bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pharmacokinetic study between a bilayer matrix fentalyl patch and a monolayer matrix fentanyl patch: single dose administration in healthy volunteers
Authors: Zecca Ernesto , Manzoni Andrea , Centurioni Fabio , Farina Alberto , Bonizzoni Erminio , Seiler Dan , Perrone Tania , Caraceni Augusto
Published: January 2015

Aims

Transdermal fentanyl is a well established treatment for cancer pain. The aim of the present study is to assess the relative bioavailability of fentanyl from two different transdermal systems by evaluating plasma drug concentrations after single administration of Fentalgon® (test), a novel bilayer matrix type patch, and Durogesic SMAT (reference), a monolayer matrix type patch. In the Fentalgon patch the upper 6% fentanyl reservoir layer maintains a stable concentration gradient between the lower 4% donor layer and the skin. The system provides a constant drug delivery over 72 h.

Methods

This was an open label, single centre, randomized, single dose, two period crossover clinical trial, that included 36 healthy male volunteers. The patches were applied to non‐irritated and non‐irradiated skin on the intraclavicular pectoral area. Blood samples were collected at different time points (from baseline to 120 h post‐removal of the devices) and fentanyl concentrations were determined using a validated LC/MS/MS method. Bioequivalence was to be claimed if the 90% confidence interval of AUC(0,t) and Cmax ratios (test: reference) were within the acceptance range of 80–125% and 75–133%, respectively.

Results

The 90% confidence intervals of the AUC(0,t) ratio (116.3% [109.6, 123.4%]) and Cmax ratio (114.4% [105.8, 123.8%] were well included in the acceptance range and the Cmax ratio also met the narrower bounds of 80–125%. There was no relevant difference in overall safety profiles of the two preparations investigated, which were adequately tolerated, as expected for opioid‐naïve subjects.

Conclusions

The new bilayer matrix type patch, Fentalgon®, is bioequivalent to the monolayer matrix type Durogesic SMAT fentanyl patch with respect to the rate and extent of exposure of fentanyl (Eudra/CT no. 2005‐000046‐36).
Regulation of Inflammatory Cytokine Production by MKP‐5 in Macrophages
Authors: Hömmö Tuija , Pesu Marko , Moilanen Eeva , Korhonen Riku
Published: January 2015

Mitogen‐activated protein kinases (MAPKs) include p38 MAPKs, c‐Jun N‐terminal kinases (JNKs) and Extracellular signal‐regulated kinases (ERKs), and they regulate many cell processes, such as cell division, differentiation and release of inflammatory mediators. MAPK activity is controlled by mitogen‐activated protein kinase phosphatases (MKPs), a phosphatase family with 11 members. MKP‐1 is the most studied member of MKP family, and it is one of the anti‐inflammatory factors induced by glucocorticoids. Less is known about the other MAPK phosphatases although they hold a promise as anti‐inflammatory drug targets. In this study, we investigated the effect of MKP‐5 on MAPK phosphorylation and cytokine production in J774 mouse macrophages. We used MKP‐5 siRNA and an MKP‐5 inhibitor (AS077234‐4) to modulate MKP‐5 function. We found that MKP‐5 controlled p38 MAPK phosphorylation, but not that of JNK or ERK. In addition, the production of IL‐6 and TNF was suppressed by MKP‐5 in macrophages. Our results introduce a novel concept that compounds able to enhance MKP‐5 expression and/or activity hold anti‐inflammatory potential, because MKP‐5 down‐regulates the release of inflammatory mediators by controlling p38 MAPK activity.
Testing the Mean Matrix in High-Dimensional Transposable Data
Authors: Touloumis Anestis , Tavaré Simon , Marioni John C.
Published: January 2015

The structural information in high-dimensional transposable data allows us to write the data recorded for each subject in a matrix such that both the rows and the columns correspond to variables of interest. One important problem is to test the null hypothesis that the mean matrix has a particular structure without ignoring the dependence structure among and/or between the row and column variables. To address this, we develop a generic and computationally inexpensive nonparametric testing procedure to assess the hypothesis that, in each predefined subset of columns (rows), the column (row) mean vector remains constant. In simulation studies, the proposed testing procedure seems to have good performance and, unlike simple practical approaches, it preserves the nominal size and remains powerful even if the row and/or column variables are not independent. Finally, we illustrate the use of the proposed methodology via two empirical examples from gene expression microarrays.
Outcome of Planned Home and Hospital Births among Low‐Risk Women in Iceland in 2005–2009: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Halfdansdottir Berglind , Smarason Alexander Kr. , Olafsdottir Olof A. , Hildingsson Ingegerd , Sveinsdottir Herdis
Published: January 2015

Background

At 2.2 percent in 2012, the home birth rate in Iceland is the highest in the Nordic countries and has been rising rapidly in the new millennium. The objective of this study was to compare the outcomes of planned home births and planned hospital births in comparable low‐risk groups in Iceland.

Methods

The study is a retrospective cohort study comparing the total population of 307 planned home births in Iceland in 2005–2009 to a matched 1:3 sample of 921 planned hospital births. Regression analysis, adjusted for confounding variables, was performed for the primary outcome variables.

