bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Distinct chromatin signatures of DNA hypomethylation in aging and cancer
Authors: Pérez Raúl F. , Tejedor Juan Ramón , Bayón Gustavo F. , Fernández Agustín F. , Fraga Mario F.
Published: March 2018

Cancer is an aging‐associated disease, but the underlying molecular links between these processes are still largely unknown. Gene promoters that become hypermethylated in aging and cancer share a common chromatin signature in ES cells. In addition, there is also global DNA hypomethylation in both processes. However, the similarity of the regions where this loss of DNA methylation occurs is currently not well characterized, and it is unknown if such regions also share a common chromatin signature in aging and cancer. To address this issue, we analyzed TCGA DNA methylation data from a total of 2,311 samples, including control and cancer cases from patients with breast, kidney, thyroid, skin, brain, and lung tumors and healthy blood, and integrated the results with histone, chromatin state, and transcription factor binding site data from the NIH Roadmap Epigenomics and ENCODE projects. We identified 98,857 CpG sites differentially methylated in aging and 286,746 in cancer. Hyper‐ and hypomethylated changes in both processes each had a similar genomic distribution across tissues and displayed tissue‐independent alterations. The identified hypermethylated regions in aging and cancer shared a similar bivalent chromatin signature. In contrast, hypomethylated DNA sequences occurred in very different chromatin contexts. DNA hypomethylated sequences were enriched at genomic regions marked with the activating histone posttranslational modification H3K4me1 in aging, while in cancer, loss of DNA methylation was primarily associated with the repressive H3K9me3 mark. Our results suggest that the role of DNA methylation as a molecular link between aging and cancer is more complex than previously thought.
Differences in the Synthesis and Elimination of Phosphatidylethanol 16:0/18:1 and 16:0/18:2 After Acute Doses of Alcohol
Authors: Hill‐Kapturczak Nathalie , Dougherty Donald M. , Roache John D. , Karns‐Wright Tara E. , Javors Martin A.
Published: March 2018

Background

The purpose of this study was to examine the synthesis and elimination of phosphatidylethanol (PEth) 16:0/18:1 and 16:0/18:2 following the consumption of alcohol among 56 light and heavy drinkers.

Methods

A transdermal alcohol monitor was used to promote alcohol absence 7 days prior, and 14 days after, alcohol consumption in the laboratory. Participants consumed a 0.4 or 0.8 g/kg dose of alcohol in 15 minutes. Blood and breath samples were collected before, at various times up to 360 minutes postconsumption, and 2, 4, 7, 11, and 14 days after alcohol consumption. Initial rates of PEth synthesis, 360 minutes area under the PEth pharmacokinetic curves (AUCs), and elimination half‐lives were determined.

Results

(i) Nonzero PEth levels were observed before alcohol dosing for most participants, despite 7 days of alcohol use monitoring; (ii) 0.4 and 0.8 g/kg doses of alcohol produced proportional increases in PEth levels in all but 1 participant; (iii) the initial rate of synthesis of both PEth homologues did not differ between the 2 doses, but was greater for PEth 16:0/18:2 than PEth 16:0/18:1 at both doses; (iv) the mean AUC of both PEth homologues was higher at 0.8 g/kg than at 0.4 g/kg; (v) the mean AUC of 16:0/18:2 was greater than that of PEth 16:0/18:1 at both alcohol doses; (vi) the mean half‐life of PEth 16:0/18:1 was longer than that of PEth 16:0/18:2 (7.8 ± 3.3 [SD] days and 6.4 ± 5.0 [SD] days, respectively); and (vii) there were no sex differences in PEth 16:0/18:1 or 16:0/18:2 pharmacokinetics.

Conclusions

The results of this study support the use of PEth 16:0/18:1 and 16:0/18:2 as biomarkers for alcohol consumption. Because of consistent pharmacokinetic differences, the levels of these 2 PEth homologues may provide more information regarding the quantity and recentness of alcohol consumption than either alone.
Greater prevalence of post‐traumatic stress disorder and depression in deployed Canadian Armed Forces personnel at risk for moral injury
Authors: Nazarov A. , Fikretoglu D. , Liu A. , Thompson M. , Zamorski M. A.
Published: March 2018

Background

A link between moral injury (i.e., the psychological distress caused by perceived moral transgressions) and adverse mental health outcomes (AMHO) has been recently proposed. However, the prevalence of exposure to morally injurious events and the associated risk of experiencing AMHO remains understudied.

Method

The impact of exposure to potentially morally injurious experiences (PMIEs) was explored in relation to past‐year PTSD and MDD, using the 2013 Canadian Armed Forces Mental Health Survey dataset of Afghanistan mission deployed regular force and reserve personnel. A series of logistic regressions were conducted, controlling for relevant sociodemographic, military, deployment, and trauma‐related variables.

Results

Over half of the deployed personnel endorsed at least one PMIE. Several demographic and military variables were associated with exposure to PMIEs. Those exposed to PMIEs demonstrated a greater likelihood of having past‐year PTSD and MDD; feeling responsible for the death of Canadian or ally personnel demonstrated the strongest association with PTSD and MDD. Mental health training was not a moderator for PMIE exposure and AMHO.

