bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Thermal performance and acclimatization of a component of snake (Agkistrodon piscivorus) innate immunity
Authors: Graham Sean P. , Fielman Kevin T. , Mendonça Mary T.
Published: September 2017

Complement—an immune protein cascade involved in pathogen lysis—was discovered as a temperature‐labile component of vertebrate plasma, yet since that time the thermal performance of complement has not received much attention from a comparative or ecological perspective. We investigated two thermal hypotheses involving the complement system of the cottonmouth snake (Agkistrodon piscivorus). We tested whether complement performance would conform to optimal thermal reaction norms commonly observed in ectotherm ecophysiological studies, predicting that complement efficiency would be maximal at or near the cottonmouth's field body temperatures. We also tested thermal acclimatization of complement performance, by comparing temperature/performance curves from samples collected in three different seasons. Complement efficiency exhibited the same significant positive correlation with temperature in all three seasons. This seasonally invariable temperature‐performance relationship may allow easy acquisition of behavioral fever, as well as trade‐offs between immune performance and energy balance, ultimately endowing snakes with immunological flexibility not available to endotherms.
Demographic and temporal variations in immunity and condition of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) from the southern Beaufort Sea
Authors: Neuman‐Lee Lorin A. , Terletzky Patricia A. , Atwood Todd C. , Gese Eric M. , Smith Geoffrey D. , Greenfield Sydney , Pettit John , French Susannah S.
Published: September 2017

Assessing the health and condition of animals in their natural environment can be problematic. Many physiological metrics, including immunity, are highly influenced by specific context and recent events to which researchers may be unaware. Thus, using a multifaceted physiological approach and a context‐specific analysis encompassing multiple time scales can be highly informative. Ecoimmunological tools in particular can provide important indications to the health of animals in the wild. We collected blood and hair samples from free‐ranging polar bears (Ursus maritimus) in the southern Beaufort Sea and examined the influence of sex, age, and reproductive status on metrics of immunity, stress, and body condition during 2013–2015. We examined metrics of innate immunity (bactericidal ability and lysis) and stress (hair cortisol, reactive oxygen species, and oxidative barrier), in relation to indices of body condition considered to be short term (urea to creatinine ratio; UC ratio) and long term (storage energy and body mass index). We found the factors of sex, age, and reproductive status of the bear were critical for interpreting different physiological metrics. Additionally, the metrics of body condition were important predictors for stress indicators. Finally, many of these metrics differed between years, illustrating the need to examine populations on a longer time scale. Taken together, this study demonstrates the complex relationship between multiple facets of physiology and how interpretation requires us to examine individuals within a specific context.
UPLC‐QTOF‐MSE‐based diagnostic product ion filtering to unveil unstable C6‐C2 glucoside conjugates in Forsythia suspensa
Authors: Xia Yong‐Gang , Liang Jun , Guo Xin‐Dong , Sun Hui‐Min , Kuang Hai‐Xue
Published: September 2017

Forsythia suspensa contains C6‐C2 glucoside conjugates (CCGCs) that are chemically unstable, thereby hindering their isolation and purification. In the present study, ultra‐performance liquid chromatography‐quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (UPLC‐QTOF) was utilized to screen and identify unstable CCGCs in the fruits and leaves of F. suspensa without any tedious isolation and purified process based on independent information acquisition (also called MSE) and individual MS/MS experiments. Diagnostic product ion filtering (DPIF) was further applied to mine unknown analogs in MSE high energy levels based on characteristic m/z of key substructures. A modified nomenclature for CCGCs is hereby proposed to facilitate discussions. Possible fragmentation pathways of major types of known CCGCs were proposed and used for deducing their structures. A total of 8 potentially new CCGCs were discovered and initially identified. The accuracy of their identification was further verified by structural elucidation of 3 unstable CCGCs isolated from the fruits of F. suspensa using 1D and 2D‐NMR spectroscopy. The established UPLC‐QTOF‐MSE‐based DPIF technique facilitates the rapid discovery and direct identification of unstable CCGCs in fruits and leaves of F. suspensa.
Frequent BRAF mutations suggest a novel oncogenic driver in colonic neuroendocrine carcinoma
Authors: Idrees Kamran , Padmanabhan Chandrasekhar , Liu Eric , Guo Yan , Gonzalez Raul S. , Berlin Jordan , Dahlman Kimberly B. , Beauchamp R. Daniel , Shi Chanjuan
Published: September 2017

Background and Objectives

The World Health Organization (WHO) 2010 has classified GI neuroendocrine neoplasms into neuroendocrine tumor (NET) and high‐grade neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC). The genetic underpinnings of NEC are poorly understood. The aim of the study was to perform genomic profiling of NEC to better characterize this aggressive disease.

Methods

We identified nine patients with colonic NEC between January 1, 2005 and June 30, 2013. Whole exome sequencing (WES) was performed on tumor DNA from two patients with ≥80% tumor cellularity and matched normal tissue available. Focused BRAF mutational analysis was performed on an additional seven patients via sanger sequencing of BRAF exons 11 and 15.

Results

We identified BRAF exon 15 mutations (c.A1781G: p.D594G and c.T1799A: p.V600E) by WES in two patients. Upon additional screening of seven colonic NECs for BRAF exon 11 and 15 mutations, we identified BRAF V600E mutations in two of seven specimens (29%). Overall, BRAF exon 15 mutations were present in four of nine colonic NECs.

