bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Creation of cultural heritage inventories: case of the historic city of Ahmadabad
Authors: Shah Khushi
Published: August 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the relevance of cultural heritage inventories and documentation as critical tools for heritage conservation and management in historic cities, through the case study of the historic city of Ahmadabad, India.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper discusses the creation of inventories as part of the comprehensive documentation undertaken for preparation of the World Heritage nomination dossier. In this context, the goal of preserving the outstanding universal value of the historic city formed the basis for selection and assessment of the assets to be included in the inventory. Standard processes and methodology employed for creation of the database involved archival research and planning; field surveys for mapping, photo documentation and data collection; data registration and processing using CAD, Ms Office and geographic information system (GIS)-based digital platform. Optimal data acquisition while maintaining cost and time efficiency was an important consideration for the fieldwork.

Findings

– While an inventory remains a critical conservation tool, the heritage assets are integrally linked to and influenced by their surroundings in an urban context. A comprehensive documentation approach that provides a broader understanding of the city’s natural features, built environment, heritage resources, cultural practices and socio-economic networks is therefore necessary for creation of a suitable management plan for historic cities. Traditional field surveys based on external visual observation are time and cost effective, and can generate adequate information on identification and assessment of built heritage assets for creation of inventory along with documentation of their context. However, the scale of investigation and the intended role of an inventory as an urban management tool calls for creation of integrated, accessible and updatable data management systems.

Research limitations/implications

– At the moment, the database created is only used for the limited purpose of monitoring and managing the conservation of listed properties. The importance of the inventory as a critical conservation and urban management tool can be further validated once the GIS database of the historic city is integrated within the urban management and planning system for the city.

Originality/value

– The inventory created for the historic city of Ahmadabad offers one of the few examples of heritage documentation at such a large scale. It covers an area of 543 ha with a detailed inventory of more than 6,000 properties. The description of, and the reflections on the process employed provide an overview of usual challenges encountered in creation, presentation and management of heritage inventories for historic cities which may offer useful guidelines to practitioners planning similar exercises and help them establish efficient work processes.
Impulse buying tendencies among Indian consumers: scale development and validation
Authors: Mittal Sheetal , Chawla Deepak , Sondhi Neena
Published: August 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to conceptualize, develop and validate the measurement of impulse buying tendency India, an emerging market in Asia.

Design/methodology/approach

The conceptualization of India’s impulse buying tendency (IBT) has been based on a review of academic literature and an analysis of qualitative data from 30 observations at retail stores and 25 in-depth consumer interviews. The scale’s reliability and validity were assessed by content, convergent, discriminant, nomological and predictive validity using statistical techniques such as exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis.

Findings

A two-dimensional measure for IBT was developed for the Indian market, and then tested and validated using appropriate statistical measures.

Research limitations/implications

The study was skewed towards offline retail with both observations and interviews focusing on the bricks-and-mortar model. With e-retailing in India growing at a rapid rate, future research should extend the study and verify the IBT instrument’s validity specifically for impulse buying behaviour online.

Originality/value

To the best of authors’ knowledge, the present study is the first to bridge the gap in the existing research of impulse buying in context of emerging markets like India that are culturally, unlike both the western/developed and other Asian/emerging markets; and socio-economically, facing an interplay of variety of factors that are in a state of flux. The developed IBT scale would help by providing academics and practitioners with means of broadening their perspectives and understanding of retail behaviours in a context that is characterized by unprecedented consumer spending, increasing proliferation of modern retail and influence of a culture traditionally been given to simplicity and frugality.
Team mental model characteristics and performance in a simulation experiment
Authors: Yang Yi , Narayanan V.K. , Baburaj Yamuna , Swaminathan Srinivasan
Published: August 2016

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the relationship between the characteristics of strategic decision-making team’s mental model and its performance. The authors propose that the relationship between mental models and performance is two-way, rather than one-way. Thus, performance feedback should, in turn, influence strategic behavior and future performance by either triggering or hindering the learning process.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conduct the research in the setting of a simulation experiment. A longitudinal data set was collected from 36 teams functioning as strategic decision makers over three periods.

Findings

This study provides support for the positive impacts of both the complexity and centrality of a team’s mental model on its performance. The authors also find that positive performance feedback reduces changes in complexity and centrality of team mental models due to cognitive inertia.

Originality/value

The study contributes to the literature by investigating the specific mechanisms that underlie mental model evolution. Different from the existing studies on team mental models that mainly focus on similarity of these shared cognitive structures, this study examines another two characteristics of team mental model, complexity and centrality, that are more relevant to the strategic decision-making process but has not been extensively studied in the team literature. In addition, this study reveals that performance feedback has different effects on team mental models depending on the referents – past performance or social comparison – which advances the understanding of the learning effects of performance feedback.
Correlation between vitiligo occurrence and clinical benefit in advanced melanoma patients treated with nivolumab: A multi‐institutional retrospective study
Authors: Nakamura Yasuhiro , Tanaka Ryota , Asami Yuri , Teramoto Yukiko , Imamura Taichi , Sato Sayuri , Maruyama Hiroshi , Fujisawa Yasuhiro , Matsuya Taisuke , Fujimoto Manabu , Yamamoto Akifumi
Published: August 2016