Conclusions

Exposure to PMIEs during deployments is common and represents an independent risk factor for past‐year PTSD and MDD. Improved training that targets moral–ethical dilemmas and treatment interventions that address moral injury expressions is warranted.
The components of the bid‐ask spread: Evidence from the corn futures market
Authors: Shang Quanbiao , Mallory Mindy , Garcia Philip
Published: March 2018

This article examines whether USDA announcements and commodity index fund rolling activity have an impact on liquidity costs, measured by the bid‐ask spread. Using Huang and Stoll's (1997) model of liquidity costs, we estimate whether changes to liquidity costs are driven by its adverse selection, inventory, or order processing components. Commodity index fund roll activity reduces the asymmetric information cost component of liquidity cost due to an increased proportion of noninformation‐based trading, but the inventory cost component increases as (mostly long only) commodity index funds sell their nearby positions and buy the first deferred contract—raising liquidity providers’ risk of building a position. The sum of these two effects is that liquidity costs remain low during index fund roll periods, averaging one “tick” (0.25 cents). On USDA report release days, we find that informed traders raise the asymmetric information component of liquidity costs in the first hour after release, but the inventory cost component is reduced due to the increase in volume. Similar to index fund roll activity, liquidity costs on USDA report release days remain low, averaging one “tick”. Our findings that liquidity costs are minimally changed during USDA report releases and commodity index fund roll periods is consistent with other recent research on liquidity costs, but we show that what drives liquidity costs differs substantially depending on the circumstances surrounding daily trading.
Shamanic Microscopy: Cellular Souls, Microbial Spirits
Authors: Giraldo Herrera César E.
Published: March 2018

In Amerindian ontologies, hallucinations or visions, rather than being dismissed as delusions or symbolic constructs, are recognized as means of perceptual access to physical reality. Lowland South American shamans claim to be able to diagnose and treat infectious diseases, and to assess the status of wildlife resources through interactions with pathogenic agents perceived in visions. This essay examines some perceptual capabilities that shamans might be employing to explore their physical reality. The structure of the eye affords a form of microscopy of retinal structures and of objects flowing within them, including cells and microbial agents during systemic infection. Lowland South American shamanic practices involve optical and physiological conditions that optimize entoptic microscopy. Images of those visions display the characteristic features of shadow formation, confirming their microscopic origin. This phenomenological access to the microscopic world and similarities with the panorama depicted by current microbiology indicate the commensurability of these forms of knowledge.
Understanding the Healing Potential of Ibogaine through a Comparative and Interpretive Phenomenology of the Visionary Experience
Authors: Rodger James
Published: March 2018

Ibogaine is a hallucinogenic alkaloid, derived from Tabernanthe iboga, a plant unique to the rainforests of West Africa. Its traditional use as an epiphanic sacrament in local magico‐religious practice inspired its appropriation by Western drug addicts by whom it is now hailed as both a catalyst of psychospiritual insight and an effective alleviator of cravings and withdrawal. While scientific and early clinical studies confirm its role in reducing physical withdrawal and craving, debate continues concerning the significance of its “visionary” properties. An analysis of many addicts’ testimonies of recovery, however, places the visionary experience at center stage. I set out to understand mechanisms of transformation and healing, via a comparative phenomenological exploration of this experience, through the opposing lenses of psychoanalysis and cultural constructivism. I propose that at the heart of the healing encounter is a culturally shaped creative journey to an imaginal unspoilt state in personal or collective history. How this experience is recovered and integrated into life is critically considered. I argue a secular account is vital as the ibogaine scene strives toward social and medical legitimacy. If and how such a framework can sit alongside spontaneously emergent spiritual and religious idioms and experience will also be tentatively explored.
The Breakthrough Experience: DMT Hyperspace and its Liminal Aesthetics
Authors: St John Graham
Published: March 2018

Known to produce out‐of‐body states and profound changes in sensory perception, mood, and thought,DMT(N,N‐dimethyltryptamine) is a potent short‐lasting tryptamine that has experienced growing appeal in the last decade, independent from ayahuasca, the Amazonian visionary brew in which it is an integral ingredient. Investigating user reports available online as well as a variety of other sources consulted in extended cultural research, this article focuses on the “breakthrough” event commonly associated with theDMTtrance. TheDMTbreakthrough event coincides with significant revelatory outcomes associated with perceived contact with “entities” and the transmission of information often in the form of visual language. Examination of the breakthrough event offers insight on the liminal phenomenology ofDMTand other tryptamines, a liminality that is given primary expression in reported travels in “hyperspace.” The article examines user reports ofDMT“hyperspace” observing a transitional process that, unlike conventional passage rites, is private, individualized, internal, and “ritual like.” As an exploratory discussion of an under‐researched phenomenon, the article enters this virtual terrain through a discussion of the gnostic, therapeutic, and recreational modalities ofDMTuse, before exploring ritual‐like modes of transmission and concluding with comments on the ontological significance of theDMTtrance.
Issues facing families of infants discharged after cardiac surgery: the perceptions of charity helpline staff
Authors: Wray Jo , Tregay Jenifer , Bull Catherine , Knowles Rachel L. , Crowe Sonya , Brown Katherine
Published: March 2018

Aim

To elicit the perceptions of helpline staff who talk to parents of children discharged after cardiac surgery in infancy about parents’ key concerns.

