bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Empirical Antibiotic Treatment in Diabetic Foot Infection: A Study Focusing on the Culture and Antibiotic Sensitivity in a Population From Southern China
Authors: Wu Wen-xia , Liu Dan , Wang Yi-wen , Wang Chuan , Yang Chuan , Liu Xing-zhou , Mai Li-fang , Ren Meng , Yan Li
Published: August 2017

Diabetic foot and subsequent diabetic ulcer infections are the most devastating complication of diabetes. This study was conducted to explore the bacterial spectrum, sensitivity of microbials, and analysis of the empirical antibiotic regimens in our health center. The study included patients with diabetic foot ulcer infection (DFI) seen from 2009 to 2014. The patients included had all information covering the physical examination, laboratory tests, and image examinations. We sent appropriately obtained specimens for culture prior to starting empirical antibiotic therapy in all participants. A total of 312 patients were included: 52, 112, 95 and 53 patients within uninfected, mild, moderate, and severe infection groups. The total percentages of Gram-positive cocci (GPCs) and Gram-negative rods (GNRs) were 54% and 48.8% ( P = 0.63). The most common GPC was Staphylococcus aureus (22.4%) and GNR was Pseudomonas aeruginosa (11.9%). Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus was isolated from 21 patients (6.7%). Even in the mild infection group, there was no significant difference between GPC and GNR infection, irrespective of recent antibiotic use ( P = 0.053). The most frequently used empirical antibiotics in our center were second-/third-generation cephalosporin ± clindamycin, both in the mild and moderate/severe infection groups. In our center, the amoxicillin/clavulanate or ampicillin/sulbactam (β-L-ase 1) and second-/third-generation cephalosporins were highly resistant to the common GNR (30%-60%). The ticarcillin/clavulanate, piperacillin/tazuobactam (β-L-ase 2), fluoroquinolone, and group 2 carbapenem had good sensitivity. This study presents a comprehensive microbiological survey of diabetic foot ulcers in inpatients and provides reliable evidence of the local microbial epidemiology and sensitivity of antibiotics, which may help us improve clinical outcomes in DFI patients.
The Effectiveness of EMLA as a Primary Dressing on Painful Chronic Leg Ulcers: Effects on Wound Healing and Health-Related Quality of Life
Authors: Purcell Anne , Buckley Thomas , Fethney Judith , King Jennie , Moyle Wendy , Marshall Andrea P.
Published: August 2017

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of EMLA 5% cream applied to painful chronic leg ulcers (CLUs) as a primary dressing on wound healing and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). A pilot, parallel-group, nonblinded, randomized controlled trial was conducted in 6 community nursing procedure clinics in New South Wales, Australia. A total of 60 participants with painful CLUs of varied etiology were randomly assigned to the intervention (EMLA daily for 4 weeks as a primary dressing, followed by usual care) or usual care only. Wound size and HRQoL were measured at baseline, end of the intervention period (week 4), and week 12. At baseline, wound sizes were similar for both the intervention and control groups. During the intervention period, there was no significant difference in wound sizes between groups (intervention group: median (cm2) = 2.4, IQR = 1.3-12.7; control group: median (cm2) = 5.0, IQR = 2.5-9.9; P = .05). Mean HRQoL scores for all subscales at baseline and weeks 4 and 12 were similar between groups except for Wellbeing, which was significantly higher in the intervention group at the end of the 4-week intervention period (intervention group: mean = 52.41, SD = 24.50; control group: mean = 38.15, SD = 21.25; P = .03; d = 0.62). The trial findings suggest that daily applications of EMLA as a primary dressing do not inhibit wound healing and may improve patient well-being. Studies with larger samples are required to more comprehensively evaluate the impact of this treatment on wound healing and HRQoL.
The Importance of Interagency Collaboration for Crossover Youth
Authors: Wright Emily M. , Spohn Ryan , Chenane Joselyne , Juliano Nick
Published: August 2017

Crossover or dually involved youth are youth enmeshed in the child welfare system (CWS) and juvenile justice system (JJS). Given their dual status and high needs, attention has recently focused on how to best respond to them in an integrated, interagency fashion. The Crossover Youth Practice Model (CYPM) is designed to facilitate interagency collaboration between the CWS and JJS in order to enhance services and diversion to these youths. This study reports on the benefits and challenges that the JJS and CWS, as well as the personnel working within them, experience by participating in a CYPM effort in a Midwestern county, and provides recommendations for continued improvements in interagency collaborations for crossover youth.
Responsiveness of EQ-5D in Patients With a Distal Radius Fracture
Authors: Rundgren Johanna , Enocson Anders , Mellstrand Navarro Cecilia , Bergström Gunnar
Published: August 2017

