bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Probabilistic measures of climate change vulnerability, adaptation action benefits, and related uncertainty from maximum temperature metric selection
Authors: DeWeber Jefferson T. , Wagner Tyler
Published: February 2018

Predictions of the projected changes in species distributions and potential adaptation action benefits can help guide conservation actions. There is substantial uncertainty in projecting species distributions into an unknown future, however, which can undermine confidence in predictions or misdirect conservation actions if not properly considered. Recent studies have shown that the selection of alternative climate metrics describing very different climatic aspects (e.g., mean air temperature vs. mean precipitation) can be a substantial source of projection uncertainty. It is unclear, however, how much projection uncertainty might stem from selecting among highly correlated, ecologically similar climate metrics (e.g., maximum temperature in July, maximum 30‐day temperature) describing the same climatic aspect (e.g., maximum temperatures) known to limit a species’ distribution. It is also unclear how projection uncertainty might propagate into predictions of the potential benefits of adaptation actions that might lessen climate change effects. We provide probabilistic measures of climate change vulnerability, adaptation action benefits, and related uncertainty stemming from the selection of four maximum temperature metrics for brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis), a cold‐water salmonid of conservation concern in the eastern United States. Projected losses in suitable stream length varied by as much as 20% among alternative maximum temperature metrics for mid‐century climate projections, which was similar to variation among three climate models. Similarly, the regional average predicted increase in brook trout occurrence probability under an adaptation action scenario of full riparian forest restoration varied by as much as .2 among metrics. Our use of Bayesian inference provides probabilistic measures of vulnerability and adaptation action benefits for individual stream reaches that properly address statistical uncertainty and can help guide conservation actions. Our study demonstrates that even relatively small differences in the definitions of climate metrics can result in very different projections and reveal high uncertainty in predicted climate change effects.
Knowledge gap regarding dementia care among nurses in Taiwanese acute care hospitals: A cross‐sectional study
Authors: Lin Pei‐Chao , Hsieh Mei‐Hui , Chen Meng‐Chin , Yang Yung‐Mei , Lin Li‐Chan
Published: February 2018

Aim

The quality of dementia care in hospitals is typically substandard. Staff members are underprepared for providing care to older people with dementia. The objective of the present study was to examine dementia care knowledge, attitude and behavior regarding self‐education about dementia care among nurses working in different wards.

Methods

This was a descriptive cross‐sectional study. The present study was carried out from July 2013 to December 2013. In total, 387 nurses working in different wards were recruited from two hospitals in Taiwan by using convenience sampling. The nurses completed a self‐report questionnaire on demographic data, experience and learning behavior, and attitude towards dementia care, and a 16‐item questionnaire on dementia care knowledge. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the status and differences in dementia care knowledge among nurse in different wards.

Results

The average dementia care knowledge score was 10.46 (SD 2.13), with a 66.5% mean accuracy among all nurses. Dementia care knowledge was significantly associated with age, nursing experience, possession of a registered nurse license, holding a bachelor's degree, work unit, training courses and learning behavior towards dementia care. The dementia care knowledge of the emergency room nurses was significantly lower than that of the psychiatric and neurology ward nurses. A significantly lower percentage of emergency room nurses underwent dementia care training and actively searched for information on dementia care, compared with the psychiatric and neurology ward nurses.

Conclusions

Hospital nurses show a knowledge gap regarding dementia care, especially emergency room nurses. Providing dementia care training to hospital nurses, particularly emergency room nurses, is crucial for improving the quality of care for patients with dementia. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2018; 18: 276–285.
Dermatology hospitalists: a multicenter survey study characterizing the infrastructure of consultative dermatology in select American hospitals
Authors: Ko Lauren N. , Kroshinsky Daniela
Published: February 2018

Background

Although considered an outpatient specialty, dermatology plays an important role in inpatient medicine. We characterized the activity and structure of dermatology consultation services in select U.S. hospitals.

Methods

In this cross sectional study, a 31‐question survey was distributed in person to 32 board‐certified dermatologists at the 2017 Society of Dermatology Hospitalists meeting.

Results

Thirty participants completed the survey (yield 93.8%). Most dermatology hospitalists spend 41–52 weeks on service (50%), with 37% spending between 11 and 30 weeks. Coverage was organized by continuous weeks (68%) or months (21%). While on service, hospitalists staffed an average of 4 outpatient clinics per week. Consultative teams also included internal medicine residents (43%), medical students (47%), pediatric residents (10%), and fellows from other specialties (27%). Consultation services saw approximately 3.7 new inpatients and 4.2 follow‐up inpatients per day, with daily rounds lasting approximately 2.6 hours.

Conclusions

The results suggest that hospital dermatologists in the U.S. consider inpatient care their niche and devote a majority of their time staffing consults over clinic. The diverse composition of inpatient teams and the number of academic duties held by these physicians suggests they play an important role in medical education.
Why European Banks Are Undercapitalized and What Should Be Done About It
Authors: Finnerty John D. , Gonzalez Laura
Published: February 2018

Major European banks are significantly undercapitalized as compared to large American banks, and, more importantly, as compared to the capital levels they would need to survive another severe financial crisis. Bank capital shortfalls in Italy, Spain, Germany, France and the United Kingdom, in particular, are largely the consequence of European bank regulations that: (1) apply static risk weights to assets like mortgages and sovereign debt; (2) fail to require an overall market‐based capital ratio that is high enough to enable banks to survive a severe financial crisis; (3) fail to get banks to promptly write down their impaired assets to market value; (4) subject banks to weak stress tests that can create a false impression of capital adequacy; and (5) fail to compel banks to retain sufficient earnings and to raise sufficient capital externally to eliminate capital shortfalls promptly, all apparently out of fear that being tougher might cause investors and customers to lose confidence in the banks.