Methods

A qualitative study involving semistructured interviews with 10 staff at four heart charities. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and analysed using Framework analysis.

Results

Staff identified the knowledge, communication and support needs of parents which they described in terms of the impact of patient and family factors, sources of support and systems. Staff perceptions of helplines, in terms of the function of a helpline and the roles of its staff, together with staff's personal views based on their experience of multiple encounters with many families, influenced how they viewed families’ needs and responded to their requests.

Conclusion

Helpline staff provided important, previously uncaptured evidence about the challenges faced by parents of children discharged after cardiac surgery in infancy. Staff have an important role in supporting communication, in terms of speaking to families about how to talk to professionals and talking to professionals directly to get or give information when parents are unable to do so. Capturing the perspective of helpline staff about communication issues has highlighted the need for interventions with professionals as well as parents.
Multicentre emergency department study found that paracetamol and ibuprofen were inappropriately used in 83% and 63% of paediatric cases
Authors: Benini Franca , Castagno Emanuele , Barbi Egidio , Congedi Sabrina , Urbino Antonio , Biban Paolo , Calistri Lucia , Mancusi Rossella Letizia
Published: March 2018

Aim

The Pain Practice in Italian Paediatric Emergency Departments assessed how appropriately analgesic drugs were being used by Italian clinicians, based on national paediatric pain guidelines.

Methods

This was a retrospective study that involved 17 Italian members of the Pain In Pediatric Emergency Rooms group. It comprised patients up to the age of 14 years who came to hospital emergency departments with pain and were treated with paracetamol, ibuprofen or opioids, such as codeine, tramadol and morphine.

Results

We studied 1471 patients who were given 1593 doses of analgesics. The median time to administration of analgesia was 25 minutes. Opioids were used in 13.5% of the children, and usage increased with age and with more severe clinical conditions, such as trauma: 1.6% of children under two years, 5.9% aged 3–10 and 8.0% aged 11–14. Inappropriate doses of paracetamol, ibuprofen and opioids were used in 83%, 63% and 33% of cases, respectively. The patient's age was a critical determinant of the correct analgesic dosage; for every one‐year increase in the patient's age, the probability of appropriate prescriptions rose 14.8%.

Conclusion

The appropriate use of paracetamol and ibuprofen for paediatric pain in Italian emergency departments was very poor, but improved with age.
Exposure of Nursed Infants to Maternal Treatment with Ethambutol and Rifampicin
Authors: Partosch Falko , Mielke Hans , Stahlmann Ralf , Gundert‐Remy Ursula
Published: March 2018

Mycobacterial diseases remain a significant cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Rifampicin and ethambutol are among the drugs recommended by WHO as first‐line treatment. In this work, we addressed the question whether doses of the two anti‐tuberculosis agents ethambutol and rifampicin transferred to a nursed infant could be of health concerns when the mother is under treatment. We used the approach of pharmacokinetic modelling using a structural model with two interconnected organisms: the first one being the organism of the nursing mother and the second one being the organism of the nursed child. Physiological data were taken from the literature. The models were parameterised by data from the literature concerning clearance, absorption and plasma/milk ratio. Distribution into the tissues was calculated by an algorithm. The predictive power of the model was tested by comparing the predicted plasma concentrations in the mothers with measured data from the literature. Comparison with measured data after direct infant treatment was performed for the rifampicin plasma concentrations predicted in the nursed infant. Both comparisons confirmed the appropriateness of the modelling results. The transfer of 0.08 mg/kg bw/day ethambutol via breast milk to the nursed infant, the dose we have estimated, when the mother received a therapeutic dose of 24.5 mg/kg bw, can be judged as being without health concern. Likewise, for rifampicin, the transferred dose of 0.4 mg/kg bw to the nursed infant resulting from a therapeutic dose of 10.9 mg/kg bw to the mother does not raise health concerns.
ABCB1 Variation Affects Myelosuppression, Progression‐free Survival and Overall Survival in Paclitaxel/Carboplatin‐treated Ovarian Cancer Patients
Authors: Björn Niclas , Jakobsen Falk Ingrid , Vergote Ignace , Gréen Henrik
Published: March 2018

The standard chemotherapy for ovarian cancer is paclitaxel/carboplatin. Patients often exhibit myelosuppressive toxicity, and the treatment response varies considerably. In this study, we investigated the previously reported SNPs 1199G>A (rs2229109), 1236C>T (rs1128503), 2677G>T/A (rs2032582), 3435C>T (rs1045642) in ABCB1, and 1196A>G (rs10509681) in CYP2C8 and their association with treatment‐induced myelosuppression, progression‐free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). From the phase III study, OAS‐07OVA, 525 patients (All) treated with carboplatin and paclitaxel administered as Paclical (Arm A, n = 260) or Taxol® (Arm B, n = 265) were included and genotyped using pyrosequencing. Genotype associations with myelosuppression, PFS and OS were investigated using anova, Kaplan–Meier analysis and Cox proportional hazard models. The most prominent finding was for the ABCB1 variant 3435TT, which was significantly associated with increased PFS in All (hazard ratio (HR) = 0.623), in Arm A (HR = 0.590) and in Arm B (HR = 0.627), as well as increased OS in All (HR = 0.443) and in Arm A (HR = 0.372) compared to the wild‐type, 3435CC. For toxicity, the most interesting finding concerned the haplotype, including 1236TT, 2677TT and 3435TT, which was associated with higher neutrophil values in Arm B (p = 0.039) and less neutrophil decrease in All (p = 0.048) and in Arm B (p = 0.021). It is noteworthy that the results varied depending on the treatment arm which indicates that the effects of ABCB1 variants vary with the treatment regimen. Our results reflect the contradictory results of previous studies, confirming that small variations in the composition of treatment regimens and patient populations may influence the interpretation of SNPs effects on treatment outcome.
Statins do not Increase the Rate of Bleeding Among Warfarin Users
Authors: Korhonen Maarit Jaana , Tiittanen Pekka , Kastarinen Helena , Helin‐Salmivaara Arja , Hauta‐aho Milka , Rikala Maria , Huupponen Risto
Published: March 2018

