bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The benefits to domestically owned plants from inward direct investment: the role of vertical linkages
Authors: Lileeva Alla
Published: May 2015

Abstract The paper estimates the effects of the U.S. direct investment in Canada upon productivity in domestically owned plants. We distinguish between FDI in the industry of domestically controlled plants and FDI in the industries linked through supply or use of intermediate inputs. We find that an increase in supplier FDI increases productivity growth in domestically controlled plants. The positive productivity effects of FDI are more pronounced for plants that buy more intermediates and who purchase science‐based intermediate inputs (i.e., electronics, machinery and equipment, and chemicals). Productivity of domestic plants also benefits from larger‐scale and higher rates of advanced technologies adoption.
Open‐shop unions and product market competition
Authors: Bastos Paulo , Kreickemeier Udo , Wright Peter W.
Published: May 2015

Abstract Evidence on the effect of product market competition on unionized wages is mixed. In this paper we show theoretically that the result may reflect genuine heterogeneity in the response of union wages to product market conditions. For low levels of unionization, union bargaining power may actually be enhanced by market competition, as firms have more to lose when there is a strike. Using recent data from the UK, we explore interactions between the level of industry competition and unionization, and find supporting evidence for this hypothesis.
Measuring the cost of economic fluctuations with preferences that rationalize the equity premium
Authors: Melino Angelo
Published: May 2015

Abstract Lucas (2003) argues that the potential welfare gains from stabilizing the business cycle are small. In fact, he shows that the benefits of eliminating all economic fluctuations are small, especially when compared with the potential gains from other reforms. His estimates are obtained using standard preferences. I show that a model consistent with observed data on asset returns leads to very different conclusions. Calibrating preferences to observed asset market data raises the estimated welfare gains from completely eliminating aggregate fluctuations by approximately two orders of magnitude. Most of the gains, however, come from the elimination of low‐frequency contributions.
Viewpoint: Measuring and understanding subjective well‐being
Authors: Helliwell John F. , Barrington‐Leigh Christopher P.
Published: May 2015

Abstract Increasing attention is being paid in academic, policy, and public arenas to subjective measures of well‐being. This promising trend represents a shift towards measuring positive outcomes in psychology and greater realism in the study of economic behaviour. We describe the main measures of subjective well‐being (SWB) and provide examples of policy‐relevant research findings, including new accountings of the differences in individual‐level SWB assessments around the world and across Canada. These suggest a consistent pattern of life circumstances linked to SWB and highlight the importance of social factors whose role has otherwise been hard to quantify in income‐equivalent terms.
Moral hazard, insurance claims, and repeated insurance contracts
Authors: Robinson Chris , Zheng Bingyong
Published: May 2015

Abstract The paper develops a simple model of repeated automobile insurance contracts, providing a framework for analyzing changes in aggregate insurance data in periods of changes that affect driver incentives. Experience rating of premiums gives drivers an incentive to exert effort to avoid accidents (ex ante moral hazard), and an incentive to hide accidents (ex post moral hazard). The empirical analysis, using data from the competitive insurance markets in Ontario and Alberta over a period of major legislative changes in Ontario, suggests that much of the recent decline in accidents in Ontario was due to an increased incentive to hide accidents.
“In the Interest of the Colored Boys”: Christopher J. Atkinson, William T. Coleman, and the Extension of Boys' Clubs Services to African-American Communities, 1906–1931
Authors: Savage Carter Julian
Published: May 2015

On Tuesday morning, May 1, 1928, Frank Callen, an African-American Superintendent of the Boys' Club of Savannah, came to the podium and stood before a sea of his white colleagues at the 22nd Annual Convention of the Boys' Club Federation in Birmingham, Alabama. Convention advertisements called boys' workers to the “Sunny South” through tales of fried chicken, hot biscuits served with the nectar from Alabama clover, and a region called Dixie that was “twice as nice as paradise.” The Federation had selected Birmingham as the site for its inaugural convention in the South to kick off their efforts to expand the number of Clubs in this region. Since its inception in 1906, the Clubs within the Federation had primarily provided service to white immigrant boys in the urban northeast, but this was rapidly changing as the number of Clubs in African-American communities had steadily risen over the last six years.
Institutional Limits: Christine Ladd-Franklin, Fellowships, and American Women's Academic Careers, 1880–1920
Authors: Spillman Scott
Published: May 2015

Christine Ladd-Franklin spent the first forty years of her life becoming one of the best-educated women in nineteenth-century America. She spent the rest of her life devising fellowship programs designed to enable educated women to have the same opportunities as men in their academic careers. “What law of nature is it,” Ladd-Franklin wondered in 1890, “that says that it is fitting for women to be the teachers of young persons of both sexes in preparatory schools, but that it is not fitting that they should teach young persons in college?” This supposed “law” hurt not only women who were qualified to be professors, like the scientist and mathematician Ladd-Franklin, but also the larger number of college-educated American women who turned to teaching in primary and secondary schools after graduation. As Ladd-Franklin explained, the difficulty women had in becoming professors had a profound effect on women who taught at lower levels. Because women were “thought to be not worthy of being college professors,” it was “impossible for them to receive equal pay with men in the secondary schools.” The solution to the problem of inequality in schools and colleges, Ladd-Franklin believed, lay in proving that individual women could perform as well as men; this “entering wedge” would prop open the door for future women. But as Ladd-Franklin's life and work show, there were limits to a strategy that focused on individuals in institutions.
Protease Inhibitors Cause Necrotic Cell Death in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii by Inducing the Generation of Reactive Oxygen Species
Authors: Voigt Juergen , Woestemeyer Johannes
Published: May 2015