This article summarizes important recent independent bank stress testing that has quantified the capital shortfalls in European banks. The recent highly publicized regulatory interventions to resolve failing European banks were inevitable due to these shortfalls. The authors recommend steps European bank regulators should take to address the problem and to eliminate the risk of serious capital shortfalls. In the absence of such steps, bank depositors, customers, and security holders should be prepared to expect further unwelcome surprises as the risks inherent in allowing undercapitalized banks to operate will continue to materialize in more bank failures.
How Investment Opportunities Affect Optimal Capital Structure
Authors: Myint Stanley , Lupi Antonio , Tsomocos Dimitrios P.
Published: February 2018

This article addresses the question of how competition for investments among companies in a certain industry affects their capital structure. The authors develop a new modelling framework that simulates financial variables of a set of firms in a given sector, and uses the framework to analyze how such firms compete for new investments. The leverage of companies affects their flexibility to react to and take advantage of investment opportunities, and the authors show how such flexibility can be optimized to maximize the firm’s growth.

As an illustration, they apply the model to a set of European airlines and global pharmaceutical companies. The novelty introduced by this paper is the explicit modelling of the interaction between several companies. The literature on optimal capital structure focuses on individual companies optimizing their capital structure in a world in which the actions of their competitors are exogenous. The authors’ results show how to incorporate the competitive position of the firm as well as the availability of investment opportunities into the capital structure decison.
Maximum Withdrawal Rates: A Novel and Useful Tool
Authors: Estrada Javier
Published: February 2018

Even after accumulating a portfolio of investment assets, retirees still need to know how much of their wealth they can spend each year without risking running out of money before they die. Traditionally, financial advisers use extensive simulation to predict a “failure rate” (i.e. the probability of a retiree running out of money before they die). Unfortunately, the failure rate approach is flawed because strategies with the same failure rate may not be comparable overall. For example, different withdrawal strategies may have the same failure rate but wind up leaving significantly different amounts of wealth behind.

Instead of failure rate, this author recommends using the maximum withdrawal rate, or MWR, approach that predetermines a desired bequest (which could be zero or some positive sum), thus enabling an apples‐to‐apples comparison of retirement strategies. In addition to permitting direct comparisons of retirement strategies, the MWR provides a way to assess how likely a retiree is to sustain a target sequence of inflation‐adjusted withdrawals. This is the main advantage of the MWR; it is a single tool that can be used to explore two of the most important issues in retirement analysis.

The MWR as presented here is essentially a measure of the best a retiree could have done had he known the future returns of his portfolio. Obviously, one cannot be sure of future rates of return ahead of time, so the MWR does not eliminate all retirement risk. That said, its adoption would be an improvement upon current practice.
Positive and Negative Affect and Adolescent Adjustment: Moderation Effects of Prefrontal Functioning
Authors: Brieant Alexis , Holmes Christopher J. , Maciejewski Dominique , Lee Jacob , Deater‐Deckard Kirby , King‐Casas Brooks , Kim‐Spoon Jungmeen
Published: February 2018

We examined whether cognitive control moderates the effects of emotion on adolescent internalizing and externalizing symptomatology in a longitudinal study of 138 adolescents. Self‐reported positive affect (PA) and negative affect and behavioral and neural indicators of cognitive control, indexed by performance and prefrontal hemodynamic response during a cognitive interference task, were collected at Time 1. Self‐reported internalizing and externalizing symptomatology were collected at Time 1 and Time 2 (1 year later). Results indicated that higher PA predicted decreases in externalizing symptomatology, but only for adolescents with poor neural cognitive control. No moderation effects were found for behavioral cognitive control. Findings imply the beneficial effects of PA on the development of externalizing problems among adolescents with poor prefrontal functioning.
The Effect of Urine Concentration and pH on the Growth of Escherichia Coli in Canine Urine In Vitro
Authors: Thornton L.A. , Burchell R.K. , Burton S.E. , Lopez‐Villalobos N. , Pereira D. , MacEwan I. , Fang C. , Hatmodjo A.C. , Nelson M.A. , Grinberg A. , Velathanthiri N. , Gal A.
Published: February 2018

Background

Lower urinary tract infections are common in dogs, and Escherichia coli is the most common bacterial pathogen isolated. The literature has conflicting evidence regarding the inhibitory effects of urine concentration and pH on E. coli growth.

Hypothesis/Objectives

To determine the effect of different pH and urine concentrations on E. coli growth in vitro.

Animals

Voided urine samples from 10 apparently healthy spayed female dogs were used.

