bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of Intraoperative Dexamethasone Administration in Adult Diabetic Burn Patients
Authors: Egan Katie G , Allen Andrea , Hendren Gina , Mellott Adam J , Bhavsar Dhaval
Published: May 2019

The steroid dexamethasone is used intraoperatively to prevent postoperative nausea. Studies of intraoperative steroid use in diabetic patients have shown conflicting effects on blood glucose and complications, and their use has not yet been studied in the burn population. A review of adult diabetic acute burn patients undergoing surgery at a verified burn center from 2012 to 2017 was conducted. Statistical analysis compared those who did and did not receive an intraoperative steroid. A total of 74 patients who underwent 121 operations were identified; steroid was administered in 14.0% of cases. There were no statistically significant differences in preoperative glucose, insulin requirements, TBSA, or hemoglobin A1C. Postoperatively, the steroid group had a 16.7 mg/dl (SD = 11.1) increase in blood glucose (P = .042) and 53.5 unit/24 hour (SD = 28.4) increase in insulin requirement (P = .019), compared with no change in controls. The complication rate in the steroid group was 52.9% compared with 20.1% in controls (P = .003); partial graft loss was the most common complication. Diabetic burn patients who receive intraoperative steroid have increased postoperative blood glucose levels, insulin requirements, and complication rates compared with patients who do not receive steroids. Discussion is warranted to avoid intraoperative steroid in this population.
The European Union in the Transnational Financial Regulatory Arena: The Case of the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision
Authors: Viterbo Annamaria
Published: May 2019

Starting from the observation of an increased politicisation of the financial regulatory debate, the article analyses how this might impact the relationship between the European Union (EU) and the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision. The article first describes transnational financial networks after the global crisis and the shift from trust in technocratic autonomy to distrust and politicisation. It then turns to examine the legal bases for the participation of EU institutions in the Basel standard-setting process, discussing the challenges posed under EU law. The last part of the research focusses on the European Parliament’s attempts to become an active player in the transnational financial regulatory arena and on the role it might play to enhance the democratic legitimacy of the Basel process.
Evaluation of an Easy-to-Install, Low-Cost Dendrometer Band for Citizen-Science Tree Research
Authors: Just Michael G , Frank Steven D
Published: May 2019

Tree-stem growth is an important metric for evaluating many ecological and silvicultural research questions. However, answering these questions may require monitoring growth on many individual trees that span changing environments and geographies, which can incur significant costs. Recently, citizen science has been successfully employed as a cost-effective approach to collect data for large-scale projects that also increases scientific awareness. Still, citizen-science-led tree-growth monitoring requires the use of tools that are affordable, understandable, and accurate. Here, we compare an inexpensive, easy-to-install dendrometer band to two other bands that are more expensive with more complex installations. We installed a series of three dendrometers on 31 red maples (Acer rubrum) in two urban areas in the eastern United States. We found that the stem-growth measurements reported by these dendrometers were highly correlated and, thus, validate the utility of the inexpensive band.
Celebrating 20 Years of Outdoor Environmental Education for Preservice Teachers at Stephen F. Austin State University
Authors: Griffin Paula
Published: May 2019

Preservice teachers at Stephen F. Austin State University have been involved in a 20-year environmental education initiative as a part of the teacher education program. Since 1998, teacher educators and community stakeholders have collaborated with Texas Project Learning Tree to train preservice teachers in environmental education activities to be implemented in the yearly outdoor science education event, Bugs, Bees, Butterflies, and Blossoms. Held on the Stephen F. Austin State University campus, area elementary school students participate in learning stations designed to facilitate investigative inquiry led by preservice teachers. A mixed methods study was implemented to evaluate the overall effectiveness. Data were collected from pre- and post-tests from traditional face-to-face and online preservice teachers. Results showed significant gains in science content knowledge and science teaching efficacy. Open-ended responses submitted by participants in the study addressed self-reflection about personal teacher identity and the overall impact of the initiative.
A computational approach to lexical polysemy in Ancient Greek
Authors: McGillivray Barbara , Hengchen Simon , Lähteenoja Viivi , Palma Marco , Vatri Alessandro
Published: May 2019

Language is a complex and dynamic system. If we consider word meaning, which is the scope of lexical semantics, we observe that some words have several meanings, thus displaying lexical polysemy. In this article, we present the first phase of a project that aims at computationally modelling Ancient Greek semantics over time. Our system is based on Bayesian learning and on the Diorisis Ancient Greek corpus, which we have built for this purpose. We illustrate preliminary results in light of expert annotation, and take this opportunity to discuss the role of computational systems and human analysis in a complex research area like historical semantics. On the one hand, computational approaches allow us to model large corpora of texts. On the other hand, a long and rich scholarly tradition in Ancient Greek has provided us with valuable insights into the mechanisms of semantic change (cf. e.g. Leiwo, M. (2012). Introduction: variation with multiple faces. In Leiwo, M., Halla-aho, H., and Vierros, M. (eds), Variation and Change in Greek and Latin, Helsinki: Suomen Ateenan-instituutin säätiö, pp. 1–11.). In this article, we show that these qualitative analyses can be leveraged to support and complement the computational modelling.
The Burden of Skin Disease on Deployed Servicemembers
Authors: Gregory Jennifer F , Taylor Elizabeth A , Liu Yizhen E , Love Tracy V , Raiciulescu Sorana , Meyerle Jon H
Published: May 2019

