bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pregnancy in Diabetes: challenges and opportunities for improving pregnancy outcomes
Authors: Murphy H. R. , Bell R. , Dornhorst A. , Forde R. , Lewis‐Barned N.
Published: January 2018

Our aim was to review the data from the National Pregnancy in Diabetes (NPID) audit, and to identify the challenges and opportunities for improving pregnancy outcomes in women with diabetes. We reviewed three years of NPID data and relevant diabetes and obstetric literature, and found that there has been little change in pregnancy preparation or outcomes over the past 3 years, with substantial clinic‐to clinic variations in care. Women with Type 2 diabetes remain less likely to take 5 mg preconception folic acid (22.8% vs. 41.8%; P < 0.05), and more likely to take potentially harmful medications (statin and/or ACE inhibitor 13.0% vs. 1.8%; P < 0.05) than women with Type 1 diabetes. However, women with Type 1 diabetes are less likely to achieve the recommended glucose control target of HbA1c < 48 mmol/mol (6.5%) (14.9% vs. 38.1%; P < 0.05). The following opportunities for improvement were identified. First, the need to integrate reproductive health into the diabetes care plans of all women with diabetes aged 15–50 years. Second, to develop more innovative approaches to improve uptake of pre‐pregnancy care in women with Type 2 diabetes in primary care settings. Third, to integrate insulin pump, continuous glucose monitoring and automated insulin delivery technologies into the pre‐pregnancy and antenatal care of women with Type 1 diabetes. Fourth, to improve postnatal care with personalized approaches targeting women with previous pregnancy loss, congenital anomaly and perinatal mortality. A nationwide commitment to delivering integrated reproductive and diabetes healthcare interventions is needed to improve the health outcomes of women with diabetes.
Postnatal experiences, knowledge and perceptions of women with gestational diabetes
Authors: Eades C. E. , France E. F. , Evans J. M. M.
Published: January 2018

Aim

Women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) are at increased risk of Type 2 diabetes. This study aimed to explore experiences, knowledge and perceptions of women with GDM to inform the design of interventions to prevent or delay Type 2 diabetes.

Methods

Semi‐structured interviews were carried out with 16 women with GDM who were recruited from a clinic in one Scottish health board. A framework approach was used to manage and analyse data according to themes informed by psychological theory (self‐regulation model and theory of planned behaviour).

Results

GDM is not seen as an important, or even real diagnosis among some women, and this perception may result from the perceived minimal impact of GDM on their lives. Some women did experience a bigger emotional and practical impact. Knowledge and understanding of Type 2 diabetes was poor in general and many women were unconcerned about their future risk. Lower concern appeared to be linked to a lower perceived impact of GDM. Lifestyle changes discussed by women mostly related to diet and were motivated primarily by concern for their baby's health. Many women did not maintain these changes postnatally, reporting significant barriers.

Conclusions

This study has suggested potential avenues to be explored in terms of content, timing and potential recipients of interventions. Educational interventions postnatally could address illness perceptions in women with GDM and redress the situation where lack of aftercare downplays its seriousness. For lifestyle interventions, the child's health could be used as a motivator within the context of later joint or family interventions.
Analysis of variance in soil research: let the analysis fit the design
Authors: Webster R. , Lark R. M.
Published: January 2018

Sound design for experiments on soil is based on two fundamental principles: replication and randomization. Replication enables investigators to detect and measure contrasts between treatments against the backdrop of natural variation. Random allocation of experimental treatments to units enables effects to be estimated without bias and hypotheses to be tested. For inferential tests of effects to be valid an analysis of variance (anova) of the experimental data must match exactly the experimental design. Completely randomized designs are usually inefficient. Blocking will usually increase precision, and its role must be recognized as a unique entry in an anova table. Factorial designs enable questions on two or more factors and their interactions to be answered simultaneously, and split‐plot designs may enable investigators to combine factors that require disparate amounts of land for each treatment. Each such design has its unique correct anova; no other anova will do. One outcome of an anova is a test of significance. If it turns out to be positive then the investigator may examine the contrasts between treatments to discover which themselves are significant. Those contrasts should have been ones in which the investigator was interested at the outset and which the experiment was designed to test. Post‐hoc testing of all possible contrasts is deprecated as unsound, although the procedures may guide an investigator to further experimentation. Examples of the designs with simulated data and programs in GenStat and R for the analyses of variance are provided as File S1.

Highlights

Replication and randomization are essential for sound experimentation on variable soil.

Analyses of variance of data from experiments must match the experimental designs.

Experiments should be designed to answer preplanned questions and test hypotheses.

