bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Developing citizen leadership in Myanmar: the DeBoer fellowship
Authors: Steffensmeier Timothy , McBride Julia Fabris , Dove Peter
Published: August 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to understand the impact of the DeBoer fellowship, a citizen leadership development program in Myanmar. The challenge in Myanmar of catalyzing transformative change facing government and civil society cannot be overstated. Autocratic, centralized, and a traits-based approach to leadership has been, until recently, the primary way to assess leaders in Myanmar. In this dynamic civic context, new ways of leading and learning are needed.

Design/methodology/approach

Interviews of DeBoer fellowship alumni were analyzed using a single case study method. The project focuses on individual participants of the program as the primary unit of analysis. In addition, direct observation and contributions from DeBoer fellowship administration and faculty were used to describe this case study.

Findings

The DeBoer fellows understood their challenge as one of energize others, a concept of adaptive leadership. Moreover, individuals experienced deep degrees of transformational development. Civic agency was the least noticable concept that was studied.

Research limitations/implications

Future research could more explicitly measure and examine the degree to which civic agency is being nurtured in leadership development programs.

Practical implications

Civic leadership curriculum designers should be more conscious of adult development theory when choosing programming objectives and activities.

Social implications

Leadership development initatives in more authoritative systems can be effective developmental experiences for participants who are motivated to improve their organizations and communities.

Originality/value

To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first effort to analyze a citizen leadership program in Myanmar.
Paradigms and paradoxes: the futures of growth and degrowth
Authors: Pesch Udo
Published: August 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to introduce three storylines that address the relation between economic growth, technical innovation and environmental impact. The paper assesses if and how these storylines as guiding visions increase our range of future orientations.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper first explains its general outline and then explores different strands of literature to arrive at its analytical conclusions.

Findings

Pursuing the three storylines in a paradigmatic articulation creates paradoxes. The growth paradigm focuses on economic growth as its main goal. To overcome environmental degradation, products have to be substituted by environmentally friendly alternatives, but the continuous substitution of finite resources seems unlikely possible. The storyline of innovation sees technological development as a driver of economic progress, and holds that innovations allow the decoupling of economic growth from environmental impact, a claim that is compromised by the occurrence of rebound effects. The degrowth storyline holds that economic growth has to be stopped altogether, but is unclear how this can be done.

Originality/value

By articulating paradigmatic perspectives as storylines, a new understanding on how these perspectives can be figured as a constructive repertoire of guiding visions and not as mere theory-based descriptions.
Does religious affiliation influence trust?
Authors: Kortt Michael A. , Drew Joseph
Published: August 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to estimate and explore how religious affiliation may influence general and local trust in contemporary society.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper employs data from the 2010 and 2014 waves of the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia survey. The association between religious affiliation and trust was estimated using an ordered logistic regression and conventional ordinary least squares model.

Findings

The paper presents evidence of a statistically significant association between religious affiliation and trust that are consistent with theory.

Social implications

This finding is important for a heterogeneous population like Australia as it seeks to build social cohesion in the face of threats to internal and external security.

Originality/value

The study contributes to the literature by providing – to the best of the authors’ knowledge – the first results on the association between religious affiliation and trust for Australia.
Using SEM-PLS to assess users satisfaction of library service quality: evidence from Malaysia
Authors: Choshaly Sahar Hosseinikhah , Mirabolghasemi Marva
Published: August 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of Libqual+™ dimension (affect of services, information control and Library as a place) on user satisfaction at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM).

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected using a sample of 100 students and it was analyzed using SPSS and SmartPLS. The measurement model was analyzed using composite reliability, convergent and discriminate validity while the structural model was used to predict the relationships between variables.

Findings

The results indicated that services, information control and library as a place have a significant and positive impact on the overall satisfaction of library users, with affect of services being the most important predictor of library user satisfaction.

Practical implications

Overall, users are satisfied with the services provided by the UKM library. Results from this study will help librarians to make better decisions in providing effective services and fulfilling the library’s vision and mission.

Originality/value

The study provides insight into the UKM University how to use LibQual+™ dimension to improve user’s satisfaction.
Serum 5‐S‐cysteinyldopa behavior in the early phase of nivolumab treatment of 12 melanoma patients
Authors: Omodaka Toshikazu , Minagawa Akane , Uhara Hisashi , Wakamatsu Kazumasa , Koizumi Tomonobu , Yokokawa Yoshiharu , Koga Hiroshi , Okuyama Ryuhei
Published: August 2018

