bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Relationships Between Malnutrition, Inflammation, Sleep Quality, and Restless Legs Syndrome in Hemodialysis Patients
Authors: Kaya Tezcan , Acar Bilgehan Atılgan , Sipahi Savaş , Cinemre Hakan , Acar Türkan , Varım Ceyhun , Tamer Ali
Published: May 2015

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a common neurologic sensorimotor disorder. It is also seen in hemodialysis patients in whom the mechanism is not thoroughly understood. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between malnutrition‐inflammation score (MIS), sleep quality, and RLS in chronic hemodialysis patients. This cross‐sectional study included 232 adult stable chronic hemodialysis patients (mean age 60.9 ± 14.1 years, 56.5% male). RLS frequency, MIS, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), laboratory data of patients as well as severity of RLS were evaluated. Thirty‐seven patients (15.9%) were diagnosed with RLS. Mean MIS of patients with or without RLS were similar. PSQI of patients with RLS was significantly higher than patients without RLS (P = 0.002). There was a significant positive correlation between RLS severity and PSQI (r = 0.445, P = 0.006). A significant positive correlation was also found between PSQI and MIS in patients with RLS (r = 0.419, P = 0.010). RLS severity was positively correlated with some inflammatory parameters such as white blood cell count and C‐reactive protein (r = 0.427, P = 0.008 and r = 0.418 P = 0.010). PSQI was found as an independent significant predictor of RLS (odds ratio [OR] = 1.15 (1.06–1.25), P = 0.001) in multivariate logistic regression analysis. Our study revealed that there was no significant relationship between RLS and MIS in chronic hemodialysis patients. However, RLS severity is correlated with inflammatory parameters. Also, sleep quality in chronic hemodialysis patients with RLS is negatively associated with MIS.
The Elimination of Listeria Monocytogenes Attached to Stainless Steel or Aluminum Using Multiple Hurdles
Authors: Mertz Alexandria W. , O'Bryan Corliss A. , Crandall Philip G. , Ricke Steven C. , Morawicki Rubén
Published: May 2015

Ready‐to‐eat luncheon meats sliced in retail delis have been found to pose the greatest risk of foodborne illness from Listeria monocytogenes among all ready‐to‐eat foods. Slicers used in delis have many removable parts that are connected with seals and gaskets, with spaces, cracks and crevices that are difficult to clean adequately and may provide a niche for L. monocytogenes survival. Standard cleaning and sanitizing practices used by deli employees may not eliminate Listeria in these niches. Moist heat is known to be more effective against L. monocytogenes than dry heat at the same temperature and time. The study reported here investigated the effects of moist heat combined with quaternary ammonium compounds (5 or 10 ppm), chlorine (10 or 25 ppm) or peracetic acid (10 or 25 ppm) on inactivating L. monocytogenes attached to stainless steel or aluminum coupons cut from commercial deli meat slicer components. All sanitizers when used alone resulted in a 2‐ to 3‐log reduction of L. monocytogenes on stainless steel or aluminum surfaces, while moist heat alone resulted in a 3‐ to 4‐log reduction. When combined with heat the quaternary ammonium was used at 5 ppm, peracetic acid at 10 ppm and chlorine at 10 ppm. When the 2 lethal treatments were combined there was a 5‐ to7‐log reduction as compared to initial inoculation.
Subgroup Identification in Personalized Treatment of Alcohol Dependence
Authors: Hou Jue , Seneviratne Chamindi , Su Xiaogang , Taylor Jeremy , Johnson Bankole , Wang Xin‐Qun , Zhang Heping , Kranzler Henry R. , Kang Joseph , Liu Lei
Published: May 2015

Background

Identification of patient subgroups to enhance treatment effects is an important topic in personalized (or tailored) alcohol treatment. Recently, several recursive partitioning methods have been proposed to identify subgroups benefiting from treatment. These novel data mining methods help to address the limitations of traditional regression‐based methods that focus on interactions.

Methods

We propose an exploratory approach, using recursive partitioning methods, for example, interaction trees (IT) and virtual twins (VT), to flexibly identify subgroups in which the treatment effect is likely to be large. We apply these tree‐based methods to a pharmacogenetic trial of ondansetron.

Results

Our methods identified several subgroups based on patients' genetic and other prognostic covariates. Among the 251 subjects with complete genotype information, the IT method identified 118 with specific genetic and other prognostic factors, resulting in a 17.2% decrease in the percentage of heavy drinking days (PHDD). TheVTmethod identified 88 subjects with a 21.8% decrease inPHDD. Overall, theVTsubgroup achieved a good balance between the treatment effect and the group size.

