bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Teaching and talking about religion: strategies for teacher educators
Authors: Logan Kimberly R. , Hartwick James M.M.
Published: August 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to outline arguments for addressing religion in social studies teacher education, including strategies teacher educators might use on how and why pre-service teachers should incorporate teaching about religion in their classes. Topics addressed are: issues surrounding pre-service teachers’ religious identities; teaching pre-service teachers about legal issues associated with religion in public school classrooms (e.g. teaching about religion vs teaching for religion, First Amendment rights and constraints); teacher education’s role in developing religious knowledge and the influence of religion in the disciplines that comprise the social studies; and an overview of strategies and resources that teacher educators can use with their pre-service teachers.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper provides a literature review and arguments for addressing religion in social studies teacher education. A lesson plan and resources for teacher educators are also provided.

Findings

Teaching and talking about religion can no longer be marginalized or ignored within social studies teacher education. Whether it be the importance of pre-service teachers’ religious identities, legal issues related to public schooling or the influence of religion across the social studies disciplines – religion matters to social studies teacher education. As the current social, political and cultural realities attest, the influence of religion appears to be more and more significant in our interconnected and interdependent world.

Originality/value

Religious literacy is a key part of civic competence and if social studies is viewed as a way to help prepare a more informed citizenry – and a way to teach and promote dialogue across difference – then social studies teacher educators must find a way to include religion in their courses. By doing so, teacher educators encourage pre-service teachers to examine how religious identity may influence their teaching, and also help develop religious literacy and an understanding of how religion is integral to the various social studies disciplines. Ultimately, this important and often ignored work in teacher education may foster cultural understandings that will lead to a more informed and respectful society.
The global citizen and religious position statements on climate change
Authors: Shuttleworth Jay M. , Wylie Scott
Published: August 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to discuss opportunities to analyze religious position statements calling climate change action a moral imperative.

Design/methodology/approach

In a lesson suited for the secondary history classroom, students will analyze how religious leaders, theologians and ecological and religious academics use passages from sacred texts to establish a moral urgency to mitigate climate change.

Findings

After analyzing these interpretations of sacred writings from five global faiths (Hinduism, Judaism, Catholicism, Islam and Anglicanism), the lesson centers on a dialogical question, “How might climate change action be influenced by religious texts?”

Originality/value

Implications emphasize why social studies teachers should not teach climate change as a controversial issue.
Secondary teacher candidates’ experiences teaching about religion within a history curriculum
Authors: Brooks Sarah B.
Published: August 2019

Purpose

The National Council for the Social Studies (2014, 2017) has called for increased attention to religion in social studies curriculum. A small but growing body of research has examined the preparation of social studies teacher candidates to teach about world religions, but critical questions remain. The purpose of this paper is to explore the question: what is the experience of the secondary social studies teacher candidate as he/she teaches about religion in a high school, world history course?

Design/methodology/approach

This study employed a phenomenological approach to examine the experiences of six teacher candidates as they endeavored to teach about world religions through a two-semester, intensive internship.

Findings

Findings, drawn from individual interviews with the candidates, suggest that their efforts to teach about religion were marked by fears, worries and concerns. Additionally, candidates understood their personal religious identities and experiences as significant influences on their experience teaching about religion. Finally, candidates experienced several features of their internship as key supports in their efforts to teach about religion.

Originality/value

This paper concludes with a series of recommendations for strengthening the preparation of social studies teacher candidates to teach about religion in public school settings.
The sibling’s perspective: experiences of having a sibling with a learning disability and behaviour described as challenging
Authors: Chase Jennifer , McGill Peter
Published: August 2019

Purpose

Siblings of individuals with disabilities provide the most long-term care for an individual with disabilities, yet research on their experiences is limited. A majority of previous research focuses on young siblings from a parent’s viewpoint. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of having a sibling with a disability and behaviour described as challenging from adult siblings’ perspectives.

Design/methodology/approach

Six adult siblings of individuals with intellectual disabilities and behaviour described as challenging were interviewed about their responsibilities pertaining to their sibling, family relationships and the support that had been provided. The study used semi-structured interview methodology based on interview questions from previous research.

Findings

Siblings described a multifaceted impact on their lives. They attributed aspects of their career choices, personal characteristics and family dynamics to having a sibling with a disability and behaviour that challenges. Siblings stressed the inadequate support that they have received throughout their lives. They are, in a sense, the invisible carers for their sibling but they are perceived by society as just a sibling. Siblings described an optimistic perspective on their lives, even though they expressed the difficulties that they have faced.

Research limitations/implications

Due to the recruitment process and limited demographic of the participants, the findings may not be generalisable to the general population of siblings of individuals with disabilities. Further research should focus on a broader population.

Practical implications

This study reinforces the need for more support for siblings of individuals with disabilities in childhood and in adulthood.

