): 2·01–5·77; II vs III tertile: HR = 3·83; 95% CI: 2·21–6·64; log‐rank test: χ2 = 43·6; P < 0·001]. Similarly, the survival curves demonstrated low MNA scores (< 22) were associated with higher mortality estimates (HR = 1·85; 95% CI: 1·22–2·81 χ2 = 8·2; P = 0·004).

Conclusions

The MNA and BIA‐derived phase angle are reasonable tools to identify malnourished patients at high mortality risk and may represent useful markers in intervention trials in this high‐risk subgroup.
Polish individuals with an at‐risk mental state: demographic and clinical characteristics
Authors: Kotlicka‐Antczak Magdalena , Pawełczyk Tomasz , Podgórski Michał , Żurner Natalia , Karbownik Michał S. , Pawełczyk Agnieszka
Published: April 2016

Aim

The aim of this study is to present sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of Polish individuals with an at‐risk mental state (ARMS).

Methods

A group of 99 individuals meeting the ARMS criteria were assessed in terms of sociodemographic data, psychopathological symptoms, psychosocial functioning and comorbidity.

Results

The sample (mean age 19 years) was 54.55% women. At baseline, nearly 73% of the sample was educated, and 20.20% were employed. Approximately 87.88% of the participants lived with their families. Nearly 77% of the sample presented attenuated psychotic symptoms (APS), 17.17% demonstrated APS with accompanying vulnerability traits and 19.19% showed vulnerability features only. The mean Social and Occupational Functioning Assessment Scale score was 49.55 (±7.70). No effect of age, gender or level of functioning on psychopathological symptoms was observed.

The most common comorbid diagnoses were depressive (44.44%) and anxiety disorders (19.19%), which coexisted in 5.05% of the individuals. Approximately 28.28% of the diagnoses met the criteria for personality disorders. The dropout rate from the study was 19.09%, with stigma as the most common reason.

Conclusions

Polish ARMS individuals are help‐seeking young people most commonly presenting APS or vulnerability features. Despite a high level of psychosocial dysfunction, these individuals remain educationally active. Most individuals showed comorbid diagnoses (commonly depressive or anxiety disorders). Despite some differences resulting from the socioeconomic situation of the country or the specificity of the mental health services, the characteristics of the sample remain consistent with descriptions of ARMS populations worldwide. This study reaffirms the need for organizing early intervention services in non‐stigmatizing settings.
Rediscovery of Celes akitanus (Orthoptera: Acrididae) from semi‐natural grasslands in Japan
Authors: Uchida Kei , Shinohara Tadashi , Takahashi Sogo , Nakahama Naoyuki , Takami Yasuoki , Ushimaru Atushi
Published: April 2016

Celes akitanus was rediscovered in semi‐natural grasslands in Japan. This species is one of the most endangered insects in Japan; most local populations were thought to be extinct. Reliable records of this rare species had been obtained only from Yamagata, Niigata, Tokyo and Nagano Prefectures. We compared the morphology of the holotype of Oedipoda akitana (=C. akitanus) and newly collected specimens and found that they matched with each other. The species was redescribed based on the holotype and new specimens. A molecular phylogenetic analysis involving other acridid species indicated that our samples were practically identical to C. akitanus from China. We conclude that the specimens we collected are C. akitanus, which has been rediscovered in Japan after about 30 years. Because the discovered populations were restricted to narrow and scattered areas, conservation of these populations should be a high priority. Population monitoring and habitat assessment are required. Because C. akitanus and many other endangered species are found in the grassland areas, these habitats should be protected and maintained.
EEG desynchronization during phasic REM sleep suppresses interictal epileptic activity in humans
Authors: Frauscher Birgit , von Ellenrieder Nicolás , Dubeau François , Gotman Jean
Published: April 2016

Objective

Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep has a suppressing effect on epileptic activity. This effect might be directly related to neuronal desynchronization mediated by cholinergic neurotransmission. We investigated whether interictal epileptiform discharges (IEDs) and high frequency oscillations—a biomarker of the epileptogenic zone—are evenly distributed across phasic and tonic REM sleep. We hypothesized that IEDs are more suppressed during phasic REM sleep because of additional cholinergic drive.