Along with the expansion of therapeutic options for metastatic melanoma, the development of useful biomarkers is urgently required to predict and monitor treatment response. Serum 5‐S‐cysteinyldopa (5‐S‐CD) has been identified as a diagnostic marker of malignant melanoma, but its utility as a biomarker for emerging therapeutic agents remains unknown. We assessed serum 5‐S‐CD in 12 metastatic melanoma patients (median age, 76 years; six men and six women) who had been treated with nivolumab (Nivo) at Shinshu University Hospital between 2014 and 2016. Serum 5‐S‐CD and lactate dehydrogenase levels before and at 3–6 weeks of Nivo treatment were obtained and their changes were compared with clinical responses as defined by the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors criteria (version 1.1). A decrease of 10 nmol/L or more of serum 5‐S‐CD was observed only in partial response patients (2/3 cases, 67%), while an increase of 10 nmol/L or more of serum 5‐S‐CD was witnessed only in progressive disease patients (4/8 cases, 50%). Serum 5‐S‐CD changes were within ±10 nmol/L in the remaining six patients (partial response, one; stable disease, one; progressive disease, four). The results of the four moderately affected progressive disease patients were suspected to have been influenced by small‐sized metastatic lesions, a mixed response that included diminished and enlarged metastatic lesions, prior therapy to Nivo with BRAF inhibitors or radiation, or the development of brain metastasis. Serum 5‐S‐CD in the early phase of Nivo treatment may be helpful to predict therapeutic response in metastatic melanoma.
Elastic impedance based facies classification using support vector machine and deep learning
Authors: Nishitsuji Yohei , Exley Russell
Published: August 2018

Machine learning methods including support‐vector‐machine and deep learning are applied to facies classification problems using elastic impedances acquired from a Paleocene oil discovery in the UK Central North Sea. Both of the supervised learning approaches showed similar accuracy when predicting facies after the optimization of hyperparameters derived from well data. However, the results obtained by deep learning provided better correlation with available wells and more precise decision boundaries in cross‐plot space when compared to the support‐vector‐machine approach. Results from the support‐vector‐machine and deep learning classifications are compared against a simplified linear projection based classification and a Bayes‐based approach. Differences between the various facies classification methods are connected by not only their methodological differences but also human interactions connected to the selection of machine learning parameters. Despite the observed differences, machine learning applications, such as deep learning, have the potential to become standardized in the industry for the interpretation of amplitude versus offset cross‐plot problems, thus providing an automated facies classification approach.
Distance–decay differs among vertical strata in a tropical rainforest
Authors: Basham Edmund W. , Seidl Christa M. , Andriamahohatra Lydou R. , Oliveira Brunno F. , Scheffers Brett R.
Published: August 2018

Assemblage similarity decays with geographic distance—a pattern known as the distance–decay relationship. While this pattern has been investigated for a wide range of organisms, ecosystems and geographical gradients, whether these changes vary more cryptically across different forest strata (from ground to canopy) remains elusive.

Here, we investigated the influence of ground vs. arboreal assemblages to the general distance–decay relationship observed in forests. We seek to explain differences in distance–decay relationships between strata in the context of the vertical stratification of assemblage composition, richness and abundance.

We surveyed for a climate‐sensitive model organism, amphibians, across vertical rainforest strata in Madagascar. For each tree, we defined assemblages of ground‐dwelling, understory, or canopy species. We calculated horizontal distance–decay in similarity across all trees, and across assemblages of species found in different forest strata (ground, understory and canopy).

We demonstrate that within stratum comparisons exhibit a classic distance–decay relationship for canopy and understory communities but no distance–decay relationships for ground communities. We suggest that differences in horizontal turnover between strata may be due to local scale habitat and resource heterogeneity in the canopy, or the influence of arboreal traits on species dispersal and distribution.

Synthesis. Biodiversity patterns in horizontal space were not consistent across vertical space, suggesting that canopy fauna may not play by the same set of “rules” as their conspecifics living below them on the ground. Our study provides compelling evidence that the above‐ground amphibian assemblage of tropical rainforests is the primary driver of the classical distance–decay relationship.
Stevia‐fortified yoghurt: Stability, antioxidant activity and in vitro digestion behaviour
Authors: de Carvalho Mariana Wolff , Arriola Nathalia Darminia Aceval , Pinto Stephanie Silva , Verruck Silvani , Fritzen‐Freire Carlise Beddin , Prudêncio Elane Schwinden , Amboni Renata Dias de Mello Castanho
Published: August 2018

In this study, yoghurt samples were fortified with 0.25% and 0.5% freeze‐dried stevia extract (FSE). The control and stevia‐fortified yoghurts were evaluated and compared for the viability of the starter cultures, physicochemical properties, total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant activity throughout 30 days of storage. In addition, TPC and antioxidant activity were evaluated during in vitro gastrointestinal digestion. The results showed that the yoghurt matrix preserved the TPC, antioxidant capacity and total solids during storage, while the acidity, synaeresis and counts of the starter cultures of the final product were not significantly affected. However, addition of 0.5% FSE exerted a buffering effect on the system. After simulated digestion, the values of TPC and antioxidant activity of the fortified yoghurts increased in relation to the undigested fractions. These findings showed the feasibility of employing FSE as a functional ingredient in the manufacture of yoghurts with potential antioxidant properties.
Impact of the Four‐Hour Rule/National Emergency Access Target policy implementation on emergency department staff: A qualitative perspective of emergency department management changes
Authors: Nahidi Shizar , Forero Roberto , Man Nicola , Mohsin Mohammed , Fitzgerald Gerard , Toloo Ghasem (Sam) , McCarthy Sally , Gibson Nick , Fatovich Daniel , Mountain David ,   on behalf of the 4HR/NEAT Partnership Grant
Published: August 2018

Objective

It has been 10 years since the ACEM Access Block Solutions Summit and 5 years since the introduction of the Four‐Hour Rule/National Emergency Access Target (4HR/NEAT) policy. The impact of this policy on ED management and on ED staff has been poorly understood. The aim of the present study was to identify changes in ED management resulting from the policy based on ED staff experiences.