Originality/value

This paper provides perspectives of individuals that have not been fully represented in previous research.
Characterization of Vibrio cholerae O1 isolates responsible for cholera outbreaks in Kenya between 1975 and 2017
Authors: Bundi Martin , Shah Mohammad Monir , Odoyo Eric , Kathiiko Cyrus , Wandera Ernest , Miring'u Gabriel , Guyo Sora , Langat Daniel , Morita Kouichi , Ichinose Yoshio
Published: August 2019

Kenya is endemic for cholera with different waves of outbreaks having been documented since 1971. In recent years, new variants of Vibrio cholerae O1 have emerged and have replaced most of the traditional El Tor biotype globally. These strains also appear to have increased virulence, and it is important to describe and document their phenotypic and genotypic traits. This study characterized 146 V. cholerae O1 isolates from cholera outbreaks that occurred in Kenya between 1975 and 2017. Our study reports that the 1975–1984 strains had typical classical or El Tor biotype characters. New variants of V. cholerae O1 having traits of both classical and El Tor biotypes were observed from 2007 with all strains isolated between 2015 and 2017 being sensitive to polymyxin B and carrying both classical and El Tor type ctxB. All strains were resistant to Phage IV and harbored rstR, rtxC, hlyA, rtxA and tcpA genes specific for El Tor biotype indicating that the strains had an El Tor backbone. Pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) genotyping differentiated the isolates into 14 pulsotypes. The clustering also corresponded with the year of isolation signifying that the cholera outbreaks occurred as separate waves of different genetic fingerprints exhibiting different genotypic and phenotypic characteristics. The emergence and prevalence of V. cholerae O1 strains carrying El Tor type and classical type ctxB in Kenya are reported. These strains have replaced the typical El Tor biotype in Kenya and are potentially more virulent and easily transmitted within the population.
Latitude‐associated evolution and drivers of thermal response curves in body stoichiometry
Authors: Van Dievel Marie , Tüzün Nedim , Stoks Robby
Published: August 2019

Trait‐based studies are needed to understand the plastic and genetic responses of organisms to warming. A neglected organismal trait is elemental composition, despite its potential to cascade into effects on the ecosystem level.

Warming is predicted to shape elemental composition through shifts in storage molecules associated with responses in growth, body size and metabolic rate. Our goals were to quantify thermal response patterns in body composition and to obtain insights into their underlying drivers and their evolution across latitudes.

We reconstructed the thermal response curves (TRCs) for body elemental composition [C (carbon), N (nitrogen) and the C:N ratio] of damselfly larvae from high‐ and low‐latitude populations. Additionally, we quantified the TRCs for survival, growth and development rates and body size to assess local thermal adaptation, as well as the TRCs for metabolic rate and key macromolecules (proteins, fat, sugars and cuticular melanin and chitin) as these may underlie the elemental TRCs.

All larvae died at 36°C. Up to 32°C, low‐latitude larvae increased growth and development rates and did not suffer increased mortality. Instead, growth and development rates of high‐latitude larvae were lower and levelled off at 24°C, and mortality increased at 32°C. This latitude‐associated thermal adaptation pattern matched the ‘hotter‐is‐better’ hypothesis. With increasing temperatures, low‐latitude larvae decreased C:N, while high‐latitude larvae increased C:N. These patterns were driven by associated changes in N contents, while C contents did not respond to temperature. Consistent with the temperature‐size rule and the thermal melanism hypothesis, body size and melanin levels decreased with warming. While all traits and associated macromolecules (except for metabolic rate that showed thermal compensation) assumed to underlie thermal responses in elemental composition showed thermal plasticity, these were largely independent and none could explain the stoichiometric TRCs.

Our results highlight that thermal responses in elemental composition cannot be explained by traditionally assumed drivers, asking for a broader perspective including the thermal dependence of elemental fluxes. Another key implication is that thermal evolution can reverse the plastic stoichiometric thermal responses and hence reverse how warming may shape food web dynamics through changes in body composition at different latitudes.
Population structure and developmental stage‐associated ecophysiological responses of Salicornia brachiata
Authors: Rathore Mangal S. , Balar Nikunj , Jha Bhavanath
Published: August 2019

Salicornia brachiata (Roxb.) is an important euhalophyte for ecological rehabilitation of salt‐affected soil. The aim of this study was to investigate the population structure of S. brachiata and evaluate its ecophysiological responses throughout its lifespan. Six different salt marshes along the Gujarat Coast, India, were visited regularly to monitor and quantify the ecophysiological responses of S. brachiata. Vegetation index analyses confirmed the dominance of halophytic vegetation at these sites. The low solute potential in shoots of S. brachiata helped plants to conserve water and use water economically under physiologically dry conditions. The accumulation of Na+ increased as the plants matured, while K+, Mg+2 and Cl− contents decreased. There was a higher proportion of inorganic solutes than organic solutes throughout the lifespan of S. brachiata. The estimated contributions of different solutes to osmotic adjustment were consistent with their accumulation levels. The estimated contribution of inorganic solutes to solute potential was significantly higher than that of organic solutes. The results indicated that the uptake of inorganic solutes generated a more negative solute potential, which helped plants to conserve water and save the energy required to synthesize the organic solutes to maintain osmotic homeostasis. The results of this study provide physiological insights into the role of inorganic solutes in the salt acclimation process and reveal aspects of the salt acclimation strategies of this euhalophyte. This information will be useful for predicting the impact of S. brachiata populations on halophytic vegetation and for designing saline‐agriculture strategies for optimum yields in degraded salt‐affected soil ecosystems.
Language growth in very young siblings at risk for autism spectrum disorder
Authors: Bruyneel Eva , Demurie Ellen , Warreyn Petra , Beyers Wim , Boterberg Sofie , Bontinck Chloè , Dewaele Nele , Roeyers Herbert
Published: August 2019