Conclusions

A data mining approach is proposed as a valid exploratory method to identify a sufficiently large subgroup of subjects that is likely to receive benefit from treatment in an alcohol dependence pharmacotherapy trial. Our results provide new insights into the heterogeneous nature of alcohol dependence and could help clinicians to tailor treatment to the biological profile of individual patients, thereby achieving better treatment outcomes.
Stocks and dynamics of carbon in trees across a rainfall gradient in a tropical savanna
Authors: Cook Garry D. , Liedloff Adam C. , Cuff Nicholas J. , Brocklehurst Peter S. , Williams Richard J.
Published: May 2015

In this study, systematic variation in tree morphology across a rainfall gradient in Australia's tropical savanna biome and its implications for carbon stocks and dynamics were quantified. The aim was to support efforts to manage fire regimes to increase vegetative carbon stocks as a greenhouse gas mitigation strategy. The height of trees for a given trunk diameter declines with decreasing rainfall from 2000 to 300 mm and increasing dry season length across the Australian savanna biome. It is likely that increasing dry season length is the main driver of this decline rather declining rainfall per se. By taking account of the response of total basal area to rainfall and soil type, stand structure, and tree height and diameter relationships, the carbon stocks in live trees were estimated to decline from about 34 t ha−1 in the wetter savannas to 6 t ha−1 in the drier savannas. These values are broadly consistent with field‐based estimates. Because of the declining ratio of height to trunk diameter, trees of a given diameter in drier regions will be more likely to be killed by fires of a given intensity than trees in wetter regions. Thus single fires of given intensity are likely to have a greater proportionate impact on live tree carbon stock in drier savannas, but a much greater absolute impact in wetter savannas due to the greater total carbon stock. Projected decreases in early wet season rainfall under climate change scenarios, despite projections of little change in total precipitation in northern Australia, may lead to decreased carbon stock in live trees through two mechanisms: a reduction in total basal area and decreases in tree height for given trunk diameters.
Permanent Lateral Deviation and Stenosis of the Cervix in an Infertile Jennet
Authors: Quartuccio M. , Marino G. , Mannarino C. , Cristarella S.
Published: May 2015

Congenital abnormalities of the uterus and the cervix are rare in horses, often associated with infertility, despite normal ovarian activity and sexual behaviour. An abnormality of the cervix in a 5‐year‐old jennet with a history of infertility was described. Clinical and ultrasound examination of the genital tract showed a normal development of the uterus with regular cyclic activity in both the ovaries. Vaginoscopy revealed a normal development of the vagina and a cervix deviated on the left side of the vagina by a thick dorsoventral fold. The lateral deviation was permanent in any stage of oestrus cycle. Furthermore, the cervical os was narrow and digital penetration was not realizable. Using a 5‐mm catheter, the full penetration was not possible even during oestrus; moreover, the inoculation of fluid could be revealed in uterus by ultrasound (fluid was not present before inoculation), demonstrating a minimal patency. An abnormal and permanent lateral displacement of a stenotic cervix was suspected as the primary cause of infertility in the jennet.
Control of the blood–brain barrier function in cancer cell metastasis
Authors: Blecharz Kinga G. , Colla Ruben , Rohde Veit , Vajkoczy Peter
Published: May 2015

Cerebral metastases are the most common brain neoplasms seen clinically in the adults and comprise more than half of all brain tumours. Actual treatment options for brain metastases that include surgical resection, radiotherapy and chemotherapy are rarely curative, although palliative treatment improves survival and life quality of patients carrying brain‐metastatic tumours. Chemotherapy in particular has also shown limited or no activity in brain metastasis of most tumour types. Many chemotherapeutic agents used systemically do not cross the blood–brain barrier (BBB), whereas others may transiently weaken the BBB and allow extravasation of tumour cells from the circulation into the brain parenchyma. Increasing evidence points out that the interaction between the BBB and tumour cells plays a key role for implantation and growth of brain metastases in the central nervous system. The BBB, as the tightest endothelial barrier, prevents both early detection and treatment by creating a privileged microenvironment. Therefore, as observed in several in vivo studies, precise targetting the BBB by a specific transient opening of the structure making it permeable for therapeutic compounds, might potentially help to overcome this difficult clinical problem. Moreover, a better understanding of the molecular features of the BBB, its interrelation with metastatic tumour cells and the elucidation of cellular mechanisms responsible for establishing cerebral metastasis must be clearly outlined in order to promote treatment modalities that particularly involve chemotherapy. This in turn would substantially expand the survival and quality of life of patients with brain metastasis, and potentially increase the remission rate. Therefore, the focus of this review is to summarise the current knowledge on the role and function of the BBB in cancer metastasis.
Sleep in amphibians and reptiles: a review and a preliminary analysis of evolutionary patterns
Authors: Libourel Paul‐Antoine , Herrel Anthony
Published: May 2015

Despite the ubiquitous nature of sleep, its functions remain a mystery. In an attempt to address this, many researchers have studied behavioural and electrophysiological phenomena associated with sleep in a diversity of animals. The great majority of vertebrates and invertebrates display a phase of immobility that could be considered as a sort of sleep. Terrestrial mammals and birds, both homeotherms, show two sleep states with distinct behavioural and electrophysiological features. However, whether these features have evolved independently in each clade or were inherited from a common ancestor remains unknown. Unfortunately, amphibians and reptiles, key taxa in understanding the evolution of sleep given their position at the base of the tetrapod and amniote tree, respectively, remain poorly studied in the context of sleep. This review presents an overview of what is known about sleep in amphibians and reptiles and uses the existing data to provide a preliminary analysis of the evolution of behavioural and electrophysiological features of sleep in amphibians and reptiles. We also discuss the problems associated with analysing existing data, as well as the difficulty in inferring homologies of sleep stages based on limited data in the context of an essentially mammalian‐centric definition of sleep. Finally, we highlight the importance of developing comparative approaches to sleep research that may benefit from the great diversity of species with different ecologies and morphologies in order to understand the evolution and functions of sleep.
Risk of lung cancer and consumption of vegetables and fruit in Japanese: A pooled analysis of cohort studies in Japan
Authors: Wakai Kenji , Sugawara Yumi , Tsuji Ichiro , Tamakoshi Akiko , Shimazu Taichi , Matsuo Keitaro , Nagata Chisato , Mizoue Tetsuya , Tanaka Keitaro , Inoue Manami , Tsugane Shoichiro , Sasazuki Shizuka ,   the Research Group for the Development and Evaluation of Cancer Prevention Strategies in Japan
Published: May 2015