Background: The EuroQol Group 5-Dimension (EQ-5D) questionnaire is frequently used as an outcome measure of general patient-reported health-related quality of life (HRQoL). We evaluated the internal and external responsiveness of EQ-5D (specifically EQ-5Dindex score) in patients with a surgically treated distal radius fracture. Methods: Within the context of a randomized controlled trial (RCT), 132 patients with a surgically treated distal radius fracture filled out EQ-5D and Patient-Rated Wrist Evaluation (PRWE-Swe) at baseline (preinjury state), and at 3 and 12 months. Internal responsiveness was evaluated by calculating mean change score and standardized response mean (SRM) of the EQ-5Dindex scores. External responsiveness was evaluated with PRWE-Swe as the external criterion. PRWE-Swe was used to define 4 subgroups of patients with different clinical outcomes. The ability of EQ-5Dindex change score to discriminate between these subgroups was analyzed with logistic regression, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, and area under the ROC curves (AUROCs). Correlation analysis was made with Spearman’s ρ test. Results: The mean change in EQ-5Dindex score from baseline to the 3-month follow-up was −16.1 and from the 3- to the 12-month follow-up was 7.6. The corresponding SRMs were large (0.93) and small to moderate (0.47). Analysis of external responsiveness displayed odds ratios >1 and AUROCs between 0.70 and 0.76 in all 4 subgroups. The proportion of patients correctly classified into the 4 subgroups by the EQ-5Dindex change scores was 78% to 94%. Spearman’s ρ was 0.35. Conclusion: EQ-5D displayed an overall acceptable to good responsiveness in patients with a distal radius fracture. It may thus be used as a measure of HRQoL in this patient group.
Collision-free trajectory planning for dual-robot systems using B-splines
Authors: Chen Youdong , Li Ling
Published: August 2017

This article presents a new approach for planning collision-free trajectories of two robots working in a shared workspace. Based on the B-spline knot refinement and the local modification scheme, the approach only changes the local trajectory around the collision area without changing the shape in the global way. The geometric model of dual-robot is employed by two kinds of geometric elements (sphere and capsule). A collision check method calculates the distance between two robots to determine whether the collisions exist. The collision check is converted to calculate the distance between every two elements. The proposed method has been implemented on a dual-robot system composed of two KUKA manipulators. The numerical and simulation results presented in the article illustrate the efficiency of the proposed technique.
The training of school principals: A study in the Cuban context
Authors: Valiente Sandó Pedro , Prada José J Del Toro , Sarduy Yunier Pérez , Ramírez Jorge González
Published: August 2017

The article analyzes the results of a study in which the objective was to assess the process of school principals’ training in Cuba. Data collection was done through the revision of existing documents and administering of questionnaires to subjects involved in the training process. Universities and provincial and municipal departments of education in eight provinces as well as schools in the province of Holguín were included in this study. The triangulation of the information obtained allowed analysts to conclude that the formation of a school principal is recognized as a specialized process, of a strategic nature, that must be carried out in stages. The conception of its implementation helps to prepare candidates and existing school principals in office for their professional management activity. However, conception of training does not ensure a coherent articulation between its stages and does not allow it to fully fulfill its fundamental role in the specialization and professionalization of the school principals. The enhancement of preparation for school management during initial teacher training, the accreditation of pre-service training of candidates, and the promotion of postgraduate academic training programs should be considered as ways for training and improvement of the didactic–methodological conception of the training process.
Distributed leadership in the construction of a new higher education campus and community
Authors: Vuori Johanna
Published: August 2017

This study examines a teaching-oriented higher education community which undertook a major programme of change when planning a new campus and redesigning its pedagogics. This is a single case qualitative study based on in-depth interviews of community members and field observations and using activity theory as an analytical framework. It is suggested that instead of merely being a rhetorical tool of senior management, distributed leadership can be practised in higher education communities for the benefit of the learners, the teaching and administrative staff and the local community. The study emphasises the importance of the joint sense making of the pedagogical approach in the creation of distributed leadership practices in a teaching-oriented higher education community. It also highlights how higher education students may take an active role in a work system characterised by distributed leadership, and how the infrastructure of a campus building may support distributed leadership.
Institutional deviance in TV news: BBC, ITV and the Mid Staffordshire hospital scandal
Authors: Eilenberg Jon
Published: August 2017

This article is an empirical study of how institutional scandal is covered in TV news, using the BBC and ITV coverage of the Mid Staffordshire hospital scandal as a case study. It draws on sociology of deviance as well as Greer and McLaughlin’s model of institutional scandal and the different phases they go through. As such, the study examines how the coverage of the Mid Staffordshire hospital scandal moved through activations, reactions, amplification and accountability phases, although the progression was messy and complex. The study examines both verbal and visual elements of how TV news engaged in emotional accounts of suffering and attacks on figures of authority and public institutions. The article argues that institutional scandal and the media coverage of the NHS reflect both the politically disputed status of the NHS as well as a neoliberal drive to undermine public institutions.
Manipulating task constraints shapes emergence of herding tendencies in team games performance
Authors: Tan Terence Yi Hao , Chow Jia Yi , Duarte Ricardo , Davids Keith
Published: August 2017