Conclusion

Colonic NEC is a rare but aggressive tumor with high frequency (44%) of BRAF mutations. Further investigation is warranted to ascertain the incidence of BRAF mutations in a larger population as BRAF inhibition may be a potential avenue of targeted treatment for these patients.
Defense of an expanded historical range for the Mexican wolf: A comment on Heffelfinger et al.
Authors: Hendricks Sarah A. , Koblmüller Stephan , Harrigan Ryan J. , Leonard Jennifer A. , Schweizer Rena M. , Vonholdt Bridgett M. , Kays Roland , Wayne Robert K.
Published: September 2017

A recent review titled “Clarifying Historical Range to Aid Recovery of the Mexican Wolf” by Heffelfinger et al. () reviews historical range delineation but misinterprets published studies and encourages the support of antiquated methods to determine appropriate range for this highly endangered subspecies. We respond to Heffelfinger et al. () and argue against a simple typological model, which we maintain is not appropriate for informing conservation or reintroduction decisions, and argue for the use of genome‐wide data and species distribution models when determining historical range for this vagile wolf population.
Promotion of early pediatric hearing detection through patient navigation: A randomized controlled clinical trial
Authors: Bush Matthew L. , Taylor Zachary R. , Noblitt Bryce , Shackleford Taylor , Gal Thomas J. , Shinn Jennifer B. , Creel Liza M. , Lester Cathy , Westgate Philip M. , Jacobs Julie A. , Studts Christina R.
Published: September 2017

Objectives/Hypothesis

To assess the efficacy of a patient navigator intervention to decrease nonadherence to obtain audiological testing following failed screening, compared to those receiving the standard of care.

Methods

Using a randomized controlled design, guardian‐infant dyads, in which the infants had abnormal newborn hearing screening, were recruited within the first week after birth. All participants were referred for definitive audiological diagnostic testing. Dyads were randomized into a patient navigator study arm or standard of care arm. The primary outcome was the percentage of patients with follow‐up nonadherence to obtain diagnostic testing. Secondary outcomes were parental knowledge of infant hearing testing recommendations and barriers in obtaining follow‐up testing.

Results

Sixty‐one dyads were enrolled in the study (patient navigator arm = 27, standard of care arm = 34). The percentage of participants nonadherent to diagnostic follow‐up during the first 6 months after birth was significantly lower in the patient navigator arm compared with the standard of care arm (7.4% vs. 38.2%) (P = .005). The timing of initial follow‐up was significantly lower in the navigator arm compared with the standard of care arm (67.9 days after birth vs. 105.9 days, P = .010). Patient navigation increased baseline knowledge regarding infant hearing loss diagnosis recommendations compared with the standard of care (P = .004).

Conclusions

Patient navigation decreases nonadherence rates following abnormal infant hearing screening and improves knowledge of follow‐up recommendations. This intervention has the potential to improve the timeliness of delivery of infant hearing healthcare; future research is needed to assess the cost and feasibility of larger scale implementation.

Level of Evidence

1b. Laryngoscope, 127:S1–S13, 2017
Factorization and exact evaluation of the source‐terminal diameter‐constrained reliability
Authors: Canale Eduardo , Romero Pablo , Rubino Gerardo
Published: September 2017

In classical network reliability, the system under study is a network with perfect nodes and imperfect links that fail randomly and independently. The probability that a given subset of terminal nodes belongs to the same connected component is called classical or ‐Terminal reliability. Although (and because) the classical reliability computation belongs to the class of ‐Hard problems, the literature offers many methods for this purpose, given the importance of the models. This article deals with diameter‐constrained reliability, where terminal nodes are further required to be connected by hops or fewer ( is a given strictly positive parameter of the metric called its diameter). This metric was defined in 2001, inspired by delay‐sensitive applications in telecommunications. Factorization theory is fundamental for the classical network reliability evaluation, and today it is a mature area. However, its extension to the diameter‐constrained context requires at least the recognition of irrelevant links, which is an open problem. In this article, irrelevant links are efficiently determined in the most used case, where , thus providing a first step toward a Factorization theory in diameter‐constrained reliability. We also analyze the metric in series‐parallel and composition graphs. The article closes with a Factoring algorithm and a discussion of trends for future work. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. NETWORKS, Vol. 70(4), 283–291 2017
Change in Alcohol Intake in Relation to Weight Change in a Cohort of US Men with 24 Years of Follow‐Up
Authors: Downer Mary Kathryn , Bertoia Monica L. , Mukamal Ken J. , Rimm Eric B. , Stampfer Meir J.
Published: September 2017

Objective

The aim of this study was to prospectively investigate the potential effects of alcohol by subtype on reported long‐term weight change.

Methods

This study examined changes in alcohol intake (total, wine, light beer, regular beer, and liquor) and simultaneous changes in reported body weight within 4‐year periods from 1986 to 2010 from US men in the Health Professionals Follow‐Up Study. The study adjusted for age, changes in lifestyle and dietary covariates, and cardiovascular risk factors.

