bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Why study the history of learning disability?
Authors: Goodey C. F.
Published: January 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to introduce practitioners and practice-based academics to the relevance of historical study to learning disability research.

Design/methodology/approach

– States need to balance conceptual history against that of learning disabled individuals; reviews existing literature; offers guidelines for prospective historians; gives sample of findings from author's work elsewhere; draws conclusions.

Findings

– Research which is conceptually based and goes back before the rise of the long-stay institutions reveals the historical contingency of learning disability not only as a concept but as a supposed “natural kind”, and exposes the more durable historical permanence of the phobia that creates “extreme outgroups”.

Originality/value

– Of the very small amount of historical scholarship that engages with conceptual history before the modern era, none of it till now has sought to enquire about the relevance of its findings to current practice.
The thing is, we all have stories don’t we?
Authors: Cameron Lois
Published: January 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to reflect on “Finding the sparkle: storytelling in the lives of people with learning disabilities”, Nicola Grove's paper highlighting the power of the story as one approach to empower people with intellectual disability.

Design/methodology/approach

– This commentary reflects on the power of personal story sharing as a way to empower people with intellectual disability, value their experience and promote inclusion.

Findings

– Personal stories are important because they help both ourselves and others understand who we are. Stories are not static and stories can be told from different perspectives. Telling stories can be protective and healing.

Originality/value

– Communication that develops social closeness is important and can be undervalued. There needs to be a greater focus on ensuring people without words can tell their stories and on services recognising the importance of this.
Making numbers count: national datasets on intellectual disability
Authors: McConkey Roy , Craig Sarah
Published: January 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to provide a commentary on “Adults with learning disabilities known to local authorities in Scotland: a national dataset” by Claire Stuart and colleagues.

Design/methodology/approach

– Drawing on experiences with the National Intellectual Disability Database in Ireland, the authors identify the key elements to be addressed such as the uses to which information from the database will be put; the definition of intellectual disability for inclusion of individuals; defining the information to be gathered; the systems for gathering information; checking and auditing the information that is collected, and the types of reports emerging from the analyses.

Findings

– A national database of persons with an intellectual disability is at least desirable – if not essential – to the delivery of equitable and effective service supports. The advent of computerised data management tools makes this a realistic option in most European countries although debates continue around the protection of personal data and the costs involved in establishing and maintaining dedicated databases.

Originality/value

– National data sets on intellectual disability can make a significant contribution to equitable and effective service planning. However, major challenges need to be overcome so that the information collected is reliable and valid.
Understanding complex relationship among JIT, lean behaviour, TQM and their antecedents using interpretive structural modelling and fuzzy MICMAC analysis
Authors: Dubey Rameshwar , Singh Tripti
Published: January 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to understand possible linkage between variables that constitute a lean manufacturing enterprise. In the study the authors have tried to decode the complex relationship among variables which is missing in extant literature.

Design/methodology/approach

– In the study the authors have used systematic literature review (SLR) approach to identify the variables from extant literature and used interpretive structural modelling (ISM) and Fuzzy MICMAC analysis to understand complex equation among variables from Indian manufacturing firm perspective.

Findings

– The findings using ISM modeling indicate top management support is the bottom level and business performance is the top level. In order to further resolve conflicts the authors have further analyzed variables using Fuzzy MICMAC analysis which has further divided variables into four clusters. The Fuzzy MICMAC output suggests that top management support, real time production information, training and team work are the driving variables and business performance, total quality management and lean behavior are the dependence variables.

Research limitations/implications

– Like any study, the study have its own limitations. In the study the authors have developed the model based on expert opinion. The number may be not enough to validate this model statistically. However, it can be regarded as a platform for further investigation using structural equation modeling.

Originality/value

– The present study using ISM model has proposed a model based upon experts, identified from Indian major manufacturing firms. This model can further provide empirical platform for further investigation which can resolve lean manufacturing issues.
The impact of service tradability on the choice of entry mode
Authors: Etemad-Sajadi Reza
Published: January 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to identify the factors influencing the choice of entry mode of computer-related (CR) service firms which are in a process of internationalization. The authors will focus on the characteristics of service defining its tradability.

Design/methodology/approach

– The objectives are achieved by first exploring the general drivers and the drivers specific to service firms via qualitative interviews and a literature review. Then, the model is tested empirically on CR service firms using structural equation modeling using partial least squares.

Findings

– Results show that the degree of tradability of the service influences the choice of entry mode. The higher the degree of tailor-made offer and face-to-face contact with the client, the more firms opt for an entry mode with high control, such as establishment abroad and/or joint-venture. Finally, firm size and international experience are also significant drivers behind the selection of entry mode.

Research limitations/implications

– As firms often choose several entry modes simultaneously, it is difficult to lead the research.

Practical implications

– In exports of digitalized and standardized services with little face-to-face contact, physical presence abroad is less important for success. It is more difficult to successfully market tailor-made services at the international level. Therefore, firms with limited capabilities should start exporting standardized services requiring limited face-to-face contact. Small firms wishing to become global players should preferably focus on exports of digitalized services and use internet, which is an attractive distribution channel. Moreover, when the confidentiality required for the service is an issue for the company, it is better to start with geographically near markets.