The herding phenomenon is observed in nature and has been perceived to be less desirable use of space in impacting overall team play performance. The effective manipulating of rules and task constraints might be able to alter herding tendencies in sport performance. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of altering task constraints on herding tendencies, measured with the use of cluster phase analysis, which has also been used to analyse the synchrony exhibited by performers in invasion games such as professional association football matches. In this study, tracking positional data of individual players in a simulated pass and catch game was undertaken, with no specific verbal instructions provided to participants on how and where to move so that emergent behavioural tendencies could be observed. Data revealed how task constraint manipulations impacted on herding tendencies. Manipulation of task constraints revealed higher levels of clustering tendencies in the herding condition compared to the non-herding condition. Within the herding condition, between-team synchrony was also strong, especially in the longitudinal direction. Ball possession also seemed to have some impact on within-team synchrony. Findings provided preliminary evidence on how manipulating task constraints can be effective in altering herding tendencies in team games.
Static balance of visually impaired paralympic goalball players
Authors: Bednarczuk Grzegorz , Molik Bartosz , Morgulec-Adamowicz Natalia , Kosmol Andrzej , Wiszomirska Ida , Rutkowska Izabela , Perkowski Krzysztof
Published: August 2017

Proper body balance plays a significant role in performing motor skills and it depends upon a number of factors. Its level decreases when the reception of visual stimuli is limited. It may affect the choice of sports activities as well as overall performance. This study sought to assess the levels of selected static balance indices in visually impaired goalball players. Competitors who took part in the goalball tournament of the 2012 London Paralympic Games were included in the study ( M = 42, F = 23). The athletes were divided into groups taking into account tournament level, disability experience, training experience and training loads. Static balance was assessed using AMTI AccuSway stabilographic platform (ACS Model). The study participants performed the following tests: standing on both feet with eyes open and closed (30 s, single left- and right-leg stance with eyes open, single left- and right-leg stance with eyes closed (10 s). The significance of differences between groups in gender, disability experience, tournament level, training loads and starting class was assessed using Mann–Whitney U test. Significant differences were noted between competitors from teams participating in the preliminary and final rounds and between competitors with training experience of up to and above 10 years. Players participating in the final phase presented a higher level of static balance, but those with longer training experience lower than less experienced athletes. No significant differences were observed in the levels of the analysed variables between males and females and within starting classes. The study revealed the significance of static balance in achieving sporting excellence in goalball.
Salary differences under the salary cap in Major League Soccer
Authors: Celik Onur B , Ince-Yenilmez Meltem
Published: August 2017

Professional soccer is the world’s most popular sport; a number of National Leagues are under the control of National Associations. The economic theory behind soccer is the continuing competition to earn much more than other sports do in the sports market. Since the supply of talent is limited, teams’ demand for certain professionals is so strong that it leads to salary differences between players. Therefore, in this study, attention is given to the determinants of the differences in workers’ salaries in the Major League Soccer labor market using Generalized Least Squares (GLS) estimation on panel data from 2007 to 2016. Birth place is the most influential determinant of a player’s salary, along with a player’s position, a player’s age, whether the player has a national team duty, and the number of games in which the player started in the first eleven. Conversely, moving from one Major League Soccer team to another and the number of games played as a substitute have a negative effect on players’ salaries.
Static jump test performance is related to back squat strength in athletes
Authors: Haun Cody T , Martin Jeffrey S , Gleason Benjamin H , Kavanaugh Ashley A , DeWeese Brad H , Stone Michael H , Mizuguchi Satoshi
Published: August 2017

We examined a static jump test's relationship with back squat strength in collegiate athletes. Forty-one (n = 41) young (aged 20.8 ± 2.4 years), healthy volunteers reported estimated back squat one-repetition maximums and completed a static jump protocol. The static jump protocol included five loading conditions, and jump height was estimated via flight time from portable contact mats. Loading conditions for males (n = 19) included 0 kg (polyvinylchloride pipe), 20.42 kg, 43.10 kg, 61.25 kg, and 83.94 kg whereas females (n = 22) used 0 kg, 12.70 kg, 20.42 kg, 29.49 kg, and 43.10 kg. Relationships between back squat one-repetition maximums, jump height, ratio (jump height/system mass) at each loading condition, mean jump height and ratio across loading conditions, change in jump height and ratio per condition (ΔJH, ΔRatio), and performance slope (slope of best fit line for system mass vs. jump height) were evaluated. Amongst all subjects, large (r > 0.70), statistically significant correlations were found between back squat one-repetition maximums and jump height for the two lightest loading conditions, mean jump height, and performance slope. However, relationships varied by sex with mean jump height demonstrating the greatest consistency in both males and females. Mean jump height may be the most practical variable from this static jump protocol for monitoring training adaptations, particularly in relatively homogenous female collegiate athlete populations.
The effect of adding active flexion to modified Kleinert regime on outcomes for zone 1 to 3 flexor tendon repairs. A prospective randomized trial
Authors: Rigó István Zoltán , Haugstvedt Jan-Ragnar , Røkkum Magne
Published: August 2017

In a prospective randomized study, we studied whether adding active flexion to a modified Kleinert regime changed outcomes of flexor tendon repairs in zone 1, 2 and 3 in 73 fingers (53 patients). Evaluation included active range of finger motion, grip and pinch strengths. Twelve months after surgery, the increase in range of active finger motion after adding active flexion was insignificant compared with that with the modified Kleinert regime. According to the Strickland criteria, 20 out of 29 fingers had excellent or good recovery after adding active flexion, as did 28 out of 34 fingers with the modified Kleinert regime; we could not detect significant improvement of the good and excellent rate. At 6 months, the pinch strength was significantly higher with the addition of active flexion. We failed to find that adding active finger flexion to the modified Kleinert regime improves the overall long-term results of repairs in zone 1 to 3, though recovery appeared faster, and the good and excellent recovery of zone 2 repairs was 17% greater with the active flexion protocol.

