bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
High efficiency micro solar cells integrated with lens array
Authors: Fidaner Onur , Suarez Ferran A. , Wiemer Michael , Sabnis Vijit A. , Asano Tetsuya , Itou Akihiro , Inoue Daijiro , Hayashi Nobuhiko , Arase Hidekazu , Matsushita Akio , Nakagawa Tohru
Published: March 2014

We demonstrate high efficiency triple junction solar cells with submillimeter dimensions in an all-back-contact architecture. 550 × 550 μm2 cells flash at 41.3% efficiency under the air mass 1.5 direct normal spectrum at 50 W/cm2 at 25 °C. Compared to standard size production cells, the micro cells have reduced performance at 1-sun due to perimeter recombination, but the performance gap closes at higher concentrations. Micro cells integrated with lens arrays were tested on-sun with an efficiency of 34.7%. All-back-contact architecture and submillimeter dimensions are advantageous for module integration and heat dissipation, allowing for high-performance, compact, lightweight, and cost-effective concentrated photovoltaic modules.
Dietary betaine supplementation has energy-sparing effects in feedlot cattle during summer, particularly in those without access to shade
Authors: DiGiacomo K. , Warner R. D. , Leury B. J. , Gaughan J. B. , Dunshea F. R.
Published: March 2014

Dietary betaine supplementation improves water retention in steers and may influence lean-tissue deposition, while also acting as an osmolyte to help regulate cellular osmotic balance. This study investigated the interactions between shade and dietary betaine on carcass characteristics, tissue enzyme activity and gene expression in 48 feedlot steers during summer. Steers were randomly allocated to a 4 × 2 factorial design with the factors being dietary betaine (0, 10, 20 or 40 g) and shade (with and without shade) for 120 days. Tissue samples were obtained at slaughter and analysed for gene expression of heat shock proteins 70 and 90 (HSP70/90) and expression of heat shock factor 1 (HSF1), and enzyme activity of fatty acid synthase (FAS) and glycerol-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH). Carcasses were evaluated for quality. Carcass weight at slaughter was not altered by shade (P = 0.18) but tended to be increased by dietary betaine (306 v. 314 kg, P = 0.09). The P8 backfat was not altered by shade (P = 0.43) or dietary betaine (P = 0.32), although there was a within dietary betaine effect whereby P8 backfat tended to be greater in steers fed 10 g compared with 40 g betaine/day (17.4 v. 14.5 mm, P = 0.06). Muscle pH at 1 h (5.97 v. 6.03, P = 0.01) and 2 h (5.73 v. 5.80, P = 0.04) post-slaughter was higher in shaded steers, and muscle pH at 1 h post-slaughter was higher in steers fed 10 or 20 g than those fed 40 g betaine/day (6.03 v. 6.03 v. 5.95, P = 0.005). Gene expression was not altered by betaine, while adipose tissues expressed more of each gene than muscle (P < 0.001). The mRNA expression of HSF1 and HSP90 was influenced by a shade × betaine interaction, although the direction of this interaction was irregular (P = 0.03 and 0.03, respectively). Adipose tissue FAS and G6PDH enzyme activity was unaffected by shade and betaine. The results of this study indicate that betaine supplementation may be a successful carcass modifier in growing feedlot steers during summer. Provision of shade during summer may reduce the rate of pH decline in the first 2 h after slaughter and reduce the risk of high rigor temperature.
Developmental programming of bone deficits in growth-restricted offspring
Authors: Romano Tania , Wark John D. , Wlodek Mary E.
Published: March 2014

Recent evidence links low birthweight and poor adult bone health. We characterised bone size, mineral content, density and strength (stress strain index of bone bending strength (SSI)) in rats from weaning to 12 months. Bilateral uterine vessel ligation (Restricted) or sham surgery (Control) was performed on gestational Day 18 in rats inducing uteroplacental insufficiency. Postmortem of male and female offspring was performed at postnatal Day 35 and at 2, 4, 6 and 12 months. Femur mineral content, density and strength were measured using quantitative computed tomography (pQCT). Restricted pups were born 10%–15% lighter and remained smaller with shorter femurs than Controls (P < 0.05). Male and female Restricted rats had lower trabecular bone content compared with Controls (P < 0.05), without trabecular density changes. Cortical content was reduced in Restricted males (Day 35 and 6 and 12 months) and at all ages in Restricted females (P < 0.05). Cortical density was lower at Day 35 in Restricted males (P < 0.05). SSI was lower at Day 35 and at 6 and 12 months in Restricted males, and at all ages in Restricted females (P < 0.05). Skeletal deficits were detected in Restricted offspring with gender-specific differences during juvenile and adolescent periods. Bone deficits observed at 6 months in males were greater than at 12 months, indicating that aging can exacerbate programmed bone phenotypes.
How stereotypes impair women’s careers in science
Authors: Reuben Ernesto , Sapienza Paola , Zingales Luigi
Published: March 2014

