bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Correlation between laryngobronchoscopy and pepsin in the diagnosis of extra-oesophageal reflux
Authors: Krishnan U , Paul S , Messina I , Soma M
Published: May 2015

Objective:

This study aimed to investigate pepsin as a marker of extra-oesophageal reflux disease by examining its presence in tracheal aspirates and correlating it with macroscopic changes on laryngobronchoscopy, along with the results of standard tests for gastro-oesophageal reflux disease and clinical features.

Methods:

A retrospective review was undertaken of a cohort of 188 paediatric patients who underwent laryngobronchoscopy at a tertiary children's hospital and for whom pepsin assay results of tracheal aspirates were available. An association analysis was performed.

Results:

The mean patient age was 3.99 (3.40–4.58) years, with a male preponderance (55 per cent). Positive changes on laryngobronchoscopy were significantly associated with positive tracheal pepsin findings (p< 0.0001) but not with positive standard gastro-oesophageal reflux disease investigations. A positive pepsin assay was significantly associated with a history of recurrent croup (p= 0.0385) and a diagnosis of cystic fibrosis (p= 0.0232).

Conclusion:

Macroscopic changes on laryngobronchoscopy were significantly associated with positive tracheal pepsin findings in this paediatric population, suggesting that extra-oesophageal reflux disease may be a contributing aetiology.
Empathy and divine union in Kierkegaard: solving the faith/history problem inPhilosophical Fragments
Authors: COCKAYNE JOSHUA
Published: May 2015

Søren Kierkegaard's account of faith inPhilosophical Fragmentsclaims that the historical Incarnation is necessary for faith, but that historical evidence for the Incarnation is neither necessary nor sufficient for faith. It has been argued that the defence of these two claims gives rise to a faith/history problem for Kierkegaard and that it is incoherent to defend an account of faith which affirms both the necessity of the historical Incarnation and rejects the necessity and sufficiency of the historical evidence for the Incarnation. I argue that this problem can be solved by applying Eleonore Stump's (2013) account of divine–human union. I argue that the Incarnation is necessary because it allows us to enjoy a kind of mutual empathy with Christ which is the basis of divine–human union and that the historical evidence is neither necessary nor sufficient since faith is grounded in a second-person experience of Christ. I claim that this solves the faith/history problem and offers a way of defending Kierkegaard's account of faith as coherent.
Physiologies of eros: a response to Fiona Ellis
Authors: KUZMA JOSEPH D.
Published: May 2015

In her article, ‘Two erotic ideals’, Fiona Ellis offers a sustained critique of my interpretation of Nietzschean eroticism. In the following piece, I respond to her criticism by proposing a shift in emphasis away from ‘erotic ideals’ and towards a greater attentiveness to the physiological states that condition our desire. I argue that such a move allows us to see how questions about eroticism and questions about nihilism are in fact integrally connected.
Learning styles and perceptual patterns for English /i/ and /ɪ/ among Chinese college students
Authors: YANG XIAOHU , SHI FENG , LIU XIANGJUN , ZHAO YONG
Published: May 2015

This study examined whether learning styles, along with age of starting English learning and length of English learning, are related to perceptual patterns for English /i/–/ɪ/ among Chinese college students who learn English as a foreign language. A total of 83 Chinese college students with different learning styles as measured by Kolb's Learning Style Inventory (1985) and 16 native speakers of American English identified the vowels in a syntheticbeat–bitcontinuum. The results revealed that the Chinese participants’ perceptual patterns for English /i/–/ɪ/ varied with their learning styles. The participants with Kolb's (1985) assimilative and divergent learning styles were more likely to exhibit perceptual patterns resembling those of the American participants than were the participants with convergent and accommodative learning styles. Furthermore, of Kolb's four learning modes, reflective observation had a facilitative effect on the participants’ perception, whereas active experimentation was more likely to cause difficulties; abstract conceptualization and concrete experience bore little relation to the perception of these two sounds. In addition, length of English learning played a critical part in the development of English /i/–/ɪ/ perception. However, age of starting English learning in foreign language conditions was not as crucial as suggested by earlier studies on speech perception in second language conditions.
Review of AUV Underwater Terrain Matching Navigation
Authors: Chen Pengyun , Li Ye , Su Yumin , Chen Xiaolong , Jiang Yanqing
Published: May 2015

Underwater terrain matching navigation technology is an important research area for the underwater navigation of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs). Terrain matching navigation can realise long-term, subtle, all-weather, and high-precision underwater AUV navigation. In this paper, the research status of the application of AUV underwater terrain matching navigation is reviewed, the system composition, theory and terrain matching methods of underwater terrain matching navigation are summarised and the advantages of a multi-beam bathymetric system in underwater terrain matching navigation are discussed. The current research thoughts are summarised, the key issues are pointed out, and possible future development trends are discussed.
Prevalence ofeae-positive, lactose non-fermentingEscherichia albertiifrom retail raw meat in China
Authors: WANG H. , LI Q. , BAI X. , XU Y. , ZHAO A. , SUN H. , DENG J. , XIAO B. , LIU X. , SUN S. , ZHOU Y. , WANG B. , FAN Z. , CHEN X. , ZHANG Z. , XU J. , XIONG Y.
Published: May 2015