Results

The study included observations of 44,603 four‐year periods from 14,971 men. Total alcohol, total beer, regular beer, and liquor intakes, modeled as the increase in weight per increase in drinks per day, were each directly associated with moderate weight gain over the 4‐year periods, in pounds: total alcohol: 0.23 (0.10 to 0.35); total beer: 0.29 (0.08 to 0.51); regular beer: 0.61 (0.22 to 1.00); and liquor: 0.28 (0.09 to 0.48). Results for wine and light beer were as follows: wine: 0.16 (−0.04 to 0.36) and light beer: −0.38 (−1.07 to 0.08). Results were strongest for men < 55 years old.

Conclusions

Increased alcohol consumption was associated with minor reported weight gain at levels unlikely to be clinically meaningful. Beverage‐specific differences were not substantial enough to make dietary recommendations for weight loss or maintenance by beverage type. The greatest risk of weight gain was among men who increased consumption to levels well above moderation.
The epigenetic modifier PBRM1 restricts the basal activity of the innate immune system by repressing retinoic acid‐inducible gene‐I‐like receptor signalling and is a potential prognostic biomarker for colon cancer
Authors: Shu Xing‐sheng , Zhao Yingying , Sun Yanmei , Zhong Lan , Cheng Yingduan , Zhang Yixiang , Ning Kaile , Tao Qian , Wang Yejun , Ying Ying
Published: September 2017

It has long been known that patients suffering from inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have an increased risk of developing colorectal cancer (CRC). The innate immune system of host cells provides a first‐line defence against pathogenic infection, whereas an uncontrolled inflammatory response under homeostatic conditions usually leads to pathological consequences, as exemplified by the chronic inflammation of IBD. The key molecules and pathways keeping innate immunity in check are still poorly defined. Here, we report that the chromatin remodeller polybromo‐1 (PBRM1) is a repressor of innate immune signalling mediated by retinoic acid‐inducible gene‐I (RIG‐I)‐like receptors (RLRs). Knockdown of PBRM1 in colon cancer cells increased the expression of two receptor genes (RIG‐I and MDA5) and upregulated interferon (IFN)‐related and inflammation‐related gene signatures. The innate immune signal stimulated by a double‐stranded RNA viral mimic was exaggerated by PBRM1 suppression. PBRM1 cooperated with polycomb protein EZH2 to directly bind the cis‐regulatory elements of RIG‐I and MDA5, thereby suppressing their transcription. Moreover, upregulation of RIG‐I and MDA5 is required for IFN response activation induced by PBRM1 silencing. TRIM25, a protein stimulated by the RLR pathway and IFN production, physically interacted with PBRM1 and induced PBRM1 protein destabilization by promoting its ubiquitination. These findings reveal a PBRM1–RLR regulatory circuit that can keep innate immune activity at a minimal level in resting cells, and also ensure a robust inflammatory response in the case of pathogen invasion. PBRM1 was found to be downregulated in primary tissues from patients with CRC or IBD, and its expression correlated negatively with that of RLR genes and interferon‐stimulated genes in CRC samples. Lower PBRM1 expression was associated with advanced pathological grade and poorer survival of CRC patients, indicating that PBRM1 could serve as a potential prognostic biomarker for CRC. Copyright © 2017 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Strategies and Challenges in Identifying Function for Thousands of sORF‐Encoded Peptides in Meiosis
Authors: Hollerer Ina , Higdon Andrea , Brar Gloria A.
Published: September 2017

Recent genomic analyses have revealed pervasive translation from formerly unrecognized short open reading frames (sORFs) during yeast meiosis. Despite their short length, which has caused these regions to be systematically overlooked by traditional gene annotation approaches, meiotic sORFs share many features with classical genes, implying the potential for similar types of cellular functions. We found that sORF expression accounts for approximately 10–20% of the cellular translation capacity in yeast during meiotic differentiation and occurs within well‐defined time windows, suggesting the production of relatively abundant peptides with stage‐specific meiotic roles from these regions. Here, we provide arguments supporting this hypothesis and discuss sORF similarities and differences, as a group, to traditional protein coding regions, as well as challenges in defining their specific functions.
Crystal structure of a novel prolidase from Deinococcus radiodurans identifies new subfamily of bacterial prolidases
Authors: Are Venkata N. , Jamdar Sahayog N. , Ghosh Biplab , Goyal Venuka Durani , Kumar Ashwani , Neema Sanchit , Gadre Rekha , Makde Ravindra D.
Published: September 2017

Xaa‐Pro peptidases (XPP) are dinuclear peptidases of MEROPS M24B family that hydrolyze Xaa‐Pro iminopeptide bond with a trans‐proline at the second position of the peptide substrate. XPPs specific towards dipeptides are called prolidases while those that prefer longer oligopeptides are called aminopeptidases P. Though XPPs are strictly conserved in bacterial and archaeal species, the structural and sequence features that distinguish between prolidases and aminopeptidases P are not always clear. Here, we report 1.4 Å resolution crystal structure of a novel XPP from Deinococcus radiodurans (XPPdr). XPPdr forms a novel dimeric structure via unique dimer stabilization loops of N‐terminal domains such that their C‐terminal domains are placed far apart from each other. This novel dimerization is also the consequence of a different orientation of N‐terminal domain in XPPdr monomer than those in other known prolidases. The enzymatic assays show that it is a prolidase with broad substrate specificity. Our structural, mutational, and molecular dynamics simulation analyses show that the conserved Arg46 of N‐terminal domain is important for the dipeptide selectivity. Our BLAST search found XPPdr orthologs with conserved sequence motifs which correspond to unique structural features of XPPdr, thus identify a new subfamily of bacterial prolidases.
Label‐invariant models for the analysis of meta‐epidemiological data
Authors: Rhodes K.M. , Mawdsley D. , Turner R.M. , Jones H.E. , Savović J. , Higgins J.P.T.
Published: September 2017