Introduction

Skin diseases have had a significant impact on the health of deployed military service members throughout history. Given the high prevalence historically of cutaneous disease among United States deployed servicemembers, we review the burden of skin disease on the modern military by analyzing the most common dermatologic diagnoses made in deployed settings from 2008 to 2015. Furthermore, we compare the most common dermatologic diagnoses made in the deployed setting with those made by dermatologists and nondermatologists in the civilian healthcare system to highlight the differences between the civilian and deployed military practice environment.

Methods

This study queried the Theater Medical Data Store for International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) codes to determine the total number of dermatologic encounters as part of all medical encounters from 2008 to 2015 in a deployed setting. These data were provided by the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Branch. For all statistical tests, analyses were conducted using R statistical software, with type I error controlled at 5%.

Results

From 2008 to 2015, 92 dermatology-specific ICD-9 codes accounted for 429,837 dermatologic diagnoses that were made in a deployed setting, equating to 10% of all diagnoses. The top 20 dermatologic diagnoses were identified, and the percentage of total medical diagnoses (TMD) was calculated. Once the individual diagnoses were categorized, a direct comparison was made between the top 20 most prevalent disease categories among deployed military servicemembers and those of the United States (US) population as a whole, based on claims. The most prevalent diagnoses were compared amongst four different settings: Deployed military, military teledermatology, civilian dermatologists, and civilian nondermatologists. Overall comparison of the prevalence between each of these groups showed an association between setting and diagnosis prevalence.

Conclusions

The total burden of disease based on diagnostic codes from 2008 to 2015 is 429,837 diagnoses. This accounts for 10% of TMD from 2008 to 2015 in the deployed setting. Diagnoses most prevalent in the deployed military setting had more in common with those made by civilian nondermatologists compared with military teledermatology and civilian dermatologists. At 10% of diagnoses made in the deployed military setting in this timeframe, skin disease accounts for a substantial burden on deployed servicemembers. Deployed servicemembers with skin disease should be supported through use of teledermatology resources and improved dermatology education for primary care and deployed medical personnel.
IMPACT OF PELVIC AND RAD-BOARD LEAD SHIELDS ON OPERATOR AND PATIENT RADIATION DOSE IN TRANS-RADIAL CORONARY PROCEDURES
Authors: Khaleghi Fard Aida , Alian Amir Hossein Mohammad , Pourafkari Leili , Ghojazadeh Morteza , Tarighatnia Ali , Farajollahi Alireza
Published: May 2019

Background

Trans-radial approach for cardiac catheterisation procedures has long been associated with high operator and patient radiation dose. The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of pelvic and radial shields on decreasing coronary procedure radiation doses.

Methods

A total of 418 patients randomly underwent diagnostic and therapeutic cardiac procedures with and without the pelvic and rad-board lead shields during the procedures. The operator and patient doses were then determined by means of a personal dosimeter and dose area product (DAP), respectively.

Results

The shields decreased the operator radiation dose by 40% in coronary angiography (CA) and by 45% during angioplasty (PCI). These results were achieved at the cost of increased patient radiation dose.

Conclusion

Pelvic lead shields combined with rad-board shields are highly effective in reducing operator radiation dose in trans-radial approach, but it is only achieved at the cost of increased patient DAP.
Transitive inference in
Polistes
paper wasps
Authors: Tibbetts Elizabeth A. , Agudelo Jorge , Pandit Sohini , Riojas Jessica
Published: May 2019

Transitive inference (TI) is a form of logical reasoning that involves using known relationships to infer unknown relationships (A > B; B > C; then A > C). TI has been found in a wide range of vertebrates but not in insects. Here, we test whether
Polistes dominula
and
Polistes metricus
paper wasps can solve a TI problem. Wasps were trained to discriminate between five elements in series (A
0
B−, B
0
C−, C
0
D−, D
0
E−), then tested on novel, untrained pairs (B versus D). Consistent with TI, wasps chose B more frequently than D. Wasps organized the trained stimuli into an implicit hierarchy and used TI to choose between untrained pairs. Species that form social hierarchies like
Polistes
may be predisposed to spontaneously organize information along a common underlying dimension. This work contributes to a growing body of evidence that the miniature nervous system of insects does not limit sophisticated behaviours.
The thermoelectric properties of Au nanoparticle-incorporated Al-doped mesoporous ZnO thin films
Authors: Hong Min-Hee , Han Wooje , Lee Kyu-Yeon , Park Hyung-Ho
Published: May 2019