Methods

A matrix of 9 urine specific gravity (USG; 1.010, 1.020, and 1.030) and pH (5.5, 7.0, and 8.5) combinations was prepared by diluting and titrating filtered voided urine samples. Three E. coli isolates were obtained from urine of female dogs with signs of lower urinary tract infection and cultured at different urine pH and USG combinations in wells of a microtiter plate. The number of E. coli colony‐forming units (CFU) per mL of urine was calculated after aerobic incubation of the urine at 37°C for 18 hours, and statistically compared.

Results

Significant differences were identified in the mean log CFU/mL among different combinations of pH and USG. The lowest log CFU/mL were observed in alkaline concentrated urine (pH 8.5 and USG 1.030).

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

Escherichia coli in vitro growth was higher in neutral to acidic and diluted urine compared to alkaline and concentrated urine. The impact of non‐alkalizing diluting diets on the incidence of E. coli lower urinary tract infections should be further explored.
Calcitonin Response to Naturally Occurring Ionized Hypercalcemia in Cats with Chronic Kidney Disease
Authors: van den Broek D.H.N. , Geddes R.F. , Williams T.L. , Chang Y.‐M. , Elliott J. , Jepson R.E.
Published: February 2018

Background

Hypercalcemia is commonly associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD) in cats.

Objectives

To explore the calcitonin response to naturally occurring ionized hypercalcemia in cats with azotemic CKD, and to assess the relationship of plasma calcitonin with ionized calcium, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and urinary calcium excretion.

Animals

Thirty‐three client‐owned cats with azotemic CKD and ionized hypercalcemia from first opinion practice.

Methods

Cohort study. Calcitonin was measured with an immunoradiometric assay in heparinized plasma. Simple correlations were assessed with Kendall's rank correlation, and the within‐subject correlations of calcitonin with ionized calcium and other clinicopathological variables were calculated with a bivariate linear mixed effects model.

Results

Calcitonin concentrations above the lower limit of detection (>1.2 pg/mL; range, 1.7–87.2 pg/mL) were observed in 11 of 33 hypercalcemic cats (responders). Blood ionized calcium concentration did not differ significantly between responders (median, 1.59 [1.46, 1.66] mmol/L) and nonresponders (median, 1.48 [1.43, 1.65] mmol/L; P = 0.22). No evidence was found for calcitonin and ionized calcium to correlate between cats (τb = 0.14; P = 0.31; n = 33), but significant positive correlation was evident within individual responders over time (within‐subject correlation coefficient [rwithin], 0.83; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.63–0.92). Calcitonin correlated negatively over time with plasma ALP (rwithin, −0.55; 95% CI, −0.79 to −0.16).

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

Calcitonin does not appear to have an important role in calcium metabolism in cats with CKD.
Vitamin D Receptor Expression in Dogs
Authors: Cartwright J.A. , Gow A.G. , Milne E. , Drummond D. , Smith S. , Handel I. , Mellanby R.J.
Published: February 2018

Background

There is growing evidence linking low blood vitamin D concentration to numerous diseases in people and in dogs. Vitamin D influences cellular function by signaling through the vitamin D receptor (VDR). Little is known about which non‐skeletal tissues express the VDR or how inflammation influences its expression in the dog.

Objectives

To define which non‐skeletal canine tissues express the VDR and to investigate expression in inflamed small intestine.

Animals

Thirteen non‐skeletal tissues were collected prospectively from 6 control dogs. Thirty‐five dogs diagnosed with a chronic enteropathy (CE) and 24 control dogs were prospectively enrolled and duodenal biopsies were evaluated for VDR expression.

Methods

Prospective; blinded assessment of canine intestinal VDR. Dogs with CE were included once other identifiable causes of intestinal disease were excluded. Age matched controls were included with no intestinal clinical signs. VDR expression was assessed immunohistochemically in all samples, using a Rat IgG VDR monoclonal antibody. Quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was also used for duodenal biopsies.

Results

VDR expression as assessed by immunohistochemistry (IHC) was highest in the kidney, duodenum, skin, ileum and spleen, and weak in the colon, heart, lymph node, liver, lung, and ovary. Gastric and testicular tissue did not express the VDR. There was no statistical difference in duodenal VDR expression between the 24 healthy dogs and 34 dogs with CE when quantified by either qPCR (P = 0.87) or IHC (P = 0.099).

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

The lack of down regulation of VDR expression in inflamed intestine contrasts with previous studies in humans. Our findings support future studies to investigate whether vitamin D and its analogues can be used to modulate intestinal inflammation in the dog.
Re‐evaluation of the regulation of omeprazole in racehorses: An evidence‐based approach
Authors: Viljanto M. , Hillyer L. , Hincks P. , Pearce C. , Paine S. W.
Published: February 2018