Methods

Twelve patients underwent polysomnography during long‐term combined scalp‐intracerebral electroencephalography (EEG) recording. After sleep staging in the scalp EEG, we identified segments of REM sleep with rapid eye movements (phasic REM) and segments of REM sleep without rapid eye movements (tonic REM). In the intracerebral EEG, we computed the power in frequencies <30 Hz and from 30 to 500 Hz, and marked IEDs, ripples (>80 Hz) and fast ripples (>250 Hz). We grouped the intracerebral channels into channels in the seizure‐onset zone (SOZ), the exclusively irritative zone (EIZ), and the normal zone (NoZ).

Results

Power in frequencies <30 Hz was lower during phasic than tonic REM sleep (p < 0.001), most likely reflecting increased desynchronization. IEDs, ripples and fast ripples, were less frequent during phasic than tonic REM sleep (phasic REM sleep: 39% of spikes, 35% of ripples, 18% of fast ripples, tonic REM sleep: 61% of spikes, 65% of ripples, 82% of fast ripples; p < 0.001). In contrast to ripples in the epileptogenic zone, physiologic ripples were more abundant during phasic REM sleep (phasic REM sleep: 73% in NoZ, 30% in EIZ, 28% in SOZ, tonic REM sleep: 27% in NoZ, 70% in EIZ, 72% in SOZ; p < 0.001).

Significance

Phasic REM sleep has an enhanced suppressive effect on IEDs, corroborating the role of EEG desynchronization in the suppression of interictal epileptic activity. In contrast, physiologic ripples were increased during phasic REM sleep, possibly reflecting REM‐related memory consolidation and dreaming.
The effectiveness of inhaled ginger essential oil in improving dietary intake in breast‐cancer patients experiencing chemotherapy‐induced nausea and vomiting
Authors: Salihah Noor , Mazlan Nik , Lua Pei Lin
Published: April 2016

Background

Evidence suggests the use of complementary therapies may help in relieving the adverse effects of cancer‐related treatment, including nausea.

Objectives

To evaluate the effectiveness of inhaled ginger essential oil (EO) in improving dietary intake in women with breast cancer experiencing chemotherapy‐induced nausea and vomiting (CINV). General perception on the use of ginger aromatherapy was also evaluated.

Methods

A single‐blind, randomised, placebo‐controlled, crossover study was conducted in two oncology clinics in Peninsular Malaysia. Women received 5 days of aromatherapy treatment using either ginger EO or fragrance‐matched placebo [ginger fragrance oil (FO)] in an order dictated by the treatment group sequence. The following aspects were evaluated: nutritional status (BMI, nutritional requirement, dietary intake) and general perception of aromatherapy.

Results

Sixty women completed the study (age=47.3±9.26 years; receiving highly emetogenic chemotherapy=86.7%; BMI=25.5±5.4 kg/m2). Energy intakes were significantly higher after patients were treated with ginger EO than ginger FO at day 3 (P=0.015) and day 5 (P=0.002). Significant improvements in energy intake were also observed over time [F(2,57)=54.21, P<0.001], reaching almost 90% of the energy requirement 5 days’ post‐chemotherapy. Inhaled aromatherapy using ginger EO was rated marginally more helpful than the ginger FO (63.3% vs. 61.6%). Being delivered via a necklace, the treatment method was considered feasible for participating women.

Conclusion

The use of inhaled ginger EO for CINV could possibly help patients resume their dietary intake. This complementary treatment was also favourably received by the participating women.
Trait variations of ground flora species disentangle the effects of global change and altered land‐use in Swedish forests during 20 years
Authors: Hedwall Per‐Ola , Brunet Jörg
Published: April 2016