International reviews have concluded that consumption of fruit and vegetables might decrease the risk of lung cancer. However, the relevant epidemiological evidence still remains insufficient in Japan. Therefore, we performed a pooled analysis of data from four population‐based cohort studies in Japan with >200 000 participants and >1700 lung cancer cases. We computed study‐specific hazard ratios by quintiles of vegetable and fruit consumption as assessed by food frequency questionnaires. Summary hazard ratios were estimated by pooling the study‐specific hazard ratios with a fixed‐effect model. In men, we found inverse associations between fruit consumption and the age‐adjusted and area‐adjusted risk of mortality or incidence of lung cancer. However, the associations were largely attenuated after adjustment for smoking and energy intake. The significant decrease in risk among men remained only for a moderate level of fruit consumption; the lowest summary hazard ratios were found in the third quintile of intake (mortality: 0.71, 95% confidence interval 0.60–0.84; incidence: 0.83, 95% confidence interval 0.70–0.98). This decrease in risk was mainly detected in ever smokers. Conversely, vegetable intake was positively correlated with the risk of incidence of lung cancer after adjustment for smoking and energy intake in men (trend P, 0.024); the summary hazard ratio for the highest quintile was 1.26 (95% confidence interval 1.05–1.50). However, a similar association was not detected for mortality from lung cancer. In conclusion, a moderate level of fruit consumption is associated with a decreased risk of lung cancer in men among the Japanese population.
Synthesis, Biological Evaluation and Molecular Modeling Studies of New 2,3‐Diheteroaryl Thiazolidin‐4‐Ones as NNRTIs
Authors: Debnath Utsab , Verma Saroj , Singh Pankaj , Rawat Kavita , Gupta Satish K. , Tripathi Raj K. , Siddiqui Hefazat H. , Katti Seturam B. , Prabhakar Yenamandra S.
Published: May 2015

In a focused exploration, thiazolidin‐4‐ones with different C‐2 and N‐3 substituent groups were synthesized and evaluated as non‐nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors against HIV‐1. This has led to new active compounds sporting heteroaryls at both C‐2 and N‐3 positions prompting to view them in the backdrop of nevirapine. To assign the molecular attributes for the activity, the compounds are investigated by docking them into non‐nucleoside inhibitor‐binding pocket of HIV‐1 reverse transcriptase (RT). The most active compounds of this series (7d and 7f) shared spatial features with nevirapine with added molecular flexibility. Furthermore, in molecular dynamics simulations carried out for up to 10 ns, the compounds 7d and 7f showed consistency in their interactions with non‐nucleoside inhibitor‐binding pocket of HIV‐1 RT and suggested Tyr319 and Val106 as potential residues for H‐bond interaction with these molecules. These results open new avenues for the exploration of 2,3‐diheteroaryl thiazolidin‐4‐ones for prevention of HIV‐1.
Changing Blue Fluorescent Protein to Green Fluorescent Protein Using Chemical RNA Editing as a Novel Strategy in Genetic Restoration
Authors: Vu Luyen T. , Nguyen Thanh T. K. , Alam Shafiul , Sakamoto Takashi , Fujimoto Kenzo , Suzuki Hitoshi , Tsukahara Toshifumi
Published: May 2015

Using the transition from cytosine of BFP (blue fluorescent protein) gene to uridine of GFP (green fluorescent protein) gene at position 199 as a model, we successfully controlled photochemical RNA editing to effect site‐directed deamination of cytidine (C) to uridine (U). Oligodeoxynucleotides (ODNs) containing 5′‐carboxyvinyl‐2′‐deoxyuridine (CVU) were used for reversible photoligation, and single‐stranded 100‐nt BFP DNA and in vitro‐transcribed full‐length BFP mRNA were the targets. Photo‐cross‐linking with the responsive ODNs was performed using UV (366 nm) irradiation, which was followed by heat treatment, and the cross‐linked nucleotide was cleaved through photosplitting (UV, 312 nm). The products were analyzed using restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and fluorescence measurements. Western blotting and fluorescence‐analysis results revealed that in vitro‐translated proteins were synthesized from mRNAs after site‐directed RNA editing. We detected substantial amounts of the target‐base‐substituted fragment using RFLP and observed highly reproducible spectra of the transition‐GFP signal using fluorescence spectroscopy, which indicated protein stability. ODNc restored approximately 10% of the C‐to‐U transition. Thus, we successfully used non‐enzymatic site‐directed deamination for genetic restoration in vitro. In the near future, in vivo studies that include cultured cells and model animals will be conducted to treat genetic disorders.
Novel 4‐Heteroaryl‐Antipyrines as DPP‐IV Inhibitors
Authors: Gomha Sobhi M. , Eldebss Taha M. A. , Badrey Mohamed G. , Abdulla Mohamed M. , Mayhoub Abdelrahman S.
Published: May 2015