Medication control and doping control have been established in horse racing to ensure the integrity of the sport and the welfare of the horses. This ensures that horses do not compete under the influence of any drugs, including omeprazole, a therapeutic medication used to treat equine gastric ulcer syndrome. In this study, pharmacokinetic data were produced in equine plasma and urine following an oral administration of 4 mg/kg of generic buffered formulation of omeprazole to six Thoroughbred horses in five daily doses to determine an appropriate screening limit and detection time in equine plasma and to assess whether the current detection time of 72 hr in equine urine would be applicable when an alternative omeprazole product is administered. Cmax of 436–2,432 ng/ml and AUC0–tau of 1,476–4,371 ng hr ml−1 were obtained for plasma and indicated, in conjunction with other published oral omeprazole studies, that an appropriate plasma screening limit would be 500 pg/ml with a detection time of 48 hr. Urine analysis showed that omeprazole could be detected for up to 25 hr above the previously established urine screening limit of 500 pg/ml and thus indicated that the detection time advice could be potentially reduced from 72 to 48 hr to allow more comprehensive treatment of gastric lesions.
Do formal and informal protection methods affect firms' productivity and financial performance?
Authors: Rehman Naqeeb Ur , Yu Fei
Published: February 2018

The main objective of this paper is to investigate the direct relationship between formal and informal protection methods and firms' productivity and financial performance. This study used Chilean firms' level data. The principal findings are that micro, small and medium‐sized enterprises (MSMEs) with informal protection methods positively influence productivity and financial performance. Moreover, the results show that formal and informal protection methods are interconnected. Their joint effect accelerates firms' productivity and makes financial performance stronger as compared to using a single protection method. This outcome is robust across SMEs and large firms. Thus, this finding suggests that using a combination of formal and informal protection method benefits firms' productivity and financial performance. The managerial implications of this study suggest that business managers/owners could use multiple protection methods (a mix of formal and informal) to increase their firms' productivity and profitability. In addition, to support innovation in Chilean firms, economic policies must encourage innovation in small businesses through subsidies (tax credits) and R&D grants, as well as awareness of the use of protection methods.
Film‐as‐Concert Music and the Formal Implications of ‘Cinematic Listening’
Authors: LEHMAN FRANK
Published: February 2018

What does it mean for film music – subordinated, contingent, ‘unheard’ – to be plucked from its intended context and placed at the forefront of the listener's attention? The tradition of excerpting and arranging movie scores for the concert hall poses this question sharply. While scholarship on ‘cinematic listening’ has picked up in recent years, the specifically music‐theoretical issues raised by this repertoire have been largely unaddressed. In this article, I argue that film‐as‐concert music presents hearing ‘cinematically’ as a valid alternative to structural modes of listening, a form of hearing that subverts both naive formalism and reflexive anti‐formalism. Following a discussion of theoretical and interpretative priorities for analysing film‐as‐concert music, I begin investigation of a subset of the film‐as‐concert corpus: stand‐alone scherzi originating from action set pieces. More than any other type of underscore, action cues answer to dramatic, editorial and visual imperatives rather than to ‘absolute’ logic. My core data emerges from a detailed study of John Williams's film and concert scherzi, with short analyses of cues/pieces from E.T., the Indiana Jones movies and Star Wars. My approach emphasises the way in which formal alterations bring about drastically different ways of hearing the work tonally and expressively across multiple versions. A larger‐scale case study of ‘The Asteroid Field’ from The Empire Strikes Back serves to demonstrate the tonal, sectional and narratival transformations that occur between movie theatre and concert hall. To conclude, I propose that the film‐as‐concert mindset can be transferred to filmgoing itself, as a new mode of cinematic listening.
Surveillance for azoles resistance in Aspergillus spp. highlights a high number of amphotericin B‐resistant isolates
Authors: Reichert‐Lima Franqueline , Lyra Luzia , Pontes Lais , Moretti Maria Luiza , Pham Cau D. , Lockhart Shawn R. , Schreiber Angélica Zaninelli
Published: February 2018

Aspergillus spp. are the most common invasive mould infection and are responsible for high mortality. Aspergillus fumigatus is currently of interest because resistance to azole antifungals has emerged. The Campinas University Hospital (HC‐UNICAMP) receives high‐risk patients susceptible to opportunistic infections but there have been no reports of resistant A. fumigatus. This study aimed to assess the susceptibility profile of Aspergillus isolates, specifically looking for azole resistance. ITS and β‐tubulin DNA sequencing was performed on 228 sequential clinical isolates. Broth microdilution susceptibility testing was performed for all isolates. A. fumigatus represented 74% of the isolates followed by Aspergillus flavus (12%). Nine A. fumigatus isolates from 9 different patients showed high MIC values to at least 1 azole, but cyp51A polymorphisms were detected in only 6 isolates and none correlated with known resistance mutations. The most troubling observation was that the minimum inhibitory concentration for amphotericin B was elevated (≥2 mg L−1) in 87% of patients with A. flavus isolates and 43% with Aspergillus fumigatus isolates. Given that amphotericin B is used to treat azole‐resistant infections, these data highlight the need for continuous surveillance in Aspergillus for all antifungal resistance to implement correct treatment strategies for the management of these pathogens.
Does Racial Discrimination Exist Within the NBA? An Analysis Based on Salary‐per‐Contribution*
Authors: Wen Riguang
Published: February 2018

Objective

To explore whether racial discrimination exists in athlete pay within the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Methods

I use the ratio between annual salary and standardized contribution to establish a salary‐per‐contribution index as a basis for comparison of salary differences between black and white NBA players. According to theory of social equity (Adams, 1965. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology 2(4):267–99), when considering salary equality, it is necessary to consider differences in both inputs (here, contributions) and outputs (salaries) (Scully. 1974. American Economic Review 64(6):915–30).