Northern forest ecosystems are exposed to a range of anthropogenic processes including global warming, atmospheric deposition, and changing land‐use. The vegetation of northern forests is composed of species with several functional traits related to these processes, whose effects may be difficult to disentangle. Here, we combined analyses of spatio‐temporal dynamics and functional traits of ground flora species, including morphological characteristics, responses to macro‐ and microclimate, soil conditions, and disturbance. Based on data from the Swedish National Forest Inventory, we compared changes in occurrence of a large number of ground flora species during a 20‐year period (1994–2013) in boreal and temperate Sweden respectively. Our results show that a majority of the common ground flora species have changed their overall frequency. Comparisons of functional traits between increasing and declining species, and of trends in mean trait values of sample plots, indicate that current floristic changes are caused by combined effects of climate warming, nitrogen deposition and changing land‐use. Changes and their relations with plant traits were generally larger in temperate southern Sweden. Nutrient‐demanding species with mesotrophic morphology were favored by ongoing eutrophication due to nitrogen deposition in the temperate zone, while dwarf shrubs with low demands on nitrogen decreased in frequency. An increase of species with less northern and less eastern distribution limits was also restricted to temperate Sweden, and indicates effects of a moister and milder macroclimate. A trend toward dense plantation forests is mirrored by a decrease of light‐demanding species in both vegetation zones, and a decrease of grassland species in the temperate zone. Although denser tree canopies may buffer effects of a warmer climate and of nitrogen deposition to some extent, traits related to these processes were weakly correlated in the group of species with changing frequency. Hence, our results indicate specific effects of these often confounded anthropogenic processes.
The Asylum‐Integration Paradox: Comparing Asylum Support Systems and Refugee Integration in The Netherlands and theUK
Authors: Bakker Linda , Cheung Sin Yi , Phillimore Jenny
Published: April 2016

This article explores the impact of asylum support systems on refugee integration focusing on theUKand the Netherlands. Both have adopted deterrent approaches to asylum support. The Dutch favour the use of asylum accommodation centres, segregating asylum seekers from the general population. TheUKdisperses asylum seekers to housing within deprived areas, embedding them within communities. Both countries have been criticized for these practices, which are viewed as potentially anti‐integrative: something of a paradox given that both promote the importance of refugee integration. We analyse national refugee integration surveys in both countries and provide original empirical evidence of negative associations between asylum support systems and refugees’ health, which differ in relation to mental and physical health. The integration and asylum policy implications of these findings are discussed.
Personality and Euroscepticism: The Impact of Personality on Attitudes Towards the EU
Authors: Nielsen Julie Hassing
Published: April 2016

Attitudes towards EU integration are widely studied, yet we know only little about the role of personality for EU attitudes. Utilizing a framing experiment encompassing positive and negative frames of EU integration, this article reports on how personality influences attitudes towards EU integration, and how personal predispositions moderate framing effects, impacting EU attitude formation. The study relies on Danish and Swedish data (N = 1808). I test both the direct impact of personality on EU attitudes and personality's moderating impact on framing effects. I find that extraversion and openness positively correlate with positive EU attitudes, while people scoring high on neuroticism tend to support the EU less. Furthermore, I find that personality moderates different EU frames. Individuals with certain personality traits are more influenced by framing effects than others, while positive and negative frames also are perceived differently according to personal predispositions. I find only little country differences between Denmark and Sweden.
Studying avian encephalization with geometric morphometrics
Authors: Marugán‐Lobón Jesús , Watanabe Akinobu , Kawabe Soichiro
Published: April 2016

Encephalization is a core concept in comparative neurobiology, aiming to quantify the neurological capacity of organisms. For measuring encephalization, many studies have employed relative brain sizes corrected for expected allometric scaling to body size. Here we highlight the utility of a multivariate geometric morphometric (GM) approach for visualizing and analyzing neuroanatomical shape variation associated with encephalization. GM readily allows the statistical evaluation of covariates, such as size, and many software tools exist for visualizing their effects on shape. Thus far, however, studies using GM have not attempted to translate the meaning of encephalization to shape data. As such, we tested the statistical relationship between size and encephalization quotients (EQs) to brain shape utilizing a broad interspecific sample of avian endocranial data. Although statistically significant, the analyses indicate that allometry accounts for <10% of total neuroanatomical shape variation. Notably, we find that EQs, despite being corrected for allometric scaling based on size, contain size‐related neuroanatomical shape changes. In addition, much of what is traditionally considered encephalization comprises clade‐specific trends in relative forebrain expansion, particularly driven by landbirds. EQs, therefore, fail to capture 90% of the total neuroanatomical variation after correcting for allometry and shared phylogenetic history. Moving forward, GM techniques provide crucial tools for investigating key drivers of this vast, largely unexplored aspect of avian brain morphology.
Distribution of proteins within different compartments of tendon varies according to tendon type
Authors: Thorpe Chavaunne T. , Karunaseelan Kabelan J. , Ng Chieng Hin Jade , Riley Graham P. , Birch Helen L. , Clegg Peter D. , Screen Hazel R. C.
Published: April 2016