Significance

Does discrimination contribute to the low percentage of women in mathematics and science careers? We designed an experiment to isolate discrimination’s potential effect. Without provision of information about candidates other than their appearance, men are twice more likely to be hired for a mathematical task than women. If ability is self-reported, women still are discriminated against, because employers do not fully account for men’s tendency to boast about performance. Providing full information about candidates’ past performance reduces discrimination but does not eliminate it. We show that implicit stereotypes (as measured by the Implicit Association Test) predict not only the initial bias in beliefs but also the suboptimal updating of gender-related expectations when performance-related information comes from the subjects themselves.
Pluvials, droughts, the Mongol Empire, and modern Mongolia
Authors: Pederson Neil , Hessl Amy E. , Baatarbileg Nachin , Anchukaitis Kevin J. , Di Cosmo Nicola
Published: March 2014

Significance

A 1,112-y tree-ring record of moisture shows that in opposition to conventional wisdom, the climate during the rise of the 13
th
-century Mongol Empire was a period of persistent moisture, unprecedented in the last 1,000 y. This 15-y episode of persistent moisture likely led to a period of high grassland productivity, contributing fuel to the Mongol Empire. We also present evidence that anthropogenic warming exacerbated the 21st-century drought in central Mongolia. These results indicate that ecosystems and societies in semiarid regions can be significantly affected by unusual climatic events at the decadal time scale.
Charge separation and charge delocalization identified in long-living states of photoexcited DNA
Authors: Bucher Dominik B. , Pilles Bert M. , Carell Thomas , Zinth Wolfgang
Published: March 2014

Significance

The high photostability of single nucleobases is related to the rapid disposal of the UV excitation energy from high-lying electronic states into heat, preventing damaging reactions. However, in the biological important DNA strands, further long-living excited states are found. With femtosecond vibrational spectroscopy, these excited states in DNA are now identified as charge-separated states, which are delocalized along the strand. The charge separation is directed by the redox potential of the involved bases and is thus encoded in the DNA sequence. The presence of delocalized charged species in DNA strands for a considerably long time after UV light absorption may lead to reactions—oxidative or reductive damage—currently not considered in DNA photochemistry.
Systematic screen of chemotherapeutics in
Drosophila
stem cell tumors
Authors: Markstein Michele , Dettorre Samantha , Cho Julio , Neumüller Ralph A. , Craig-Müller Sören , Perrimon Norbert
Published: March 2014

Significance

In this article we report a large-scale chemical screen in adult
Drosophila
to find inhibitors of stem-cell–derived tumors. To our surprise, we found that some Food and Drug Administration-approved chemotherapy drugs have the dual property of reducing growth of stem-cell–derived tumors while also stimulating hyperproliferation of their wild-type counterparts. Since hyperproliferation is one of the hallmarks of cancer cells, this side effect could contribute to refueling the growth of the very tumors that these chemotherapeutics are intended to inhibit. We show that this side effect is driven by the evolutionarily conserved Janus kinase-signal transducers and activators of transcription (JAK-STAT) inflammatory pathway, raising the possibility that the JAK-STAT pathway may also be activated in humans who are treated with some chemotherapeutics.
Analysis of a summary network of co-infection in humans reveals that parasites interact most via shared resources
Authors: Griffiths Emily C. , Pedersen Amy B. , Fenton Andy , Petchey Owen L.
Published: March 2014

Simultaneous infection by multiple parasite species (viruses, bacteria, helminths, protozoa or fungi) is commonplace. Most reports show co-infected humans to have worse health than those with single infections. However, we have little understanding of how co-infecting parasites interact within human hosts. We used data from over 300 published studies to construct a network that offers the first broad indications of how groups of co-infecting parasites tend to interact. The network had three levels comprising parasites, the resources they consume and the immune responses they elicit, connected by potential, observed and experimentally proved links. Pairs of parasite species had most potential to interact indirectly through shared resources, rather than through immune responses or other parasites. In addition, the network comprised 10 tightly knit groups, eight of which were associated with particular body parts, and seven of which were dominated by parasite–resource links. Reported co-infection in humans is therefore structured by physical location within the body, with bottom-up, resource-mediated processes most often influencing how, where and which co-infecting parasites interact. The many indirect interactions show how treating an infection could affect other infections in co-infected patients, but the compartmentalized structure of the network will limit how far these indirect effects are likely to spread.
Bottom-up regulation of a pole-ward migratory predator population
Authors: van den Hoff John , McMahon Clive R. , Simpkins Graham R. , Hindell Mark A. , Alderman Rachael , Burton Harry R.
Published: March 2014

As the effects of regional climate change are most pronounced at polar latitudes, we might expect polar-ward migratory populations to respond as habitat suitability changes. The southern elephant seal (Mirounga leoninaL.) is a pole-ward migratory species whose populations have mostly stabilized or increased in the past decade, the one exception being the Macquarie Island population which has decreased continuously over the past 50 years. To explore probable causes of this anomalous trend, we counted breeding female seals annually between 1988 and 2011 in order to relate annual rates of population change (r) to foraging habitat changes that have known connections with atmospheric variability. We foundr(i) varied annually from −0.016 to 0.021 over the study period, (ii) was most effected by anomalous atmospheric variability after a 3 year time lag was introduced (R= 0.51) and (iii) was associated with sea-ice duration (SID) within the seals’ foraging range at the same temporal lag. Negativeryears may be extrapolated to explain, at least partially, the overall trend in seal abundance at Macquarie Island; specifically, increasing SID within the seals foraging range has a negative influence on their abundance at the island. Evidence is accruing that suggests southern elephant seal populations may respond positively to a reduced sea-ice field.
Chimpanzees empathize with group mates and humans, but not with baboons or unfamiliar chimpanzees
Authors: Campbell Matthew W. , de Waal Frans B. M.
Published: March 2014

