bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Understanding the direct and indirect costs of a first episode of psychosis program: Insights from PAFIP of Cantabria, Spain, during the first year of intervention
Authors: Mayoral‐van Son Jacqueline , Juncal‐Ruiz María , Ortiz‐García de la Foz Víctor , Cantarero‐Prieto David , Blázquez‐Fernández Carla , Paz‐Zulueta María , Paras‐Bravo Paula , Ayuso‐Mateos José L. , Crespo‐Facorro Benedicto
Published: October 2018

Aim

Early intervention psychiatric services for patients with psychosis aim to limit the most damaging outcomes and reduce the patient's risk of social drift, decreasing illness severity and thus containing healthcare costs. There is a scarcity of studies that focus on first‐episode psychosis (FEP), and those few that have been published only looked at direct health costs, but not at indirect costs, which make up the bulk of the budget.

Our study aims to explore the short‐term (1‐year follow‐up) economic cost of a FEP Program, including both direct and indirect costs.

Methods

Data were collected retrospectively from the clinical records of 157 patients included in the Programa Atención Fases Iniciales de Psicosis, from Marqués de Valdecilla University Hospital, Santander. Our data collection sheet collated data from direct and indirect costs associated with the illness. Data were also extracted from the Cantabria Health Service Records. STATA 15.0 was used for statistical analysis.

Results

On average, the total costs during the first year were €48 353.51 per patient, with direct healthcare costs being €13 729.47 (28.39%), direct non‐medical costs €108.6 (0.22%), and indirect costs €34 515.44 (71.39%). We found that hospitalization costs were higher in males (p = 0.081) and in cannabis users (p = 0.032). The number of relapses increased both, hospitalization and treatment costs (r = 0.40 p = 0.000; r = 0.24 p = 0.067, respectively).

Conclusions

Intensive Early Intervention in Psychosis Services may result in cost savings by decreasing hospitalization, premature mortality, disability, unemployment, and legal problems; however, the first year after diagnosis would represent the one with the highest costs.
Structural analysis of impact of physical, cognitive and social status on the incidence of disability in community‐dwelling people aged ≥75 years
Authors: Makino Keitaro , Ihira Hikaru , Mizumoto Atsushi , Shimizu Kotaro , Ishida Toyoaki , Yamaguchi Ryo , Kihara Yuriko , Ito Kazunari , Sasaki Takeshi , Furuna Taketo
Published: October 2018

Aim

The present study aimed to propose a structural model to explain the interaction of physical, cognitive and social domains of health status in the incidence of disability in community‐dwelling people aged ≥75 years.

Methods

We analyzed 185 older adults (mean age 79.4 years, 58.4% female) who participated in a baseline assessment from 2012 to 2013. They were followed for incident certification of care needs in the national long‐term care insurance certification system during the 2 years. Baseline assessments included several measurements related to the physical, cognitive and social domains of health status. We compared the model fit index between two hypothesis models – the parallel model and the hierarchical model – using structural equation modeling.

Results

During the follow‐up period, 15 participants (8.1%) were newly certified as requiring personal support from the long‐term care insurance system. The structural equation modeling showed that the hierarchical model, indicating that cognitive and social status were indirectly associated with disability through physical status, had a better fit with the data than the parallel model, indicating that physical, cognitive and social status each were directly associated with disability.

Conclusions

The present results suggest that cognitive and social status might indirectly affect disability incidence through physical aging. Further research is required to examine the temporal relationship between physical, cognitive and social change using data over several time‐periods. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2018; 18: 1614–1619.
Measuring productive collocational knowledge of the most frequent words
Authors: Barouni Ebrahimi Alireza
Published: October 2018

Collocational knowledge is associated with writing and speaking skills. Productive skills are essential for English for Academic Purposes (EAP) students who express themselves in oral presentations or written assignments. Therefore, diagnostic measurement of collocational knowledge is important, especially in regard to the most frequent 1,000 word families that cover 81% and 85% of written and spoken text. This study measured 46 Iranian university EAP students’ productive collocational knowledge of the words at the 1,000 word frequency level. The findings indicate that while participants had the productive form‐meaning knowledge of the words, they did not seem to have extensive collocational knowledge of the same words. This assists in diagnosing area of weakness and the degree to which instructional emphasis on high frequency words might improve their knowledge.
Comparison of perfusion values after percutaneous transluminal angioplasty according to the severity of ischaemia in the diabetic foot
Authors: Namgoong Sik , Yang Jong‐Phil , Yoo Ki‐Hyun , Han Seung‐Kyu , Rha Seung‐Woon , Lee Ye‐Na
Published: October 2018

Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) is now more frequently used to improve tissue perfusion in ischemic diabetic feet. However, there are concerns about its feasibility and effectiveness in severely ischaemic feet. This study aimed to compare the perfusion values after PTA according to the ischaemic degree of diabetic feet. This study included 133 ischaemic diabetic feet. The foot transcutaneous oxygen pressure (TcPO2) and toe pressure were measured before the procedure and every second postoperative week for 6 weeks. The patients were divided into three groups according to ischaemic severity on the basis of TcPO2 and toe pressures. In the “severely ischaemic” group, the TcPO2 increased from 7.5 ± 4.9 to 40.3 ± 11.3 mm Hg (5.4‐fold) 6 weeks after the PTA (P < 0.001). The toe pressure increased from 8.5 ± 8.8 to 42.2 ± 19.3 mm Hg (5.0‐fold, P < 0.001). In the “mild” group, the TcPO2 increased from 35.4 ± 2.5 to 41.8 ± 12.4 mm Hg (1.2‐fold, P = 0.003), and the toe pressure increased from 45.7 ± 12.3 to 54.3 ± 31.3 mm Hg (1.2‐fold, P > 0.05). Results of the “intermediate” group were in between. The most severely ischaemic group had the most dramatic increase of tissue perfusion after PTA. As such, PTA can be an effective method for increasing tissue perfusion even in the severely ischaemic diabetic feet.
What I Know, What I Think I Know, and Whom I Know
Authors: Chung Yunhyung , Park Youngkyun
Published: October 2018