Although the predominant function of all tendons is to transfer force from muscle to bone and position the limbs, some tendons additionally function as energy stores, reducing the energetic cost of locomotion. To maximise energy storage and return, energy‐storing tendons need to be more extensible and elastic than tendons with a purely positional function. These properties are conferred in part by a specialisation of a specific compartment of the tendon, the interfascicular matrix, which enables sliding and recoil between adjacent fascicles. However, the composition of the interfascicular matrix is poorly characterised and we therefore tested the hypothesis that the distribution of elastin and proteoglycans differs between energy‐storing and positional tendons, and that protein distribution varies between the fascicular matrix and the interfascicular matrix, with localisation of elastin and lubricin to the interfascicular matrix. Protein distribution in the energy‐storing equine superficial digital flexor tendon and positional common digital extensor tendon was assessed using histology and immunohistochemistry. The results support the hypothesis, demonstrating enrichment of lubricin in the interfascicular matrix in both tendon types, where it is likely to facilitate interfascicular sliding. Elastin was also localised to the interfascicular matrix, specifically in the energy‐storing superficial digital flexor tendon, which may account for the greater elasticity of the interfascicular matrix in this tendon. A differential distribution of proteoglycans was identified between tendon types and regions, which may indicate a distinct role for each of these proteins in tendon. These data provide important advances into fully characterising structure–function relationships within tendon.
Neuroscience‐informed computer‐assisted cognitive training in schizophrenia
Authors: Fisher Melissa , Herman Alexander , Stephens Dustin B. , Vinogradov Sophia
Published: April 2016

Schizophrenia is a heterogeneous psychiatric syndrome characterized by psychosis. It is also a neurodevelopmental disorder. In the earliest phases of the illness, at‐risk individuals exhibit subtle, nonspecific symptoms, including cognitive dysfunction and progressive brain volumetric loss. Generally, schizophrenia is characterized by abnormal/inefficient neural system operations and neural oscillatory activity, as well as functional disconnectivity across frontal–temporo parietal and frontal–subcortical networks; it thus may best be described as a widespread neural oscillatory connectomopathy. Despite earlier views of schizophrenia as an inevitably progressive neurodegenerative disease, emerging evidence indicates that endogenous neuroplastic capacity is retained. An active area of research is directed at understanding how best to harness this learning‐induced neuroplasticity to enhance neural system functioning, improve cognition, and prevent—and possibly even reverse—disease progression. In this review, we present an overview of results from the most widely used computer‐assisted cognitive‐training programs in schizophrenia, contrasting a broad neuropsychological rehabilitation approach with a targeted cognitive‐training approach. We then review studies on the neurobiological effects of these two training methods. Finally, we discuss future directions with a focus on the “oscillatory connectome” as a key area of investigation for developing the most precise and scientifically informed treatment approaches for this illness.
Principles of operation, accuracy and precision of an Eye Surface Profiler
Authors: Iskander D. Robert , Wachel Pawel , Simpson Patrick N. D. , Consejo Alejandra , Jesus Danilo A.
Published: April 2016

Purpose

To introduce a newly developed instrument for measuring the topography of the anterior eye, provide principles of its operation and to assess its accuracy and precision.

Methods

The Eye Surface Profiler is a new technology based on Fourier transform profilometry for measuring the anterior eye surface encompassing the corneo‐scleral area. Details of technical principles of operation are provided for the particular case of sequential double fringe projection. Technical limits of accuracy have been assessed for several key parameters such as the carrier frequency, image quantisation level, sensor size, carrier frequency inaccuracy, and level and type of noise. Further, results from both artificial test surfaces as well as real eyes are used to assess precision and accuracy of the device (here benchmarked against one of popular Placido disk videokeratoscopes).