Human empathy can extend to strangers and even other species, but it is unknown whether non-humans are similarly broad in their empathic responses. We explored the breadth and flexibility of empathy in chimpanzees, a close relative of humans. We used contagious yawning to measure involuntary empathy and showed chimpanzees videos of familiar humans, unfamiliar humans and gelada baboons (an unfamiliar species). We tested whether each class of stimuli elicited contagion by comparing the effect of yawn and control videos. After including previous data on the response to ingroup and outgroup chimpanzees, we found that familiar and unfamiliar humans elicited contagion equal to that of ingroup chimpanzees. Gelada baboons did not elicit contagion, and the response to them was equal to that of outgroup chimpanzees. However, the chimpanzees watched the outgroup chimpanzee videos more than any other. The combination of high interest and low contagion may stem from hostility towards unfamiliar chimpanzees, which may interfere with an empathic response. Overall, chimpanzees showed flexibility in that they formed an empathic connection with a different species, including unknown members of that species. These results imply that human empathic flexibility is shared with related species.
An expression for the bridge-mediated electron transfer rate in dye-sensitized solar cells
Authors: Maggio Emanuele , Troisi Alessandro
Published: March 2014

We have derived an expression for the rate of electron transfer between a semiconductor and a redox centre connected to the semiconductor via a molecular bridge. This model is particularly useful to study the charge recombination (CR) process in dye-sensitized solar cells, where the dye is often connected to the semiconductor by a conjugated bridge. This formalism, designed to be coupled with density functional theory electronic structure calculations, can be used to explore the effect of changing the bridge on the rate of interfacial electron transfer. As an example, we have evaluated the CR rate for a series of systems that differ in the bridge length.
Methanococcoides vulcani sp. nov., a marine methylotrophic methanogen that uses betaine, choline and N,N-dimethylethanolamine for methanogenesis, isolated from a mud volcano, and emended description of the genus Methanococcoides
Authors: L’Haridon Stéphane , Chalopin Morgane , Colombo Delphine , Toffin Laurent
Published: March 2014

A novel, strictly anaerobic, methylotrophic marine methanogen, strain SLH33T, was isolated from deep sediment samples covered by an orange microbial mat collected from the Napoli Mud Volcano. Cells of strain SLH33T were Gram-stain-negative, motile, irregular cocci that occurred singly. Cells utilized trimethylamine, dimethylamine, monomethylamine, methanol, betaine, N,N-dimethylethanolamine and choline (N,N,N-trimethylethanolamine) as substrates for growth and methanogenesis. The optimal growth temperature was 30 °C; maximum growth rate was obtained at pH 7.0 in the presence of 0.5 M Na+. The DNA G+C content of strain SLH33T was 43.4 mol%. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA gene sequences placed strain SLH33T within the genus

Methanococcoides

. The novel isolate was related most closely to

Methanococcoides methylutens

TMA-10T (98.8 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity) but distantly related to

Methanococcoides burtonii

DSM 6242T (97.6 %) and

Methanococcoides alaskense

AK-5T (97.6 %). DNA–DNA hybridization studies indicated that strain SLH33T represents a novel species, given that it shared less than 16 % DNA–DNA relatedness with

Methanococcoides methylutens

TMA-10T. The name Methanococcoides vulcani sp. nov. is proposed for this novel species, with strain SLH33T ( = DSM 26966T = JCM 19278T) as the type strain. An emended description of the genus

Methanococcoides

is also proposed.
A Comprehensive Analysis of MicroProteins Reveals Their Potentially Widespread Mechanism of Transcriptional Regulation
Authors: Magnani Enrico , de Klein Niek , Nam Hye-In , Kim Jung-Gun , Pham Kimberly , Fiume Elisa , Mudgett Mary Beth , Rhee Seung Yon
Published: March 2014

Truncated transcription factor-like proteins called microProteins (miPs) can modulate transcription factor activities, thereby increasing transcriptional regulatory complexity. To understand their prevalence, evolution, and function, we predicted over 400 genes that encode putative miPs from Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) using a bioinformatics pipeline and validated two novel miPs involved in flowering time and response to abiotic and biotic stress. We provide an evolutionary perspective for a class of miPs targeting homeodomain transcription factors in plants and metazoans. We identify domain loss as one mechanism of miP evolution and suggest the possible roles of miPs on the evolution of their target transcription factors. Overall, we reveal a prominent layer of transcriptional regulation by miPs, show pervasiveness of such proteins both within and across genomes, and provide a framework for studying their function and evolution.
4-tert-Butylpyridinium chloride–4,4′-(propane-2,2-diyl)bis(2,6-dimethylphenol)–toluene (2/2/1)
Authors: Nielson Alastair J. , Waters Joyce M.
Published: March 2014

In the title solvated salt, C9H14N+·Cl−·C19H24O2·0.5C7H7, two molecules of 4,4′-(propane-2,2-diyl)bis(2,6-dimethylphenol) are linkedviaO—H...Cl hydrogen bonds to two chloride ions, each of which is also engaged in N—H...Cl hydrogen bonding to a 4-tert-butylpyridinium cation, giving a cyclic hydrogen-bonded entity centred at 1/2, 1/2, 1/2. The toluene solvent molecule resides in the lattice and resides on an inversion centre; the disorder of the methyl group requires it to have a site-occupancy factor of 0.5. No crystal packing channels are observed.
Triphenyltellurium chloride
Authors: Chopra Ambika , Jain Shalini , Srivastava Sanjay K. , Gupta Sushil K. , Butcher Ray J.
Published: March 2014