Methods

Semi‐structured interviews were conducted and transcribed, imported to NVivo 11 and analysed using a combination of content, thematic analysis and phenomenological focus within a theoretical framework known as the ‘logic model’.

Results

One hundred and nineteen ED staff participated in 2015–2016 to assess the impact of the policy implementation. Participants were drawn from 16 EDs in New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia and Australian Capital Territory. In relation to ED management, three themes were identified: changes in ED management; activities and changes driven by the hospital in relation to 4HR/NEAT; and participant experiences in relation to policy compliance by staff.

Conclusions

Policy implementation is a complex process that had both positive and negative consequences on how ED staff managed the implementation of the 4HR/NEAT policy and how it changed their work environment. Understanding the perceptions of staff involved in policy implementation has significance for the design of future implementation strategies. The biggest insight from the present study is that ED management is very complex and the policy generated multiple positive and negative changes demonstrating the wide range of processes involved in this area of health services research.
Going beyond HbA1c to understand the benefits of advanced diabetes therapies
Authors: Vigersky Robert A.
Published: August 2018

The gold standard for monitoring overall glycemia is HbA1c. However, HbA1c has several important limitations, giving more weight to the prior 2 to 3 months rather than short‐term glycemic control. In addition, the level of the HbA1c does not reflect the important interpersonal differences in its relationship with mean glucose, and HbA1c is affected by many common clinical conditions (anemia, uremia) that can interfere with the accuracy of its measurement in the laboratory. The development and refinement of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM), a glucose‐ and patient‐centric technology, over the past two decades have permitted the creation of new single and composite metrics, such as the percentage of time in range and the glucose pentagon, respectively, which provide clinically relevant insights into short‐term glycemic control. In addition, CGM creates new outcome metrics for clinical management and investigational studies (percentage of time in hypoglycemia, percentage of time in target range) that can accurately and meaningfully report the effects of an intervention, whether that is a drug, a device, or a psychosocial program, and CGM provides the key input to drive algorithm‐based insulin delivery. Finally, CGM linked with artificial intelligence permits real‐time feedback to patients about modifiable patterns of glycemic excursions.
Affective instability across the lifespan in borderline personality disorder – a cross‐sectional e‐diary study
Authors: Santangelo P. S. , Koenig J. , Kockler T. D. , Eid M. , Holtmann J. , Koudela‐Hamila S. , Parzer P. , Resch F. , Bohus M. , Kaess M. , Ebner‐Priemer U. W.
Published: August 2018

Objective

Longitudinal and cross‐sectional studies suggest that affective instability is inversely related to greater age in borderline personality disorder (BPD). However, existing studies relied on retrospective self‐reports of perceived instability. We examined affective instability in everyday life in patients with BPD and healthy controls (HCs) by age in a cross‐sectional e‐diary study.

Methods

Two hundred and sixty female participants between 14 and 53 years of age (130 patients with BPD and 130 HCs) carried an e‐diary over 4 days. The e‐diaries emitted a prompting signal in approximately hourly intervals asking participants to rate their current affective state, that is valence (ranging from pleasant to unpleasant) and tense arousal (ranging from calm/relaxed to restless/under tension).

Results

Multilevel analyses revealed a significant interaction of age and group predicting affective instability (valence: F(1,255.6) = 7.59; P < 0.01; tense arousal: F(1,252) = 6.08; P < 0.01), suggesting that affective instability significantly declines with greater age in patients with BPD. Controlling for the number of comorbid disorders and BPD severity did not change the results, illustrating an inverse relationship between age and affective instability in BPD (significant interaction of age*group for valence: F(1,238.7) = 5.74; P < 0.02 and tense arousal: F(1,235.2) = 5.28; P < 0.02).

Conclusion

Affective instability during daily life declines with greater age in BPD. This decline is irrespective of comorbidity and BPD severity.
Prevalence and safety of acamprosate use in pregnant alcohol‐dependent women in New South Wales, Australia
Authors: Kelty Erin , Tran Duong , Lavin Tina , Preen David B. , Hulse Gary , Havard Alys
Published: August 2018

Aims

To estimate the prevalence of exposure to acamprosate in pregnancy in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, to compare the maternal health of women exposed to acamprosate during pregnancy with non‐exposed women, and to compare neonatal outcomes in neonates exposed to acamprosate in utero with non‐exposed neonates.