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a vast growing progressive disease that almost affects one person among every twelve globally. Regardless the availability of wide variety of oral hypoglycemics, only one‐third of patients achieves proper glycemic control. With the advantage of the low risk of hypoglycemia, DPP‐IV attracted the attention of medicinal chemists as a new target for oral hypoglycemics. In this report, a lead compound 1, with antipyrine scaffold, was obtained, and its binding mode was calculated. Several derivatives with bridged nitrogenous heterocycles have been synthesized via multicomponent reaction under controlled microwave heating conditions. The antidiabetic activity versus DPP‐IV protein was evaluated and compared with sitagliptin. Compounds with smaller‐ or medium‐sized nitrogenous bridges were comparable with sitagliptin in terms of DPP‐IV inhibitory activity, potentially via targeting Glu203 and Glu204. The oral hypoglycemic activities of compounds with submicromolar IC50 values were further evaluated using diabetic mouse model.
Bongkrekic Acid Analogue, Lacking One of the Carboxylic Groups of its Parent Compound, Shows Moderate but pH‐insensitive Inhibitory Effects on the Mitochondrial ADP/ATP Carrier
Authors: Yamamoto Atsushi , Hasui Keisuke , Matsuo Hiroshi , Okuda Katsuhiro , Abe Masato , Matsumoto Kenji , Harada Kazuki , Yoshimura Yuya , Yamamoto Takenori , Ohkura Kazuto , Shindo Mitsuru , Shinohara Yasuo
Published: May 2015

Bongkrekic acid, isolated from Burkholderia cocovenenans, is known to specifically inhibit the mitochondrial ADP/ATP carrier. However, the manner of its interaction with the carrier remains elusive. In this study, we tested the inhibitory effects of 17 bongkrekic acid analogues, derived from the intermediates obtained during its total synthesis, on the mitochondrial ATP/ATP carrier. Rough screening of these chemicals, performed by measuring their inhibitory effects on the mitochondrial ATP synthesis, revealed that 4 of them, KH‐1, KH‐7, KH‐16, and KH‐17, had moderate inhibitory effects. Further characterization of the actions of these 4 analogues on mitochondrial function showed that KH‐16 had moderate; KH‐1 and KH‐17, weak; and KH‐7, negligible side effects of both permeabilization of the mitochondrial inner membrane and inhibition of the electron transport, indicating that only KH‐7 had a specific inhibitory effect on the mitochondrial ADP/ATP carrier. Although the parental bongkrekic acid showed a strong pH dependency of its action, the inhibitory effect of KH‐7 was almost insensitive to the pH of the reaction medium, indicating the importance of the 3 carboxyl groups of bongkrekic acid for its pH‐dependent action. A direct inhibitory effect of KH‐7 on the mitochondrial ADP/ATP carrier was also clearly demonstrated.
Elucidating the Mechanism of Action of the Clinically Approved Taxanes: A Comprehensive Comparison of Local and Allosteric Effects
Authors: Churchill Cassandra D. M. , Klobukowski Mariusz , Tuszynski Jack A.
Published: May 2015

The clinically approved taxanes (paclitaxel, docetaxel and cabazitaxel) target the tubulin protein in microtubules. Despite the clinical success of these agents, the mechanism of action of this class of drugs remains elusive, making rational design of taxanes difficult. Molecular dynamics simulations of these three taxanes with the αβ‐tubulin heterodimer examine the similarities and differences in the effects of the drugs on tubulin, probing both local and allosteric effects. Despite their structural similarity, the drugs adopt different conformations in the binding site on β‐tubulin. The taxanes similarly increase the helical character of α‐ and β‐tubulins. No correlations are found between microtubule assembly and (i) binding affinity or (ii) the role of the M‐loop in enhancing lateral contacts. Instead, changes in intra‐ and interdimer longitudinal contacts are indicative of the mechanism of action of the taxanes. We find β:H1–S1′, and more importantly β:H9 and β:H10, play a role translating the effect of local drug binding in β‐tubulin to an allosteric effect in α‐tubulin and propose that the displacement of these secondary structures towards α‐tubulin may be used as a predictor of the effect of taxanes on the tubulin heterodimers in rational drug design approaches.
Association between vitaminDdeficiency and periodontal status in current smokers
Authors: Lee Hyo‐Jin , Je Dong‐Il , Won Seong‐Jae , Paik Dai‐Il , Bae Kwang‐Hak
Published: May 2015

Objectives

The aim of this study was to examine whether vitaminDlevel is associated with periodontitis using a representative sample ofKorean adults.