Originality/value

– In this research, service tradability came out as an original concept including service-specific characteristics leading to the selection of entry mode(s). The authors focussed on four characteristics of services which are on-line transmissibility, degree of confidentiality required, face-to-face contact, and finally the degree of customizability.
Update on fogo selvagem, an endemic form of pemphigus foliaceus
Authors: Aoki Valeria , Rivitti Evandro A. , Diaz Luis A. ,   the Cooperative Group on Fogo Selvagem Research
Published: January 2015

Pemphigus are organ‐specific autoimmune diseases, where autoantibodies (mainly immunoglobulin [Ig]G) directed against epidermal targets (glycoproteins of the desmosomal core) are detected. Endemic pemphigus foliaceus or fogo selvagem (FS) is one of the variants of pemphigus foliaceus pemphigus foliaceus that shares the same clinical and immunopathological features of the classic non‐endemic pemphigus foliaceus form, including pathogenic IgG (mainly IgG4) autoantibodies directed against the ectodomain of desmoglein 1 (Dsg1), that lead to acantholysis. Pathogenesis of FS is complex, involving genetic, environmental and immunological factors. Human leukocyte antigen (HLA)‐DRB1 alleles DRB1*0404, *1402, *1406 or *0102 have been previously identified as risk factors for FS (relative risk, >14). Individuals exposed to hematophagous insects are more susceptible to develop the disease. Non‐pathogenic anti‐Dsg1 antibodies of the IgG1 subclass, directed against the extracellular 5 domain of Dsg1, are detected in patients in the preclinical stage of the disease, and also in healthy controls living in endemic areas. In counterpart, patients with FS show pathogenic anti‐Dsg1 IgG4 autoantibodies that bind the pathogenic extracellular 1 and 2 domains of Dsg1, emphasizing the intramolecular epitope‐spreading hypothesis. A possible explanation for the development of the autoimmune process would be antigenic mimicry, initiated by environmental stimuli in those genetically predisposed individuals. Characterization of the pathogenesis of FS will allow the development of specific therapeutic targets, and the elucidation of other autoimmune processes.
Increased CD11b+ Gr‐1+ cell population in the placenta after infection with Toxoplasma gondii
Authors: Takeshima Kinuko , Sato Kazuki , Nabekura Tsukasa , Nagamune Kisaburo , Hamada Hiromi , Yoshikawa Hiroyuki , Shibuya Akira , Shibuya Kazuko
Published: January 2015

Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular protozoan pathogen that can cross the placenta, resulting in congenital toxoplasmosis with severe fetal brain abnormalities. The molecular mechanisms of immune responses against T. gondii infection in the placenta have largely remained unclear. An analytical method for characterizing phenotypes of immune cells in the placenta by flow cytometry was established and it was found that numbers of CD11b+ Gr‐1+ cells in the placenta increased significantly after T. gondii infection. These results suggest that innate immune responses play an important role in immunity against T. gondii infection via the feto‐maternal interface.
Persistence of genetic variation in recolonized Tsuga canadensis (Eastern hemlock) populations following historic forest clearance
Authors: Lumibao Candice Y. , Gaskill Marissa , Flood Kelsey , McLachlan Jason S.
Published: January 2015

The recovery of genetic variation in newly recolonized populations is an important concern in forest conservation genetics. We examined the potential recovery of genetic diversity and changes to genetic structure in populations of the wind‐pollinated species Tsuga canadensis that naturally regenerated following the extensive 19th century regional forest clearance for agriculture in west‐central Massachusetts. We genotyped 264 individuals across six microsatellite loci and compared levels and patterns of genetic variation between primary forests (forests that were logged but never cleared) and secondary forests (stands that were recolonized following agricultural abandonment). We found no significant reductions in genetic diversity in secondary forests (AR = 5.450; HS = 0.718) compared to primary forests (AR = 5.742; HS = 0.730). Moreover, the population genetic differentiation was also not significantly reduced in secondary compared to primary forests, with no significant genetic structure observed among all populations. These results suggest rapid genetic recovery of T. canadensis populations in recolonized forests compared with other late‐successional temperate tree species.
Simultaneous Analysis of Nε‐(Carboxymethyl)Lysine and Nε‐(Carboxyethyl)Lysine in Foods by Ultra‐Performance Liquid Chromatography‐Mass Spectrometry with Derivatization by 9‐Fluorenylmethyl Chloroformate
Authors: Zhou Yanqiong , Lin Qin , Jin Cheng , Cheng Lu , Zheng Xiaoyan , Dai Ming , Zhang Ying
Published: January 2015