Results

Technically, the Eye Surface Profiler accuracy can reach levels below 1 μm for a range of considered key parameters. For the unit tested and using calibrated artificial surfaces, the accuracy of measurement (in terms of RMS error) was below 10 μm for a central measurement area of 8 mm diameter and below 40 μm for an extended measurement area of 16 mm. In some cases, the error reached levels of up to 200 μm at the very periphery of the measured surface (up to 20 mm). The SimK estimates of the test surfaces from the Eye Surface Profiler were in close agreement with those from a Placido disk videokeratoscope with differences no greater than ±0.1 D. For real eyes, the benchmarked accuracy was within ±0.5D for both the spherical and cylindrical SimK components.

Conclusions

The Eye Surface Profiler can successfully measure the topography of the entire anterior eye including the cornea, limbus and sclera. It has a great potential to become an optometry clinical tool that could substitute the currently used videokeratoscopes and provide a high quality corneo‐scleral topography.
Hd3a,RFT1andEhd1integrate photoperiodic and drought stress signals to delay the floral transition in rice
Authors: Galbiati Francesca , Chiozzotto Remo , Locatelli Franca , Spada Alberto , Genga Annamaria , Fornara Fabio
Published: April 2016

Plants show a high degree of developmental plasticity in response to external cues, including day length and environmental stress. Water scarcity in particular can interfere with photoperiodic flowering, resulting in the acceleration of the switch to reproductive growth in several species, a process called drought escape. However, other strategies are possible and drought stress can also delay flowering, albeit the underlying mechanisms have never been addressed at the molecular level. We investigated these interactions in rice, a short day species in which drought stress delays flowering. A protocol that allows the synchronization of drought with the floral transition was set up to profile the transcriptome of leaves subjected to stress under distinct photoperiods. We identified clusters of genes that responded to drought differently depending on day length. Exposure to drought stress under floral‐inductive photoperiods strongly reduced transcription ofEARLY HEADING DATE 1(Ehd1),HEADING DATE 3a(Hd3a) andRICE FLOWERING LOCUS T 1(RFT1), primary integrators of day length signals, providing a molecular connection between stress and the photoperiodic pathway. However, phenotypic and transcriptional analyses suggested thatOsGIGANTEA(OsGI) does not integrate drought and photoperiodic signals as in Arabidopsis, highlighting molecular differences between long and short day model species.
Sudden unexpected infant death in Jordan and the home environment
Authors: Hamadneh Shereen , Kassab Manal , Hamadneh Jehan , Amarin Zouhair
Published: April 2016

Background

The aim of this study was to evaluate maternal common practice for infant sleep care and the home environment, in order to explore the major risk factors associated with sudden unexpected infant death in Jordan.

Methods

Data were collected via semi‐structured questionnaire interview to investigate the sociodemographic features, infant sleep practices and home environments. The sample included 604 mothers with infants <1 year old. Descriptive statistics were generated.

Results

Sleep practices were identified as leading factors in unexpected infant death. They included infant head covering (84%), heavy bedding with multiple quilts (81%) or blankets (67%), and co‐bedding (66%). Environmental risk factors included high incidence of smoking, exposure to toxic solid fuel heaters during winter and inadequate room ventilation.

Conclusion

Factors leading to unexpected infant death were high in Jordan. Unsafe infant sleeping practices and poor environmental factors put infants at high risk of sudden death. Lack of awareness of risk factors increases the risk.
Urgenda Foundation and 886 Individuals v. The State of the Netherlands: The Dilemma of More Ambitious Greenhouse Gas Reduction Action by EU Member States
Authors: Peeters Marjan
Published: April 2016

The remarkable decision of a Dutch lower civil court ordering the State of the Netherlands to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 25% by 2020 compared to 1990 levels has attracted ample attention across the world. The court decision deals with the fundamental question of the extent to which a civil court can intervene in environmental decision making, particularly where this concerns the national policy of a European Union (EU) Member State. This case note considers the court decision from an EU law perspective. Although from an environmental perspective ambitious climate action is to be very much praised, several critical legal issues merit scholarly discussion, particularly regarding the competence of the Dutch court to decide the case, the need for a preliminary reference to the Court of Justice of the European Union, the right understanding of complex EU climate law, but also regarding judicial activism and the way climate science is used in courtrooms.
Rethinking Transnational Environmental Health Governance in Africa: Can Adaptive Governance Help?
Authors: Onzivu William
Published: April 2016