Rich meta‐epidemiological data sets have been collected to explore associations between intervention effect estimates and study‐level characteristics. Welton et al proposed models for the analysis of meta‐epidemiological data, but these models are restrictive because they force heterogeneity among studies with a particular characteristic to be at least as large as that among studies without the characteristic. In this paper we present alternative models that are invariant to the labels defining the 2 categories of studies. To exemplify the methods, we use a collection of meta‐analyses in which the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool has been implemented. We first investigate the influence of small trial sample sizes (less than 100 participants), before investigating the influence of multiple methodological flaws (inadequate or unclear sequence generation, allocation concealment, and blinding). We fit both the Welton et al model and our proposed label‐invariant model and compare the results. Estimates of mean bias associated with the trial characteristics and of between‐trial variances are not very sensitive to the choice of model. Results from fitting a univariable model show that heterogeneity variance is, on average, 88% greater among trials with less than 100 participants. On the basis of a multivariable model, heterogeneity variance is, on average, 25% greater among trials with inadequate/unclear sequence generation, 51% greater among trials with inadequate/unclear blinding, and 23% lower among trials with inadequate/unclear allocation concealment, although the 95% intervals for these ratios are very wide. Our proposed label‐invariant models for meta‐epidemiological data analysis facilitate investigations of between‐study heterogeneity attributable to certain study characteristics.
Tuning Excitonic Properties of Monolayer MoS2 with Microsphere Cavity by High‐Throughput Chemical Vapor Deposition Method
Authors: Mi Yang , Zhang Zhepeng , Zhao Liyun , Zhang Shuai , Chen Jie , Ji Qingqing , Shi Jianping , Zhou Xiebo , Wang Rui , Shi Jia , Du Wenna , Wu Zhiyong , Qiu Xiaohui , Zhang Qing , Zhang Yanfeng , Liu Xinfeng
Published: September 2017

Tuning the optical properties of 2D direct bandgap semiconductors is crucial for applications in photonic light source, optical communication, and sensing. In this work, the excitonic properties of molybdenum disulphide (MoS2) are successfully tuned by directly depositing it onto silica microsphere resonators using chemical vapor deposition method. Multiple whispering gallery mode (WGM) peaks in the emission wavelength range of ≈650–750 nm are observed under continuous wave excitation at room temperature. Time‐resolved photoluminescence (TRPL) and femtosecond transient absorption (TA) spectroscopy are conducted to study light‐matter interaction dynamics of the MoS2 microcavities. TRPL study suggests radiative recombination rate of carrier‐phonon scattering and interband transition processes in MoS2 is enhanced by a factor of ≈1.65 due to Purcell effect in microcavities. TA spectroscopy study shows modulation of the interband transition process mainly occurs at PB‐A band with an estimated F ≈ 1.60. Furthermore, refractive index sensing utilizing WGM peaks of MoS2 is established with sensitivity up to ≈150 nm per refractive index unit. The present work provides a large‐scale and straightforward method for coupling atomically thin 2D gain media with cavities for high‐performance optoelectronic devices and sensors.
Prevention of preterm birth with pessary in singletons (PoPPS): randomized controlled trial
Authors: Dugoff L. , Berghella V. , Sehdev H. , Mackeen A. D. , Goetzl L. , Ludmir J.
Published: September 2017

Objective

To determine if pessary use prevents preterm birth (PTB) in women with singleton pregnancy, with short cervical length (CL) measured on transvaginal sonography (TVS) and without prior spontaneous PTB (sPTB).

Methods

This was an open‐label multicenter randomized trial of asymptomatic women presenting at 18 + 0 to 23 + 6 weeks' gestation with a singleton pregnancy, CL ≤ 25 mm on TVS and no prior sPTB. sPTB included those with spontaneous onset of labor and those with rupture of membranes prior to labor. Subjects were randomized to receive either a Bioteque cup pessary or no pessary. Pessaries were inserted by trained maternal–fetal medicine staff. Vaginal progesterone was recommended to women with CL ≤ 20 mm. The primary outcome was PTB < 37 weeks. A sample size of 121 women in each group (n = 242) was needed to detect a reduction in the primary outcome from 30% in the no‐pessary group to 15% in the pessary group. The trial was stopped early before complete enrollment.

Results

Between 17 March 2014 and 29 July 2016, 17 383 women underwent CL measurement on TVS. Of these, 422 (2.4%) had CL ≤ 25 mm and 391 (92.7%) met the full eligibility criteria, of which 122 (31.2%) agreed to randomization. Sixty‐one (50%) women were randomized to the pessary group and 61 (50%) to the no‐pessary group. Baseline characteristics were similar between the groups. There were no significant differences between the pessary and no‐pessary groups in the rate of PTB < 37 weeks (43% vs 40%; relative risk 1.09; 95% CI, 0.71–1.68) or in secondary outcomes, such as rate of PTB < 34 weeks, rate of PTB < 28 weeks, gestational age at delivery, birth weight and rate of composite adverse neonatal outcome.