Results

For the period 1999–2016, salary‐per‐contribution is significantly higher for black players overall than for white players overall, being higher before 2006 (but not after). It is also higher for American (but not international) and nonrookie (but not rookie) black players than for white American and nonrookie players (respectively). A higher games started rate increases between black and white players.

Conclusion

Given poor fit of measuring salary discrimination, existing literature exploring racism in the NBA from the perspective of salary may have inaccurate conclusions.
Plasma ammonia concentration after L‐asparaginase therapy in 27 dogs with high‐grade lymphoma or leukemia
Authors: Speas Abbie L. , Lyles Sarah E. , Wirth Kimberly A. , Fahey Christine E. , Kow Kelvin , Lejeune Amandine T. , Milner Rowan J.
Published: February 2018

Objectives

To establish the occurrence of increased plasma ammonia concentration after L‐asparaginase (L‐asp) administration in dogs with high‐grade lymphoma or leukemia; to identify risk factors for the development of hyperammonemia after L‐asp administration; and to determine occurrence of adverse events related to hyperammonemia.

Design

Prospective case controlled study of sequentially enrolled dogs between May 2011 and March 2012.

Setting

A university veterinary teaching hospital.

Animals

Twenty‐seven dogs with high‐grade lymphoma or leukemia.

Interventions

All dogs received L‐asp intramuscularly at a median dose of 400 IU/kg.

Measurements and Main Results

Plasma ammonia concentrations were measured at baseline, 16 hours, and 48 hours after L‐asp therapy. Clinicopathological abnormalities were assessed to determine risk factors for the development of hyperammonemia. Adverse events following L‐asp were recorded. Median plasma ammonia concentrations at baseline, 16 hours, and 48 hours were 26 μmol/L (44 μg/dL), 98 μmol/L (166.9 μg/dL), and 67 μmol/L (114 μg/dL), respectively. Median plasma ammonia concentrations at 16 and 48 hours after administration were significantly increased compared to baseline. Six dogs had adverse events following L‐asp administration. No significant clinical signs were noted that could clearly be attributed to hyperammonemia. No risk factors for developing hyperammonemia were identified; however, there was a positive correlation between the development of hyperammonemia at 16‐ and 48‐hour time points.

Conclusions

Subclinical hyperammonemia in dogs with lymphoma or leukemia after L‐asp administration appears to be common. No risk factors were identified for the development of hyperammonemia after L‐asp treatment, and severe adverse events were rare.
Canadian Orthopaedic Residents Perception of Their Needs in Elbow Surgery Teaching
Authors: Canadian Shoulder and Elbow Societ CSES
Published: February 2018

Introduction: The aim of this paper is to guide training program and review course curriculum planning in elbow disorders. To this end, a nationwide email survey was administered to residents’ in orthopaedic surgery training programs.Material and Methods: The survey had 12 items that examined learning needs in several domains: assessment of acute and chronic elbow disorders, treatment of elbow disorders and the perceived effectiveness of various practical skills simulation sessions. A rank order list of learning needs was created. Results: Eighty-eight of 351 residents completed the survey (25%). Ninety percent of respondents thought that a one-day course would be helpful. The majority of residents felt comfortable evaluating acute traumatic elbow disorders.  Their level of comfort was lower in treatment of elective disorders, with only 4% of residents comfortable managing posterior interosseous nerve and 5% comfortable managing chronic elbow instability. Only 24% of residents were comfortable treating terrible triad injuries.Conclusions: Residents reported a need for additional education in elbow surgery; especially for elective disorders. Educational needs were clustered in several areas including surgical approaches, ligament repair, and surgical management of fracture dislocations.
Online Argumentation Implementation in the Development of Critical Thinking Disposition
Authors: Fettahlıoğlu Pınar , Kaleci Devkan
Published: February 2018

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of teaching technologies and material development course taught through Moodle based online argumentation implementation on critical thinking disposition of third year science teacher candidates. The study was carried out with a total of 43 students consisting of an experimental group of 22 and a control group of 21 students studying at the Department of Science Education at a State University Faculty of Education in the fall term of 2014-15 academic years. Sequential explanatory design was used as a mixed method strategy in this research. A quasi-experimental pre-test/post-test non-equivalent control group design was used in the quantitative part of the study. A case study research design was used in the qualitative part of the study. California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory was used as data collection tool. In addition, an open-ended interview questions form was used to define opinions of science teacher candidates about the method applied in the course. Independent samples t-test and paired samples t-test were used in the analysis of quantitative data. Descriptive analysis was used to analyse qualitative data. At the end of the research, while a statistically significant difference in critical thinking dispositions of teacher candidates was observed in favour of post-test results of the experimental group, no statistically significant difference was observed in the control group. When the opinions of teacher candidates on the subject were investigated, it was found that the teacher candidates strongly supported the elimination of internet connection problems to improve the course.
Mite fauna associated with bird nests in Southern Brazil
Authors: Silva Darliane Evangelho , Da Silva Guilherme Liberato , Do Nascimento Joseane Moreira , Ferla Noeli Juarez
Published: February 2018