Isotope dilution ultra‐performance liquid chromatography–electrospray tandem mass spectrometry with derivatization by 9‐fluorenylmethyl chloroformate was successfully applied to quantify Nε‐(carboxymethyl)lysine (CML) and Nε‐(carboxyethyl)lysine (CEL) in processed foods. We demonstrate that this analytical method is well validated for the determination of CML and CEL contents in processed foods. Relative standard deviations (RSD) indicate repeatability (RSD < 6% for CML and CEL) and reproducibility (RSD < 6% for CML and < 7% for CEL) in this method. Percent recovery is also good. We obtain recoveries of 102% to 112% for CML and 86% to 114% for CEL. CML levels detected in the samples vary from 2.29 to 480 mg/kg food, whereas CEL is detected in significantly lower concentrations ranging from 0.56 to 107 mg/kg food. These data could help consumers make better food choices by monitoring intake of advanced glycation end‐products, which may pose a risk to human health.
Generating realistic assemblages with a joint species distribution model
Authors: Harris David J.
Published: January 2015

Species distribution models (SDMs) represent important analytical and predictive tools for ecologists. Until now, these models have either assumed (i) that species' occurrence probabilities are uncorrelated or (ii) that species respond linearly to preselected environmental variables. These two assumptions currently prevent ecologists from modelling assemblages with realistic co‐occurrence and species richness properties.

This paper introduces a stochastic feedforward neural network, called ‘mistnet’, which makes neither assumption. Thus, unlike most SDMs, mistnet can account for non‐independent co‐occurrence patterns driven by unobserved environmental heterogeneity. And unlike several recently proposed joint SDMs, the model can also learn nonlinear functions relating species' occurrence probabilities to environmental predictors.

Mistnet makes more accurate predictions about the North American bird communities found along Breeding Bird Survey transects than several alternative methods tested. In particular, typical assemblages held out of sample for validation were each tens of thousands of times more likely under the mistnet model than under independent combinations of single‐species predictions.

Apart from improved accuracy, mistnet shows two other important benefits for ecological research and management. First: by analysing co‐occurrence data, mistnet can identify unmeasured – and perhaps unanticipated – environmental variables that drive species turnover. For example, the model identified a strong grassland/forest gradient, even though only temperature and precipitation were given as model inputs. Second: mistnet is able to take advantage of outside information to guide its predictions towards more realistic assemblages. For example, mistnet automatically adjusts its expectations to include more forest‐associated species in response to a stray observation of a forest‐dwelling warbler.
Estimating abundance of unmarked animal populations: accounting for imperfect detection and other sources of zero inflation
Authors: Dénes Francisco V. , Silveira Luís Fábio , Beissinger Steven R.
Published: January 2015

Inference and estimates of abundance are critical for quantifying population dynamics and impacts of environmental change. Yet imperfect detection and other phenomena that cause zero inflation can induce estimation error and obscure ecological patterns.

Recent statistical advances provide an increasingly diverse array of analytical approaches for estimating population size to address these phenomena.

We examine how detection error and zero inflation in count data inform the choice of analytical method for estimating population size of unmarked individuals that are not uniquely identified. We review two established (GLMs and distance sampling) and nine emerging methods that useN‐mixture models (Royle–Nichols model, and basic, zero inflated, temporary emigration, beta‐binomial, generalized open‐population, spatially explicit, single visit and multispecies) to estimate abundance of unmarked populations, focusing on their requirements and how each method accounts for imperfect detection and zero inflation.

Eight of the emerging methods can account for both imperfect detection and additional variation in population size in the forms of non‐occupancy, temporary emigration, correlated detection and population dynamics.

Methods differ in sampling design requirements (e.g. count vs. detection/non‐detection data, single vs. multiple visits, covariate data), and their suitability for a particular study will depend on the characteristics of the study species, scale and objectives of the study, and financial and logistical considerations.

Most emerging methods were developed over the past decade, so their efficacy is still under study, and additional statistical advances are likely to occur.
Clustering methods differ in their ability to detect patterns in ecological networks
Authors: Leger Jean‐Benoist , Daudin Jean‐Jacques , Vacher Corinne
Published: January 2015

Network ecology has been an extraordinarily fertile field of research over the last 20 years. Its ultimate goal is to understand how the complex systems of interdependent species assemble, function and evolve. Here, we aimed to help ecologists to select the best methods for detecting subgroups of highly interacting species (usually referred to as compartments or modules) in bipartite networks (e.g. plant–pollinator networks, host–parasite networks), because these subgroups may reveal the processes underlying the assembly of the network and may influence its stability.

We simulated several thousand bipartite ecological networks and we compared seven methods of network clustering in terms of their ability to retrieve the number and the composition of species subgroups.

Among the seven methods compared, we found that the edge‐betweenness algorithm was the best option for binary networks. The stochastic block model was the best method for weighted networks. Modularity maximization, the most popular clustering method in ecology, was among the three best methods in both cases.

We thus provide ecology researchers with precise advice concerning the best choice of network clustering method, according to the type of data collected. We also provide the code for simulating bipartite networks and clustering them, in order to facilitate future methodological comparisons.
Intraosseous and intravenous administration of antibiotics yields comparable plasma concentrations during experimental septic shock
Authors: STRANDBERG G. , LARSSON A. , LIPCSEY M. , MICHALEK J. , ERIKSSON M.
Published: January 2015

Background

We aimed to investigate whether comparable antibiotic concentrations could be reached with intraosseous and intravenous administration during septic shock.