Results

The rate of oxytocin augmentation, epidural analgesia, and postpartum hemorrhage was significantly lower when labor started as a planned home birth. Differences in the rates of other primary outcome variables were not significant. The home birth group had lower rates of operative birth and obstetric anal sphincter injury. The rate of 5‐minute Apgar score < 7 was the same in the home and hospital birth groups, but the home birth group had a higher rate of neonatal intensive care unit admission. Intervention and adverse outcome rates in both study groups, including transfer rates, were higher among primiparas than multiparas. Oxytocin augmentation, epidural analgesia, and postpartum hemorrhage rates were significantly interrelated.

Conclusions

This study adds to the growing body of evidence that suggests that planned home birth for low‐risk women is as safe as planned hospital birth.
Phase I pilot study of Wilms tumor gene 1 peptide‐pulsed dendritic cell vaccination combined with gemcitabine in pancreatic cancer
Authors: Mayanagi Shuhei , Kitago Minoru , Sakurai Toshiharu , Matsuda Tatsuo , Fujita Tomonobu , Higuchi Hajime , Taguchi Junichi , Takeuchi Hiroya , Itano Osamu , Aiura Koichi , Hamamoto Yasuo , Takaishi Hiromasa , Okamoto Masato , Sunamura Makoto , Kawakami Yutaka , Kitagawa Yuko
Published: January 2015

This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of and immune response to Wilms tumor gene 1 (WT1) peptide‐pulsed dendritic cell vaccination combined with gemcitabine (DCGEM) as a first‐line therapy among patients with advanced pancreatic cancer. Ten HLA‐A*2402 patients were treated with WT1 peptide‐pulsed DC vaccination (1 × 107 cells) on days 8 and 22 and gemcitabine (1000 mg/m2) on days 1, 8 and 15. Induction of a WT1‐specific immune response was evaluated using the delayed‐type hypersensitivity (DTH) skin test, interferon‐γ enzyme‐linked immunospot and HLA tetramer assays, along with assays for various immunological factors. DCGEM was well‐tolerated, and the relative dose intensity of gemcitabine was 87%. Disease control associated with a low neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio was observed in all three patients with DTH positivity; it was also correlated with a low percentage of granulocytic myeloid derived suppressor cells in the pretreatment peripheral blood (P = 0.017). Patients with liver metastases and high levels of inflammatory markers such as C‐reactive protein and interleukin‐8 (IL‐8) showed poor survival even though a WT1‐specific immune response was induced in them. WT1 peptide‐pulsed DCGEM is feasible and effective for inducing anti‐tumor T‐cell responses. Our results support future investigations for pancreatic cancer patients with non‐liver metastases and favorable immunological conditions. This trial was registered with the University hospital Medical Information Network (UMIN) Clinical Trials Registry (http://www.umin.ac.jp/ctr/ number: UMIN‐000004855).
Citrate modulates lipopolysaccharide-induced monocyte inflammatory responses
Authors: Ashbrook M J , McDonough K L , Pituch J J , Christopherson P L , Cornell T T , Selewski D T , Shanley T P , Blatt N B
Published: January 2015

Citrate, a central component of cellular metabolism, is a widely used anti-coagulant due to its ability to chelate calcium. Adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-citrate lyase, which metabolizes citrate, has been shown to be essential for inflammation, but the ability of exogenous citrate to impact inflammatory signalling cascades remains largely unknown. We hypothesized that citrate would modulate inflammatory responses as both a cellular metabolite and calcium chelator, and tested this hypothesis by determining how clinically relevant levels of citrate modulate monocyte proinflammatory responses to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in a human acute monocytic leukaemia cell line (THP-1). In normal medium (0·4 mM calcium), citrate inhibited LPS-induced tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL)-8 transcripts, whereas in medium supplemented with calcium (1·4 mM), TNF-α and IL-8 levels increased and appeared independent of calcium chelation. Using an IL-8–luciferase plasmid construct, the same increased response was observed in the activation of the IL-8 promoter region, suggesting transcriptional regulation. Tricarballylic acid, an inhibitor of ATP-citrate lyase, blocked the ability of citrate to augment TNF-α, linking citrate's augmentation effect with its metabolism by ATP-citrate lyase. In the presence of citrate, increased histone acetylation was observed in the TNF-α and IL-8 promoter regions of THP-1 cells. We observed that citrate can both augment and inhibit proinflammatory cytokine production via modulation of inflammatory gene transactivation. These findings suggest that citrate anti-coagulation may alter immune function through complex interactions with the inflammatory response.
Clinical associations of host genetic variations in the genes of cytokines in critically ill patients
Authors: Belopolskaya O B , Smelaya T V , Moroz V V , Golubev A M , Salnikova L E
Published: January 2015