Efficiency can be gained by blocking and factorial combinations of treatments.
The importance of long‐term experiments in agriculture: their management to ensure continued crop production and soil fertility; the Rothamsted experience
Authors: Johnston A. E. , Poulton P. R.
Published: January 2018

Long‐term field experiments that test a range of treatments and are intended to assess the sustainability of crop production, and thus food security, must be managed actively to identify any treatment that is failing to maintain or increase yields. Once identified, carefully considered changes can be made to the treatment or management, and if they are successful yields will change. If suitable changes cannot be made to an experiment to ensure its continued relevance to sustainable crop production, then it should be stopped. Long‐term experiments have many other uses. They provide a field resource and samples for research on plant and soil processes and properties, especially those properties where change occurs slowly and affects soil fertility. Archived samples of all inputs and outputs are an invaluable source of material for future research, and data from current and archived samples can be used to develop models to describe soil and plant processes. Such changes and uses in the Rothamsted experiments are described, and demonstrate that with the appropriate crop, soil and management, acceptable yields can be maintained for many years, with either organic manure or inorganic fertilizers.

Highlights

Long‐term experiments demonstrate sustainability and increases in crop yield when managed to optimize soil fertility.

Shifting individual response curves into coincidence increases understanding of the factors involved.

Changes in inorganic and organic pollutants in archived crop and soil samples are related to inputs over time.

Models describing soil processes are developed from current and archived soil data.
Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy in patients treated with brain‐responsive neurostimulation
Authors: Devinsky Orrin , Friedman Daniel , Duckrow Robert B , Fountain Nathan B , Gwinn Ryder P , Leiphart James W , Murro Anthony M , Van Ness Paul C
Published: January 2018

Objective

To study the incidence and clinical features of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) in patients treated with direct brain‐responsive stimulation with the RNS System.

Methods

All deaths in patients treated in clinical trials (N = 256) or following U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval (N = 451) through May 5, 2016, were adjudicated for SUDEP.

Results

There were 14 deaths among 707 patients (2208 postimplantation years), including 2 possible, 1 probable, and 4 definite SUDEP events. The rate of probable or definite SUDEP was 2.0/1000 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.7‐5.2) over 2036 patient stimulation years and 2.3/1000 (95% CI 0.9‐5.4) over 2208 patient implant years. Stored electrocorticograms around the time of death were available for 4 patients with probable/definite SUDEP and revealed the following: frequent epileptiform activity ending abruptly (n = 2), no epileptiform activity or seizures (n = 1), and an electrographic and witnessed seizure with cessation of postictal electrocorticography (ECoG) activity associated with apnea and pulselessness (n = 1).

Significance

The SUDEP rate of 2.0/1000 patient stimulation years among patients treated with the RNS System is favorable relative to treatment‐resistant epilepsy patients randomized to the placebo arm of add‐on drug studies or with seizures after resective surgery. Our findings support that treatments that reduce seizures reduce SUDEP risk and that not all SUDEPs follow seizures.
Family Boundary Ambiguity Among Transgender Youth
Authors: Catalpa Jory M. , McGuire Jenifer K.
Published: January 2018

Objective

To explore family boundary ambiguity in the parent–child relationships of transgender youth.

Background

Transgender youth may perceive a lack of clarity about whether parents will accept their authentic gender expression, continue to support them physically and emotionally, and regard them as a member of the family. Uncertainty about being in or out of the family and whether family relationships endure is stressful and can lead to psychological distress, a sense of ambiguous loss, and frozen grief.

Method

Ethnographic content analysis was conducted based on interviews with 90 transgender youth recruited from community centers in 10 regions across 3 countries.

Results

Narratives revealed that transgender youth experienced family boundary ambiguity related to relational ambiguity, structural ambiguity, and identity ambiguity. Each experience of ambiguity obscured whether participants remained in the family and interpersonally connected to their parents.

Conclusion

Transgender youth actively navigated complex and ambiguous parent–child relationships whereby participants attempted to reconcile their need for authentic gender expression combined with their need for family connectedness and acceptance.

Implications

Family clinicians, educators, and policymakers are urged to consider family and transgender resilience through a lens of ambiguous loss and to promote a gender‐affirmative life‐span approach to clinical care for transgender individuals and their families.
Atypical familial Mediterranean fever developed in a long‐term hemodialysis patient
Authors: Makino Toshiyuki , Ohara Yoshitatsu , Kobayashi Namiko , Kono Yohei , Nomizu Ayumu , Ichijo Mariko , Mori Yutaro , Matsui Noriaki , Kishida Dai , Toda Takayuki
Published: January 2018

Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF) is usually an autosomal recessive autoinflammatory disease characterized by recurrent attacks of fever and serositis. FMF develops before the age of 20 years in 90% of patients. It has intervals of 1 week to several years between attacks, which leads to renal dysfunction—amyloidosis. We report a case of atypical FMF that developed in a long‐term hemodialysis patient. A 65‐year‐old Japanese female undergoing hemodialysis for 32 years was referred to our hospital with a fever of unknown origin (FUO) following cervical laminoplasty. The fever occurred as recurrent attacks accompanied by oligoarthralgia of the left hip and knee. We suspected FMF because of recurrent self‐limited febrile attacks, although the patient showed atypical clinical features such as late‐onset and highly frequent attacks. After receiving treatment, she achieved a complete response to colchicine. Therefore, a diagnosis of FMF was made based on the Tel‐Hashomer criteria, which was confirmed by genetic testing. The case suggests that FMF may be of note in long‐term hemodialysis patients developing FUO.
Influences for gender disparity in dermatology in North America
Authors: Shah Ahmed , Jalal Sabeena , Khosa Faisal
Published: January 2018

Background

Despite constituting half the population, women represent a minority of active physicians and hold a small proportion of faculty leadership positions in North America. However, dermatology is one of the few specialties where women comprise a substantial portion of the workforce. This study explores extent and contributors to gender disparity in academic dermatology faculty positions, leadership, and research.