Drawing on social cognitive theory and social network literature, this study examines how objective financial knowledge (OFK) and financial knowledge network intensity (FKNI) influence retirement investment decisions through the mediation of subjective financial knowledge (SFK). Using survey data, we find that OFK and FKNI enhance 401(k) account holders' risk‐taking and investment quality. We also find a unique role of SFK in retirement investment decisions: SFK mediates the effect of OFK on risk‐taking, not on investment decision quality. While the interaction between OFK and FKNI does not influence investment decision quality through SFK, it does positively influence risk‐taking through the mediation of SFK, which implies that OFK and FKNI serve as complements to each other in risk‐taking through the mediation of SFK. We suggest that individuals may reap benefits from financial literacy and financial network‐building programs for improving retirement investment decision‐making.
Habitus, social elevation, and the channel of shame‐fear: The decision to expand Guinness advertising
Authors: Connolly John , Dolan Paddy
Published: October 2018

This article explains the relationship between social habitus, social mobility and shame feelings using Elias's theoretical frame of figurational sociology. Much work to date has centred on Bourdieu's theoretical formulations and while there are clear parallels with Elias, significant differences exist. Elias identified how shame functions as a key channel for the transmission of social tensions generated by the structure of social relations into the social habitus of individuals. We explain how apparently rational decision‐making in organisations obscures the emotional dynamics of shame and fear connected with processes of social elevation, habitus change and shifting power relations between social classes. Our empirical case concerns the brewer Arthur Guinness & Sons Ltd and the decision in 1927 to sanction a direct advertising campaign in Britain for the first time.
Psychometric evaluation of the simplified Japanese version of the Athens Insomnia Scale: The Fukushima Health Management Survey
Authors: Iwasa Hajime , Takebayashi Yoshitake , Suzuki Yuriko , Yagi Akiko , Zhang Wen , Harigane Mayumi , Maeda Masaharu , Ohira Tetsuya , Yabe Hirooki , Yasumura Seiji ,   the Mental Health Group of the Fukushima Health Management Survey
Published: October 2018

We investigated the psychometric properties of the simplified Japanese version of the Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS‐SJ) using baseline data from the Fukushima Health Management Survey. Data from 22 878 men and 27 669 women aged 16 years and older were analysed (Mage = 52.9 ± 18.6). Participants lived in the Fukushima evacuation zone and experienced the Great East Japan Earthquake. The AIS‐SJ was used to assess participants’ insomnia symptoms, and its validity was examined by administering the Kessler 6‐item Psychological Distress Scale (K6) and assessing education, self‐rated health and disaster‐related experiences. A confirmatory factor analysis revealed that the two‐factor model was a better fit than the one‐factor model. The AIS‐SJ and its subscales had acceptable reliability (Cronbach's alpha, 0.81). Test of measurement invariance confirmed strict invariance across groups for the participants’ characteristics of gender and mental illness history, but not for participants’ age. AIS‐SJ scores exhibited a near‐normal distribution (skewness, 0.45; kurtosis, −0.89). There were significant age differences only among women, and gender differences in AIS‐SJ scores with small effect sizes. The AIS‐SJ scores had weak‐to‐moderate correlations with mental illness history, bereavement, experiencing the tsunami, experiencing the nuclear power plant incident, housing damage and losing one's job (polyserial correlations, 0.36, 0.17, 0.13, 0.18, 0.13, and 0.15, respectively), and strong correlations with self‐rated health (polyserial correlation, 0.51), psychological distress (rs, 0.60) and post‐traumatic stress disorder (rs, 0.60). The AIS‐SJ is a useful instrument for assessing community dwellers’ insomnia symptoms.
Segmentation of Highly Vocalic Speech Via Statistical Learning: Initial Results From Danish, Norwegian, and English
Authors: Trecca Fabio , McCauley Stewart M. , Andersen Sofie Riis , Bleses Dorthe , Basbøll Hans , Højen Anders , Madsen Thomas O. , Ribu Ingeborg Sophie Bjønness , Christiansen Morten H.
Published: October 2018

Research has shown that contoids (phonetically defined consonants) may provide more robust and reliable cues to syllable and word boundaries than vocoids (phonetically defined vowels). Recent studies of Danish, a language characterized by frequent long sequences of vocoids in speech, have suggested that the reduced occurrence of contoids may make speech in it intrinsically harder to segment than in closely related languages such as Norwegian. We addressed this hypothesis empirically in an artificial language learning experiment with native speakers of Danish, Norwegian, and English. We tested whether artificial speech consisting of concatenated contoid–vocoid syllables is easier to segment than speech consisting of vocoid–vocoid syllables where the first segment is a semivowel and the second a full vowel. Contrary to what was expected, we found no effect of the phonetic makeup of the syllables on speech segmentability. Possible interpretations and implications of this result are discussed.