Mesoporous Al-doped ZnO thin films incorporated with gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) were synthesized using a sol–gel and evaporation-induced self-assembly process. In this study, the complementary effects of Au NP incorporation and Al doping on the thermoelectric properties of mesoporous ZnO thin films were analysed. The incorporated Au NPs induced an increase in electrical conductivity but a detriment in the pore arrangement of the mesoporous ZnO thin film, which was accompanied by a decrease in porosity. However, the addition of the Al dopant minimized the pore structural collapse because of the inhibition of the grain growth in the ZnO skeletal structure, resulting in the enhancement of the pore arrangement and porosity. When the Au NPs and Al dopant were added at the same time, the degradation in the pore structure was minimized and the electrical conductivity was effectively increased, but the absolute value of the Seebeck coefficient was decreased. However, as a result, the thermoelectric power factor was increased by 2.4 times compared to that of the pristine mesoporous ZnO thin film. It was found that co-introducing the Au NPs and Al doping to the mesoporous ZnO structure was effective in preserving the pore structure and increasing the electric conductivity, thereby enhancing the thermoelectric property of the mesoporous ZnO thin film.
Communicating uncertainty about facts, numbers and science
Authors: van der Bles Anne Marthe , van der Linden Sander , Freeman Alexandra L. J. , Mitchell James , Galvao Ana B. , Zaval Lisa , Spiegelhalter David J.
Published: May 2019

Uncertainty is an inherent part of knowledge, and yet in an era of contested expertise, many shy away from openly communicating their uncertainty about what they know, fearful of their audience's reaction. But what effect does communication of such epistemic uncertainty have? Empirical research is widely scattered across many disciplines. This interdisciplinary review structures and summarizes current practice and research across domains, combining a statistical and psychological perspective. This informs a framework for uncertainty communication in which we identify three objects of uncertainty—facts, numbers and science—and two levels of uncertainty: direct and indirect. An examination of current practices provides a scale of nine expressions of direct uncertainty. We discuss attempts to codify indirect uncertainty in terms of quality of the underlying evidence. We review the limited literature about the effects of communicating epistemic uncertainty on cognition, affect, trust and decision-making. While there is some evidence that communicating epistemic uncertainty does not necessarily affect audiences negatively, impact can vary between individuals and communication formats. Case studies in economic statistics and climate change illustrate our framework in action. We conclude with advice to guide both communicators and future researchers in this important but so far rather neglected field.
Incorporation of surface-modified hydroxyapatite into poly(methyl methacrylate) to improve biological activity and bone ingrowth
Authors: Ku Kuan-Lin , Wu Yu-Shan , Wang Chi-Yun , Hong Ding-Wei , Chen Zong-Xing , Huang Ching-An , Chu I-Ming , Lai Po-Liang
Published: May 2019

Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) is the most frequently used bone void filler in orthopedic surgery. However, the interface between the PMMA-based cement and adjacent bone tissue is typically weak as PMMA bone cement is inherently bioinert and not ideal for bone ingrowth. The present study aims to improve the affinity between the polymer and ceramic interphases. By surface modifying nano-sized hydroxyapatite (nHAP) with ethylene glycol and poly(ɛ-caprolactone) (PCL) sequentially via a two-step ring opening reaction, affinity was improved between the polymer and ceramic interphases of PCL-grafted ethylene glycol-HAP (gHAP) in PMMA. Due to better affinity, the compressive strength of gHAP/PMMA was significantly enhanced compared with nHAP/PMMA. Furthermore, PMMA with 20 wt.% gHAP promoted pre-osteoblast cell proliferation
in vitro
and showed the best osteogenic activity between the composites tested
in vivo
. Taken together, gHAP/PMMA not only improves the interfacial adhesion between the nanoparticles and cement, but also increases the biological activity and affinity between the osteoblast cells and PMMA composite cement. These results show that gHAP and its use in polymer/bioceramic composite has great potential to improve the functionality of PMMA cement.
TheN-flagella problem: elastohydrodynamic motility transition of multi-flagellated bacteria
Authors: Ishimoto Kenta , Lauga Eric
Published: May 2019

Peritrichous bacteria such asEscherichia coliswim in viscous fluids by forming a helical bundle of flagellar filaments. The filaments are spatially distributed around the cell body to which they are connected via a flexible hook. To understand how the swimming direction of the cell is determined, we theoretically investigate the elastohydrodynamic motility problem of a multi-flagellated bacterium. Specifically, we consider a spherical cell body with a numberNof flagella which are initially symmetrically arranged in a plane in order to provide an equilibrium state. We solve the linear stability problem analytically and find that at most six modes can be unstable and that these correspond to the degrees of freedom for the rigid-body motion of the cell body. Although there exists a rotation-dominated mode that generates negligible locomotion, we show that for the typical morphological parameters of bacteria the most unstable mode results in linear swimming in one direction accompanied by rotation around the same axis, as observed experimentally.
Simultaneous transmission and reception on all elements of an array: binary code excitation
Authors: Isla Julio A. , Cegla Frederic B.
Published: May 2019

