bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The value of three‐dimensional helical computed tomography for the retrograde flexible ureteronephroscopy in the treatment of lower pole calyx stones
Authors: Xu Yan , Lyu Jian‐Lin
Published: April 2016

Objective

The aim of our study was to determine if there is any advantage of three‐dimensional helical computed tomography (3D‐HCT) over intravenous urogram (IVU) for the retrograde flexible ureteronephroscopy in the treatment of lower pole calyx stones.

Methods

From June 2012 to January 2014, a total of 52 cases of lower pole renal stones underwent retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) in our center. All patients underwent a preoperative IVU and three‐dimensional helical computed tomography urography (3D‐CTU) program to define the collecting system anatomy, manly concerning the following lower pole features; infundibu‐lopelvic angle (IPA), infundibular length (IL), and infundibular width (IW). The examinations were performed in the same center of reference with a standardized method and with 3D‐HCT Siemens Somaton Plus equipment. The measurements were performed by the same researcher, using a ruler and a square.

Results

Based on clinical threshold difference of the anatomic factors on an IVU image to compare the difference between an IVU image and a 3D‐CT image of 52 patients, the IPA was <30° when measured on intravenous pyelography (IVP) for 21 patients. We found that with the IPA of <30° measured with IVP only 19% (4/21) were correctly classified in the same size category using 3D‐HCT, whereas 81% (17/21) were upgraded to 40–50° on 3D‐CT. This difference was significant between IVP and 3D‐HCT.

Conclusions

3D‐HCT has advantages over IVU when analyzing the morphometric and the morphological features of kidney lower pole spatial anatomy for the retrograde flexible ureteronephroscopy in the treatment of lower pole calyx stones.
Abnormal frontostriatal connectivity in adolescent-onset schizophrenia and its relationship to cognitive functioning
Authors: James A. , Joyce E. , Lunn D. , Hough M. , Kenny L. , Ghataorhe P. , Fernandez H. , Matthews PM , Zarei M.
Published: April 2016

Background

Adolescent-onset schizophrenia (AOS) is associated with cognitive impairment and poor clinical outcome. Cognitive dysfunction is hypothesised, in part, to reflect functional dysconnectivity between the frontal cortex and the striatum, although structural abnormalities consistent with this hypothesis have not yet been demonstrated in adolescence.

Objective

To characterise frontostriatal white matter (WM) tracts in relation to cognition in AOS.

Design

A MRI volumetric and diffusion tensor imaging study.

Participants

Thirty-seven AOS subjects and 24 age and sex-matched healthy subjects.

Outcome measures

Using probabilistic tractography, cortical regions with the highest connection probability for each striatal voxel were determined, and correlated with IQ and specific cognitive functions after co-varying for age and sex. Fractional anisotropy (FA) from individual tracts was a secondary measure.

Results

Bayesian Structural Equation modeling of FA from 12 frontostriatal tracts showed processing speed to be an intermediary variable for cognition. AOS patients demonstrated generalised cognitive impairment with specific deficits in verbal learning and memory and in processing speed after correction for IQ. Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex connectivity with the striatum correlated positively with these measures and with IQ. DTI voxel-wise comparisons showed lower connectivity between striatum and the motor and lateral orbitofrontal cortices bilaterally, the left amygdalohippocampal complex, right anterior cingulate cortex, left medial orbitofrontal cortex and right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.

Conclusions

Frontostriatal dysconnectivity in large WM tracts that can explain core cognitive deficits are evident during adolescence. Processing speed, which is affected by alterations in WM connectivity, appears an intermediary variable in the cognitive deficits seen in schizophrenia.
Structural alterations of the superior temporal gyrus in schizophrenia: Detailed subregional differences
Authors: Ohi K. , Matsuda Y. , Shimada T. , Yasuyama T. , Oshima K. , Sawai K. , Kihara H. , Nitta Y. , Okubo H. , Uehara T. , Kawasaki Y.
Published: April 2016

Background

Reduced gray matter volumes in the superior temporal gyrus (STG) have been reported in patients with schizophrenia. Such volumetric abnormalities might denote alterations in cortical thickness, surface area, local gyrification or all of these factors. The STG can be anatomically divided into five subregions using automatic parcellation in FreeSurfer: lateral aspect of the STG, anterior transverse temporal gyrus of Heschl gyrus (HG), planum polare (PP) of the STG, planum temporale (PT) of the STG and transverse temporal sulcus.

Methods

We acquired magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) 3T scans from 40 age- and sex-matched patients with schizophrenia and 40 healthy subjects, and the scans were automatically processed using FreeSurfer. General linear models were used to assess group differences in regional volumes and detailed thickness, surface area and local gyrification.

Results

As expected, patients with schizophrenia had significantly smaller bilateral STG volumes than healthy subjects. Of the five subregions in the STG, patients with schizophrenia showed significantly and marginally reduced volumes in the lateral aspect of the STG and PT of the STG bilaterally compared with healthy subjects. The volumetric alteration in bilateral lateral STG was derived from both the cortical thickness and surface area but not local gyrification. There was no significant laterality of the alteration in the lateral STG between patients and controls and no correlation among the structures and clinical characteristics.