Open Practices

This article has been awarded Open Materials and Open Data badges. All materials and data are publicly accessible via the Open Science Framework athttps://osf.io/rmjtg. Learn more about the Open Practices badges from the Center for Open Science:https://osf.io/tvyxz/wiki.
Contribution of a lectin, LecM, to the quorum sensing signalling pathway of Ralstonia solanacearum strain OE1‐1
Authors: Hayashi Kazusa , Kai Kenji , Mori Yuka , Ishikawa Shiho , Ujita Yumeto , Ohnishi Kouhei , Kiba Akinori , Hikichi Yasufumi
Published: October 2018

The soil‐borne bacterium Ralstonia solanacearum invades the roots and colonizes the intercellular spaces and then the xylem. The expression of lecM, encoding a lectin LecM, is induced by an OmpR family response regulator HrpG in R. solanacearum strain OE1‐1. LecM contributes to the attachment of strain OE1‐1 to the host cells of intercellular spaces. OE1‐1 produces methyl 3‐hydroxymyristate (3‐OH MAME) through a methyltransferase (PhcB) and extracellularly secretes the chemical as a quorum sensing (QS) signal, which activates QS. The expression of lecM is also induced by the PhcA virulence regulator functioning through QS, and the resulting LecM is implicated in the QS‐dependent production of major exopolysaccharide EPS I and the aggregation of OE1‐1 cells. To investigate the function of LecM in QS, we analysed the transcriptome of R. solanacearum strains generated by RNA sequencing technology. In the lecM mutant, the expression of positively QS‐regulated genes and negatively QS‐regulated genes was down‐regulated (by >90%) and up‐regulated (by ~60%), respectively. However, phcB and phcA in the lecM mutant were expressed at levels similar to those in strain OE1‐1. The lecM mutant produced significantly less ralfuranone and exhibited a significantly greater swimming motility, which were positively and negatively regulated by QS, respectively. In addition, the extracellular 3‐OH MAME content of the lecM mutant was significantly lower than that of OE1‐1. The application of 3‐OH MAME more strongly increased EPS I production in the phcB‐deleted mutant and strain OE1‐1 than in the lecM mutant. Thus, the QS‐dependent production of LecM contributes to the QS signalling pathway.
Teratosphaeria stem canker of Eucalyptus: two pathogens, one devastating disease
Authors: Aylward Janneke , Roets Francois , Dreyer Leánne L. , Wingfield Michael J.
Published: October 2018

Background

Teratosphaeria gauchensis and T. zuluensis are closely related fungi that cause Teratosphaeria (previously Coniothyrium) stem canker disease on Eucalyptus species propagated in plantations for commercial purposes. This disease is present in many countries in which Eucalyptus trees are planted, and continues to spread with the international trade of infected plant germplasm.

Taxonomy

Fungi, Ascomycota, Pezizomycotina, Dothideomycetes, Dothideomycetidae, Capnodiales, Teratosphaeriaceae, Teratosphaeria.

Identification

The causal agents form dark masses of pycnidia that are visible on the surface of distinct stem cankers that typically form on young green stem tissues. Accurate diagnosis of the causal agents requires DNA sequence data.

Host range

Nine species of Eucalyptus are known to be affected. Of these, E. grandis and its hybrids, which include some of the most important planting stock globally, appear to be particularly vulnerable.

Disease symptoms

Small necrotic lesions develop on young green stem tissue. These lesions coalesce to form large cankers that exude gum. Epicormic shoots develop below the girdling canker and, in severe cases, trees die.

Useful websites

Mycobank, https://www.mycobank.org; Publications of the Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), https://www.fabinet.up.ac.za/index.php/journals.
Vitamin D status in the tropics: Is sunlight exposure the main determinant?
Authors: Mendes M. M. , Hart K. H. , Botelho P. B. , Lanham‐New S. A.
Published: October 2018

Vitamin D is essential to bone health; severe and prolonged deficiency can lead to rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults. As the main source of vitamin D is exposure of the skin to ultraviolet rays, it has long been assumed that living in a sunny country ensures adequate vitamin D levels (i.e. the optimum level of serum vitamin D to prevent detrimental effects to bone health). However, there is increasing evidence that vitamin D insufficiency may have been underestimated in low latitude, tropical countries. Brazil is a unique country to study as it is the only country in the world that has both the line of equator and that of the tropic of Capricorn running through its territory. Recent findings of a high prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency in countries, such as Brazil, suggest that vitamin D deficiency may be increasing at a global level. More robust and large studies are needed for an accurate estimate of the prevalence of insufficient vitamin D levels in populations in sunny countries and the relative contribution of key influential factors, such as individual sun exposure, dietary intake, skin pigmentation and lifestyle.
Developing a scale to measure Japanese nurses' individual readiness for deployment to disasters
Authors: Maeda Takayo , Kotera Sayaka , Matsuda Nobuko , Huebner Carol A.
Published: October 2018

