bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An observational study to evaluate the long‐term outcomes of treatment with etanercept in patients with plaque‐type psoriasis
Authors: Luger T. , Schopf R.E. , Schwanke A. , Langhammer S. , Meng T. , Löschmann P.A.
Published: June 2016

Background

There is an unmet need for long‐term, real‐life data on the effect of a drug‐free interval between treatment cycles in patients with plaque psoriasis being treated with etanercept, which is licensed for intermittent and continuous treatment.

Objective

The aim of this study was to determine the average duration of the drug‐free interval between etanercept treatment cycles in patients with plaque psoriasis.

Methods

This was a non‐interventional, open‐label, multicentre, prospective study in patients for whom the decision had already been made to initiate treatment with etanercept during routine practice in German centres. Clinical outcomes were documented over 36 months with study visits every 12 weeks. The primary endpoint was the duration of the treatment‐free interval between etanercept treatment cycles (24 weeks/cycle). Secondary endpoints assessed efficacy [Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI), Body Surface Area (BSA), static Physician's Global Assessment (sPGA)], health‐related outcomes [EuroQol‐5 Dimensions (EQ‐5D), Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI)] and safety.

Results

A total of 955 patients were enrolled from 224 centres; 926 of these were included in the safety analyses and 720 patients from the safety population were included in the efficacy analysis. The mean duration of drug‐free intervals was 12.9 ± 12.8 weeks. Efficacy and health‐related quality of life outcomes measures showed consistent improvement that occurred within 12 weeks of treatment with etanercept. There was a descriptive difference between the continuous and intermittent treatment subgroups, as subjects in the latter showed a deterioration at the first visit following an interval. However, retreatment with etanercept resulted in a clinical efficacy identical to the initial effect. The incidence of physician‐assessed, drug‐related adverse events and serious adverse events was 13.1% and 1.9%, respectively.

Conclusion

The mean duration of drug‐free intervals was relatively short, most patients experienced improvements in disease activity and health‐related quality of life within 12 weeks of either continuous or intermittent treatment with etanercept, and there were no new safety signals. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00708708.
Jumandy, parentesco e historicidad: las visiones de poder entre los Napo Runa en la Amazonía ecuatoriana
Authors: Uzendoski Michael A
Published: June 2016

Este trabajo presenta un análisis sobre la lucha histórica de las poblaciones nativas del Alto Napo, considerando el rol de las visiones de poder en la memoria, historia y acción social. Mi hipótesis es que la teoría indígena de lucha nació de las visiones rituales que precedieron al levantamiento de “Jumandy” (1578) cuando los nativos del Alto Napo se alzaron y destruyeron las ciudades de Archidona y Loreto. Fundado en evidencias reunidas durante el trabajo de campo, el argumento es que las visiones de poder (en Kichwa ‘yachay’ y ‘ushay’) que engendraron la sublevación de 1578 siguen vivas socialmente, debido al carácter relacional del pensamiento Amazónico. El artículo muestra que para los Nativos de Napo Jumandy personifica la transmisión del poder a través de generaciones de lucha. Se trata de un poder que la gente siente y percibe; un poder que está enraizado en el territorio y en la presencia afectiva de los antepasados.
Comparative anatomy of the arm muscles of the Japanese monkey (Macaca fuscata) with some comments on locomotor mechanics and behavior
Authors: Aversi‐Ferreira Tales Alexandre , Aversi‐Ferreira Roqueline A.G.M.F. , Bretas Rafael Vieira , Nishimaru Hiroshi , Nishijo Hisao
Published: June 2016

Background

The anatomical literature on the genus Macaca has focused mainly on the rhesus monkey. However, some aspects in the positional behaviors of the Japanese monkey may be different from those in rhesus monkey, suggesting that the anatomical details of these species are divergent.

Methods

Four thoracic limbs of Macaca fuscata adults were dissected.

Results

The arm muscles in Japanese macaques are more similar to rhesus monkeys and Papio; these characteristics are closer to those of bearded capuchins than apes, indicating more proximity of this genus to New World primates.

Conclusions

The anatomical features observed favor quadrupedal locomotor behaviors on the ground and in arboreal environments. Japanese monkeys, rhesus monkeys, and bearded capuchins, which share more primitive characteristics in their arm muscles, present features that favor both arboreal and quadrupedal locomotor behaviors, whereas apes, mainly Pan and Gorilla, which spend more time on the ground, present more quadrupedal specializations.
The Central Vein Sign in Multiple Sclerosis Lesions Is Present Irrespective of the T2* Sequence at 3 T
Authors: Samaraweera Amal P. R. , Clarke Margareta A. , Whitehead Amy , Falah Yasser , Driver Ian D. , Dineen Robert A. , Morgan Paul S. , Evangelou Nikos
Published: June 2016

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Previous T2*‐weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies have used white matter lesion (WML) central veins to distinguish multiple sclerosis (MS) from its mimics. To be clinically applicable, the “central vein sign” needs to be detectable across different T2* sequences. Our objective was to determine if the central vein sign is reliably present in MS and absent in patients with ischemic small vessel disease (SVD) across different T2* sequences at 3T MRI.