Design

A population‐based retrospective cohort study, comparing maternal and neonatal health outcomes in women exposed to acamprosate during pregnancy with women with a recent history of problematic alcohol use (alcohol comparison group), and women from the general community (community comparison group) using state‐wide linked health data.

Setting

New South Wales, Australia.

Participants

The study included women treated with acamprosate for more than 30 days during pregnancy between 2003 and 2012 (n = 54) and two matched comparison groups (1 : 3); an alcohol comparison group (n = 162) and a community comparison group (n = 162).

Measurements

The prevalence of acamprosate exposure was calculated per 100 000 pregnancies. Three primary measures of maternal and neonatal health were used: maternal hospital admissions, birth weight and fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS).

Findings

Exposure to acamprosate occurred in 7.7 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 6.0–9.7] in every 100 000 pregnancies. Rates of hospital admissions during pregnancy and 42 days post‐partum in acamprosate‐treated women were not significantly different from women in the community comparison group [adjusted rate ratio (RR) = 0.85, 95% CI = 0.65–1.11], but were significantly lower compared with the alcohol comparison group (adjusted RR = 1.26, 95% CI = 1.00–1.60). Acamprosate‐exposed neonates were not significantly different from the alcohol comparison group or the community comparison group in terms of birth weight or proportion of small‐for‐gestational‐age neonates or incidence of congenital abnormalities (including FAS).

Conclusions

The prevalence of acamprosate use in pregnancy in New South Wales, Australia is low. Acamprosate exposure in utero is not clearly associated with poor maternal or neonatal health outcomes.
Co‐producing knowledge: Reflections on research on the residential geographies of learning disability
Authors: Murray Victoria
Published: August 2018

Most adults are able to take some control over where they live and are able to reflect on their migration histories, those places where they have lived and worked, and those places where they might aspire to live in the future. These life‐altering decisions have been negotiated either autonomously or in conjunction with significant others in their lives. For some adults, most notably those with learning disabilities, these life decisions are partially, if not wholly, made for them by others. It is therefore the aim of this paper to uncover more about the decision‐making opportunities afforded to people with learning disabilities regarding their home‐spaces as they navigate “moving landscapes” that they have perhaps not envisaged for themselves. The paper identifies the need for a co‐production of knowledge that recognises alternative methods of communication and participation in research, which seeks to de‐mystify the authentic, and perhaps mundane, realities of living with a learning disability. Indeed, some geographers have questioned the integrity of research that fails to allow those with learning disabilities to control at least some part of the process. And so, by embracing lives that are “differently normal,” the paper seeks to challenge the role of the expert by engaging with methods that allow the distinction between researched and researcher to become blurred, allowing the voice of the learning‐disabled individual clearly to be heard. Finally, the paper will discuss the disconnect between intended methodological approaches and those undertaken “in the field.”
Donor and recipient risk factor analysis of inferior postheart transplantation outcome in the era of durable mechanical assist devices
Authors: Urban Marian , Booth Karen , Schueler Stephan , Netuka Ivan , MacGowan Guy
Published: August 2018

The study objective is to quantify the impact of donor and recipient variables on heart transplant survival in recipients with a significant proportion of implanted continuous‐flow left ventricular assist devices (LVADs). This is a prospective cohort study of International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) Registry that includes all primary heart‐alone transplants in adult recipients (January 2005 and June 2013, N = 15 532, 27% LVADs). Donor and recipient characteristics were assessed for association with death or graft failure within 90 days and between 90 days and 5 years after transplantation. On Cox proportional hazard model donor cause of death other than head trauma (hazard ratio [HR] 1.985, P < 0.0001), recipient congenital (HR 2.7555, P < 0.0001) and ischemic (HR 1.165, P = 0.0383) vs dilated etiology and female donor heart transplanted into male recipient (HR 1.207, P = 0.0354) were predictors of death or graft failure within 90 days. Between 90 days and 5 years, donor cigarette use (HR 1.232, P = 0.0001), recipient cigarette use (HR 1.193, P = 0.0003), diabetes (HR 1.159, P = 0.0050), arterial hypertension (HR 1.129, P = 0.0115), and ischemic vs dilative cardiomyopathy had an increased probability of death or graft failure.
Performance of a new short‐type double‐balloon endoscope with advanced force transmission and adaptive bending for pancreaticobiliary intervention in patients with surgically altered anatomy: A propensity‐matched analysis
Authors: Yamada Atsuo , Kogure Hirofumi , Nakai Yousuke , Takahara Naminatsu , Mizuno Suguru , Tada Minoru , Koike Kazuhiko
Published: August 2018

Background and Aim

A new short‐type double‐balloon endoscope (DBE) has been developed with a major focus on facilitating scope insertion to the target site for pancreaticobiliary interventions in patients with surgically altered anatomy. We investigated the performance of this new short‐type DBE by comparing it with a conventional DBE.