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, C18H15ClTe, contains two molecules which are in inverted orientations. The compound displays a tetrahedral geometry around the Te atom in spite of there being five electron domains. This is attributed to the fact that the lone pair is not sterically active. The dihedral angles between the three phenyl rings are 76.51 (16)/73.75 (16)/71.06 (17) and 78.60 (17)/77.67 (16)/79.11 (16)° in the two molecules. The crystal packing features eight C—H...π interactions.
2-Methyl-1-(3-methylphenylsulfonyl)naphtho[2,1-b]furan
Authors: Choi Hong Dae , Seo Pil Ja , Lee Uk
Published: March 2014

In the title compound, C20H16O3S, the dihedral angle between the mean planes of the naphthofuran and 3-methylphenyl fragments is 88.56 (2)°. In the crystal, molecules are linkedviapairs of C—H...O hydrogen bonds, forming inversion dimers. These dimers are linked by π–π interactions between the furan rings of neighbouring molecules [centroid–centroid distance = 3.701 (2) Å] into supramolecular chains running along thea-axis direction.
TheMaddisonProject: collaborative research on historical national accounts
Authors: Bolt Jutta , van Zanden Jan Luiten
Published: March 2014

TheMaddisonProject, initiated inMarch 2010 by a group of close colleagues ofAngusMaddison, aims to develop an effective system of cooperation between scholars to continueMaddison's work on measuring economic performance in the world economy. This article is a first product of the project. Its goal is to explain the aims and approach of the project, and, as a first result of this ‘collaboratory’, to inventory recent research on historical national accounts. We also briefly discuss some of the problems related to these historical statistics and we extend and where necessary revise the estimates published byMaddison in his latest overviews. Most new work relates to the period before 1820; it leads to a reassessment of levels ofGDPper capita in western Europe in the early modern period, and to a confirmation of Maddison's previous estimates of Asian levels of real income.
British government and popular understanding of inflation in the mid‐1970s
Authors: Tomlinson Jim
Published: March 2014

InBritain in the 1970s inflation rose to historically unprecedented peace‐time levels, and became the central issue of economic policy‐making. We know a great deal about the elite policy debates on the significance of this inflation, and the arguments about how to reduce it, but we know far less about how inflation was understood by the population at large, and how those understandings were shaped. This article explores the evidence on popular understanding, especially analysing the material gathered by theCounter‐InflationPublicityUnit, created in the summer of 1975. Along with other evidence, this material is used to explore how far the Labour government's economic propaganda can be said to have influenced popular opinion on both the significance and causes of inflation. The evidence supports the argument that the belief that trade unions were the main culprit for inflation was reinforced and entrenched by this propaganda, with important unintended consequences for the arguments about policy that followed the ‘Winter ofDiscontent’ of 1978/9.
Hospital, Patient, and Local Health System Characteristics Associated with the Prevalence and Duration of Observation Care
Authors: Wright Brad , Jung Hye‐Young , Feng Zhanlian , Mor Vincent
Published: March 2014

Objective

To examine the association between hospital, patient, and local health system characteristics and the likelihood, prevalence, and duration of observation care among fee‐for‐service Medicare beneficiaries.

Data Sources

The 100 percent Medicare inpatient and outpatient claims and enrollment files for 2009, supplemented with 2007 American Hospital Association Survey and 2009 Area Resource File data.

Study Design

Using a lagged cross‐sectional design, we model the likelihood of a hospital providing any observation care using logistic regression and the conditional prevalence and duration of observation care using linear regression, among 3,692 general hospitals in the United States.

Principle Findings

Critical access hospitals (CAHs) have 97 percent lower odds of providing observation care compared to other hospitals, and they conditionally provide three fewer observation stays per 1,000 visits. The provision of observation care is negatively associated with the proportion of racial minority patients, but positively associated with average patient age, proportion of outpatient visits occurring in the emergency room, and diagnostic case mix. Duration is between 1.5 and 2.8 hours shorter at government‐owned, for‐profit hospitals, and CAHs compared to other nonprofit hospitals.

Conclusions

Variation in observation care depends primarily on hospital characteristics, patient characteristics, and geographic measures. By contrast, local health system characteristics are not a factor.
The impact of opioid substitution therapy on mortality post‐release from prison: retrospective data linkage study
Authors: Degenhardt Louisa , Larney Sarah , Kimber Jo , Gisev Natasa , Farrell Michael , Dobbins Timothy , Weatherburn Don J. , Gibson Amy , Mattick Richard , Butler Tony , Burns Lucy
Published: March 2014

Aims

Release from prison is a high‐risk period for mortality. We examined the impact of opioid substitution therapy (OST), for opioid dependence during and after incarceration, upon mortality post‐release.

Design

A cohort was formed of all opioid‐dependent people who entered OST between 1985 and 2010 and who, following first OST entry, were released from prison at least once between 2000 and 2012. We linked data on OST history, court and prison records and deaths.

Setting

New South Wales (NSW), Australia.

Participants

A total of 16 453 people released from prison 60 161 times.