Conclusions

Cervical pessary use was not associated with prevention of PTB in women with a singleton pregnancy, short CL on TVS and no prior sPTB in this small, underpowered randomized controlled trial. Copyright © 2017 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
What is deflationism about truth?
Authors: Eklund Matti
Published: September 2017

What is deflationism about truth? There are many questions that can be raised about this, given the numerous different characterizations of deflationism in the literature. Here I attend to questions about the characterization of deflationism that arise when we carefully distinguish between issues pertaining to concepts and issues pertaining to properties.
Characterizing vertical migration of Microcystis aeruginosa and conditions for algal bloom development based on a light‐driven migration model
Authors: Yao Bo , Liu Qingquan , Gao Yong , Cao Zhixian
Published: September 2017

Light‐driven vertical migration is critical in dense aggregation of Microcystis aeruginosa during algal blooms under reduced turbulence conditions in natural water bodies. This study examined the vertical migration characteristics of Microcystis aeruginosa in calm water based on a colony migration model with consideration of cell density change, and demonstrated the effects of mucilage fraction, colony size, irradiance intensity, and water turbidity. The results suggest that colonies with larger radii and under higher irradiance usually had a larger daily averaged retention time at the water surface (DRT). In addition to colony size, mucilage was found to be important in changing the vertical migration behavior of Microcystis colonies, in which increasing mucilage volume fraction can increase the migrating velocity of the colony as well as the length of time it remains at the water surface. Increase of light extinction also favors the aggregation of colonies at the surface. An approximate critical value of 2400 µmol photons m2 s−1 for maximum irradiance was found for persistent algal bloom development under the given simulation conditions. Extremely small colonies exposed to irradiance below the critical value were not likely to migrate to the water surface to form algal blooms. According to the DRT values, three regions with different ranges of irradiance and colony size were proposed as the critical conditions for algal bloom development. Rough comparisons to field observations suggested that these results were reasonable and meaningful, and have the potential to be applied in real cases following further validation by more detailed investigations.
Synthesis and Performance Evaluation of CO2/N2 Switchable Tertiary Amine Gemini Surfactant
Authors: Zhou Ming , Wang Gang , Xu Yaoyang , Zhang Ze , Li Sisi , Hu Buhua , Zhao Yunlong
Published: September 2017

A type of switchable tertiary amine Gemini surfactant, N,N′‐di(N,N‐dimethyl propylamine)‐N,N′‐didodecyl ethylenediamine, was synthesized by two substitution reactions with 3‐chloro‐1‐(N,N‐dimethyl) propylamine, bromododecane and ethylene diamine as main raw materials. The structure of the product was characterized by FTIR and 1H‐NMR. We also investigated the surface tension when CO2 was bubbled in different concentrations of surfactant solution and the influence of different CO2 volumes on surface tension under a constant surfactant concentration. Finally the surface tension curve and the related parameters were acquired by surface tension measurements. The experimental results showed that the structure of the synthesized compounds were in conformity with the expected structure of the surfactant, and displayed a better surface activity after bubbling CO2. The critical micelle concentration (CMC) surface tension at CMC (γcmc) pC20 (negative logarithm of the surfactant's molar concentration C20, required to reduce the surface tension by 20 mN/m) surface excess (Γmax) at air/solution interface and the minimum area per surfactant molecule at the air/solution interface (Amin) were determined. Results indicate that the target product had good surface activity after bubbling CO2.
The Potential of Contingent Valuation for Planning Practice. The Example of Dortmund Westpark
Authors: Wilker Jost , Gruehn Dietwald
Published: September 2017

This paper highlights the practical opportunities that contingent valuation can deliver to improve park management. Although green infrastructure, such as urban parks, provides huge benefits to society, investments require a strong economic justification and have to be based on societal needs and preferences. Accordingly, this paper investigates, by means of a survey of willingness to pay and willingness to work, how users value possible improvements to the management of Dortmund Westpark, and which determinants influence their decisions. In line with the scientific discussion of integrating economic valuation in decision making, we introduce a simple approach to applying valuation results to planning. Total willingness to pay and willingness to work are set in proportion to the real-time costs of suggested proposals. To make the findings useful for park management, these proposals consider the weighting of users’ preferences. Total hypothetical working hours are also integrated into the approach by proposing where they could be used most effectively. Our study reveals the high social values people attach to park improvements and demonstrates the potential benefits of contingent valuation study results for decision making.
Verkehrs-, umwelt- und raumbezogene Aspekte der Elektromobilität aus der Sicht des Nutzerverhaltens
Authors: Döring Thomas , Aigner-Walder Birgit
Published: September 2017

For the individual acceptance and social dissemination of technological innovations like e‑Mobility in an appropriate manner the decision behaviour of potential users should be taken into account. In consideration of this the paper provides an overview of relevant determinants of individual willingness to substitute between conventional propulsion technologies and electrical drive engineering in the field of individual motor car traffic in terms of subjective opportunity costs and other important behaviouristic effects. Based on these insights some significant implications of e‑Mobility regarding future trends in traffic, important environmental effects as well as the spread of e‑Mobility in urban and rural areas will be derived.
Wochenendpendeln von Erwerbstätigen in Deutschland: Analysen mit den Mikrozensen 1991 bis 2012
Authors: Rüger Heiko , Sulak Harun
Published: September 2017