Protease inhibitors affecting the activity of the proteasome were reported to induce programmed cell death (apoptosis) in some mammalian cell lines. Proteasome activity can be suppressed by specific peptide derivatives and by N‐tosyl‐lysine‐chloromethyl‐ketone (TLCK) and N‐tosyl‐phenylalanine‐chloromethyl‐ketone (TPCK), which affect the trypsine‐ and chymotrypsine‐like activities of the proteasome, respectively. Particularly TLCK and TPCK caused necrotic cell death in the unicellular green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. As a control, the effects of these protease inhibitors on the survival of human WISH cells were also studied. Bleaching of the Chlamydomonas cells after addition of TLCK or TPCK indicated that reactive oxygen species (ROS) were involved in this process. Indeed, increased levels of ROS were detected in Chlamydomonas cells treated with TLCK or TPCK. Furthermore, cell death induced by these protease inhibitors was accelerated by illumination and prevented or slowed down by scavengers of ROS.
Redescription and Phylogenetic Position of Condylostoma arenarium Spiegel, 1926 (Ciliophora, Heterotrichea) from Guanabara Bay, Brazil
Authors: Fernandes Noemi M. , Dias Roberto J. P. , Schrago Carlos G. , Silva‐Neto Inácio D.
Published: May 2015

Details on Condylostoma arenarium infraciliature have not been described; therefore, it is considered a poorly known species. The lack of detailed description on C. arenarium morphology caused several misidentifications that have accumulated in the literature. In this study, we present the first complete description of C. arenarium infraciliature based on protargol‐impregnated organisms and scanning electron microscopy. We also have inferred the phylogenetic position of this species based on 18S rRNA sequences. The main characteristics of C. arenarium population from Guanabara Bay are as follows: in vivo elongated body shape with 350–600 μm length × 70–220 μm width, they are highly contractile when subjected to disturbances, green‐yellowish cortical granules are present, contractile vacuoles absent, V‐shaped peristome comprises approximately 1/5 of the total length, adoral zone with 83–145 membranelles, 1–2 small frontal cirrus observed only in impregnated specimens, 10–15 fiber‐like stripes arranged transversely on the inner wall of the oral cavity, 30–45 somatic kineties, moniliform macronucleus with 15–20 nodules. Some observations on morphogenesis of C. arenarium were also included. In phylogenetic analyses, C. arenarium clustered with Condylostoma sp. within a clade composed of three C. curva sequences with high support values.
Stability of Postoperative Delirium Psychomotor Subtypes in Individuals with Hip Fracture
Authors: Albrecht Jennifer S. , Marcantonio Edward R. , Roffey Darren M. , Orwig Denise , Magaziner Jay , Terrin Michael , Carson Jeffrey L. , Barr Erik , Brown Jessica P. , Gentry Emma G. , Gruber‐Baldini Ann L. ,   the Functional Outcomes in Cardiovascular Patients Undergoing Surgical Hip Fracture Repair Cognitive Ancillary Study Investigators
Published: May 2015

Objectives

To determine the stability of psychomotor subtypes of delirium over time and identify characteristics associated with delirium psychomotor subtypes in individuals undergoing surgical repair of hip fracture.

Design

Prospective cohort study.

Setting

The Transfusion Trigger Trial for Functional Outcomes in Cardiovascular Patients Undergoing Surgical Hip Fracture Repair Cognitive Ancillary Study was conducted at 13 participating sites from 2008 to 2009.

Participants

Individuals who had undergone surgical repair of hip fracture (N = 139).

Measurements

Delirium was assessed up to four times postoperatively using the Confusion Assessment Method (CAM) and the Memorial Delirium Assessment Scale. Psychomotor subtypes of delirium were categorized as hypoactive, hyperactive, mixed, and normal psychomotor activity.

Results

Incidence of postoperative delirium was 41% (n = 57). Of 90 CAM–positive (CAM+) observations, 56% were hypoactive, 10% were hyperactive, 21% were mixed, and 14% had normal psychomotor symptoms. Of 26 participants with more than one CAM+ assessment, 50% maintained subtype stability over time. Participants with hypoactive or normal psychomotor symptoms (n = 31) were less likely to have chart documentation of delirium than participants with any hyperactive symptoms (n = 19) (22% vs 58%, P = .009).

Conclusion

Psychomotor subtypes of delirium often fluctuate from assessment to assessment, rather than representing fixed categories of delirium. Hypoactive delirium is the most common presentation of delirium but is the least likely to be documented by healthcare providers.
Neuropsychological Profiles of an Elderly Cohort Undergoing Elective Surgery and the Relationship Between Cognitive Performance and Delirium
Authors: Fong Tamara G. , Hshieh Tammy T. , Wong Bonnie , Tommet Doug , Jones Richard N. , Schmitt Eva M. , Puelle Margaret R. , Saczynski Jane S. , Marcantonio Edward R. , Inouye Sharon K.
Published: May 2015

Objectives

To examine baseline (preoperative) neuropsychological test performance in a cohort of elderly individuals undergoing elective surgery and the association between specific neuropsychological domains and postoperative delirium.