Host genetic variations may influence a changing profile of biochemical markers and outcome in patients with trauma/injury. The objective of this study was to assess clinical associations of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the genes of cytokines in critically ill patients. A total of 430 patients were genotyped for SNPs in the genes of pro- (IL1B, IL6, IL8) and anti-inflammatory (IL4, IL10, IL13) cytokines. The main end-points were sepsis, mortality and adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). We evaluated the dynamic levels of bilirubin, blood urea nitrogen, creatine kinase, creatinine and lactate dehydrogenase in five points of measurements (between 1 and 14 days after admission) and correlated them with SNPs. High-producing alleles of proinflammatory cytokines protected patients against sepsis (IL1B −511A and IL8 —251A) and mortality (IL1B −511A). High-producing alleles of anti-inflammatory cytokines IL4 —589T and IL13 431A (144Gln) were less frequent in ARDS patients. The carriers of IL6 —174C/C genotypes were prone to the increased levels of biochemical markers and acute kidney and liver insufficiency. Genotype-dependent differences in the levels of biochemical indicators gradually increased to a maximal value on the 14th day after admission. These findings suggest that genetic variability in pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines may contribute to different clinical phenotypes in patients at high risk of critical illness.
Zinc oxide nanoparticles inhibit murine photoreceptor‐derived cell proliferation and migration via reducing TGF‐β and MMP‐9 expression in vitro
Authors: Guo Da Dong , Li Qing Ning , Li Chun Min , Bi Hong Sheng
Published: January 2015

Objectives

To investigate behaviour and expression of transforming growth factor‐β (TGF‐β) and matrix metalloproteinases (MMP‐9) in murine photoreceptor‐derived cells (661W) after incubation with zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles.

Materials and methods

We explored effects of ZnO nanoparticles on 661W cells using a real‐time cell electronic sensing system, flow cytometry, multiple function microplate reading, real‐time quantitative PCR detection system and enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay respectively.

Results

Our results indicate that ZnO nanoparticles induced overload of calcium and reactive oxygen species within cells, causing formation of apoptotic bodies, disruption of cell cycle distribution, and reduction in expression of TGF‐β and MMP‐9, to suppress cell proliferation and migration. Our findings show that disruption of intracellular calcium homoeostasis and overproduction of reactive oxygen species were closely associated with reduction of TGF‐β and MMP‐9 in 661W cells under ZnO nanoparticle treatment.

Conclusions

Results of our study indicate that ZnO nanoparticles suppressed cell proliferation and migration, and reduced production of TGF‐β and MMP‐9 at both gene and protein levels. Our findings contribute to the understanding of the molecular mechanisms that reduced TGF‐β and MMP‐9 levels inhibit cell proliferation and migration under ZnO nanoparticle influence.
Procedure‐related bleeding in elective percutaneous coronary interventions
Authors: Ndrepepa Gjin , Stephan Tilman , Fiedler Katrin Anette , Guerra Elena , Kufner Sebastian , Kastrati Adnan
Published: January 2015

Background

Prognostic impact of procedure‐related bleeding in patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD) undergoing elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) remains incompletely investigated. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between peri‐PCI bleeding and 1‐year outcome of patients with stable CAD.

Materials and methods

The study included 9035 patients with stable CAD who underwent elective PCI. Bleeding within 30 days of PCI was defined using the Bleeding Academic Research Consortium (BARC) criteria. The primary outcome was 1‐year mortality.

Results

Bleeding occurred in 844 patients (9·3%). Actionable bleeding (BARC class ≥ 2) occurred in 442 patients (4·9%). There were 210 deaths (2·3%) at 1 year following PCI: 41 deaths among patients with bleeding and 169 deaths among patients without bleeding [Kaplan–Meier estimates of mortality, 4·9% and 2·1%; odds ratio = 2·41, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1·73–3·36, P < 0·001]. The association between bleeding and mortality remained significant after adjustment for baseline risk variables (adjusted hazard ratio = 1·87, 95% CI 1·27–2·76, P = 0·002). Bleeding increased the discriminatory power of the model regarding prediction of 1‐year mortality (absolute and relative integrated discrimination improvement, 0·006% and 16·3%, respectively, P = 0·001).

Conclusions

In patients with stable CAD undergoing elective PCI, the occurrence of bleeding within 30 days of the procedure was associated with increased risk of death at 1 year after PCI. These findings suggest that procedure‐related bleeding may contribute to less than optimal results of PCI in terms of mortality reduction in patients with stable CAD.
VERTICAL SEPARATION INCREASES GASOLINE PRICES
Authors: Wilson Nathan E.
Published: January 2015

I examine the relationship between vertical separation and gasoline stations' prices and sales. The endogeneity of stations' organizational forms is addressed using both panel methods and an instrumental variables strategy. Controlling for the endogeneity of form, I find that vertical separation raises margins by 25%–45% but does not have a statistically significant impact on output. I interpret these results as suggesting that vertical separation induces local agents to exert effort in ways that increase consumers' demand. (JEL L14, L24, L81)
Effects of defeat stress on behavioral flexibility in males and females: modulation by the mu‐opioid receptor
Authors: Laredo Sarah A. , Steinman Michael Q. , Robles Cindee F. , Ferrer Emilio , Ragen Benjamin J. , Trainor Brian C.
Published: January 2015