Pulse-echo arrays are used in radar, sonar, seismic, medical and non-destructive evaluation. There is a trend to produce arrays with an ever-increasing number of elements. This trend presents two major challenges: (i) often the size of the elements is reduced resulting in a lower signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and (ii) the time required to record all of the signals that correspond to every transmit–receive path increases. Coded sequences with good autocorrelation properties can increase the SNR while orthogonal sets can be used to simultaneously acquire all of the signals that correspond to every transmit–receive path. However, a central problem of conventional coded sequences is that they cannot achieve good autocorrelation and orthogonality properties simultaneously due to their length being limited by the location of the closest reflectors. In this paper, a solution to this problem is presented by using coded sequences that have receive intervals. The proposed approach can be more than one order of magnitude faster than conventional methods. In addition, binary excitation and quantization can be employed, which reduces the data throughput by roughly an order of magnitude and allows for higher sampling rates. While this concept is generally applicable to any field, a 16-element system was built to experimentally demonstrate this principle for the first time using a conventional medical ultrasound probe.
Quantum Shannon theory with superpositions of trajectories
Authors: Chiribella Giulio , Kristjánsson Hlér
Published: May 2019

Shannon's theory of information was built on the assumption that the information carriers were classical systems. Its quantum counterpart, quantum Shannon theory, explores the new possibilities arising when the information carriers are quantum systems. Traditionally, quantum Shannon theory has focused on scenarios where the internal state of the information carriers is quantum, while their trajectory is classical. Here we propose a second level of quantization where both the information and its propagation in space–time is treated quantum mechanically. The framework is illustrated with a number of examples, showcasing some of the counterintuitive phenomena taking place when information travels simultaneously through multiple transmission lines.
Non-equilibrium turbulence scalings and self-similarity in turbulent planar jets
Authors: Cafiero G. , Vassilicos J. C.
Published: May 2019

We study the self-similarity and dissipation scalings of a turbulent planar jet and the theoretically implied mean flow scalings. Unlike turbulent wakes where such studies have already been carried out (Dairay
et al.
2015
J. Fluid Mech
.
781
, 166–198. (
doi:10.1017/jfm.2015.493
); Obligado
et al.
2016
Phys. Rev. Fluids
1
, 044409. (
doi:10.1103/PhysRevFluids.1.
044409)), this is a boundary-free turbulent shear flow where the local Reynolds number increases with distance from inlet. The Townsend–George theory revised by (Dairay
et al.
2015
J. Fluid Mech
.
781
, 166–198. (
doi:10.1017/jfm.2015.493
)) is applied to turbulent planar jets. Only a few profiles need to be self-similar in this theory. The self-similarity of mean flow, turbulence dissipation, turbulent kinetic energy and Reynolds stress profiles is supported by our experimental results from 18 to at least 54 nozzle sizes, the furthermost location investigated in this work. Furthermore, the non-equilibrium dissipation scaling found in turbulent wakes, decaying grid-generated turbulence, various instances of periodic turbulence and turbulent boundary layers (Dairay
et al.
2015
J. Fluid Mech
.
781
, 166–198. (
doi:10.1017/jfm.2015.493
); Vassilicos 2015
Annu. Rev. Fluid Mech
.
95
, 114. (
doi:10.1146/annurev-fluid-010814-014637
); Goto & Vassilicos 2015
Phys. Lett. A
3790
, 1144–1148. (
doi:10.1016/j.physleta.2015.02.025
); Nedic
et al.
2017
Phys. Rev. Fluids
2
, 032601. (
doi:10.1103/PhysRevFluids.2.032601
)) is also observed in the present turbulent planar jet and in the turbulent planar jet of (Antonia
et al.
1980
Phys. Fluids
23
, 863055. (
doi:10.1063/1.863055
)). Given these observations, the theory implies new mean flow and jet width scalings which are found to be consistent with our data and the data of (Antonia
et al.
1980
Phys. Fluids
23
, 863055. (
doi:10.1063/1.863055
)). In particular, it implies a hitherto unknown entrainment behaviour: the ratio of characteristic cross-stream to centreline streamwise mean flow velocities decays as the −1/3 power of streamwise distance in the region, where the non-equilibrium dissipation scaling holds.
Sexual selection favours good or bad genes for pathogen resistance depending on males' pathogen exposure
Authors: Joye Patrick , Kawecki Tadeusz J.
Published: May 2019

Resistance to pathogens is often invoked as an indirect benefit of female choice, but experimental evidence for links between father's sexual success and offspring resistance is scarce and equivocal. Two proposed mechanisms might generate such links. Under the first, heritable resistance to diverse pathogens depends on general immunocompetence; owing to shared condition dependence, male sexual traits indicate immunocompetence independently of the male's pathogen exposure. By contrast, other hypotheses (e.g. Hamilton–Zuk) assume that sexual traits only reveal heritable resistance if the males have been exposed to the pathogen. The distinction between the two mechanisms has been neglected by experimental studies. We show that
Drosophila melanogaster
males that are successful in mating contests (one female with two males) sire sons that are substantially more resistant to the intestinal pathogen
Pseudomonas entomophila
—but only if the males have themselves been exposed to the pathogen before the mating contest. By contrast, sons of males sexually successful in the absence of pathogen exposure are less resistant than sons of unsuccessful males. We detected no differences in daughters’ resistance. Thus, while sexual selection may have considerable consequences for offspring resistance, these consequences may be sex-specific. Furthermore, contrary to the ‘general immunocompetence’ hypothesis, these consequences can be positive or negative depending on the epidemiological context under which sexual selection operates.
Interplay of cellular states: Role of delay as control mechanism
Authors: Singh Shakti Nath , Chanu Athokpam Langlen , Malik Md. Zubbair , Singh R. K. Brojen
Published: May 2019