Methods

Data from 885 endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) procedures using balloon endoscopy were analyzed. We used propensity score matching to adjust for differences between patients who underwent ERCP procedures using the new short‐type DBE versus the conventional short‐type DBE.

Results

A total of 163 pairs of patients were selected by propensity score matching. Success rate of reaching the target site was 100% in both the new DBE group and the conventional DBE group (P = 1.0). The new DBE group had a shorter insertion time required to reach the target site than the conventional DBE group (10 min vs. 14 min, P < 0.01). Success rate of pancreaticobiliary interventions in the new DBE group was as high as that in the conventional DBE group (92% vs. 89% P = 0.35). Overall procedure time decreased from 62 min in the conventional DBE group to 55 min in the new DBE group (P = 0.26). No significant differences in the rates of adverse events were observed between the two groups.

Conclusion

A new short‐type DBE allows faster insertion to the target site for pancreaticobiliary intervention in patients with surgically altered anatomy.
Endoscopic diagnosis of sessile serrated polyp: A systematic review
Authors: Kashida Hiroshi
Published: August 2018

The aim of the present review was to clarify how we should detect and diagnose sessile serrated polyps (SSP) endoscopically. A systematic search was conducted of MEDLINE from January 2004 through March 2018. Nine findings: (i) proximal location; (ii) size >10 mm; (iii) irregular shape; (iv) indistinctive border; (v) cloud‐like surface; (vi) mucus cap; (vii) rim of debris in white‐light endoscopy; (viii) dilated vessels; and (ix) dilated crypts (pits) in image‐enhanced endoscopy were considered to be candidate discriminators of SSP from hyperplastic polyps. Prospective studies in a general setting are warranted to validate the above‐mentioned endoscopic features of SSP during real‐time colonoscopy and to determine whether these features are useful for the differential diagnosis of SSP.
Early screening instruments for autism spectrum disorder: promising, but more is needed
Authors: Roeyers Herbert
Published: August 2018

This commentary is on the systematic review by Yuen et al. on pages 1093–1100 of this issue.
Mechanistic insights from sequential combination therapy with a sodium glucose co‐transporter‐2 inhibitor and a dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 inhibitor: Results from the CANARIS Trial using canagliflozin and teneligliptin
Authors: Okahata Sumie , Sakamoto Kentaro , Mitsumatsu Takako , Kondo Yuko , Tanaka Shoji , Shiba Teruo
Published: August 2018

Aim

To elucidate the mechanisms involved in the sequential use of SGLT2 and DPP4 inhibitors (SGLT2i and DPP‐4i).

Methods

Twenty‐six type‐2 diabetes mellitus patients were recruited into a stepped regimen of 100 mg of canagliflozin daily from day 1, supplemented with 20 mg of teneligliptin daily from day 4. Glucose (Glu), insulin and glucagon were measured at fasting and after ingesting a mixed meal on days 1, 4 and 6.

Results

Canagliflozin decreased fasting plasma glucose to an extent inversely proportional to the change in the glucagon‐to‐insulin (G/I) ratio. This correlation at fasting was maintained when adding teneligliptin, while the change in the area under the curve of Glu (GluAUC) correlated closely with that in the G/I ratio at fasting and 60 min with canagliflozin. Moreover, these correlations persisted at 60 and 120 min postprandially, but not at fasting on day 6 when teneligliptin was added.

Conclusion

The result suggested that the dominant mechanism responsible for the glucose metabolism reflected in the G/I ratio was attributable to SGLT2i and that its active mechanism persisted, despite adding a DPP‐4i.
Atrial fibrillation and type 2 diabetes: Prevalence, etiology, pathophysiology and effect of anti‐diabetic therapies
Authors: Bell David S. H. , Goncalves Edison
Published: August 2018

New‐onset atrial fibrillation (NAF) is increased in the type 2 diabetic patient because of the presence of the metaboli syndrome and increased sympathetic activity. This results in inflammation, endothelial dysfunction and myocardial steatosis which, in turn, lead to atrial fibrosis and dilatation. The end result is the development of structural and electrical atrial remodeling. Drugs that lower insulin resistance, particularly pioglitazone, decrease the incidence of NAF while drugs that, through hypoglycaemia, stimulate the sympathetic nervous system, insulin and secretagogues, increase the incidence of NAF. Currently there is no evidence that GLP‐1 agonists, SGLT2 inhibitors and DPP‐4 inhibitors either accelerate or decelerate the development of NAF.
Comparative study of the expression of cholinergic system components in the CNS of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis mice: Acute vs remitting phase
Authors: Di Pinto Giovanni , Di Bari Maria , Martin‐Alvarez Rocío , Sperduti Samantha , Serrano‐Acedo Silvia , Gatta Valentina , Tata Ada M. , Mengod Guadalupe
Published: August 2018