Methods

In this randomized, prospective experimental study conducted at an animal research laboratory at the University Hospital of Uppsala, eight anesthetized pigs, weighing 21.2 to 29.1 kg (mean: 25.2 ± 2.3 kg), received endotoxin infusion at 4 μg/kg/h for 6 h. At the onset of clinical shock, alternatively after 3 h of endotoxemia, they received 75 mg/kg of cefotaxime and 7 mg/kg of gentamicin either in a proximal tibial intraosseous catheter or in a peripheral intravenous catheter. Mixed venous samples were taken after 5, 15, 30, 60, 120 and 180 min and analyzed for antibiotic concentrations.

Results

For both antibiotics, plasma concentrations after intraosseous and intravenous administration followed similar curves throughout the observation period, and peak concentrations were comparable. Mean concentration area under the curve (AUC mg × h/l) for cefotaxime was 108.1 ± 19.5 after intraosseous and 116.5 ± 11.1 after intravenous administration; ratio 0.93, (95% CI 0.71–1.19). Mean AUC for gentamicin was 28.1 ± 6.8 for intraosseous and 32.2 ± 3.5 for intravenous administration; ratio 0.87 (95% CI 0.62–1.19).

Conclusions

In this porcine septic shock model, intraosseous and intravenous administration of gentamicin and cefotaxime yielded comparable concentrations. In an emergency, intraosseous administration of these antibiotics may be considered in severe infections when venous access is difficult.
Real‐time ventilation and perfusion distributions by electrical impedance tomography during one‐lung ventilation with capnothorax
Authors: REINIUS H. , BORGES J. B. , FREDÉN F. , JIDEUS L. , CAMARGO E. D. L. B. , AMATO M. B. P. , HEDENSTIERNA G. , LARSSON A. , LENNMYR F.
Published: January 2015

Background

Carbon dioxide insufflation into the pleural cavity, capnothorax, with one‐lung ventilation (OLV) may entail respiratory and hemodynamic impairments. We investigated the online physiological effects of OLV/capnothorax by electrical impedance tomography (EIT) in a porcine model mimicking the clinical setting.

Methods

Five anesthetized, muscle‐relaxed piglets were subjected to first right and then left capnothorax with an intra‐pleural pressure of 19 cm H2O. The contra‐lateral lung was mechanically ventilated with a double‐lumen tube at positive end‐expiratory pressure 5 and subsequently 10 cm H2O. Regional lung perfusion and ventilation were assessed by EIT. Hemodynamics, cerebral tissue oxygenation and lung gas exchange were also measured.

Results

During right‐sided capnothorax, mixed venous oxygen saturation (P = 0.018), as well as a tissue oxygenation index (P = 0.038) decreased. There was also an increase in central venous pressure (P = 0.006), and a decrease in mean arterial pressure (P = 0.045) and cardiac output (P = 0.017). During the left‐sided capnothorax, the hemodynamic impairment was less than during the right side. EIT revealed that during the first period of OLV/capnothorax, no or very minor ventilation on the right side could be seen (3 ± 3% vs. 97 ± 3%, right vs. left, P = 0.007), perfusion decreased in the non‐ventilated and increased in the ventilated lung (18 ± 2% vs. 82 ± 2%, right vs. left, P = 0.03). During the second OLV/capnothorax period, a similar distribution of perfusion was seen in the animals with successful separation (84 ± 4% vs. 16 ± 4%, right vs. left).

Conclusion

EIT detected in real‐time dynamic changes in pulmonary ventilation and perfusion distributions. OLV to the left lung with right‐sided capnothorax caused a decrease in cardiac output, arterial oxygenation and mixed venous saturation.
Innovation and Economic Growth in East Asia: An Overview
Authors: Hu Albert Guangzhou
Published: January 2015

East Asia has been one of the most dynamic regions of economic growth and development. The past two decades have seen tremendous economic and technological catching up in the region. Using South Korea as a case to illustrate the process of technology catching up, we find that the process of graduating from imitation to innovation is a nonlinear one, and requires conscious efforts to invest in research and development and other technological capability‐enhancing activities. Successful technology upgrading also calls for policies and institutions that are relevant to technological innovation to evolve and adapt as an economy goes through the different stages of economic and technological development.
Different Impacts of Scientific and Technological Knowledge on Economic Growth: Contrasting Science and Technology Policy in East Asia and Latin America
Authors: Kim Yee Kyoung , Lee Keun
Published: January 2015

This paper conducts country‐panel econometric analysis with a focus on the different roles of scientific and technological knowledge on economic growth and on the knowledge production functions. It finds that it is not scientific knowledge (academic articles) but technological knowledge (patents) that matters for economic growth, and that generating scientific knowledge does not automatically lead to the generation of technological knowledge. We find that technological knowledge is primarily determined by corporate research and development efforts, which used to be more lacking in Latin American countries, compared with East Asia. This finding sheds new light on the question of why Latin American and East Asian countries have shown such divergent economic performances.
Measuring and Explaining Innovative Capability: Evidence from Southeast Asia
Authors: Machikita Tomohiro , Ueki Yasushi
Published: January 2015