Behavioral flexibility is a component of executive functioning that allows individuals to adapt to changing environmental conditions. Independent lines of research indicate that the mu opioid receptor (MOR) is an important mediator of behavioral flexibility and responses to psychosocial stress. The current study bridges these two lines of research and tests the extent to which social defeat and MOR affect behavioral flexibility and whether sex moderates these effects in California mice (Peromyscus californicus). Males and females assigned to social defeat or control conditions were tested in a Barnes maze. In males, defeat impaired behavioral flexibility but not acquisition. Female performance was unaffected by defeat. MOR binding in defeated and control mice in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), striatum and hippocampus was examined via autoradiography. Stressed males had reduced MOR binding in the OFC whereas females were unaffected. The MOR antagonist beta‐funaltrexamine (1 mg/kg) impaired performance in males naïve to defeat during the reversal phase but had no effect on females. Finally, we examined the effects of the MOR agonist morphine (2.5 and 5 mg/kg) on stressed mice. As expected, morphine improved behavioral flexibility in stressed males. The stress‐induced deficits in behavioral flexibility in males are consistent with a proactive coping strategy, including previous observations that stressed male California mice exhibit strong social approach and aggression. Our pharmacological data suggest that a down‐regulation of MOR signaling in males may contribute to sex differences in behavioral flexibility following stress. This is discussed in the framework of coping strategies for individuals with mood disorders.
Diurnal and stress‐induced intra‐hippocampal corticosterone rise attenuated in 11β‐HSD1‐deficient mice: a microdialysis study in young and aged mice
Authors: Yau Joyce L. W. , Noble June , Kenyon Christopher J. , Ludwig Mike , Seckl Jonathan R.
Published: January 2015

11β‐Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11β‐HSD1) locally regenerates active glucocorticoids from their inert forms thereby amplifying intracellular levels within target tissues including the brain. We previously showed greater increases in intra‐hippocampal corticosterone (CORT) levels upon Y‐maze testing in aged wild‐type than in 11β‐HSD1−/− mice coinciding with impaired and intact spatial memory, respectively. Here we examined whether ageing influences 11β‐HSD1 regulation of CORT in the dorsal hippocampus under basal conditions during the diurnal cycle and following stress. Intra‐hippocampal CORT levels measured by in vivo microdialysis in freely behaving wild‐type mice displayed a diurnal variation with peak levels in the evening that were significantly elevated with ageing. In contrast, the diurnal rise in intra‐hippocampal CORT levels was greatly diminished in 11β‐HSD1−/− mice and there was no rise with ageing; basal intra‐hippocampal CORT levels were similar to wild‐type controls. Furthermore, a short (3 min) swim stress induced a longer lasting increase in intra‐hippocampal CORT levels in wild‐type mice than in 11β‐HSD1−/− mice despite no genotypic differences in elevation of plasma CORT. These data indicate that 11β‐HSD1 activity contributes substantially to diurnal and stress‐induced increases in hippocampal CORT levels. This contribution is even greater with ageing. Thus, 11β‐HSD1 inhibition may be an attractive target for treating cognitive impairments associated with stress or ageing.
The expansion of the kingdom of Strathclyde
Authors: Edmonds Fiona
Published: January 2015

The kingdom of Strathclyde was focused on the Clyde valley and ruled by a Brittonic‐speaking dynasty. Historians have traditionally argued that the kingdom expanded southwards in the early tenth century, with the result that there was a revival of Brittonic language. Several scholars have recently challenged this interpretation, but in this article I defend the view that Strathclyde expanded southwards, and I propose a new model for the process. I argue that the kings of Strathclyde took submissions from the local nobility, who included Northumbrian and Gaelic‐Scandinavian magnates. This accounts for the multicultural nature of the kingdom in its heyday.
Reverse‐dipper pattern of blood pressure may predict lacunar infarction in patients with essential hypertension
Authors: Yan B. , Peng L. , Dong Q. , Zheng F. , Yang P. , Sun L. , Gong S. , Zeng L. , Wang G.
Published: January 2015

Background and purpose

The fluctuation of circadian blood pressure (BP) is of great diversity in patients with essential hypertension and may provide significant prognostic value for stroke. However, it remains uncertain whether reverse‐dipper pattern of BP influences the incidence of lacunar infarction in hypertensive patients.

Methods

In the current study, 362 hypertensive patients (195 males, 167 females) were enrolled. BP patterns were evaluated with 24‐h ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM). Multinomial logistic regression was applied to analyse the possible relationships between lacunar infarction and various clinical risk factors such as ABPM.

Results

A total of 93 patients (25.7%) had reverse‐dipper BP pattern. Non‐dipper pattern of BP was observed in 179 hypertensive patients (49.4%) and dipper pattern in 90 patients (24.9%). The percentage of lacunar infarction was the highest in the patients with reverse‐dipper pattern compared with pure hypertension or atherothrombotic cerebral infarction (P < 0.05). After multinomial logistic regression analysis, reverse‐dipper pattern of BP (odds ratio 2.492; 95% confidence interval 1.133–5.479; P < 0.05) and age (odds ratio 1.084; 95% confidence interval 1.047–1.123; P < 0.01) were found to be directly associated with lacunar infarction.