Delay is everywhere, no matter how small or big it is. Experimental evidences show the existence and importance of time delayed reactions specially in biological systems. The role of delay is found to be multifunctional and is seemed to be system dependent. The analytically solved P(X,t) of gene regulatory process shows universal class of Poisson process at stationary condition. However, time delay creates a possible condition to the system to impart correlation in the stochastic process as sub-Poissonian or noise enhancement process which could be important in regulating and controlling the system. The results of simulation of few biological systems (gene regulation, circadian rhythm, and repressilator) using delay stochastic simulation algorithm show the possibilities of delay induced onset of oscillating states, which could be the active states of the systems, where, the system can establish coherence among the system variables, enhance the signal processing, optimize the system activities, etc. On the other hand, delay can also induce switching off of the oscillating states, which may correspond to inactive state or system failure.
Neutrophil extracellular trap stabilization leads to improved outcomes in murine models of sepsis
Authors: Gollomp Kandace , Sarkar Amrita , Seeholzer Steven H , Rauova Lubica , Kowalska M. Anna , Poncz Mortimer
Published: May 2019

Sepsis is characterized by multi-organ system dysfunction that occurs due to infection. It is associated with unacceptably high morbidity and mortality and in need of improved therapeutic intervention. Neutrophils play a crucial role in sepsis, releasing neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) composed of DNA complexed with histones and toxic antimicrobial proteins that ensnare pathogens but also damage host tissues. At presentation, patients likely have a significant NET burden contributing to the multi-organ damage. Therefore, interventions that prevent NET release would likely be ineffective at preventing NET-based injury. Treatments that enhance NET degradation may liberate captured bacteria and toxic NET degradation products (NDPs) and therefore be of limited therapeutic benefit. We propose that interventions that stabilize NETs and sequester NDPs may be protective in sepsis. Platelet factor 4 (PF4, CXCL4) a platelet-associated chemokine, binds and compacts NETs, increasing their resistance to deoxyribonuclease I. A monoclonal antibody, KKO, which binds to PF4-NET complexes, further enhances this resistance. We now show that PF4 increases NET-mediated bacterial capture in vitro, reduces the release of NDPs, and improves outcome in murine models of sepsis. An Fc-modified KKO further enhances deoxyribonuclease resistance, decreases NDP release, and increases survival in these models, supporting a novel NET-targeting approach to improve outcomes in sepsis.
An epigenetic landscape governs early fate decision in cellular aging
Authors: Li Yang , Jiang Yanfei , Paxman Julie , O’Laughlin Richard , Pillus Lorraine , Tsimring Lev S. , Hasty Jeff , Hao Nan
Published: May 2019

Chromatin instability and mitochondrial decline are conserved processes that contribute to cellular aging. Although both processes have been explored individually in the context of their distinct signaling pathways, the mechanism that determines which cell fate arises in isogenic cells is unknown. Here, we show that interactions between the chromatin silencing and mitochondrial pathways lead to an epigenetic landscape with multiple equilibrium states that represent different types of terminal cellular states. Interestingly, the structure of the landscape drives single-cell differentiation towards one of these states during aging, whereby the fate is determined quite early and is insensitive to intracellular noise. Guided by a quantitative model of the aging landscape, we genetically engineer a new “long-lived” equilibrium state that is characterized by a dramatically extended lifespan.
Single-cell RNA-sequencing of differentiating iPS cells reveals dynamic genetic effects on gene expression
Authors: Cuomo Anna SE , Seaton Daniel D , McCarthy Davis J , Martinez Iker , Bonder Marc Jan , Garcia-Bernardo Jose , Amatya Shradha , Madrigal Pedro , Isaacson Abigail , Buettner Florian , Knights Andrew , Natarajan Kedar Nath ,   HipSci Consortium, Vallier Ludovic , Marioni John C , Chhatriwala Mariya , Stegle Oliver
Published: May 2019

Recent developments in stem cell biology have enabled the study of cell fate decisions in early human development that are impossible to study in vivo. However, understanding how development varies across individuals and, in particular, the influence of common genetic variants during this process has not been characterised. Here, we exploit human iPS cell lines from 125 donors, a pooled experimental design, and single-cell RNA-sequencing to study population variation of endoderm differentiation. We identify molecular markers that are predictive of differentiation efficiency, and utilise heterogeneity in the genetic background across individuals to map hundreds of expression quantitative trait loci that influence expression dynamically during differentiation and across cellular contexts.
Leptin induces cell migration and invasion in a FAK-Src- dependent manner in breast cancer cells
Authors: Juárez-Cruz Juan C. , Zuñiga-Eulogio Miriam Daniela , Olea-Flores Monserrat , Castañeda-Saucedo Eduardo , Mendoza-Catalán Miguel Ángel , Ortuño-Pineda Carlos , Moreno-Godínez Ma. Elena , Villegas-Comonfort Sócrates , Padilla-Benavides Teresita , Navarro-Tito Napoleón
Published: May 2019