Methods

A total of 6011 subjects who participated in the fourthKoreaNationalHealth andNutritionExaminationSurvey (KNHANES) were examined. VitaminDdeficiency was defined as 25‐hydroxyvitaminDserum concentrations to be under or equal to 20 ng/ml. We assessed periodontal conditions byCommunityPeriodontalIndex (CPI) and defined higherCPIas ≥code 3. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed adjusting for sociodemographics, oral and general health behaviors, and systemic health status. All analyses considered a complex sampling design, and a subgroup analysis was performed to determine estimates stratified according to the effect modifier.

Results

There was no association between vitaminDdeficiency and higherCPIafter adjusting for the covariates in the total sample. According to the strata of smoking, the significant association was found in only current smokers after adjusting for the covariates including pack‐years (odds ratio: 1.53, 95% confidence interval: 1.07–2.18).

Conclusions

A significant association between vitaminDdeficiency and periodontal status was found in only current smokers. Smoking could modify the effect of vitaminDon periodontitis.
Dynamics of soft tissue healing at implants and teeth: a study in a dog model
Authors: Sukekava Flávia , Pannuti Claudio M. , Lima Luiz A. , Tormena Mariana , Araújo Mauricio G.
Published: May 2015

Objective

The aim of this study was to describe and to compare some characteristics of the soft tissue healing process around teeth and implants after flap surgery.

Material and methods

Five adult beagle dogs had their third and fourth lower premolars extracted. After 3 months, four implants per dog were placed on the healed alveolar ridge and allowed to heal non‐submerged during 3 months. After 3 months, four regions characterized by one implant and one adjacent tooth were identified in each dog. One region was randomly selected and soft tissue ressective flap surgery was performed at its buccal aspect. The remaining three regions were randomly treated in an identical manner, and the dogs were sacrificed to provide biopsies representing healing intervals of 1, 2, 4, and 12 weeks. The biopsies were prepared for histological and morphological analyses.

Results

Morphometric and histometric analyses have shown that the gingival tissues surrounding teeth were completely healed after a 4‐week interval. However, it took from 4 to 12 weeks for the peri‐implant mucosa to heal completely.

Conclusion

The healing process around teeth and implants follows a similar sequence of events. Nevertheless, the complete process of healing and maturation of the peri‐implant tissues takes longer than around teeth.
Modeling outcomes of approaches to sustained human and snow leopard coexistence
Authors: Wilman Elizabeth A. , Wilman Elspeth N.
Published: May 2015

The snow leopard (Uncia uncia) is in danger of extinction. Killing to protect livestock is among the primary causes of its decline. Efforts to mitigate this threat have focused on balancing the need to conserve the snow leopard with the needs of local people in snow leopard habitat, many of whom rely on raising livestock for their livelihoods. Conservation of the snow leopard has the characteristics of a public good, and outside funding is required to support conservation efforts. There are 5 commonly discussed approaches to resolving this issue: (1) direct payments for conservation, (2) investments in protection from predation, (3) damage compensation payments, (4) investments in better livestock husbandry, and (5) leases of pastureland for wild prey. After a review of these 5 conservation strategies, an economic–ecologic model, which includes the interactions between the snow leopard, its wild prey, and livestock, is used to evaluate the 2 most promising conservation strategies. The model reveals that investments in protection from predation and leases of pastureland for wild prey are effective but only in delaying the eventual extinction of the snow leopard. To preserve the snow leopard, these approaches must be applied more aggressively and new ones explored.
Empagliflozin as add‐on to metformin in people with Type 2 diabetes
Authors: Merker L. , Häring H‐U. , Christiansen A. V. , Roux F. , Salsali A. , Kim G. , Meinicke T. , Woerle H. J. , Broedl U. C. ,   the EMPA‐REG EXTEND MET investigators
Published: May 2015

Aims

To investigate the long‐term efficacy and safety of empagliflozin as add‐on to metformin in people with Type 2 diabetes.

Methods

Of 637 participants treated with empagliflozin 10 mg, empagliflozin 25 mg, or placebo once daily for 24 weeks, 463 (72.7%) were treated in a double‐blind extension trial for ≥ 52 weeks. Prespecified exploratory endpoints included changes from baseline in HbA1c, weight and blood pressure at week 76.

Results

Compared with placebo, adjusted mean changes from baseline in HbA1c (overall baseline mean ± sd 63 ± 9 mmol/mol [7.9 ± 0.9%]) were −7 mmol/mol [(−0.6%) 95% CI −8, −5 mmol/mol (−0.8, −0.5%); P < 0.001] and −8 mmol/mol [(−0.7%) 95% CI −10, −6 mmol/mol (−0.9, −0.6%); P < 0.001], for empagliflozin 10 mg and 25 mg, respectively. Compared with placebo, adjusted mean changes from baseline in weight were −1.9 kg (95% CI −2.5, −1.3; P < 0.001) and −2.2 kg (95% CI −2.8, −1.6; P < 0.001) for empagliflozin 10 mg and 25 mg, respectively. Empagliflozin led to sustained reductions in systolic blood pressure vs. placebo. Adverse events were reported in 77.7, 80.2 and 72.0% of participants on placebo, empagliflozin 10 mg and empagliflozin 25 mg, respectively. Confirmed hypoglycaemic adverse events (glucose ≤ 3.9 mmol/l and/or event requiring assistance) were reported in 3.4, 4.1 and 4.2% of participants in these groups, respectively.