Vitiligo is occasionally seen in melanoma patients. Although several studies indicate a correlation between vitiligo occurrence and clinical response in melanoma patients receiving immunotherapy, most studies have included heterogeneous patient and treatment settings. The aim of this study is to investigate the correlation between the occurrence of vitiligo and clinical benefit of nivolumab treatment in advanced melanoma patients. We retrospectively reviewed unresectable stage III or IV melanoma patients treated with nivolumab. Of 35 melanoma patients treated with nivolumab, 25.7% (9/35) developed vitiligo during treatment. The time from the start of nivolumab treatment to occurrence of vitiligo ranged 2–9 months (mean, 5.2). Of nine patients who developed vitiligo, two (22.2%) had a complete response to nivolumab and two (22.2%) had a partial response. The objective response rate was significantly higher in patients with vitiligo than in patients without vitiligo (4/9 [44.4%] vs 2/26 [7.7%]; P = 0.027). The mean time to vitiligo occurrence in patients achieving an objective response was significantly less than that in patients who showed no response (3.1 vs 6.8 months, P = 0.004). Vitiligo occurrence was significantly associated with prolonged progression‐free and overall survival (hazard ratio, 0.24 and 0.16; 95% confidence interval, 0.11–0.55 and 0.03–0.79; P = 0.005, and 0.047, respectively). At the 20‐week landmark analysis, however, vitiligo was not associated with a statistically significant overall survival benefit (P = 0.28). The occurrence of vitiligo during nivolumab treatment may be correlated with favorable clinical outcome.
Metabolic syndrome and psoriasis severity in South‐East Asian patients: An investigation of potential association using current and chronological assessments
Authors: Chularojanamontri Leena , Wongpraparut Chanisada , Silpa‐Archa Narumol , Chaweekulrat Pichanee
Published: August 2016

Although studies regarding prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MS) in Asian psoriatic patients are limited and show varying results, a previous report describes a significant increase in prevalence of MS in Thai psoriatic patients, as compared with rates in the general population. However, no significant association between MS and psoriasis severity using the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) was found, which differs from the findings of Korean and Japanese studies. This study aimed at re‐evaluating the association between MS and psoriasis severity in Thai patients using current assessment (PASI) and chronological assessment (historical course and interventions). A total of 273 psoriatic patients were recruited. After controlling for age and sex, 96 patients were assigned to the MS group and 96 patients to the non‐MS group. Similar to the previous study, no significant differences were identified between metabolic and non‐metabolic patients regarding PASI, age of onset, disease duration and family history of psoriasis. However, the numbers of hospitalizations (P = 0.018) and interventions (P = 0.028) were significantly higher in metabolic patients than in non‐metabolic patients. Further, a greater number of metabolic components was significantly associated with a higher number of hospitalizations (P = 0.012), pustular or erythrodermic psoriasis episodes (P = 0.049), and interventions (P = 0.005). Body mass index of 23 kg/m2 or more, abdominal obesity and high blood pressure were associated with an increased risk of treatment failure. Using chronological assessment, our study supported that MS negatively affects psoriasis severity and treatment outcomes. Screening for MS is highly recommended for psoriatic patients.
It's only a matter of time: the altered role of subsidies in a warming world
Authors: O'Gorman Eoin J.
Published: August 2016

Clockwise from left: an experimental stream reach from the study, highlighting the fences used to contain fish as the apex predator; a cutthroat trout from the experiment, the only fish species in the study streams; stomach contents from a fish, highlighting the major role of the terrestrial subsidy (mealworms) in the diet.

In Focus: Sato, T., El‐Sabaawi, R.W., Campbell, K., Ohta, T. & Richardson, J.S. (2016) A test of the effects of timing of a pulsed resource subsidy on stream ecosystems. Journal of Animal Ecology, 85, 1136–1146.

Cross‐ecosystem subsidies play a critical role in maintaining the structure and functioning of natural communities, especially if they are asynchronous with resource production in the recipient ecosystem. Sato et al. () use a large‐scale field experiment to show that changes in the timing of a pulsed terrestrial subsidy can alter stream dynamics from the individual to the ecosystem level. With increasing evidence that global warming will alter the timing, magnitude and frequency of allochthonous inputs, these findings make an important contribution to our understanding of how such changes will reverberate throughout ecosystems that depend on subsidies.
Characterizing wildlife behavioural responses to roads using integrated step selection analysis
Authors: Prokopenko Christina M. , Boyce Mark S. , Avgar Tal
Published: August 2016

Roads are a prevalent, ever‐increasing form of human disturbance on the landscape. In many places in western North America, energy development has brought human and road disturbance into seasonal winter range areas for migratory elk.

We sought to evaluate the predictions from the risk‐disturbance hypothesis when studying elk response to roads during winter. Road proximity and crossing were used to evaluate these behaviours, which offered a rare comparison between two common measures of roads. We used integrated step selection analysis (iSSA) to evaluate four alternative hypotheses regarding the influence of roads on space‐use behaviour across 175 elk‐years of elk telemetry data, and we quantified both population‐level and individual‐level variations in responses.