Measurements

Crude mortality rates (CMRs) were calculated according to OST retention; multivariable Cox regressions for post‐release periods were undertaken to examine the association between OST exposure (a time‐dependent variable) and mortality post‐release, for which covariates were updated per‐release.

Findings

There were 100 978 person‐years (PY) post‐release; 1050 deaths occurred. Most received OST while incarcerated (76.5%); individuals were receiving OST in 51% of releases. Lowest post‐release mortality was among those continuously retained in OST post‐release CMR 4 weeks post‐release = 6.4 per 1000 PY; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 5.2, 7.8, highest among those with no OST (CMR = 36.7 per 1000 PY; 95% CI = 28.8, 45.9). Multi‐factorial models showed OST exposure in the 4 weeks post‐release reduced hazard of death by 75% (adjusted hazard ratio 0.25; 95% CI = 0.12, 0.53); OST receipt in prison had a short‐term protective effect that decayed quickly across time.

Conclusion

In New South Wales, Australia, opioid substitution therapy in prison and post‐release appears to reduce mortality risk in the immediate post‐release period.
Maternal mortality among HIV‐infected pregnant women in Tanzania
Authors: Li Nan , Matchi Emmanuel , Spiegelman Donna , Chalamilla Guerino , Hertzmank Ellen , Sando David , Sando Mary M. , Liu Enju , Muya Aisa , Fawzi Wafaie
Published: March 2014

Objective

To investigate risk factors for maternal mortality among HIV‐infected women in Tanzania.

Design

Prospective cohort study.

Setting

HIV care and treatment clinics in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Population

HIV‐infected pregnant women.

Methods

Data were collected for all patients enrolled in an HIV/AIDS care and treatment program. Between November 2004 and September 2011, there were 18 917 women pregnant at least once during the follow‐up. Thirteen percent of these women had more than one pregnancy, with 21 645 pregnancies occurring. Logistic regression was used to explore the predictors of maternal death among these women.

Main outcome measures

Maternal mortality.

Results

During the study period, 363 maternal deaths occurred, giving a maternal mortality ratio of 1729 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1553–1905] per 100 000 live births. Being wasted [odds ratio (OR) 3.38, 95% CI 2.58–4.45] or anemic (OR 2.26, 95% CI 1.70–3.00) was associated with a higher risk of maternal mortality. Women who were initiated on antiretroviral therapy before their pregnancy had a 55% decreased risk of maternal mortality (95% CI 0.29–0.70) compared with women who were not. The risk of maternal mortality decreased with the length of time on antiretroviral therapy during pregnancy, by 8% for each additional month (OR 0.92, 95% CI 0.88–0.96).

Conclusions

Maternal mortality was high among HIV‐infected women. Initiating women on antiretroviral therapy as early as possible and providing nutritional interventions during pregnancy should be considered as means to reduce the maternal mortality among these women.
Long‐term prognosis of clinical symptoms and health‐related quality of life in microscopic colitis: a case–control study
Authors: Nyhlin N. , Wickbom A. , Montgomery S. M. , Tysk C. , Bohr J.
Published: March 2014

Background

Microscopic colitis, comprising collagenous colitis (CC) and lymphocytic colitis (LC), is a common cause of chronic diarrhoea. The long‐term prognosis is not well described.

Aim

To study outcome of symptoms and health‐related quality of life (HRQoL).

Methods

A case–control study using a postal questionnaire with three population‐based controls per patient matched for age, sex and municipality. HRQoL was assessed by the Short Health Scale (SHS). Patients in clinical remission, defined as a mean of <3 stools/day, were evaluated separately (CC; n = 72, LC; n = 60).

Results

The study included 212 patients and 627 matched controls. Median disease duration was 5.9 (range 0.5–27) years and 6.4 (0.3–14.8) years for CC and LC respectively. Abdominal pain, fatigue, arthralgia, myalgia, faecal incontinence and nocturnal defecation were significantly more prevalent in CC patients compared with controls. These differences persisted in CC patients in clinical remission with respect to abdominal pain (36% vs. 21%), fatigue (54% vs. 34%), arthralgia (61% vs. 41%) and myalgia (53% vs. 37%). In LC patients, abdominal pain, fatigue, faecal incontinence and nocturnal defecation were more prevalent compared with controls. In LC patients in clinical remission, fatigue was more prevalent compared with controls (54% vs. 37%). These differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). All four HRQoL dimensions (symptom burden, social function, disease‐related worry, general well‐being) were impaired in patients with active CC and LC.

Conclusions

Although considered to be in clinical remission, patients with microscopic colitis suffer from persisting symptoms such as abdominal pain, fatigue, arthralgia or myalgia several years after diagnosis.
Comparative coronary risks of apixaban, rivaroxaban and dabigatran: a meta‐analysis and adjusted indirect comparison
Authors: Loke Yoon K. , Pradhan Shiva , Yeong Jessica Ka‐yan , Kwok Chun Shing
Published: March 2014

Aims

There are concerns regarding increased risk of acute coronary syndrome with dabigatran. We aimed to assess whether alternative treatment options such as rivaroxaban or apixaban carry a similar risk as compared with dabigatran.