Conclusions

In people with Type 2 diabetes, empagliflozin 10 mg and 25 mg given as add‐on to metformin for 76 weeks were well tolerated and led to sustained reductions in HbA1c, weight and systolic blood pressure.
Effect of obstructive sleep apnoea on diabetic retinopathy and maculopathy: a systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Leong W. B. , Jadhakhan F. , Taheri S. , Chen Y. F. , Adab P. , Thomas G. N.
Published: May 2015

Aims

To summarize the association between obstructive sleep apnoea and diabetic retinopathy and diabetic maculopathy, and to examine the effects of oxygen desaturation index, mean and minimum oxygen saturation and time spent with < 90% oxygen saturation on diabetic retinopathy and diabetic maculopathy.

Methods

A systematic search was performed for papers published from inception to January 2014 in MEDLINE, EMBASE and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews using indexed terms and free text. Additional searches were carried out for grey literature. Two authors conducted the study selection and quality assessment. Data extraction was performed by the main author and checked by the other authors.

Results

One cohort study and 15 cross‐sectional studies were included for narrative synthesis and three for meta‐analyses. There was no convincing evidence that obstructive sleep apnoea was associated with diabetic retinopathy, although some evidence suggested that obstructive sleep apnoea was associated with greater severity of diabetic retinopathy and advanced diabetic retinopathy in people with Type 2 diabetes. Only six studies examined the impact of obstructive sleep apnoea on diabetic maculopathy and our narrative review suggests there is an association in Type 2 diabetes. Oxygen desaturation index, mean oxygen saturation or time spent with < 90% oxygen saturation were not associated with diabetic retinopathy, and insufficient evidence was available to draw conclusions on their effects on diabetic maculopathy; however, there was evidence from both narrative synthesis and meta‐analysis that minimum oxygen saturation had an impact on diabetic retinopathy (pooled odds ratio 0.91, 95% CI 0.87–0.95; I2 = 0%).

Conclusions

There is a need for large cohort studies with long‐term follow‐up data to examine the long‐term effects of obstructive sleep apnoea and other sleep variables on advanced retinal disease in diabetes.
Warm temperature acclimation impacts metabolism of paralytic shellfish toxins from Alexandrium minutum in commercial oysters
Authors: Farrell Hazel , Seebacher Frank , O'Connor Wayne , Zammit Anthony , Harwood D. Tim , Murray Shauna
Published: May 2015

Species of Alexandrium produce potent neurotoxins termed paralytic shellfish toxins and are expanding their ranges worldwide, concurrent with increases in sea surface temperature. The metabolism of molluscs is temperature dependent, and increases in ocean temperature may influence both the abundance and distribution of Alexandrium and the dynamics of toxin uptake and depuration in shellfish. Here, we conducted a large‐scale study of the effect of temperature on the uptake and depuration of paralytic shellfish toxins in three commercial oysters (Saccostrea glomerata and diploid and triploid Crassostrea gigas, n = 252 per species/ploidy level). Oysters were acclimated to two constant temperatures, reflecting current and predicted climate scenarios (22 and 27 °C), and fed a diet including the paralytic shellfish toxin‐producing species Alexandrium minutum. While the oysters fed on A. minutum in similar quantities, concentrations of the toxin analogue GTX1,4 were significantly lower in warm‐acclimated S. glomerata and diploid C. gigas after 12 days. Following exposure to A. minutum, toxicity of triploid C. gigas was not affected by temperature. Generally, detoxification rates were reduced in warm‐acclimated oysters. The routine metabolism of the oysters was not affected by the toxins, but a significant effect was found at a cellular level in diploid C. gigas. The increasing incidences of Alexandrium blooms worldwide are a challenge for shellfish food safety regulation. Our findings indicate that rising ocean temperatures may reduce paralytic shellfish toxin accumulation in two of the three oyster types; however, they may persist for longer periods in oyster tissue.
Emodin ameliorates hepatic steatosis through endoplasmic reticulum–stress sterol regulatory element‐binding protein 1c pathway in liquid fructose‐feeding rats
Authors: Li Xiaojie , Xu Zhimeng , Wang Shaojie , Guo Hongli , Dong Sizhe , Wang Tao , Zhang Luyong , Jiang Zhenzhou
Published: May 2015

Aim

To investigate the effects of emodin on the treatment of non‐alcoholic fatty liver in rats induced by liquid fructose‐feeding in rats and the possible underlying mechanisms.

Methods

Sprague–Dawley rats were divided into the control, fructose‐feeding group, and three fructose‐feeding groups treated with 40, 80 and 160 mg/kg emodin, respectively. After 4 weeks of feeding, liquid consumption, food intake, bodyweight, liver index, serum triglyceride (TG), glucose and aminotransferases (aspartate aminotransferase [AST] and alanine aminotransferase [ALT]), liver TG contents and histology features were examined. The hepatic expression of lipogenic and fatty acid oxidation key enzymes, and an upstream transcriptional factor, sterol regulatory element‐binding protein 1c (SREBP1c) were determined. Glucose regulated protein 78 (GRP78), a liver endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) marker and the unfolded protein response (UPR) related proteins were also measured.