Interactions between birds and mites have allowed mites to act as ectoparasites or to be associated with the micro-environments of nests. The aim of this study was to identify the mite fauna associated with wild bird nests in the rural and urban zones of different environments, and analyze the importance of birds as potential carriers of these organisms to households or poultry houses. In the rural zone, the following environments were assessed: Countryside (C), Forest (F), Aquatic (A), Orchards (O), and Residential (R), and in the urban zone, a similar division was used (C, O, R), with absence of environments (A) and (F). Apart from the Suborder Oribatida found in the 52 bird nests sampled in both zones, a total of 24,274 mites were collected and identified as 67 species in 34 families. There was a predominance of mites in the rural zone (90%), with higher richness in (C) of both zones and higher abundance in (R) and (A) of the rural zone and (O) of the urban zone. Mite species of medical-veterinary importance with the highest abundance were Ornithonyssus bursa in nests of Certhiaxis cinnamomeus and Columbina picui; Tyrophagus putrescentiae in nests of Columbina picui and Pitangus sulphuratus; and Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus in nests of Troglodytes musculus and Pitangus sulphuratus. This study showed that the wild bird nests are depositories of mites, including ectoparasites of medical-veterinary importance.
First record of the genus Microdispodides (Acari: Heterostigmata: Pygmephoridae) in Palaearctic, with description of a new species from Western Siberia, Russia
Authors: Khaustov Alexander
Published: February 2018

A new species, Microdispodides moseri sp. nov. (Acari: Pygmephoridae), from alcohol sediments containing bark beetle Ips typographus Linnaeus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) collected in pheromone traps in Western Siberia, Russia, is described. The genus Microdispodides Vitzthum, 1914 is recorded from Palaearctic for the first time. A key to species of Microdispodides is provided.
Methodologies for Investigating Performance Changes With Supplement Use
Authors: Burke Louise M. , Peeling Peter
Published: February 2018

Many expert sporting bodies now support a pragmatic acceptance of the use of performance supplements which have passed a risk:benefit analysis of being safe, effective, and permitted for use, while also being appropriate to the athlete’s age and maturation in their sport. However, gaining evidence of the performance benefits of these supplements is a process challenged by the scarcity of research in relation to the number of available products, and the limitations of the poor quality of some studies. While meta-analyses and systematic reviews can help to provide information about the general use of performance supplements, the controlled scientific trial provides the basis on which these reviews are undertaken, as well as an opportunity to address more specific questions about supplement applications. Guidelines for the design of studies include the choice of well-trained athletes who are familiarized with performance tasks that have been chosen on their basis of their known reliability and validity. Supplement protocols should be chosen to maximize the likely benefits, and researchers should also make efforts to control confounding variables, while keeping conditions similar to real-life practices. Performance changes should be interpreted in light of what is meaningful to the outcomes of sporting competition. Issues that have been poorly addressed to date include the use of several supplements in combination and the use of the same supplement over successive events, both within a single, and across multiple competition days. Strategies to isolate and explain the variability of benefits to individuals are also a topic for future investigation.
A minimal RNA ligand for potent RIG-I activation in living mice
Authors: Linehan Melissa M. , Dickey Thayne H. , Molinari Emanuela S. , Fitzgerald Megan E. , Potapova Olga , Iwasaki Akiko , Pyle Anna M.
Published: February 2018

Short stem-loop RNAs activate RIG-I in mice, activating the innate immune system via specific patterns of gene expression.
Climate warming drives local extinction: Evidence from observation and experimentation
Authors: Panetta Anne Marie , Stanton Maureen L. , Harte John
Published: February 2018

Climate warming causes plant populations to crash by reducing fecundity and survival across multiple life stages.
Worms living in your veins? Seventeen volunteers said‘OK’
Authors: Kupferschmidt Kai
Published: February 2018

A controversial study infects people with schistosomiasis to speed up drug and vaccine development.
'Extinct' Caribbeans have living descendants
Authors: Wade Lizzie
Published: February 2018

Ancient DNA from Taino woman shows kinship to modern genomes.
First up: Texas
Authors: Mervis Jeffrey
Published: February 2018

Lone Star State races feature several science candidates.
Patient-derived organoids model treatment response of metastatic gastrointestinal cancers
Authors: Vlachogiannis Georgios , Hedayat Somaieh , Vatsiou Alexandra , Jamin Yann , Fernández-Mateos Javier , Khan Khurum , Lampis Andrea , Eason Katherine , Huntingford Ian , Burke Rosemary , Rata Mihaela , Koh Dow-Mu , Tunariu Nina , Collins David , Hulkki-Wilson Sanna , Ragulan Chanthirika , Spiteri Inmaculada , Moorcraft Sing Yu , Chau Ian , Rao Sheela , Watkins David , Fotiadis Nicos , Bali Maria , Darvish-Damavandi Mahnaz , Lote Hazel , Eltahir Zakaria , Smyth Elizabeth C. , Begum Ruwaida , Clarke Paul A. , Hahne Jens C. , Dowsett Mitchell , de Bono Johann , Workman Paul , Sadanandam Anguraj , Fassan Matteo , Sansom Owen J. , Eccles Suzanne , Starling Naureen , Braconi Chiara , Sottoriva Andrea , Robinson Simon P. , Cunningham David , Valeri Nicola
Published: February 2018

Cancer organoids to model therapy response

Cancer organoids are miniature, three-dimensional cell culture models that can be made from primary patient tumors and studied in the laboratory. Vlachogiannis
et al.
asked whether such “tumor-in-a-dish” approaches can be used to predict drug responses in the clinic. They generated a live organoid biobank from patients with metastatic gastrointestinal cancer who had previously been enrolled in phase I or II clinical trials. This allowed the authors to compare organoid drug responses with how the patient actually responded in the clinic. Encouragingly, the organoids had similar molecular profiles to those of the patient tumor, reinforcing their value as a platform for drug screening and development.