Level of evidence: I
Anti-fibrosis effect for Hirsutella sinensis mycelium based on inhibition of mTOR p70S6K phosphorylation
Authors: Yue Huimin , Zhao Yarong , Wang Haining , Ma Feiya , Liu Fei , Shen Sunan , Hou Yayi , Dou Huan
Published: August 2017

Hirsutella sinensis, cultured in vitro, is an attractive substitute for Cordyceps sinensis as health supplement. The aim of this study was to demonstrate whether H. sinensis mycelium (HSM) attenuates murine pulmonary fibrosis induced by bleomycin and to explore the underlying molecular mechanisms. Using lung fibrosis modle induced by intratracheal instillation of bleomycin (BLM; 4 mg/kg), we observed that the administration of HSM reduced HYP, TGF-β1 and the production of several pro-fibrosis cytokines (α-smooth muscle actin, fibronectin and vimentin) in fibrotic mice lung sections. Histopathological examination of lung tissues also demonstrated that HSM improved BLM-induced pathological damage. Concurrently, HSM supplementation markedly reduced the chemotaxis of alveolar macrophages and potently suppressed the expression of inflammatory cytokines. Also, HSM influenced Th1/Th2 and Th17/Treg imbalance and blocked the phosphorylation of mTOR pathway in vivo. Alveolar epithelial A549 cells acquired a mesenchymal phenotype and an increased expression of myofibroblast markers of differentiation (vimentin and fibronectin) after treatment with TGF-β1. HSM suppressed these markers and blocked the phosphorylation of mTOR pathway in vitro. The results provide evidence supporting the use of HSM in the intervention of pulmonary fibrosis and suggest that HSM is a potential therapeutic agent for lung fibrosis.
Arthroscopic Bankart repair with remplissage for non-engaging Hill-Sachs lesion in professional collision athletes
Authors: Domos Peter , Ascione Francesco , Wallace Andrew L.
Published: August 2017

Background

The present study aimed to determine whether arthroscopic remplissage with Bankart repair is an effective treatment for improving outcomes for collision athletes with Bankart and non-engaging Hill-Sachs lesions.

Methods

Twenty collision athletes underwent arthroscopic Bankart repair with posterior capsulotenodesis (B&R group) and were evaluated retrospectively, using pre- and postoperative WOSI (Western Ontario Shoulder Instability), EQ-5D (EuroQOL five dimensions), EQ-VAS (EuroQol-visual analogue scale) scores and Subjective Shoulder Value (SSV). The recurrence and re-operation rates were compared to a matched group with isolated arthroscopic Bankart repair (B group).

Results

The mean age was 25 years with an mean follow-up of 26 months. All mean scores improved with SSV of 90%. There was a mean deficit in external rotation at the side of 10°. One patient was treated with hydrodilatation for frozen shoulder. One patient had residual posterior discomfort but no apprehension in the B&R group compared to 5% persistent apprehension in the B group. In comparison, the recurrence and re-operation rates were 5% and 30% ( p = 0.015), 5% and 35% ( p = 0.005) in the B&R and B groups, respectively.

Conclusions

This combined technique demonstrated good outcomes, with lower recurrence rates in high-risk collision athletes. The slight restriction in external rotation does not significantly affect any clinical outcomes and return to play.
Development and characterization of a hybrid mesoporous material infused with metallic oxide nanoparticles for water treatment
Authors: Vu Trinh , Deksissa Tolessa , Xu Jiajun
Published: August 2017

In the current study, a hybrid mesoporous material infused with metallic oxide nanoparticles, MCM-48 with TiO2 nanoparticles, has been developed for potential application in water treatment. MCM-48 belongs to a family of mesoporous siliceous materials—M41S, in which MCM-48 has a unique three-dimensional cubic symmetry structure. Using this hybrid approach, it will allow the polluted water to pass through the strong yet high permeable structure of mesoporous material and to allow enough time for the pollutants to react with the metallic oxide nanoparticles infused on the porous structure so that the polluted water can be treated without introducing secondary pollutants. A modified hydrothermal method has been developed to synthesize three samples of this hybrid material with TiO2 nanoparticles of 15, 50, and 300 nm in diameter, respectively. The microstructures before and after the infusion of nanoparticles are characterized using scanning electron microscope and X-ray powder diffraction. Under the current study, the synthesized samples are tested for their capability of removing organic dye and trace metals. The results have shown that while all three hybrid materials have shown over 80% adsorption rate for organic dye, the sample synthesized using 300 nm TiO2 nanoparticle has shown the highest adsorption rate. Similarly, the highest adsorption rate for most trace metals tested here also occurs in the sample made with 300 nm TiO2 nanoparticle. Coincidently, the sample prepared with 300 nm TiO2 nanoparticle has a much larger internal surface area and smaller average pore size compared to the two other samples, which may lead to the higher adsorption rate of trace metals and organic dye tested here. This study has presented a hybrid mesoporous material that can be potentially used for pollutants removal in water treatment. Future study is needed to investigate how to reuse this hybrid mesoporous material and to obtain a further understanding of the mechanism affecting the micro structures of the hybrid material.
Germination of Cecropia pachystachya (Urticaceae) Dispersed by Artibeus lituratus (Olfers, 1818) and Artibeus planirostris (Spix, 1823; Chiroptera, Phyllostomidae), Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
Authors: Carvalho Nayara , Raizer Josué , Fischer Erich
Published: August 2017