Results

Emodin reduced bodyweight, liver index, serum TG levels of fructose‐feeding rats with no significant difference in serum glucose, AST and ALT levels. Emodin improved hepatic steatosis by inhibiting SREBP1c activation and its target genes, and enhancing carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1 expression in fructose‐feeding rats. Emodin resolved hepatic ERS and the UPR induced by liquid fructose in rats.

Conclusion

Emodin is capable of improving the lipid accumulation through the ERS–SREBP1c pathway in fructose‐induced non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease.
Performance of an artefact reduction algorithm in the diagnosis of in vitro vertical root fracture in four different root filling conditions on CBCT images
Authors: de Rezende Barbosa G. L. , Sousa Melo S. L. , Alencar P. N. B. , Nascimento M. C. C. , Almeida S. M.
Published: May 2015

Aim

To evaluate the influence of an artefact reduction algorithm (ARA) and several root filling materials on the detection of root fractures on cone‐beam computed tomography (CBCT) images.

Methodology

Forty‐four teeth were divided into control and fractured groups and scanned on a Picasso Trio CBCT device under four conditions: unrestored, filled with gutta‐percha cones, cast‐gold or fibreglass posts; either with or without applying the ARA. Three calibrated examiners assessed the images. ROC analysis, anova and pairwise Tukey LSD test were performed.

Results

No significant difference between the groups with and without the ARA was observed. There was no significant interaction between the algorithm and root condition. On the other hand, there was a significant difference in the mean values of sensitivity (Sn) and accuracy (Ac) amongst the different root filling groups (P ≤ 0.001).

Conclusions

The application of the ARA did not influence the diagnosis of root fractures, and its effects did not depend on root conditions. In relation to the filling materials, gold posts reduced the overall CBCT diagnostic ability, regardless of the use of the ARA.
The Infant Orienting With Attention Task: Assessing the Neural Basis of Spatial Attention in Infancy
Authors: Ross‐Sheehy Shannon , Schneegans Sebastian , Spencer John P.
Published: May 2015

Infant visual attention develops rapidly over the first year of life, significantly altering the way infants respond to peripheral visual events. Here, we present data from 5‐, 7‐, and 10‐month‐old infants using the Infant Orienting With Attention (IOWA) task, designed to capture developmental changes in visual spatial attention and saccade planning. Results indicate rapid development of spatial attention and visual response competition between 5 and 10 months. We use a dynamic neural field (DNF) model to link behavioral findings to neural population activity, providing a possible mechanistic explanation for observed developmental changes. Together, the behavioral and model simulation results provide new insights into the specific mechanisms that underlie spatial cueing effects, visual competition, and visual interference in infancy.
Police, Social Work and Medical Responses to Battered Women
Authors: Johnson Norman
Published: May 2015

Battered women frequently experience difficulties in seeking help from formal sources. They do not always know what services are available and they may be deterred by feelings of embarrassment, shame and even guilt. They may also fear reprisals. A further problem is that services are poorly co-ordinated.

This paper examines the response of the three agencies most frequently approached by battered women seeking help. The police, social workers and medical and paramedical personnel reveal the same or similar attitudes towards marital violence and the problem is either ignored or redefined (usually in terms of child care). There is a marked reluctance on the part of all practitioners to become involved in cases of marital violence which they see as peripheral to their main concerns. The privacy of the family and of marriage is constantly stressed and women are viewed primarily as wives and mothers. When practitioners do become involved, therefore, the emphasis is on reconciliation rather than firm action.

This response has the effect of trivializing the problems, and the legitimacy of male violence as a means of controlling women remains largely unchallenged. It is small wonder that battered women frequently express dissatisfaction with the services concerned.
Woman-Battering, Child Abuse and Social Heredity: What is the Relationship?
Authors: Stark Evan , Flitcraft Anne
Published: May 2015

This paper explores the relationship between child abuse and woman-battering. In so doing the authors test and reject the hypothesis, common in the violence literature, that ‘violence begets violence’. The vast majority of woman-batterers do not come from homes where they were beaten, and the vast majority of men who were beaten as children do not later batter their wives.

Child abuse experts deny the importance of woman-battering. Interventions to stop child abuse focus on changing the ‘mother's’ behaviour. Wife abuse is, however, the major precipitating context of child abuse. Children whose mothers are battered are more than twice as likely to be physically abused than children whose mothers are not battered. When women are battered and children are abused it is usually the male batterer who is responsible for the maltreatment of the child. In other cases women may turn to child abuse when their own battering is already well-established. Battered women who abuse their children are more likely to be treated punitively than non-battered mothers who treat their children in a similar manner. They are, for instance, more likely to have their children removed.