Clinical significance of potential interaction between warfarin and statins is unclear. Our objective was to determine whether use of statins as a class or use of simvastatin modulates the rate of bleeding requiring hospitalization among new warfarin users. Using Finnish healthcare databases, we identified a cohort of 101,588 warfarin initiators between 1 January 2009 and 30 June 2012. By the end of 2012, these patients accumulated 92,695 person‐years of exposure to warfarin‐only and 60,253 years of exposure to warfarin‐with‐statin. The outcome was a composite of gastrointestinal, intracranial or other bleeding leading to hospitalization. A Poisson generalized estimating equation model was employed to estimate rate ratios (RR) and their 95% confidence intervals (CI) for exposure to warfarin‐with‐statin compared to warfarin‐only and to allow multiple episodes per patient and time‐dependent covariates. In multivariable models, we found no difference in the bleeding rate in association with exposure to any statin (multivariable‐adjusted RR = 0.98, 95% CI 0.89–1.07) or to simvastatin (RR = 1.01, 95% CI 0.91–1.11) with warfarin compared to exposure to warfarin‐only. We conclude that concomitant use of statins and warfarin was not associated with an increased rate of bleeding requiring hospitalization.
Co‐producing accountability? Drawing conclusions from non‐profit child care services in Manitoba
Authors: Levasseur Karine
Published: March 2018

This article uses a case study of non‐profit child care in Manitoba to explore whether accountability is co‐produced. Co‐production is not a new concept, but is gaining attention particularly in Europe. Co‐production involves citizens directly in the development or delivery of public goods alongside government. Through key informant interviews with parents, non‐profit organizations and government officials, this article argues that accountability is not co‐produced because citizen co‐producers are overly burdened with a disproportionate share of risk and responsibility compared to government co‐producers with minimal support.
Have reducing tonsillectomy rates in England led to increasing incidence of invasive Group A Streptococcus infections in children?
Authors: Banigo A. , Moinie A. , Bleach N. , Chand M. , Chalker V. , Lamagni T.
Published: March 2018

Objectives

To determine whether there is a correlation between falling tonsillectomy numbers and increasing numbers of tonsillitis admissions and invasive Group A β‐haemolytic streptococcus (iGAS) infection in children aged 14 and under in England.

Design

An observational cross‐sectional study was performed.

Setting

The data extracted covered the period from 1991 until 2014.

Participants

Hospital admissions for tonsillectomies, tonsillitis/pharyngitis and all diagnoses of iGAS in children aged 14 and under who had a tonsillectomy.

Main outcome measures

Correlation between trends in tonsillectomies, tonsillitis/pharyngitis and iGAS.

Results

Across all age groups, there was a dramatic reduction in the total number of tonsillectomies performed in England from 28 309 in 1990/1991, down to 6327 in 2013/2014 (77.7% reduction). The numbers of hospital admissions for management of acute tonsillitis and pharyngitis have risen dramatically. iGAS numbers have increased steadily over this time period and more than doubled in children aged 14 and under. There are significant negative correlations between the trend in iGAS infections and numbers of tonsillectomies in all ages. There are also strong positive correlations between the trend in numbers of tonsillitis episodes and the number of iGAS infections in all under 14‐year groups; the strongest correlation was seen in the 1‐ to 4‐year age group (+0.92 Pearson correlation coefficient).

Conclusions

There appears to be a correlation between falling tonsillectomy numbers, increasing hospital admissions with tonsillitis and rising iGAS infection in England. Further studies are required to assess the aetiological role of tonsillitis in predisposing to iGAS infection and the potential societal benefit of tonsillectomies.
Control or rescue at sea? Aims and limits of border surveillance technologies in the Mediterranean Sea
Authors: Jumbert Maria Gabrielsen
Published: March 2018

The matter of boat migrants crossing the Mediterranean Sea, seeking to reach Europe, is interchangeably defined as a ‘security issue', requiring stricter border controls, and as a humanitarian issue with corresponding rescue and protection requirements. This paper seeks to understand what role various surveillance technologies, such as radar, satellites, and unmanned aerial vehicles, can play in this respect (legally and technically), in comparison to the role that they are assigned (that is, political expectations). To unravel what surveillance technologies can and cannot do vis‐à‐vis the aims of control and rescue, there is a need to comprehend what information can be collected and what information is needed to fulfil these objectives. The paper contends that there is a mismatch between the information sought to ‘control’ borders, but which cannot be gathered effectively by or processed using surveillance technologies, and the valuable information needed to perform rescue operations, which these surveillance technologies can supply.
The farming ant Sericomyrmex amabilis nutritionally manages its fungal symbiont and its social parasite
Authors: Shik Jonathan Z. , Concilio Angelo , Kaae Thomas , Adams Rachelle M. M.
Published: March 2018