Methods

We searched MEDLINE and EMBASE for randomized controlled trials of apixaban, dabigatran or rivaroxaban against control (placebo, heparin or vitamin K antagonist). We pooled odds ratios (OR) for adverse coronary events (acute coronary syndrome or myocardial infarction) using fixed effect meta‐analysis and assessed heterogeneity with I2. We conducted adjusted indirect comparisons to compare risk of adverse coronary events with apixaban or rivaroxaban vs. dabigatran.

Results

Twenty‐seven randomized controlled trials met the inclusion criteria. Dabigatran was associated with a significantly increased risk of adverse coronary events in pooled analysis of nine trials (OR 1.45, 95% CI 1.14, 1.86). There was no signal for coronary risk with apixaban from nine trials (pooled OR 0.89, 95% CI 0.78, 1.03) or rivaroxaban from nine trials (pooled OR 0.81, 95% CI 0.72, 0.93). Overall, adjusted indirect comparison suggested that both apixaban (OR 0.61, 95% CI 0.44, 0.85) and rivaroxaban (OR 0.54; 95% CI 0.39, 0.76) were associated with lower coronary risk than dabigatran.

Restricting the indirect comparison to a vitamin K antagonist as a common control, yielded similar findings, OR 0.57 (95% CI 0.39, 0.85) for apixaban vs. dabigatran and 0.53 (95% CI 0.37, 0.77) for rivaroxaban vs. dabigatran.

Conclusions

There are significant differences in the comparative safety of apixaban, rivaroxaban and dabigatran with regards to acute coronary adverse events.
The effectiveness of a meaningful learning‐based evaluation model for context‐aware mobile learning
Authors: Huang Yueh‐Min , Chiu Po‐Sheng
Published: March 2014

In recent years, context‐aware mobile learning (CAML) has been widely applied to various fields and has become a popular issue in educational research. Despite the tremendous potential of CAML and its growing significance, continued evaluations and refinements under the advice of field experts and instructors are crucial to ensure its validity, value and sustainability. In this paper, an evaluation model for CAML is developed based on meaningful learning theory using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP). To verify the effectiveness of the model, three different CAML learning activities are tested, and some experts are invited to evaluate and compare them. As a result, the strengths and weaknesses of each learning activity are obtained. With the aid of the evaluation model proposed in this work, CAML developers can progressively enhance the value of learning activities, thus improving this new approach to learning.
An inhibition of p62/SQSTM1 caused autophagic cell death of several human carcinoma cells
Authors: Nihira Kaito , Miki Yasuhiro , Ono Katsuhiko , Suzuki Takashi , Sasano Hironobu
Published: March 2014

p62/SQSTM1 (p62) is a multifunctional protein implicated in several signal transduction pathways and selectively degraded by autophagy, a process for lysosomal degradation of both protein and organelle. p62 was also recently reported to be overexpressed in various malignancies and its inhibition to suppress carcinoma cell proliferation. However, its correlation with autophagy in carcinoma cells has remained largely unknown. Therefore, in this study, we examined the effects of p62 inhibition on the regulation of autophagy and cell survival in p62‐positive carcinoma cells. p62‐silencing dramatically suppressed cell proliferation and induced autophagy in p62 expressing PC9 and A549 cells. Electron microscopical analysis revealed the formation of autophagosomes with multilayer membranes caused by p62‐silencing. p62 silencing‐mediated reduced cell viability was restored by both genomic and pharmacological inhibition of autophagy but not that of apoptosis. These findings were also detected in several types of carcinoma cell lines including adenocarcinomas and squamous cell carcinomas. Results of our present study revealed that an inhibition of p62 resulted in the formation of mis‐regulated autophagosomes with multilayer membranes and an autophagic cell death, and p62 can therefore be an attractive target for the development of anti‐neoplastic agents.
Parthenium dermatitis: is parthenolide an effective choice for patch testing?
Authors: Mahajan Vikram K. , Sharma Vikas , Gupta Mrinal , Chauhan Pushpinder S. , Mehta Karaninder S. , Garg Swati
Published: March 2014

Background

Patch test positivity to parthenolide was observed less often than expected in strongly suspected cases of parthenium dermatitis after Chemotechnique Diagnostics (Sweden) replaced parthenium extract with parthenolide (0.5% pet.) by itself while marketing its Indian baseline series for patch testing.

Objective

The study was performed to find whether parthenolide detects parthenium contact sensitivity more effectively than parthenium extract in patients clinically presenting with classic parthenium dermatitis.

Material and methods

One hundred consecutive patients with suspected parthenium dermatitis were patch tested prospectively with the Indian baseline series, parthenium extract (1% aq.) and parthenolide (0.5% pet.) between July 2011 and April 2012.

Results

Only 37 of 100 patients with suspected parthenium dermatitis (male/female ratio of 20:17) reacted to parthenium extract (32 patients), parthenolide (17 patients), or both (12 patients). Reactions to parthenium extract were generally stronger than reactions to parthenolide.