Conclusions

These findings suggest that of five anatomical subregions in the STG, the lateral STG is one of the most meaningful regions for brain pathophysiology in schizophrenia.
Leptin in bipolar disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Fernandes B.S. , Dash S. , Jacka F. , Dodd S. , Carvalho A.F. , Köhler C.A. , Steiner J. , da Graça Cantarelli M , Nardin P. , Gonçalves C.-A. , Berk M.
Published: April 2016

Background

Bipolar disorder (BD) is a psychiatric disorder associated with increased rates of obesity and inflammation. Leptin is an adipokine that is mainly produced by the white adipose tissue in response to insulin. It stimulates the immune system, increasing the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. There is currently uncertainty regarding possible alterations in peripheral leptin levels across the mood states in BD.

Methods

This study comprises a between-group meta-analysis comparing serum and plasma leptin levels in people with BD in mania, depression or euthymia and healthy controls. We conducted a systematic search for all possibly eligible-English and non-English peer-reviewed articles. We calculated the effect size (ES) utilizing Hedges’ adjusted g using random effects.

Results

Eleven studies were included in the meta-analyses, providing data on 1118 participants. Serum and plasma leptin levels were not altered in subjects with BD when compared to healthy controls in mania (g = −0.99, 95% CI −2.43 to 0.43, P = 0.171), in depression (g = 0.17, 95% CI −0.45 to 0.79, P = 0.584), or in euthymia (g = 0.03, 95% CI −0.39 to 0.46, P = 0.882). However, we did observe a stronger association between leptin levels and both age and BMI in patients with BD in euthymia compared to healthy controls, such that the greater the age of the individuals, the greater the difference in leptin levels between BD and controls; and the higher the BMI, the greater the difference in leptin levels between BD and controls.

Conclusions

Our meta-analysis provides evidence that leptin levels are not altered in BD across the mood spectrum compared to healthy controls. The disproportionate increase of leptin levels with increase in BMI in BD speaks in favour of a potential inflammatory role of white adipose tissue in BD and a disproportionate increase of leptin levels with increase in age.
Tratamiento de la disociación estática escafolunar utilizando una plastia de palmar mayor: resultados preliminares
Authors: Gómez M. , Frutos F. , Carrascosa P. , Lluch R.
Published: April 2016

Objetivo: Examinar los primeros resultados de la reconstrucción de la zona dorsal y palmar del ligamento escafolunar utilizando una plastia de palmar mayor en el tratamiento de la inestabilidad escafolunar estática reductible.

Material y método: Desde junio del 2012, 7 pacientes con inestabilidad escafolunar estática reductible fueron intervenidos con reconstrucción de la zona dorsal y palmar del ligamento escafolunar utilizando una plastia de palmar mayor. La edad media de los pacientes fue de 44años. El seguimiento medio fue de 18 meses (rango 12-35 meses).

Resultados: Los resultados funcionales según Green y O’Brien fueron buenos en 6 pacientes y satisfactorios en el otro y según las escalas Quick-DASH y Mayo modificada, 6,3 y 80 respectivamente. Radiográficamente, la diastasis escafolunar y el ángulo escafolunar preoperatorio pasaron de 4,6 a 2,4 mm y de 59,3 a 46,6°, respectivamente, al final del seguimiento.

Conclusiones: Los resultados clínicos y radiográficos al final del seguimiento son buenos. Esta técnica permite reconstruir la zona dorsal y palmar del ligamento interóseo escafolunar y reforzar y tensar los ligamentos escafo-trapecio-trapezoidales reconstruyendo eficazmente la anatomía del carpo. Si bien los resultados son esperanzadores, se necesita un mayor número de pacientes y mayor seguimiento para obtener conclusiones más definitivas.
Pompe Disease: Diagnosis and Management. Evidence-Based Guidelines from a Canadian Expert Panel
Authors: Tarnopolsky Mark , Katzberg Hans , Petrof Basil J. , Sirrs Sandra , Sarnat Harvey B. , Myers Kimberley , Dupré Nicolas , Dodig Dubravka , Genge Angela , Venance Shannon L. , Korngut Lawrence , Raiman Julian , Khan Aneal
Published: April 2016

Pompe disease is a lysosomal storage disorder caused by a deficiency of the enzyme acid alpha-glucosidase. Patients have skeletal muscle and respiratory weakness with or without cardiomyopathy. The objective of our review was to systematically evaluate the quality of evidence from the literature to formulate evidence-based guidelines for the diagnosis and management of patients with Pompe disease. The literature review was conducted using published literature, clinical trials, cohort studies and systematic reviews. Cardinal treatment decisions produced seven management guidelines and were assigned a GRADE classification based on the quality of evidence in the published literature. In addition, six recommendations were made based on best clinical practices but with insufficient data to form a guideline. Studying outcomes in rare diseases is challenging due to the small number of patients, but this is in particular the reason why we believe that informed treatment decisions need to consider the quality of the evidence.
Keys to the Trematoda. Volume II (ed. Jones, A., Bray, R. A. and Gibson, D. I.), pp. 768. Commonwealth Agricultural Bureau International (CABI Publishing), UK and The Natural History Museum, London, UK, 2005. ISBN 0 85199 587 X. £150.00.
Authors: SCHOLZ TOMÁš
Published: April 2016