1. When parasites exploit mutualisms involving food exchange, they can destabilise the partnership with costs to interacting partners. For instance, the ant Sericomyrmex amabilis farms fungal symbionts to produce food, but, in so doing, attracts parasitic Megalomyrmex symmetochus guest ants that infiltrate fungus‐farming ant societies and live with their hosts their entire lives.

2. The present study examined whether host foraging in parasitised colonies shifts towards nutritional requirements of the parasitic guest ants as inferred from the parasite's elemental content (%C, %N, and C:N).

3. Laboratory feeding experiments with nutritionally defined diets indicated that S. amabilis ants harvest protein‐biased substrate, and more total substrate when hosting M. symmetochus relative to when provisioning their fungus gardens and nestmates.

4. Field surveys further showed that parasitised colonies incur reductions in fungus garden nutritional quality and quantity, brood mass, and host worker body condition. And yet these costs appear manageable across growing seasons, as parasitised fungal cultivars appear to provide sufficient nutrition for stable populations of host ants.

5. The approach developed here shows how behavioural strategies for nutrient regulation can extend beyond the needs of the individual to entire fungus‐farming systems, and implies that S. amabilis dynamically adjusts collective foraging strategies when parasitised to enhance long‐term symbiotic stability.
T‐cell lymphomas associated gene expression signature: Bioinformatics analysis based on gene expression Omnibus
Authors: Zhou Lei‐lei , Xu Xiao‐yue , Ni Jie , Zhao Xia , Zhou Jian‐wei , Feng Ji‐feng
Published: March 2018

Objectives

Due to the low incidence and the heterogeneity of subtypes, the biological process of T‐cell lymphomas is largely unknown. Although many genes have been detected in T‐cell lymphomas, the role of these genes in biological process of T‐cell lymphomas was not further analyzed.

Methods

Two qualified datasets were downloaded from Gene Expression Omnibus database. The biological functions of differentially expressed genes were evaluated by gene ontology enrichment and KEGG pathway analysis. The network for intersection genes was constructed by the cytoscape v3.0 software. Kaplan‐Meier survival curves and log‐rank test were employed to assess the association between differentially expressed genes and clinical characters.

Results

The intersection mRNAs were proved to be associated with fundamental processes of T‐cell lymphoma cells. These intersection mRNAs were involved in the activation of some cancer‐related pathways, including PI3K/AKT, Ras, JAK‐STAT, and NF‐kappa B signaling pathway. PDGFRA, CXCL12, and CCL19 were the most significant central genes in the signal‐net analysis. The results of survival analysis are not entirely credible.

Conclusions

Our findings uncovered aberrantly expressed genes and a complex RNA signal network in T‐cell lymphomas and indicated cancer‐related pathways involved in disease initiation and progression, providing a new insight for biotargeted therapy in T‐cell lymphomas.
Impact of hemophilia B on quality of life in affected men, women, and caregivers—Assessment of patient‐reported outcomes in the B‐HERO‐S study
Authors: Buckner Tyler W. , Witkop Michelle , Guelcher Christine , Sidonio Robert , Kessler Craig M. , Clark David B. , Owens Wendy , Frick Neil , Iyer Neeraj N. , Cooper David L.
Published: March 2018

Introduction

Health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) is impaired in patients with hemophilia; however, the impact in mild/moderate hemophilia B and affected women is not well characterized.

Objective

To evaluate factors that affect HRQoL in adults with hemophilia B and caregivers of affected children.

Methods

US adult patients and caregivers of affected children completed distinct ~1‐hour online surveys including patient‐reported outcome instruments.

Results

In total, 299 adult patients and 150 caregivers participated. Adults with moderate hemophilia reported poorer health status (median EQ‐5D‐5L index score, 0.63) than those with mild (0.73) or severe (0.74) hemophilia. Women reported greater pain severity than men on the Brief Pain Inventory v2 Short Form (median, 7.00 vs 5.00). Based on the Patient Health Questionnaire, mild or worse depression was observed in >50% of adult respondents, and depression was reported more often in those with moderate and severe hemophilia vs those with mild hemophilia. Most caregivers reported at least mild depression.