Background

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) show substantial variability in their language development. Language problems are highly prevalent in these children. In addition, the quality of early language abilities contributes to the overall development of these children and is highly predictive of their adult outcome. Yet, little is known about language development in children at risk of ASD during the first years of life.

Aims

To compare early receptive language (RL) and expressive language (EL) development in children at risk of ASD and determine predictors of language development.

Methods & Procedures

Developmental trajectories of RL and EL were investigated from 10 to 36 months of age in younger siblings of typically developing children (LR‐sibs, N = 30) and in younger siblings of children with ASD (HR‐sibs, N = 31) using the Mullen Scales of Early Learning. Furthermore, both child and demographic characteristics were examined as possible predictors of language development.

Outcomes & Results

Both groups showed similar growth curves for RL and EL and the majority of the children showed average (within ±1.5 SD of the mean) or above‐average language abilities. Nevertheless, the mean growth of EL was lower and the variation in growth of both RL and EL was higher in HR‐sibs than in LR‐sibs. Furthermore, early child characteristics were predictive of language development in both groups. Yet, some child characteristics seemed to be of more importance in HR‐sibs than in LR‐sibs. Consequently, lower non‐verbal abilities at 10 months in both groups and a higher degree of ASD characteristics at 14 months in HR‐sibs may be indicative of difficulties in language development.

Conclusions & Implications

HR‐sibs show more variation in their language development than LR‐sibs during the first 3 years of life. The majority of HR‐sibs, however, did not present with below‐average language abilities. Yet, early characteristics of ASD may be a red flag for difficulties in the language development of HR‐sibs.
What does Brexit Tell Us about Our Understanding of European Identity?
Authors: Leith Murray Stewart , Sim Duncan , van der Zwet Arno , Boyle Elizabeth
Published: August 2019

This paper reports on a number of Eurobarometer surveys undertaken by the European Commission as a way of reflecting on Brexit and the challenges it poses to European identity. Our work with the surveys has been undertaken in the context of developing an educational game (RU EU?) which will explore European identity. European citizenship and identity have been strongly promoted by the EU but, while they appear to have been accepted at an elite level, the EU—and the UK in particular—have so far not constructed a narrative which has been supported by ‘ordinary’ citizens. Brexit has therefore exposed the failings of European elites in this regard. That said, there is some evidence that the complexities of Brexit have led to a strengthening of European identity in the other EU 27 countries.
Lactic Acid Bacteria as Antifungal and Anti‐Mycotoxigenic Agents: A Comprehensive Review
Authors: Sadiq Faizan Ahmed , Yan Bowen , Tian Fengwei , Zhao Jianxin , Zhang Hao , Chen Wei
Published: August 2019

Fungal contamination of food and animal feed, especially by mycotoxigenic fungi, is not only a global food quality concern for food manufacturers, but it also poses serious health concerns because of the production of a variety of mycotoxins, some of which present considerable food safety challenges. In today's mega‐scale food and feed productions, which involve a number of processing steps and the use of a variety of ingredients, fungal contamination is regarded as unavoidable, even good manufacturing practices are followed. Chemical preservatives, to some extent, are successful in retarding microbial growth and achieving considerably longer shelf‐life. However, the increasing demand for clean label products requires manufacturers to find natural alternatives to replace chemically derived ingredients to guarantee the clean label. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB), with the status generally recognized as safe (GRAS), are apprehended as an apt choice to be used as natural preservatives in food and animal feed to control fungal growth and subsequent mycotoxin production. LAB species produce a vast spectrum of antifungal metabolites to inhibit fungal growth; and also have the capacity to adsorb, degrade, or detoxify fungal mycotoxins including ochratoxins, aflatoxins, and Fusarium toxins. The potential of many LAB species to circumvent spoilage associated with fungi has been exploited in a variety of human food and animal feed stuff. This review provides the most recent updates on the ability of LAB to serve as antifungal and anti‐mycotoxigenic agents. In addition, some recent trends of the use of LAB as biopreservative agents against fungal growth and mycotoxin production are highlighted.
Correlations Among the HLA‐DQB1 Alleles and Suicidal Behavior
Authors: Matei Horea V. , Vică Mihaela L. , Ciucă Irina , Coman Horia G. , Nicula Gheorghe Z. , Siserman Costel V.
Published: August 2019