Trematodes (flukes or digeneans) are by far the most abundant group of parasitic flatworms (Neodermata), and their importance for human and animal health is indisputable. In addition, they exhibit a variety of unique adaptations to parasitism and, probably most remarkably, possess extraordinarily complicated life-cycles. Classification of trematodes represents a very difficult task due to the huge number of existing species and variety of morphological forms, sites of infection within invertebrate and vertebrate hosts and ability to infect a wide spectrum of animals. Therefore, identification of any trematode may represent a problem even for an experienced specialist. This is the reason why I appreciated so much the publication of the first volume of the Keys to the Trematoda in 2002.
Commander von Gronau's flight, 1931. A photographic record
Authors: Herbert David
Published: April 2016

Readers of Polar Record with an extremely long memory or who possess a complete run of the journal, might refer to a paper published as long ago as 1932 on the topic of von Gronau's flight from Germany and over Greenland to the USA in the preceding year.
Cognition and psychopathology in first-episode psychosis: are they related to inflammation?
Authors: Cabrera B. , Bioque M. , Penadés R. , González-Pinto A. , Parellada M. , Bobes J. , Lobo A. , García-Bueno B. , Leza J. C. , Bernardo M.
Published: April 2016

Background

Cognitive deficits are present from the onset of psychosis and are considered a core feature of the disorder. Increasing evidence suggests that cognitive function is associated with inflammatory processes. This study evaluated the association between cognition and inflammatory biomarkers in first-episode psychosis (FEP), in order to identify cognitive phenotypes from inflammatory expression profiles.

Method

A case-control study of 92 FEP patients and 80 matched controls was used. Neurocognitive assessment, including verbal ability, sustained attention, verbal memory, working memory and executive function, was performed. The expression of pro- and anti-inflammatory mediators of the main intracellular inflammatory pathway was measured in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and plasma.

Results

FEP patients performed worse in all cognitive domains compared to controls and had higher expression of pro-inflammatory mediators and lower expression of anti-inflammatory mediators. In the FEP group, cognition and psychopathology were associated with inflammation. Hierarchical regression analysis showed that association between the anti-inflammatory prostaglandin 15d-PGJ2and sustained attention on one hand, and COX-2 expression and executive function on the other, were statistically significant.

Conclusions

Our study provides evidence for an association between anti-inflammatory biomarkers and cognition in FEP. The identification of a subgroup of patients based on these measures could be useful to guide treatment programmes by providing tools to select a personalized treatment approach, but longitudinal studies are needed before. In the future, establishment of biomarkers linked to cognition would be useful to monitor the course of cognitive impairment, but substantially more data will be required. Determination of IκBα, the inhibitory protein of the pro-inflammatory transcription factor NFκB, could be useful in early phases to assess clinical severity.
Crux probat omnia: Rowan Williams’ scriptural hermeneutic
Authors: Taylor Derek W.
Published: April 2016

Although Rowan Williams is widely recognised as one of today's leading theologians, comparatively little attention has been paid to his scriptural hermeneutic, and much of what has been written has been critical of the role scripture plays in his theology. This article explores Williams’ biblical hermeneutic in light of the criticism of John Webster in particular. It is argued that for Williams a good reading of scripture must be at once critical, analogical, and christological. While this last characteristic is often overlooked by his critics, Williams’ emphasis on the risen Christ's ongoing presence in the church, and on the specifically cruciform nature of that presence, is determinative for his hermeneutic.
Finkenwalde - an experiment to restore a failing ecclesiology?
Authors: Fergus Donald
Published: April 2016

This paper considers Dietrich Bonhoeffer's understanding of the theological dimension of the concept of Christian community and in particular his conviction that believers must avoid the confusion that follows when ‘community romanticism’ (Gemeinschaftsromantik) is equated with the community of saints (Gemeinschaft der Heiligen). Bonhoeffer insisted that the task of building Christian community was one of crafting a space in which Jesus stands between believers, protecting them from the ‘damage of sheerly human immediacy’.1Without Jesus' mediating presence he believed, everything could go badly wrong.
EARLY BRONZE AGE CHRONOLOGY OF MAINLAND GREECE: A REVIEW WITH NEW DATES FROM THE EXCAVATIONS AT KOUPHOVOUNO
Authors: Cavanagh W. , Mee C. , Renard J.
Published: April 2016

A series of radiocarbon dates for Early Bronze Age contexts from the excavations at Kouphovouno are published for the first time. By adopting a Bayesian modelling approach, the 14C estimates allow greater precision in arriving at an absolute chronology for the period. The opportunity is taken to place these dates as part of the more general development of the Early Bronze period. The sequence for mainland Greece is compared with the recently revised dating of the Early Cycladic period. The new data support a lower chronology than that advocated in recent publications.
Why do older adults avoid seeking financial advice? Adviser anxiety in the Netherlands
Authors: VAN DALEN HENDRIK P. , HENKENS KÈNE , HERSHEY DOUGLAS A.
Published: April 2016