Japan is a disaster‐prone country, and Japanese registered nurses (RN) should be evaluated for their individual readiness for unexpected dispatches. The aim of the present study was to develop and validate a scale for measuring individual readiness of Japanese RN for disasters. In our previous study in 2014, we developed a Japanese version of the Readiness Estimate and Deployability Index, which was originally developed in the USA in 1997. Considering the cultural and characteristic aspects of Japanese RN social skills, a preliminary version of the instrument was constructed in a pilot study. In the main survey, construct validity, internal consistency, and concurrent validity of the self‐evaluation instrument were assessed in a sample of 964 RN, and its psychometric properties were evaluated. A six dimensional, 37 item tool called the Japanese Disaster Nursing Readiness Evaluation Index (JDNREI) was developed. The Cronbach's alpha for the scale was .93. The reliability of the six dimensions was acceptable, and the validity was supported by confirmatory factor analysis. The JDNREI, whose validity and reliability were evaluated, might enable RN to recognize and assess their level of individual readiness for future disasters.
Phylogeny and evolutionary history of diplobathrid crinoids (Echinodermata)
Authors: Cole Selina R.
Published: October 2018

Order Diplobathrida is a major clade of camerate crinoids spanning the Ordovician–Mississippian, yet phylogenetic relationships have only been inferred for Ordovician taxa. This has hampered efforts to construct a comprehensive tree of life for crinoids and develop a classification scheme that adequately reflects diplobathrid evolutionary history. Here, I apply maximum parsimony and Bayesian phylogenetic approaches to the fossil record of diplobathrids to infer the largest tree of fossil crinoids to date, with over 100 genera included. Recovered trees provide a framework for evaluating the current classification of diplobathrids. Notably, previous suborder divisions are not supported, and superfamily divisions will require significant modification. Although numerous revisions are required for families, most can be retained through reassignment of genera. In addition, recovered trees were used to produce phylogeny‐based estimates of diplobathrid lineage diversity. By accounting for ghost lineages, phylogeny‐based richness estimates offer greater insight into diversification and extinction dynamics than traditional taxonomy‐based approaches alone and provide a detailed summary of the ~150 million‐year evolutionary history of Diplobathrida. This study constitutes a major step toward producing a phylogeny of the Crinoidea and documenting crinoid diversity dynamics. In addition, it will serve as a framework for subsequent phylogeny‐based investigations of macroevolutionary questions.
Budgeting for Mandatory Spending: Prologue to Reform
Authors: Phaup Marvin
Published: October 2018

This paper identifies a feature of the federal budget process that, consistent with the findings of behavioral research, increases the difficulty for policymakers of restraining the growth of mandatory spending to sustainable rates: budgetary accounting. Specifically, use of cash‐basis accounting, on‐budget payment accounts, and a narrow definition of debt defers recognition of the cost of mandatory spending until benefits are payable and politically unavoidable. Acting to control “future” costs is cognitively more difficult for decision‐makers than addressing cost now as obligated. The paper proposes a trial of alternative budgetary accounting for mandatory spending that saliently recognizes cost as it accrues.
A Comparative Study on the Photophysical and Photochemical Properties of Dyes in the Presence of Low Generation Amino‐terminated Polyamidoamine Dendrimers
Authors: Grassano Micaela E. , Altamirano Marcela S. , Militello María P. , Arbeloa Ernesto M. , Previtali Carlos M. , Bertolotti Sonia G.
Published: October 2018

The photophysical and photochemical properties of the xanthene dyes mercurochrome (MCr) and eosin‐Y (Eos); and the phenazine dye safranine‐O (SF) are evaluated in the presence of amino‐terminated polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers of low generations. The dendrimers produce a red shift in the UV‐vis absorption spectra of the dyes, which increases with concentration and the size of the PAMAM molecule. The Stern–Volmer plots of fluorescence quenching for xanthenic dyes present a downward curvature. It is ascribed to a static mechanism involving a dye–dendrimer binding. A non‐linear fitting of the SV plots allows the calculation of the binding constants. For SF, the fluorescence is only slightly quenched by PAMAMs and the SV plots are linear. The binding constants are in the order Kbind (SF) ≪ Kbind (Eos) < Kbind (MCr). The difference must be due to important specific structural effects. A decrease in the triplet lifetime and an increase in the absorption of the semireduced form of the dyes are observed in the presence of dendrimers. While for the two xanthene dyes, the rate constants reach the diffusional limit for G2 and G3, for SF they are one order of magnitude lower. This is explained by a different quenching mechanism of the two types of dyes.
A Polarization Index for Overlapping Groups
Authors: Gigliarano Chiara , Nowak Daniel , Mosler Karl
Published: October 2018

The well‐known index of income bipolarization proposed by Wolfson (1994) requires two groups to be split according to the median income and, therefore, to be non‐overlapping. The aim of this paper is to propose a new polarization index in the spirit of the Wolfson index. It allows for any possible partition of the population in two or more (also overlapping) groups. The new index maintains the simplicity and immediate comprehension of the Wolfson index, though being much more flexible. An application is then provided for German and Italian income data.
The development of interindividual differences in sympathy: The role of child personality and adults’ responsiveness to distress
Authors: Kienbaum Jutta , Zorzi Miriam , Kunina‐Habenicht Olga
Published: October 2018