We demonstrated, for the first time, how iSSA can be used to combine movement analysis in a refined approach to habitat selection. Elk responded to roads as they would natural predation risk. Elk selected areas farther from roads at all times of day with avoidance being greatest during twilight. In addition, elk sought cover and moved more when in the vicinity of roads. Road crossings were generally avoided, but this avoidance was weakest during daytime when elk were both moving and closer to roads.

Synthesis and applications. Energy development is transforming landscapes in western North America with the proliferation of roads, which we show is having substantial and multifaceted negative effects on elk movement and behaviour. These adverse effects can be mitigated by minimizing new road construction and by restricting traffic on roads as well as providing the protection of tree cover on elk winter ranges.
Glycerol metabolism in hypersaline environments
Authors: Oren Aharon
Published: August 2016

Glycerol is a key compound for the understanding of the microbiology of hypersaline environments. At the highest salt concentrations the main or even sole primary producer is the green unicellular alga Dunaliella, which uses photosynthetically produced glycerol as osmotic stabilizer and compatible solute. Glycerol can be expected to be a major carbon source available to the heterotrophic communities of Archaea and Bacteria in hypersaline ecosystems. Use of Dunaliella has even been explored for the commercial production of glycerol. This article reviews our current understanding of glycerol metabolism in Dunaliella and of the ways glycerol can be degraded by heterotrophic prokaryote communities under aerobic and under anaerobic conditions. Dunaliella‐derived glycerol may also be the key toward long‐term survival of heterotrophic prokaryotes in fluid inclusions within salt crystals.
Formation of beach‐ridge plains: an appreciation of the contribution by Jack L. Davies
Authors: Oliver Thomas S.N. , Thom Bruce G. , Woodroffe Colin D.
Published: August 2016

A robust debate among coastal geomorphologists as to the processes by which beach‐ridge plains around Australia have formed was initiated by a former President of the Institute of Australian Geographers. This review gives special consideration to the work of Jack L. Davies, whose academic contributions to coastal geomorphology in Australia have not always been appropriately acknowledged when explaining how similar plains have evolved elsewhere in the world. Davies recognised that relatively steep storm waves caused erosion (cut) on beaches, whereas less steep long‐period swell waves returned sand (fill). He considered the beach berm to be the nucleus on which a beach ridge formed, which could subsequently develop into a foredune, in contrast to cobble ridges that were deposited during storms. Offshore conditions regulate supply of sand to the shoreline, partly through effects on wave refraction, with higher rates of supply where the nearshore is shallow. It was apparent to Davies that the elevation of successive ridges might, but not necessarily, provide evidence of past changes of sea level, despite adornment by variable amounts of windblown dune sand. Morphodynamic understanding of long‐term coastal evolution, based on radiocarbon dating chronologies, has demonstrated that Australian coastal plains formed over the past ~6,000 years when sea level has been close to its present level, in contrast to several documented locations in the northern hemisphere where the sea has been rising for the past few millennia. Particularly insightful were observations by Davies that ridge formation could be influenced by a range of factors including changes in sea level, storminess, or sediment supply. These factors acting singly or in combination seem likely to change in the future. Understanding such responses remains a high priority and can be addressed by new technologies, such as light detection and ranging, optically stimulated luminescence dating, ground‐penetrating radar, and computer simulation.
Parental infant jaundice colour card design successfully validated by comparing it with total serum bilirubin
Authors: Xue Guo‐Chang , Ren Ming‐Xing , Shen Lin‐Na , Zhang Li‐Wen
Published: August 2016

Aim

We designed a jaundice colour card that could be used by the parents of neonates and validated it by comparing it with total serum bilirubin levels.

Methods

There were 106 term Chinese neonates in the study. The majority weighed between 2500 g and 3499 g (63%) and had a gestational age of 37–40 weeks (77%). The jaundice colour card and photometric determination were used to screen for neonatal jaundice and compared with serum bilirubin.

Results

The bilirubin levels were measured by mothers using the jaundice colour card, and 67% of the measurements were taken at 11–20 days (range 3–30). The measurements at the infant's forehead, cheek and sternum showed strong correlations with total serum bilirubin. The mean differences between the total serum bilirubin and the jaundice colour card measurements from the forehead, cheek and sternum were 1.9 mg/dL, 0.3 mg/dL and 1.5 mg/dL, respectively. When total serum bilirubin >13 mg/dL was used as the cut‐off point, the areas under the receiver operating characteristics curves were 0.934 for the forehead, 0.985 for the cheek and 0.966 for the sternum.

Conclusion

We established the validity of the jaundice colour card as a parental measurement tool for jaundice in Chinese neonates, and the cheek was the best measurement site.
Addressing species turnover and community changes in vegetation resurvey studies
Authors: Alfonsi Elsa , Benot Marie‐Lise , Fievet Virgil , Alard Didier
Published: August 2016

Questions

How are species turnover and community change assessed by a plot‐specific approach based on quasi‐permanent plots? How can community changes be tracked by a community‐specific approach based on community surveys? Do the results of a community‐specific approach depend on the grain of the community classification?

Locations

Atlantic wet heaths, southwest France.