METHODS

Ten patients with MS and 10 with SVD were each scanned on a 3 T Philips and GE scanner. The MRI protocol included 3‐dimensional (3D) T2* GRE, T2* with high echo planar imaging (EPI) factor and susceptibility‐weighted angiography (SWAN). Total WML numbers, central vein numbers, and proportion of WMLs with central veins were calculated using each sequence. Three blinded raters identified a subset of six WMLs with central veins to diagnose MS or SVD.

RESULTS

Irrespective of the sequence, MS patients were identified based on a higher proportion of WMLs with central veins. This proportion was dependent on the T2* sequence used. T2* with high EPI allowed the highest median proportion (69.6%) in MS patients; 6.1% in SVD patients (P < .0004). Rater reproducibility varied depending on the T2* sequence used. T2* with high EPI produced good agreement with the clinical diagnosis (Cohen's kappa range; .78‐.89), as did SWAN imaging with some raters; ĸ = .69.

CONCLUSIONS

The central vein sign can diagnose MS in the clinical setting of modern 3T scanners. However, variations in the T2* sequences need to be considered when defining a threshold for diagnosis.
Selective Application of High‐Resolution 3 T MRI in the Evaluation of Intracranial Vertebral Artery Dissection
Authors: Hwang Jaechun , Chung Jong‐Won , Cha Jihoon , Bang Oh Young , Chung Chin‐Sang , Lee Kwang Ho , Kim Gyeong‐Moon
Published: June 2016

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Although high‐resolution magnetic resonance imaging (HR‐MRI) is considered optimal for the diagnosis of intracranial vertebral artery dissection (IVAD), it is not readily available for all patients with suspected IVAD. The purpose of our study was to determine the factor related to IVAD lesions that are not definitively diagnosed by conventional MRI.

METHODS

This study included IVAD lesions that were evaluated with both of 3 T conventional MRI and HR‐MRI. Definitive dissection was defined as the presence of one or more pathognomonic radiological findings including crescentic intramural hematoma, intimal flap, and double lumen. A total of 30 IVAD lesions definitively diagnosed by HR‐MRI were included and grouped into a conventional MRI true‐positive group (n = 17) or false‐negative group (n = 13) based on the presence of definitive findings on conventional MRI.

RESULTS

Clinical characteristics did not differ between the two groups. The absence of vertebral artery aneurysmal dilatation was more common in the conventional MRI false‐negative group (84.6% vs. 35.3%; P = .010). Ipsilesional vertebral hypoplasia was observed more frequently in the conventional MRI false‐negative IVAD group (53.8% vs. 17.6%; P = .056). In logistic regression, absence of vertebral artery aneurysmal dilatation was independently associated with conventional MRI false‐negative IVAD (OR, 16.37; 95% CI, 1.39‐192.30; P = .026). Ipsilesional vertebral artery hypoplasia showed only a trend as a predictor of conventional MRI false‐negative IVAD (OR, 7.24; 95% CI, .73‐71.51; P = 0.090).

CONCLUSIONS

HR‐MRI may be useful for diagnosing IVAD without aneurysmal dilatation or with ipsilesional vertebral hypoplasia.
Multiple cells express interleukin 17 in oral squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Avadhani Avadhoot V. , Parachuru Venkata P. B. , Milne Trudy , Seymour Gregory J. , Rich Alison M.
Published: June 2016

Background

Interleukin (IL)‐17 is a pro‐inflammatory cytokine with pro‐ and antitumour effects. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence and potential sources of IL‐17 in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC).

Methods

Immunohistochemistry was used to label and compare IL‐17+ cells in the tissue sections of OSCC and inflammatory controls (IC), n = 14 for both. In OSCC, the comparison was made between the number of IL‐17+ cells in the tumoral islands (TI), tumour–stroma interface (TS) and more distant stroma (DS). Cells expressing IL‐17 were identified using double‐labelling immunofluorescence and examined using laser scanning microscopy. The production of IL‐17 from tumour cells was determined in the culture supernatants of OSCC cell lines, SCC4, SCC15 and SCC25, using sandwich ELISA.

Results

Significantly more IL‐17+ cells were observed in OSCC compared with IC (Mann–Whitney, P < 0.0001). In OSCC, the numbers of IL‐17+ cells were not significantly different in three compartments, TI, TS and DS (one‐way ANOVA, P > 0.05). However, the TI had significantly fewer IL‐17+ cells than the combined stroma (both TS and DS together, Mann–Whitney, P < 0.01). Laser scanning microscopy revealed helper T cells, cytotoxic T cells, macrophages and mast cells co‐expressed IL‐17. ELISA experiments did not detect IL‐17 in the supernatants of OSCC cell lines.