Neotropical fruit bats are important dispersers of endozoochorous seeds, and the passage of seeds through their guts can affect germination. We asked whether the passage of Cecropia pachystachya (Urticaceae) seeds through guts of bats influences their germination behavior, specifically the proportion of germinated seeds and onset and speed of germination. We collected seed sets from bat feces and directly from ripe fruits monthly for a total of 6 months, in the urban area of Campo Grande, Central Brazil. Seeds were stored in glycerol until the germination experiment. During the experiment, for 45 days we maintained seed sets in a germinator and recorded daily seed development. Through redundancy correlation analysis, the interaction between seed source (fruits or bat feces) and time of storage explained 78% of variation in the germination parameters—the onset and speed of germination and the percentage of germinated seeds. Through data generated from random resamples, seed sets defecated by bats presented slower germination speed than seeds from ripe fruits, but onset of germination and proportion of germinated seeds did not differ between seeds passed or not passed through Artibeus lituratus and Artibeus planirostris. Overall, our results support that fruit bats are safe dispersers of C. pachystachya and promote asynchrony of germination among seeds, which may favor parental fitness in less predictable environments.
Validation Study of a Predictive Algorithm to Evaluate Opioid Use Disorder in a Primary Care Setting
Authors: Sharma Maneesh , Lee Chee , Kantorovich Svetlana , Tedtaotao Maria , Smith Gregory A. , Brenton Ashley
Published: August 2017

Background:

Opioid abuse in chronic pain patients is a major public health issue. Primary care providers are frequently the first to prescribe opioids to patients suffering from pain, yet do not always have the time or resources to adequately evaluate the risk of opioid use disorder (OUD).

Purpose:

This study seeks to determine the predictability of aberrant behavior to opioids using a comprehensive scoring algorithm (“profile”) incorporating phenotypic and, more uniquely, genotypic risk factors.

Methods and Results:

In a validation study with 452 participants diagnosed with OUD and 1237 controls, the algorithm successfully categorized patients at high and moderate risk of OUD with 91.8% sensitivity. Regardless of changes in the prevalence of OUD, sensitivity of the algorithm remained >90%.

Conclusion:

The algorithm correctly stratifies primary care patients into low-, moderate-, and high-risk categories to appropriately identify patients in need for additional guidance, monitoring, or treatment changes.
Treatments for Breast Cancer That Affect Cognitive Function in Postmenopausal Women
Authors: Blaustein Jeffrey D.
Published: August 2017

About one of every eight women will develop breast cancer during her lifetime. Approximately a quarter of a million new cancer cases are expected in 2017. Of those breast cancers, 60% to 75% will have characteristics suggesting that estrogens are likely to promote growth of those tumors. Consequently, inhibiting estrogen synthesis is one of the main treatments of choice. Therefore, women must understand the potential adverse effects of those treatments on quality of life. This review discusses (a) the role of estrogens locally synthesized in the brain in laboratory animals and women, (b) the effects of estrogens and blockers of estrogen synthesis on cognitive function, and (c) the limitations in experiments on women taking inhibitors. This article aims to provide women and oncologists with information that will encourage them to consider side effects of aromatase inhibitors (AIs) treatment on the brain.
Unsealing Fate: Policy Practices Aimed at Reducing the Intergenerational Transmission of Poverty
Authors: Gatzke-Kopp Lisa M. , Creavey Kristine L.
Published: August 2017

Enabling children born into poverty to transcend the circumstances of their birth requires ensuring that they develop the cognitive, intellectual, and behavioral skills needed to succeed at school, and eventually the workplace. Research in developmental neuroscience highlights how brain systems that support these skills are already influenced by risk factors associated with poverty during prenatal development, indicating the potential value of programs targeted at this developmental stage. Such interventions could include programs that support maternal physical and psychological health, as well as efforts to eliminate known neurotoxins from the environment, all of which are disproportionately represented among low-income families. Maternal stress, environmental nicotine, and lead exposure all represent risk factors that not only directly impact child development, but cascade to translate risk into subsequent generations.
Species Diversity Matters in Biological Research
Authors: Remage-Healey Luke , Krentzel Amanda A. , Macedo-Lima Matheus , Vahaba Daniel
Published: August 2017