Why is it that many people fail to seek retirement planning advice when doing so is clearly indicated? Distrust of financial intermediaries is often presented as the common answer. But this paper shows that trust issues are only part of the answer; an appreciable proportion of individuals experience anxiety at the prospect of visiting a financial adviser. In the present investigation, financial adviser anxiety is studied among 950 Dutch adults over the age of 50. Anxiety levels were measured using a six-item scale that was administered as part of a larger nationwide investigation on retirement attitudes and behaviour. Findings revealed that nearly one-third of respondents reported having moderate to severe levels of anxiety at the prospect of visiting a financial professional. Furthermore, a hierarchical regression analysis revealed that strong predictors of anxiety included one's educational level, income, age, level of future time perspective, risk tolerance, financial knowledge and scepticism regarding whether advice from a financial professional can be trusted. A cluster analysis using demographic and psychological covariates identified three separate groups of older adults that were found to differ in terms of their mean level of anxiety. Those who had low levels of education and low incomes were found to disproportionately display high levels of financial adviser anxiety.
Complete Bredon cohomology and its applications to hierarchically defined groups
Authors: NUCINKIS BRITA E. A. , PETROSYAN NANSEN
Published: April 2016

By considering the Bredon analogue of complete cohomology of a group, we show that every group in the class$\cll\clh^{\mathfrak F}{\mathfrak F}$of type Bredon-FP∞admits a finite dimensional model for$E_{\frak F}G$.

We also show that abelian-by-infinite cyclic groups admit a 3-dimensional model for the classifying space for the family of virtually nilpotent subgroups. This allows us to prove that for$\mathfrak {F}$, the class of virtually cyclic groups, the class of$\cll\clh^{\mathfrak F}{\mathfrak F}$-groups contains all locally virtually soluble groups and all linear groups over${\mathbb{C}}$of integral characteristic.
Crystal structure of mupirocin form I, C26H44O9
Authors: Kaduk James A. , Zhong Kai , Gindhart Amy M. , Blanton Thomas N.
Published: April 2016

The crystal structure of mupirocin Form I has been solved and refined using synchrotron X-ray powder diffraction data, and optimized using density functional techniques. Mupirocin Form I crystallizes in space groupP21(#4) witha= 12.562 81(16),b= 5.103 63(4),c= 21.713 34(29) Å,β= 100.932(1)°,V= 1366.91(2) Å3, andZ= 2. Although the three hydroxyl groups and the carboxylic acid participate in a three-dimensional hydrogen bond network, the crystal energy appears to be dominated by van der Waals interactions. The Rietveld-refined and density functional optimized structures differ significantly. The powder pattern has been submitted to ICDD for inclusion in the Powder Diffraction File™.
Assembling the multitude: questions about agency in the urban environment
Authors: BRANTZ DOROTHEE
Published: April 2016

In recent years, urban history has witnessed an expansion of actors. Historians have substantially and continuously extended their perspectives when it comes to examining the forces that drive urban developments. This expansion to an ever-broader range of human and increasingly also non-human actors (e.g. animals, technological systems and resources such as water) has opened up many new venues for investigations. It has also raised new questions about the role of cities in the history of social change. One of the most provocative ideas involves the claim that cities themselves should be considered agents and proprietors of change. Such notions of urban agency are premised on the assumption that, on the whole, cities are more than the sum of their parts. In this context, urbanization is not just viewed as the outcome of other determining societal forces, most notably capitalism. Instead, cities themselves are understood as determining entities and powerful enablers or preventers of material transformations. The investigative potential of such a perspective is tremendous, but the possible pitfalls should also not be underestimated. Exploring the explanatory prospects of urban agency requires, first of all, a critical engagement with both of the terms ‘agency’ and ‘the urban’. In my brief contribution to this roundtable, I would like to offer two points to the discussion: the first centres on the relationship between agency and intentionality/responsibilities, which is ultimately a political concern; the second aims to differentiate between the city as an entity and the urban as a process. Such a distinction, in turn, poses conceptual as well as methodological questions regarding the efficacy of agency as an urban concept.
Interstage somatic growth in children with hypoplastic left heart syndrome after initial palliation with the hybrid procedure
Authors: Chan Fiona T. S. , Bellsham-Revell Hannah R. , Duggan Hannah , Simpson John M. , Hulse Tony , Bell Aaron J.
Published: April 2016

Introduction

The hybrid procedure is one mode of initial palliation for hypoplastic left heart syndrome. Subsequently, patients proceed with either the “three-stage” pathway – comprehensive second stage followed by Fontan completion – or the “four-stage” pathway – Norwood procedure, hemi-Fontan, or Fontan completion. In this study, we describe somatic growth patterns observed in the hybrid groups and a comparison primary Norwood group.

Methods

A retrospective analysis of patients who have undergone hybrid procedure and Fontan completion was performed. Weight-for-age and height-for-age z-scores were recorded at each operation.