What causes firm‐level product innovation in developing economies? This paper answers this question by emphasizing the role of process improvements that are influential in product innovation. We construct a firm‐level innovative capability score using novel, broad‐based, but detailed data on various process improvement practices obtained from firms in Southeast Asia. We then investigate the factors that may affect innovative capability. We also estimate the effect of the innovative capability score on product innovation controlling for research and development intensity and other firm characteristics. Our empirical investigation identifies a chief executive officer (CEO)'s past experience at a foreign or large firm, and buyer pressure to adopt international standards as key determinants of innovative capability. Novel and unique findings from our examination include: (i) the impact of a CEO's past experience at a foreign or large firm on the innovative capability is larger for local enterprises and small‐ and medium‐sized enterprises; (ii) the impact of share of foreign workers in the upper managerial levels only appears to be significant in foreign firms and larger firms; and (iii) buyer pressure is a more likely contributor to innovative capability compared with capital tie‐ups with multinational enterprises or joint venture buyers that capture vertical technology transfers. Finally, our empirical results show that a firm in Southeast Asia is more likely to achieve product innovation if the firm has had a higher innovative capability.
Is viscotrabeculotomy superior to conventional trabeculotomy in the management of Egyptian infants with congenital glaucoma?
Authors: ElSheikha Ola Z. , Abdelhakim Mohamad A. S. E. , Elhilali Hala M. , Kassem Rehab R.
Published: January 2015

Purpose

The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of viscotrabeculotomy in the management of congenital glaucoma as compared to conventional trabeculotomy, in Egyptian infants.

Methods

This is a prospective interventional randomized comparative study in which patients with primary congenital glaucoma were randomly allocated to either group A or B; viscotrabeculotomy (VT); and trabeculotomy (T), respectively. Patients were followed up regarding intra‐ocular pressure (IOP), cup/disc (C/D) ratio and horizontal corneal diameter (HCD) for 6 months. A probability value (p value) <0.05 was considered significant.

Results

Twenty‐one eyes in group A and 20 eyes in group B were enrolled in the study. The mean preoperative IOP was 23.5 and 24.3 mmHg in the VT and T groups, respectively. Postoperatively, IOP dropped at six months to 14.7 and 17 mmHg in the VT and T groups, respectively. That was significant in either group when compared to preoperative IOP, but not significant between both groups at the same point of comparison.

Conclusions

Both techniques were equally effective in the reduction in IOP in the management of congenital glaucoma, but viscotrabeculotomy did not appear to add more benefit to the surgical outcome than classic trabeculotomy.
Shb deficiency in endothelium but not in leucocytes is responsible for impaired vascular performance during hindlimb ischaemia
Authors: Nikpour M. , Gustafsson K. , Vågesjö E. , Seignez C. , Giraud A. , Phillipson M. , Welsh M.
Published: January 2015

Aim

Myeloid cells have been suggested to participate in angiogenesis and regulation of vascular function. Shb‐deficient mice display both vascular and myeloid cell abnormalities with possible consequences for recovery after hindlimb ischaemia. This study was conducted in order to assess the contribution of Shb deficiency in myeloid cells to impaired vascular function in ischaemia.

Methods

Wild type and Shb‐deficient mice were subjected to peritoneal vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) followed by intraperitoneal lavage, after which blood and peritoneal cells were stained for myeloid markers. VEGFA‐induced leucocyte recruitment to cremaster muscle was investigated using intravital microscopy of both mouse strains. Blood flow after femoral artery ligation was determined on chimeric mice after bone marrow transplantation.

Results

No differences in neutrophil numbers or cell surface phenotypes were detected. Moreover, neutrophil extravasation in VEGFA‐activated cremaster muscle was unaffected by Shb deficiency. However, blood and peritoneal CXCR4+ monocytes/macrophages were reduced in response to intraperitoneal VEGFA but not lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the absence of Shb. Furthermore, the macrophage population in ischaemic muscle was unaffected by Shb deficiency after 2 days but reduced 7 days after injury. The bone marrow transplantation experiments revealed that mice with wild type vasculature showed better blood flow than those with Shb‐deficient vasculature irrespective of leucocyte genotype.

Conclusion

The observed aberrations in myeloid cell properties in Shb‐deficient mice are likely consequences of an abnormal vascular compartment and are not responsible for reduced muscle blood flow. Structural vascular abnormalities seem to be the primary cause of poor vascular performance under provoked vascular stress in this genetic model.
Human organic anion transporting polypeptide 1A2 (OATP1A2) mediates cellular uptake of all‐trans‐retinol in human retinal pigmented epithelial cells
Authors: Chan Ting , Zhu Ling , Madigan Michele C , Wang Ke , Shen Weiyong , Gillies Mark C , Zhou Fanfan
Published: January 2015

Background and Purpose

Vision depends on retinoid exchange between the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and photoreceptors. Defects in any step of the canonical visual cycle can lead to retinal degenerations. All‐trans‐retinol (atROL) plays an important role in visual signal transduction. However, how atROL enters human RPE from the apical membrane remains unclear. This study investigated the role of human organic anion transporting polypeptide 1A2 (OATP1A2) in atROL uptake in human RPE.