Science
, this issue p.
920
Tracking the global footprint of fisheries
Authors: Kroodsma David A. , Mayorga Juan , Hochberg Timothy , Miller Nathan A. , Boerder Kristina , Ferretti Francesco , Wilson Alex , Bergman Bjorn , White Timothy D. , Block Barbara A. , Woods Paul , Sullivan Brian , Costello Christopher , Worm Boris
Published: February 2018

More than half the fish in the sea

As the human population has grown in recent decades, our dependence on ocean-supplied protein has rapidly increased. Kroodsma
et al.
took advantage of the automatic identification system installed on all industrial fishing vessels to map and quantify fishing efforts across the world (see the Perspective by Poloczanska). More than half of the world's oceans are subject to industrial-scale harvest, spanning an area four times that covered by terrestrial agriculture. Furthermore, fishing efforts seem not to depend on economic or environmental drivers, but rather social and political schedules. Thus, more active measures will likely be needed to ensure sustainable use of ocean resources.

Science
, this issue p.
904
; see also p.
864
Single-cell bioluminescence imaging of deep tissue in freely moving animals
Authors: Iwano Satoshi , Sugiyama Mayu , Hama Hiroshi , Watakabe Akiya , Hasegawa Naomi , Kuchimaru Takahiro , Tanaka Kazumasa Z. , Takahashi Megumu , Ishida Yoko , Hata Junichi , Shimozono Satoshi , Namiki Kana , Fukano Takashi , Kiyama Masahiro , Okano Hideyuki , Kizaka-Kondoh Shinae , McHugh Thomas J. , Yamamori Tetsuo , Hioki Hiroyuki , Maki Shojiro , Miyawaki Atsushi
Published: February 2018

Improved spy tactics for single cells

Bioluminescence imaging is a tremendous asset to medical research, providing a way to monitor living cells noninvasively within their natural environments. Advances in imaging methods allow researchers to measure tumor growth, visualize developmental processes, and track cell-cell interactions. Yet technical limitations exist, and it is difficult to image deep tissues or detect low cell numbers in vivo. Iwano
et al.
designed a bioluminescence imaging system that produces brighter emission by up to a factor of 1000 compared with conventional technology (see the Perspective by Nasu and Campbell). Individual tumor cells were successfully visualized in the lungs of mice. Small numbers of striatal neurons were detected in the brains of naturally behaving marmosets. The ability of the substrate to cross the blood-brain barrier should provide important opportunities for neuroscience research.

Science
, this issue p.
935
; see also p.
868
Science matters for the census
Authors: Groves Robert M. , Murdock Steven H.
Published: February 2018

In 1787, James Madison conceived of a scientific method to distribute political power in the United States. He proposed a decennial census of population to ensure that the membership of the House of Representatives would reflect the pattern of growth of the fledging nation. From that first census emerged a whole system of social and economic measurement serving the country. As the 2020 U.S. census approaches, the science in the census—and the value of the census for science—can easily be threatened by politics.
Kirigami skins make a simple soft actuator crawl
Authors: Rafsanjani Ahmad , Zhang Yuerou , Liu Bangyuan , Rubinstein Shmuel M. , Bertoldi Katia
Published: February 2018

Highly stretchable kirigami flat sheets transform into 3D-textured surfaces and facilitate crawling.
Astromech robots in
Star Wars
Authors: Murphy Robin R.
Published: February 2018

What R2D2 and BB-8, the lovable astromechs from the
Star Wars
movies, can tell us about real robots.
Mitochondrial Alterations (Inhibition of Mitochondrial Protein Expression, Oxidative Metabolism, and Ultrastructure) Induced by Linezolid and Tedizolid at Clinically Relevant Concentrations in Cultured Human HL-60 Promyelocytes and THP-1 Monocytes
Authors: Milosevic Tamara V. , Payen Valéry L. , Sonveaux Pierre , Muccioli Giulio G. , Tulkens Paul M. , Van Bambeke Françoise
Published: February 2018