Escherichia albertiiis a newly emerging enteric pathogen that has been associated with gastroenteritis in humans. Recently,E. albertiihas also been detected in healthy and sick birds, animals, chicken meat and water. In the present study, the prevalence and characteristics of theeae-positive, lactose non-fermentingE. albertiistrains in retail raw meat in China were evaluated. Thirty isolates of such strains ofE. albertiiwere identified from 446 (6·73%) samples, including duck intestines (21·43%, 6/28), duck meat (9·52%, 2/21), chicken intestines (8·99%, 17/189), chicken meat (5·66%, 3/53), mutton meat (4·55%, 1/22) and pork meat (2·44%, 1/41). None was isolated from 92 samples of raw beef meat. Strains were identified asE. albertiiby phenotypic properties, diagnostic PCR, sequence analysis of the 16S rRNA gene, and housekeeping genes. Five intimin subtypes were harboured by these strains. All strains possessed the II/III/V subtype group of thecdtBgene, with two strains carrying another copy of the I/IV subtype group. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis showed high genetic diversity ofE. albertiiin raw meats. Our findings indicate thatE. albertiican contaminate various raw meats, posing a potential threat to public health.
The Feasibility and Acceptability to Service Users of CIRCuiTS, a Computerized Cognitive Remediation Therapy Programme for Schizophrenia
Authors: Reeder Clare , Pile Victoria , Crawford Polly , Cella Matteo , Rose Diana , Wykes Til , Watson Andrew , Huddy Vyv , Callard Felicity
Published: May 2015

Background: Cognitive remediation (CR) is a psychological therapy, effective in improving cognitive performance and functioning in people with schizophrenia. As the therapy becomes more widely implemented within mental health services its longevity and uptake is likely to depend on its feasibility and acceptability to service users and clinicians. Aims: To assess the feasibility and acceptability of a new strategy-based computerized CR programme (CIRCuiTS) for people with psychosis. Method: Four studies were conducted using mixed methods. Perceptions of attractiveness, comprehensibility, acceptability and usability were assessed using self-report questionnaires in 34 non-clinical participants (study 1), and five people with a schizophrenia diagnosis and three experienced CR therapists (studies 2 and 3). The ease with which pre-specified therapy programmes could be assembled was also assessed by three therapists (Study 2). Finally, the satisfaction of 20 service users with a diagnosis of schizophrenia regarding their experience of using CIRCuiTS in the context of a course of the CR therapy was assessed in a qualitative interview study (study 4). Results: Ratings of perceived attractiveness, comprehensibility, acceptability and usability consistently exceeded pre-set high targets by non-clinical, clinical and therapist participants. Qualitative analysis of satisfaction with CIRCuiTS showed that receiving the therapy was generally seen to be a positive experience, leading to perceptions that cognitive functioning had improved and attempts to incorporate new strategy use into daily activities. Conclusions: CIRCuiTS demonstrates high acceptability and ease of use for both service users with a schizophrenia diagnosis and clinicians.
Effect of slaughter age on meat quality of Chamarito lambs
Authors: Pascual-Alonso M. , Aguayo-Ulloa L. , Miranda-de la Lama G.C. , Alierta S. , Olleta J. L. , Campo M.M. , Villarroel M. , María G.A.
Published: May 2015

Chamaritolamb was recognized as a quality brand in Spain in April 2010 and this meat is highly appreciated in the local market, but little is known about how a short fattening period may affect final product quality. Twenty lambs, ten from the Ternasco category and ten from the suckling lamb category, were slaughtered and their carcass characteristics compared. All animals were weighed at birth, weaning and before slaughter, and average daily gain was calculated. Cold carcasses were weighed and bruising score, carcass conformation and carcass fatness were noted. The left back of each carcass was separated for dissection. The meat pH, cooking and thawing losses, texture, colour and fatty acid composition were measured on M.longissimussamples. Production traits and meat quality variables were analysed fitting a one-way model with the fixed effect of mean lamb age at harvest. The conformation and degree of fatness of Ternasco-type lambs was not significantly different from suckling lambs but the pH values 24.00 hours post-mortem in muscle (pHult) of the former was slightly higher. The fatty acid profile of suckling lambs was more suitable for a healthy human diet.
Associations Between Fast-Food Consumption and Body Mass Index: A Cross-Sectional Study in Adult Twins
Authors: Cohen-Cline Hannah , Lau Richard , Moudon Anne V. , Turkheimer Eric , Duncan Glen E.
Published: May 2015