Experimental Approach

Immunoblotting and immunostaining elucidated the expression and localization of OATP1A2 in human RPE. Transporter functional studies were conducted to assess the interaction of OATP1A2 with atROL.

Key Results

Our study revealed OATP1A2 is expressed in human RPE, mainly at the apical membrane. Our data also indicated atROL inhibited the uptake of the typical OATP1A2 substrate, oestrone‐3‐sulfate (E3S), in over‐expressing cells. Studies on the uptake of 3H‐atROL in these over‐expressing cells revealed atROL is a substrate of OATP1A2. We confirmed these findings in human primary RPE cells. The transport of E3S and atROL was significantly reduced in human primary RPE cells with OATP1A2 siRNA silencing.

Conclusion and Implications

Our data provides the first evidence of OATP1A2 expression in human RPE and more importantly, its novel role in the cellular uptake of atROL, which might be essential to the proper functioning of the canonical visual cycle. Our findings contribute to the understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in retinoid transport between the RPE and photoreceptors and provide novel insights into potential pharmaceutical interventions for visual cycle disruption associated with retinal degenerations.
Characteristics of myasthenia gravis with antibodies to muscle‐specific kinase and low‐density lipoprotein‐related receptor protein 4
Authors: Evoli Amelia , Iorio Raffaele
Published: January 2015

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is characterized by fatigable weakness of voluntary muscles caused by immunoglobulin G autoantibodies binding to post‐synaptic proteins at the neuromuscular junction. Antibodies specific for the acetylcholine receptor are detected in the great majority (85%) of MG patients. Serum immunoglobulin G binding to the muscle‐specific kinase (MuSK) are found in approximately 40% of anti‐acetylcholine receptor‐negative patients. Recently, the low‐density lipoprotein receptor‐related protein 4 (Lrp4), which is the MuSK co‐receptor for agrin, has been recognized as a new antigen in MG. Specific antibodies bind to the extracellular domains of MuSK and Lrp4 and, as experimental models have shown, interfere with the protein function. The present review describes the MuSK‐Lrp4 complex, and summarizes the effects of MuSK and Lrp4 antibodies at the neuromuscular junction. Furthermore, the epidemiological and clinical characteristics, the response to therapy and the controversies in management of the specific diseases are discussed.
Absent presence: the ongoing impact of men's violence on the mother–child relationship
Authors: Thiara Ravi K. , Humphreys Cathy
Published: January 2015

This paper draws from interviews with 45 mothers and 52 children who participated in an action research project to develop activities to support women and children in the aftermath of domestic violence. A thematic analysis was used to analyse the data and explore the question: In what ways does the perpetrator of abuse remain present in the lives of women and children following separation? The paper invites workers to recognize the distortions created by domestic violence that may need to be identified and addressed in the aftermath of violence. The ways in which past trauma, erosion of self‐esteem and the undermining of the mother–child relationship continues to create a shadow across the present relationship are identified. The continued presence of the perpetrator of abuse through child contact arrangements and ongoing harassment is also highlighted. The ‘absent presence’ of the abusive partner is posited as a concept to assist workers with a framework through which to understand problems in the mother–child relationship which emerge when living with and separating from a violent partner. The paper has implications for social workers orientating practice to focus on perpetrator accountability and support strengthening the mother–child relationship.
Information Density and Syntactic Repetition
Authors: Temperley David , Gildea Daniel
Published: January 2015

In noun phrase (NP) coordinate constructions (e.g., NP and NP), there is a strong tendency for the syntactic structure of the second conjunct to match that of the first; the second conjunct in such constructions is therefore low in syntactic information. The theory of uniform information density predicts that low‐information syntactic constructions will be counterbalanced by high information in other aspects of that part of the sentence, and high‐information constructions will be counterbalanced by other low‐information components. Three predictions follow: (a) lexical probabilities (measured by N‐gram probabilities and head‐dependent probabilities) will be lower in second conjuncts than first conjuncts; (b) lexical probabilities will be lower in matching second conjuncts (those whose syntactic expansions match the first conjunct) than nonmatching ones; and (c) syntactic repetition should be especially common for low‐frequency NP expansions. Corpus analysis provides support for all three of these predictions.
Pine sawfly Gilpinia albiclavata sp. nov. (Hymenoptera: Diprionidae) infesting Pinus pumila in the Japanese Alps
Authors: Hara Hideho , Nakamura Hiroshi
Published: January 2015