Conclusion

Patch testing with parthenolide (0.5% pet.) detects fewer cases of suspected parthenium dermatitis than patch testing with parthenium extract (1% aq.).
Muscular adaptations to fatiguing exercise with and without blood flow restriction
Authors: Fahs Christopher A. , Loenneke Jeremy P. , Thiebaud Robert S. , Rossow Lindy M. , Kim Daeyeol , Abe Takashi , Beck Travis W. , Feeback Daniel L. , Bemben Debra A. , Bemben Michael G.
Published: March 2014

The purpose of this study was to determine the muscular adaptations to low‐load resistance training performed to fatigue with and without blood flow restriction (BFR). Middle‐aged (42–62 years) men (n = 12) and women (n = 6) completed 18 sessions of unilateral knee extensor resistance training to volitional fatigue over 6 weeks. One limb trained under BFR, and the contralateral limb trained without BFR [free flow (FF)]. Before and after the training, measures of anterior and lateral quadriceps muscle thickness (MTh), strength, power and endurance were assessed on each limb. The total exercise training volume was significantly greater for the FF limb compared with the BFR limb (P<0·001). Anterior quadriceps thickness and muscle function increased following the training in each limb with no differences between limbs. Lateral quadriceps MTh increased significantly more (P<0·05) in the limb trained under BFR (BFR: 3·50 ± 0·61 to 3·67 ± 0·62 cm; FF: 3·49 ± 0·73 to 3·56 ± 0·70 cm). Low‐load resistance training to volitional fatigue both with and without BFR is viable options for improving muscle function in middle‐aged individuals. However, BFR enhanced the hypertrophic effect of low‐load training and reduced the volume of exercise needed to elicit increases in muscle function.
Tail structure is formed when blastocoel roof contacts blastocoel floor in Xenopus laevis
Authors: Nishihara Akiha , Hashimoto Chikara
Published: March 2014

The tail organizer has been assessed by such transplantation methods as the Einsteck procedure. However, we found that simple wounding of blastocoel roof (BCR) made it possible to form secondary tails without any transplantation in Xenopus laevis. We revealed that the ectopic expression of Xbra was blocked by inhibiting the contact between BCR and blastocoel floor (BCF), and wounding per se seemed to be not directly related to the secondary tail formation. Therefore, the secondary tail might be induced by the contact between BCR and BCF due to the leak of blastocoel fluid from the wound. This secondary tail was similar to the original tail in the expression pattern of tail genes, and in the fact that the inhibition of fibroblast growth factor signaling prevented the secondary tail induction. Our results imply that the secondary tail formation reflects the developmental processes of the original tail, indicating that simple wounding of BCR is useful for the analysis of tail formation in normal development.
Intrathecal miR‐183 delivery suppresses mechanical allodynia in mononeuropathic rats
Authors: Lin Chung‐Ren , Chen Kuan‐Hung , Yang Chien‐Hui , Huang Hui‐Wen , Sheen‐Chen Shyr‐Ming
Published: March 2014

Members of the miR‐183 family are unique in that they are highly abundant in sensory organs. In a recent study, significant downregulation was observed for miR‐96 and miR‐183 in the L5 dorsal root ganglion (DRG) 2 weeks after spinal nerve ligation (SNL). In this study, we focused on miR‐183, which is the most regulated member of the miR‐183 family, to look at the specific role on neuropathic pain. Persistent mechanical allodynia was induced with the L5 SNL model in 8‐week‐old male Sprague‐Dawley rats. Paw withdrawal thresholds in response to mechanical stimuli were assessed with Von Frey filaments. Expression of miR‐183 in the L5 DRG was assessed with quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) analysis. Lentivirions expressing miR‐183 were injected intrathecally into SNL rats. Changes in mechanical allodynia were assessed with Von Frey filaments. In addition, changes in the predicted target genes of miR‐183 were assessed with qPCR. L5 SNL produced marked mechanical allodynia in the ipsilateral hindpaws of adult rats, beginning at postoperative day 1 and continuing to day 14. L5 SNL caused significant downregulation of miR‐183 in adult DRG cells. Intrathecal administration of lentivirions expressing miR‐183 downregulated SNL‐induced increases in the expression of Nav1.3 and brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which correlated with the significant attenuation of SNL‐induced mechanical allodynia. Our results show that SNL‐induced mechanical allodynia is significantly correlated with the decreased expression of miR‐183 in DRG cells. Replacement of miR‐183 downregulates SNL‐induced increases in Nav1.3 and BDNF expression, and attenuates SNL‐induced mechanical allodynia.
Assessing risks of invasion through gamete performance: farm Atlantic salmon sperm and eggs show equivalence in function, fertility, compatibility and competitiveness to wild Atlantic salmon
Authors: Yeates Sarah E. , Einum Sigurd , Fleming Ian A. , Holt William V. , Gage Matthew J.G.
Published: March 2014

Adaptations at the gamete level (a) evolve quickly, (b) appear sensitive to inbreeding and outbreeding and (c) have important influences on potential to reproduce. We apply this understanding to problems posed by escaped farm salmon and measure their potential to reproduce in the wild. Farm Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) are a threat to biodiversity, because they escape in large numbers and can introgress, dilute or disrupt locally adapted wild gene pools. Experiments at the whole fish level have found farm reproductive potential to be significant, but inferior compared to wild adults, especially for males. Here, we assess reproductive performance at the gamete level through detailed in vitro comparisons of the form, function, fertility, compatibility and competitiveness of farm versus wild Atlantic salmon sperm and eggs, in conditions mimicking the natural gametic microenvironment, using fish raised under similar environmental conditions. Despite selective domestication and reduced genetic diversity, we find functional equivalence in all farm fish gamete traits compared with their wild ancestral strain. Our results identify a clear threat of farm salmon reproduction with wild fish and therefore encourage further consideration of using triploid farm strains with optimized traits for aquaculture and fish welfare, as triploid fish remain reproductively sterile following escape.
Temperature and peat type control CO2 and CH4 production in Alaskan permafrost peats
Authors: Treat C. C. , Wollheim W. M. , Varner R. K. , Grandy A. S. , Talbot J. , Frolking S.
Published: March 2014