In a three‐wave longitudinal study of 85 children (43 girls) at 5, 6, and 7 years of age, the role played by child personality (inhibition, aggressiveness) and adults’ responsiveness to distress in children's sympathy was examined. At all three times, sympathy was measured via standardized observations as well as children's self‐reports. Child inhibition and aggressiveness were assessed with reports by teachers at T1 and T2. Parents’ and teachers’ responsiveness to distress were inferred from interviews with the children at T1 and T2. Longitudinal analyses via latent regression using structural equation models showed that earlier sympathy explained most of the variance in later sympathy. Additionally, higher inhibition at T1 predicted less sympathy at T2. Higher sympathy at T1 predicted more adult responsiveness at T2. Higher aggressiveness at T2 predicted less sympathy at T3. Within time, at T1, sympathy was positively related to adults’ responsiveness. At T2, inhibition and sympathy were negatively related. The discussion focuses on the question of how child personality as well as parental and non‐parental socialization experiences work in concert to explain interindividual differences in sympathy.
Gentrification As A Politico‐Economic Window: Reflections On The Changing State Of Gentrification
Authors: Hackworth Jason
Published: October 2018

This essay provides some reflections on the ‘Changing State of Gentrification’ article published in 2001. I focus on three areas that have been raised as critiques of this article: (i) the issue of generalisability; (ii) the mechanics of ‘waves’; and (iii) the conceptualisation of the state. I reemphasise the importance of using gentrification as a window to wider politico‐economic change.
Dull Place or Green Idyll: Local Identity and Migration Intentions of Small City Youth
Authors: Gunko Maria , Medvedev Andrey
Published: October 2018

Nowadays small cities often lose population. In countries which are forerunners of the demographic transition, depopulation is mainly driven by out‐migration of youth. Through a case study of students from small Russian cities, this paper explores the nature of the association between local identity (LI) and migration intentions. The study suggests that young people with a stronger LI are on average more prone to return to their native cities after graduation. This ‘traditional’ relationship may be related to the difficulties in maintaining strong ties to a place of personal significance when not residing there in the Russian context. However, overall, youth tend towards a negative association with their cities and LI is formed as an opposition: the denial of place validity. Therefore, both way associations are possible. While a strong LI may influence the intention to migrate, it may also develop as an adaptation mechanism for those forced to return.
The structural and functional domains of plant thylakoid membranes
Authors: Koochak Haniyeh , Puthiyaveetil Sujith , Mullendore Daniel L. , Li Meng , Kirchhoff Helmut
Published: October 2018

In plants, the stacking of part of the photosynthetic thylakoid membrane generates two main subcompartments: the stacked grana core and unstacked stroma lamellae. However, a third distinct domain, the grana margin, has been postulated but its structural and functional identity remains elusive. Here, an optimized thylakoid fragmentation procedure combined with detailed ultrastructural, biochemical, and functional analyses reveals the distinct composition of grana margins. It is enriched with lipids, cytochrome b6f complex, and ATPase while depleted in photosystems and light‐harvesting complexes. A quantitative method is introduced that is based on Blue Native Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis (BN‐PAGE) and dot immunoblotting for quantifying various photosystem II (PSII) assembly forms in different thylakoid subcompartments. The results indicate that the grana margin functions as a degradation and disassembly zone for photodamaged PSII. In contrast, the stacked grana core region contains fully assembled and functional PSII holocomplexes. The stroma lamellae, finally, contain monomeric PSII as well as a significant fraction of dimeric holocomplexes that identify this membrane area as the PSII repair zone. This structural organization and the heterogeneous PSII distribution support the idea that the stacking of thylakoid membranes leads to a division of labor that establishes distinct membrane areas with specific functions.
Analysis of the Quality on English Microlectures of Senior High School from Perspectives of Teaching Philosophy, Second Language Acquisition Mechanism and Education Psychology
Authors: Yuqian Yang
Published: October 2018

Concerning the fact that a large amount of teachers have been participated in the microlectures competition, it means the concept of microlectures has been recognized. However, English teachers are devoted to participating in these competitions but fail to put microlectures into practical teaching. Therefore, the focus of this paper is going to answer the following two questions, that is, how to make a good microlecture and how to use it properly. This paper chooses four videos from The Third China’s Microlectures Competition to analysis from three aspects: teaching philosophy, second language acquisition mechanism and education psychology. It is found that English teachers from senior high school generally do not understand the concept of microlectures. Generally speaking, teachers are intended to win the award of the competition but fail to put microlectures in the practical teaching. Teachers are inclined to select big topics, untypical teaching materials. What’s more, the structure of microlectures isn’t complete since some teachers ignore the exercise part. Based on these problems, on the one hand, English teachers should insist on life-long study and apply the latest education technologies into practical teaching. On the other hand, the organization of the whole microlecture should be developed logically. Suggestions are provided with teachers on how to make a make a good microlecture and how to use it properly.
Glycinergic neurotransmission in the rostral ventrolateral medulla controls the time course of baroreflex‐mediated sympathoinhibition
Authors: Gao Hong , Korim Willian S. , Yao Song T. , Heesch Cheryl M. , Derbenev Andrei V.
Published: October 2018

Key points

To maintain appropriate blood flow to various tissues of the body under a variety of physiological states, autonomic nervous system reflexes regulate regional sympathetic nerve activity and arterial blood pressure.

Our data obtained in anaesthetized rats revealed that glycine released in the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) plays a critical role in maintaining arterial baroreflex sympathoinhibition.

Manipulation of brainstem nuclei with known inputs to the RVLM (nucleus tractus solitarius and caudal VLM) unmasked tonic glycinergic inhibition in the RVLM.

Whole‐cell, patch clamp recordings demonstrate that both GABA and glycine inhibit RVLM neurons.