Gilpinia albiclavata Hara, sp. nov. is described from Honshu, Japan. Larvae feed on needles of Pinus pumila (Pinaceae). Since 2001, severe infestations of the sawfly have been often observed in the Japanese Alps. Notes on the immature stages and the life history are presented.
Taxonomy and evolution of putative thelytokous species of Leptopilina (Hymenoptera: Figitidae) from Japan, with description of two new species
Authors: Wachi Nakatada , Nomano Fumiaki Y. , Mitsui Hideyuki , Kasuya Nazuki , Kimura Masahito T.
Published: January 2015

Wasps of the genus Leptopilina (Hymenoptera: Figitidae) are larvo–pupal parasitoids of Drosophila species. Here we report three putative thelytokous species of this genus from Japan, with description of two new species L. tokioensis and L. tsushimaensis, which have been recorded from central Japan and Tsushima, respectively. Another thelytokous species is L. longipes occurring in northern Japan, although its European populations are assumed to be arrhenotokous. Preliminary phylogenetic analyses suggest the present three species are diversified from one another and also from the other Leptopilina species. These three thelytokous species are infected by B‐supergroup Wolbachia as in European thelytokous species, L. clavipes and L. australis. The evolution of these thelytokous species is discussed based on the present and previous results, and the occurrence and distributions of Leptopilina species in Japan and surrounding regions are briefly reviewed.
The insecticidal spider toxin SFI1 is a knottin peptide that blocks the pore of insect voltage‐gated sodium channels via a large β‐hairpin loop
Authors: Bende Niraj S. , Dziemborowicz Sławomir , Herzig Volker , Ramanujam Venkatraman , Brown Geoffrey W. , Bosmans Frank , Nicholson Graham M. , King Glenn F. , Mobli Mehdi
Published: January 2015

Spider venoms contain a plethora of insecticidal peptides that act on neuronal ion channels and receptors. Because of their high specificity, potency and stability, these peptides have attracted much attention as potential environmentally friendly insecticides. Although many insecticidal spider venom peptides have been isolated, the molecular target, mode of action and structure of only a small minority have been explored. Sf1a, a 46‐residue peptide isolated from the venom of the tube‐web spider Segesteria florentina, is insecticidal to a wide range of insects, but nontoxic to vertebrates. In order to investigate its structure and mode of action, we developed an efficient bacterial expression system for the production of Sf1a. We determined a high‐resolution solution structure of Sf1a using multidimensional 3D/4D NMR spectroscopy. This revealed that Sf1a is a knottin peptide with an unusually large β‐hairpin loop that accounts for a third of the peptide length. This loop is delimited by a fourth disulfide bond that is not commonly found in knottin peptides. We showed, through mutagenesis, that this large loop is functionally critical for insecticidal activity. Sf1a was further shown to be a selective inhibitor of insect voltage‐gated sodium channels, consistent with its ‘depressant’ paralytic phenotype in insects. However, in contrast to the majority of spider‐derived sodium channel toxins that function as gating modifiers via interaction with one or more of the voltage‐sensor domains, Sf1a appears to act as a pore blocker.
Corporate Taxation, Corporate Power, and Corporate Harm
Authors: Farnsworth Kevin , Fooks Gary
Published: January 2015

Globalisation has increased corporate tax competition amongst states and facilitated widespread corporate tax avoidance. Some of the largest businesses now pay little or no tax: in some cases with the active assistance of governments. This article examines contemporary corporation tax policies, outlines some of the key methods corporations use to minimise their tax liabilities, explores the interdependencies between the demand for reduced tax liabilities and the professional infrastructure of tax planning and avoidance, and examines how the contemporary political economy of corporate taxation enhances the bargaining power of transnational corporations in the implementation of tax policy.
Ethics and the Crimes of the Powerful
Authors: Ruggiero Vincenzo
Published: January 2015

The ethical dimension adds a key tool for the analysis of the crimes of the powerful. This dimension is introduced in the analysis of the present article, which seeks to establish how offenders endowed with resources and power justify their conduct through a selective interpretation of classical Western philosophy and by adhering to some aspects of canonical political thought.
Recent trends in the prevalence of under‐ and overweight among adolescent girls in low‐ and middle‐income countries
Authors: Jaacks L. M. , Slining M. M. , Popkin B. M.
Published: January 2015

Background

Most studies of childhood malnutrition in low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMICs) focus on children <5 years, with few focusing on adolescence, a critical stage in development.

Objective

This study aimed to evaluate recent trends in the prevalence of under‐ and overweight among girls (15–18 years) in LMICs.

Methods

Data are from Demographic and Health Surveys (53 countries) and national surveys conducted in Indonesia, China, Vietnam, Brazil and Mexico. The most recent surveys with sample sizes ≥50 when stratified by rural–urban status were included: 46.6% of countries had a survey conducted in the past 5 years, while the most recent survey for 10.3% of countries was over 10 years old. The overall rural sample size was 94 857 and urban sample size was 81 025. Under‐ and overweight were defined using the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) sex‐ and age‐specific body mass index cut points.

Results

South Asia had the highest prevalence of underweight; nearly double that of East Asia and the Pacific and sub‐Saharan Africa, and increasing annually by 0.66% in rural areas. Latin America and the Caribbean had the highest regional prevalence of overweight in both rural and urban settings, and this prevalence is increasing annually by about 0.50%. In urban areas, 38% of countries had both an under‐ and overweight prevalence ≥10%.