Conclusion

Pain, functional impairment, and depression/anxiety are present at higher‐than‐expected levels in individuals with hemophilia B. The large proportion of individuals with mild/moderate hemophilia and women with reduced health status suggests significant unmet needs in this population.
Being Single in India: Gendered Identities, Class Mobilities, and Personhoods in Flux
Authors: Lamb Sarah
Published: March 2018

This article explores the stories of single women living in the urban metropolis of Kolkata, and in smaller towns and villages of West Bengal, as a means to illuminate emerging possibilities and constraints of selfhood for women in contemporary India. In so doing, the piece examines the ways gendered identities intersect with other forces and ideals at stake, including the institution of heterosexual marriage, class mobilities, and values surrounding individualist versus relational personhood. Because they are positioned outside the norm, those who live singly offer an unusually insightful perspective on their wider society's values and institutions. In these ways, the narratives of three single women and others each illuminate their tellers’ intricate subjectivities as well as offer broader social‐cultural critique. Their stories reveal the ambiguity, painful consequences, and sometimes hopefulness surrounding the “choice” to be single for women and suggest that social recognition and belonging are even more important than independence and true singlehood in the lives of those who live outside marriage in India. [belonging, class, gender, self, sexuality, marriage]
Precarity, Imagination, and the Mobile Life of the ‘Trailing Spouse’
Authors: Cangià Flavia
Published: March 2018

This article investigates the experiences of mobility and work transition for some “trailing spouses” following their partners in professional overseas assignments. It draws upon in‐depth interviews conducted in Switzerland both with female and male accompanying spouses, in order to illustrate some aspects characterizing the subjective experience of precarity for these people living a mobile life, when career trajectories and occupational identities are interrupted, unstable, or altogether reimagined. The meaning of “precarity” will be discussed from a combined sociocultural psychological and anthropological perspective, through a look at the socioemotional relations involved and at the role of imagination. [trailing spouses, precarity, gender, imagination]
Confucianism, openness to the West, and corporate investment efficiency
Authors: Chen Lei , Jin Zhi , Ma Yongqiang , Xu Hui
Published: March 2018

This study presents robust findings that Confucianism significantly improves investment efficiency of Chinese listed firms and that the improvement is achieved through decreasing overinvestment without inducing underinvestment. Financial reporting quality is found to be an important mechanism for the disciplinary effect of Confucianism to work. More importantly, we provide strong and consistent evidence that openness to the West neutralizes the role of the Confucianism in overinvestment. Against the backdrop of globalization, this paper offers valuable references to emerging markets that experience intensive interactions with developed economies.
Effect of varying the dose of corn syrup on the insulin and glucose response to the oral sugar test
Authors: Jocelyn N. A. , Harris P. A. , Menzies‐Gow N. J.
Published: March 2018

Background

The oral sugar test (OST) is used to identify equine insulin dysregulation (ID); however only a dose of 0.15 mL/kg bwt corn syrup has been evaluated.

Objectives

To determine the effect of varying the dose of corn syrup on insulin and glucose response to the OST and the test's ability to distinguish between ponies with a history of laminitis (PL) and without laminitis (NL).

Study design

Randomised crossover experiment.

Methods

After an overnight fast, in a three‐way randomised crossover study with a 7‐day washout, 0.15, 0.3 or 0.45 mL/kg bwt corn syrup was administered orally to eight ponies (5 PL and 3 NL) and blood obtained between 0 and 120 min. Serum [insulin] and [glucose] were measured using previously validated radioimmunoassay and colorimetric assays respectively. The repeatability of and the effect of continued pasture access on the dose that best distinguished PL and NL ponies were then assessed. The effect of dose, laminitis history and fasting on serum [insulin] and [glucose] responses were assessed using mixed‐effects models.

Results

The serum [insulin] following 0.15 mL/kg bwt were not significantly different from 0.3 mL/kg bwt at any time point, while serum [insulin] following 0.45 mL/kg bwt significantly (P<0.01) differed from 0.15 and 0.3 mL/kg bwt at all time points apart from 0 min. The serum [insulin] concentration significantly (P<0.01) differed between NL (mean 86 [95% CI 59, 113] μiu/mL) and PL (146 [95% CI 124, 167] μiu/mL) only following 0.45 mL/kg bwt at 60 min. Repeatability of serum [insulin] at 60 min following 0.45 mL/kg bwt dose under fasted conditions was 0.51. Using AUC insulin improved repeatability to 0.83. There was no significant difference between the fasted and at pasture results.

Main limitations

The OST was performed in small numbers of ponies on limited occasions.

Conclusions

A dose of 0.45 mL/kg bwt corn syrup may be preferable to differentiate PL and NL ponies.
The global system‐ranking efficiency model and calculating examples with consideration of the nonhomogeneity of decision‐making units
Authors: Wang Shuhong , Sun Xiaoli
Published: March 2018

Data envelopment analyses have been widely used to evaluate the relative efficiency of decision‐making units (DMUs). However, the traditional data envelopment analysis model has not considered the problem of DMUs' nonhomogeneity. If nonhomogeneous DMUs are evaluated under the same production frontier, conclusions may not be precise. For example, some DMUs' input redundancy and output deficit cannot be adjusted as per planning results, which may lead to mistakes in management. This paper loosens the assumption of DMU homogeneity and builds a global system‐ranking efficiency model based on existing literature, which divides the problem of DMUs' nonhomogeneity into external nonhomogeneity and internal homogeneity. Data have been collected from 114 listed enterprises in China's solar power industry, and the analysis results indicate that this paper's model is stable and reliable and can be used as a reference for production managers.
Comparison of adherence to generic multi‐tablet regimens vs. brand multi‐tablet and brand single‐tablet regimens likely to incorporate generic antiretroviral drugs by breaking or not fixed‐dose combinations in HIV‐infected patients
Authors: Rwagitinywa Joseph , Lapeyre‐Mestre Maryse , Bourrel Robert , Montastruc Jean‐Louis , Sommet Agnès
Published: March 2018