Potentiation of neurotransmitter release from the active synaptic inputs in the RVLM produced saturation of GABAergic inhibition and emergence of glycinergic inhibition.

Our data suggest that GABA controls threshold excitability, wherreas glycine increases the strength of inhibition under conditions of increased synaptic activity within the RVLM.

The arterial baroreflex is a rapid negative‐feedback system that compensates changes in blood pressure by adjusting the output of presympathetic neurons in the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM). GABAergic projections from the caudal VLM (CVLM) provide a primary inhibitory input to presympathetic RVLM neurons. Although glycine‐dependent regulation of RVLM neurons has been proposed, its role in determining RVLM excitability is ill‐defined. The present study aimed to determine the physiological role of glycinergic neurotransmission in baroreflex function, identify the mechanisms for glycine release, and evaluate co‐inhibition of RVLM neurons by GABA and glycine. Microinjection of the glycine receptor antagonist strychnine (4 mm, 100 nL) into the RVLM decreased the duration of baroreflex‐mediated inhibition of renal sympathetic nerve activity (control = 12 ± 1 min; RVLM‐strychnine = 5.1 ± 1 min), suggesting that RVLM glycine plays a critical role in regulating the time course of sympathoinhibition. Blockade of output from the nucleus tractus solitarius and/or disinhibition of the CVLM unmasked tonic glycinergic inhibition of the RVLM. To evaluate cellular mechanisms, RVLM neurons were retrogradely labelled (prior injection of pseudorabies virus PRV‐152) and whole‐cell, patch clamp recordings were obtained in brainstem slices. Under steady‐state conditions GABAergic inhibition of RVLM neurons predominated and glycine contributed less than 25% of the overall inhibition. By contrast, stimulation of synaptic inputs in the RVLM decreased GABAergic inhibition to 53%; and increased glycinergic inhibition to 47%. Thus, under conditions of increased synaptic activity in the RVLM, glycinergic inhibition is recruited to strengthen sympathoinhibition.
Multidimensional stimulus encoding in the auditory nerve of the barn owl
Authors: Fischer Brian J. , Wydick Jacob L. , Köppl Christine , Peña José L.
Published: October 2018

Auditory perception depends on multi-dimensional information in acoustic signals that must be encoded by auditory nerve fibers (ANF). These dimensions are represented by filters with different frequency selectivities. Multiple models have been suggested; however, the identification of relevant filters and type of interactions has been elusive, limiting progress in modeling the cochlear output. Spike-triggered covariance analysis of barn owl ANF responses was used to determine the number of relevant stimulus filters and estimate the nonlinearity that produces responses from filter outputs. This confirmed that ANF responses depend on multiple filters. The first, most dominant filter was the spike-triggered average, which was excitatory for all neurons. The second and third filters could be either suppressive or excitatory with center frequencies above or below that of the first filter. The nonlinear function mapping the first two filter outputs to the spiking probability ranged from restricted to nearly circular-symmetric, reflecting different modes of interaction between stimulus dimensions across the sample. This shows that stimulus encoding in ANFs of the barn owl is multidimensional and exhibits diversity over the population, suggesting that models must allow for variable numbers of filters and types of interactions between filters to describe how sound is encoded in ANFs.
Evanescent waves in simulated ear canals: Experimental demonstration and method for compensation
Authors: Siegel Jonathan H. , Nørgaard Kren Rahbek , Neely Stephen T.
Published: October 2018

Evanescent waves emerge from a small sound source that radiates into a waveguide with a larger cross-sectional area, but unlike planar waves, do not propagate far from the source. Evanescent waves thus contaminate in-ear calibration of acoustic stimuli. Measurements with an otoacoustic-emission (OAE) probe inserted at the entrance of long tubes of various diameters show a decline in the evanescent wave with distance from the source when advancing a probe tube through the OAE probe and into the long tube. The amplitude of the evanescent pressure increases with frequency and depends strongly on the diameter of the long tube. Modifying the shape of the aperture of the probe's sound source, thus effectively enlarging its diameter and redirecting acoustic flow, greatly reduced evanescent waves. The reduction in evanescent-wave pressure was observed in calibration cavities used to determine the Thévenin-equivalent source pressure and impedance of the probe. Errors in source calibrations were considerably larger in the unmodified configuration. An alternative method is proposed for calculation of acoustic source parameters that models the evanescent-wave pressure and reduces its influence on the calculation. This reduction greatly improves the quality of source calibrations, which should improve the accuracy of ear-canal impedance measurements and related quantities.
Synthesis of stable and low-CO
2
selective ε-iron carbide Fischer-Tropsch catalysts
Authors: Wang Peng , Chen Wei , Chiang Fu-Kuo , Dugulan A. Iulian , Song Yuanjun , Pestman Robert , Zhang Kui , Yao Jinsong , Feng Bo , Miao Ping , Xu Wayne , Hensen Emiel J. M.
Published: October 2018

Phase-pure ε-iron carbide catalysts amenable to scale-up exhibit low CO
2
selectivity and high stability in the FT reaction.
acI Actinobacteria Assemble a Functional Actinorhodopsin with Natively Synthesized Retinal
Authors: Dwulit-Smith Jeffrey R. , Hamilton Joshua J. , Stevenson David M. , He Shaomei , Oyserman Ben O. , Moya-Flores Francisco , Garcia Sarahi L. , Amador-Noguez Daniel , McMahon Katherine D. , Forest Katrina T.
Published: October 2018