Methods

We collected data on academic faculty including leadership from the websites of accredited U.S. and Canadian dermatology faculties. We used PubMed and SCOPUS to collect faculty research information including h‐index, number of publications, citations, and years of active research.

Results

Although women constitute almost half of all dermatologists in the U.S. and Canada (47.9%), only one‐fourth (26.1%) of all faculty heads are women. Furthermore, the proportion of women in higher faculty ranks (Assistant Professor, Associate Professors, and Professors) is much lower than males. Female dermatologists also have fewer publications, citations, and years of active research. Interestingly, having a female in a leadership position is associated with a higher proportion of female dermatologists in the faculty.

Conclusions

Gender disparity exists in academic dermatology, and the current academics fail to account for the enormous social challenges that women face, which may put them at a disadvantage to career advancement. Among other factors, better representation of female leadership may encourage and inspire women joining academic faculties in the future.
Experiences of case management with chronic illnesses: a qualitative systematic review
Authors: Joo J.Y. , Liu M.F.
Published: January 2018

Aim

This qualitative systematic review aimed to identify and synthesize recent qualitative studies to improve understanding of the experiences and perceptions of case management interventions that individuals with chronic illnesses and their caregivers have.

Background/Introduction

Case management has been shown to be effective at improving quality of care and lowering costs for individuals with chronic illnesses. However, no qualitative review has been synthesized with recent qualitative studies about case management experiences by individual with chronic illnesses.

Methods

This qualitative systematic review uses a thematic synthesis method to review 10 qualitative studies published within the last 10 years, from 2007 to 2016, thereby identifying and discussing the understandings that individuals with chronic illnesses and their caregivers have about case management.

Results

From this synthesis, three themes were identified as facilitators of case management (access to healthcare resources, health status supports and emotional aid) and two themes were identified as barriers to it (low information about case management and time constraints).

Conclusions

This is the first qualitative systematic review of the perceptions and experiences that individuals with chronic illnesses and their caregivers have about case management. The facilitators of case management can be employed to inform patients about the benefits of case management and to improve population health.

Implications for nursing and health policy

The findings about barriers to case management can be used to reform case management for populations with chronic illnesses. These factors should be considered by nursing researchers and healthcare policymakers when implementing case management.
Progress towards a methodology for high throughput 3D reconstruction of soot nanoparticles via electron tomography
Authors: HAFFNER‐STATON E. , LA ROCCA A. , FAY M.W.
Published: January 2018

The aim of this work is to make progress towards the development of 3D reconstruction as a legitimate alternative to traditional 2D characterization of soot. Time constraints are the greatest opposition to its implementation, as currently reconstruction of a single soot particle takes around 5–6 h to complete. As such, the accuracy and detail gains are currently insufficient to challenge 2D characterization of a representative sample (e.g. 200 particles). This work is a consideration of the optimization of the steps included within the computational reconstruction and manual segmentation of soot particles. Our optimal process reduced the time required by over 70% in comparison to a typical procedure, whilst producing models with no appreciable decrease in quality.
An orientation‐independent DIC microscope allows high resolution imaging of epithelial cell migration and wound healing in a cnidarian model
Authors: MALAMY J.E. , SHRIBAK M.
Published: January 2018

Epithelial cell dynamics can be difficult to study in intact animals or tissues. Here we use the medusa form of the hydrozoan Clytia hemisphaerica, which is covered with a monolayer of epithelial cells, to test the efficacy of an orientation‐independent differential interference contrast microscope for in vivo imaging of wound healing. Orientation‐independent differential interference contrast provides an unprecedented resolution phase image of epithelial cells closing a wound in a live, nontransgenic animal model. In particular, the orientation‐independent differential interference contrast microscope equipped with a 40x/0.75NA objective lens and using the illumination light with wavelength 546 nm demonstrated a resolution of 460 nm. The repair of individual cells, the adhesion of cells to close a gap, and the concomitant contraction of these cells during closure is clearly visualized.
Food security, obesity, and inequality: Measuring the risk of exposure to the neoliberal diet
Authors: Otero Gerardo , Gürcan Efe Can , Pechlaner Gabriela , Liberman Giselle
Published: January 2018