Species diversity in experimental neuroscience research provides a vital resource. Addressing contemporary questions using nontraditional model systems (i.e., studies of species other than rats or mice) have regularly led to serendipitous breakthroughs in this discipline. The “comparative” approach to neuroscience and neuroendocrinology harnesses the diversity of organisms—and their nervous systems—that have been refined and differentiated over evolutionary timescales. Here, we review some recent examples of unexpected and impactful outcomes resulting from research on nontraditional study species. This work shows that maintaining broad diversity in study species will continue to provide the best path forward for extraordinary advances and insights into the neural mechanisms of behavior.
Alcohol Misuse Across the Life Span: Insights From Developmental Studies in Behavior Genetics
Authors: Savage Jeanne E. , Long Elizabeth C. , Kuo Sally I-Chun , Cooke Megan E. , Su Jinni , Barr Peter B. , Salvatore Jessica E.
Published: August 2017

Alcohol misuse, one of today’s greatest public health challenges, is a developmentally dynamic, complex behavior at the intersection of genetic and environmental influences. This review examines such influences from a behavior genetics perspective and discusses implications for public policy. Alcohol misuse is moderately heritable with genetic influences accounting for around 50% of its variance, but to date, few specific genes have been identified. However, numerous environmental and social factors moderate genetic risk, including parents, peers, romantic partners, family dynamics, employment, laws, and cultural influences. These moderating factors change in salience across development, and accordingly, no one-size-fits-all approach is suitable for reducing alcohol misuse at a large scale. We provide examples of some effective prevention and intervention programs and discuss a framework for using the behavior genetics evidence to inform future public policy efforts.
On the origin of spaces: Morphometric foundations of urban form evolution
Authors: Dibble Jacob , Prelorendjos Alexios , Romice Ombretta , Zanella Mattia , Strano Emanuele , Pagel Mark , Porta Sergio
Published: August 2017

The modern discipline of urban morphology gives us a ground for the comparative analysis of cities, which increasingly includes specific quantitative elements. In this paper, we make a further step forward towards the definition of a general method for the classification of urban form. We draw from morphometrics and taxonomy in life sciences to propose such method, which we name ‘urban morphometrics’. We then test it on a unit of the urban landscape named ‘Sanctuary Area’ (SA), explored in 45 cities whose origins span four historic time periods: Historic (medieval), Industrial (19th century), New Towns (post-WWII, high-rise) and Sprawl (post-WWII, low-rise). We describe each SA through 207 physical dimensions and then use these to discover features that discriminate them among the four temporal groups. Nine dimensions emerge as sufficient to correctly classify 90% of the urban settings by their historic origins. These nine attributes largely identify an area's ‘visible identity’ as reflected by three characteristics: (1) block perimeterness, or the way buildings define the street-edge; (2) building coverage, or the way buildings cover the land and (3) regular plot coverage, or the extent to which blocks are made of plots that have main access from a street. Hierarchical cluster analysis utilising only the nine key variables nearly perfectly clusters each SA according to its historic origin; moreover, the resulting dendrogram shows, just after WWII, the first ‘bifurcation’ of urban history, with the emergence of the modern city as a new ‘species’ of urban form. With ‘urban morphometrics’ we hope to extend urban morphological research and contribute to understanding the way cities evolve.
In vitro evidence of complement activation in transplantation-associated thrombotic microangiopathy
Authors: Rotz Seth J. , Luebbering Nathan , Dixon Bradley P. , Gavriilaki Eleni , Brodsky Robert A. , Dandoy Christopher E. , Jodele Sonata , Davies Stella M.
Published: August 2017

Key Points

Transplantation-associated thrombotic microangiopathy is associated with complement activation in vitro. This data further supports the use of eculizumab for the treatment of patients with TA-TMA.
Early gut mycobiota and mother-offspring transfer
Authors: Schei Kasper , Avershina Ekaterina , Øien Torbjørn , Rudi Knut , Follestad Turid , Salamati Saideh , Ødegård Rønnaug Astri
Published: August 2017

Background

The fungi in the gastrointestinal tract, the gut mycobiota, are now recognised as a significant part of the gut microbiota, and they may be important to human health. In contrast to the adult gut mycobiota, the establishment of the early gut mycobiota has never been described, and there is little knowledge about the fungal transfer from mother to offspring.

Methods

In a prospective cohort, we followed 298 pairs of healthy mothers and offspring from 36 weeks of gestation until 2 years of age (1516 samples) and explored the gut mycobiota in maternal and offspring samples. Half of the pregnant mothers were randomised into drinking probiotic milk during and after pregnancy. The probiotic bacteria included Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG), Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis Bb-12 and Lactobacillus acidophilus La-5. We quantified the fungal abundance of all the samples using qPCR of the fungal internal transcribed spacer (ITS)1 segment, and we sequenced the 18S rRNA gene ITS1 region of 90 high-quantity samples using the MiSeq platform (Illumina).

Results

The gut mycobiota was detected in most of the mothers and the majority of the offspring. The offspring showed increased odds of having detectable faecal fungal DNA if the mother had detectable fungal DNA as well (OR = 1.54, p = 0.04). The fungal alpha diversity in the offspring gut increased from its lowest at 10 days after birth, which was the earliest sampling point. The fungal diversity and fungal species showed a succession towards the maternal mycobiota as the child aged, with Debaryomyces hansenii being the most abundant species during breast-feeding and Saccharomyces cerevisiae as the most abundant after weaning. Probiotic consumption increased the gut mycobiota abundance in pregnant mothers (p = 0.01).