Conclusions

Although the tumour cells themselves did not express IL‐17, a range of cell types did, suggesting multiple cellular sources for IL‐17 in OSCC. The spatial distribution of IL‐17+ cells suggests specific interactions with cells within the tumour microenvironment, implying that IL‐17+ cells are likely to play a role in the pathogenesis of OSCC.
Metabolic syndrome in children and adolescents: Old concepts in a young population
Authors: Titmuss Angela Therese , Srinivasan Shubha
Published: June 2016

Many years after first being described, there is still no clear consensus on diagnostic criteria for metabolic syndrome, particularly in children. However, identification of this cluster of cardiovascular risk factors especially in children with co‐morbidities, is important in order to reduce their future risk of chronic disease and morbidity. Sustained multidisciplinary and family‐based early intervention is required, aiming primarily at life‐style change.
The impaired myocardial ischemic tolerance in adult offspring of diabetic pregnancy is restored by maternal melatonin treatment
Authors: Gao Ling , Zhao Yi‐Chao , Liang Yan , Lin Xian‐Hua , Tan Ya‐Jing , Wu Dan‐Dan , Li Xin‐Zhu , Ye Bo‐Zhi , Kong Fan‐Qi , Sheng Jian‐Zhong , Huang He‐Feng
Published: June 2016

Diabetic pregnancy, with ever increasing prevalence, adversely affects embryogenesis and increases vasculometabolic disorder risks in adult offspring. However, it remains poorly understood whether maternal diabetes increases the offspring's susceptibility to heart injuries in adulthood. In this study, we observed that cardiac function and structure were comparable between adult offspring born to diabetic mice and their counterparts born to nondiabetic mice at baseline. However, in response to myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (MIR), diabetic mother offspring exhibited augmented infarct size, cardiac dysfunction, and myocardial apoptosis compared with control, in association with exaggerated activation of mitochondria‐ and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress‐mediated apoptosis pathways and oxidative stress. Molecular analysis showed that the impaired myocardial ischemic tolerance in diabetic mother offspring was mainly attributable to blunted cardiac insulin receptor substrate (IRS)‐1/Akt signaling. Furthermore, the effect of maternal melatonin administration on offspring's response to MIR was determined, and the results indicated that melatonin treatment in diabetic dams during pregnancy significantly improved the tolerance to MIR injury in their offspring, via restoring cardiac IRS‐1/Akt signaling. Taken together, these data suggest that maternal diabetes predisposes offspring to augmented MIR injury in adulthood, and maternal melatonin supplementation during diabetic pregnancy may hold promise for improving myocardial ischemic tolerance in the offspring.
Prevalence and Clinicopathological Features of Triaditis in a Prospective Case Series of Symptomatic and Asymptomatic Cats
Authors: Fragkou F.C. , Adamama‐Moraitou K.K. , Poutahidis T. , Prassinos N.N. , Kritsepi‐Konstantinou M. , Xenoulis P.G. , Steiner J.M. , Lidbury J.A. , Suchodolski J.S. , Rallis T.S.
Published: June 2016

Background

The term triaditis designates the concurrent presence of idiopathic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), cholangitis, and pancreatitis in cats.

Hypothesis/Objectives

The histopathology of concurrent, but often subclinical, inflammatory processes in the small intestine, liver, and pancreas of cats is poorly described. We aimed to investigate the frequency of enteritis, cholangitis, pancreatitis, or some combination of these in symptomatic and asymptomatic cats, compare clinicopathological features, and correlate histopathological with laboratory findings.

Animals

Domestic cats (27 symptomatic, 20 asymptomatic, and 8 normal).

Methods

Prospective study. Physical examination, laboratory variables (CBC, serum biochemistry profile, serum thyroxine concentration, serum feline trypsin‐like immunoreactivity [fTLI], feline lipase immunoreactivity [fPLI, as measured by SpecfPL®], urinalysis, and fecal analysis), imaging, and histopathological examinations were conducted. Feline liver, pancreas, and small intestine were biopsied during laparotomy.

Results

Inflammatory lesions were detected in 47 cats (27 symptomatic, 20 asymptomatic). In total, 20 cats had histopathologic lesions ofIBD(13/47, 27.7%), cholangitis (6/47, 12.8%), or pancreatitis (1/47, 2.1%) alone, or inflammation involving >1 organ (27/47, 57.4%). More specifically, 16/47 cats (34.0%) had concurrent lesions ofIBDand cholangitis, 3/47 (6.4%) ofIBDand pancreatitis, and 8/47 cats (17%) of triaditis. Triaditis was identified only in symptomatic cats (8/27, 29.6%). A mild, positive correlation was detected between the severity (score) ofIBDlesions and the number of comorbidities (rho = +0.367,P= .022).

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

Histopathological evidence ofIBDorIBDwith comorbidities was detected in both symptomatic and asymptomatic cats. The possibility of triaditis should be considered in symptomatic cats with severeIBD.
Actaea muliensis sp. nov. (Ranunculaceae), an unusual species with dark purple staminodes from western Sichuan, China
Authors: Luo Jiang‐Ping , Yang Qin‐Er , Yuan Qiong
Published: June 2016

Actaea muliensis (Ranunculaceae), a new species from Muli County, Sichuan Province, China, is described and illustrated. Morphologically, it is somewhat similar to A. mairei, but is most readily distinguishable from that species and others within A. sect. Cimicifuga by, among other characters, the dark purple (vs yellow) staminodes. Actaea muliensis is revealed to be a diploid (2n = 16) species with 3‐colpate pollen.
Transcription factor EB: from master coordinator of lysosomal pathways to candidate therapeutic target in degenerative storage diseases
Authors: Sardiello Marco
Published: June 2016