Obesity is a substantial health problem in the United States, and is associated with many chronic diseases. Previous studies have linked poor dietary habits to obesity. This cross-sectional study aimed to identify the association between body mass index (BMI) and fast-food consumption among 669 same-sex adult twin pairs residing in the Puget Sound region around Seattle, Washington. We calculated twin-pair correlations for BMI and fast-food consumption. We next regressed BMI on fast-food consumption using generalized estimating equations (GEE), and finally estimated the within-pair difference in BMI associated with a difference in fast-food consumption, which controls for all potential genetic and environment characteristics shared between twins within a pair. Twin-pair correlations for fast-food consumption were similar for identical (monozygotic; MZ) and fraternal (dizygotic; DZ) twins, but were substantially higher in MZ than DZ twins for BMI. In the unadjusted GEE model, greater fast-food consumption was associated with larger BMI. For twin pairs overall, and for MZ twins, there was no association between within-pair differences in fast-food consumption and BMI in any model. In contrast, there was a significant association between within-pair differences in fast-food consumption and BMI among DZ twins, suggesting that genetic factors play a role in the observed association. Thus, although variance in fast-food consumption itself is largely driven by environmental factors, the overall association between this specific eating behavior and BMI is largely due to genetic factors.
A highly sensitive pressure sensor using a double-layered graphene structure for tactile sensing
Authors: Chun Sungwoo , Kim Youngjun , Oh Hyeong-Sik , Bae Giyeol , Park Wanjun
Published: May 2015

A sensor adopting the electromechanical characteristics of single-layered graphene recognizes surface morphology. Tactile sensing for the sensor is demonstrated on the frequency scale of human perception induced by gentle touching.
Metal assisted anodic etching of silicon
Authors: Lai Chang Quan , Zheng Wen , Choi W. K. , Thompson Carl V.
Published: May 2015

Metal assisted anodic etching (MAAE) of Si was studied to compare the effects of hole generation at Au/Si interfaces and electrolyte/Si interfaces, and investigate the effects that electronic and chemical processes have on the nanostructures formed.
Co-assembly of photosystem II/reduced graphene oxide multilayered biohybrid films for enhanced photocurrent
Authors: Cai Peng , Feng Xiyun , Fei Jinbo , Li Guangle , Li Jiao , Huang Jianguo , Li Junbai
Published: May 2015

Photoanodes based on PEI–rGO/PSII multilayered films are constructed through a layer-by-layer assembly technique. The rGO sheets wire the photosystems with the electrodes through electrostatic interactions. The photocurrent in direct electron transfer is enhanced with improved stability.
Chemically graded geopolymer under flexural loading: experimental modelling
Authors: Nazari Ali , Sanjayan Jay G.
Published: May 2015

In a deflected chemically graded geopolymeric specimen, the strain distribution function in the graded region depends on the constituent layers.
Squaraine dyes for organic photovoltaic cells
Authors: Chen Guo , Sasabe Hisahiro , Igarashi Tsukasa , Hong Ziruo , Kido Junji
Published: May 2015

In this review, we present the recent advances in squaraine dye materials and their applications to organic photovoltaic cells.
Constructing stereocomplex structures at the interface for remarkably accelerating matrix crystallization and enhancing the mechanical properties of poly(l-lactide)/multi-walled carbon nanotube nanocomposites
Authors: Liu Huili , Bai Dongyu , Bai Hongwei , Zhang Qin , Fu Qiang
Published: May 2015

We propose a facile strategy to develop high-performance PLLA/MWCNT nanocomposites by constructing stereocomplex structures at the interface.
A spray drying approach for the synthesis of a Na2C6H2O4/CNT nanocomposite anode for sodium-ion batteries
Authors: Wu Xiaoyan , Ma Jie , Ma Qidi , Xu Shuyin , Hu Yong-Sheng , Sun Young , Li Hong , Chen Liquan , Huang Xuejie
Published: May 2015

Sodium-ion batteries have attracted extensive attention for large-scale energy storage applications for renewable energy and smart grids owing to their abundant sodium resources and potential low cost.
A Series of Case Studies of Tinnitus Suppression With Mixed Background Stimuli in a Cochlear Implant
Authors: Tyler Richard S. , Keiner A. J. , Walker Kurt , Deshpande Aniruddha K. , Witt Shelley , Killian Matthijs , Ji Helena , Patrick Jim , Dillier Norbert , van Dijk Pim , Lai Wai Kong , Hansen Marlan R. , Gantz Bruce
Published: May 2015

Purpose

Background sounds provided by a wearable sound playback device were mixed with the acoustical input picked up by a cochlear implant speech processor in an attempt to suppress tinnitus.

Method

First, patients were allowed to listen to several sounds and to select up to 4 sounds that they thought might be effective. These stimuli were programmed to loop continuously in the wearable playback device. Second, subjects were instructed to use 1 background sound each day on the wearable device, and they sequenced the selected background sounds during a 28-day trial. Patients were instructed to go to a website at the end of each day and rate the loudness and annoyance of the tinnitus as well as the acceptability of the background sound. Patients completed the Tinnitus Primary Function Questionnaire (Tyler, Stocking, Secor, & Slattery, 2014) at the beginning of the trial.

Results

Results indicated that background sounds were very effective at suppressing tinnitus. There was considerable variability in sounds preferred by the subjects.