Methods

We studied vegetation change at one site (Cousseau National Nature Reserve, NNR) and within a network of sites on a regional scale using two resurvey approaches: a plot‐specific and a community‐specific approach based on sets of old (1968–1998) and new (2006–2012) plots. Two correspondence analyses (CAs) were performed and plots were classified into community types (CTs) using hierarchical clustering. Trajectories of quasi‐permanent plots were described along identified gradients. Community change within each CT was detected by testing for differences in mean coordinates along CA axes between old and new plots. Several grains of clustering were tested for the community‐specific approach at the regional scale.

Results

At the Cousseau NNR site, the plot‐specific approach identified the trajectory of each plot along two major ecological gradients, while the community‐specific approach detected a community change for only one out of the three defined CTs. For the regional network of sites, the community‐specific approach found several community changes; their strength and direction differed slightly when the CTs were defined more accurately.

Conclusions

Our study suggests that the resurvey strategy influences our ability to detect the degree and characteristics of vegetation changes in time. The plot‐specific approach allows detection of species turnover and real trajectories but may over‐emphasize community changes. The community‐specific approach offers another way to interpret community changes that could be relevant for habitat conservation issues, especially at a regional level. For the community‐specific approach, the detection and interpretation of vegetation change is influenced by the grain of community classification.
Aligning Spinoza with Descartes: An informed Cartesian account of the truth bias
Authors: Street Chris N. H. , Kingstone Alan
Published: August 2016

There is a bias towards believing information is true rather than false. The Spinozan account claims there is an early, automatic bias towards believing. Only afterwards can people engage in an effortful re‐evaluation and disbelieve the information. Supporting this account, there is a greater bias towards believing information is true when under cognitive load. However, developing on the Adaptive Lie Detector (ALIED) theory, the informed Cartesian can equally explain this data. The account claims the bias under load is not evidence of automatic belief; rather, people are undecided, but if forced to guess they can rely on context information to make an informed judgement. The account predicts, and we found, that if people can explicitly indicate their uncertainty, there should be no bias towards believing because they are no longer required to guess. Thus, we conclude that belief formation can be better explained by an informed Cartesian account – an attempt to make an informed judgment under uncertainty.
Three peanut‐allergic/sensitized phenotypes with gender difference
Authors: Just J. , Elegbede C. F. , Deschildre A. , Bousquet J. , Moneret‐Vautrin D. A. , Crepet A. ,   Mirabel study group
Published: August 2016

Background

Peanut‐allergic reactions are heterogeneous ranging from mild symptoms to anaphylaxis.

Objective

Identify peanut‐allergic/sensitized phenotypes to personalize patient management.

Methods

A combined factor and cluster analysis was used to study the phenotypes of 696 patients diagnosed with peanut sensitization and enrolled in the MIRABEL survey. The method was first applied to the 247 patients with an oral food challenge (OFC). It was then applied to the 449 patients without OFC to confirm the findings in an independent population.

Results

Three independent clusters emerged from the OFC subgroup. Cluster 1, ‘Severe peanut allergy with little allergic multi‐morbidity’ (123 subjects), had the highest proportion of patients with positive OFC (92%), a medium level of peanut protein inducing a positive OFC (235 mg), lower percentage of allergic multi‐morbidity (2% asthma plus atopic dermatitis (A + AD), no cases of A + AD + multiple food allergies (MFA)). Cluster 2, ‘Severe peanut allergy with frequent allergic multi‐morbidity’ (62 subjects), had a high proportion of patients with positive OFC (85%) with the lowest level of peanut protein inducing a positive OFC (112 mg), 89% allergic subjects, 100% with allergic multi‐morbidity (A + AD) and 84% with A + AD + MFA. Cluster 3, ‘Mild peanut‐allergic/sensitized phenotype’ (62 subjects), had the lowest mean age, the lowest proportion of patients with positive OFC (53%) with a high level of peanut protein inducing a positive OFC (770 mg), a low percentage of allergic multi‐morbidity (48% A + AD + MFA). The two severe peanut‐allergic phenotypes were more frequent in girls. The same clusters were found in the subgroup of patients without OFC.

Conclusion & Clinical Relevance

Besides the classic markers associated with lower threshold doses of OFC (such as SPT and rAra h 2), allergic multi‐morbidity and female gender should also be taken into account to better adapt the progressive dosage of provocation tests.
Tollip SNP rs5743899 modulates human airway epithelial responses to rhinovirus infection
Authors: Huang C. , Jiang D. , Francisco D. , Berman R. , Wu Q. , Ledford J. G. , Moore C. M. , Ito Y. , Stevenson C. , Munson D. , Li L. , Kraft M. , Chu H. W.
Published: August 2016

Background

Rhinovirus (RV) infection in asthma induces varying degrees of airway inflammation (e.g. neutrophils), but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear.

Objective

The major goal was to determine the role of genetic variation [e.g. single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs)] of Toll‐interacting protein (Tollip) in airway epithelial responses to RV in a type 2 cytokine milieu.

Methods

DNA from blood of asthmatic and normal subjects was genotyped for Tollip SNP rs5743899 AA, AG and GG genotypes. Human tracheobronchial epithelial (HTBE) cells from donors without lung disease were cultured to determine pro‐inflammatory and antiviral responses to IL‐13 and RV16. Tollip knockout and wild‐type mice were challenged with house dust mite (HDM) and infected with RV1B to determine lung inflammation and antiviral response.