The lysosome is the main catabolic hub of the cell. Owing to its role in fundamental processes such as autophagy, plasma membrane repair, mTOR signaling, and maintenance of cellular homeostasis, the lysosome has a profound influence on cellular metabolism and human health. Indeed, inefficient or impaired lysosomal function has been implicated in the pathogenesis of a number of degenerative diseases affecting various organs and tissues, most notably the brain, liver, and muscle. The discovery of the coordinated lysosomal expression and regulation (CLEAR) genetic program and its master controller, transcription factor EB (TFEB), has provided an unprecedented tool to study and manipulate lysosomal function. Most lysosome‐based processes—including macromolecule degradation, autophagy, lysosomal exocytosis, and proteostasis—are under the transcriptional control of TFEB. Interestingly, impaired TFEB signaling has been suggested to be a contributing factor in the pathogenesis of several degenerative storage diseases. Preclinical studies based on TFEB exogenous expression to reinstate TFEB activity or promote CLEAR network–based lysosomal enhancement have highlighted TFEB as a candidate therapeutic target for the treatment of various degenerative storage diseases.
In vitro models of cranial neural crest development toward toxicity tests: frog, mouse, and human
Authors: Suga M , Hayashi Y , Furue MK
Published: June 2016

During craniofacial development, cranial neural crest (NC)‐derived mesenchymal cells migrate to pharyngeal arches and contribute extensively to neurons, Schwann cells, smooth muscle cells, osteoblasts, chondrocytes, and odontoblasts, forming maxillofacial structures. In vitro models using model organism cells, such as African clawed frog (Xenopus Laevis) and mouse (Mus Musculus), were developed to understand cellular and molecular mechanisms of cranial NC development. Recent studies using human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and human‐induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) have enabled the generation of human NC cells (NCCs) in vitro to provide insight into human NC development. Understanding molecular mechanisms underlying craniofacial development will contribute to develop novel embryotoxicity tests and to decrease the incidence of drug‐induced congenital anomalies in the craniofacial region, such as cleft lip or cleft palate. Here, we review culture methods to derive NCCs in vitro from Xenopus presumptive ectoderm (animal caps), mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs), and human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) and discuss how these in vitro models can be used to help clarify the mechanisms underlying craniofacial development and for developing embryotoxicity tests predicting drug‐induced congenital anomalies in the craniofacial region.
The response of amphibian larvae to environmental change is both consistent and variable
Authors: Edge Christopher B. , Houlahan Jeff E. , Jackson Donald A. , Fortin Marie‐Josée
Published: June 2016

Many environments are undergoing rapid environmental change and there is a need to understand the mechanisms by which species can persist in altered environments. Model systems, such as amphibian metamorphosis, which can be generalized across many types of environmental change and across many species, are a powerful tool for understanding mechanisms that facilitate persistence in altered and disturbed environments. Amphibian larvae respond to environmental change by varying age at metamorphosis, or size at metamorphosis. Differential selection pressures on age or size at metamorphosis may result in a differential response among taxa to environmental change. Using a meta‐analysis, we investigated whether age at metamorphosis, size at metamorphosis, and larval growth rate vary within and among taxonomic families of amphibians in experiments that modified the environmental temperature, density of individuals, food, hydroperiod and the presence of predators. For all environmental factors except predators, the direction of the response was consistent across most of the studied taxa. However, there was considerable variation in effect size both within and among families. Results demonstrate that amphibian metamorphosis is a valuable model system for studying the effects of environmental change. Yet, we stress the need for caution in making generalizations about how individuals respond to environmental factors that have an indirect effect on physiology and require the perception of an environmental cue, such as the presence of predators.

Synthesis

As the current conditions of the environment are rapidly changing there is a need to understand how organisms respond to environmental change, and whether response of one species can be generalized to other species. Using a meta‐analyses, we tested whether the phenotypic response of amphibian larvae to five types of environmental change is consistent among and within taxonomic families. The phenotypic response to changes in environmental factors was consistent when the environmental factor has a direct effect on physiology, but varies among and within family if the environmental factor has an indirect effect on physiology or requires the perception of an environmental cue.
Which Crisis? European Crisis and National Contexts in Public Discourse
Authors: Zamponi Lorenzo , Bosi Lorenzo
Published: June 2016

Is there such a thing as “the crisis” in the European public discourse? We investigate the Great Recession as it appears in the public discourse of seven European countries (Germany, Greece, Italy, Poland, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland). We do so through a political claim analysis conducted on the most important newspapers of each country between 2005 and 2014. We show that the economic crisis, as a shared experience able to produce consequences on political processes, does matter, but not as one monolithic factor that generates homogeneous outcomes. Different countries are characterized by specific features, which need to be taken into account to understand the relationship between economic crisis and political change. We identify four different “crises” (the global financial crisis, the public debt and austerity crisis, the industrial productive crisis, and the political legitimacy crisis) and propose interpretations on the relationship between their relative visibility, structural factors, and political change.