Adherence to antiretroviral (ARV) is crucial to achieve viral load suppression in HIV‐infected patients. This study aimed to compare adherence to generic multi‐tablet regimens (MTR) vs. brand MTR likely to incorporate ARV drugs without breaking fixed‐dose combinations (FDC) and brand single‐tablet regimens (STR) likely to incorporate generics by breaking the FDC. Patients aged of 18 years or over exposed to one of the generic or the brand of lamivudine (3TC), zidovudine/lamivudine (AZT/TC), nevirapine (NVP), or efavirenz (EFV), or the brand STR of efavirenz/emtricitabine/tenofovir (EFV/FTC/TDF). Adherence was measured by medication possession ratio (MPR) using both defined daily dose (DDD) and daily number of tablet recommended for adults (DNT). Adherence to generic MTR vs. brand MTR and brand STR was compared using Kruskal–Wallis. The overall median adherence was 0.97 (IQR 0.13) by DNT method and 0.97 (0.14) by DDD method. Adherence in patients exposed to generic MTR (n = 165) vs. brand MTR (n = 481) and brand STR (n = 470) was comparable by DNT and DDD methods. In conclusion, adherence to generic MTR was high and comparable with adherence to brand MTR and to STR. Utilization of DDD instead DNT to measure the MPR led to small but nonsignificant difference that has no clinical impact.
Crystal structure of the nitrosuccinate lyase CreD in complex with fumarate provides insights into the catalytic mechanism for nitrous acid elimination
Authors: Katsuyama Yohei , Sato Yukari , Sugai Yoshinori , Higashiyama Yousuke , Senda Miki , Senda Toshiya , Ohnishi Yasuo
Published: March 2018

Enzymes belonging to the aspartase/fumarase superfamily catalyze elimination of various functional groups from succinate derivatives and play an important role in primary metabolism and aromatic compound degradation. Recently, an aspartase/fumarase superfamily enzyme, CreD, was discovered in cremeomycin biosynthesis. This enzyme catalyzes the elimination of nitrous acid from nitrosuccinate synthesized from aspartate by CreE, a flavin‐dependent monooxygenase. Nitrous acid generated by this pathway is an important precursor of the diazo group of cremeomycin. CreD is the first aspartase/fumarase superfamily enzyme that was reported to catalyze the elimination of nitrous acid, and therefore we aimed to analyze its reaction mechanism. The crystal structure of CreD was determined by the molecular replacement native‐single anomalous diffraction method at 2.18 Å resolution. Subsequently, the CreD‐fumarate complex structure was determined at 2.30 Å resolution by the soaking method. Similar to other aspartase/fumarase superfamily enzymes, the crystal structure of CreD was composed of three domains and formed a tetramer. Two molecules of fumarate were observed in one subunit of the CreD‐fumarate complex. One of them was located in the active site pocket formed by three different subunits. Intriguingly, no histidine residue, which usually functions as a catalytic acid in aspartase/fumarase superfamily enzymes, was found around the fumarate molecule in the active site. Based on the mutational analysis, we propose a catalytic mechanism of CreD, in which Arg325 acts as a catalytic acid.

Databases

The crystal structures of CreD and the CreD‐fumarate complex were deposited to PDB under the accession numbers 5XNY and 5XNZ, respectively.

Enzymes

Nitrosuccinate lyase CreD, EC4.3
Vapor Intrusion Screening at Petroleum UST Sites
Authors: Lahvis Matthew A. , Hers Ian , Davis Robin V. , Wright Jackie , DeVaull George E.
Published: March 2018

Detailed site investigations to assess potential inhalation exposure and risk to human health associated with the migration of petroleum hydrocarbon vapors from the subsurface to indoor air are frequently undertaken at leaking underground storage tank (UST) sites, yet documented occurrences of petroleum vapor intrusion are extremely rare. Additional assessments are largely driven by low screening‐level concentrations derived from vapor transport modeling that does not consider biodegradation. To address this issue, screening criteria were developed from soil‐gas measurements at hundreds of petroleum UST sites spanning a range of environmental conditions, geographic regions, and a 16‐year time period (1995 to 2011). The data were evaluated to define vertical separation (screening) distances from the source, beyond which, the potential for vapor intrusion can be considered negligible. The screening distances were derived explicitly from benzene data using specified soil‐gas screening levels of 30, 50, and 100 µg/m3 and nonparametric Kaplan‐Meier statistics. Results indicate that more than 95% of benzene concentrations in soil gas are ≤30 µg/m3 at any distance above a dissolved‐phase hydrocarbon source. Dissolved‐phase petroleum hydrocarbon sources are therefore unlikely to pose a risk for vapor intrusion unless groundwater (including capillary fringe) comes in contact with a building foundation. For light nonaqueous‐phase liquid (LNAPL) hydrocarbon sources, more than 95% of benzene concentrations in soil gas are ≤30 µg/m3 for vertical screening distances of 13 ft (4 m) or greater. The screening distances derived from this analysis are markedly different from 30 to 100 ft (10 to 30 m) vertical distances commonly found cited in regulatory guidance, even with specific allowances to account for uncertainty in the hydrocarbon source depth or location. Consideration of these screening distances in vapor intrusion guidance would help eliminate unnecessary site characterization at petroleum UST sites and allow more effective and sustainable use of limited resources.
Comparison of Constant and Transient‐Source Zones on Simulated Contaminant Plume Evolution in Groundwater: Implications for Hydrogeological Risk Assessment
Authors: Thornton Steven F. , Tobin Kevin , Smith Jonathan W. N.
Published: March 2018