These findings have important implications for policy. The authors point out that those who are concerned about child abuse ‘would do well to look toward advocacy and protection of battered mothers as the best available means to prevent current child abuse as well as child abuse in the future’.
The ‘Battered Husband Syndrome’: Social Problem or Much ado about Little?
Authors: Pagelow Mildred Daley
Published: May 2015

The newly recognized social problem of wife-beating quickly became clouded by confusion over the introduction of the idea of a ‘battered husband syndrome’. The media immediately sensationalized the idea, because the concept of men suffering physical abuse at the hands of the ‘little woman’ is contrary to role expectations. This article examines the data, statements and generalizations upon which the claims were based. There is not enough scientifically sound empirical evidence to support the notion of a battered husband syndrome, although most of the general public is not aware of that. Much of the evidence put forward for the argument was taken out of context, data were added, altered, or eliminated, and generalizations were introduced as fact. Other evidence that the overwhelming proportion of victims of violence are women was ignored. However, the divisive question of male versus female victims hampered efforts to increase the funding and provision of other resources to female victims of family violence, and the debate tended to trivialize their demands for civil rights.
The Politics of Schism: Routinisation and Social Control in the International Socialists/Socialist Workers' Party
Authors: Rayner Steve
Published: May 2015

There is a common assumption in social science, that voluntary associations founded on egalitarian principles must inevitably develop hierarchical structures with centralized control, if they are to persist through time. This paper uses grid/group analysis to suggest an approach to organizational change that is less fatalistic than the iron law of oligarchy.

A case study is presented which suggests that the process of routinization in egalitarian associations is far from automatic. Indeed, the members' awareness of contradiction between egalitarian principles on which the group was founded, and principles of centralized power and hierarchy in bureaucratic organizations is a problem that must be overcome by a leader who seeks to effect such a change.

Furthermore, the case study shows that social control through a centralized hierarchy cannot simply be introduced into a voluntary association. It must first pass through a phase in which institutional memory of the founding principles is eradicated through high membership turnover, and the expulsion of rival contenders for leadership. This process creates the conditions for centralized social control and the bureaucratic exercise of power.
Discourse, Interests and Subjects: ‘Interests’ in Political Analysis
Authors: Hindess Barry
Published: May 2015

This paper argues that interests have consequences in so far as they provide actors with reasons for action, and that actors may find reasons for action in interests they ascribe to themselves and in interests they ascribe to others. This argument undermines many of the ways in which concepts of interests have traditionally been used in social and political analysis. Section I is an introductory discussion of the uses of concepts of interests in political analysis. Section II discusses the place of interests in the explanation of action and Section III discusses connections between interests and actors' social location. A brief conclusion summarises the main arguments of the two central sections.
On the Methods of Long-Distance Control: Vessels, Navigation and the Portuguese Route to India
Authors: Law John
Published: May 2015

It is argued that long-distance control depends upon the creation of a network of passive agents (both human and non-human) which makes it possible for emissaries to circulate from the centre to the periphery in a way that maintains their durability, forcefulness and fidelity. This argument is exemplified by the empirical case of the fifteenth and sixteenth century Portuguese expansion and the reconstruction of the navigational context undertaken by the Portuguese in order to secure the global mobility and durability of their vessels. It is also suggested that three classes of emissaries – documents, devices and drilled people – have, together and separately, been particularly important for long-distance control, and that the dominance of the West since the sixteenth century may be partly explained in terms of crucial innovations in the methods by which passive agents of these three types are produced and interrelated.
The Powers of Association
Authors: Latour Bruno
Published: May 2015

This article starts with a paradox: when an actor simply has power nothing happens and s/he is powerless; when, on the other hand, an actor exerts power it is others who perform the action. It appears that power is not something one can possess – indeed it must be treated as a consequence rather than as a cause of action. In order to explore this paradox a diffusion model of power in which a successful command moves under an impetus given it from a central source is contrasted with a translation model in which such a command, if it is successful, results from the actions of a chain of agents each of whom ‘translates’ it in accordance with his/her own projects. Since, in the translation model, power is composed here and now by enrolling many actors in a given political and social scheme, and is not something that can be stored up and given to the powerful by a pre-existing ‘society’, it follows that debates about the origins of society, the nature of its components, and their relationships become crucial data for the sociologist. It also follows that the nature of society is negotiable, a practical and revisable matter (performative), and not something that can be determined once and for all by the sociologist who attempts to stand outside it (ostensive). The sociologist should, accordingly, seek to analyse the way in which people are associated together, and should, in particular, pay attention to the material and extrasomatic resources (including inscriptions) that offer ways of linking people that may last longer than any given interaction. In the translation model the study of society therefore moves from the study of the social as this is usually conceived, to a study of methods of association.
The Delta Programme and updated flood risk management policies in the Netherlands
Authors: Van Alphen J.
Published: May 2015

The Delta Programme consists of strategies to protect the Netherlands against flooding and to safeguard fresh water supply while anticipating climate change. The programme is aimed at avoiding a disastrous flood, rather than responding to it after the event. This requires a multigovernmental approach, strategies dealing with uncertainty and adequate institutional arrangements to guarantee future‐proof implementation. The Delta Programme includes updated standards for flood protection, a policy framework regarding flood‐proof urban (re)development and efforts to improve disaster management. Uncertainties about the future climate, population, economy and society are to tackled by an adaptive way of planning i.e. maximizing flexibility, keeping options open and avoiding ‘lock in’. The multifunctional design of these measures increases societal ‘added value’ (regarding nature, recreation or urban development) and enhances acceptance. The Delta Commissioner directs this multigovernmental process, monitors progress, reports to Parliament every year and takes the necessary steps when problems arise. From 2020 onwards, a Delta Fund of about 1 billion EUR per year will provide stability in financial resources. The new Delta Act forms the legal basis for the programme, the Commissioner and the Delta Fund.