Related Articles in this Special Issue

Cinalli, Manlio, and
Marco Giugni. “” Politics & Policy 44 (): 427–446. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/polp.12159/abstract

Lahusen, Christian,
Maria Kousis,
Johaness Kiess, and
Maria Paschou. “.” Politics & Policy 44 (): 525–552. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/polp.12162/abstract

Temple, Luke,
Maria T. Grasso,
Barbara Buraczynska,
Sotirios Karampampas, and
Patrick English. 2016. “.” Politics & Policy 44 (): 553–576. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/polp.12161/abstract

Related Media

Talk Real. 2015. “TalkReal in Athens: Democracy Rising—Syriza and Europe.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QOdOBX6YsI

Talk Real. 2015. “TalkReal in Lisbon: Are European Alternatives Still Possible?” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIlCAU9oJo0
How Civil Society Actors Responded to the Economic Crisis: The Interaction of Material Deprivation and Perceptions of Political Opportunity Structures
Authors: Giugni Marco , Grasso Maria T.
Published: June 2016

We examine the relationship between material deprivation and different types of responses to economic crises by civil society actors. We are interested in understanding whether material deprivation has an effect on civil society reactions to the crisis and whether political opportunity factors contribute to this relationship. In particular, we wish to ascertain if the effect of material deprivation is moderated by perceptions of political stability, on one hand, and of the effectiveness of government, on the other. Our results show that the effect of material deprivation on various aspects of responses to the crisis varies depending on the perceptions of the political environment. This suggests that perceptions of political stability and government effectiveness feed into the interpretation of present conditions. Therefore, perceptions of political stability and government effectiveness act as signals leading material deprivation to become politicized as a grievance.

Related Articles in this Special Issue

Cinalli, Manlio, and
Marco Giugni. 2016. “” Politics & Policy 44 (): 427–446. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/polp.12159/abstract

Temple, Luke,
Maria T. Grasso,
Barbara Buraczynska, .” Politics & Policy 44 (): 553–576. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/polp.12161/abstract

English, Patrick,
Maria T. Grasso,
Barbara Buraczynska,
Sotirios Karampampas, and
Luke Temple. “.” Politics & Policy 44 (): 577–603. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/polp.12160/abstract
Introduction to the Special Issue: Citizens’ Responses to the European Economic Crisis in the Public Domain
Authors: Cinalli Manlio , Giugni Marco
Published: June 2016

Citizens may respond to economic crises and to policy responses to such crises in a variety of ways. This special issue focuses on collective responses as they express themselves in the public domain, in the form of social movements or other types of interventions. The special issue originates in a large‐scale comparative research project funded by the European Commission and titles “Living with Hard Times: How Citizens React to Economic Crises and Their Social and Political Consequences” (LIVEWHAT). The eight articles all use a common dataset and adopt a common method, known as political claims analysis, which has proven fruitful in previous work on social movements and contentious politics, consisting in retrieving interventions in the public domain on a given issue, or range of issues, drawing from media sources, most often newspapers. The data stem from a systematic content analysis of newspapers in each of the countries under study.
Collective Responses to the Economic Crisis in the Public Domain: Myth or Reality?
Authors: Cinalli Manlio , Giugni Marco
Published: June 2016

We challenge the common wisdom that the Great Recession has produced radical changes in political behavior. Accordingly, we assess the extent to which the crisis has spurred protest activities and given socioeconomic issues a higher saliency in public debates. We also assess how far the crisis has provided a more prominent place for economic and labor actors as subject actors, a more prominent place of economic and labor actors as object actors, as well as a more prominent place of economic and labor actors as addressees in claims making on the economic crisis. Our findings show that the crisis has not produced such radical changes in all these aspects, though it had some impact. At a more general level, our analysis unveils the normative underpinnings of the commonly held view that the economic crisis has fed a grievance‐based conflict between capital and labor going beyond specific patterns and configurations in each country.

Related Articles in this Special Issue

Zamponi, Lorenzo, and
Lorenzo Bosi. 2016. “.” Politics & Policy 44 (): 400–426. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/polp.12156/abstract

Giugni, Marco, and
Maria T. Grasso. 2016. “.” Politics & Policy 44 (): 447–472. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/polp.12157/abstract

Theiss, Maria,
Anna Kurowska, and
Janina Petelczyc. 2016. “.” Politics & Policy 44 (): 473–498. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/polp.12164/abstract
Knowledge Creation and Dissemination in Operations and Supply Chain Management
Authors: Roth Aleda , Singhal Jaya , Singhal Kalyan , Tang Christopher S.
Published: June 2016

During the last 25 years, the ecosystem of knowledge creation and dissemination in operations and supply chain management has improved remarkably. We now see OM as a vibrant community and an ecosystem in steady state. Yet, there are many opportunities ahead to revitalize our field and to expand our influence. In the spirit of continuous improvement, we propose that we focus our major efforts on accelerating the following four developments: First, having greatly expanded the domain of operations management, we should continue to expand its boundaries. Second, after a visible increase in exploratory studies, our community should accelerate our pursuit of such research. Third, we encourage OM faculty to develop programs that enable Ph.D. students to carry out part of their work in actual organizational settings. Fourth, we should further strengthen our interactions with the business community and create mechanisms to systematically disseminate our research to its members.
Contrasting responses in the growth and energy utilization properties of sympatric Populus and Salix to different altitudes: implications for sexual dimorphism in Salicaceae
Authors: Lei Yanbao , Chen Ke , Jiang Hao , Yu Lei , Duan Baoli
Published: June 2016