Breast cancer is the most common invasive neoplasia, and the second leading cause of death associated with cancer in women worldwide. Mammary tumorigenesis is severely linked to obesity, the potential connection is leptin. Leptin is a hormone secreted by adipocytes, which contributes to the progression of breast cancer. Cell migration, metalloproteases secretion, and invasion are cellular processes associated with various stages of metastasis. These processes are regulated by the kinases FAK and Src. In this study, we utilized the breast cancer cell lines MCF7 and MDA-MB-231 to determine the effect of leptin on FAK and Src kinases activation, cell migration, metalloproteases secretion, and invasion. By Western blot we found that leptin activates FAK and Src, and induces the localization of FAK to the focal adhesions. Specific inhibitors of FAK and Src showed that the effect exerted by leptin in cell migration, and invasion in breast cancer cells is dependent on these kinases. Moreover, by gelatin zymmography we established that leptin promotes the secretion of the extracellular matrix remodelers, MMP-2 and MMP-9, in a FAK and Src dependent manner. Our findings strongly suggest that leptin promotes the development of a more aggressive invasive phenotype in mammary cancer cells.
Allelic imbalance reveals widespread germline-somatic regulatory differences and prioritizes risk loci in Renal Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Gusev Alexander , Spisak Sandor , Fay Andre P. , Carol Hallie , Vavra Kevin C , Signoretti Sabina , Tisza Viktoria , Pomerantz Mark , Abbasi Forough , Seo Ji-Heui , Choueiri Toni K. , Lawrenson Kate , Freedman Matthew L
Published: May 2019

Determining the function of non-coding regulatory variants in cancer is a key challenge transcriptional biology. We investigated genetic (germline and somatic) determinants of regulatory mechanisms in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) using H3K27ac ChIP-seq data in 10 matched tumor/normal samples and RNA-seq data from 496/66 tumor/normal samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Unsupervised clustering of H3K27ac activity cleanly separated tumor from normal individuals, highlighting extensive epigenetic reprogramming during transformation. We developed a novel method to test each chromatin feature for evidence of an allele-specific quantitative trait locus (asQTL) and evaluate tumor/normal differences in allele-specificity (d-asQTLs) while modelling local structural variation and read overdispersion. At an FDR of 5%, we identified 1,356 unique asQTL chromatin peaks in normal tissues; 2,868 in tumors; and 1,054 d-asQTLs (primarily imbalanced in tumor). The d-asQTL peaks were significantly enriched for RCC genome-wide association study (GWAS) heritability (32x, P=1.8×10−3), more so than any other functional feature including all H3K27ac peaks (12x), super-enhancers (5x), and asQTL genes (4x). Intersection of asQTLs with RCC GWAS loci identified putative functional features for 6/17 known loci including tumor-specific activity at SCARB1, a cholesterol metabolism mediator, which has recently been implicated in RCC progression. We validated the asQTL variant through CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) and demonstrated a concomitant allelic effect on the overlapping enhancer and on downstream SCARB1 expression. Knockdowns of master transcription factors (TFs) involved in the hypoxia pathway altered the expression of SCARB1 in a kidney cancer cell line, consistent with a variant-TF interaction. Genome-wide, d-asQTLs were significantly enriched for tumor-specific binding of hypoxic transcription factors, implicating a more general mechanism for polygenic germline-somatic interaction.
Deletion of the CTG Expansion in Myotonic Dystrophy Type 1 Reverses DMPK Aberrant Methylation in Human Embryonic Stem Cells but not Affected Myoblasts
Authors: Yanovsky-Dagan Shira , Bnaya Ester , Diab Manar Abu , Handal Tayma , Zahdeh Fouad , van den Broek Walther J.A.A. , Epsztejn-Litman Silvina , Wansink Derick G. , Eiges Rachel
Published: May 2019

Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) results from a CTG repeat expansion in the 3’-UTR of DMPK. When the repeat extensively expands, this results in DMPK aberrant methylation, reduction in SIX5 transcription and the development of the congenital form of the disease. To explore whether hypermethylation could be reversed in DM1 embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and patient myoblasts, we monitored methylation levels following removal of the expanded repeat by CRISPR/Cas9-mediated editing. Excision of the repeat in undifferentiated hESCs (CTG2000) resets the locus by abolishing abnormal methylation and H3K9me3 enrichment, and rescues SIX5 transcription. In contrast, in affected myoblasts methylation levels remain unchanged following deletion of a large expansion (CTG2600). Altogether, this provides evidence for a transition from a reversible to an irreversible heterochromatin state by the DM1 mutation upon cell differentiation. These findings should be taken into account when considering gene correction in congenital DM1 and potentially other epigenetically regulated disorders.
The structural characterization of a glucosylglycerate hydrolase provides insights into the molecular mechanism of mycobacterial recovery from nitrogen starvation
Authors: Cereija Tatiana Barros , Alarico Susana , Lourenço Eva C. , Manso José António , Ventura M. Rita , Empadinhas Nuno , Macedo-Ribeiro Sandra , Pereira Pedro José Barbosa
Published: May 2019