Suicide is a worldwide health problem with multiple causes, including genetic factors. The major histocompatibility complex (MHC) is represented by an assembly of gene encoding the human leukocyte antigen (HLA). The purpose of our study was to determine associations between the HLA profiles and predisposition for suicidal behavior. We harvested blood samples from persons with history of suicidal attempts (case group) and persons never exhibiting such behavior (control group). The DNA was extracted and amplified via polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to determine the HLA‐DQB1 profiles. Statistical data processing was performed with the Epi Info program. We found that the presence of the HLA‐DQB1*02 allele increases the risk of suicidal behavior, while HLA‐DQB1*05 alleviates such risk. The genotype that presented the most increased risk for suicidal behavior was found to be HLA‐DQB1*02/HLA‐DQB1*03. Our study has demonstrated the presence of several associations between HLA profiles and suicidal behavior.
Colored bait preferences of house Fly (Musca domestica L.) (Dipetera: Muscidae)
Authors: Kafle Lekhnath , Gonzales Jose Olman Santeliz , Neupane Anil Chandra
Published: August 2019

The housefly, Musca domestica L. (Dipetera: Muscidae) transmits disease, contaminates laboratories, hospitals, equipment and can be annoying to people and animals. They are considered a serious urban pest worldwide. An important tool used to control houseflies is baiting. This study was undertaken to review the preference of housefly for different colored baits. Various colored baits were prepared and evaluated under laboratory conditions. These were colored blue, white, yellow, red, purple and green. Among the different colored baits used, the blue bait was preferred the most by the houseflies, followed by the white and yellow baits, and the red, purple and green baits were least attractive to the houseflies. Similarly, the blue bait was detected faster by the houseflies and was consumed significantly more than the red, purple or green baits. Also, the blue bait attracted a significantly higher number of flies than the red, purple and green baits.
Intestinal Microbial Products From Alcohol‐Fed Mice Contribute to Intestinal Permeability and Peripheral Immune Activation
Authors: Samuelson Derrick R. , Gu Min , Shellito Judd E. , Molina Patricia E. , Taylor Christopher M. , Luo Meng , Welsh David A.
Published: August 2019

Background

Alcohol use causes significant disruption of intestinal microbial communities, yet exactly how these dysbiotic communities interact with the host is unclear. We sought to understand the role of microbial products associated with alcohol dysbiosis in mice on intestinal permeability and immune activation in an in vitro model system.

Methods

Microbiota samples from binge‐on‐chronic alcohol‐fed and pair‐fed male and female mice were cultured in Gifu Anaerobic Broth for 24 hours under anaerobic conditions. Live/whole organisms were removed, and microbial products were collected and added to human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) or polarized C2BBe1 intestinal epithelial monolayers. Following stimulation, transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) was measured using a volt/ohm meter and immune activation of PBMC was assessed via flow cytometry.

Results

Microbial products from male and female alcohol‐fed mice significantly decreased TEER (mean percentage change from baseline alcohol‐fed 0.86 Ω/cm2 vs. pair‐fed 1.10 Ω/cm2) compared to microbial products from control mice. Following ex vivo stimulation, immune activation of PBMC was assessed via flow cytometry. We found that microbial products from alcohol‐fed mice significantly increased the percentage of CD38+ CD4+ (mean alcohol‐fed 17.32% ± 0.683% standard deviation (SD) vs. mean pair‐fed 14.2% ± 1.21% SD, p < 0.05) and CD8+ (mean alcohol‐fed 20.28% ± 0.88% SD vs. mean pair‐fed 12.58% ± 3.59% SD, p < 0.05) T cells.

Conclusions

Collectively, these data suggest that microbial products contribute to immune activation and intestinal permeability associated with alcohol dysbiosis. Further, utilization of these ex vivo microbial product assays will allow us to rapidly assess the impact of microbial products on intestinal permeability and immune activation and to identify probiotic therapies to ameliorate these defects.
Exonic mutations associated with atopic dermatitis disrupt lympho‐epithelial Kazal‐type related inhibitor action and enhance its degradation
Authors: Ramesh Karthik , Matta Sri Anusha , Chew Fook Tim , Mok Yu Keung
Published: August 2019

Background

Skin desquamation is facilitated by serine proteases KLK5 and KLK7, which are tightly regulated by lympho‐epithelial Kazal‐type related inhibitor (LEKTI). LEKTI itself is controlled through degraded by mesotrypsin. Here, we sought to determine whether LEKTI exonic mutations associated with atopic dermatitis (AD) affect the protease inhibitory activity of LEKTI or its susceptibility to mesotrypsin degradation.

Methods

The inhibitory activities of the LEKTI domain 4 (D4) and D6 WT and AD‐associated mutants on the enzyme activities of KLK5 and KLK7 were compared using fluorogenic substrates. A keratinocyte cell culture system using HaCat cells was established to assess the role of D6 WT and D386N on triggering inflammation via the induction of thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP). A degradation assay was used to assess the susceptibility of D4 and D6 mutants to mesotrypsin degradation.