Conclusions

Reverse‐dipper BP pattern may serve as an independent risk factor for lacunar infarction and more personalized BP management should be offered to the patients who have elevated nocturnal BP.
Development of microsatellite loci from a reference genome for the Neotropical butterfly Heliconius numata and its close relatives
Authors: Chouteau Mathieu , Whibley Annabel , Angers Bernard , Joron Mathieu
Published: January 2015

The Neotropical butterfly Heliconius numata (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Heliconiinae) is known for its striking diversity of wing color patterns driven by the Müllerian mimicry of multiple local models and controlled by a single supergene locus. Such fine‐scale variation of traits under strong selection offers a unique opportunity for the study of the ecology and genetics of adaptation. However, little is still known of the population processes driving geographical variation in wing‐pattern phenotypes. We report the characterization of 26 microsatellite markers for the butterfly H. numata, including six located inside the wing color‐pattern supergene region. All markers are polymorphic, with allele numbers ranging from 2 to 21 per locus, an observed heterozygosity of 0.111 to 0.848 and an expected heterozygosity of 0.126 to 0.942. A subset of 18 of these markers was tested on five closely related sympatric Heliconius species with an amplification success ranging from 88% to 94%. The obtained set of microsatellite markers provides a new and useful set of tools to investigate patterns of differentiation and selection in populations of mimetic Heliconius butterflies. Moreover, markers developed within the color‐pattern supergene will facilitate characterization of the association between the genetic architecture and the functional diversity of wing patterns. Finally, the cross‐species amplification success of the described markers extends their utility to also encompass comparative population genetic studies of closely related species within a clade of rapidly diversifying species.
Intramuscular midazolam versus intravenous lorazepam for the prehospital treatment of status epilepticus in the pediatric population
Authors: Welch Robert D. , Nicholas Katherine , Durkalski‐Mauldin Valerie L. , Lowenstein Daniel H. , Conwit Robin , Mahajan Prashant V. , Lewandowski Christopher , Silbergleit Robert ,   the Neurological Emergencies Treatment Trials (NETT) Network Investigators
Published: January 2015

Objective

To examine the effectiveness of intramuscular (IM) midazolam versus intravenous (IV) lorazepam for the treatment of pediatric patients with status epilepticus (SE) in the prehospital care setting.

Methods

This multicenter clinical trial randomized patients diagnosed with SE to receive either IM midazolam or IV lorazepam administered by paramedics in the prehospital care setting. Included in this secondary analysis were only patients younger than 18 years of age. Evaluated were the associations of the treatment group (IM vs. IV) with the primary outcome, defined as seizure cessation prior to emergency department (ED) arrival, and with patient characteristics, time to important events, and adverse events. Descriptive statistics and 99% confidence intervals (CIs) were used for the analysis.

Results

Of 893 primary study subjects, 120 met criteria for this study (60 in each treatment group). There were no differences in important baseline characteristics or seizure etiologies between groups. The primary outcome was met in 41 (68.3%) and 43 (71.7%) of subjects in the IM and IV groups, respectively (risk difference [RD] −3.3%, 99% CI −24.9% to 18.2%). Similar results were noted for those younger than 11 years (RD −1.3%, 99% CI −25.7% to 23.1%). Time from initiating the treatment protocol was shorter for children who received IM midazolam, mainly due to the shorter time to administer the active treatment. Safety profiles were similar.

Significance

IM midazolam can be rapidly administered and appears to be safe and effective for the management of children with SE treated in the prehospital setting. The results must be interpreted in the context of the secondary analysis design and sample size of the study.
Anthropogenic host plant expansion leads a nettle‐feeding butterfly out of the forest: consequences for larval survival and developmental plasticity in adult morphology
Authors: Merckx Thomas , Serruys Mélanie , Van Dyck Hans
Published: January 2015

Recent anthropogenic eutrophication has meant that host plants of nettle‐feeding insects became quasi‐omnipresent in fertile regions of Western Europe. However, host plant resource quality – in terms of microclimate and nutritional value – may vary considerably between the ‘original’ forest habitat and ‘recent’ agricultural habitat. Here, we compared development in both environmental settings using a split‐brood design, so as to explore to what extent larval survival and adult morphology in the nettle‐feeding butterfly Aglais urticae are influenced by the anthropogenic environment. Nettles along field margins had higher C/N ratios and provided warmer microclimates to larvae. Larvae developed 20% faster and tended to improve their survival rates, on the agricultural land compared to woodland. Our split‐brood approach indicated plastic responses within families, but also family effects in the phenotypic responses. Adult males and females had darker wing pigmentation in the drier and warmer agricultural environment, which contrasts with the thermal melanism hypothesis. Developmental plasticity in response to this microclimatically different and more variable habitat was associated with a broader phenotypic parameter space for the species. Both habitat expansion and developmental plasticity are likely contributors to the ecological and evolutionary success of these nettle‐feeding insects in anthropogenic environments under high nitrogen load.
Gender Role Attitudes across the Transition to Adolescent Motherhood in Mexican‐Origin Families
Authors: Toomey Russell B. , Updegraff Kimberly A. , Umaña‐Taylor Adriana J. , Jahromi Laudan B.
Published: January 2015

Using longitudinal data collected at four time points from 191 dyads of Mexican‐origin adolescent first‐time mothers and their mother figures, we examined changes in and socialization of traditional gender role attitudes across the transition to parenthood using latent growth curve modeling and actor–partner interdependence modeling. Longitudinal growth models indicated that, regardless of nativity status, adolescent mothers' and their foreign‐born mother figures' gender role attitudes became more egalitarian across adolescents' transition to parenthood, spanning from the 3rd trimester of pregnancy to 36 months postpartum. Furthermore, actor‐partner interdependence modeling suggested that adolescents' and their mother figures' gender role attitudes during adolescents' third trimester of pregnancy equally contributed to subsequent increases in one another's gender role attitudes at 10 months postpartum. Importantly, this reciprocal socialization process was not moderated by adolescent mothers' nor by their mother figures' nativity status. Findings suggest that it is important to understand the cultural and intergenerational family processes that contribute to the development of gender role attitudes during the transition to parenthood for adolescent mothers and their mother figures in Mexican‐origin families.
Child Maltreatment in DSM‐5 and ICD‐11
Authors: Slep Amy M. Smith , Heyman Richard E. , Foran Heather M.
Published: January 2015