Acetylcholine (ACh) is involved in the modulation of the inflammatory response. ACh levels are regulated by its synthesizing enzyme, choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), and by its hydrolyzing enzymes, mainly acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE). A more comprehensive understanding of the cholinergic system in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) disease progression could pave the path for the development of therapies to ameliorate multiple sclerosis (MS). In this work, we analyzed possible alterations of the CNS cholinergic system in the neuroinflammation process by using a MOG‐induced EAE mice model. MOG‐ and vehicle‐treated animals were studied at acute and remitting phases. We examined neuropathology and analyzed mRNA expression of ChAT, AChE and the α7 subunit of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (α7nAChR), as well as AChE and BuChE enzyme activities, in brain and spinal cord sections during disease progression. The mRNA expression and enzyme activities of these cholinergic markers were up‐ or down‐regulated in many cholinergic areas and other brain areas of EAE mice in the acute and remitting phases of the disease. BuChE was present in a higher proportion of astroglia and microglia/macrophage cells in the EAE remitting group. The observed changes in cholinergic markers expression and cellular localization in the CNS during EAE disease progression suggests their potential involvement in the development of the neuroinflammatory process and may lay the ground to consider cholinergic system components as putative anti‐inflammatory therapeutic targets for MS.
The molecular genetics of human sleep
Authors: Zhang Luoying , Fu Ying‐Hui
Published: August 2018

It has been known for many years that genetic influences account for some of the individual differences in human sleep parameters, but the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. With major advances of molecular biology and the recognition of heritable sleep behaviors in humans over the past 30 years, a number of genetic variants have been identified to be associated with human sleep timing, duration and quality, both in healthy individuals and under pathological conditions. Some of these variants were further validated and characterized in animal models, shedding light on the mechanism of how these variants likely alter sleep in humans, which may provide new insights into developing more effective treatments to improve human sleep.
Rainer W. Guillery and the genetic analysis of brain development
Authors: Walsh Christopher A.
Published: August 2018

Ray Guillery had broad research interests that spanned cellular neuroanatomy, but was perhaps best known for his investigation of the connectivity and function of the thalamus, especially the visual pathways. His work on the genetics of abnormal vision in albino mammals served as an early paradigm for genetic approaches for studying brain connectivity of complex species in general, and remains of major relevance today. This work, especially on the Siamese cat, illustrates the complex relationship between genotype and physiology of cerebral cortical circuits, and anticipated many of the issues underlying the imperfect relationship between genes, circuits, and behavior in mammalian species including human. This review also briefly summarizes studies from our own lab inspired by Ray Guillery's legacy that continues to explore the relationship between genes, structure, and behavior in human cerebral cortex.
Enhanced motivation of cognitive control in Parkinson's disease
Authors: Timmer Monique H.M. , Aarts Esther , Esselink Rianne A.J. , Cools Roshan
Published: August 2018

Motor and cognitive deficits in Parkinson's disease (PD) have been argued to reflect motivational deficits. In prior work, however, we have shown that motivation of cognitive control is paradoxically potentiated rather than impaired in Parkinson's disease. This is particularly surprising given the fact that Parkinson's disease is often accompanied by depression, a prototypical disorder of motivation. To replicate our previous finding and assess the effects of depression, we investigated performance of PD patients with (n = 22) and without depression (history) (n = 23) and age‐matched healthy controls (n = 23) on a task specifically designed to measure the effect of reward motivation on task‐switching. We replicated previous findings by showing contrasting effects of reward motivation on task‐switching in PD patients and age‐matched healthy controls. While the promise of high versus low reward improved task‐switching in PD, it tended to impair task‐switching in age‐matched healthy controls. There were no effects of a depression (history) diagnosis in PD patients. These findings reinforce prior observations that Parkinson's disease is accompanied by enhanced incentive motivation of cognitive control and highlight the potential of incentive motivational strategies for overcoming cognitive deficits in Parkinson's disease.
Incentivising fire management in Pindan (Acacia shrubland): A proposed fuel type for Australia's Savanna burning greenhouse gas emissions abatement methodology
Authors: Lynch Dominique , Russell‐Smith Jeremy , Edwards Andrew C. , Evans Jay , Yates Cameron
Published: August 2018

The Australian Government has sanctioned development of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) abatement methodologies to meet international emissions reduction obligations. Savanna burning emissions abatement methodologies have been available since 2012, and there are currently 72 registered projects covering approximately 32 million ha. Abatement to date has exceeded 4 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2‐e) principally through the application of low intensity early dry season fire management to reduce the amount of biomass combusted in higher intensity late dry season (LDS) fires. Savanna burning projects can only be conducted on areas with eligible fire‐prone vegetation fuel types where implementing the improved fire management regime is considered ecologically appropriate. This study assesses the suitability of including tall Acacia shrublands (‘Pindan’) as a new eligible fuel type. These shrublands make up 12% (~2 million ha) of the Kimberley region, Western Australia, where, on average, 32% is fire affected annually, mostly in the LDS. A standard assessment protocol was applied to describe vegetation fuel type structural and pyrolysis characteristics. We show that Pindan (i) can be identified and mapped as a unique tall Acacia shrubland vegetation fuel type, (ii) characterised by a significantly greater shrubby fuel load biomass, and (iii) the conservation status of which would benefit from imposition of strategic prescribed burning programme. Savanna burning projects in the Pindan fuel type could potentially abate up to 24.43 t.CO2‐e/km2 per year, generating significant income and employment opportunities for predominantly Indigenous land managers in the region.
Intravenous ketamine in status epilepticus
Authors: Höfler Julia , Trinka Eugen
Published: August 2018