In reviewing the so‐called obesity “epidemic”, we critique the individual‐focused explanations that also lead to interventions at this level. Instead, we suggest a different possibility: that food choices are structurally conditioned by income inequality, first; and, second, that we eat what huge oligopolistic food producers and distributors have on offer, which is in turn shaped or facilitated by neoliberal state intervention. To highlight the relevance of structural factors, we develop an index that measures the risk of exposure to what we call the “neoliberal diet” for low‐to‐middle‐income working classes. Using this index, we compare the United States and Canada, advanced capitalist countries that are also agro‐export powerhouses, with a group of countries including the BRICs (Brazil, Russia, India, and China) plus Indonesia, Mexico, South Africa, and Turkey. We conclude that state interventions need to refocus on reducing social inequality and the social determinants of food production and distribution. Transcending individualistic and consumption approaches will help us appreciate that the state, not the individual consumer, is best positioned to implement change when it comes to food “choices” and food production.
A single‐nucleotide polymorphism in the canine cytochrome b5 reductase (CYB5R3) gene is associated with sulfonamide hypersensitivity and is overrepresented in Doberman Pinschers
Authors: Reinhart J. M. , Ekena J. , Cioffi A. C. , Trepanier L. A.
Published: January 2018

Canine sulfonamide hypersensitivity (HS) has been associated with a variant in the cytochrome b5 reductase gene (CYB5R3 729A>G), which encodes a drug‐detoxifying enzyme. Study objectives were to determine variant allele frequency in Doberman Pinschers (DOBE), a breed which may be predisposed to sulfonamide HS, and to characterize the effects of CYB5R3 729G on gene expression and function. CYB5R3 729A>G allele frequencies were compared between DOBE (n = 24) vs. non‐Doberman (non‐DOBE; n = 60) dogs. CYB5R3mRNA expression, protein expression, and reduction of sulfamethoxazole hydroxylamine were compared between banked canine liver samples of 729AA vs. GG genotype. The 729G allele was overrepresented in DOBE (1.00) vs. non‐DOBE dogs (0.567, p < .0001). mRNA and protein expressions as well as cyt b5 reductase activity were similar between livers of AA and GG genotype. All Doberman Pinschers in this study were homozygous for CYB5R3 729G, which could contribute to this breed's apparent predisposition to sulfonamide HS. However, CYB5R3 729G does not alter sulfamethoxazole detoxification capacity, so a direct role could not be demonstrated. It is possible that this marker is linked to another contributing variant.
Dispersal capacity of Haematopota spp. and Stomoxys calcitrans using a mark–release–recapture approach in Belgium
Authors: Lempereur L. , Sohier C. , Smeets F. , Maréchal F. , Berkvens D. , Madder M. , Francis F. , Losson B.
Published: January 2018

The dispersion potential of mechanical vectors is an important factor in the dissemination of pathogens. A mark–release–recapture experiment was implemented using two groups (unfed and partially fed) of the Tabanidae (Diptera) (Haematopota spp.) and biting Muscidae (Diptera) (Stomoxys calcitrans) most frequently collected in Belgium in order to evaluate their dispersion potential. In total, 2104 specimens of Haematopota spp. were collected directly from horses and 5396 S. calcitrans were collected in a cattle farm using hand‐nets. Some of these insects were partially fed in vitro and all were subsequently coloured. Overall, 67 specimens of S. calcitrans (1.2%) and 17 of Haematopota spp. (0.8%) were recaptured directly on horses. Stomoxys calcitrans flew maximum distances of 150 m and 300 m when partially fed and unfed, respectively. Haematopota spp. travelled maximum distances of 100 m and 200 m when partially fed and unfed, respectively. Segregation measures seem essential in order to reduce the risk for pathogen transmission. A distance of 150 m appears to be the minimum required for segregation to avoid the risk for mechanical transmission, but in areas of higher vector density, this should probably be increased.
The diagnostic value of the functional lumen imaging probe versus high‐resolution anorectal manometry in patients with fecal incontinence
Authors: Leroi A. M. , Melchior C. , Charpentier C. , Bridoux V. , Savoye‐Collet C. , Houivet E. , Ducrotté P. , Gourcerol G.
Published: January 2018

Background

The functional lumen imaging probe (EndoFLIP®) is a new technology that measures the distensibility of the anal canal represented by the anal distensibility index. The aims of this study were (i) to compare the anal distensibility index to anal pressure in a cohort of patients with fecal incontinence (FI) and (ii) to compare the diagnostic value of the EndoFLIP® to that of high‐resolution anorectal manometry (HRAM) in the same cohort of patients.

Methods

Eighty‐three consecutive patients with FI who underwent EndoFLIP® and HRAM assessments were enrolled. The diagnostic value of the EndoFLIP® was compared to that of HRAM and agreement between EndoFLIP® and HRAM data was assessed.

Key Results

More than 70% of the patients diagnosed with anal deficiency at rest and/or during voluntary contractions by HRAM had the same diagnosis using the EndoFLIP®. Two patients with higher distensibility indexes at rest had normal anal resting pressures. Sixteen patients with a normal EndoFLIP® index (ie, normal distensibility index at rest and during voluntary contractions) had an abnormal HRAM result. Seven of these 16 patients (44%) had no sphincter lesion or neuropathic disorder that could explain an abnormal anal sphincter function.