This article explores options to strengthen environmental law to maximize its health impact in the developing world. A review of environmental treaties, including their domestic implementation, reveals the weak synergies between health and environmental objectives. The article advances adaptive governance as a framework for rethinking international environmental law to improve health in Africa, but argues that it has its limits. It analyses these strengths and limits in the context of evolving regional environmental health governance in Africa, and proposes four principles – environmental justice, multi‐sectoral collaboration, evaluation and environmental ethics – to reinforce its potential to improve health and the environment in Africa.
The Nexus between International Law and the Sustainable Development Goals
Authors: Kim Rakhyun E.
Published: April 2016

The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 169 targets did not emerge from, and were not inserted into, a normative vacuum. They are grounded in international law and made consistent with existing commitments expressed in various international legal instruments. Naturally, a nexus exists between international law and these global priorities. This article explores how to harness that nexus for sustainability. It examines to what extent the SDGs might be instrumental in orchestrating international institutions towards the common objective of sustainable development, and how international law provides a normative environment for the SDGs. The article argues that, although self‐proclaimed as integrated and indivisible, the SDGs and targets reflect the fragmented structure of international law, and therefore would have limited utility for orchestration. The article then discusses how international law, despite its fragmented nature, provides integration tools that could address trade‐offs between competing targets in a principled manner. A clear, long‐term vision for sustainable development beyond 2030 is a necessary but absent leverage point in the SDG framework. It would define the point where the interacting SDGs and targets should ultimately converge.
Getting to 2030: Negotiating the Post‐2015 Sustainable Development Agenda
Authors: Chasek Pamela S. , Wagner Lynn M. , Leone Faye , Lebada Ana‐Maria , Risse Nathalie
Published: April 2016

The United Nations Member States set a very high bar for themselves at the Rio+20 conference in June 2012: reaching agreement among 193 countries on a broad ‘post‐2015’ sustainable development agenda that could enhance international coordination on all aspects of human and planetary well‐being. However, at a point in history when States were increasingly failing to reach consensus on key decisions, they made history by agreeing on a course that could ‘transform our world’, through ‘an agenda of breathtaking ambition and scope’. This article reviews the two negotiating tracks to develop the post‐2015 outcome – the work of the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which originated out of the decision taken at Rio+20; and the agreement to launch a post‐2015 development agenda to replace the Millennium Development Goals. The final outcome from these two processes represents a fine balance among competing interests and concerns. The article sets the stage for a closer examination of the results of these negotiations. We begin our examination of the ‘original intent’ of the post‐2015 agenda by reviewing the negotiation of the SDGs and the post‐2015 development agenda, with attention to their similarities and differences. The article concludes with a focus on challenges for the implementation stage, based on the themes that emerged during the negotiations.
Follow‐up and Review of the Sustainable Development Goals: Alignment vs. Internalization
Authors: Persson Åsa , Weitz Nina , Nilsson Måns
Published: April 2016

Follow‐up and review arrangements will play a critical role in ensuring that the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are effectively implemented, much of which will need to happen at the national level. This article examines the nature of commitments that countries have made and if follow‐up and review arrangements currently planned are consistent with those. In particular, we consider the need to encompass both the global SDG targets and the nationally defined targets foreseen. We also discuss the balance between following up and reviewing outcomes vis‐à‐vis behaviour to achieve those outcomes. Following a review of current plans for follow‐up and review, we further draw lessons from principal–agent theory and from the two predecessors of the SDGs, Agenda 21 and the Millennium Development Goals. We conclude that increased attention and visibility of nationally defined and internalized targets is likely to enhance implementation effectiveness, and that they should therefore be accommodated in the follow‐up and review systems.
Children's values: Universality, conflict, and sources of influence
Authors: Killen Melanie
Published: April 2016