Design

Ongoing prospective cohort study.

Setting

Successful Aging after Elective Surgery Study.

Participants

Elderly adults (N = 300) scheduled for elective (noncardiac) surgery.

Measurements

Neuropsychological testing, including standardized assessments of memory, divided and sustained attention, speed of mental processing, verbal fluency, working memory, language, and an overall measure of premorbid cognitive functioning, was performed 2 to 4 weeks before surgery. The relationship between the individual neuropsychological tests and delirium status was examined using linear regression, adjusting for age, sex, and education.

Results

Study participants were generally highly educated (mean years of education 15.0 ± 2.9), with minimal or no cognitive impairment (mean Modified Mini‐Mental State Examination score 93.2 out of 100). After adjustment, participants who developed postoperative delirium had performed significantly lower preoperatively on measures of speed of mental processing and divided attention (Trail‐Making Test Part B, mean difference 17.55, P = .02), category fluency (animal naming, mean difference −1.94, P = .01), sustained visual attention (Visual Search and Attention, mean difference −3.19, P < .001), and working memory with new learning and recall (Hopkins Verbal Learning Test—Revised Total mean difference −0.53 to −0.79, P < .01).

Conclusion

Individuals who later develop delirium have lower scores on tests evaluating the areas of complex attention, executive functioning, and rapid access to verbal knowledge or semantic networks at baseline. Future studies to better understand how the cognitive profiles identified may predispose individuals to developing delirium may help pave the way to greater understanding of the mechanisms of delirium.
The effect of ambient temperature on locomotor activity patterns in reproductive and non‐reproductive female Damaraland mole‐rats
Authors: Oosthuizen M. K. , Bennett N. C.
Published: May 2015

The subterranean niche is a specialized environment that presents its inhabitants with a unique set of microclimatic conditions. African mole‐rats are strictly subterranean and exhibit a continuum of sociality ranging from solitary to highly social. Colonies of the Damaraland mole‐rat Fukomys damarensis comprise of a dominant breeding or reproductive female and one or two male consorts and a number of subordinate and non‐reproductive individuals of both sexes. In this study, we investigated the locomotor activity patterns of reproductive and non‐reproductive female Damaraland mole‐rats with the intention to investigate daily timing of activity and activity levels with changes in ambient temperature and also whether activity would differ between the reproductive castes at different ambient temperatures. The Damaraland mole‐rats displayed predominantly nocturnal activity at all three temperatures and the levels of activity were different for all three temperatures tested. Mole‐rats exhibited the lowest levels of activity at 30°C; they are most active at 25°C while they display intermediate levels of activity at 20°C. Despite exhibiting the majority of their activity during the night, non‐reproductive females display significantly more day‐time activity compared with the reproductive females at all three temperatures. Nocturnal activity is comparable between reproductive and non‐reproductive animals at 20 and 25°C, but not at 30°C. Daily locomotor activity rhythms of the Damaraland mole‐rats appear to be relatively flexible and respond to comparatively small changes in ambient temperatures. Differences in daily activity between reproductive and non‐reproductive animals may emphasize the existence of physiological and morphological castes in the Damaraland mole‐rat.
Questioning executive supremacy in an economic state of emergency
Authors: Greene Alan
Published: May 2015

This paper compares and contrasts state emergency responses to national security crises with responses deployed in a period of economic crisis. Specifically, this paper challenges the appropriateness and legitimacy of the standard emergency response of legislative (as distinct from judicial) deference to the executive when confronting such economic crises. This will be done by questioning the significance in periods of economic crisis of the two principal factors that justify deferring to the executive during a state of emergency pertaining to national security: (i) the necessity of the action taken; and (ii) that the executive has an expertise in decision making in the specific area in question. Ultimately, this paper questions the application of the emergency paradigm to economic crises, arguing that such responses are rarely temporary and instead usher in a ‘new normalcy’.
A Hybrid Optimization Algorithm with Bayesian Inference for Probabilistic Model Updating
Authors: Sun Hao , Betti Raimondo
Published: May 2015

A hybrid optimization methodology is presented for the probabilistic finite element model updating of structural systems. The model updating process is formulated as an inverse problem, analyzed by Bayesian inference, and solved using a hybrid optimization algorithm. The proposed hybrid approach is a combination of a modified artificial bee colony (MABC) algorithm and the Broyden‐Fletcher‐Goldfarb‐Shanno (BFGS) method. The MABC includes four modifications compared to the standard ABC algorithm, which basically improve the global convergence of ABC in the solution phases of initialization, updating, selection, and rebirth. The BFGS is inserted to improve the finer solution search ability aiming at a higher solution accuracy. In brief, a probabilistic framework based on Bayesian inference is first derived so to get a regularized objective function for optimization. Then the proposed MABC‐BFGS algorithm is applied to determine the unknown system parameters by minimizing the newly defined objective function. System parameters as well as the prediction error covariance are updated iteratively in the optimization process. Posterior distributions of the identified system parameters are determined using a weighted sum of Gaussian distributions. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed approach is illustrated by the numerical data sets of the Phase I IASC‐ASCE benchmark model and the experimental data sets of a three‐storey frame structure (from the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), New Mexico, United States).
Rehabilitation of the severely resorbed maxilla: reappraisal of the Lefort I osteotomy and application of modern tissue engineering principles
Authors: Tsegga T.M. , English M.C.
Published: May 2015