Conclusions & Inferences

We demonstrated that the anal distensibility index and HRAM results are largely in agreement. We did, however, identify several discrepancies between the two techniques, indicating that they may be complementary.
Green‐wave surfing increases fat gain in a migratory ungulate
Authors: Middleton Arthur D. , Merkle Jerod A. , McWhirter Douglas E. , Cook John G. , Cook Rachel C. , White P. J. , Kauffman Matthew J.
Published: January 2018

Each spring, migratory herbivores around the world track or ‘surf’ green waves of newly emergent vegetation to distant summer or wet‐season ranges. This foraging tactic may help explain the great abundance of migratory herbivores on many seasonal landscapes. However, the underlying fitness benefits of this life‐history strategy remain poorly understood. A fundamental prediction of the green‐wave hypothesis is that migratory herbivores obtain fitness benefits from surfing waves of newly emergent vegetation more closely than their resident counterparts. Here we evaluate whether this behavior increases body‐fat levels – a critically important correlate of reproduction and survival for most ungulates – in elk Cervus elaphus of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Using satellite imagery and GPS tracking data, we found evidence that migrants (n = 23) indeed surfed the green wave, occupying sites 12.7 days closer to peak green‐up than residents (n = 16). Importantly, individual variation in surfing may help account for up to 6 kg of variation in autumn body‐fat levels. Our findings point to a pathway for anthropogenic changes to the green wave (e.g. climate change) or migrants’ ability to surf it (e.g. development) to impact migratory populations. To explore this possibility, we evaluated potential population‐level consequences of constrained surfing with a heuristic model. If green‐wave surfing deteriorates by 5–15 days from observed, our model predicts up to a 20% decrease in pregnancy rates, a 2.5% decrease in population growth, and a 30% decrease in abundance over 50 years. By linking green‐wave surfing to fitness and illustrating potential effects on population growth, our study provides new insights into the evolution of migratory behavior and the prospects for the persistence of migratory ungulate populations in a changing world.
Is the widely used two‐factor structure of the Ruminative Responses Scale invariant across different samples of women?
Authors: Lucena‐Santos Paola , Pinto‐Gouveia José , Carvalho Sérgio A. , Oliveira Margareth da Silva
Published: January 2018

Objectives

Although the Ruminative Responses Scale is one of the most widely used measures of rumination, its two‐factor structure remains controversial. Taking this into account, we aimed to test the RRS‐10 two‐factor invariance (Brazilian version) between different samples of women and to study its internal consistency and convergent validity.

Methods

A sample of 321 women (general population, n = 106; college students, n = 115; and medical population of patients with overweight and obesity, n = 100) participated in the study. The two‐factor structure of RRS‐10 was assessed by CFA and multigroup analysis using Mplus software. Internal consistency was assessed by Cronbach's alpha and the convergent validity by Pearson correlations.

Results

The two‐factor structure of RRS‐10 showed a good fit, factorial invariance across three samples, good internal consistency, and adequate convergent validity. Brooding and Reflection subscales were both positively correlated with psychological inflexibility, cognitive fusion, anxiety, depression, and stress symptoms, although Brooding presented significantly stronger associations with these variables than Reflection.

Conclusions

This study provides further discussion and evidence regarding the RRS‐10 two‐factor structure, as well as a valid version of RRS‐10 to use in Brazil in order to reliably assess rumination in medical and research settings.

Practitioner points

This is the first study to test and confirm the RRS two‐factor structure invariance across groups.

RRS‐10 two‐dimensionality was confirmed in medical and non‐medical samples of women.

Brooding subscale showed significantly stronger relationships with psychopathology and experiential avoidance than Reflection.

The study provides evidence that RRS can be used as a valid and sound measure to accurately assess the clinically relevant dimensions of rumination simultaneously across distinct groups.
Developmental control of hypoxia during bud burst in grapevine
Authors: Meitha Karlia , Agudelo‐Romero Patricia , Signorelli Santiago , Gibbs Daniel J. , Considine John A. , Foyer Christine H. , Considine Michael J.
Published: January 2018

Dormant or quiescent buds of woody perennials are often dense and in the case of grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) have a low tissue oxygen status. The precise timing of the decision to resume growth is difficult to predict, but once committed, the increase in tissue oxygen status is rapid and developmentally regulated. Here, we show that more than a third of the grapevine homologues of widely conserved hypoxia‐responsive genes and nearly a fifth of all grapevine genes possessing a plant hypoxia‐responsive promoter element were differentially regulated during bud burst, in apparent harmony with resumption of meristem identity and cell‐cycle gene regulation. We then investigated the molecular and biochemical properties of the grapevine ERF‐VII homologues, which in other species are oxygen labile and function in transcriptional regulation of hypoxia‐responsive genes. Each of the 3 VvERF‐VIIs were substrates for oxygen‐dependent proteolysis in vitro, as a function of the N‐terminal cysteine. Collectively, these data support an important developmental function of oxygen‐dependent signalling in determining the timing and effective coordination bud burst in grapevine. In addition, novel regulators, including GASA‐, TCP‐, MYB3R‐, PLT‐, and WUS‐like transcription factors, were identified as hallmarks of the orderly and functional resumption of growth following quiescence in buds.
H2O2 mediates nitrate‐induced iron chlorosis by regulating iron homeostasis in rice
Authors: Chen Haifei , Zhang Quan , Cai Hongmei , Zhou Wei , Xu Fangsen
Published: January 2018