An important question for psychological science is what types of psychological values guide individuals throughout life, and what factors increase or decrease the importance of these values. This Quartet in Social Development focuses on research that explicitly investigates values as defined by the universal content and structure of values. A central goal of the articles in this special quartet was to investigate basic human values in children, and to chart age‐related changes as well as test developmental hypotheses. In this commentary, I reflect on what we have learned in light of other research on children's values, and specifically how future research on values could benefit by a more explicit focus on three central themes in social development: universality, conflict, and sources of influence.
Curvature and the c-projective mobility of Kähler metrics with hamiltonian 2-forms
Authors: Calderbank David M. J. , Matveev Vladimir S. , Rosemann Stefan
Published: April 2016

The mobility of a Kähler metric is the dimension of the space of metrics with which it is c-projectively equivalent. The mobility is at least two if and only if the Kähler metric admits a nontrivial hamiltonian 2-form. After summarizing this relationship, we present necessary conditions for a Kähler metric to have mobility at least three: its curvature must have nontrivial nullity at every point. Using the local classification of Kähler metrics with hamiltonian 2-forms, we describe explicitly the Kähler metrics with mobility at least three and hence show that the nullity condition on the curvature is also sufficient, up to some degenerate exceptions. In an appendix, we explain how the classification may be related, generically, to the holonomy of a complex cone metric.
The isotriviality of smooth families of canonically polarized manifolds over a special quasi-projective base
Authors: Taji Behrouz
Published: April 2016

In this paper we prove that a smooth family of canonically polarized manifolds parametrized by a special (in the sense of Campana) quasi-projective variety is isotrivial.
Failures of weak approximation in families
Authors: Bright M. J. , Browning T. D. , Loughran D.
Published: April 2016

Given a family of varieties$X\rightarrow \mathbb{P}^{n}$over a number field, we determine conditions under which there is a Brauer–Manin obstruction to weak approximation for 100% of the fibres which are everywhere locally soluble.
Ultramarathon Runners’ Perceptions of Mental Toughness: A Qualitative Inquiry
Authors: Jaeschke Anna-Marie C. , Sachs Michael L. , Dieffenbach Kristen D.
Published: April 2016

Ultramarathon running entails coping with unanticipated environmental circumstances and intense physical and psychological fatigue; a sport in which the role of mental toughness can be crucial. This research focused on semistructured interviews with 12 ultramarathon runners who volunteered to discuss their perceptions of mental toughness. The data allowed researchers to gather a multidimensional view of mental toughness from ultramarathon runners’ experiences and perspective in addition to providing a snapshot of the challenges and demands ultrarunners face, as well as ethical concerns associated with athletes pushing themselves beyond their limits. Central themes included: perseverance/persistence, overcoming adversity, perspective, life experience, psychological skills use, and camaraderie in the ultra community. A deeper understanding of mental toughness obtained from a sample of ultramarathon runners can inform consultants working to improve quality or consistency of performance, and become aware of ethical concerns of encouraging athletes to exceed perceptual or actual limitations.
The Use of Counseling Principles and Skills to Develop Practitioner-Athlete Relationships by Practitioners Who Provide Sport Psychology Support
Authors: Longstaff Fran , Gervis Misia
Published: April 2016

This study examined how practitioners who provide sport psychology support use counseling principles and skills to develop practitioner-athlete relationships. Semistructured interviews were conducted with thirteen competent practitioners (Mean age = 41.2 ± 10.9 years old, five men, eight women). Thematic analysis revealed that the participants used a range of counseling principles to develop practitioner-athlete relationships including: the facilitative conditions, self-disclosure, counseling skills, the formation of working alliances, and awareness of the unreal relationship. The participants also described using noncounseling strategies (e.g., gaining an understanding of the athlete’s sporting environment) to build relationships with their athletes. There was considerable variation between the participants both in the training that they had received in counseling principles and skills, and how they applied them. It was concluded that counseling principles and skills play a significant role in the development of practitioner-athlete relationships.
High-Level South Korean Athletes’ Experiences of Injury and Rehabilitation
Authors: Bejar Matthew P. , Fisher Leslee A. , Nam Benjamin H. , Larsen Leslie K. , Fynes Jamie M. , Zakrajsek Rebecca A.
Published: April 2016