There are several pre‐prosthetic reconstructive options to prepare the severely resorbed maxilla to receive endosseous dental implants. The conventional LeFort I Osteotomy is one technique that will address both skeletal and soft tissue deficiency. Although this technique has historically required an abundant amount of autogenous bone graft transfer, we describe an application that takes advantage of autogenous cellular marrow, with minimal surgical morbidity.
Patch test results in children and adolescents across Europe. Analysis of the ESSCA Network 2002–2010
Authors: Belloni Fortina Anna , Cooper Susan M. , Spiewak Radoslaw , Fontana Elena , Schnuch Axel , Uter Wolfgang
Published: May 2015

Background

Contact sensitization in children is more frequent than previously thought.

Methods

The ESSCA collected patch test data from 11 European countries aggregated to 4 European regions.

Results

Six thousand and eight patients aged 1–16 years old with suspected allergic contact dermatitis were analyzed during a period of 8 years (2002–2010). The overall prevalence of at least one positive reaction to a hapten was 36.9%. The 10 most frequent haptens were as follows: nickel sulfate, cobalt chloride and potassium dichromate, neomycin sulfate, Myroxylon pereirae resin (balsam of Peru), para‐phenylenediamine, chloromethylisothiazolinone/methylisothiazolinone 3:1, fragrance mix, lanolin alcohols, and colophony. No difference was found in the prevalence of at least one positive reaction to at least one hapten between boys and girls and between children with atopic dermatitis and children without. Children without atopic dermatitis, when compared with those with, had a significantly higher prevalence of contact sensitization for nickel sulfate (20.91% vs 16.87%, respectively), 4‐tert. butylphenol formaldehyde resin (1.61% vs. 0.7%), and para‐phenylenediamine (2.49% vs. 1.3%).

Limitations of the study

Chamber loading is not an exact science and variation may occur between staff and departments. Interinstitution variations in readings can occur. A possible geographic confounder is that the southern regions tested more children in the younger age group. Relevance was not addressed due to difficulties in the application of a set of uniform definitions.

Conclusions

Our study adds information on the most common contact allergens detected in children which could help to define a Standard European Pediatric Baseline Series.
Low incidence of pulmonary aspiration in children allowed intake of clear fluids until called to the operating suite
Authors: Andersson Hanna , Zarén Björn , Frykholm Peter
Published: May 2015

Background

International guidelines recommend 2 h of clear fluid fasting prior to general anesthesia. The pediatric anesthesia unit of Uppsala University Hospital has been implementing a more liberal fasting regime for more than a decade; thus, children scheduled for elective procedures are allowed to drink clear fluids until called to the operating suite.

Aim

To determine the incidence of perioperative pulmonary aspiration in pediatric patients allowed unlimited intake of clear fluids prior to general anesthesia.

Method

Elective pediatric procedures between January 2008 and December 2013 were examined retrospectively by reviewing anesthesia charts and discharge notes in the electronic medical record system. All notes from the care event and available chest x‐rays were examined for cases showing vomiting, regurgitation, and/or aspiration. Pulmonary aspiration was defined as radiological findings consistent with aspiration and/or postoperative symptoms of respiratory distress after vomiting during anesthesia.

Results

Of the 10 015 pediatric anesthetics included, aspiration occurred in three (0.03% or 3 in 10 000) cases. No case required cancellation of the surgical procedure, intensive care or ventilation support, and no deaths attributable to aspiration were found. Pulmonary aspiration was suspected, but not confirmed by radiology or continuing symptoms, in an additional 14 cases.

Conclusion

Shortened fasting times may improve the perioperative experience for parents and children with a low risk of aspiration.
A one‐season prospective study of injuries and illness in elite junior tennis
Authors: Pluim B. M. , Loeffen F. G. J. , Clarsen B. , Bahr R. , Verhagen E. A. L. M.
Published: May 2015

The objective of this study was to estimate the incidence and prevalence of injury and illness among elite junior tennis players. A cohort of 73 players (11–14 years) in the 2012–2013 Dutch national high‐performance program was followed for 32 weeks; all participants completed the study. The OSTRC Questionnaire on Health Problems was used to record self‐reported injuries and illnesses and to record training and match exposure. Main outcome measures were average prevalence of overuse injury and illness and incidence density of acute injury. On average, players practiced 9.1 h/week (SD 0.6; range 2.3–12.0) and had 2.2 h of match play (SD 0.6; range 2.3–12.0). During the course of the study, 67 players reported a total of 187 health problems. The average weekly prevalence of all health problems was 21.3% (95% CI: 19.2–22.9), of which 12.1% (95% CI: 10.9–13.3) constituted overuse injuries and 5.8% (95% CI: 4.6–6.9) illnesses. The incidence of acute injuries was 1.2/1000 h of tennis play (95% CI: 0.7–1.7). The high occurrence of overuse injuries among elite junior tennis players suggests that an early focus on preventative measures is warranted, with a particular focus on the monitoring and management of workload.
Repeated high‐intensity exercise modulates Ca2+ sensitivity of human skeletal muscle fibers
Authors: Gejl K. D. , Hvid L. G. , Willis S. J. , Andersson E. , Holmberg H.‐C. , Jensen R. , Frandsen U. , Hansen J. , Plomgaard P. , Ørtenblad N.
Published: May 2015