Results

Enzymatic assays revealed that the D6 D386N mutation affected the inhibitory activity of LEKTI on KLK5 but not KLK7. Other exonic mutations on D6 (N368S, V395M, and E420K) and D4 (R267Q) did not alter LEKTI inhibition. The D386N mutation disrupted the role of D6 in suppressing TSLP induction by KLK5 in HaCat cells. Although WT D4 is more susceptible to mesotrypsin degradation than WT D6, the D4 R267Q mutant was more resistant to mesotrypsin degradation, whereas the D6 E420K mutant showed enhanced mesotrypsin‐mediated degradation.

Conclusion

Exonic mutations in D6, which previously have been associated with AD, may cause a disruption of inhibitory activity on KLK5 or enhance the degradation by mesotrypsin.
The moderating role of allergy immunotherapy in asthma progression: Results of a population‐based cohort study
Authors: Schmitt Jochen , Wüstenberg Eike , Küster Denise , Mücke Victoria , Serup‐Hansen Niels , Tesch Falko
Published: August 2019

Background

Allergic asthma causes substantial morbidity and constitutes a public health burden, which increases with asthma severity. There is evidence that allergy immunotherapy (AIT) prevents the progression of allergic rhinitis (AR) to asthma. However, evidence is missing on the potential of AIT to prevent progression from milder to more severe asthma.

Methods

This population‐based cohort study utilized healthcare data (2005 to 2014) from a statutory health insurance in Germany. The severity of asthma was classified according to the treatment steps recommended by the global initiative for asthma (GINA). The effect of AIT on the transition between the GINA steps was analyzed using multivariable Cox regression models adjusted for age and sex.

Results

From the total cohort of 1,739,440 patients, 39,167 individuals aged 14 years or older were classified as having incident asthma during the observation period and were included in the study. From these, 4111 patients (10.5%) received AIT. AIT exposure was associated with a significantly decreased likelihood of asthma progression from GINA step 1 to GINA step 3 (HR 0.87; 95% CI 0.80‐0.95) and GINA step 3 to GINA step 4 (HR 0.66; 95% CI 0.60‐0.74). GINA medication for step 2 and step 5 was rarely prescribed.

Conclusions

This observational study in a real‐world setting indicates that patients with allergic asthma who receive AIT are less likely to experience progression of asthma severity than asthma patients not receiving AIT.
Comment
Authors: KHOSRAVI SHAHRAM
Published: August 2019

A comment on Heath Cabot's “The Business of Anthropology and the European Refugee Regime,” American Ethnologist 46, no. 3 (2019): 261–75.
Clinoform growth and sediment flux into late Cenozoic Qiongdongnan shelf margin, South China Sea
Authors: Chen Si , Steel Ronald , Wang Hua , Zhao Rui , Olariu Cornel
Published: August 2019

The South China Sea continental margin in the Qiongdongnan Basin (QDNB) area has incrementally prograded since 10.5 Ma generating a margin sediment prism more than 4km‐thick and 150–200 km wide above the well‐dated T40 stratigraphic surface. Core and well log data, as well as clinoform morphology and growth patterns along 28 2D seismic reflection lines, illustrate the evolving architecture and margin morphology; through five main seismic‐stratigraphic surfaces (T40, T30, T27, T20 and T0) frame 15 clinothems in the southwest that reduce over some 200 km to 8 clinoforms in the northeast. The overall margin geometry shows a remarkable change from sigmoidal, strongly progradational and aggradational in the west to weakly progradational in the east. Vertical sediment accumulation rate increased significantly across the entire margin after 2.4 Ma, with a marked increase in mud content in the succession. Furthermore, an estimate of sediment flux across successive clinoforms on each of the three selected seismic cross sections indicate an overall decrease in sediment discharge west to east, away from the Red River depocenter, as well as a decrease in the percentage of total discharge crossing the shelf break in this same direction. The QDNB Late Cenozoic continental margin growth, with its overall increased sediment flux, responded to the climate‐induced, gradual cooling and falling global sea level during this icehouse period.
Impact of Process Quality in Early Childhood Education and Care on Academic Outcomes: Longitudinal Meta‐Analysis
Authors: Ulferts Hannah , Wolf Katrin M. , Anders Yvonne
Published: August 2019

This meta‐analysis studies the association of pedagogical processes in early childhood care and education with outcomes in two academic domains: language and literacy as well as mathematics. It synthesizes evidence from 17 longitudinal studies in nine European countries with 16,461 children in regular center‐based care spanning the period between ages 3 and 16. Results of a three‐level meta‐analysis provided small overall effect sizes for both global and domain‐specific process quality, and indicated lasting associations with academic development over children’s school career (ES = .11, Cohen’s d = .22, and ES = .10, Cohen’s d = .20). Effects varied by outcome domain, type of process measure, and differences in adopted analyses, with important implications for pedagogical practice and future research.
Older people with swallowing dysfunction and poor oral health are at greater risk of early death
Authors: Hägglund Patricia , Koistinen Susanne , Olai Lena , Ståhlnacke Katri , Wester Per , Levring Jäghagen Eva
Published: August 2019

Objectives

We investigated the associations between swallowing dysfunction, poor oral health and mortality among older people in intermediate care in Sweden.