Status epilepticus (SE) is among the most common neurological emergencies. In refractory SE, due to subcellular maladaptive changes, γ‐aminobutyric acidergic drugs are no longer effective, and there is an increase in synaptic N‐methyl‐d‐aspartate (NMDA) receptors. Ketamine (KET) is a noncompetitive N‐methyl‐d‐aspartate receptor antagonist that could be of value in the treatment of refractory SE. The aim was to analyze all published studies on KET in the treatment of SE. A systematic search (PubMed) of the literature identified 25 studies (from December 1996 to March 2017); with the exception of two prospective studies, all studies were retrospective in nature and published as a full paper. To date, PubMed lists a total number of 244 episodes of SE treated with KET (13 case reports and five case series in adults; four case reports and three case series in children); the overall success rate was 74% (153/207) in adults and 73% (27/37) in children. Adverse events were rare. Current evidence on the use of KET in acute seizures and SE is mostly restricted to retrospective case reports and case series, except for two prospective case series without control (class IV). Further prospective studies to inform clinicians are necessary.
Transient microstructural brain anomalies and epileptiform discharges in mice defective for epilepsy and language‐related NMDA receptor subunit gene Grin2a
Authors: Salmi Manal , Bolbos Radu , Bauer Sylvian , Minlebaev Marat , Burnashev Nail , Szepetowski Pierre
Published: August 2018

Objective

The epilepsy‐aphasia spectrum (EAS) is a heterogeneous group of age‐dependent childhood disorders characterized by sleep‐activated discharges associated with infrequent seizures and language, cognitive, and behavioral deficits. Defects in the GRIN2A gene, encoding a subunit of glutamate‐gated N‐methyl‐d‐aspartate (NMDA) receptors, represent the most important cause of EAS identified so far. Neocortical or thalamic lesions were detected in a subset of severe EAS disorders, and more subtle anomalies were reported in patients with so‐called “benign” phenotypes. However, whether brain structural alterations exist in the context of GRIN2A defects is unknown.

Methods

Magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging (MR‐DTI) was used to perform longitudinal analysis of the brain at 3 developmental timepoints in living mice genetically knocked out (KO) for Grin2a. In addition, electroencephalography (EEG) was recorded using multisite extracellular electrodes to characterize the neocortical activity in vivo.

Results

Microstructural alterations were detected in the neocortex, the corpus callosum, the hippocampus, and the thalamus of Grin2a KO mice. Most MR‐DTI alterations were detected at a specific developmental stage when mice were aged 30 days, but not at earlier (15 days) or later (2 months) ages. EEG analysis detected epileptiform discharges in Grin2a KO mice in the third postnatal week.

Significance

Grin2a KO mice replicated several anomalies found in patients with EAS disorders. Transient structural alterations detected by MR‐DTI recalled the age‐dependent course of EAS disorders, which in humans start during childhood and show variable outcome at the onset of adolescence. Together with the epileptiform discharges detected in young Grin2a KO mice, our data suggested the existence of early anomalies in the maturation of the neocortical and thalamocortical systems. Whereas the possible relationship of those anomalies with sleep warrants further investigations, our data suggest that Grin2a KO mice may serve as an animal model to study the neuronal mechanisms of EAS disorders and to design new therapeutic strategies.
Detection of intraocular Leptospira spp. by real‐time polymerase chain reaction in horses with recurrent uveitis in Belgium
Authors: Sauvage A. C. , Monclin S. J. , Elansary M. , Hansen P. , Grauwels M. F.
Published: August 2018

Background

Equine recurrent uveitis (ERU) has been associated with Leptospira spp. infection. No information exists concerning the prevalence of Leptospira‐associated ERU in Belgium and about the sensitivity of detection of Leptospira in different ocular media.

Objectives

To establish the prevalence of intraocular Leptospira spp. in ERU‐affected and healthy eyes of horses examined at the Equine Clinic of the University of Liège by real‐time PCR and to compare the results of the aqueous and vitreous humour of the same eye.

Study design

Cross‐sectional.

Methods

Sixty‐six eyes from 59 client‐owned horses with a diagnosis of equine recurrent uveitis (ERU‐group) were studied from May 2015 to December 2017. Fifty healthy eyes from 28 euthanised horses for unrelated reasons examined during the same period were included in the control group. Intraocular fluids (aqueous and/or vitreous humours) from ERU‐affected eyes were sampled and analysed by real‐time PCR for Leptospira spp. Aqueous and vitreous humours from the control group were processed in the same way.