Conclusion

The study shows that a background sound mixed with the microphone input can be effective for suppressing tinnitus during daily use of the sound processor in selected cochlear implant users.
Fe(dppe)(η5-C5Me5)-Based Phenylalkynyl Complexes Featuring an NO2 End Group: A Theoretical Analysis
Authors: Sahnoune Hiba , Gauthier Nicolas , Green Katy , Costuas Karine , Paul Frédéric , Halet Jean-François
Published: May 2015

Electronic structures and optical properties of a series of compounds Fe(dppe)(η5-C5Me5){[C≡C(1,4-C6H4)]nNO2} (1–3; n = 1–3, dppe = 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane) were investigated with the aid of density functional theory and time-dependent density functional theory computations. The results reveal that the extension of the carbon-rich chain has a moderate influence on the electronic properties of the studied compounds in their ground state, but affects notably their spectroscopic properties, with some unexpected hypsochromic shift of the lower energy absorption bands upon carbon chain lengthening. The appropriate excitations responsible for the low-energy absorption bands involve mainly HOMO–LUMO transitions dominated by important metal-to-ligand charge transfer. A functional including long-range corrections is necessary to reproduce the experimental results.
Variability of the carbonate chemistry in a shallow, seagrass-dominated ecosystem: implications for ocean acidification experiments
Authors: Challener Roberta C. , Robbins Lisa L. , McClintock James B.
Published: May 2015

Open ocean observations have shown that increasing levels of anthropogenically derived atmospheric CO2 are causing acidification of the world’s oceans. Yet little is known about coastal acidification and studies are just beginning to characterise the carbonate chemistry of shallow, nearshore zones where many ecologically and economically important organisms occur. We characterised the carbonate chemistry of seawater within an area dominated by seagrass beds (Saint Joseph Bay, Florida) to determine the extent of variation in pH and pCO2 over monthly and daily timescales. Distinct diel and seasonal fluctuations were observed at daily and monthly timescales respectively, indicating the influence of photosynthetic and respiratory processes on the local carbonate chemistry. Over the course of a year, the range in monthly values of pH (7.36–8.28), aragonite saturation state (0.65–5.63), and calculated pCO2 (195–2537μatm) were significant. When sampled on a daily basis the range in pH (7.70–8.06), aragonite saturation state (1.86–3.85), and calculated pCO2 (379–1019μatm) also exhibited significant range and indicated variation between timescales. The results of this study have significant implications for the design of ocean acidification experiments where nearshore species are utilised and indicate that coastal species are experiencing far greater fluctuations in carbonate chemistry than previously thought.
Lubricant use at last sexual encounter with a male partner: findings from a nationally representative sample of self-identified gay and bisexual men in the United States
Authors: Dodge Brian , Hubach Randolph D. , Schick Vanessa , Herbenick Debby , Reece Michael , Sanders Stephanie A. , Fortenberry J. Dennis
Published: May 2015

Background
There is a lack of research that examines event-level lubricant use and outcomes among gay and bisexual men, with the majority of current research addressing lubricant use within the context of sexual risk. Most studies examining sexual health among gay and bisexual men have relied on convenience sampling strategies for participant recruitment. Methods: Data were collected from the 2012 wave of the National Survey of Sexual Health and Behaviour (NSSHB), which involved the administration of an online questionnaire to a nationally representative probability sample of women and men in the United States aged 18 years and older, including an oversampling of self-identified gay and bisexual men and women. The findings from gay (n = 307) and bisexual (n = 25) participants who reported sexual behaviours with other male partners during their last sexual encounter are included in this paper. Post-stratification data weights were applied to the data to maximise the generalisability of the findings. Results: Men who reported lubricant use during their last sexual event with a male partner (n = 163) were significantly more likely to be non-White, Hispanic and between 30 and 39 years old. Bisexual men had lower odds of using lubricant than gay-identified men. The majority of men reported using lubricant during anal intercourse, along with lower numbers with a range of other sexual behaviours. Conclusion: Public health promotion specialists should consider recommending continued lubricant use as a part of comprehensive sexual health promotion efforts for gay and bisexual men, including that it reduces pain and maximises pleasure.
Early diagnosis of HIV among men who have sex with men in Western Australia: impact of a peer-led sexually transmissible infection testing service
Authors: Minas Byron C. , Giele Carolien M. , Laing Sue C. , Bastian Lisa , Burry Andrew W. , Sales Kurt J. , Mak Donna B.
Published: May 2015

Background
In July 2010, the Western Australian AIDS Council established the ‘M Clinic’, a peer-led STI testing service for MSM. This study describes trends in HIV notifications among MSM in WA from 2004 to 2013, particularly the impact of the M Clinic on newly acquired HIV diagnoses. Methods: The number and proportion of MSM HIV cases with newly acquired infection were compared for the 2004–2006, 2007–2009 and 2011–2013 time periods. Data from 2010 were excluded as the M Clinic opened in July 2010. Results: Between the 2004–2006 and 2007–2009 periods, the number of MSM with newly acquired HIV increased by 50% (23 to 33 cases) and the number of newly acquired cases as a proportion of all new HIV diagnoses among MSM increased from 27% to 35% (30% increase) (P = 0.25). In the 2011–2013 period, the number of newly acquired HIV cases among MSM more than doubled to 70 cases and comprised 53% of all new HIV diagnoses among MSM (P < 0.05). Of the 70 newly acquired HIV cases in the 2011–2013 period, 30% (n = 21) were diagnosed at the M Clinic. Conclusions: The proportion of MSM HIV notifications that were newly acquired increased between 2004 and 2013 in WA, with the greatest increase seen after the M Clinic commenced operation. A peer-led approach to HIV testing should be considered in order to achieve early diagnosis and treatment of HIV among MSM.
Perception of primary male sexual partners’ characteristics and women’s history of sexually transmissible infections in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Authors: Tran Ly T. , Bui Thanh C. , Pham Vy T. , Markham Christine M. , Nyitray Alan G. , Swartz Michael D. , Tran Loi T. , Hwang Lu-Yu
Published: May 2015