Methods

This prospective cohort study investigated 391 older people in 36 intermediate care units (clusters). Swallowing function was assessed with the timed water swallow test (TWST), and oral health with the revised oral assessment guide (ROAG) at baseline. Data were collected on age, sex, education level, multimorbidity, cognitive impairment, care dependency and body mass index (BMI). Time to mortality was recorded during the following year. The mixed effects Cox regression model with cluster as a random factor was used to estimate hazards ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI).

Results

The median age of the participants was 84 years (interquartile range [IQR]: 11), and 53.3% were females. Mortality within one year was 25.1%. In the adjusted model, swallowing dysfunction and poor oral health were both independently associated with mortality (adjusted HR [aHR]: 1.67, 95% CI 1.02‐2.75; P = .041 and aHR: 1.98, 95% CI 1.07‐3.65; P = .029, respectively). Participants with combined swallowing dysfunction and poor oral health showed the highest mortality (35.0%) and 2.6 (95% CI 1.15‐5.89; P = .022) times higher mortality risk than those with normal swallowing function and good oral health (13.0%).

Conclusions

Swallowing dysfunction and poor oral health were identified as independent risk factors for mortality in older people in intermediate care. Although further studies are required to verify these findings, they suggest that systematic assessment of swallowing function and oral health status should be performed for care considerations.
Higher thyroid‐stimulating hormone levels in the first trimester are associated with gestational diabetes in a Chinese population
Authors: Leng J. , Li W. , Wang L. , Zhang S. , Liu H. , Li W. , Wang S. , Shao P. , Pan L. , Wang S. , Liu E.
Published: August 2019

Aim

To evaluate the relationship between maternal thyroid‐stimulating hormone levels during the first trimester and gestational diabetes risk.

Methods

In Tianjin, China, 7258 women underwent a thyroid‐stimulating hormone screening test within 12 gestational weeks and then had a glucose challenge test at 24–28 weeks of gestational age. The women with a glucose challenge test ≥7.8 mmol/l underwent a 75 g oral glucose tolerance test. Gestational diabetes was diagnosed following International Association of Diabetes and Pregnancy Study Group criteria. Restricted cubic spline analysis was performed to explore full‐range risk associations of thyroid‐stimulating hormone levels with gestational diabetes. Logistic regression was performed to obtain odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals.

Results

In all, 594 women (8.2%) had gestational diabetes. Among women with thyroid‐stimulating hormone ≤3.2 mIU/l, a positive association between thyroid‐stimulating hormone levels and gestational diabetes risk was found (adjusted OR: 1.13, 95% CI: 1.00–1.27). There was no relationship between thyroid‐stimulating hormone levels and gestational diabetes risk in univariable and multivariable analyses among women with thyroid‐stimulating hormone >3.2 mIU/l. In subgroup analyses, among women with thyroid‐stimulating hormone ≤3.2 mIU/l and BMI ≥25 kg/m2, the adjusted odds ratio for thyroid‐stimulating hormone levels with gestational diabetes was enhanced to 1.25 (95% CI: 1.02–1.53).

Conclusions

In pregnant Chinese women, thyroid‐stimulating hormone levels even within normal range in the first trimester were positively related to gestational diabetes risk, especially for pre‐pregnancy overweight/obese women.
Unifying functional trait approaches to understand the assemblage of ecological communities: synthesizing taxonomic divides
Authors: Weiss Katherine C. B. , Ray Courtenay A.
Published: August 2019

Functional traits have long been considered the ‘holy grail’ in community ecology due to their potential to link phenotypic variation with ecological processes. Advancements across taxonomic disciplines continue to support functional ecology's objective to approach generality in community assembly. However, a divergence of definitions, aims and methods across taxa has created discord, limiting the field's predictive capacity. Here, we provide a guide to support functional ecological comparisons across taxa. We describe advances in cross‐taxa functional research, identify gaps in approaches, synthesize definitions and unify methodological considerations. When deciding which traits to compare, particularly response traits, we advocate selecting functionally analogous traits that relate to community assembly processes. Finally, we describe at what scale and for which questions functional comparisons across taxa are useful and when other approaches may be more constructive. Our approach promotes standardized methods for integrative research across taxa to identify broad trends in community assembly.
EEG before and after total corpus callosotomy for pharmacoresistant infantile spasms: Fast oscillations and slow‐wave connectivity in hypsarrhythmia
Authors: Baba Shiro , Vakorin Vasily A. , Doesburg Sam M. , Nagamori Chizuko , Cortez Miguel A. , Honda Ryoko , Ono Tomonori , Toda Keisuke , Nishimoto Hanako , Ebihara Toshihiro , Sakai Kana , Ochi Ayako , Snead O. Carter , Baba Hiroshi , Otsubo Hiroshi
Published: August 2019

Objective

We analyzed the features of fast oscillations (FOs) and connectivity in hypsarrhythmia to identify biomarkers for predicting seizure outcomes after total corpus callosotomy (TCC) in children with pharmacoresistant infantile spasms (IS). We hypothesize that the power of FOs and connectivity of slow waves in hypsarrhythmia would indicate the prognosis of IS.