The effects of short‐term high‐intensity exercise on single fiber contractile function in humans are unknown. Therefore, the purposes of this study were: (a) to access the acute effects of repeated high‐intensity exercise on human single muscle fiber contractile function; and (b) to examine whether contractile function was affected by alterations in the redox balance. Eleven elite cross‐country skiers performed four maximal bouts of 1300 m treadmill skiing with 45 min recovery. Contractile function of chemically skinned single fibers from triceps brachii was examined before the first and following the fourth sprint with respect to Ca2+ sensitivity and maximal Ca2+‐activated force. To investigate the oxidative effects of exercise on single fiber contractile function, a subset of fibers was incubated with dithiothreitol (DTT) before analysis. Ca2+ sensitivity was enhanced by exercise in both MHC I (17%, P < 0.05) and MHC II (15%, P < 0.05) fibers. This potentiation was not present after incubation of fibers with DTT. Specific force of both MHC I and MHC II fibers was unaffected by exercise. In conclusion, repeated high‐intensity exercise increased Ca2+ sensitivity in both MHC I and MHC II fibers. This effect was not observed in a reducing environment indicative of an exercise‐induced oxidation of the human contractile apparatus.
The Paradoxes of Recovery Policy: Exploring the Impact of Austerity and Responsibilisation for the Citizenship Claims of People with Drug Problems
Authors: Roy Alastair , Buchanan Julian
Published: May 2015

This article critically examines the implications accompanying the introduction and implementation of recovery‐based policy. The article draws upon research conducted in Lancashire, England, where commissioners have been at the forefront of recent developments in ‘whole system’ models of commissioning. Empirical data are drawn on to make a series of new arguments about the tensions and practice implications of the new recovery agenda. The article has three main objectives. First, it explores current shifts in England, in which drug service commissioning has moved from being centrally funded and directed, to locally determined. Second, it references the rise of the well‐informed user in the reconfigured landscape of recovery and the ways in which commissioning models may enhance or negate the contribution of user activists to local cultures of recovery. Third, it references the changing political context, in which austerity is being used to increase the pressure on provider services to demonstrate social value, utility and effectiveness. The article argues that there is a palpable need to re‐politicize drug debates and recognize the structural and demographic factors which frame problem drug use, as well as the social and cultural factors which support or negate their opportunities for recovery.
Students' Attitudes Toward Science as Predictors of Gains on Student Content Knowledge: Benefits of an After‐School Program
Authors: Newell Alana D. , Zientek Linda R. , Tharp Barbara Z. , Vogt Gregory L. , Moreno Nancy P.
Published: May 2015

High‐quality after‐school programs devoted to science have the potential to enhance students' science knowledge and attitudes, which may impact their decisions about pursuing science‐related careers. Because of the unique nature of these informal learning environments, an understanding of the relationships among aspects of students' content knowledge acquisition and attitudes toward science may aid in the development of effective science‐related interventions. We investigated the impact of a semester‐long after‐school intervention utilizing an inquiry‐based infectious diseases curriculum (designed for use after‐school) on 63 urban students' content knowledge and aspects of their attitudes toward science. Content knowledge increased 24.6% from pretest to posttest. Multiple regression analyses indicated suggested that the “self‐directed effort” subscale of the Simpson–Troost Attitude Questionnaire—Revised best predicted increases in students' science content knowledge. The construct “science is fun for me” served as a suppressor effect. These findings suggest that future after‐school programs focusing on aspects of attitudes toward science most closely associated with gains in content knowledge might improve students' enthusiasm and academic preparedness for additional science coursework by improving student attitudes toward their perceptions of their self‐directed effort.
Characterization of a new HLA allele: A*02:548
Authors: Cappuzzo V. , Ingrassia F. , Bavetta R. , Mistretta S. , Marcenò R.
Published: May 2015

HLA‐A*02:548 differs from A*02:01:01:01 by one nucleotide at position 367T > C resulting in histidine at codon 99.
Molecular epidemiology of human Herpesviruses types 1–6 and 8 among Greek blood donors
Authors: Rouka E. , Kyriakou D.
Published: May 2015

Background

Human Herpesviruses (HHVs) maintain life‐long latent persistence in the majority of the adult population including blood donors. The necessity for their study resides in the potential risk of transfusion‐associated infection and the subsequent complications in the immunocompromised host. We aimed to assess the prevalence of HHVs types 1–6 and 8 among healthy blood donors of Thessaly prefecture in order to evaluate the frequency distribution of HHVs in Greek population and to ascertain possible correlations with demographic factors.

Materials and Methods

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) detection of HHVs DNA was determined in 401 randomly selected consecutive blood donors of Central Greece. Epidemiological data were recorded through a well structured questionnaire.

Results

The overall PCR positivity for HHVs was 25·4%. HHVs types 1–3 were not detected in any donor sample. A specimen with high level of HHV‐6 DNA (1 580 400 copies per mL) was recorded. HHV‐4 DNA positivity was significantly associated with rural residency.