Background
Evidence regarding whether male partners’ characteristics can influence women’s likelihood of getting sexually transmissible infections (STIs) is insufficient and inconsistent. Our study examined associations between women’s perception of primary male partners’ demographic and behavioural characteristics and women’s history of bacterial STI diagnoses among 126 women at risk for STIs in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Methods: All variables were obtained by women’s self-report. Due to the excess zeroes of the number of bacterial STI diagnoses for women, we used Zero-Inflated Poisson regression to examine associations of interest. Results: Among women who had one lifetime male partner (n = 49), the partner’s number of female sexual partners [prevalence ratio (PR) = 4.63, 95%CI = 1.44–14.88] and number of STI diagnoses (PR = 27.32, 95%CI = 1.56–477.70) were associated with the woman’s number of bacterial STI diagnoses, after adjusting for women’s education level. For women who had >1 lifetime male partner (n = 77), a greater number of women’s bacterial STI diagnoses was also associated with their partners’ STI history (PR = 9.12, 95% CI = 2.44–34.11). Conclusions: An increased risk for STIs in women was associated with both individual characteristics and their primary male partner’s behavioural risk factors. Therefore, primary male partners’ risk factors should be included in STI risk assessments, treatment and interventions for women.
A review of home-range studies on Australian terrestrial vertebrates: adequacy of studies, testing of hypotheses, and relevance to conservation and international studies
Authors: Goldingay Ross L.
Published: May 2015

Describing the spatial requirements of animals is central to understanding their ecology and conservation needs. I reviewed 115 studies describing the home ranges of Australian terrestrial vertebrates that were published during 2001–12. Understanding the features that characterise best practice can guide future studies. I aimed to: evaluate the adequacy of these studies, examine the use of current analysis techniques, examine the application of home-range knowledge to species’ management, and examine hypotheses that seek to explain the size and location of home ranges. The reviewed studies were unevenly distributed across taxa with a majority (68%) involving mammals compared with birds (12%), reptiles (19%) and frogs (1%). Many studies had various shortcomings, suggesting that they had not fully described home ranges; many (41%) involved 10 or fewer individuals, ≤50 locations per individual (44%), and spanned periods of ≤3 months (46%). Studies of short duration risk underestimating home-range area and overlooking seasonal habitat use. Global positioning system telemetry was used in 10% of Australian studies. Many were also of short duration. Despite frequent criticism in the literature, the Minimum Convex Polygon was the most frequently used home-range estimator (84% of studies), followed by the Fixed Kernel (45% of studies). Applying knowledge of home ranges appears to be underappreciated, with only 39% of studies explicitly aiming to address management or conservation issues. Only three studies tested hypotheses that may explain home-range characteristics. Resource (food and shelter) distribution and, in one case, its heterogeneity, shaped home-range characteristics. I found that most studies use the term ‘home range’ in an indiscriminate way. Only 11% of studies within the international literature used qualifying terms (e.g. seasonal, annual). Tracking period is shown to influence home-range estimates. Therefore, I recommend that qualifying terms be used more frequently to avoid confusion when referring to animal home ranges.
Nuclear accessibility of β-actin mRNA is measured by 3D single-molecule real-time tracking
Authors: Smith Carlas S. , Preibisch Stephan , Joseph Aviva , Abrahamsson Sara , Rieger Bernd , Myers Eugene , Singer Robert H. , Grunwald David
Published: May 2015

Imaging single proteins or RNAs allows direct visualization of the inner workings of the cell. Typically, three-dimensional (3D) images are acquired by sequentially capturing a series of 2D sections. The time required to step through the sample often impedes imaging of large numbers of rapidly moving molecules. Here we applied multifocus microscopy (MFM) to instantaneously capture 3D single-molecule real-time images in live cells, visualizing cell nuclei at 10 volumes per second. We developed image analysis techniques to analyze messenger RNA (mRNA) diffusion in the entire volume of the nucleus. Combining MFM with precise registration between fluorescently labeled mRNA, nuclear pore complexes, and chromatin, we obtained globally optimal image alignment within 80-nm precision using transformation models. We show that β-actin mRNAs freely access the entire nucleus and fewer than 60% of mRNAs are more than 0.5 µm away from a nuclear pore, and we do so for the first time accounting for spatial inhomogeneity of nuclear organization.
Receptor dimerization dynamics as a regulatory valve for plasticity of type I interferon signaling
Authors: Wilmes Stephan , Beutel Oliver , Li Zhi , Francois-Newton Véronique , Richter Christian P. , Janning Dennis , Kroll Cindy , Hanhart Patrizia , Hötte Katharina , You Changjiang , Uzé Gilles , Pellegrini Sandra , Piehler Jacob
Published: May 2015