Child maltreatment is widespread and has a tremendous impact on child victims and their families. Over the past decade, definitions of child maltreatment have been developed that are operationalized, face valid, and can be reliably applied in clinical settings. These definitions have informed the revised Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (American Psychiatric Association, 2013) and are being considered for the International Classification of Disease–11 (World Health Organization). Now that these definitions are available in major diagnostic systems, primary healthcare providers and clinicians who see children and families are poised to help screen for, identify, prevent, and treat child maltreatment. This article reviews the definitions of maltreatment in these diagnostic systems, along with assessment and screening tools, and empirically supported prevention and intervention approaches.
Reproduction, condition and abundance of the Mediterranean bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix) in the context of sea warming
Authors: Villegas‐Hernández Harold , Lloret Josep , Muñoz Marta
Published: January 2015

This study evaluates the link between sea warming and three important aspects of the population dynamics of bluefish, Pomatomus saltatrix, in the north‐western (NW) Mediterranean: condition (health measures), reproduction and abundance (as reflected in catch per unit effort, CPUE). We compared the bluefish populations from two areas with different thermal regimes: the Gulf of Roses and the Ebre Delta. First, in order to compare the condition and reproduction parameters of the two populations, specimens were collected from the commercial catch landed in two ports located in these areas. Several indicators of fish condition and reproduction such as hepatosomatic index, gonadosomatic index, maturation timing, length‐at‐first maturity, fecundity, egg quality and atresia (ovarian follicle resorption) were analysed and compared between study areas. Second, time series analyses of sea surface temperatures (SST) and monthly bluefish CPUEs in the two study areas were assessed using Box–Jenkins transfer function models. Our results indicate that bluefish benefit from sea warming in the NW Mediterranean, particularly in the northernmost zone, as evidenced by increasing fish condition in these waters. Sea warming may favour the changes in spawning phenology and the northward expansion of this species. This study provides evidence that a marine fish species that is able to expand or is forced to shift its distribution as a result of sea warming may take advantage of other environmental conditions of new habitats, contributing to the enhancement of the population's productivity in these areas.
Ten‐year mortality in older patients attending the emergency department after a fall
Authors: Tan Maw Pin , Kamaruzzaman Shahrul Bahyah , Zakaria Mohd Idzwan , Chin Ai‐Vyrn , Poi Philip Jun Hua
Published: January 2015

Aim

To determine the dependency scores, long‐term mortality and factors associated with mortality in older people presenting to the emergency department (ED) with a fall.

Methods

Information on sociodemographics, dependency using the Barthel index and fall characteristics were collected from consecutive patients attending the ED over a 6‐month period. Barthel score was reassessed at 12 months. Ten‐year mortality data were obtained through the National Registry Department.

Results

A total of 198 participants, with a mean age (standard deviation) of 76.2 years (6.3 years) and 74% women, were recruited. Of these, 70% sustained falls indoors, while 49% of falls occurred between 06.00 to 12.00 hours. Total Barthel scores were significantly lower at 1‐year follow up compared with baseline (median [interquartile range], 20 [2] vs 18 [5], P < 0.001). Age ≥75 years was significantly associated with mortality at 1, 3, 5 and 10 years (HR 3.12, 95% CI 1.48–6.56; HR 2.32, 95% CI 1.37–3.92; HR 1.87, 95% CI 1.21–2.88; and HR 2.25, 95% CI 1.60–3.17, respectively). Indoor falls (HR 2.54, 95% CI 1.07–6.06; HR 2.01, 95% CI 1.10–3.69), hospital admission (HR 2.16, 95% CI 1.14–4.10; HR 1.84, 95% CI 1.11–3.07) and Barthel ≤18 (HR 2.99, 95% CI 1.39–6.44; HR 2.47, 95% CI 1.40–4.33) were significantly associated with 1‐year and 3‐year mortality. Hospital admission (HR 1.94, 95% CI 1.24–3.01; HR 1.53, 95% CI 1.06–2.23) and Barthel ≤18 (HR 2.27, 95% CI 1.41–3.66; HR 1.85, 95% CI 1.27–2.68) remained significantly associated with increased mortality at 5 and 10 years.