Many employees must cope with long distances between their workplaces and residences. While some employees manage these distances via daily commuting, if distances are very large, employees may be required to relocate permanently (sometimes with their families) or to establish second homes closer to their workplaces. A typical form of the latter multi-local living arrangements is for the employee to live in their second home during the week and return to their primary (family) home for the weekend (weekend commute). Using data from the German Microcensus 1991-2012, this paper first examines changes over time in rates of weekend commuting among employees in Germany. Second, it explores socio-demographic characteristics related to weekend commuting and whether gender differences exist. Results show continuously increasing rates of weekend commuting, rising from 0.34% in 1991 to 1.02% in 2008. Weekend commuting has thus approximately tripled, with a total of 339,000 weekend commuters in 2008. The number of impacted individuals doubles if weekend commuters’ partners and children are also considered. In contrast to the long-term trend, in 2012, reported rates of weekend commuting declined. We discuss how this drop may reflect a methodological bias rather than true decreases in weekend commuting. We observed gender differences in the factors contributing to weekend commuting, most notably the impacts of family living arrangements and occupational status. Compared to previous investigations of weekend commuting, the large sample size of the current analyses permitted identification of more nuanced relations among gender, age, geographic region, and other factors influencing weekend commuting choices.
PGBR extract ameliorates TNF‐α induced insulin resistance in hepatocytes
Authors: Chen Fu‐Chih , Shen Kuo‐Ping , Chen Jin‐Bor , Lin Hui‐Li , Hao Chi‐Long , Yen Hsueh‐Wei , Shaw Shyh‐Yu
Published: September 2017

Pre‐germinated brown rice (PGBR) could ameliorate metabolic syndrome, however, not much research estimates the effect of PGBR extract on insulin resistance. The aim of this study is to examine the effects of PGBR extract in TNF‐α induced insulin resistance. HepG2 cells, hepatocytes, were cultured in DMEM medium and added with 5 μM insulin or with insulin and 30 ng/ml TNF‐α or with insulin, TNF‐α and PGBR extract (50, 100, 300 μg/ml). The glucose levels of the medium were decreased by insulin, demonstrating insulin promoted glucose uptake into cell. However, TNF‐α inhibited glucose uptake into cells treated with insulin. Moreover, insulin increased the protein expressions of AMP‐activated protein kinase (AMPK), insulin receptor substrate‐1 (IRS‐1), phosphatidylinositol‐3‐kinase‐α (PI3K‐α), serine/threonine kinase PI3K‐linked protein kinase B (Akt/PKB), glucose transporter‐2 (GLUT‐2), glucokinase (GCK), peroxisome proliferator activated receptor‐α (PPAR‐α) and PPAR‐γ. TNF‐α activated p65 and MAPKs (JNK1/2 and ERK1/2) which worsened the expressions of AMPK, IRS‐1, PI3K‐α, Akt/PKB, GLUT‐2, GCK, glycogen synthase kinase‐3 (GSK‐3), PPAR‐α and PPAR‐γ. Once this relationship was established, we added PGBR extract to cell with insulin and TNF‐α. We found glucose levels of medium were lowered and that the protein expressions of AMPK, IRS‐1, PI3K‐α, Akt/PKB, GLUT‐2, GCK, GSK‐3, PPAR‐α, PPAR‐γ and p65, JNK1/2 were also recovered. In conclusion, this study found that TNF‐α inhibited insulin stimulated glucose uptake and aggravated related proteins expressions, suggesting that it might cause insulin resistance. PGBR extract was found to ameliorate this TNF‐α induced insulin resistance, suggesting that it might be used in the future to help control insulin resistance.
In their Time of Need
Authors: Bullard Steven
Published: September 2017

This volume of The Official History of Australian Peacekeeping, Humanitarian and Post-Cold War Operations recounts the activities of Australia's military forces in response to overseas natural disasters. The military's involvement in overseas emergency management is focused primarily on the period immediately after disaster strikes: transporting relief supplies, providing medical assistance, restoring basic services and communications and other logistical support. Beginning with the 1917–18 influenza epidemic that ravaged the Pacific and culminating with the 2005 Pakistan earthquake, this book covers Australia's response to some of the most catastrophic natural events of the twentieth century. In their Time of Need is richly detailed, as Steven Bullard weaves together official government records and archival images with the personal narratives and photographs of those who served. This volume is an authoritative and compelling history of Australia's efforts to help their neighbours.
Architecture and Politics in Republican Rome
Authors: Davies Penelope J. E.
Published: September 2017

Architecture and Politics in Republican Rome is the first book to explore the intersection between Roman Republican building practices and politics (c.509–44 BCE). At the start of the period, architectural commissions were carefully controlled by the political system; by the end, buildings were so widely exploited and so rhetorically powerful that Cassius Dio cited abuse of visual culture among the reasons that propelled Julius Caesar's colleagues to murder him in order to safeguard the Republic. In an engaging and wide-ranging text, Penelope J. E. Davies traces the journey between these two points, as politicians developed strategies to manoeuver within the system's constraints. She also explores the urban development and image of Rome, setting out formal aspects of different types of architecture and technological advances such as the mastery of concrete. Elucidating a rich corpus of buildings that have been poorly understand, Davies demonstrates that Republican architecture was much more than a formal precursor to that of imperial Rome.
Genetics, Disability and the Law
Authors: de Paor Aisling
Published: September 2017