Contaminant fate and transport models used for hydrogeological risk assessment commonly include an assumed constant source concentration to predict downgradient concentrations in groundwater. This assumption is unrealistic in many cases where nonaqueous phase liquids (NAPLs) are the contaminant source. In this study the effect of a constant and transient (declining) source term on contaminant plume chemistry and groundwater impacts predicted by a hydrogeological risk assessment model is investigated for the release of dissolved phase constituents from an unleaded petroleum fuel light nonaqueous phase liquid (LNAPL). Two transient source models were developed: a mass balance model and an exponential decay model. Both use Raoult's Law to describe the aqueous phase partitioning and depletion of organic compounds from a multicomponentLNAPLsource to groundwater. The models were used to estimate the changingLNAPLcomposition and effective aqueous solubility of six common constituents (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylene, methyl‐tert‐butyl‐ether, and tert‐amyl‐methyl‐ether) in a representative unleaded petroleum fuel. The predicted source concentrations were then compared with groundwater quality data from a contaminated site. The source concentrations estimated from these models were propagated into a hydrogeological risk assessment model using the Remedial Targets Worksheet v3.1 developed by the Environment Agency of England and Wales. Different groundwater impacts and associated estimates of risk were predicted between the constant and transient source simulations. These are illustrated using simple calculations and established risk assessment methods. The constant‐source model predicted higher contaminant concentrations at the compliance point, which also persisted over a much longer duration. Consequently, there was a greater requirement for remedial action estimated using the hydrogeological model in scenarios that assumed a constant‐source. This could result in unnecessary remedial action in cases where no unacceptable risk is predicted when a more representative description of a declining source is used.
Spatiotemporal Variations in Microbial Communities in a Landfill Leachate Plume
Authors: Brad T. , Obergfell C. , van Breukelen B. M. , van Straalen N. M. , Röling W. F. M.
Published: March 2018

We examined the spatiotemporal changes of microbial communities in relation to hydrochemistry variation over time and space in an aquifer polluted by landfill leachate (Banisveld, The Netherlands). Sampling in 1998, 1999, and 2004 at the same time of the year revealed that the center of the pollution plume was hydrochemically rather stable, but its upper fringe moved to the surface over time, especially at distances greater than 40 m away from the landfill. Complex and spatiotemporal heterogeneous bacterial and eukaryotic communities were resolved using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) of 16S and 18S rRNA gene fragments. Large fluctuations were noted in the eukaryotic communities associated with strongly polluted and cleaner groundwater. The bacterial communities in strongly polluted samples were different from those in cleaner groundwater in 1998 and 1999, but no longer in 2004. The temporal variation in microbial communities was greater than the spatial variation: the 1998 bacteria communities in strongly polluted groundwater were more related to each other than to those recovered in 1999 and 2004. During the three sampling periods, the bacterial communities were more stable close to the landfill than at larger distances from the landfill. Overall, pollution appears to have only a minor influence on microbial communities. The considerable spatiotemporal variation in microbial community composition may contribute to better biodegradation of pollutants. Designing management strategies for natural attenuation of aquifer pollution will benefit from further long‐term, high‐density monitoring of changes in microbial communities, their diversity and physiological properties, in relation to changes in hydrochemistry.
Natural Buffering of Groundwater Contaminants Related to Development in Fractured Rock
Authors: Metcalf Meredith J. , Robbins Gary A.
Published: March 2018

In rural areas of New England groundwater from fractured crystalline and sedimentary bedrock is a critical water resource. Increasingly, studies have shown that development occurring in rural areas is resulting in the impairment of water quality in fractured rock aquifers. The objective of this study was to evaluate the spatial and temporal variations in groundwater quality associated with development and evaluate the extent to which common groundwater contaminants associated with rural development may be naturally buffered. The study entailed a compilation and synthesis of over 2500 reports on domestic water quality that spanned a 30 year period. Focus was placed on the spatial distribution and temporal variations in sodium, chloride, iron, manganese, nitrate, and nitrite. Results indicate that despite significant levels of development, the amount of contamination to the bedrock has been minimal. Of the constituents examined, only the chloride concentration exhibits a systematic increase over time, but the level of chloride remained relatively low. The flux of chloride to the bedrock from deicing appears minimal despite the significant amounts of road salt used in the study area. Sodium concentrations in the bedrock remained relatively constant and appear to be buffered by ion exchange with calcium as suggested by the increase in hardness with time. Iron and manganese were present at relatively low levels but did not show any systematic trends over time. Nitrate and nitrite concentrations were very low and found to be inversely correlated with manganese and iron concentrations. This suggests that the presence of iron and manganese contribute to denitrification. This study indicated that both geochemical and biogeochemical processes are active buffering mechanisms that help shield the bedrock from contaminants associated with development.