Conclusion

Functional ability is significantly reduced at 1 year after an initial presentation to the ED with a fall. Mortality is increased at 1 and 3 years in fallers who experienced indoor falls. The excess mortality associated with hospital admission and lower disability scores is persistent at 5 and 10 years. The results of the present study are invaluable in prognostication and healthcare decision‐making for this group of frail older patients. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2016; 16: 111–117.
Enhanced vaccination effect against influenza by prebiotics in elderly patients receiving enteral nutrition
Authors: Akatsu Hiroyasu , Nagafuchi Shinya , Kurihara Rina , Okuda Kenji , Kanesaka Takeshi , Ogawa Norihiro , Kanematsu Takayoshi , Takasugi Satoshi , Yamaji Taketo , Takami Masao , Yamamoto Takayuki , Ohara Hirotaka , Maruyama Mitsuo
Published: January 2015

Aim

We investigated the effect of prebiotics on the immunological response after influenza vaccination in enterally fed elderly individuals. The intervention group was given an enteral formula containing lactic acid bacteria‐fermented milk products. In addition, two different types of other prebiotics, galacto‐oligosaccharide and bifidogenic growth stimulator, were also given. The two prebiotics improved intestinal microbiota differently. In a control group, a standard formula without prebiotics was given.

Methods

An enteral formula with (intervention group [F]) or without (control group [C]) prebiotics was given through percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy to elderly participants for 10 weeks. Influenza vaccine was inoculated at week 4. Nutritional and biochemical indices, intestinal micro bacteria and immunological indices were analyzed.

Results

The Bifidobacterium count in groups F and C at week 0 was 6.4 ± 1.9 and 6.6 ± 3.0 (log10 [count/g feces]), respectively. Although the count in group C decreased at week 10, the count in group F increased. The Bacteroides count in group F increased from 10.7 ± 0.9 to 11.4 ± 0.5, but decreased in group C from 11.2 ± 0.2 to 10.7 ± 0.4. Although the enhanced titers of H1N1, H3N2 and B antigens against the vaccine decreased thereafter in group C, these enhanced titers in group F could be maintained.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that prebiotics affect the intestinal microbiota and might maintain the antibody titers in elderly individuals. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2016; 16: 205–213.
Higher Education Governance as Language Games: A Wittgensteinian Case Study of the Breakdown of Governance at the London School of Economics 2004–2011
Authors: Greenhalgh Trisha
Published: January 2015

This paper calls for a more detailed study of social practices in the analysis of governance failures. Using the Woolf report on the breakdown of governance at the London School of Economics as a case study and Wittgenstein's notion of language games as an analytic lens, the author argues that widely used institutional and structural theories of governance are necessary but not sufficient to explain how governance works and why it fails. It is also necessary to understand, through a detailed micro‐analysis of talk and action, the contingent social practices occurring within and outside these structures. This matters because structural accounts of governance tend to present solutions as changes in structures, standards and procedures or measures to make academics comply with these. A language games framing, in contrast, suggests that it matters less what form the structures of governance take than the extent to which they allow effective deliberation on the numerous contradictions and paradoxes that make up their day‐to‐day work. The paper concludes that those charged with governing universities should maximise opportunities for individuals and groups to deliberate on, and ‘muddle through’, the multiple and conflicting demands and accountabilities that characterise contemporary higher education.
Comparing Efficiency of Public Universities among European Countries: Different Incentives Lead to Different Performances
Authors: Agasisti Tommaso , Haelermans Carla
Published: January 2015

This paper analyses the relationship between the public funding systems of higher education in Italy and the Netherlands and their universities' performances. Empirically, an efficiency analysis on 13 Dutch and 58 Italian public universities is conducted. The findings show that the relative efficiency of Italian and Dutch universities is strongly influenced by the policy perspective adopted. If the goal is to realise the European goals and minimise resources employed for obtaining a high number of graduates, Dutch universities turn out to be more efficient. However, Italian universities are much more efficient if the priority is to minimise the costs for a given level of activity, such as number of students.
Bioarchaeology and the Ethics of Research Using Human Skeletal Remains
Authors: DeWitte Sharon N.
Published: January 2015

In a recent article, Pobst refers to bioarchaeologists as “grave‐robbing scientists,” a phrase that negatively and inaccurately describes such researchers. This paper provides an overview of the history of the collection of human skeletal remains by anthropologists and others, which has resulted in misconceptions about current practices in the field, and of the important changes that have been made in recent decades to ensure that bioarchaeological research is done ethically. Recent Black Death research is emphasized as an example of bioarchaeology that conforms to the ethical standards of numerous organizations and avoids the exploitative use of human remains against the wishes of descendant populations.
HES Presidential Address: The Future of the Study of Our Educational Past—Whither the History of Education?
Authors: Fraser James W.
Published: January 2015

I want to start these remarks by thanking the members of the History of Education Society for the honor of electing me to serve as president and especially my colleagues—faculty and graduate students—at New York University who have made NYU such an extraordinarily collegial home to study the History of Education. Finally I want to say a word of gratitude to my own teacher and mentor, Lawrence A. Cremin, who introduced me to this field and guided my early work. In the course of these remarks, I will be critical of him at points, but Larry Cremin remains my role model as a teacher, scholar, and kind friend. I suspect I may be—though one never knows—the last of a long line of Cremin students to preside over HES. But I do so proudly.
Desegregation, Minimum Competency Testing, and the Origins of Accountability: North Carolina and the Nation
Authors: Baker Scott
Published: January 2015