Conclusions

There is substantial variation across and within regions in the burden of under‐ and overweight, with increasing dual burdens in urban areas. Innovative public health interventions capable of addressing both ends of the malnutrition spectrum are urgently needed.
Influenza vaccination coverage and effectiveness in young children in Thailand, 2011–2013
Authors: Kittikraisak Wanitchaya , Suntarattiwong Piyarat , Levy Jens , Fernandez Stefan , Dawood Fatimah S. , Olsen Sonja J. , Chotpitayasunondh Tawee
Published: January 2015

Background

Since 2009, Thailand has recommended influenza vaccine for children aged 6 months through 2 years, but no estimates of influenza vaccine coverage or effectiveness are available for this target group.

Methods

During August 2011–May 2013, high‐risk and healthy children aged ≤36 months were enrolled in a 2‐year prospective cohort study. Parents were contacted weekly about acute respiratory illness (ARI) in their child. Ill children had combined nasal and throat swabs tested for influenza viruses by real‐time reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction. Influenza vaccination status was verified with vaccination cards. The Cox proportional hazards approach was used to estimate hazard ratios. Vaccine effectiveness (VE) was estimated as 100% x (1‐hazard ratio).

Results

During 2011–2013, 968 children were enrolled (median age, 10·3 months); 948 (97·9%) had a vaccination record and were included. Of these, 394 (41·6%) had ≥1 medical conditions. Vaccination coverage for the 2011–2012 and 2012–2013 seasons was 29·3% (93/317) and 30·0% (197/656), respectively. In 2011–2012, there were 213 ARI episodes, of which 10 (4·6%) were influenza positive (2·3 per 1000 vaccinated and 3·8 per 1000 unvaccinated child‐weeks). The VE was 55% (95% confidence interval [CI], −72, 88). In 2012–2013, there were 846 ARIs, of which 52 (6·2%) were influenza positive (1·8 per 1000 vaccinated and 4·5 per 1000 unvaccinated child‐weeks). The VE was 64% (CI, 13%, 85%).

Conclusion

Influenza vaccination coverage among young children in Thailand was low, although vaccination was moderately effective. Continued efforts are needed to increase influenza vaccination coverage and evaluate VE among young children in Thailand.
Blood Pressure Profiles 5 to 10 Years After Transplant in Pediatric Solid Organ Recipients
Authors: Tainio Juuso , Qvist Erik , Miettinen Jenni , Hölttä Tuula , Pakarinen Mikko , Jahnukainen Timo , Jalanko Hannu
Published: January 2015

Arterial hypertension is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease after solid organ transplantation, emphasizing the need for blood pressure (BP) monitoring. The authors studied 24‐hour ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM) parameters (index, load, dipping) and their predictive value with regard to hypertension as well as correlations with graft function and metabolic parameters such as obesity and dyslipidemias. The ABPM profiles of 111 renal, 29 heart, and 13 liver transplant recipients were retrospectively analyzed 5 to 10 years after transplant (median 5.1 years). The BP profiles among the different transplant groups were similar. The BP index and load were abnormal especially at nighttime and the nocturnal BP dipping was often blunted (in 49% to 83% of the patients). The BP variables were found to be equally valued when assessing hypertension. BP load of 50% instead of 25% seems to be a more adequate cutoff value. The BP variables correlated poorly with the metabolic parameters and kidney function. Antihypertensive medication did not notably change the ABPM profile in renal transplant recipients. Hypertension, including nocturnal hypertension, is present in children receiving solid organ transplant, underlining the importance of use of ABPM in the follow‐up of these patients.
Pathway mapping and development of disease‐specific biomarkers: protein‐based network biomarkers
Authors: Chen Hao , Zhu Zhitu , Zhu Yichun , Wang Jian , Mei Yunqing , Cheng Yunfeng
Published: January 2015

It is known that a disease is rarely a consequence of an abnormality of a single gene, but reflects the interactions of various processes in a complex network. Annotated molecular networks offer new opportunities to understand diseases within a systems biology framework and provide an excellent substrate for network‐based identification of biomarkers. The network biomarkers and dynamic network biomarkers (DNBs) represent new types of biomarkers with protein–protein or gene–gene interactions that can be monitored and evaluated at different stages and time‐points during development of disease. Clinical bioinformatics as a new way to combine clinical measurements and signs with human tissue‐generated bioinformatics is crucial to translate biomarkers into clinical application, validate the disease specificity, and understand the role of biomarkers in clinical settings. In this article, the recent advances and developments on network biomarkers and DNBs are comprehensively reviewed. How network biomarkers help a better understanding of molecular mechanism of diseases, the advantages and constraints of network biomarkers for clinical application, clinical bioinformatics as a bridge to the development of diseases‐specific, stage‐specific, severity‐specific and therapy predictive biomarkers, and the potentials of network biomarkers are also discussed.