Results

We identified 13 hybrid patients – eight in the three-stage pathway and five in the four-stage pathway – and 49 Norwood patients. Weight: three stage: weight decreased from hybrid procedure to comprehensive second stage (−0.4±1.3 versus −2.3±1.4, p<0.01) and then increased to Fontan completion (−0.4±1.5 versus −0.6±1.4, p<0.01); four stage: weight decreased from hybrid procedure to Norwood (−2.0±1.4 versus −3.3±0.9, p=0.06), then stabilised to hemi-Fontan. Weight increased from hemi-Fontan to Fontan completion (−2.7±0.6 versus −1.0±0.7, p=0.01); primary Norwood group: weight decreased from Norwood to hemi-Fontan (p<0.001) and then increased to Fontan completion (p<0.001). Height: height declined from hybrid procedure to Fontan completion in the three-stage group. In the four-stage group, height decreased from hybrid to hemi-Fontan, and then increased to Fontan completion. The Norwood group decreased in height from Norwood to hemi-Fontan, followed by an increase to Fontan completion.

Conclusion

In this study, we show that patients undergoing the hybrid procedure have poor weight gain before superior cavopulmonary connection, before returning to baseline by Fontan completion. This study identifies key periods to target poor somatic growth, a risk factor of morbidity and worse neurodevelopmental outcomes.
Perception of Communicative and Non-communicative Motion-Defined Gestures in Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Jaywant Abhishek , Wasserman Victor , Kemppainen Maaria , Neargarder Sandy , Cronin-Golomb Alice
Published: April 2016

Objectives: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is associated with deficits in social cognition and visual perception, but little is known about how the disease affects perception of socially complex biological motion, specifically motion-defined communicative and non-communicative gestures. We predicted that individuals with PD would perform more poorly than normal control (NC) participants in discriminating between communicative and non-communicative gestures, and in describing communicative gestures. We related the results to the participants’ gender, as there are gender differences in social cognition in PD. Methods: The study included 23 individuals with PD (10 men) and 24 NC participants (10 men) matched for age and education level. Participants viewed point-light human figures that conveyed communicative and non-communicative gestures and were asked to describe each gesture while discriminating between the two gesture types. Results: PD as a group were less accurate than NC in describing non-communicative but not communicative gestures. Men with PD were impaired in describing and discriminating between communicative as well as non-communicative gestures. Conclusions: The present study demonstrated PD-related impairments in perceiving and inferring the meaning of biological motion gestures. Men with PD may have particular difficulty in understanding the communicative gestures of others in interpersonal exchanges. (JINS, 2016, 22, 1–11)
Preservation of the Semantic Verbal Fluency Advantage in a Large Population-Based Sample: Normative Data from the TILDA Study
Authors: Vaughan Roisin M. , Coen Robert F. , Kenny RoseAnne , Lawlor Brian A.
Published: April 2016

Objectives: It is widely believed that phonemic fluency is more difficult than naming exemplars from a semantic category. Normative data in this regard are scarce, and there is considerable disagreement in the literature regarding the pattern in normal ageing and neurodegenerative conditions. Our objective was to provide normative data for semantic phonemic discrepancy scores from a large sample of older adults. Methods: A total of 5780 community-dwelling older adults were included in this prospective, longitudinal study. Discrepancy scores were calculated by subtracting phonemic fluency score from semantic fluency score for each participant. Quantile regression was used to estimate normative values stratified for age. Results: Subjects did better on testing of semantic fluency. The average discrepancy score was 9.18±6.89 words, (range, −20 to 37; n=5780). At the fiftieth percentile, those in their fifth decade produced 10 more “animals” than “letter F” words. Subjects scored one word less per decade, with an average of seven more “animal” words produced by those in their eighth decade. Conclusions: Our study is the first to provide normative data and confirms that, for animal versus letter F fluency, the semantic advantage persists into later life in a population-based sample of community-dwelling older adults. Given that a majority of clinical samples have confirmed a reverse of this pattern in Alzheimer’s dementia (i.e., loss of semantic advantage in Alzheimer’s disease, yielding a phonemic advantage), our findings support the clinical utility of brief fluency tests and encourage further research into their use in diagnosis and prediction of progression to dementia. (JINS, 2016, 22, 1–7)
INTERNATIONAL SYNCHRONIZATION AND CHANGES IN LONG-TERM INFLATION UNCERTAINTY
Authors: Henzel Steffen R. , Wieland Elisabeth
Published: April 2016

We investigate the international linkages of uncertainty associated with the long-term movements of inflation. In the first step, we establish that inflation uncertainty in the G7 is intertwined, and the degree of synchronization has increased during the recent two decades. We also document a rise in inflation uncertainty accompanying the global financial crisis. Based on a factor–structural vector autoregression, we provide evidence of a common international shock. We disclose that this shock is closely related to oil and commodity price uncertainty, and it explains large parts of the recent rise in inflation uncertainty. Moreover, increased synchronization can be explained by greater relative importance of this global shock. We also document that inflation uncertainty has become more stable, because domestic shocks translate less extensively into individual economies. This finding lends support to the “good policy” hypothesis.
Doubling: an error or an illusion?
Authors: DEUCHAR MARGARET , BIBERAUER THERESA
Published: April 2016