Although the biopsychosocial model of sport injury rehabilitation (Brewer, Andersen, & Van Raalte, 2002) is one of the most comprehensive frameworks to address athletes’ postinjury responses, there has been little research centralizing the myriad of cultural factors (e.g., nationality, ethnicity, socioeconomic status) that can impact psychological, social/contextual, and biological factors that, in turn, impact athletes’ recovery. The purpose of the current study was to explore high-level South Korean athletes’ experiences of injury and rehabilitation. Retrospective semistructured interviews were conducted with 11 retired high-level South Korean athletes. Employing Consensual Qualitative Research (CQR) methodology (Hill, 2012), four domains were constructed from the data: (a) Experience of the South Korean Sport System, (b) Immediate Post-Injury Perceptions, (c) Experience of Recovery Process, and (d) Post-Injury Reflections. The findings indicated that participants’ experiences of the forced hierarchy and power dynamics within the South Korean athletic specialist system influenced perceived sport injury rehabilitation outcomes.
Female Varsity Athletes’ Perceptions of How They Became Optimistic in Sport
Authors: deBeaudrap Hayley L. , Dunn John G.H. , Holt Nicholas L.
Published: April 2016

The purpose of this study was to explore female varsity athletes’ perceptions of how they developed high levels of dispositional optimism in sport. Eighty-three female varsity athletes completed a domain-specific version of the Life Orientation Test (LOT: Scheier & Carver, 1985). Nine participants (M age = 19.33 years, SD = 1.5) who had high dispositional optimism in sport then completed individual semistructured interviews. Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis methodology was used. Results showed that during childhood, participants perceived that their parents were supportive, provided feedback, and allowed them to have choice over the sports they played. During adolescence, coaches began to play an important role and participants were also able to learn about being optimistic through the positive and negative experiences they encountered. During early adulthood, participants developed personal narratives about the ways in which they approached sport with optimism.
Papers of note in
Science
Authors: VanHook Annalisa M.
Published: April 2016

This week’s articles address the effects of aging on antiviral immunity, how RNA-binding proteins promote B cell quiescence, transcription factors that keep tissue-resident T cells in their place, and signaling pathways that mediate innate immune memory.
New connections: Role of 4EBPs in controlling cell behavior
Authors: Ferrarelli Leslie K.
Published: April 2016

The regulation of protein synthesis by 4EBP proteins underlies memory and tumor drug resistance.
Limited Polymorphism of the Kelch Propeller Domain in Plasmodium malariae and P. ovale Isolates from Thailand
Authors: Nakeesathit Supatchara , Saralamba Naowarat , Pukrittayakamee Sasithon , Dondorp Arjen , Nosten Francois , White Nicholas J. , Imwong Mallika
Published: April 2016

Artemisinin resistance in
Plasmodium falciparum
, the agent of severe malaria, is currently a major obstacle to malaria control in Southeast Asia. A gene named “
kelch13
” has been associated with artemisinin resistance in
P. falciparum
. The orthologue of the
kelch
gene in
P. vivax
was identified and a small number of mutations were found in previous studies. The
kelch
orthologues in the other two human malaria parasites,
P. malariae
and
P. ovale
, have not yet been studied. Therefore, in this study, the orthologous
kelch
genes of
P. malariae
,
P. ovale wallikeri
, and
P. ovale curtisi
were isolated and analyzed for the first time. The homologies of the
kelch
genes of
P. malariae
and
P. ovale
were 84.8% and 82.7%, respectively, compared to the gene in
P. falciparum
.
kelch
polymorphisms were studied in 13
P. malariae
and 5
P. ovale
isolates from Thailand. There were 2 nonsynonymous mutations found in these samples. One mutation was P533L, which was found in 1 of 13
P. malariae
isolates, and the other was K137R, found in 1 isolate of
P. ovale wallikeri
(
n
= 4). This result needs to be considered in the context of widespread artemisinin used within the region; their functional consequences for artemisinin sensitivity in
P. malariae
and
P. ovale
will need to be elucidated.