Controls on the fate of ~277 Pg of soil organic carbon (C) stored in permafrost peatland soils remain poorly understood despite the potential for a significant positive feedback to climate change. Our objective was to quantify the temperature, moisture, organic matter, and microbial controls on soil organic carbon (SOC) losses following permafrost thaw in peat soils across Alaska. We compared the carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) emissions from peat samples collected at active layer and permafrost depths when incubated aerobically and anaerobically at −5, −0.5, +4, and +20 °C. Temperature had a strong, positive effect on C emissions; global warming potential (GWP) was >3× larger at 20 °C than at 4 °C. Anaerobic conditions significantly reduced CO2 emissions and GWP by 47% at 20 °C but did not have a significant effect at −0.5 °C. Net anaerobic CH4 production over 30 days was 7.1 ± 2.8 μg CH4‐C gC−1 at 20 °C. Cumulative CO2 emissions were related to organic matter chemistry and best predicted by the relative abundance of polysaccharides and proteins (R2 = 0.81) in SOC. Carbon emissions (CO2‐C + CH4‐C) from the active layer depth peat ranged from 77% larger to not significantly different than permafrost depths and varied depending on the peat type and peat decomposition stage rather than thermal state. Potential SOC losses with warming depend not only on the magnitude of temperature increase and hydrology but also organic matter quality, permafrost history, and vegetation dynamics, which will ultimately determine net radiative forcing due to permafrost thaw.
Relationships between oral health, dysphagia and undernutrition in hospitalised elderly patients
Authors: Poisson Philippe , Laffond Thibault , Campos Sandra , Dupuis Veronique , Bourdel‐Marchasson Isabelle
Published: March 2014

Objective

The aim of this study was to describe relationships between oral status, dysphagia and malnutrition in a hospitalised older people.

Background

Undernutrition in older people is a major concern in geriatric hospital wards. Different factors can modify nutritional status like dysphagia or oral status.

Materials and methods

About 159 consecutive inpatients (108 women, 51 men) were examined. Comprehensive gerontological data at baseline and nutritional status according to BMI, MNA and serum albumin concentration, dependency according to ADL scores, dietary intake, swallowing capacities and oral status were collected. Swallowing capacities and dietary intake were reassessed 1 week after.

Results

Mean age was 85.28 (SD 5.68). Seventy‐seven patients were malnourished (MNA) and 34 had dysphagia. Oral treatment was necessary in 142 patients (89.30% of all population). Candidiasis was present in 17 patients and salivary flow reduction in 50. Patients with dysphagia had the lowest dietary intake. After 1 week, patients with dysphagia were retested and dysphagia had abated in three of them. Dysphagia and undernutrition were associated (p < 0.001), and both were related to candidiasis (p < 0.001 and p < 0.01). Dysphagia was also related to salivary hypofunction (p < 0.001), loss of posterior occluding pairs (POPs; p = 0.014), oral self‐care dependency (p < 0.001) and self‐feeding dependency (p < 0.001). Salivary hypofunction was related to candidiasis (p < 0.001) and loss of POPs (p < 0.05), and candidiasis to loss of POPs (p < 0.01).

Conclusion

Although no causality can be demonstrated, poor oral health was strongly associated with malnutrition, emphasising the importance to develop oral care strategies and to incorporate a dental examination into comprehensive gerontological assessment.
Australian mental health consumers' and carers' experiences of community pharmacy service
Authors: Knox Kathy , Kelly Fiona , Mey Amary , Hattingh Laetitia , Fowler Jane L. , Wheeler Amanda J.
Published: March 2014

Background

Many Australians with anxiety or depression experience issues accessing pharmacological treatment even though community pharmacies are remunerated to supply subsidized medicines and provide medicine management services.

Objective

To obtain insight into the quality of community pharmacy services from the perspectives of mental health consumers and carers.

Methods

A computer‐assisted telephone interview was used to gauge perceptions of pharmacy service using frameworks of service quality and patient‐centred care. A convenience sample of 210 consumers and carers from three Australian states completed an interview comprising rating scales, multiple choice checklists and open‐ended questions to explore their experience of pharmacy services.

Results

Participants were consumers experiencing on‐going mental health condition(s) (n = 172), carers for someone who experienced a mental health condition (n = 15) or both (n = 23). For 60% of participants, medicines were dispensed within ten minutes of arriving at the pharmacy, and 36% received verbal advice. The majority of participants were not asked by pharmacy staff whether they experienced side‐effects, and 60% reported rarely or never receiving written medicine information. However, the majority of participants reported that their expectations were met despite the absence of such services. Qualitative data showed that participants valued high‐quality services that reflected patient‐centred care, and they were inclined to engage with these services particularly if they perceived them as surpassing basic expectations.

Discussion and conclusions

Participants clearly valued high‐quality pharmacy service yet did not routinely expect it. When service exceeded expectations, community pharmacies were viewed as safe health‐care spaces to seek advice on mental health and well‐being. This study has positive implications for the role of pharmacists.