Goldrick, Putnam and Schwarz (henceforth Goldrick et al.) base their computational account of code mixing on two premises, (1) that code mixing is subject to grammatical principles and (2) that “mental representations in bilingual speakers incorporate blends of structures from each language”. While there is copious evidence for the first premise, the second is far less well empirically supported. The authors imply that the second premise, the assumption of blend representations, is supported by Kroll & Gollan's (2014) review of speech planning in two languages, but this is not the case. Kroll & Gollan (2014:1) do indeed discuss evidence for the “parallel activation of the bilingual's two languages” but in terms of competition between alternatives rather than blended representations. The notion ofblendis of course familiar to code-switching researchers from work on bimodal bilingual code mixing, as Goldrick et al. acknowledge, but here the term refers to “simultaneously produced English words and ASL signs” (Emmorey, Borinstein, Thompson & Gollan, 2008: 43).
Neuroimaging of language control in bilinguals: neural adaptation and reserve
Authors: ABUTALEBI JUBIN , GREEN DAVID W.
Published: April 2016

Speaking more than one language demands a language control system that allows bilinguals to correctly use the intended language adjusting for possible interference from the non-target language. Understanding how the brain orchestrates the control of language has been a major focus of neuroimaging research on bilingualism and was central to our original neurocognitive language control model (Abutalebi & Green, 2007). We updated the network of language control (Green & Abutalebi, 2013) and here review the many new exciting findings based on functional and structural data that substantiate its core components. We discuss the language control network within the framework of the adaptive control hypothesis (Green & Abutalebi, 2013) that predicts adaptive changes specific to the control demands of the interactional contexts of language use. Adapting to such demands leads, we propose, to a neural reserve in the human brain.
Impact of prenatal exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from maternal diet on birth outcomes: a birth cohort study in Korea
Authors: Lamichhane Dirga Kumar , Leem Jong-Han , Kim Hwan-Cheol , Lee Ji-Young , Park Myung-Sook , Jung Dal-Young , Ko Jung Keun , Ha Mina , Kim Yangho , Hong Yun-Chul , Ha Eun-Hee
Published: April 2016

Objective

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are common dietary exposures that cross the human placenta and are classified as a probable human carcinogen. The aim of the present study was to investigate the potential impact of exposure to PAH-containing meat consumed during pregnancy on birth outcomes.

Design

Prospective birth cohort study. Only non-smoking women with singleton pregnancies, who were free from chronic disease such as diabetes and hypertension, were included in the study. Maternal consumption of PAH-rich meat was estimated through FFQ. Multiple linear regression was used to assess factors related to higher intake and the association between dietary PAH and birth outcomes.

Setting

Republic of Korea, 2006–2011.

Subjects

Pregnant women (n 778) at 12–28 weeks of gestation enrolled in the Mothers and Children’s Environmental Health (MOCEH) study.

Results

The multivariable regression model showed a significant reduction in birth weight associated with higher consumption level of foods rich in PAH, such as grilled or roasted meat, during pregnancy (β=−17·48 g, P<0·05 for every 1 point higher in meat score). Further adjusting for biomarkers of airborne PAH did not alter this association. There was no evidence that higher consumption level of PAH-rich meat shortens the duration of gestation (P=0·561). Regression models performed for birth length and head circumference produced negative effects that were not statistically significant.

Conclusions

Consumption of higher levels of barbecued, fried, roasted and smoked meats during pregnancy was associated with reduced birth weight. Dietary risk of PAH exposure in Korean women is of concern.
‘How many calories did I just eat?’ An experimental study examining the effect of changes to serving size information on nutrition labels
Authors: Jones Amanda C , Vanderlee Lana , White Christine M , Hobin Erin P , Bordes Isabelle , Hammond David
Published: April 2016

Objective

To test modifications to nutrition label serving size information on understanding of energy (calorie) content among youth and young adults.

Design

Participants completed two online experiments. First, participants were randomly assigned to view a beverage nutrition label with a reference amount of per serving (250 ml), per container (473 ml) or a dual-column format with both reference amounts. Participants were then randomized to view a cracker nutrition label which specified a single serving in small font, a single serving in large font, or the number of servings per bag with single serving information below. In both experiments, participants estimated energy content. Logistic regression analysis modelled correct energy estimation. Finally, participants reported their preference for serving size display format.

Setting

Canada.

Subjects

Canadian youth and young adults (n2008; aged 16–24 years).

Results

In experiment 1, participants randomized to view the nutrition label with per container or dual column were more likely to correctly identify energy content than those using per serving information (P<0·01). For experiment 2, the serving size display format had no association with correct energy estimation. The majority of participants (61·9 %) preferred the serving size format that included servings per package.

Conclusions

Labelling foods with nutrition information using a serving size reference amount for the entire container increased understanding of energy content. Consumers prefer nutrition labels that include more prominently featured serving size information. Additional modifications that further improve consumers’ accuracy should be examined. These results have direct implications for nutrition labelling policy.
Preparation and Analysis of Atom Probe Tips by Xenon Focused Ion Beam Milling
Authors: Estivill Robert , Audoit Guillaume , Barnes Jean-Paul , Grenier Adeline , Blavette Didier
Published: April 2016