The uptake of nitrate by plant roots causes a pH increment in rhizosphere and leads to iron (Fe) deficiency in rice. However, little is known about the mechanism how the nitrate uptake‐induced high rhizosphere pH causes Fe deficiency. Here, we found that rice showed severe leaf chlorosis and large amounts of Fe plaque were aggregated on the root surface and intercellular space outside the exodermis in a form of ferrihydrite under alkaline conditions. In this case, there was significantly decreased Fe concentration in shoots, and the Fe deficiency responsive genes were strongly induced in the roots. The high rhizosphere pH induced excess hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) production in the epidermis due to the increasing expression of NADPH‐oxidase respiratory burst oxidase homolog 1, which enhanced root oxidation ability and improved the Fe plaque formation in rhizosphere. Further, the concentrated H2O2 regulated the phenylpropanoid metabolism with increased lignin biosynthesis and decreased phenolics secretion, which blocked apoplast Fe mobilization efficiency. These factors coordinately repressed the Fe utilization in rhizosphere and led to Fe deficiency in rice under high pH. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that nitrate uptake‐induced rhizosphere alkalization led to Fe deficiency in rice, through H2O2‐dependent manners of root oxidation ability and phenylpropanoid metabolism.
Molecular characterization of a series of 990 index patients with albinism
Authors: Lasseaux Eulalie , Plaisant Claudio , Michaud Vincent , Pennamen Perrine , Trimouille Aurelien , Gaston Laetitia , Monfermé Solène , Lacombe Didier , Rooryck Caroline , Morice‐Picard Fanny , Arveiler Benoît
Published: January 2018

Albinism is a clinically and genetically heterogeneous disease characterized by variable degrees of hypopigmentation and by nystagmus, foveal hypoplasia, and chiasmatic misrouting of the optic nerves. The wide phenotypic heterogeneity impedes the establishment of phenotype–genotype correlations. To obtain a precise diagnosis, we screened the 19 known albinism genes in 990 index patients using targeted next‐generation sequencing (NGS) and high‐resolution comparative genomic hybridization. A molecular diagnosis was obtained in 72.32% of patients. A total of 243 new pathogenic variants were identified. Intragenic rearrangements represented 10.8% of all pathogenic alleles. NGS panel analysis allowed establishing a diagnosis for the rarest forms of the disease, which could not be diagnosed otherwise. Because of the clinical overlap between the different forms of the disease, diagnosis nowadays clearly relies on molecular grounds.
Security Investment in Contagious Networks
Authors: Hasheminasab Seyed Alireza , Tork Ladani Behrouz
Published: January 2018

Security of the systems is normally interdependent in such a way that security risks of one part affect other parts and threats spread through the vulnerable links in the network. So, the risks of the systems can be mitigated through investments in the security of interconnecting links. This article takes an innovative look at the problem of security investment of nodes on their vulnerable links in a given contagious network as a game‐theoretic model that can be applied to a variety of applications including information systems. In the proposed game model, each node computes its corresponding risk based on the value of its assets, vulnerabilities, and threats to determine the optimum level of security investments on its external links respecting its limited budget. Furthermore, direct and indirect nonlinear influences of a node's security investment on the risks of other nodes are considered. The existence and uniqueness of the game's Nash equilibrium in the proposed game are also proved. Further analysis of the model in a practical case revealed that taking advantage of the investment effects of other players, perfectly rational players (i.e., those who use the utility function of the proposed game model) make more cost‐effective decisions than selfish nonrational or semirational players.
What the non‐nephrologist needs to know about dialysis
Authors: Foy Matt , Sperati C. John
Published: January 2018

The End‐Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) program now serves approximately 675,000 individuals in the United States at a cost of $26.1 billion to the Medicare system. Given the size of this population, healthcare providers from all disciplines will deliver care to patients on dialysis. Mortality remains high among patients on chronic dialysis, with 42.3% surviving 5 years. As this is a vulnerable population, it is important in the care of ESRD patients that non‐nephrologists have a working knowledge of issues germane to dialysis. This review examines the physiology, mechanics, complications, and care delivery concerns of kidney dialysis modalities relevant to the non‐nephrologist. The majority of patients receive in‐center hemodialysis thrice weekly, with a small proportion on home‐based therapies such as peritoneal dialysis or home hemodialysis. Inpatients may undergo hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis, and in critically ill patients, continuous renal replacement therapies are utilized. Practical aspects of each of these modalities are discussed.
Reframing Internalized Racial Oppression and Charting a way Forward
Authors: Banks Kira Hudson , Stephens Jadah
Published: January 2018