An interesting ecological and evolutionary puzzle arises from the observations of male‐biased sex ratios in genus Populus, whereas in the taxonomically related Salix, females are generally more dominant. In the present study, we combined results from a field investigation into the sex ratios of the Salicaceous species along an altitudinal gradient on Gongga Mountain, and a pot experiment by monitoring growth and energy utilization properties to elucidate the mechanisms governing sexual dimorphism. At middle altitudes 2000 and 2300 m, the sex ratios were consistent with a 1:1 equilibrium in sympatric Populus purdomii and Salix magnifica. However, at the lower and higher ends of the altitudinal gradient, skewed sex ratios were observed. For example, the male:female ratios were 1.33 and 2.36 in P. purdomii at 1700 and 2600 m respectively; for S. magnifica the ratio was 0.62 at 2600 m. At 2300 m, the pot‐grown seedlings of both species exhibited the highest biomass accumulation and total leaf area, simultaneously with the balanced sex ratios in the field. At 3300 m, the specific leaf area in male P. purdomii was 23.9% higher than that of females, which may be the morphological cause for the observed 19.3% higher nitrogen allocation to Rubisco, and 20.6% lower allocation to cell walls. As such, male P. purdomii showed a 32.9% higher foliar photosynthetic capacity, concomitant with a 12.0% lower construction cost. These properties resulted in higher photosynthetic nitrogen‐ and energy‐use efficiencies, and shorter payback time (24.4 vs 40.1 days), the time span that a leaf must photosynthesize to amortize the carbon investment. Our results thus suggested that male P. purdomii evolved a quicker energy‐return strategy. Consequently, these superior energy gain‐cost related traits and the higher total leaf area contributed to the higher growth rate and tolerance in stress‐prone environments, which might, in part, shed new light on the male‐biased sex ratios in Populus. However, no significant sexual difference was observed in S. magnifica for all the above parameters, thereby implying that the female‐biased sex ratios in Salix cannot be explained in terms of the energy‐use properties studied here.
Private Information in Life Insurance, Annuity, and Health Insurance Markets
Authors: Wuppermann Amelie C.
Published: June 2016

Economic theory predicts that private information on risks in insurance markets leads to adverse selection. To counterbalance private information, insurers collect and use information on applicants to assess their risk and to calculate premiums in an underwriting process. Using data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA), this paper documents that differences in the information used in underwriting across life insurance, annuity, and health insurance markets attenuate private information to different extents. The results are in line with – and might help to reconcile – the mixed empirical evidence on adverse selection across these markets.
Foreign Direct Investment and External Financing Conditions: Evidence from Normal and Crisis Times
Authors: Desbordes Rodolphe , Wei Shang‐Jin
Published: June 2016

In this paper, we investigate the effects that external financing conditions in source and destination countries have on foreign direct investment (FDI) in normal and crisis times, using a difference‐in‐differences approach. We find that the financial development of the source and destination countries has a strong positive impact on the relative volume of FDI in financially vulnerable sectors in normal times. However, during the 2008–2010 global financial crisis, the relative volume of FDI in financially vulnerable sectors fell relatively more in financially developed source and destination countries, most notably if these countries experienced a credit crisis.
Inflation Dynamics in a Small Open Economy
Authors: Boug Pål , Cappelen Ådne , Swensen Anders Rygh
Published: June 2016

We evaluate the empirical performance of forward‐looking models for inflation dynamics in a small open economy. Using likelihood‐based testing procedures, we find that the exact formulation is at odds with Norwegian data. Moreover, some of the parameters in the model are not well identified. We also find that the inexact formulation is not rejected statistically using a test based on a minimum distance method. However, confidence regions also reveal an identification problem with this model. Instead, we find a well‐specified backward‐looking model with imperfect competition underlying the price setting, which is a model that outperforms an alternative forward‐looking model in‐sample. The backward‐looking model also forecasts somewhat better than the alternative forward‐looking model, during and after the recent financial crisis.
Adherence clubs for long‐term provision of antiretroviral therapy: cost‐effectiveness and access analysis from Khayelitsha, South Africa
Authors: Bango Funeka , Ashmore John , Wilkinson Lynne , van Cutsem Gilles , Cleary Susan
Published: June 2016

Objectives

As the scale of the South African HIV epidemic calls for innovative models of care that improve accessibility for patients while overcoming chronic human resource shortages, we (i) assess the cost‐effectiveness of lay health worker‐led group adherence clubs, in comparison with a nurse‐driven ‘standard of care’ and (ii) describe and evaluate the associated patient cost and accessibility differences.

Methods

Our cost‐effectiveness analysis compares an ‘adherence club’ innovation to conventional nurse‐driven care within a busy primary healthcare setting in Khayelitsha, South Africa. In each alternative, we calculate provider costs and estimate rates of retention in care and viral suppression as key measures of programme effectiveness. All results are presented on an annual or per patient‐year basis. In the same setting, a smaller sample of patients was interviewed to understand the direct and indirect non‐healthcare cost and access implications of the alternatives. Access was measured using McIntyre and colleagues’ 2009 framework.