Results

Asthmatic subjects carrying the AG or GG genotype (AG/GG) compared with the AA genotype demonstrated greater airflow limitation. HTBE cells with AG/GG expressed less Tollip. Upon IL‐13 and RV16 treatment, cells with AG/GG (vs. AA) produced more IL‐8 and expressed less antiviral genes, which was coupled with increased NF‐κB activity and decreased expression of LC3, a hallmark of the autophagic pathway. Tollip co‐localized and interacted with LC3. Inhibition of autophagy decreased antiviral genes in IL‐13‐ and RV16‐treated cells. Upon HDM and RV1B, Tollip knockout (vs. wild‐type) mice demonstrated higher levels of lung neutrophilic inflammation and viral load, but lower levels of antiviral gene expression.

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance

Our data suggest that Tollip SNP rs5743899 may predict varying airway response to RV infection in asthma.
The effects of air pollution on asthma hospital admissions in Adelaide, South Australia, 2003–2013: time‐series and case–crossover analyses
Authors: Chen K. , Glonek G. , Hansen A. , Williams S. , Tuke J. , Salter A. , Bi P.
Published: August 2016

Background

Air pollution can have adverse health effects on asthma sufferers, but the effects vary with geographic, environmental and population characteristics. There has been no long time‐series study in Australia to quantify the effects of environmental factors including pollen on asthma hospitalizations.

Objectives

This study aimed to assess the seasonal impact of air pollutants and aeroallergens on the risk of asthma hospital admissions for adults and children in Adelaide, South Australia.

Methods

Data on hospital admissions, meteorological conditions, air quality and pollen counts for the period 2003–2013 were sourced. Time‐series analysis and case–crossover analysis were used to assess the short‐term effects of air pollution on asthma hospitalizations. For the time‐series analysis, generalized log‐linear quasi‐Poisson and negative binomial regressions were used to assess the relationships, controlling for seasonality and long‐term trends using flexible spline functions. For the case–crossover analysis, conditional logistic regression was used to compute the effect estimates with time‐stratified referent selection strategies.

Results

A total of 36,024 asthma admissions were considered. Findings indicated that the largest effects on asthma admissions related to PM2.5, NO2, PM10 and pollen were found in the cool season for children (0–17 years), with the 5‐day cumulative effects of 30.2% (95% CI: 13.4–49.6%), 12.5% (95% CI: 6.6–18.7%), 8.3% (95% CI: 2.5–14.4%) and 4.2% (95% CI: 2.2–6.1%) increases in risk of asthma hospital admissions per 10 unit increments, respectively. The largest effect for ozone was found in the warm season for children with the 5‐day cumulative effect of an 11.7% (95% CI: 5.8–17.9%) increase in risk of asthma hospital admissions per 10 ppb increment in ozone level.

Conclusion

Findings suggest that children are more vulnerable and the associations between exposure to air pollutants and asthma hospitalizations tended to be stronger in the cool season compared to the warm season, with the exception of ozone. This study has important public health implications and provides valuable evidence for the development of policies for asthma management.
Microbial elements as the initial triggers in the pathogenesis of polymorphic light eruption?
Authors: Patra VijayKumar , Wolf Peter
Published: August 2016

The primary trigger of polymorphic light eruption (PLE) remains to be uncovered. We hypothesize that PLE may be initiated by elements resulting from UV‐induced damage to microbial communities of the skin, leading to a cascade of events eventually resulting in the skin rash of the disease. One mechanism by which epidermal injury by UV radiation could trigger PLE are danger signals such as damage or pathogen associated molecular patterns DAMP/PAMPs or commensal‐associated molecular patterns (CAMPs). Such triggers could be produced due to UV‐induced stress on microbial communities of the skin and exacerbate inflammatory responses by inducing the innate immune system through antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) such as psoriasin, RNase7, HBD‐2 and LL‐37. These AMPs also actively take part in initiating adaptive immunity. That signals derived from microbial rather than human elements may initiate PLE is supported by series of observations, including the PLE‐protective effect of topically applied microbial‐derived DNA repair enzymes.
In vivo enzymatic modulation of IgG antibodies prevents immune complex‐dependent skin injury
Authors: Mihai Sidonia , Albert Heike , Ludwig Ralf J. , Iwata Hiroaki , Björck Lars , Collin Mattias , Nimmerjahn Falk
Published: August 2016

IgG antibodies are potent inducers of proinflammatory responses by cross‐linking Fc receptors on innate immune effector cells resulting in tissue injury. The recently discovered enzymes endoglycosidase S (EndoS) and IgG‐degrading enzyme (IdeS) of Streptococcus pyogenes are able to modulate the interaction between IgG antibodies and the Fc receptors, by hydrolysis of the glycan associated with the heavy chain of the IgG molecule (EndoS), or cleavage in the hinge region of the heavy IgG chain (IdeS). In this work, we investigated their ability to inhibit damage mediated by skin‐bound antibodies in vivo in two different experimental models, the Arthus reaction, and epidermolysis bullosa acquisita, an autoimmune blistering skin disease associated with autoantibodies against type VII collagen. We demonstrate that both enzymes efficiently interfere with IgG‐mediated proinflammatory processes, offering a great asset to specifically target pathological IgG antibodies in the skin and holding great promise for future applications in human therapy.
Behavior Problems Among Adolescents Exposed to Family and Community Violence in Chile
Authors: Ma Julie , Grogan‐Kaylor Andrew , Delva Jorge
Published: August 2016