Experiences of racism, a form of oppression, have lasting negative psychological and physical effects on Black Americans. Identifying underlying mechanisms is necessary to minimize these deleterious outcomes and potentially mitigate health disparities. Internalized racial oppression, the ways in which a member of a target group is in relationship with the dominant group's ideology and the extent to which they accept their subordinate status as deserved, natural, and inevitable, has in particular been understudied and inconsistently defined. We argue that shifting language from internalized racial oppression to appropriated racial oppression more fully centers our understanding of the negative impact systemic oppression can have on individuals. This shift counters psychology's tendency to over‐focus on individuals and or their internal processes without taking the broader context into consideration. While racial identity development models conceptualize appropriated racial oppression as a potential aspect of identity development, the field has yet to offer models of how to extract appropriated racial oppression from the development of identity. We put forth a framework for psychological liberation from the negative content related to racial oppression, in addition to offering implications for training programs, leaders in key positions in society, and researchers.
The Influence of Affirming Kindness and Community on Broadening Participation in STEM Career Pathways
Authors: Estrada Mica , Eroy‐Reveles Alegra , Matsui John
Published: January 2018

The United States’ inability to achieve equitable workforce development in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) career pathways is well‐recognized and has been attributed to the poor retention of a diverse stream of students in academia. Social science theory and research provide evidence that social contextual variables—specifically kindness cues affirming social inclusion—influence chronic underrepresentation of some groups within STEM career pathways. Review of the literature suggests that the current STEM academic context does not consistently provide cues that affirm social inclusion to all members of the academic population, and that policies that address this disparity are essential to broadening STEM workforce development in the United States.
Understanding shame:Examining how justice and emotions operate in the context of restorative justice
Authors: Scheuerman Heather L.
Published: January 2018

An essential element of the restorative justice process is engagement in emotional healing, which is made possible via the ways in which offenders manage shame. Effective shame management depends in part on the operation of justice principles. While research has examined justice and the importance of emotions in facilitating the restorative justice process, further investigation is necessary to understand how various types of justice affect emotions and facilitate the restoration of offenders. This article provides an overview of major findings regarding the relationship between justice, attributions, and emotions and how these findings relate to restorative justice. Implications for research in restorative justice are also discussed.
The mock conference as a teaching tool: Role‐play and “conplay” in the classroom
Authors: Ricker Aaron , Peterfeso Jill , Zubko Katherine C. , Yoo William , Blanchard Kate
Published: January 2018

In our ostensibly secular age, discussing the real‐world contexts and impacts of religious traditions in the classroom can be difficult. Religious traditions may appear at different times to different students as too irrelevant, too personal, or too inflammatory to allow them to engage openly with the materials, the issues, and each other. In this “Design & Analysis” article Aaron Ricker describes an attempt to address this awkward pedagogical situation with an experiment in role‐play enacted on the model of a mock conference. This description is followed by four short responses by authors who have experimented with this form of pedagogy themselves. In “Conplay,” students dramatize the wildly varying and often conflicting approaches to biblical tradition they have been reading about and discussing in class. They bring the believers, doubters, artists, and critics they have been studying into the room, to interact face‐to‐face with each other and the class. In Ricker's experience, this playful and collaborative event involves just the right amount of risk to allow high levels of engagement and retention, and it allows a wide range of voices to be heard in an immediate and very human register. Ricker finds Conplay to be very effective, and well worth any perceived risks when it comes to inviting students to take the reins.
Sympathetic neurovascular regulation during pregnancy: A longitudinal case series study
Authors: Reyes Laura M. , Usselman Charlotte W. , Skow Rachel J. , Charkoudian Nisha , Staab Jeffery S. , Davenport Margie H. , Steinback Craig D.
Published: January 2018

New Findings

What is the main observation in this case?

The main observation of this case report is that during pregnancy there is a progressive sympatho‐excitation in basal conditions and under stress, which is offset by a concurrent reduction in neurovascular transduction. Strong correlations between autonomic nervous system activity and sex hormones (oestrogen and progesterone), vasopressin and aldosterone were found.

What insights does it reveal?

Our findings suggest that hormonal surges might be associated with central sympathetic activation.

The adaptations of sympathetic nerve activity (SNA) during pregnancy remain poorly understood. An increase in blood volume, cardiac output and SNA, with a concomitant drop in total peripheral resistance (TPR), suggest that during pregnancy there is a reduced transduction of SNA into TPR. Most of these findings have originated from cross‐sectional studies; thus, we conducted a longitudinal assessment of SNA and TPR in two participants. Measurements were made before pregnancy (early follicular phase), on four occasions during pregnancy and at 2 months postpartum. Mean arterial pressure and cardiac output were used to calculate TPR. The SNA was measured using microneurography (peroneal nerve). There was a gestation‐dependent increase in SNA burst frequency (r2 = 0.96, P = 0.009). Neurovascular transduction, however, decreased by 53% in both women. Sympathetic hyperactivity was reversed postpartum, whereas neurovascular transduction remained lower. These longitudinal data highlight the progressive sympatho‐excitation of pregnancy, which is offset by a concurrent reduction in neurovascular transduction.
Investigations for Enhancing Wear Properties of Rapid Tooling by Reinforcement of Nanoscale Fillers for Grinding Applications
Authors: Boparai Kamaljit Singh , Singh Rupinder
Published: January 2018