Method

We retrospectively identified 42 children with pharmacoresistant IS who underwent TCC from 2009 to 2014 at Nagasaki Medical Center. We collected preoperative hypsarrhythmia for 200 seconds from each child. Children were categorized into three groups with interictal epileptic discharges on EEG at 6 months after TCC: group A, no epileptic discharge; group B, lateralized epileptic discharges; and group C; bilateral epileptic discharges. We analyzed spectral power and phase synchronization in preoperative hypsarrhythmia among the three groups.

Results

We found 10 children in group A, 10 children in group B, and 22 children in group C. All group A and 1 in group B achieved seizure freedom after TCC. Six (67%) of 9 group B children who underwent further surgeries achieved seizure freedom. Ten (45%) of group C children had seizure reduction >50% after TCC, and 13 (87%) of 15 children who underwent further surgeries had residual seizures. The clinical profiles of the three groups did not differ significantly. The power of FOs (≥45 Hz) in hypsarrhythmia was significantly stronger in group C at the midline and temporal regions than in groups B and A (P = .014). The connectivity of theta (4‐9 Hz) and FOs (29‐70 Hz) tended to increase in group C, compared with the increased connectivity of 1‐2 Hz in group A (P = .08).

Significance

The increased power and connectivity of FOs in hypsarrhythmia may correlate with pharmacoresistant and surgically resistant seizures in IS. The existence and connectivity of FOs are associated with unilateral/bilateral cortical epileptogenicity in hypsarrhythmia. Prominent slow waves and connectivity without FOs might correlate with seizure freedom after TCC. Modulation of the callosal system with subcortical/cortical epileptic discharges might play a role in generating hypsarrhythmia and IS.
Tracking a changing paradigm and the modern face of epilepsy surgery: A comprehensive and critical review on the hunt for the optimal extent of resection in mesial temporal lobe epilepsy
Authors: Sheikh Shehryar R. , Nair Dileep , Gross Robert E. , Gonzalez‐Martinez Jorge
Published: August 2019

Surgical management of medically intractable epilepsy was historically based on the premise of excising the presumed substrate of disease, that is, “the epileptogenic zone.” There was early interest in establishing the extent of resection of the temporal lobe that optimized postoperative reduction in seizure burden while preserving neurocognitive function. Studies approaching this question used varied methods of defining and measuring “extent,” complicating the task of distilling evidence‐based recommendations for surgical practice. A palpable shift in the paradigm of surgical epilepsy has gained traction and greatly altered not only the kind of studies being undertaken but the focus of inquiry itself. Key to this paradigm shift has been the increasingly well‐held notion that epilepsy, far from being a disease of a single problem focus, is rather a disease of a problem network. Where a former generation of investigators labored to find an optimal extent of resection, concentrating on magnetic resonance imaging–visible lesions and on standardization of the extent of resection (ie, “standard temporal lobectomy”), the modern strategy is more concerned with understanding network activation and its concordance with presurgical clinical and electrophysiological features and the organization of epileptic activity over time. The vital lessons of the early literature investigating optimal extent of resection, however, remain informative to the field, and it is worthwhile to contextualize them within the modern network‐focused paradigm. In this comprehensive review of the literature, we aim to recapitulate the major findings of the “optimal extent of resection” literature (focusing on both seizure control and neuropsychological outcomes) and distill wherever possible the consensus findings that may guide surgical approach to epileptic disease of the temporal lobe. We also review the particular implications of modern laser ablation techniques on the question of “optimal extent of resection” in temporal lobe epilepsy, and contextualize them as a marker of a shifting paradigm.
Sexual function in people with epilepsy: Similarities and differences with the general population
Authors: Henning Oliver , Johannessen Landmark Cecilie , Træen Bente , Svendsen Torleiv , Farmen Anette , Nakken Karl O. , Lossius Morten
Published: August 2019

Objective

The potential impact of epilepsy on sexual function is important for patient welfare, but often neglected. This study explored the occurrences of different sexual problems in patients with both well‐controlled and mostly refractory epilepsy, and compared these with equivalent information from the general population.

Methods

Between 2015 and 2017, a total of 221 adult inpatients and outpatients, mostly with intractable epilepsy, at the National Centre for Epilepsy in Norway, and 78 outpatients with well‐controlled epilepsy at Lillehammer hospital participated in a questionnaire survey on sexual function. Information on the individual patient's epilepsy was collected. The results were compared with equivalent data on sexual function from 1671 adult Norwegians in the general population.