Results

Adherence clubs were the more cost‐effective model of care, with a cost per patient‐year of $300 vs. $374 and retention in care at 1 year of 98.03% (95% CI 97.67–98.33) for clubs vs. 95.49% (95% CI 95.01–95.94) for standard of care. Viral suppression in clubs was 99.06% (95% CI 98.82–99.27) for clubs vs. 97.20% (95% CI 96.81–97.56) for standard of care. When interviewed, club patients reported fewer missed visits, shorter waiting times and higher acceptability of services compared to standard of care.

Conclusions

Adherence clubs offer the potential to enhance healthcare efficiency and patient accessibility. Their scale‐up should be supported.
The systemic nodule number regulation kinase SUNN in Medicago truncatula interacts with MtCLV2 and MtCRN
Authors: Crook Ashley D. , Schnabel Elise L. , Frugoli Julia A.
Published: June 2016

Autoregulation of nodulation (AON), a systemic signaling pathway in legumes, limits the number of nodules formed by the legume in its symbiosis with rhizobia. Recent research suggests a model for the systemic regulation in Medicago truncatula in which root signaling peptides are translocated to the shoot where they bind to a shoot receptor complex containing the leucine‐rich repeat receptor‐like kinase SUNN, triggering signal transduction which terminates nodule formation in roots. Here we show that a tagged SUNN protein capable of rescuing the sunn‐4 phenotype is localized to the plasma membrane and is associated with the plasmodesmata. Using bimolecular fluorescence complementation analysis we show that, like its sequence ortholog Arabidopsis CLV1, SUNN interacts with homologous CLV1‐interacting proteins MtCLAVATA2 and MtCORYNE. All three proteins were also able to form homomers and MtCRN and MtCLV2 also interact with each other. A crn Tnt1 insertion mutant of M. truncatula displayed a shoot controlled increased nodulation phenotype, similar to the clv2 mutants of pea and Lotus japonicus. Together these data suggest that legume AON signaling could occur through a multi‐protein complex and that both MtCRN and MtCLV2 may play roles in AON together with SUNN.
Growth and structural evolution of Sn on Ag(001): Epitaxial monolayer to thick alloy film
Authors: Chakraborty Suvankar , Menon Krishnakumar S. R.
Published: June 2016

The growth and structure of Sn on Ag(001), from submonolayer to thick film coverages at room temperature, are studied using low energy electron diffraction, x-ray photoemission spectroscopy and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) techniques. The authors observe different growth modes for submonolayer Sn coverages and for higher Sn coverages. Systematic surface structural evolution, consistent with the substitution of surface Ag atoms by Sn atoms, is observed for submonolayer Sn coverages while an ordered Ag-Sn bulk alloy film is formed for higher Sn coverages with an Ag overlayer. For monolayer coverage of Sn, a pseudomorphic growth of a Sn layer without alloying is determined. ARPES results also confirm the presence of an ordered Ag overlayer on the bulk Ag-Sn alloy film, suggesting the formation of an Ag/Ag3Sn/Ag(001) sandwich structure at the surface for higher Sn coverages. The present results illustrate the complex interplay of atomic mobilities, surface free-energies, and alloy formation energies in determining the growth and structural properties of the system.
Bone‐marrow densitometry: Assessment of marrow space of human vertebrae by single energy high resolution‐quantitative computed tomography
Authors: Peña Jaime A. , Thomsen Felix , Damm Timo , Campbell Graeme M. , Bastgen Jan , Barkmann Reinhard , Glüer Claus C.
Published: June 2016

Purpose:

Accurate noninvasive assessment of vertebral bone marrow fat fraction is important for diagnostic assessment of a variety of disorders and therapies known to affect marrow composition. Moreover, it provides a means to correct fat‐induced bias of single energy quantitative computed tomography (QCT) based bone mineral density (BMD) measurements. The authors developed new segmentation and calibration methods to obtain quantitative surrogate measures of marrow‐fat density in the axial skeleton.

Methods:

The authors developed and tested two high resolution‐QCT (HR‐QCT) based methods which permit segmentation of bone voids in between trabeculae hypothesizing that they are representative of bone marrow space. The methods permit calculation of marrow content in units of mineral equivalent marrow density (MeMD). The first method is based on global thresholding and peeling (GTP) to define a volume of interest away from the transition between trabecular bone and marrow. The second method, morphological filtering (MF), uses spherical elements of different radii (0.1–1.2 mm) and automatically places them in between trabeculae to identify regions with large trabecular interspace, the bone‐void space. To determine their performance, data were compared ex vivo to high‐resolution peripheral CT (HR‐pQCT) images as the gold‐standard. The performance of the methods was tested on a set of excised human vertebrae with intact bone marrow tissue representative of an elderly population with low BMD.

Results:

86% (GTP) and 87% (MF) of the voxels identified as true marrow space on HR‐pQCT images were correctly identified on HR‐QCT images and thus these volumes of interest can be considered to be representative of true marrow space. Within this volume, MeMD was estimated with residual errors of 4.8 mg/cm3 corresponding to accuracy errors in fat fraction on the order of 5% both for GTP and MF methods.