Results

Both groups were comparable regarding age, sex, eye sampled (OS/OD), humours sampled (aqueous/vitreous humour) but not regarding breeds, with an over‐representation of Warmbloods and Appaloosas in the ERU‐group. The prevalence of Leptospira spp. was 30.3% (20/66 eyes) in the ERU‐group. Leptospira spp. DNA was identified in 11 aqueous and 17 vitreous humours with eight horses testing positive in both humours, nine horses testing positive for vitreous humour alone and third horses for aqueous humour alone. The phi‐correlation between aqueous and vitreous humour Leptospira‐PCR results is 0.47 suggesting a low association. All the control eyes were negative.

Main limitations

The diagnostic method selected for this study (lipL32 qPCR) did not allow identification of the serovars.

Conclusions

Leptospirosis is a potential cause of ERU in Belgium. Testing both intraocular media is advised whenever possible.

The Summary is available in Spanish – see Supporting Information
Piperazine derivatives with central pharmacological activity used as therapeutic tools
Authors: Brito Adriane F. , Moreira Lorrane K. S. , Menegatti Ricardo , Costa Elson A.
Published: August 2018

Medicinal chemistry is a science applied to the search and discovery of new therapeutic agents for the treatment of various diseases. Therefore, promising structures have been identified; one of these structures is the piperazine moiety, a cyclic molecule containing two nitrogen atoms in positions 1 and 4 as well as four carbon atoms. Many piperazine derivatives have central pharmacological activity that mainly involves the activation of the monoamine pathway. Thus, piperazine derivatives have been the subject of research for many central therapeutic applications, including antipsychotic, antidepressant and anxiolytic applications. Benzylpiperazine is the prototype of piperazine derivatives; this substance is the main component of recreational drugs, partly due to its stimulant and euphoric effects. This paper describes some piperazine derivatives used therapeutically as antipsychotic (clozapine), antidepressant (vortioxetine) and anxiolytic (buspirone) drugs.
DNA repair in trinucleotide repeat ataxias
Authors: Yau Wai Yan , O'Connor Emer , Sullivan Roisin , Akijian Layan , Wood Nicholas W.
Published: August 2018

The inherited cerebellar ataxias comprise of a genetic heterogeneous group of disorders. Pathogenic expansions of cytosine–adenine–guanine (CAG) encoding polyglutamine tracts account for the largest proportion of autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxias, while GAA expansion in the first introns of frataxin gene is the commonest cause of autosomal recessive cerebellar ataxias. Currently, there is no available treatment to alter the disease trajectory, with devastating consequences for affected individuals. Inter‐ and Intrafamily phenotypic variability suggest the existence of genetic modifiers, which may become targets amendable to treatment. Recent studies have demonstrated the importance of DNA repair pathways in modifying spinocerebellar ataxia with CAG repeat expansions. In this review, we discuss the mechanisms in which DNA repair pathways, epigenetics and other genetic factors may act as modifiers in cerebellar ataxias due to trinucleotide repeat expansions.
High‐frequency greenhouse gas flux measurement system detects winter storm surge effects on salt marsh
Authors: Diefenderfer Heida L. , Cullinan Valerie I. , Borde Amy B. , Gunn Cailene M. , Thom Ronald M.
Published: August 2018

The physical controlling factors on coastal plant communities are among the most dynamic of known ecosystems, but climate change alters coastal surface and subsurface hydrologic regimes, which makes rapid measurement of greenhouse gas fluxes critical. Greenhouse gas exchange rates in these terrestrial–aquatic ecosystems are highly variable worldwide with climate, soil type, plant community, and weather. Therefore, increasing data collection and availability should be a priority. Here, we demonstrate and validate physical and analytical modifications to automated soil‐flux chamber measurement methods for unattended use in tidally driven wetlands, allowing the high‐frequency capture of storm surge and day/night dynamics. Winter CO2 flux from Sarcocornia perennis marsh to the atmosphere was significantly greater during the day (2.8 mmol m−2 hr−1) than the night (2.2 mmol m−2 hr−1; p < 0.001), while CH4 was significantly greater during the night (0.16 μmol m−2 hr−1) than the day (−0.13 μmol m−2 hr−1; p = 0.04). The magnitude of CO2 flux during the day and the frequency of CH4 flux were reduced during a surge (p < 0.001). Surge did not significantly affect N2O flux, which without non‐detects was normally distributed around −24.2 nmol m−2 hr−1. Analysis with sustained‐flux global potentials and increased storm surge frequency scenarios, 2020 to 2100, suggested that the marsh in winter remains an atmospheric CO2 source. The modeled results showed an increased flux of CO2 to the atmosphere, while in soil, the uptake of CH4 increased and N2O uptake decreased. We present analytical routines to correctly capture gas flux curves in dynamic overland flooding conditions and to flag data that are below detection limits or from unobserved chamber‐malfunction situations. Storm surge is an important phenomenon globally, but event‐driven, episodic factors can be poorly estimated by infrequent sampling. Wider deployment of this system would permit inclusion of surge events in greenhouse gas estimates.