Type I interferons (IFNs) activate differential cellular responses through a shared cell surface receptor composed of the two subunits, IFNAR1 and IFNAR2. We propose here a mechanistic model for how IFN receptor plasticity is regulated on the level of receptor dimerization. Quantitative single-molecule imaging of receptor assembly in the plasma membrane of living cells clearly identified IFN-induced dimerization of IFNAR1 and IFNAR2. The negative feedback regulator ubiquitin-specific protease 18 (USP18) potently interferes with the recruitment of IFNAR1 into the ternary complex, probably by impeding complex stabilization related to the associated Janus kinases. Thus, the responsiveness to IFNα2 is potently down-regulated after the first wave of gene induction, while IFNβ, due to its ∼100-fold higher binding affinity, is still able to efficiently recruit IFNAR1. Consistent with functional data, this novel regulatory mechanism at the level of receptor assembly explains how signaling by IFNβ is maintained over longer times compared with IFNα2 as a temporally encoded cause of functional receptor plasticity.
Dimerization dictates the message
Authors: Short Ben
Published: May 2015

Feedback regulation of receptor dimerization determines the cell’s response to different interferons.
Eva Nogales: See how they run
Authors: Sedwick Caitlin
Published: May 2015

Nogales studies complex molecular machines using cryoelectron microscopy.
Leading from the Front: The ‘Service Members’ in Parliament, the Armed Forces, and British Politics during the Great War
Authors: Johnson Matthew
Published: May 2015

The Great War was widely seen in Britain as a struggle for civilian and constitutional standards of government against the evils of ‘Prussian militarism’. Yet the British political class itself was by no means a purely ‘civilian’ caste. During the war 264 MPs—some 40 per cent of the membership of the House of Commons—volunteered to serve in the armed forces. These men occupied a unique and controversial position both within Parliament and in the forces. A shared experience of military service could provide a common identity, and even a basis for common action, for MPs from rival parties, and many of these men came to support an apparently ‘military’ agenda at Westminster. At the same time, fighting MPs could act as agents of parliamentary oversight and control over the military establishment. Yet the importance of these ‘Service Members’ was not only evident in the realm of civil–military relations, and this article explores the significance and consequences of attempts by Service Members to claim a special political authority as the ‘representatives’ of the armed forces in the House of Commons, to offer an important new perspective on wartime British debates about the workings of representative politics, the nature of political citizenship, and the authority of Parliament as an institution.
Strontium isotope analyses (87Sr/86Sr) of otoliths from anadromous Bering cisco (Coregonus laurettae) to determine stock composition
Authors: Padilla Andrew J. , Brown Randy J. , Wooller Matthew J.
Published: May 2015

A commercial fishery targeting the anadromous Bering cisco (Coregonus laurettae) is occurring in the Yukon River, Alaska, USA. All three of the known global spawning populations occur in Alaska. Managers believed that two of the three populations were being harvested in the fishery. To determine the likelihood of a mixed-stock fishery, we used 87Sr/86Sr values from the freshwater region of otoliths, from spawning adult Bering cisco of known origin (n = 82), to create a baseline. A 10-fold cross-validated, quadratic discriminant function analysis (DFA) of the three baseline population 87Sr/86Sr values (Yukon River, n = 27; South Fork Kuskokwim River [Kuskokwim River], n = 25; and Susitna River, n = 30) correctly reclassified 98.8% of the fish analysed. The baseline DFA model was then used to classify the 87Sr/86Sr values from a set of otoliths removed from commercially harvested Bering cisco (n = 139). Using a posterior probability threshold of 90%, we found that >97% of the commercial samples were classified as originating in the Yukon River. The remainder of the commercial samples were classified as originating in the Kuskokwim River (0.7%) or from the Susitna River (1.5%). The presence of 87Sr/86Sr values consistent with the Susitna River discovered in the Yukon River baseline (n = 1) and commercial samples (n = 2) suggested either multiple isotope signatures within the Yukon River population or straying among populations. Strontium isotope data provide an effective tool to monitor the movements and stock composition of Bering cisco.
Neutron diffraction structures of water in crystalline hydrates of metal salts
Authors: Chandler Graham S. , Wajrak Magdalena , Khan R. Nazim
Published: May 2015

Neutron diffraction structures of water molecules in crystalline hydrates of metal salts have been collected from the literature up to December 2011. Statistical methods were used to investigate the influence on the water structures of the position and nature of hydrogen bond acceptors and cations coordinated to the water oxygen. For statistical modelling the data were pruned so that only structures with oxygen as hydrogen acceptors, single hydrogen bonds, and no more than two metals or hydrogens coordinated to the water oxygen were included. Multiple linear regression models were fitted with the water OH bond length and bond angle as response variables. Other variables describing the position and nature of the acceptors and ions coordinated to the waters were taken as explanatory variables. These variables were sufficient to give good models for the bond lengths and angles. There were sufficient structures involving coordinated Mg^{2+} or Cu^{2+} for a separate statistical modelling to be done for these cases.
An economic evaluation of outpatient versus inpatient polyp treatment for abnormal uterine bleeding
Authors: Diwakar L , Roberts TE , Cooper NAM , Middleton L , Jowett S , Daniels J , Smith P , Clark TJ ,   the OPT trial collaborative group
Published: May 2015

Objectives

To undertake a cost‐effectiveness analysis of outpatient uterine polypectomy compared with standard inpatient treatment under general anaesthesia.