Linezolid, the first clinically available oxazolidinone antibiotic, causes potentially severe toxicities (myelosuppression, lactic acidosis, and neuropathies) ascribed to impairment of mitochondrial protein synthesis and consecutive mitochondrial dysfunction. Tedizolid, a newly approved oxazolidinone, shows an enhanced activity compared to linezolid but is also a more potent inhibitor of mitochondrial protein synthesis. We compared linezolid and tedizolid for (i) inhibition of the expression of subunit I of cytochrome
c
-oxidase (CYTox I; Western blot analysis), (ii) cytochrome
c
-oxidase activity (biochemical assay), (iii) mitochondrial oxidative metabolism (Seahorse technology), and (iv) alteration of mitochondrial ultrastructure (electron microscopy) using HL-60 promyelocytes and THP-1 monocytes exposed to microbiologically (multiples of modal MIC against
Staphylococcus aureus
) and therapeutically (
C
min
−
C
max
) pertinent concentrations. Both drugs caused a rapid and complete (48 to 72 h) inhibition of CYTox I expression, cytochrome
c
-oxidase activity, and spare respiratory capacity, with conspicuous swelling of the mitochondrial matrix and loss of their cristae. Globally, tedizolid was a more potent inhibitor than linezolid. For both drugs, all effects were quickly (48 to 72 h) and fully reversible upon drug withdrawal. Using an alternation of exposure to and withdrawal from drug mimicking their approved schedule of administration (twice daily and once daily [qD] for linezolid and tedizolid, respectively), only partial inhibition of CYTox I expression was noted for up to 96 h. Thus, rapid reversal of toxic effects upon discontinuous administration may mitigate oxazolidinone toxicity. Since tedizolid is given qD, this may help to explain its reported lower preclinical and clinical toxicity.
A prospective cohort study to investigate parental stress and child health in low-income Chinese families: protocol paper
Authors: Wong Rosa Sze Man , Yu Esther Yee Tak , Guo Vivian Yawei , Wan Eric Yuk-Fai , Chin Weng-Yee , Wong Carlos King Ho , Fung Colman Siu Cheung , Tung Keith Tsz Suen , Wong Wilfred Hing-Sang , Ip Patrick , Tiwari Agnes Fung Yee , Lam Cindy Lo Kuen
Published: February 2018

Introduction

Chronic stress has adverse effects on health. Adults and children from low-income families are subject to multiple sources of stress. Existing literature about economic hardship mostly focuses on either adults or children but not both. Moreover, there is limited knowledge on the relationship between parental generalised stress and child health problems. This study aims to explore the bidirectional relationship between parental stress and child health in Chinese low-income families and to identify other modifiable factors influencing this relationship.

Methods and analysis

This prospective cohort study will sample 254 low-income parent–child pairs and follow them up for 24 months with assessments at three time points (baseline, 12 and 24 months) on parental stress, health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and child health and behaviour using both subjective measures and objective physiological parameters. This study will collect data using standardised measures on HRQOL and behaviours of children as well as on HRQOL, mental health and stress levels of parents along with physiological tests of allostatic load and telomere length. The mediating or moderating effect of family harmony, parenting style and neighbourhood conditions will also be assessed. Data will be analysed using latent growth modelling and cross-lagged path analysis modelling to examine the bidirectional effect of parental stress and child health over time. Mediation and moderation analysis will also be conducted to examine the mechanism by which the variables relate.

Ethics and dissemination

This study was approved by the institutional review board of the University of Hong Kong—the Hospital Authority Hong Kong West Cluster, reference no: UW 16-415. The study findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and international conferences.

Trial registration number

NCT03185273; Pre-results.
Comprehensive analysis of the MLH1 promoter region in 480 patients with colorectal cancer and 1150 controls reveals new variants including one with a heritable constitutional MLH1 epimutation
Authors: Morak Monika , Ibisler Ayseguel , Keller Gisela , Jessen Ellen , Laner Andreas , Gonzales-Fassrainer Daniela , Locher Melanie , Massdorf Trisari , Nissen Anke M , Benet-Pagès Anna , Holinski-Feder Elke
Published: February 2018

Background

Germline defects in MLH1, MSH2, MSH6 and PMS2 predisposing for Lynch syndrome (LS) are mainly based on sequence changes, whereas a constitutional epimutation of MLH1(CEM) is exceptionally rare. This abnormal MLH1 promoter methylation is not hereditary when arising de novo, whereas a stably heritable and variant-induced CEM was described for one single allele. We searched for MLH1 promoter variants causing a germline or somatic methylation induction or transcriptional repression.

Methods

We analysed the MLH1 promoter sequence in five different patient groups with colorectal cancer (CRC) (n=480) composed of patients with i) CEM (n=16), ii) unsolved loss of MLH1 expression in CRC (n=37), iii) CpG-island methylator-phenotype CRC (n=102), iv) patients with LS (n=83) and v) MLH1-proficient CRC (n=242) as controls. 1150 patients with non-LS tumours also served as controls to correctly judge the results.

Results

We detected 10 rare MLH1 promoter variants. One novel, complex MLH1 variant c.-63_-58delins18 is present in a patient with CRC with CEM and his sister, both showing a complete allele-specific promoter methylation and transcriptional silencing. The other nine promoter variants detected in 17 individuals were not associated with methylation. For four of these, a normal, biallelic MLH1 expression was found in the patients' cDNA.

Conclusion

We report the second promoter variant stably inducing a hereditary CEM. Concerning the classification of promoter variants, we discuss contradictory results from the literature for two variants, describe classification discrepancies between existing rules for five variants, suggest the (re-)classification of five promoter variants to (likely) benign and regard four variants as functionally unclear.
William Clifton Botcherby
Authors: Ness Catherine
Published: February 2018

A vet with an unconventional approach to life, Clif Botcherby was always ready to help others and was ‘a great boss’. He was a keen golfer and was passionate about Robert Burns.