Conclusion

This study provides the first insight into the early fungal establishment and the succession of fungal species in the gut mycobiota. The results support the idea that the fungal host phenotype is transferred from mother to offspring.

Trial registration

Clinicaltrials.gov NCT00159523
Complete Genome sequence of the nematicidal Bacillus thuringiensis MYBT18246
Authors: Hollensteiner Jacqueline , Poehlein Anja , Spröer Cathrin , Bunk Boyke , Sheppard Anna E. , Rosentstiel Philip , Schulenburg Hinrich , Liesegang Heiko
Published: August 2017

Bacillus thuringiensis
is a rod-shaped facultative anaerobic spore forming bacterium of the genus
Bacillus
. The defining feature of the species is the ability to produce parasporal crystal inclusion bodies, consisting of δ-endotoxins, encoded by cry-genes. Here we present the complete annotated genome sequence of the nematicidal
B. thuringiensis
strain MYBT18246. The genome comprises one 5,867,749 bp chromosome and 11 plasmids which vary in size from 6330 bp to 150,790 bp. The chromosome contains 6092 protein-coding and 150 RNA genes, including 36 rRNA genes. The plasmids encode 997 proteins and 4 t-RNA’s. Analysis of the genome revealed a large number of mobile elements involved in genome plasticity including 11 plasmids and 16 chromosomal prophages. Three different nematicidal toxin genes were identified and classified according to the Cry toxin naming committee as cry13Aa2, cry13Ba1, and cry13Ab1. Strikingly, these genes are located on the chromosome in close proximity to three separate prophages. Moreover, four putative toxin genes of different toxin classes were identified on the plasmids p120510 (Vip-like toxin), p120416 (Cry-like toxin) and p109822 (two Bin-like toxins). A comparative genome analysis of
B. thuringiensis
MYBT18246 with three closely related
B. thuringiensis
strains enabled determination of the pan-genome of
B. thuringiensis
MYBT18246, revealing a large number of singletons, mostly represented by phage genes, morons and cryptic genes.
Framing bias: The effect of figure presentation on seismic interpretation
Authors: Alcalde Juan , Bond Clare E. , Randle Charles H.
Published: August 2017

Interpreters of reflection seismic data generally use images to disseminate the outcomes of their geologic interpretation work. The presentation of such interpretation images can generate unwanted biases in the perception of the observers, an effect known as “framing bias.” These framing biases can enhance or reduce the confidence of the observer in the presented interpretation, independently of the quality of the seismic data or the geologic interpretation. We have tested the effect of presentation on confidence in interpretation of 761 participants of an online experiment. Experiment participants were presented with seismic images and interpretations, deliberately modified in different aspects to introduce potential framing biases. Statistical analysis of the results indicates that the image presentation had a subdued effect on participants’ confidence compared with the quality of the seismic data and interpretation. The results allow us to propose recommendations to minimize biases in the observers related to the presentation of seismic interpretations: (1) interpretations should be shown with the seismic data in the background to ease comparison between the uninterpreted-interpreted data and the subsequent confidence assessments; (2) seismic data displayed in color aids in the interpretation, although the color palettes must be carefully chosen to prevent unwanted bias from common color spectrum in the observers; and (3) explicit indication of uncertainty by the interpreters in their own interpretation, which was deemed useful by the participants.
Trauma, Shame, and Men's Tears in The Manchurian Candidate
Authors: McEntee Joy
Published: August 2017

Charles S. Young and Susan L. Carruthers describe John Frankenheimer's The Manchurian Candidate (US, 1962) as a prisoner-of-war film. This article argues that, as such, it stages the responses of its male protagonists to trauma. Focusing on weeping, the article examines the representation of masculine traumatic symptoms in both Richard Condon's 1959 novel and Frankenheimer's cinematic adaptation of it. In a period of national shame about the unwon Korean conflict, Frankenheimer first feminizes his protagonists by rendering them hysterical, and then allows them to redeem themselves through heroic deeds of masculine role fulfillment. Drawing on the modeling of masculine hysteria by both Mark S. Micale and Elaine Showalter, the article is also informed not only by Bessel van der Kolk's descriptions of post-traumatic stress disorder but also by theorizations of tears in the writings of Tom Lutz, Steve Neale, and Linda Williams. Peter Brooks and Geoffrey Nowell-Smith mobilized ideas expressed here about melodrama. As a melodramatic enactment of masculine roles in the late 1950s and early 1960s, The Manchurian Candidate is both a trauma film and a “male weepy.”
Creating an Archive of LGBTQ Video Game Content: An Interview with Adrienne Shaw
Authors: Ruberg Bonnie
Published: August 2017