Design

Economic evaluation carried out alongside the multi‐centre, pragmatic, non‐inferiority, randomised controlled Outpatient Polyp Treatment (OPT) trial. TheUKNational Health Service (NHS) perspective was used in the estimation of costs and the interpretation of results.

Setting

Thirty‐one secondary care UK NHS hospitals between April 2008 and July 2011.

Participants

Five hundred and seven women with abnormal uterine bleeding and hysteroscopically diagnosed endometrial polyps.

Interventions

Outpatient uterine polypectomy versus standard inpatient treatment. Clinicians were free to choose the technique for polypectomy within the allocated setting.

Main outcome measures

Patient‐reported effectiveness of the procedure determined by the women's self‐assessment of bleeding at 6 months, andQALYgains at 6 and 12 months.

Results

Inpatient treatment was slightly more effective but more expensive than outpatient treatment, resulting in relatively high incremental cost‐effectiveness ratios. Intention‐to‐treat analysis of the base case at 6 months revealed that it cost an additional £9421 per successfully treated patient in the inpatient group and £ 1,099,167 per additionalQALYgained, when compared with outpatient treatment. At 12 months, these costs were £22,293 per additional effectively treated patient and £445,867 per additionalQALYgained, respectively.

Conclusions

Outpatient treatment of uterine polyps associated with abnormal uterine bleeding appears to be more cost‐effective than inpatient treatment at willingness‐to‐pay thresholds acceptable to theNHS.

Tweetable abstract

HTA‐fundedOPTtrial concluded that outpatient uterine polypectomy is cost‐effective compared with inpatient polypectomy.
Optimal Duration of Dual Antiplatelet Therapy after Drug‐Eluting Stents: Meta‐Analysis of Randomized Trials
Authors: Abo‐salem Elsayed , Alsidawi Said , Jamali Hina , Effat Mohamed , Helmy Tarek
Published: May 2015

Introduction

The optimal duration of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) after drug‐eluting stent implantation (DES) is not certain. The AHA/ACC guidelines recommend 12 months of DAPT based on observational trials. Recently, several large randomized controlled trials (RCT) suggested a noninferiority of shorter duration of DAPT and other trials showed a benefit from extended duration of DAPT after 12 months of DES implantation.

Methods

PubMed databases were searched for RCTs comparing the continued use of DAPT to shorter duration of DAPT (aspirin alone) for variable durations beyond 3 months of DES implantation. Our analysis was limited to trials with clinical outcomes. Odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using fixed and random‐effects models. Subgroup analyses were performed for second generation DES and for trials comparing 12 months of DAPT vs. earlier interruption or longer duration of DAPT.

Results

We identified 10 RCTs including 32,136 subjects randomized to continued use of DAPT vs. aspirin alone for variable durations after 3 months of DES implantation. There was no significant heterogeneity among studies (Q test P > 0.1). Compared to shorter DAPT, longer DAPT resulted in a significant reduction in stent thrombosis (0.3% vs. 0.7%, P < 0.01) and myocardial infarction (1.3% vs. 2%, P < 0.01), and a significant increase in major bleeding (0.8% vs. 0.4%, P < 0.01). There was no difference in cardiac deaths or stroke. All‐cause deaths were slightly lower with shorter DAPT compared to longer DAPT (OR 0.8, 95% CI 0.7 to 0.99, P = 0.04). A small number of subjects were included between 3 and 6 months after DES implantation.

Conclusion

DAPT continued beyond 6 months after second generation DES implantation decreases stent thrombosis and myocardial infarction, but increases major bleeding and all‐causes mortality compared to shorter DAPT (aspirin alone). There was no difference in cardiac mortality or stroke.
Consensus Statement on Advancing Research in Emergency Department Operations and Its Impact on Patient Care
Authors: Yiadom Maame Yaa A. B. , Ward Michael J. , Chang Anna Marie , Pines Jesse M. , Jouriles Nick , Yealy Donald M. ,   the Emergency Department Operations Study Group
Published: May 2015

The consensus conference on “Advancing Research in Emergency Department (ED) Operations and Its Impact on Patient Care,” hosted by The ED Operations Study Group (EDOSG), convened to craft a framework for future investigations in this important but understudied area. The EDOSG is a research consortium dedicated to promoting evidence‐based clinical practice in emergency medicine. The consensus process format was a modified version of the NIH Model for Consensus Conference Development. Recommendations provide an action plan for how to improve ED operations study design, create a facilitating research environment, identify data measures of value for process and outcomes research, and disseminate new knowledge in this area. Specifically, we call for eight key initiatives: 1) the development of universal measures for ED patient care processes; 2) attention to patient outcomes, in addition to process efficiency and best practice compliance; 3) the promotion of multisite clinical operations studies to create more generalizable knowledge; 4) encouraging the use of mixed methods to understand the social community and human behavior factors that influence ED operations; 5) the creation of robust ED operations research registries to drive stronger evidence‐based research; 6) prioritizing key clinical questions with the input of patients, clinicians, medical leadership, emergency medicine organizations, payers, and other government stakeholders; 7) more consistently defining the functional components of the ED care system, including observation units, fast tracks, waiting rooms, laboratories, and radiology subunits; and 8) maximizing multidisciplinary knowledge dissemination via emergency medicine, public health, general medicine, operations research, and nontraditional publications.
3 Es nuestra tradicion: The Continuing Importance of Ballgames among Migrant Mixtec Communities in the United States
Authors: Stoll Marijke
Published: May 2015