Results

Patients with epilepsy reported a significantly higher frequency of problems with orgasm, dyspareunia, erectile dysfunction, and feelings of sexual deviance. However, reduced sexual desire, premature ejaculation/climax, and vaginal dryness occurred at similar frequencies in the general population. After controlling for gender, we found no significant association between sexual problems and seizure control or use of enzyme‐inducing antiepileptic drugs. In both genders, feelings of sexual deviance were associated with lower quality of life. Fewer patients with epilepsy were satisfied with their sex lives. The perception of sex as an important part of daily life was similar among women with epilepsy and women from the general population, whereas significantly fewer men with epilepsy than men in the general population reported that sex was an important part of their daily lives. Women with mostly refractory epilepsy reported asking for help with their sexual problems significantly more often than women in the other groups.

Significance

Some sexual problems occur significantly more often in patients with epilepsy than in the general population and feelings of sexual deviancy occur more frequently. No epilepsy‐related factors could be identified as specific predictors.
Impairment of Th cell response in Card9 knockout mice with cutaneous mucormycosis caused by Rhizopus arrhizus
Authors: Sun Lingyue , Wan Zhe , Li Ruoyu , Yu Jin
Published: August 2019

Card9 is a signalling adaptor protein in the downstream of many innate pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) and exerts a significant role in antifungal immunity. To date, Card9 deficiency has been reported to be related to increased susceptibility to many fungal infections. In this study, we established mucormycosis murine model of Rhizopus arrhizus (R. arrhizus) using wild‐type (WT) mice and Card9 knockout (Card9−/−) mice to investigate the antifungal effect of Card9 against R. arrhizus infection. Card9−/− mice were more susceptible to R. arrhizus infection than WT mice, which could be related to the impaired NF‐κB pathway activation, local cytokine production and Th cell responses in Card9−/− mice.
Patterns of differentiation in the life history and demography of four recently described species of the Brachionus calyciflorus cryptic species complex
Authors: Zhang Wei , Lemmen Kimberley D. , Zhou Libin , Papakostas Spiros , Declerck Steven A. J.
Published: August 2019

Brachionus calyciflorus is arguably the most studied freshwater monogonont rotifer. Although it has been recognised as a cryptic species complex for more than a decade, a formal (re‐)description of the four species known so far (B. calyciflorus, Brachionus dorcas, Brachionus elevatus, and Brachionus fernandoi) has only recently been made. Information on the ecology of these species is very scant and fragmented. The aim of this study was to test for ecological divergence between these four species, specifically their life history strategy and population demography.

We conducted a life history experiment using 12–16 genotypes per species. For each species, genotypes were extracted from at least three different natural populations. In addition, we performed population‐level culture experiments with the aim to compare population growth rates and demographic structure of experimental populations among species. Finally, we searched the literature for life history studies with molecular data allowing retrospective species identification.

We found pronounced differences in life history traits between B. fernandoi and the other three species. B. fernandoi had higher egg and juvenile development times and a lower egg production rate and mictic ratio. We detected no significant life history differences among B. calyciflorus, B. elevatus, and B. dorcas.

Population growth rates of B. fernandoi and B. calyciflorus were higher than those of B. elevatus and B. dorcas. Life history divergence resulted in marked differences in the demographic structure of populations. Populations of B. fernandoi contained larger fractions of pre‐reproductive females and lower fractions of adult females with sexual eggs than populations of B. calyciflorus, B. elevatus, and B. dorcas. Mortality was found to be highest in B. elevatus and lowest in B. calyciflorus populations.

Our results show that a reverse taxonomy approach is powerful in revealing sources of variation in ecologically relevant traits of cryptic species, such as life history and demographic structure. Explicit consideration of this variation is crucial for future studies of their dynamics in natural communities.
Real‐Time Geoelectric Monitoring of Seepage into Sand and Clay Layer
Authors: Lyu Chao , Sun Qiang , Zhang Weiqiang
Published: August 2019

The migration of groundwater in rock and soil can appear as abnormalities in geoelectric fields. It is therefore important to study the characteristics of seepage in porous media by measuring the geoelectric field signatures. In this study, a physical model with layers of sand and clay was constructed and an electrical resistivity meter was used to examine the changes in the geoelectric field parameters during the infiltration process. The results show that the infiltration could be detected based on the geoelectric signatures including temporal changes through the spontaneous potential, excitation currents, and apparent resistivity. Specifically, the spontaneous potential was reduced by 100 to 200 mV when the water reaches an electrode. During the second water injection in the experiment, the measured spontaneous potential of all the electrodes recovered to the previous extreme values that range from −200 to −550 mV, thus indicating a “memory” effect. With stepwise changes in the excitation current, it was possible to determine the seepage velocity in sand and clay layer. The apparent resistivity is reduced to less than 400 Ωm when the infiltration reaches the electrodes. These results indicate the potential for real‐time monitoring of water flow.