The damage and ion distribution induced in Si by an inductively coupled plasma Xe focused ion beam was investigated by atom probe tomography. By using predefined patterns it was possible to prepare the atom probe tips with a sub 50 nm end radius in the ion beam microscope. The atom probe reconstruction shows good agreement with simulated implantation profiles and interplanar distances extracted from spatial distribution maps. The elemental profiles of O and C indicate co-implantation during the milling process. The presence of small disc-shaped Xe clusters are also found in the three-dimensional reconstruction. These are attributed to the presence of Xe nanocrystals or bubbles that open during the evaporation process. The expected accumulated dose points to a loss of >95% of the Xe during analysis, which escapes undetected.
Body Mass Index and Depressive Symptoms: Testing for Adverse and Protective Associations in Two Twin Cohort Studies
Authors: Jokela Markus , Berg Venla , Silventoinen Karri , Batty G. David , Singh-Manoux Archana , Kaprio Jaakko , Davey Smith George , Kivimäki Mika
Published: April 2016

Studies have suggested both adverse and protective associations of obesity with depressive symptoms. We examined the contribution of environmental and heritable factors in this association. Participants were same-sex twin pairs from two population-based twin cohort studies, the Older Finnish Twin Cohort (n= 8,215; mean age = 44.1) and the US Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS;n= 1,105; mean age = 45.1). Body mass index (BMI) was calculated from self-reported height and weight. Depressive symptoms were assessed using Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI; Finnish Twin Cohort), and by negative and positive affect scales (MIDUS). In the Finnish Twin Cohort, higher BMI was associated with higher depressive symptoms in monozygotic (MZ) twins (B = 2.01, 95% CI = 1.0, 3.0) and dizygotic (DZ) twins (B = 1.17, 0.5, 1.9) with BMI >22. This association was observed in within-pair analysis in DZ twins (B = 1.47, CI = 0.4, 2.6) but not in within-pair analysis of MZ twins (B = 0.03, CI = -1.9, 2.0). Consistent with the latter result, a bivariate genetic model indicated that the association between higher BMI and higher depressive symptoms was largely mediated by genetic factors. The results of twin-pair analysis and bivariate genetic model were replicated in the MIDUS sample. These findings suggest an association between obesity and higher depressive symptoms, which is largely explained by shared heritable biological mechanisms.
An Extended Multidimensional IRT Formulation for the Linear Item	Factor Analysis Model
Authors: Ferrando Pere J.
Published: April 2016

Abstract. In previous research Spearman’s factor-analytic (FA) model has been formulated as a linear Item Response Theory (IRT) model for (approximately) continuous item responses. Furthermore, some generalized IRT-based indices have been proposed for multidimensional FA. However, to date no explicit IRT formulation has existed for this model. This article extends previous proposals in two directions. First, it proposes a Lord’s-type parameterization of the multidimensional FA model in which each item is characterized by a difficulty index in each dimension. Second, it proposes two multidimensional IRT-based item-person-distance indices. The characteristics and advantages of all the proposed measures as well as their relations to existing indices are discussed. The usefulness of the proposal in item analysis and validity assessment is also discussed and illustrated with two empirical examples.
Comparison of Principal Component Solutions in Two	Populations
Authors: Sočan Gregor
Published: April 2016

Abstract. When principal component solutions are compared across two groups, a question arises whether the extracted components have the same interpretation in both populations. The problem can be approached by testing null hypotheses stating that the congruence coefficients between pairs of vectors of component loadings are equal to 1. Chan, Leung, Chan, Ho, and Yung (1999) proposed a bootstrap procedure for testing the hypothesis of perfect congruence between vectors of common factor loadings. We demonstrate that the procedure by Chan et al. is both theoretically and empirically inadequate for the application on principal components. We propose a modification of their procedure, which constructs the resampling space according to the characteristics of the principal component model. The results of a simulation study show satisfactory empirical properties of the modified procedure.
The Impact of the Number of Dyads on Estimation of Dyadic Data	Analysis Using Multilevel Modeling
Authors: Du Han , Wang Lijuan
Published: April 2016

Abstract. Dyadic data often appear in social and behavioral research, and multilevel models (MLMs) can be used to analyze them. For dyadic data, the group size is 2, which is the minimum group size we could have for fitting a multilevel model. This Monte Carlo study examines the effects of the number of dyads, the intraclass correlation (ICC), the proportion of singletons, and the missingness mechanism on convergence, bias, coverage rates, and Type I error rates of parameter estimates of dyadic data analysis using MLMs. Results showed that the estimation of variance components could have nonconvergence problems, nonignorable bias, and deviated coverage rates from nominal values when ICC is low, the proportion of singletons is high, and/or the number of dyads is small. More dyads helped obtain more reliable and valid estimates. Sample size guidelines based on the simulation model are given and discussed.
Shifting Frames
Authors: Feinholdt Alina , Schuck Andreas R. T. , Lecheler Sophie K. , de Vreese Claes H.
Published: April 2016

Abstract. Prior research has found that exposure to news frames can cause emotional responses to political issues. Yet, little is known about how different combinations of news frames and issues relate to discrete emotions and whether these emotions, in turn, affect issue perceptions. The present study investigates these questions by testing whether (a) the effects of news articles, featuring highly versus moderately contested policy issues on perceived policy effectiveness (PPE), are mediated by three discrete emotions (anger, fear, and hope) and (b) if these effects depend on the type of generic news frame used (human interest vs. economic consequences). An online experimental survey (N = 405) demonstrated that the effects of issue contestation on PPE were mediated by hope and anger, but not by fear. These effects were only apparent within a human interest frame. The theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed.
Measuring Media Multitasking
Authors: Baumgartner Susanne E. , Lemmens Jeroen S. , Weeda Wouter D. , Huizinga Mariette
Published: April 2016