Microbes play critical roles in determining the quality of freshwater ecosystems, which are vital to human civilization. Because acI
Actinobacteria
are ubiquitous and abundant in freshwater lakes, clarifying their ecophysiology is a major step in determining the contributions that they make to nitrogen and carbon cycling. Without accurate knowledge of these cycles, freshwater systems cannot be incorporated into climate change models, ecosystem imbalances cannot be predicted, and policy for service disruption cannot be planned. Our work fills major gaps in microbial light utilization, secondary metabolite production, and energy cycling in freshwater habitats.
Peptidyl-Prolyl-
cis
/
trans
-Isomerases Mip and PpiB of
Legionella pneumophila
Contribute to Surface Translocation, Growth at Suboptimal Temperature, and Infection
Authors: Rasch J. , Ünal C. M. , Klages A. , Karsli Ü. , Heinsohn N. , Brouwer R. M. H. J. , Richter M. , Dellmann A. , Steinert M.
Published: October 2018

The gammaproteobacterium
Legionella pneumophila
is the causative agent of Legionnaires’ disease, an atypical pneumonia that manifests itself with severe lung damage.
L. pneumophila
, a common inhabitant of freshwater environments, replicates in free-living amoebae and persists in biofilms in natural and man-made water systems.
Inactivation of the Monofunctional Peptidoglycan Glycosyltransferase SgtB Allows
Staphylococcus aureus
To Survive in the Absence of Lipoteichoic Acid
Authors: Karinou Eleni , Schuster Christopher F. , Pazos Manuel , Vollmer Waldemar , Gründling Angelika
Published: October 2018

The bacterial cell wall acts as a primary defense against environmental insults such as changes in osmolarity. It is also a vulnerable structure, as defects in its synthesis can lead to growth arrest or cell death. The important human pathogen
Staphylococcus aureus
has a typical Gram-positive cell wall, which consists of peptidoglycan and the anionic polymers LTA and wall teichoic acid. Several clinically relevant antibiotics inhibit the synthesis of peptidoglycan; therefore, it and teichoic acids are considered attractive targets for the development of new antimicrobials. We show that LTA is required for efficient peptidoglycan cross-linking in
S. aureus
and inactivation of a peptidoglycan glycosyltransferase can partially rescue this defect, together revealing an intimate link between peptidoglycan and LTA synthesis.
Using Machine Learning To Predict Antimicrobial MICs and Associated Genomic Features for Nontyphoidal
Salmonella
Authors: Nguyen Marcus , Long S. Wesley , McDermott Patrick F. , Olsen Randall J. , Olson Robert , Stevens Rick L. , Tyson Gregory H. , Zhao Shaohua , Davis James J.
Published: October 2018

Nontyphoidal
Salmonella
species are the leading bacterial cause of foodborne disease in the United States. Whole-genome sequences and paired antimicrobial susceptibility data are available for
Salmonella
strains because of surveillance efforts from public health agencies.
Clinical features of Chinese patients with relapsing polychondritis
Authors: Yang Peizeng , Yuan Wen , Du Liping , Zhou Qingyun , Wang Chaokui , Ye Zi , Kijlstra Aize
Published: October 2018

Purpose

To characterise the ocular and extraocular findings in patients with relapsing polychondritis (RP) patients.

Design

Retrospective, longitudinal study.

Methods

A total number of 16 patients with ocular RP, seen in our tertiary uveitis referral centre over a time period of 10 years were included in this study. Routine ocular examinations such as best-corrected visual acuity, intraocular pressure, slit-lamp biomicroscopy, ophthalmoscopy and auxiliary examinations including ultrasound biomicroscopy, B-scanultrasonography, fundus fluorescein angiography and optical coherence tomography were performed. Ocular and systemic manifestations of these 16 patients were analysed and compared with those presented by others. The patients were treated by corticosteroids or in combination with immunosuppressive agents.

Results

Eleven male and five female patients were included with a mean age of 40.4 years. Ocular involvement was bilateral in 75% of the patients and manifested as scleritis (n=10) or uveitis (n=6). Generalised, anterior and posterior uveitis was found in three, two and one patients, respectively. The frequencies of inner ear involvement and arthritis were lower in Chinese patients compared with that observed in Caucasians. Nine patients had a follow-up of 2–44 months, and in these individuals a better visual prognosis was observed in female patients compared with males.

Conclusions

Our study shows that uveitis associated with RP may manifest as generalised, anterior or posterior uveitis. The incidence of inner ear involvement and arthritis in these patients was lower than that in Caucasians. Female patients seem to have milder inflammation and a better visual prognosis.
Medical nutrition therapy for gestational diabetes mellitus based on Mediterranean Diet principles: a subanalysis of the St Carlos GDM Prevention Study
Authors: Assaf-Balut Carla , Garcia de la Torre Nuria , Durán Alejandra , Fuentes Manuel , Bordiú Elena , del Valle Laura , Valerio Johanna , Familiar Cristina , Jiménez Inés , Herraiz Miguel Angel , Izquierdo Nuria , Torrejón Maria José , Runkle Isabelle , de Miguel Maria Paz , Moraga Inmaculada , Montañez Maria Carmen , Barabash Ana , Cuesta Martín , Rubio Miguel A , Calle-Pascual Alfonso Luis
Published: October 2018

Objectives

To assess whether Mediterranean Diet (MedDiet)-based medical nutrition therapy facilitates near-normoglycemia in women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDMw) and observe the effects on adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Research design and methods

This is a secondary analysis of the St Carlos GDM Prevention Study, conducted between January and December 2015 in Hospital Clínico San Carlos (Madrid, Spain). One thousand consecutive women with normoglycemia were included before 12 gestational weeks (GWs), with 874 included in the final analysis. Of these, 177 women were diagnosed with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and 697 had normal glucose tolerance. All GDMw received MedDiet-based medical nutrition therapy with a recommended daily extra virgin olive oil intake ≥40 mL and a daily handful of nuts. The primary goal was comparison of hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels at 36–38 GWs in GDMw and women with normal glucose tolerance (NGTw).