In this interview, Temple University assistant professor of media studies and production Adrienne Shaw discusses her work creating the LGBTQ Video Game Archive. Today, the dynamic interplay between queerness and video games provides scholars with an emerging area of exploration. The methodologies of queer game studies are also developing and expanding into new territories. Bringing together close reading, reception studies, and the quantitative tools of social science, Shaw has created the first scholarly database of queer content in video games. With the help of research assistants, Shaw compiled a list (already more than 700 titles long) of games that include LGBTQ characters and references. The archive was published online (lgbtqgamearchive.com) and made available to the public in spring 2016. For each game in the archive, Shaw and her collaborators include a description of the game's LGBTQ content and often its queer interpretation by fans. The archive represents a massive undertaking, and Shaw encourages those who use it to help by contributing content. As Shaw discusses in the interview, the expansiveness of the archive format reflects an ethos of inclusivity and breadth in the queer games community. By combining scholarly analysis and fan perspectives, the LGBTQ Video Game Archive offers new possibilities for thinking about how the work of queer game studies is done.
Everything Is Wiped Away: Queer Temporality in Queers in Love at the End of the World
Authors: Lo Claudia
Published: August 2017

Amid the ongoing popularity of hundred-hour, epic-length stories or never-ending, procedurally generated games, where is the place for short games with defined endings? Anna Anthropy's Queers in Love at the End of the World (2013) rejects the importance of having a lengthy game and flips the usual flow of information between the player and their player-character. In this text-based Twine game, players assume the role of an unnamed, unknown “you” as you spend a final moment with your lover. Made for the prompt “Ten Seconds,” its most notable feature is an omnipresent ten-second timer. When the ten seconds are over, the game ends regardless of how far the player has progressed.

The tension between player, character, and the ever-present countdown in the game constitutes the queer mechanic at the heart of the game. It also provides a way of evincing queerness in a game without relying upon on-screen representation. Engaging analyses of queer temporality and slow cinema, as well as José Esteban Muñoz's call toward queer futurity and the yearning to be lost, Queers in Love at the End of the World provides an excellent opportunity to look at the anxiety of seeking success and the joy of accepting loss in contrast to the search for a fairy-tale ending.
The ELIXIR-EXCELERATE Train-the-Trainer pilot programme: empower researchers to deliver high-quality training
Authors: Morgan Sarah L , Palagi Patricia M , Fernandes Pedro L , Koperlainen Eija , Dimec Jure , Marek Diana , Larcombe Lee , Rustici Gabriella , Attwood Teresa K , Via Allegra
Published: August 2017

One of the main goals of the ELIXIR-EXCELERATE project from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 programme is to support a pan-European training programme to increase bioinformatics capacity and competency across ELIXIR Nodes. To this end, a Train-the-Trainer (TtT) programme has been developed by the TtT subtask of EXCELERATE’s Training Platform, to try to expose bioinformatics instructors to aspects of pedagogy and evidence-based learning principles, to help them better design, develop and deliver high-quality training in future. As a first step towards such a programme, an ELIXIR-EXCELERATE TtT (EE-TtT) pilot was developed, drawing on existing ‘instructor training’ models, using input both from experienced instructors and from experts in bioinformatics, the cognitive sciences and educational psychology. This manuscript describes the process of defining the pilot programme, illustrates its goals, structure and contents, and discusses its outcomes. From Jan 2016 to Jan 2017, we carried out seven pilot EE-TtT courses (training more than sixty new instructors), collaboratively drafted the training materials, and started establishing a network of trainers and instructors within the ELIXIR community. The EE-TtT pilot represents an essential step towards the development of a sustainable and scalable ELIXIR TtT programme. Indeed, the lessons learned from the pilot, the experience gained, the materials developed, and the analysis of the feedback collected throughout the seven pilot courses have both positioned us to consolidate the programme in the coming years, and contributed to the development of an enthusiastic and expanding ELIXIR community of instructors and trainers.
Senior Consumers Involvement in Developing New Fish-Based Foods Through Sequential Hedonic Tests
Authors: Predieri Stefano , Conte Amalia , Danza Alessandra , Gatti Edoardo , Magli Massimiliano , Maria Daniele , Marta Cianciabella , Alessandro Del
Published: August 2017

Older population needs specific food, adequate to age and health requirements, and acceptable from the sensory point of view. To develop functional products the involvement of senior assessors was experimented. A panel of 35 seniors evaluated fish-burgers and fish-sausages through sensory tests adapted to their cognitive capacities. A model of sequential discrimination, ranking and tetrad tests, was applied with the aim to define the shape (burger vs. sausage), the species and relative percentage of fish, the addition of vegetables, and the presence of potato. The panel indicated a preference for sausage, while ranking tests indicated tuna alone or with mackerel to be preferred. The addition of tomato and artichoke improved acceptance. The acceptance scores showed that progressive discrimination tests successfully supported the development products. This study focusing on age related sensory perception, demonstrated how elderly are able to perform not only simple paired comparisons, but also more demanding ranking tests.

There are mainly two practical applications in this work: a methodological one and an applicative one. The methodological is related to the evidence that quite complex and up to date sensory studies, if well structured, can be correctly executed by elder consumers. The applicative output is a preliminary recipe of healthy food for elder people that can be used as milestone in future studies.