Conclusion

HHV‐4 DNA is commonly detected in whole blood specimens of healthy individuals. HHVs types 5, 6 and 8 are rarely detected. However, the existence of a donor sample with high HHV‐6 viral load raises questions regarding the potential risk of HHV‐6 blood‐borne infection and the safety of blood products.
Cysticercosis and epilepsy in rural Tanzania: a community‐based case–control and imaging study
Authors: Hunter Ewan , Burton Kathryn , Iqbal Ahmed , Birchall Daniel , Jackson Margaret , Rogathe Jane , Jusabani Ahmed , Gray William , Aris Eric , Kamuyu Gathoni , Wilkins Patricia P. , Newton Charles R. , Walker Richard
Published: May 2015

Objective

To assess the contribution of neurocysticercosis (NCC) to the burden of epilepsy in a rural Tanzanian population.

Methods

We identified adult people with epilepsy (PWE) in a door‐to‐door study in an established demographic surveillance site. PWE and community controls were tested for antibodies to Taenia solium, the causative agent of NCC, and all PWE were offered a computed tomography (CT) head scan. Data on household occupancy and sanitation, pig‐keeping and pork consumption were collected from PWE and controls and associations with epilepsy were assessed using chi‐square or Fisher's exact tests.

Results

Six of 218 PWE had antibodies to T. solium (2.8%; 95% CI 0.6–4.9), compared to none of 174 controls (Fisher's exact test, P = 0.04). Lesions compatible with NCC were seen in eight of 200 CT scans (4.0%; 95% CI 1.3–6.7). A total of 176 PWE had both investigations of whom two had positive serology along with NCC‐compatible lesions on CT (1.1%; 95% 0.3–4.0). No associations between epilepsy and any risk factors for NCC were identified.

Conclusions

Neurocysticercosis is present in this population but at a lower prevalence than elsewhere in Tanzania and sub‐Saharan Africa. Insights from low‐prevalence areas may inform public health interventions designed to reduce the burden of preventable epilepsy.
High prevalence of anaemia among African migrants in Germany persists after exclusion of iron deficiency and erythrocyte polymorphisms
Authors: Müller Sophie A. , Amoah Stephen K. B. , Meese Stefanie , Spranger Joachim , Mockenhaupt Frank P.
Published: May 2015

Objectives

Haematological parameters differ between individuals of African and European ancestry. However, respective data of first‐generation African migrants are virtually absent. We assessed these in Ghanaian migrants living in Berlin, compared them with reference data from Germany and Ghana, and estimated the role of iron deficiency (ID) and erythrocyte polymorphisms in anaemia.

Methods

A total of 576 Ghanaians (median age, 45 years) were analysed. Blood counts were performed, haemoglobinopathies and glucose‐6‐phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency were genotyped, and concentrations of ferritin and C‐reactive protein were measured to define ID.

Results

Most individuals had resided in Germany for more than a decade (median, 18 years). By WHO definition, anaemia was present in 30.9% of females and 9.4% of males. Median haemoglobin (Hb) levels were lower than among Germans (women, −0.8 g/dl, men, −0.7 g/dl). However, applying reference values from Ghana, only 1.9% of the migrants were considered anaemic. Alpha‐thalassaemia, Hb variants and G6PD deficiency were observed in 33.9%, 28.3% and 23.6%, respectively. ID was highly prevalent in women (32.0%; men, 3.9%). The population fraction of anaemia cases attributable to ID was 29.0% (alpha‐thalassaemia, 13.6%; G6PD deficiency, 13.5%). Nevertheless, excluding ID, alpha‐thalassaemia, G6PD deficiency and sickle cell disease, anaemia prevalence remained high (women, 18.4%; men, 6.5%), and was also high when applying uncensored thresholds proposed for African Americans (females, 19.3%; males, 7.8%).

Conclusions

Iron deficiency and erythrocyte polymorphisms are common among first‐generation Ghanaian migrants but explain only part of the increased prevalence of anaemia. Common Hb thresholds for the definition of anaemia may not be appropriate for this group.
Otoacoustic emission testing in Ghanaian children with sickle‐cell disease
Authors: Kegele Josua , Hurth Helene , Lackner Peter , Enimil Anthony , Sylverkin Justice , Ansong Daniel , Nkyi Clara , Bonsu Benedicta , Agbenyega Tsiri , Schartinger Volker H. , Schmutzhard Erich , Zorowka Patrick , Kremsner Peter , Schmutzhard Joachim
Published: May 2015

Objective

To evaluate hearing loss in children as a complication of sickle‐cell disease.

Methods

In Kumasi, Ghana, 35 children with SCD aged 6 months to 10 years underwent transient‐evoked otoacoustic emissions testing (TEOAE) to investigate the function of the inner ear. Healthy Ghanaian children recruited in school and kindergarten served as controls.

Results

One of 35 children with SCD and 13 of 115 control children failed the otoacoustic emissions testing. This difference between the control group and the children with SCD was not statistically significant.

Conclusion

Early hearing impairment does not regularly occur in sickle‐cell disease, and in children, it is not a likely cause of delayed or impaired language development.
National tuberculosis prevalence surveys in Asia, 1990–2012: an overview of results and lessons learned
Authors: Onozaki Ikushi , Law Irwin , Sismanidis Charalambos , Zignol Matteo , Glaziou Philippe , Floyd Katherine
Published: May 2015

Objective and Methods

In many countries, national tuberculosis (TB) prevalence surveys are the only way to reliably measure the burden of TB disease and monitor trends. They can also provide evidence about the current performance of TB care and control and how this could be improved. We developed an inventory of Asian surveys from 1953 to 2012 and then compiled and analysed a standard set of data for all national surveys implemented between 1990 (the baseline year for 2015 global TB targets) and 2012.