Research that simultaneously examines the relationship of multiple types of family and community violence with adolescent outcomes is limited in the previous research literature, particularly in Latin America. This study examines the relationship of adolescent exposure to family and community violence—parental use of corporal punishment, violence in the community, intimate partner physical aggression—with eight subscales of the Youth Self Report among a Chilean sample of 593 adolescent–mother pairs. Results from multilevel models indicated a positive association between adolescent exposure to violence in the family and community, and a wide range of behavior problem outcomes, in particular, aggression. With growing evidence concerning the detrimental effect of violence on adolescent well‐being, these findings emphasize the need for a more comprehensive understanding of the various kinds of violence adolescents are exposed to within the family and community and the concomitant need to reduce multiple forms of violence.
DNA‐PK activity is associated with caspase‐dependent myogenic differentiation
Authors: Connolly Patrick F. , Fearnhead Howard O.
Published: August 2016

Differentiation of myoblasts into myotubes is essential for skeletal muscle development and regeneration. Caspase‐3 and caspase‐9 are required for efficient myoblast differentiation. The caspase‐activated endonuclease activity, CAD, and the DNA‐damage repair protein XRCC1 have also been shown to be required to complete differentiation. DNA‐damage associated with differentiation is accompanied by phosphorylation of Histone 2AX, an event normally catalysed by kinases ATR, ATM or DNA‐PK. However, the kinase responsible for phosphorylation during differentiation is not known. Here we show that inhibition of DNA‐PK, but not of ATR or ATM, blocked histone phosphorylation during differentiation. We also show that DNA‐PK inhibition and siRNA‐mediated DNA‐PK knockdown blocked cell fusion. These data implicate a new role for DNA‐PK in myogenic differentiation.
Long‐term nitrous oxide fluxes in annual and perennial agricultural and unmanaged ecosystems in the upper Midwest USA
Authors: Gelfand Ilya , Shcherbak Iurii , Millar Neville , Kravchenko Alexandra N. , Robertson G. Philip
Published: August 2016

Differences in soil nitrous oxide (N2O) fluxes among ecosystems are often difficult to evaluate and predict due to high spatial and temporal variabilities and few direct experimental comparisons. For 20 years, we measured N2O fluxes in 11 ecosystems in southwest Michigan USA: four annual grain crops (corn–soybean–wheat rotations) managed with conventional, no‐till, reduced input, or biologically based/organic inputs; three perennial crops (alfalfa, poplar, and conifers); and four unmanaged ecosystems of different successional age including mature forest. Average N2O emissions were higher from annual grain and N‐fixing cropping systems than from nonleguminous perennial cropping systems and were low across unmanaged ecosystems. Among annual cropping systems full‐rotation fluxes were indistinguishable from one another but rotation phase mattered. For example, those systems with cover crops and reduced fertilizer N emitted more N2O during the corn and soybean phases, but during the wheat phase fluxes were ~40% lower. Likewise, no‐till did not differ from conventional tillage over the entire rotation but reduced emissions ~20% in the wheat phase and increased emissions 30–80% in the corn and soybean phases. Greenhouse gas intensity for the annual crops (flux per unit yield) was lowest for soybeans produced under conventional management, while for the 11 other crop × management combinations intensities were similar to one another. Among the fertilized systems, emissions ranged from 0.30 to 1.33 kg N2O‐N ha−1 yr−1 and were best predicted by IPCC Tier 1 and ΔEF emission factor approaches. Annual cumulative fluxes from perennial systems were best explained by soil pools (r2 = 0.72) but not so for annual crops, where management differences overrode simple correlations. Daily soil N2O emissions were poorly predicted by any measured variables. Overall, long‐term measurements reveal lower fluxes in nonlegume perennial vegetation and, for conservatively fertilized annual crops, the overriding influence of rotation phase on annual fluxes.
A global analysis of the determinants of alien geographical range size in birds
Authors: Dyer Ellie E. , Franks Victoria , Cassey Phillip , Collen Ben , Cope Robert C. , Jones Kate E. , Şekercioğlu Çagan H. , Blackburn Tim M.
Published: August 2016

AimDetermining the causes of range size variation in the distributions of alien species is important for understanding the spread of invasive species. Factors influencing alien range size have been explored for some species at a regional level, but to date there has been no global analysis of an entire class. Here, we present such an analysis for birds, testing for the effects of introduction event, location and species‐level variables on alien range sizes.

LocationGlobal.

MethodsWe used a novel dataset on the global distributions of alien bird species to test for relationships between alien range size and colonization pressure, residence time, extent of the global climatic niche, native range size, body mass and specialization, using a statistical approach based on phylogenetic generalized least squares models. We performed this analysis globally, and for separate biogeographical realms.