Bacteria are challenged to adapt to environmental variations in order to survive. Under nutritional stress, several bacteria are able to slow down their metabolism into a nonreplicating state and wait for favourable conditions. It is almost universal that bacteria accumulate carbon stores to survive during this nonreplicating state and to fuel rapid proliferation when the growth-limiting stress disappears. Mycobacteria are exceedingly successful in their ability to become dormant under harsh circumstances and to be able to resume growth when conditions are favourable. Rapidly growing mycobacteria accumulate glucosylglycerate under nitrogen-limiting conditions and quickly mobilize it when nitrogen availability is restored. The depletion of intracellular glucosylglycerate levels in Mycolicibacterium hassiacum (basonym Mycobacterium hassiacum) was associated with the up-regulation of the gene coding for glucosylglycerate hydrolase (GgH), an enzyme that is able to hydrolyse glucosylglycerate to glycerate and glucose, a source of readily available energy. Highly conserved among unrelated phyla, GgH is likely to be involved in bacterial reactivation following nitrogen starvation, which in addition to other factors driving mycobacterial recovery may also provide an opportunity for therapeutic intervention, especially in the serious infections caused by some emerging opportunistic pathogens of this group, such as Mycobacteroides abscessus (basonym Mycobacterium abscessus). Using a combination of biochemical methods and hybrid structural approaches, the oligomeric organization of M. hassiacum GgH was determined and molecular determinants of its substrate binding and specificity were unveiled.
The development of the Sensory Processing, Aberrant Mealtime Behavior, Motor Inventory for Eating (SAMIE) in children with an ASD
Authors: Withrow Nicole Atkins , Alvidrez Leticia
Published: May 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to develop a comprehensive eating screening inventory named the Sensory Processing, Aberrant Mealtime Behaviors, Motor, Inventory for Eating (SAMIE). The SAMIE will accurately screen nutritional risk by identifying the four primary domains that affect eating in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Design/methodology/approach

The development of the questions was executed in three steps. First, a review of the literature was conducted. Second, expert opinion was acquired which was critical in developing the questions. Third, ten think-aloud protocols were set up to simplify the first draft. Prior to the pilot study, four participants were recruited to complete the SAMIE online.

Findings

A total of 162 participants completed the online demographic questionnaire and the SAMIE. Overall, participants did not differ between groups for demographic characteristics, BMI status and dietary intake. After conducting a series of statistical tests, results illustrated that the SAMIE is a valid measure to screen nutritional risk in children with ASD.

Practical implications

Due to the complexities of problematic eating behaviors in ASD, there is a need for a comprehensive screening inventory that encompasses the four domains that impact eating in an ASD. These domains have been identified as, namely, aberrant mealtime behavior, eating skills, dietary intake, and sensory processing and have yet to be utilized collectively to screen for nutritional risk in children with ASD.

Originality/value

The SAMIE is a novel eating screening inventory that will standardize the methodology for screening nutritional risk that can be used in clinical, community and research settings.
Enhancing organizational health literacy in a rural Missouri clinic: a qualitative case study
Authors: Wray Ricardo , Weaver Nancy , Adsul Prajakta , Gautam Kanak , Jupka Keri , Zellin Stacie , Goggins Kathryn , Vijaykumar Santosh , Hansen Natasha , Rudd Rima
Published: May 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate a collaborative effort between a health care organization and academic institution to strengthen organizational health literacy.

Design/methodology/approach

The intervention took place at a rural, federally qualified health clinic in Missouri between May 2009 and April 2011. Qualitative interviews of key informants were conducted before (n=35) and after (n=23) the intervention to examine program implementation and success in effecting organizational change.

Findings

Intervention activities helped establish a comprehensive understanding of health literacy. The project achieved moderate, fundamental and sustainable organizational change. The program successfully integrated health literacy practices into clinic systems and garnered leadership and organizational commitment, helped the workforce improve interpersonal communication and embedded practices making health education materials more accessible.

Originality/value

The study points to programmatic, conceptual and methodological challenges that must be addressed for organizations to improve health literacy practices, and suggests change management strategies to advance organizational health literacy.
INSPIRE sustainability internships
Authors: Hayles Carolyn Susan
Published: May 2019

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the outputs of an internship programme, one of a number of campus-based sustainability activities that have been introduced at the University of Wales, Trinity Saint David, to encourage student-led campus-based greening initiatives.

Design/methodology/approach

A case study approach was undertaken, allowing the researcher to investigate the programme in its real-life context. The researcher used multiple sources of evidence to gain as holistic a picture as possible.

Findings

Interns report positive changes in their behaviours towards sustainability, s well as encouraging feedback on their experiential learning, the development of their soft skills and the creation of new knowledge. Moreover, students communicated perceived benefits for their future careers. The reported outcomes reflect mutually beneficial relationships for student and institution, for example, raising the profile of campus greening activities and supporting the University’s aim to embed sustainability throughout its campus, community and culture.