In this work, investigations were made for enhancing wear properties of rapid tooling (RT) by reinforcement of fillers (nanoscaled) for grinding applications. The RT has been prepared by using biocompatible composite material (BCCM) feed stock filament (consisting of Nylon 6 as a binder, reinforced with biocompatible nanoscale Al2O3 particles) on fused deposition modeling (FDM) for the development of grinding wheel having customized wear-resistant properties. A comparative study has been conducted under dry sliding conditions in order to understand the tribological characteristics of FDM printed RT of BCCM and commercially used acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) material. This study also highlights the various wear mechanisms (such as adhesive, fatigue, and abrasive) encountered during experimentation. Finally, the FDM printed RT of proposed BCCM feedstock filament is more suitable for grinding applications especially in clinical dentistry.
A DIY Ultrasonic Signal Generator for Sound Experiments
Authors: Riad Ihab F.
Published: January 2018

Many physics departments around the world have electronic and mechanical workshops attached to them that can help build experimental setups and instruments for research and the training of undergraduate students. The workshops are usually run by experienced technicians and equipped with expensive lathing, computer numerical control (CNC) machines, electric measuring instruments, and several other essential tools. However, in developing countries such as Sudan, the lack of qualified technicians and adequately equipped workshops hampers efforts by these departments to supplement their laboratories with the equipment they need. The only other option is to buy the needed equipment from specialized manufacturers. The latter option is not feasible for the departments in developing countries where funding for education and research is scarce and very limited and as equipment from these manufacturers is typically too expensive. These departments struggle significantly in equipping undergraduate teaching laboratories, and here we propose one way to address this.
Rank the voltage across light bulbs … then set up the live experiment
Authors: Jacobs Greg C.
Published: January 2018

The Tasks Inspired by Physics Education Research (TIPERS) workbooks pose questions in styles quite different from the end-of-chapter problems that those of us of a certain age were assigned back in the days before Netscape. My own spin on TIPERS is not just to do them on paper, but to have students set up the situations in the laboratory to verify—or contradict —their paper solutions. The circuits unit is particularly conducive to creating quick-and-dirty lab setups that demonstrate the result of conceptually framed problems.
Seismoelectric interface electromagnetic wave characteristics for the finite offset Vertical Seismoelectric Profiling configuration: Theoretical modeling and experiment verification
Authors: Liu Yukai , Smeulders David , Su Yuanda , Tang Xiaoming
Published: January 2018

The seismoelectric interface electromagnetic characteristics have been studied for the finite offset Vertical Seismoelectric Profiling (VSEP) configuration. The approach consists of theoretical modeling and laboratory verification. The results show that the wave variation characteristics along the finite offset measurement line are markedly different from those along the zero-offset line. More interestingly, the wave characteristics for both configurations can be satisfactorily explained by the electric dipole model for the seismoelectric interface wave radiation. Besides, the experiment confirms the modeling result based on the seismoelectric coupling theory and validates the VSEP technique as an effective method for subsurface interface delineation.
Positional Differences in Elite Basketball: Selecting Appropriate Training-Load Measures
Authors: Svilar Luka , Castellano Julen , Jukic Igor , Casamichana David
Published: January 2018

Purpose: To study the structure of interrelationships among external-training-load measures and how these vary among different positions in elite basketball. Methods: Eight external variables of jumping (JUMP), acceleration (ACC), deceleration (DEC), and change of direction (COD) and 2 internal-load variables (rating of perceived exertion [RPE] and session RPE) were collected from 13 professional players with 300 session records. Three playing positions were considered: guards (n = 4), forwards (n = 4), and centers (n = 5). High and total external variables (hJUMP and tJUMP, hACC and tACC, hDEC and tDEC, and hCOD and tCOD) were used for the principal-component analysis. Extraction criteria were set at an eigenvalue of greater than 1. Varimax rotation mode was used to extract multiple principal components. Results: The analysis showed that all positions had 2 or 3 principal components (explaining almost all of the variance), but the configuration of each factor was different: tACC, tDEC, tCOD, and hJUMP for centers; hACC, tACC, tCOD, and hJUMP for guards; and tACC, hDEC, tDEC, hCOD, and tCOD for forwards are specifically demanded in training sessions, and therefore these variables must be prioritized in load monitoring. Furthermore, for all playing positions, RPE and session RPE have high correlation with the total amount of ACC, DEC, and COD. This would suggest that although players perform the same training tasks, the demands of each position can vary. Conclusion: A particular combination of external-load measures is required to describe the training load of each playing position, especially to better understand internal responses among players.
Cancer institute head touts big data and basicresearch
Authors: Kaiser Jocelyn
Published: January 2018

NCI's new director compares progress against cancer today to early strides against infectious disease.
DOE pushes for useful quantum computing
Authors: Cho Adrian
Published: January 2018

As quantum supremacy nears, so does a desire to apply machines to science problems.
Taming the monsters of tomorrow
Authors: Kupferschmidt Kai
Published: January 2018

A small group of researchers is studying how science could destroy the world—and how to stop that from happening.