ResultsApproximately half of the variation in alien bird range size is explained by colonization pressure in univariate analysis. We identified consistent effects of higher colonization pressure at global and realm levels, as well as support for effects of native range size and residence time. We found less support for effects of body mass, specialization or extent of the global climatic niche on alien range size.

Main conclusionsAlien bird range sizes are generally small relative to their native range sizes, and many are continuing to expand. Nevertheless, current variation is predictable, most strongly by the event‐level factor of colonization pressure. Whether a species is widespread is a better predictor of alien range size than whether a species could be widespread (estimated by global climatic niche extent), while we also find effects of residence time on alien range size. These relationships may help to identify those alien species that are more likely to spread and hence have greater environmental and economic impacts where they have been introduced.
The great age of geography: Presidential Address and record of the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) AGM 2016
Authors: Crane Nicholas
Published: August 2016

In his first address as President of the Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers), Nicholas Crane discussed how the themes of exploration, technology and education have influenced and inspired geographical thinking from the 1500s to the present day. The President also emphasised that geography – as a united discipline that reaches the wider population – makes, and can continue to make, important contributions to issues of global significance.
When is better really better? Individuals' experiences of treatment for OAB with anticholinergic medication
Authors: Kinsey Debbie , Alexander Tim , Glover Lesley , Pretorius Sara , Kraus Sigurd , Duggan Paul
Published: August 2016

Overactive bladder (OAB) has been found to have a number of psychological consequences, including anxiety, depression and shame. However, there is little research on how drug treatment, which has been found to be effective at reducing physical symptoms, impacts on these psychological effects. This study aimed to examine patients' experiences of anticholinergic treatment for OAB, and the impact of both OAB and its treatment on psychological well‐being. A cross‐sectional, qualitative interview design with a secondary care outpatient sample was used. The approach was idiographic and sought to understand the detailed complexities and nuances of patient experiences. This small‐scale qualitative study found that, even where there had been symptom reduction, patients did not feel ‘better’, and found it difficult to let go of worries and fears around OAB. These findings suggest that a person with OAB may need support even after a ‘successful’ treatment, as OAB continues to be at the centre of patients' lives.
Event‐based allocation of airline check‐in counters: a simple dynamic optimization method supported by empirical data
Authors: Parlar Mahmut , Rodrigues Brian , Sharafali Moosa
Published: August 2016

This paper studies the real‐life problem of dynamically optimizing the number of airport check‐in counters to allocate for a single flight. The main feature of our work is the use of empirical data collected at the Singapore Changi Airport, which drives the dynamic optimization model of a parallel queues system. We propose an event‐based dynamic programming model that simplifies considerably the optimization analysis even for large‐scale problems with 700+ booked passengers. We investigate the following research questions: (a) For a particular flight, what is the optimal number of counters the system should open with and what is the corresponding optimal total cost? (b) Given the state of the system at any event epoch, should we open another counter or not and what is the optimal cost‐to‐go from this state? The empirical data we collected at the airport are used to test the assumptions, estimate the key parameters, and run the computational experiments. We apply our model to 14 flights at the Singapore Changi Airport and identify cases in which, depending on the cost parameters, the model advocates the use of either a dynamic or a static policy. Although the model concerns only an exclusive‐use system, it is flexible enough to apply to other configurations such as a common‐use system or a single‐queue, multicounter system.
Timing of the Effects: A Dynamic Analysis of Pack‐Size Variety, Demand, and Cost
Authors: Wan Xiang
Published: August 2016

As an importation logistics factor, pack‐size variety (the number of different pack sizes, such as packs of 6 units and 12 units of products) is involved in a dynamic system. This system includes the forward impacts of the present pack‐size variety on the present demand and the present cost, as well as the reverse influences of past demand and past cost on present pack‐size variety decisions. Any static analysis of a segment of this system misses an important factor of these effects: the timing. In this study, I unveil the timing of these dynamic relationships among pack‐size variety, demand, and cost. The findings suggest that the effect of past demand on present pack‐size variety follows a short‐delayed and long‐lasting pattern, while the effect of past cost on present pack‐size variety follows a long‐delayed and short‐lasting pattern. These findings offer important implications for pack‐size variety decisions in industrial practices.
Donor liver steatosis: A risk factor for early new‐onset diabetes after liver transplantation
Authors: Xue Mengjuan , Lv Chaoyang , Chen Xianying , Liang Jing , Zhao Chenhe , Zhang Yao , Huang Xiaowu , Sun Qiman , Wang Ting , Gao Jian , Zhou Jian , Yu Mingxiang , Fan Jia , Gao Xin
Published: August 2016

Aims/Introduction

To investigate whether donor liver steatosis increases the incidence of new‐onset diabetes after transplantation (NODAT) in liver transplant recipients.

Materials and Methods

We retrospectively analyzed liver transplant recipients at Zhongshan Hospital, Shanghai, China, from April 2001 to December 2014. The final analysis involved 763 patients. The cumulative incidence of NODAT at 1, 3, 5 and 10 years after liver transplantation was investigated. Furthermore, according to the findings of donor liver biopsy before transplantation, patients were divided into steatotic and non‐steatotic donor liver groups, and NODAT incidence was compared between these groups. Multivariate Cox regression was used to explore the risk factors for NODAT in the patients.