Research limitations/implications

The researcher recognises the limitations of the research, in particular, the small sample size, which has resulted primarily in qualitative results being presented.

Practical implications

Feedback from previous interns will be used to shape future internships. In particular, Institute of Sustainable Practice, Innovation and Resource Effectiveness (INSPIRE) will look for opportunities to work more closely with University operations, departments, faculties and alongside University staff, both academic and support staff.

Social implications

Following student feedback, INSPIRE will give students opportunities for wider involvement, including an opportunity to propose their own projects to shape future internships that meet the needs of student body on campus.

Originality/value

Despite being one case study from one institution, the research highlights the value of such programmes for other institutions.
Promoting green building literacy through online laboratory experiences
Authors: Cole Laura Brianna , Quinn Jerod , Akturk Aysegul , Johnson Briana
Published: May 2019

Purpose

This study examines a general education, hands-on and 100 per cent online laboratory course to better understand the prospects for fostering green building literacy through experiential online education.

Design/methodology/approach

The mixed-methods research design included pre- and post-course surveys (n= 42) together with semi-structured interviews mid-semester (n= 10) and four to six months post-course (n= 5). Data were collected for two semesters.

Findings

Students experienced significant increases in green building knowledge and skills, environmental sensitivity and pro-environmental behaviors from the beginning to the end of the course. Qualitative results indicate that the hands-on laboratory assignments were the primary pedagogical interventions affecting change. Interviews four to six months after the course revealed that motivation, convenience and supportiveness of the context were key factors impacting the pro-environmental behaviors that were maintained versus those that were discontinued by students when the course was over.

Practical implications

This paper shares effective approaches used to deliver an online course with hands-on laboratories that lead to positive increases in sustainability knowledge and behaviors stretching beyond the semester.

Originality/value

While online and experiential learning are both well-studied themes in higher education, very little empirical work examines experiential online learning, and this is particularly the case for online laboratory courses. The work here contributes to the understanding of general education online laboratories that are designed to increase knowledge and behavior change through hands-on experiential learning techniques.
An alternative formula for the constant growth model
Authors: Forsyth Juan A.
Published: May 2019

Purpose

The traditional one-stage constant growth formula has two main underlying assumptions: a company will be able to maintain its competitive advantage for completed investments in perpetuity, and each year in the future, it will be able to generate new investment opportunities with the same competitive advantage, which will also remain in perpetuity. The purpose of this paper is to develop a model that limits the duration of the competitive advantage.

Design/methodology/approach

A new model is developed, and it is used to value a public company.

Findings

In this study, the author introduces an alternative formula considering the duration of the competitive advantage, imposing a restriction on the fact that extraordinary returns cannot be sustained forever, and also separates the part of the value explained by the current investments from the portion of value created by future investments.

Originality/value

The traditional one-stage constant growth model used to determine the continuing value of a company has limitations regarding the duration of the competitive advantage. The developed formula corrects the problem limiting the time extraordinary returns will remain over time.
The role of leader vs organisational credibility in Islamic social enterprise marketing communication
Authors: Hati Sri Rahayu Hijrah , Idris Aida
Published: May 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the role of leader and organisational credibility in influencing customers’ intention to support Islamic social enterprises.

Design/methodology/approach

The credibility of the leader and that of the social enterprise are exposed through advertising. Ads portraying the six largest Islamic social enterprises in Indonesia and their social entrepreneur leaders were shown to 221 existing customers via online and offline surveys.

Findings

The findings indicate that organisational credibility and organisational branding have much greater influence than leaders’ personal credibility on customers’ intention to support Islamic social enterprises.

Research limitations/implications

The study has highlighted the greater role of organisational credibility and branding over advertising in attracting support for Islamic social entrepreneurship.

Practical implications

Islamic social enterprises need to develop a trusted brand and establish a more effective way to communicate with their stakeholders besides advertising, as the impact of ads on customer support intention is not significant.

Originality/value

The study contributes to the field of marketing and social entrepreneurship by providing empirical results on the Islamic social entrepreneurship phenomenon.
The impact of electronic word of mouth (e-WOM) on the online purchase intention of consumers in the Islamic countries – a case of (UAE)
Authors: Nuseir Mohammed T.
Published: May 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the marketing literature regarding Islamic countries, in particular the United Arab Emirates (UAE), by assessing the impact of electronic word of mouth (e-WOM) on brand image and on the online purchase intentions of consumers.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a descriptive research approach, this study used quantitative data to assess how the online purchase intentions of consumers in the UAE are influenced by e-WOM and brand image.

Findings

E-WOM has a significant impact on online purchase intentions and brand image among consumers. Brand image significantly influences the online purchase intentions of consumers.

Research limitations/implications

The conclusions may not be generalizable because not all areas of the UAE were represented in this study. In future studies, a larger and more inclusive sample would help to overcome this limitation.

Practical implications

This study will help marketers to understand the power of e-WOM, an important marketing tool, and to use resources more strategically to attract new customers.

Originality/value

E-WOM is the most commonly used and most effective medium of sharing opinions and reviews pertaining to various products and services in the market. Understanding how it influences the purchase intentions of consumers is imperative and has strong implications for marketers.