Abstract. Although media multitasking is an increasingly occurring form of media use, there are currently no validated, short instruments to measure media multitasking among adolescents. The aim of the present study, therefore, was to develop a short media multitasking measure for adolescents (MMM-S). Two studies with a total sample of 2,278 adolescents were conducted. The findings of these studies suggest that the MMM-S is a useful, reliable, and valid measure to assess media multitasking among adolescents. The findings indicate that the concurrent validity of the short measure is equal to that of a more extensive measure. Because of its high utility, the MMM-S may provide an alternative for existing extensive measures of media multitasking.
Imagine All the Forces
Authors: Gebauer Fabian , Raab Marius H. , Carbon Claus-Christian
Published: April 2016

Abstract. A world divided into East versus West: The so-called Ukraine crisis has once more summoned outdated patterns of political thinking. Simultaneously, media discourses have flared up debating diplomatic and military solutions as possible policy responses. A majority of Germans, however, have remained hesitant to advocate any escalation of military conflict. We were interested in how far reputable journalism concerning the Ukraine crisis might activate a disposition toward military engagement. To evaluate the supposed impact of actual news coverage, we used explicit existential threats (mortality salience; MS) as a comparative measure. Typical effects of MS were derived from terror management theory (TMT), which predicts that the awareness of existential threats amplifies the efforts to defend one’s own culture, even by military means. We used a 2 × 2 factorial design (N = 112) with the factors article (original bellicose vs. neutral, nonmilitant depiction) and salience condition (MS vs. control). Results revealed a strong impact of the original, bellicose article, with increased willingness to deploy German forces at the Russian border, independently of the salience condition. Additional existential threats did not add further effects, as values for willingness were already very high. Classic effects regarding TMT were observed when people had read the Non-Militant article. Here, the willingness to deploy forces only increased after a confrontation with existential threats. We conclude that threatening news coverage on the Ukraine crisis has the ability to alter willingness for first-step military action at the Russian border by inducing effects that are – at least in their outcome – comparable to explicit existential threats.
Honoring Earth and Space Scientists
Authors:   AGU
Published: April 2016

AGU members and others in the news
Carfilzomib alters the HLA-presented peptidome of myeloma cells and impairs presentation of peptides with aromatic C-termini
Authors: Kowalewski D J , Walz S , Backert L , Schuster H , Kohlbacher O , Weisel K , Rittig S M , Kanz L , Salih H R , Rammensee H-G , Stevanović S , Stickel J S
Published: April 2016

Recent studies suggest that multiple myeloma is an immunogenic disease, which might be effectively targeted by antigen-specific T-cell immunotherapy. As standard of care in myeloma includes proteasome inhibitor therapy, it is of great importance to characterize the effects of this treatment on HLA-restricted antigen presentation and implement only robustly presented targets for immunotherapeutic intervention. Here, we present a study that longitudinally and semi-quantitatively maps the effects of the proteasome inhibitor carfilzomib on HLA-restricted antigen presentation. The relative presentation levels of 4780 different HLA ligands were quantified in an in vitro model employing carfilzomib treatment of MM.1S and U266 myeloma cells, which revealed significant modulation of a substantial fraction of the HLA-presented peptidome. Strikingly, we detected selective down-modulation of HLA ligands with aromatic C-terminal anchor amino acids. This particularly manifested as a marked reduction in the presentation of HLA ligands through the HLA allotypes A*23:01 and A*24:02 on MM.1S cells. These findings implicate that carfilzomib mediates a direct, peptide motif-specific inhibitory effect on HLA ligand processing and presentation. As a substantial proportion of HLA allotypes present peptides with aromatic C-termini, our results may have broad implications for the implementation of antigen-specific treatment approaches in patients undergoing carfilzomib treatment.
A multi‐laboratory comparison of blood dendritic cell populations
Authors: Fromm Phillip Dieter , Kupresanin Fiona , Brooks Anna Elizabeth Stella , Dunbar Peter Rodney , Haniffa Muzifilla , Hart Derek Nigel John , Clark Georgina Jane
Published: April 2016

HLDA10 collated a panel of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) that primarily recognised molecules on human myeloid cell and dendritic cell (DC) populations. As part of the studies, we validated a backbone of mAbs to delineate monocyte and DC populations from peripheral blood. The mAb backbone allowed identification of monocyte and DC subsets using fluorochromes that were compatible with most ‘off the shelf’ or routine flow cytometers. Three laboratories used this mAb backbone to assess the HLDA10 panel on blood monocytes and DCs. Each laboratory was provided with enough mAbs to perform five repeat experiments. The data were collated and analysed using Spanning‐tree Progression Analysis of Density‐normalised Events (SPADE). The data were interrogated for inter‐ and intra‐laboratory variability. The results highlight the definition of DC populations using current readily available reagents. This collaborative process provides the broader scientific community with an invaluable data set that validates mAbs to leucocyte surface molecules.