The pre‐Hispanic ballgame was integral in the lives of ancient Mesoamerican communities. Today, modern ballgames closely resembling their pre‐Hispanic antecedents are still played in different states throughout Mexico. Here I explore the links between the modern ballgame pelota Mixteca (Mixtec ball) and ethnic identity in Mixtecan communities in Oaxaca and the United States, using data from ethnographic interviews with pelota Mixteca players. I conclude that because cultural traditions are important influences in the (re)shaping of identity, participation in Oaxacan traditions like pelota Mixteca is critical to the creation of a pan‐Mixtecan identity among migrant Mixtec groups in the United States.
8 Configuring and Commoditizing the Archaeological Landscape: Heritage, Identity, and Tourism in the Tuxtla Mountains
Authors: Venter Marcie , Lyon Sarah
Published: May 2015

This paper explores how the burgeoning tourism economy in the western Tuxtla Mountains is shaping the perception and presentation of archaeological heritage. We compare the divergent motives and representations of three groups: professional archaeologists, municipalities, and private entrepreneurs. A struggling local economy has contributed to inhabitants of the region increasingly perceiving the past as a potential economic stimulus. Narratives of the past, however, are unregulated and diverse, and the translocal politics of heritage management can have unintended by‐products, including conflicts between externally represented cultural values and locally imagined meanings and identities. The impact of this representational divergence on community and governmental support for the protection of cultural patrimony and heritage education is uncertain.
Abnormality of epiphyseal plate induced by selenium deficiency diet in two generation DA rats
Authors: Min Zixin , Zhao Wenxiang , Zhong Nannan , Guo Yuanxu , Sun Mengyao , Wang Quancheng , Zhang Rui , Yan Jidong , Tian Lifang , Zhang Fujun , Han Yan , Ning Qilan , Meng Liesu , Sun Jian , Lu Shemin
Published: May 2015

This study aimed to observe the effects of Se deficiency on epiphyseal plates of two generation DA rats fed with artificial total synthetic low Se diet. All F0 and F1 DA rats were fed with synthetic low Se diet (SeD group) and low Se diet supplied with Se (SeS group). The levels of selenium and enzyme activities of GPx were detected in plasma of the rats. General growth of bone and articular cartilage was measured macroscopically and microscopically. The epiphyseal plate of femur heads or tibia were obtained to histological and immunohistochemical examinations. The cartilage from left knee joints and femur heads was used to detect the gene expression of collagens, ADAMTSs and several selenoproteins by RT‐qPCR. Two generation SeD rats showed Se insufficiency status. The thicknesses of the femur and tibial epiphyseal plates in both F0 and F1 SeD rats were significantly less than that of SeS rats. In F1 generation, SeD rats showed much fewer proliferative chondrocyte layers than SeS ones. Importantly, two generation SeD rats both showed significantly more serious pathological changes of epiphyseal plates. In two generation rats, gene expressions of COL II, GPx1 and GPx4 were significantly down‐regulated in SeD rats than SeS ones; meanwhile ADAMTS‐4 showed an up‐regulated expression in cartilage. Dietary Se deficiency can apparently cause epiphyseal plate lesion and decrease cartilage type II collagen production and GPx1 activity in two generation DA rats fed with the artificial total synthesis low Se diet.
MTF database: A repository of students' academic performance measurements for the development of techniques for evaluating team functioning
Authors: Hsiung Chin‐Min , Zheng Xiang‐Xiang
Published: May 2015

The Measurements for Team Functioning (MTF) database contains a series of student academic performance measurements obtained at a national university in Taiwan. The measurements are acquired from unit tests and homework tests performed during a core mechanical engineering course, and provide an objective means of assessing the functioning of cooperative learning teams and the fit of each member within the team. The database currently includes three datasets, where each dataset contains the performance measurements obtained over an 18‐week semester. The performance measurements within the database provide valuable insights into the team dynamics within a cooperative learning environment. The features, results, limitations and future development of the database are discussed.
How the young generation uses digital textbooks via mobile learning terminals: Measurement of elementary school students in China
Authors: Sun Zhong , Jiang Yuzhen
Published: May 2015

Digital textbooks that offer multimedia features, interactive controls, e‐annotation and learning process tracking are gaining increasing attention in today's mobile learning era, particularly with the rapid development of mobile learning terminals such as Apple's iPad series and Android‐based models. Accordingly, this study explores how elementary school students use digital textbooks via mobile learning terminals such as the iPad by mainly assessing relevant data resources. The participants of this study included 6211 students from 74 elementary schools in China. Several themes, such as demographic characteristics, self‐efficacy, technology acceptance model, learning process, behavior attention and attitude with regard to their usage of digital textbooks, were analyzed. The data of this study would aid policy makers and educators in conducting further research on the implementation of the K‐12 educational technology reform with digital textbooks via mobile learning terminals in formal school settings.