While advances in science and technology bring many advantages, we must not ignore the harm that they can cause. Rapid changes in genetic testing are a prime example, and indicators can now help to detect, address and treat diseases. However, in this new study, Aisling de Paor examines how genetic testing is also being used for non-medical reasons, for example for work opportunities and insurance coverage. Genetics, Disability and the Law is the first book of its kind to substantively consider an EU-level response to the use of genetic information. de Paor discusses how to help genetic and scientific research to evolve and grow, how to enhance public confidence in research, and how to control it so that it recognises our values and fundamental human rights. An understudied but vitally important topic, de Paor's work provides a valuable and timely contribution to the field of disability rights.
Law-Making as a Strategy for Change: Indonesia’s New Village Law
Authors: VEL Jacqueline , ZAKARIA Yando , BEDNER Adriaan
Published: September 2017

In 2014, the Indonesian president signed a new Village Law (no. 6/2014). This statute started a new phase in the ongoing history of village governance policy, moving the village from a position as an administrative unit in a top-down system towards one of an autonomous community. The present article analyses how distinct “policy communities” in Indonesia started a process that helped shape the 2014 Village Law in order to promote their long-term political agendas, how their involvement was facilitated by the particular features of Indonesia’s law-making process, and how they managed to get a Bill passed that went against considerable vested interest from government bureaucracies. However, they have been less successful in securing implementation of the new law, as this process is still dominated by the government bureaucracies that were “defeated” in the law-making process.
Ashley Smith and Incarcerated Young Women: Marginalized at Any Age
Authors: Cesaroni Carla , Peterson-Badali Michele
Published: September 2017

Nineteen-year-old Ashley Smith died by her own hand in 2007 in a women’s correctional facility in Ontario, Canada. The subject of the coroner’s inquest into her death was her carceral experience and the failure of the system (leading to her death) during her time in adult federal corrections. The general focus of the inquest was on the state of federal women’s corrections in Canada and the mental health issues experienced by many incarcerated women. We produced a report and provided expert testimony at the inquest regarding the need for a developmentally informed correctional framework. In this article, which is based on our inquest report and testimony, we argue that a developmental perspective is a vital lens for understanding the incarceration experience of young women.
Sentencing Ashley Smith: How Prison Conditions Relate to the Aims of Punishment
Authors: Kerr Lisa
Published: September 2017

Ashley Smith’s experience in the adult prison system flowed from certain of its systemic features. This article considers whether and how it is possible to reconcile the basic commitments of sentencing law, including the legal aims of punishment, with that systemic portrait. The youth court that ordered Smith’s transfer to adult custody relied upon an idealized conception of adult imprisonment, just as ordinary adult sentencing courts do. Judges purport to stipulate the severity of punishment, but tend not to consider how prison conditions will shape the severity of the sanction. Even where a particular defendant is likely to face unique difficulties in custody, courts tend to take notice in limited and rare ways. Smith’s experience in adult custody challenges us to more clearly identify, and to consider extending, doctrinal sentencing rules that represent a judicial concern with the effects and prospects of imprisonment in particular cases.
Intensifying the Incarceration of the Vulnerable Legal Subject: Correctional Treatment of Ashley Smith as a Source of Legal Norms
Authors: Kaiser-Derrick Elspeth
Published: September 2017

Ashley Smith lived and died at a confluence of legal sanctions and correctional policy, norms, decisions, and indifference. This article approaches her incarceration primarily through a particular articulation of legal pluralism. Martha-Marie Kleinhans and Roderick A. Macdonald argue legal subjects should be understood as creating law in relationship with laws/norms. The Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) treated Smith as an excluded legal subject through practices of isolation, but the correctional norms evolving in relationship with her resultant distress simultaneously indicate CSC treated Smith as if she were effectively a law-producer, capable of changing policy. However, treating her as a source of norm-creation assumes equality/power Smith did not have. The story leading to Smith’s death in custody illustrates two primary themes regarding the production of law/norms. First, the legal subject within a critical legal pluralism should be widened to encompass those who act within/against (and are acted upon by) legal/normative systems characterized by extreme power disparities. Drawing on Martha Fineman’s vulnerability analysis, I argue such legal subjects should be understood/treated as vulnerable, implicating an enlarged role for institutions. Second, I follow the broad dictates of a critical legal pluralism to demonstrate how the reciprocally constitutive (though unequal) relationship between the legal subject and legal/normative orders manifested in Smith’s incarceration and attendant changes to correctional norms.
Developing a Hospital Disaster Preparedness Plan for Mass Casualty Incidents: Lessons Learned From the Downtown Beirut Bombing
Authors: El Sayed Mazen , Chami Ali F. , Hitti Eveline
Published: September 2017