During the long history of the Civil Rights Movement, public education was a significant battleground in the struggle for racial equality. As the courts ordered officials to dismantle a system of educational apartheid, whites resisted, bringing blacks and whites together in ways that disillusioned many African Americans. Hoping to transcend what he called “the trauma of desegregation,” in 1977, North Carolina Governor James B. Hunt proposed that all students be required to pass a minimum competency test (MCT) to receive a high school diploma. Hunt was part of a generation of moderate New South politicians who crafted a new racially neutral educational discourse that emphasized accountability and achievement rather than equality and access. Capitalizing on the perception that the quality of education had declined, these New South moderates built biracial coalitions that established high school MCTs in every southern state by 1986, replacing a civil rights agenda of opportunity with an accountability agenda of individual student responsibility.
Epistemic Injustice and Open‐Mindedness
Authors: Kwong Jack M. C.
Published: January 2015

In this paper, I argue that recent discussions of culprit‐based epistemic injustices can be framed around the intellectual character virtue of open‐mindedness. In particular, these injustices occur because the people who commit them are closed‐minded in some respect; the injustices can therefore be remedied through the cultivation of the virtue of open‐mindedness. Describing epistemic injustices this way has two explanatory benefits: it yields a more parsimonious account of the phenomenon of epistemic injustice and it provides the underpinning of a virtue‐theoretical structure by which to explain what it is that perpetrators are culpable for and how virtues can have normative explanatory power.
TECHNOLOGICAL LEARNING AND LABOR MARKET DYNAMICS
Authors: Gervais Martin , Jaimovich Nir , Siu Henry E. , Yedid‐Levi Yaniv
Published: January 2015

The search‐and‐matching model of the labor market fails to match two important business cycle facts: (i) a high volatility of unemployment relative to labor productivity, and (ii) a mild correlation between these two variables. We address these shortcomings by focusing on technological learning‐by‐doing: the notion that it takes workers' time using a technology before reaching their full productive potential with it. We consider a novel source of business cycles, namely, fluctuations in the speed of technological learning, and show that a search‐and‐matching model featuring such shocks can account for both facts. Moreover, our model provides a new interpretation of recently discussed “news shocks.”
DYNAMIC WAGE AND EMPLOYMENT EFFECTS OF ELDER PARENT CARE
Authors: Skira Meghan M.
Published: January 2015

This article formulates and estimates a dynamic discrete choice model of elder parent care and work to analyze how caregiving affects a woman's current and future labor force participation and wages. The model incorporates parental health changes, human capital accumulation, and job offer availability. The estimates indicate that women face low probabilities of returning to work or increasing work hours after a caregiving spell. I use the estimated model to simulate the caregiving, employment, and welfare effects of a longer unpaid work leave than currently available under the Family and Medical Leave Act, a paid leave, and a caregiver allowance.
A HYBRID DISCRETE CHOICE MODEL OF DIFFERENTIATED PRODUCT DEMAND WITH AN APPLICATION TO PERSONAL COMPUTERS
Authors: Song Minjae
Published: January 2015

In this article, I consider a new discrete choice model of differentiated product demand that distinguishes a brand‐level differentiation from a product‐level differentiation. The model is a hybrid of the random coefficient logit model of Berry et al. (Econometrica 63 (1995), 841–90) and the pure characteristics model of Berry and Pakes (International Economic Review 48 (2007), 1193–1225) and describes markets where firms offer multiple products of different qualities under the same brand name. I compare the hybrid model with existing models using data on personal computers. Using the estimates of the hybrid model, I also provide empirical evidence that firms reposition their brands in a postmerger market.
Applications for CO2‐Activated Carbon Monoliths: I. Gas Storage
Authors: Kunowsky Mirko , Marco‐Lozar Juan Pablo , Suárez‐García Fabián , Linares‐Solano Ángel , Carruthers James Donald
Published: January 2015

Carbon monoliths with high densities are studied as adsorbents for the storage of H2, CH4, and CO2 at ambient temperature and high pressures. The starting monolith A3 (produced by ATMI Co.) was activated under a CO2 flow at 1073 K, applying different activation times up to 48 h. Micropore volumes and apparent surface areas were deduced from N2 and CO2 adsorption isotherms at 77 K and 273 K, respectively. CO2 and CH4 isotherms were measured up to 3 MPa and H2 up to 20 MPa. The BET surface area of the starting monolith (941 m2/g) could be significantly increased up to 1586 m2/g, and the developed porosity is almost exclusively comprised of micropores <1 nm. Total storage amounts take into account the compressed gas in the void space of the material, in addition to the adsorbed gas. Remarkably, high total storage amounts are reached for CO2 (482 g/L), CH4 (123 g/L), and H2 (18 g/L). These values are much higher than for other sorbents with similar surface areas, due to the high density of the starting monolith and of the activated ones, for which the density decreases only slightly (from 1.0 g/cm3 to 0.8 g /cm3 upon CO2 activation). The findings reveal the suitability of high density activated carbon monoliths for gas storage application. Thus, the amounts of stored gas can be increased by more than a 70 % in the case of H2 at 20 MPa, almost 5.5 times in the case of CH4 at 3 MPa, and more than 7.5 times in the case of CO2 at 3 MPa when adsorbents are used for gas storage under the investigated conditions rather than simple compression. Furthermore, the obtained results have been recently confirmed by a scale‐up study in which 2.64 kg of high density monolith adsorbent was filled a tank cylinder of 2.5 L (Carbon, 76, 2014, 123).