Conclusions:

The GTP and MF methods on HR‐QCT images permit noninvasive localization and densitometric assessment of marrow fat with residual accuracy errors sufficient to study disorders and therapies known to affect bone marrow composition. Additionally, the methods can be used to correct BMD for fat induced bias. Application and testing in vivo and in longitudinal studies are warranted to determine the clinical performance and value of these methods.
Subcortical neural representation to Mandarin pitch contours in American and Chinese newborns
Authors: Jeng Fuh-Cherng , Lin Chia-Der , Wang Tang-Chuan
Published: June 2016

Voice pitch carries important information for speech understanding. This study examines the neural representation of voice pitch at the subcortical level, as reflected by the scalp-recorded frequency-following responses from ten American and ten Chinese newborns. By utilizing a set of four distinctive Mandarin pitch contours that mimic the English vowel /yi/, the results indicate that the rising and dipping pitch contours produce significantly better tracking accuracy and larger response amplitudes than the falling pitch contour. This finding suggests a hierarchy of potential stimuli when testing neonates who are born in a tonal or non-tonal linguistic environment.
Eccentric Exercises Reduce Hamstring Strains in Elite Adult Male Soccer Players: A Critically Appraised Topic
Authors: Shadle Ian B. , Cacolice Paul A.
Published: June 2016

Clinical Scenario:

Hamstring strains are a common sport-related injury, which may limit athletic performance for an extended period of time. These injuries are common in the soccer setting. As such, it is important to determine an appropriate prevention program to minimize the risk of such an injury for these athletes. Eccentric hamstring training may be an effective and practical hamstring strain prevention strategy.

Clinical Question:

What is the effect of eccentric exercises on hamstring strain prevention in adult male soccer players?

Summary of Key Findings:

Current literature was searched for studies of level 2 evidence or higher that investigated the effect of eccentric exercises in preventing hamstring strains in adult male soccer players. Three articles returned from the literature search met the inclusion criteria. A fourth article looked at differences in strength gains between eccentric and concentric hamstring strengthening exercises, but did not record hamstring strain incidence. A fifth article, a systematic review, met all the criteria except for the correct population. Of the 3 studies, 2 were randomized control trails and 1 was a cohort study.

Clinical Bottom Line:

There is robust supportive evidence that eccentric hamstring exercises can prevent a hamstring injury to an elite adult male soccer player. Therefore, it is recommended that athletic trainers and other sports medicine providers evaluate current practices relating to reducing hamstring strains and consider implementing eccentric exercise based prevention programs.

Strength of Recommendation:

All evidence was attained from articles with a level of evidence 2b or higher, based on the Center for Evidence-Based Medicine (CEBM) criteria, stating that eccentric exercises can decrease hamstring strains.
Effects of a 6-Week Neuromuscular Rehabilitation Program on Ankle-Evertor Strength and Postural Stability in Elite Women Field Hockey Players With Chronic Ankle Instability
Authors: Kim Taegyu , Kim Eunkuk , Choi Hokyung
Published: June 2016

Objective:

To determine whether a neuromuscular rehabilitation program can improve postural stability and ankle-evertor strength and to examine the temporal changes and persistence of the rehabilitation effects in athletes with chronic ankle instability (CAI).

Design:

A total of 21 national women field hockey players participated in this study (CAI, n = 12; control, n = 9).

Main Outcome Measures:

Isokinetic ankle-evertor strength (peak torque [PT], total work [TW]) at 30°/s, 60°/s, 90°/s, and 120°/s, mediolateral stability index (MSI), and dynamic stability test (TCT). Data were recorded at baseline, 6 wk, and 24 wk.

Results:

At baseline, isokinetic evertor strength was comparable between groups. At 6 wk, the CAI group demonstrated significantly increased eccentric PT and TW at 30°/s and 60°/s and increased concentric/eccentric TW at 90°/s. The control group showed significantly increased concentric TW at 30°/s and increased concentric PT and TW at 90°/s. At 24 wk, except for eccentric PT at 60°/s and 120°/s, concentric/eccentric PT and TW were significantly increased in the CAI group. The control group showed significantly increased TW at all angular velocities regardless of contraction mode. The CAI group exhibited significant increases in concentric/eccentric evertor PT and TW at 120°/s in comparison with the control group. MSI and TCT decreased in both groups at 6 wk; however, the CAI group demonstrated significant increases in both measures at 24 wk, whereas the control group showed no significant change.

Conclusions:

The results suggest that the neuromuscular rehabilitation program had an immediate effect on gaining eccentric evertor strength and improving postural control and appeared to contribute to enhancing the evertor strength of unstable ankles in the longer term. On the other hand, improved postural stability did not seem to persist.
Paths to dyskinesia from nerve cell replacement
Authors: Gough Nancy R.
Published: June 2016

DREADDs (designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs) reveal a mechanism for dyskinesia induced by transplanted neurons.
Papers of note in
Science Translational Medicine
Authors: Ferrarelli Leslie K.
Published: June 2016

This week’s articles describe a source of mitochondrial dysfunction in Parkinson’s disease and a way to limit cardiovascular inflammation with gene therapy.