Results

There were 21 surveys in 12 countries between 1990 and 2012; published results were available for 18. The participation rate was at least 80% and often much higher except for two surveys in Thailand. The prevalence of bacteriologically‐positive TB disease among adults aged ≥15 years varied widely among countries (1.2 per 1000 population in China in 2010 to 15 per 1000 population in Cambodia in 2002), but age and sex distribution patterns were consistent with a progressive increase in rates of disease by age, and men accounting for 66–75% of prevalent cases. A high proportion of cases (40–79% across all surveys) did not report TB symptoms that met screening criteria (generally cough of 2–3 weeks or more, and blood in the sputum) and were only detected due to chest X‐ray screening of all survey participants; this proportion increased over time in countries with repeat survey data. The ratio of prevalent cases to cases notified to national TB programmes was typically around two, but was as high as three in Lao PDR and Pakistan even after the internationally recommended TB control strategy had been implemented nationwide for several years. Four countries (China, Cambodia, the Republic of Korea and the Philippines demonstrated declines in smear or culture‐positive pulmonary TB prevalence of approximately 50% over 10 years.

Conclusions

National TB prevalence surveys in Asia show that large reductions in the prevalence of TB disease can be achieved within a decade, that men bear much more of the burden than women and that the epidemic is ageing. Comparisons among countries show that more can be achieved in TB control in some countries with existing strategies and technologies. However, with many prevalent cases not reporting classic TB symptoms, all countries face the challenge of defining and implementing strategies that will result in earlier detection and treatment of cases.
Connected components of affine Deligne–Lusztig varieties in mixed characteristic
Authors: Chen Miaofen , Kisin Mark , Viehmann Eva
Published: May 2015

We determine the set of connected components of minuscule affine Deligne–Lusztig varieties for hyperspecial maximal compact subgroups of unramified connected reductive groups. Partial results are also obtained for non-minuscule closed affine Deligne–Lusztig varieties. We consider both the function field case and its analog in mixed characteristic. In particular, we determine the set of connected components of unramified Rapoport–Zink spaces.
Dynamic detector offsets for field of view extension in C‐arm computed tomography with application to weight‐bearing imaging
Authors: Herbst Magdalena , Schebesch Frank , Berger Martin , Choi Jang‐Hwan , Fahrig Rebecca , Hornegger Joachim , Maier Andreas
Published: May 2015

Purpose:

In C‐arm computed tomography (CT), the field of view (FOV) is often not sufficient to acquire certain anatomical structures, e.g., a full hip or thorax. Proposed methods to extend the FOV use a fixed detector displacement and a 360° scan range to double the radius of the FOV. These trajectories are designed for circular FOVs. However, there are cases in which the required FOV is not circular but rather an ellipsoid.

Methods:

In this work, the authors show that in fan‐beam CT, the use of a dynamically adjusting detector offset can reduce the required scan range when using a noncircular FOV. Furthermore, the authors present an analytic solution to determine the minimal required scan ranges for elliptic FOVs given a certain detector size and an algorithmic approach for arbitrary FOVs.

Results:

The authors show that the proposed method can result in a substantial reduction of the required scan range. Initial reconstructions of data sets acquired with our new minimal trajectory yielded image quality comparable to reconstructions of data acquired using a fixed detector offset and a full 360° rotation.

Conclusions:

Our results show a promising reduction of the necessary scan range especially for ellipsoidal objects that extend the FOV. In noncircular FOVs, there exists a set of solutions that allow a trade‐off between detector size and scan range.
Affective Outcomes of Intramural Sport Participation
Authors: Webb Evan , Forrester Scott
Published: May 2015

Participation in collegiate intramural sports provides numerous, positive psychological benefits for its participants. Benefits of participation in intramural programs include improved happiness and subjective well-being which can be operationalized as one's positive affective state. The purpose of this study was to determine the affective outcomes (positive and negative affect) of intramural sport participation in a collegiate setting. Students at a Canadian university ( N = 315) completed a questionnaire immediately following their participation in an intramural sport. Overall, and across all demographic variables, participants reported significantly higher levels of positive affect than negative affect, even for all levels of task- or ego-orientation (low, medium, and high). A MANOVA revealed significant differences between the three levels of task-orientation on positive affect but not negative affect. These results are promising indicators of students' continued sport participation on campus and later in life as intramural sport participants report experiencing significantly more positive affect than negative affect.
Science Signaling
Podcast: 5 May 2015
Authors: Martin James F. , VanHook Annalisa M.
Published: May 2015

The transcriptional coactivator Yap promotes migration of cardiomyocytes to the site of injury during heart regeneration.
Mutations Associated with Reduced Surotomycin Susceptibility in Clostridium difficile and Enterococcus Species
Authors: Adams Hannah M. , Li Xiang , Mascio Carmela , Chesnel Laurent , Palmer Kelli L.
Published: May 2015