Results

GDMw as compared with NGTw had higher HbA1clevels at 24–28 GWs (5.1%±0.3% (32±0.9 mmol/mol) vs 4.9%±0.3% (30±0.9 mmol/mol), p=0.001). At 36–38 GWs values were similar between the groups. Similarly, fasting serum insulin and homeostatic model assessment insulin resitance (HOMA-IR) were higher in GDMw at 24–28 GWs (p=0.001) but became similar at 36–38 GWs. 26.6% of GDMw required insulin for glycemic control. GDMw compared with NGTw had higher rates of insufficient weight gain (39.5% vs 22.0%, p=0.001), small for gestational age (6.8% vs 2.6%, p=0.009), and neonatal intensive care unit admission (5.6% vs 1.7%, p=0.006). The rates of macrosomia, large for gestational age, pregnancy-induced hypertensive disorders, prematurity and cesarean sections were comparable with NGTw.

Conclusions

Using a MedDiet-based medical nutrition therapy as part of GDM management is associated with achievement of near-normoglycemia, subsequently making most pregnancy outcomes similar to those of NGTw.
Drivers of potentially avoidable emergency admissions in Ireland: an ecological analysis
Authors: Lynch Brenda , Fitzgerald Anthony P , Corcoran Paul , Buckley Claire , Healy Orla , Browne John
Published: October 2018

Background

Many emergency admissions are deemed to be potentially avoidable in a well-performing health system.

Objective

To measure the impact of population and health system factors on county-level variation in potentially avoidable emergency admissions in Ireland over the period 2014–2016.

Methods

Admissions data were used to calculate 2014–2016 age-adjusted emergency admission rates for selected conditions by county of residence. Negative binomial regression was used to identify which a priori factors were significantly associated with emergency admissions for these conditions and whether these factors were also associated with total/other emergency admissions. Standardised incidence rate ratios (IRRs) associated with a 1 SD change in risk factors were reported.

Results

Nationally, potentially avoidable emergency admissions for the period 2014–2016 (266 395) accounted for 22% of all emergency admissions. Of the population factors, a 1 SD change in the county-level unemployment rate was associated with a 24% higher rate of potentially avoidable emergency admissions (IRR: 1.24; 95% CI 1.04 to 1.41). Significant health system factors included emergency admissions with length of stay equal to 1 day (IRR: 1.20; 95% CI 1.11 to 1.30) and private health insurance coverage (IRR: 0.92; 95% CI 0.89 to 0.96). The full model accounted for 50% of unexplained variation in potentially avoidable emergency admissions in each county. Similar results were found across total/other emergency admissions.

Conclusion

The results suggest potentially avoidable emergency admissions and total/other emergency admissions are primarily driven by socioeconomic conditions, hospital admission policy and private health insurance coverage. The distinction between potentially avoidable and all other emergency admissions may not be as useful as previously believed when attempting to identify the causes of regional variation in emergency admission rates.
SWI/SNF component ARID1A restrains pancreatic neoplasia formation
Authors: Wang Sam C , Nassour Ibrahim , Xiao Shu , Zhang Shuyuan , Luo Xin , Lee Jeon , Li Lin , Sun Xuxu , Nguyen Liem H , Chuang Jen-Chieh , Peng Lan , Daigle Scott , Shen Jeanne , Zhu Hao
Published: October 2018

Objective

ARID1A is commonly mutated in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), but the functional effects of ARID1A mutations in the pancreas are unclear. Understanding the molecular mechanisms that drive PDAC formation may lead to novel therapies.

Design

Concurrent conditional Arid1a deletion and Kras activation mutations were modelled in mice. Small-interfering RNA (siRNA) and CRISPR/Cas9 were used to abrogate ARID1A in human pancreatic ductal epithelial cells.

Results

We found that pancreas-specific Arid1a loss in mice was sufficient to induce inflammation, pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PanIN) and mucinous cysts. Concurrent Kras activation accelerated the development of cysts that resembled intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm. Lineage-specific Arid1a deletion confirmed compartment-specific tumour-suppressive effects. Duct-specific Arid1a loss promoted dilated ducts with occasional cyst and PDAC formation. Heterozygous acinar-specific Arid1a loss resulted in accelerated PanIN and PDAC formation with worse survival. RNA-seq showed that Arid1a loss induced gene networks associated with Myc activity and protein translation. ARID1A knockdown in human pancreatic ductal epithelial cells induced increased MYC expression and protein synthesis that was abrogated with MYC knockdown. ChIP-seq against H3K27ac demonstrated an increase in activated enhancers/promoters.

Conclusions

Arid1a suppresses pancreatic neoplasia in a compartment-specific manner. In duct cells, this process appears to be associated with MYC-facilitated protein synthesis.