Results

Of the 763 donors, 309 (40.5%) had liver steatosis. At the end of follow up, 130 (42.1%) patients in the steatotic donor liver group developed NODAT, an incidence that exceeded that in the non‐steatotic donor liver group (P = 0.001). The cumulative incidence of NODAT among all patients at 1, 3, 5, and 10 years after transplantation was 33, 43, 50 and 56%, respectively. The cumulative incidences of NODAT at 1, 3, 5 and 10 years in the steatotic donor liver group were significantly higher than those in the non‐steatotic donor liver group (P = 0.003). Multivariate Cox regression analyses showed that donor liver steatosis was an independent risk factor for NODAT among liver transplant recipients, after other potential risk factors were adjusted for (hazard ratio 1.774, 95% confidence interval: 1.025–3.073; P = 0.041).

Conclusions

Donor liver steatosis increases NODAT incidence among liver transplant recipients.
Cannabinoid receptor interacting protein suppresses agonist‐driven CB1 receptor internalization and regulates receptor replenishment in an agonist‐biased manner
Authors: Blume Lawrence C. , Leone‐Kabler Sandra , Luessen Deborah J. , Marrs Glen S. , Lyons Erica , Bass Caroline E. , Chen Rong , Selley Dana E. , Howlett Allyn C.
Published: August 2016

Cannabinoid receptor interacting protein 1a (CRIP1a) is a CB1 receptor (CB1R) distal C‐terminus‐associated protein that modulates CB1R signaling via G proteins, and CB1R down‐regulation but not desensitization (Blume et al. [2015] Cell Signal., 27, 716–726; Smith et al. [2015] Mol. Pharmacol., 87, 747–765). In this study, we determined the involvement of CRIP1a in CB1R plasma membrane trafficking. To follow the effects of agonists and antagonists on cell surface CB1Rs, we utilized the genetically homogeneous cloned neuronal cell line N18TG2, which endogenously expresses both CB1R and CRIP1a, and exhibits a well‐characterized endocannabinoid signaling system. We developed stable CRIP1a‐over‐expressing and CRIP1a‐siRNA‐silenced knockdown clones to investigate gene dose effects of CRIP1a on CB1R plasma membrane expression. Results indicate that CP55940 or WIN55212‐2 (10 nM, 5 min) reduced cell surface CB1R by a dynamin‐ and clathrin‐dependent process, and this was attenuated by CRIP1a over‐expression. CP55940‐mediated cell surface CB1R loss was followed by a cycloheximide‐sensitive recovery of surface receptors (30–120 min), suggesting the requirement for new protein synthesis. In contrast, WIN55212‐2‐mediated cell surface CB1Rs recovered only in CRIP1a knockdown cells. Changes in CRIP1a expression levels did not affect a transient rimonabant (10 nM)‐mediated increase in cell surface CB1Rs, which is postulated to be as a result of rimonabant effects on ‘non‐agonist‐driven’ internalization. These studies demonstrate a novel role for CRIP1a in agonist‐driven CB1R cell surface regulation postulated to occur by two mechanisms: 1) attenuating internalization that is agonist‐mediated, but not that in the absence of exogenous agonists, and 2) biased agonist‐dependent trafficking of de novo synthesized receptor to the cell surface.

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Chronic lithium treatment rectifies maladaptive dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens
Authors: Can Adem , Frost Douglas O. , Cachope Roger , Cheer Joseph F. , Gould Todd D.
Published: August 2016

Chronic lithium treatment effectively reduces behavioral phenotypes of mania in humans and rodents. The mechanisms by which lithium exerts these actions are poorly understood. Pre‐clinical and clinical evidence have implicated increased mesolimbic dopamine (DA) neurotransmission with mania. We used fast‐scan cyclic voltammetry to characterize changes in extracellular DA concentrations in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) core evoked by 20 and 60 Hz electrical stimulation of the ventral tegmental area (VTA) in C57BL6/J mice treated either acutely or chronically with lithium. The effects of chronic lithium treatment on the availability of DA for release were assessed by depleting readily releasable DA using short inter‐train intervals, or administering d‐amphetamine acutely to mobilize readily releasable DA. Chronic, but not acute, lithium treatment decreased the amplitude of DA responses in the NAc following 60 Hz pulse train stimulation. Neither lithium treatment altered the kinetics of DA release or reuptake. Chronic treatment did not impact the progressive reduction in the amplitude of DA responses when, using 20 or 60 Hz pulse trains, the VTA was stimulated every 6 s to deplete DA. Specifically, the amplitude of DA responses to 60 Hz pulse trains was initially reduced compared to control mice, but by the fifth pulse train, there was no longer a treatment effect. However, chronic lithium treatment attenuated d‐amphetamine‐induced increases in DA responses to 20 Hz pulse trains stimulation. Our data suggest that long‐term administration of lithium may ameliorate mania phenotypes by normalizing the readily releasable DA pool in VTA axon terminals in the NAc.

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Read the Editorial Highlight for this article on Page 520.