Mass casualty incidents (MCIs) are becoming more frequent worldwide, especially in the Middle East where violence in Syria has spilled over to many neighboring countries. Lebanon lacks a coordinated prehospital response system to deal with MCIs; therefore, hospital preparedness plans are essential to deal with the surge of casualties. This report describes our experience in dealing with an MCI involving a car bomb in an urban area of downtown Beirut, Lebanon. It uses general response principles to propose a simplified response model for hospitals to use during MCIs. A summary of the debriefings following the event was developed and an analysis was performed with the aim of modifying our hospital’s existing disaster preparedness plan. Casualties’ arrival to our emergency department (ED), the performance of our hospital staff during the event, communication, and the coordination of resources, in addition to the response of the different departments, were examined. In dealing with MCIs, hospital plans should focus on triage area, patient registration and tracking, communication, resource coordination, essential staff functions, as well as on security issues and crowd control. Hospitals in other countries that lack a coordinated prehospital disaster response system can use the principles described here to improve their hospital’s resilience and response to MCIs. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2018; 12: 379–385)
Round Table. The ‘British School’ and Italian Historiography
Authors: Favretto Ilaria , Meriggi Marco , Laven David , Albanese Giulia , Foot John
Published: September 2017

Italian summary

I contributi sopra intendono riflettere sulla cosiddetta ‘scuola britannica’ di storici e ricercatori specializzati nello studio dell’Italia moderna e contemporanea. Facendo seguito ad una tavola rotonda tenutasi durante il Convegno ASMI 2016, abbiamo chiesto a coloro che vi hanno partecipato di pubblicare i propri interventi nella forma di brevi saggi. In essi viene discussa l’influenza della storiografia britannica sullo studio della storia italiana dal diciannovesimo secolo fino al Fascismo e il ventesimo secolo. Gli autori dei saggi riflettono pure sul ruolo e l’uso della storia in Italia, la strumentalizzazione di dibattitti storiografici che ha a lungo contraddistinto la politica italiana, editoria e strategie di divulgazione del sapere storico. Tutto ciò con un occhio di riguardo alla vita e alla produzione scientifica di Christopher Duggan a cui è dedicato questo numero speciale della rivista.
Antioxidant intake from diet and supplements and risk of digestive cancers in middle-aged adults: results from the prospective NutriNet-Santé cohort
Authors: Egnell Manon , Fassier Philippine , Lécuyer Lucie , Gonzalez Rebeca , Zelek Laurent , Vasson Marie-Paule , Hercberg Serge , Latino-Martel Paule , Galan Pilar , Druesne-Pecollo Nathalie , Deschasaux Mélanie , Touvier Mathilde
Published: September 2017

Experimental studies suggest beneficial effects of antioxidants in digestive cancer prevention. However, epidemiological results are contrasting and few studies quantitatively assessed supplemental intake. This study aimed at investigating the associations between antioxidant intakes (dietary, supplemental and total) and digestive cancer risk. This prospective study included 38 812 middle-aged subjects (≥45 years) from the NutriNet-Santé cohort (2009–2016). Dietary data were collected using repeated 24 h records. A specific questionnaire assessed dietary supplement use over a 12-month period. A composition database of about 8000 dietary supplements was developed. Associations between continuous and sex-specific quartiles of vitamins C and E, β-carotene and Se intakes and digestive cancer risk were characterised using multivariable Cox proportional hazard models. A total of 167 incident digestive cancers (120 colorectal, twenty-six pancreatic, nine oesophagus, seven stomach and five liver) were diagnosed during follow-up investigation. Dietary (hazard ratios (HR)Q4 v. Q1=0·56; 95 % CI 0·34, 0·91, Ptrend=0·01) and total (HRQ4 v. Q1=0·51; 95 % CI 0·30, 0·84, Ptrend=0·008) vitamin C intakes, dietary (HRQ4 v. Q1=0·56; 95 % CI 0·34, 0·92, Ptrend=0·005) and total (HRQ4 v. Q1=0·58; 95 % CI 0·36, 0·94, Ptrend=0·003) vitamin E intakes, and dietary (HRfor an increment of 10 µg/d=0·92; 95 % CI 0·85, 1·00, P=0·04) and total (HRfor an increment of 10 µg/d=0·92; 95 % CI 0·86, 0·99, P=0·03) Se intakes were associated with a decreased digestive cancer risk. Statistically significant interactions were observed between dietary and total Se intakes and alcohol consumption as well as between total vitamin E intake and smoking status. This prospective cohort study with quantitative assessment of supplemental intakes suggests a potential protective effect of several antioxidants (vitamins C and E and Se) on digestive cancer risk, and a modulation of some of these relationships by alcohol consumption and smoking status.
HIGHER PARENTAL PERCEPTIONS OF WEALTH ASSOCIATED WITH THE BIRTH OF MORE SONS IN AN AUSTRALIAN POPULATION
Authors: Behie A. M. , O’Donnell M. H.
Published: September 2017

Many industrialized nations are currently experiencing a decline in average secondary sex ratio (SSR) resulting in fewer boys being born relative to girls. While many potential factors may explain the decline in the birth of males relative to females, it seems most studies support the idea that male offspring are produced less often when environmental conditions are poor owing to males being more susceptible to loss in harsh environments. This study investigates the maternal factors that are associated with the sex of offspring in a cohort of the Australian population. It found that greater parental perceptions of wealth were significantly associated with an increase in the number of sons produced. These results suggest that male offspring are born at increased numbers to women with higher available resources, which may reflect the fact that male offspring are more vulnerable in poor environments.