Clostridium difficile
infection (CDI) is an urgent public health concern causing considerable clinical and economic burdens. CDI can be treated with antibiotics, but recurrence of the disease following successful treatment of the initial episode often occurs. Surotomycin is a rapidly bactericidal cyclic lipopeptide antibiotic that is in clinical trials for CDI treatment and that has demonstrated superiority over vancomycin in preventing CDI relapse. Surotomycin is a structural analogue of the membrane-active antibiotic daptomycin. Previously, we utilized
in vitro
serial passage experiments to derive
C. difficile
strains with reduced surotomycin susceptibilities. The parent strains used included ATCC 700057 and clinical isolates from the restriction endonuclease analysis (REA) groups BI and K. Serial passage experiments were also performed with vancomycin-resistant and vancomycin-susceptible
Enterococcus faecium
and
Enterococcus faecalis
. The goal of this study is to identify mutations associated with reduced surotomycin susceptibility in
C. difficile
and enterococci. Illumina sequence data generated for the parent strains and serial passage isolates were compared. We identified nonsynonymous mutations in genes coding for cardiolipin synthase in
C. difficile
ATCC 700057, enoyl-(acyl carrier protein) reductase II (FabK) and cell division protein FtsH2 in
C. difficile
REA type BI, and a PadR family transcriptional regulator in
C. difficile
REA type K. Among the 4 enterococcal strain pairs, 20 mutations were identified, and those mutations overlap those associated with daptomycin resistance. These data give insight into the mechanism of action of surotomycin against
C. difficile
, possible mechanisms for resistance emergence during clinical use, and the potential impacts of surotomycin therapy on intestinal enterococci.
Oral Administration of the Nucleoside EFdA (4′-Ethynyl-2-Fluoro-2′-Deoxyadenosine) Provides Rapid Suppression of HIV Viremia in Humanized Mice and Favorable Pharmacokinetic Properties in Mice and the Rhesus Macaque
Authors: Stoddart Cheryl A. , Galkina Sofiya A. , Joshi Pheroze , Kosikova Galina , Moreno Mary E. , Rivera Jose M. , Sloan Barbara , Reeve Aaron B. , Sarafianos Stefan G. , Murphey-Corb Michael , Parniak Michael A.
Published: May 2015

Like normal cellular nucleosides, the nucleoside reverse transcriptase (RT) inhibitor (NRTI) 4′-ethynyl-2-fluoro-2′-deoxyadenosine (EFdA) has a 3′-hydroxyl moiety, and yet EFdA is a highly potent inhibitor of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) replication with activity against a broad range of clinically important drug-resistant HIV isolates. We evaluated the anti-HIV activity of EFdA in primary human cells and in HIV-infected humanized mice. EFdA exhibited excellent potency against HIV
JR-CSF
in phytohemagglutinin-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), with a 50% inhibitory concentration of 0.25 nM and a selectivity index of 184,000; similar antiviral potency was found against 12 different HIV clinical isolates from multiple clades (A, B, C, D, and CRF01_AE). EFdA was readily absorbed after oral dosing (5 mg/kg of body weight) in both mice and the rhesus macaque, with micromolar levels of the maximum concentration of drug in serum (
C
max
) attained at 30 min and 90 min, respectively. Trough levels were at or above 90% inhibitory concentration (IC
90
) levels in the macaque at 24 h, suggesting once-daily dosing. EFdA showed reasonable penetration of the blood-brain barrier in the rhesus macaque, with cerebrospinal fluid levels at approximately 25% of plasma levels 8 h after single oral dosing. Rhesus PBMCs isolated 24 h following a single oral dose of 5 mg/kg EFdA were refractory to SIV infection due to sufficiently high intracellular EFdA-triphosphate levels. The intracellular half-life of EFdA-triphosphate in PBMCs was determined to be >72 h following a single exposure to EFdA. Daily oral administration of EFdA at low dosage levels (1 to 10 mg/kg/day) was highly effective in protecting humanized mice from HIV infection, and 10 mg/kg/day oral EFdA completely suppressed HIV RNA to undetectable levels within 2 weeks of treatment.
Type Three Secretion System Island-Encoded Proteins Required for Colonization by Non-O1/Non-O139 Serogroup Vibrio cholerae
Authors: Chaand Mudit , Miller Kelly A. , Sofia Madeline K. , Schlesener Cory , Weaver Jacob W. A. , Sood Vibha , Dziejman Michelle
Published: May 2015

Vibrio cholerae
is a genetically diverse species, and pathogenic strains can encode different virulence factors that mediate colonization and secretory diarrhea. Although the toxin-coregulated pilus (TCP) is the primary colonization factor in epidemic-causing
V. cholerae
strains, other strains do not encode the TCP and instead promote colonization via the activity of a type 3 secretion system (T3SS). Using the infant mouse model and T3SS-positive O39 serogroup strain AM-19226, we sought to determine which of 12 previously identified, T3SS-translocated proteins (Vops) are important for host colonization. We constructed in-frame deletions in each of the 12 loci in strain AM-19226 and identified five Vop deletion strains, including ΔVopM, which were severely attenuated for colonization. Interestingly, a subset of deletion strains was also incompetent for effector protein transport. Our collective data therefore suggest that several translocated proteins may also function as components of the structural apparatus or translocation machinery and indicate that while VopM is critical for establishing an infection, the combined activities of other effectors may also contribute to the ability of T3SS-positive strains to colonize host epithelial cell surfaces.