bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sustainability in complex environments: making sense of the Katrina lawsuits
Authors: Ratiu Catalin , B. Anderson Beverlee
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– The meaning of sustainability continues to be debated by scholars and professionals alike. But how do individuals, who are expected to contribute to implementing sustainability actions, perceive this important concept? The purpose of this paper is to explore how individuals relate to the multidimensionality of sustainability.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper uses a qualitative design to learn how individuals understand and prioritise the various dimensions of sustainability. Respondents were asked to react in essay form to a narrative that weaves social, environmental, economic and legal issues and offer a recommended course of action.

Findings

– The findings are mixed, showing that sustainability is yet to mature as a concept in the minds of the general public. Encouragingly, the paper finds evidence that most respondents are aware of the primary dimensions of sustainability.

Research limitations/implications

– The research is limited by the convenience sample used, which may offer a skewed distribution.

Practical implications

– While defining sustainability conceptually continues to preoccupy scholars and policy makers, educating the general public on these advancements should also be prioritised, given the high reliance on individuals to implement the many sustainability initiatives and innovations in existence.

Originality/value

– The study uses an innovative methodology to learn how individuals perceive a very complex topic.
Exploring children’s socialization to three dimensions of sustainability
Authors: Elizabeth Francis Julie , Davis Teresa
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– This study aims to examine aspects of children’s sustainability socialization. Many studies examine children’s attitudes to sustainability. However, few studies build an understanding of how, where and when children are socialized to sustainability.

Design/methodology/approach

– Interviews with 30 children explore the socializing agents (who), learning situations (where), learning processes (how) and learning effects (what). The study also delineates and compares the environmental, self and social dimensions of sustainability.

Findings

– Socialization to environmental sustainability is highly structured and formal, and children rarely go beyond the knowledge and actions they are taught. Socialization to the self dimension combines formal and informal mechanisms with a greater propensity for elaboration and generalization. Meanwhile, socialization to societal sustainability involves unstructured and individualized processes and outcomes.

Research limitations/implications

– This is an exploratory study. Future research could develop scales to measure children’s sustainability dispositions and actions. Researchers could then use such scales to examine the sustainability socialization of children from other demographic and cultural groups.

Practical implications

– The findings indicate that children are often positively disposed towards sustainability but lack the knowledge and direction needed to exercise this desire. Thus, marketers should more clearly articulate how their product solves a sustainability problem.

Social implications

– This paper could inform sustainability education policy. It has practical applications in the area of sustainability curriculum design in schools.

Originality/value

– Being the first study that explores children’s socialization to three dimensions of sustainability, this paper provides a unique contribution to consumer behaviour theory and would be of interest to academics, practitioners and social marketers.
The global regulator FfSge1 is required for expression of secondary metabolite gene clusters but not for pathogenicity in Fusarium fujikuroi
Authors: Michielse Caroline B. , Studt Lena , Janevska Slavica , Sieber Christian M. K. , Arndt Birgit , Espino Jose Juan , Humpf Hans‐Ulrich , Güldener Ulrich , Tudzynski Bettina
Published: August 2014

The plant pathogenic fungus Fusarium fujikuroi is the causal agent of bakanae disease on rice due to its ability to produce gibberellins. Besides these phytohormones, F. fujikuroi is able to produce several other secondary metabolites (SMs). Although much progress has been made in the field of secondary metabolism, the transcriptional regulation of SM biosynthesis is complex and still incompletely understood. Environmental conditions, global as well as pathway‐specific regulators and chromatin remodelling have been shown to play major roles. Here, the role of FfSge1, a homologue of the morphological switch regulators Wor1 and Ryp1 in Candida albicans and Histoplasma capsulatum, respectively, is explored with emphasis on secondary metabolism. FfSge1 is not required for formation of conidia and pathogenicity but is involved in vegetative growth. Transcriptome analysis of the mutant Δffsge1 compared with the wild type, as well as comparative chemical analysis between the wild type, Δffsge1 and OE:FfSGE1, revealed that FfSge1 functions as a global activator of secondary metabolism in F. fujikuroi. Double mutants of FfSGE1 and other SM regulatory genes brought insights into the hierarchical regulation of secondary metabolism. In addition, FfSge1 is also required for expression of a yet uncharacterized SM gene cluster containing a non‐canonical non‐ribosomal peptide synthetase.
Gross Morphometric Studies on the Tongue, Buccal Cavity and Hard Palate of the Fruit Bat (Eidolon helvum)
Authors: Igado O. O. , Omobowale T. O. , Ajadi R. A. , Nottidge H. O.
Published: August 2014

This study was designed to assess the gross morphometric studies of the tongue, hard palate and buccal cavity of the fruit bat (Eidolon helvum). Sixty bats of both sexes were used for this study. The tongue was excised, and the weight and various linear measurements were determined. Linear measurements were also determined on the hard palate. The gross distribution of the lingual papillae was observed to be the same in both sexes; values obtained for the weight and length of the tongue were higher in the females, although no statistically significant differences were observed (P > 0.05). The number of ridges on the hard palate displayed sexual dimorphism. Results obtained from this study may find application in the field of comparative and clinical anatomy of wildlife and also in feeding physiology.
Multidisciplinary consensus: A practical guide for the integration of abiraterone into clinical practice
Authors: Woo Henry H , Begbie Stephen , Gogna Kumar , Mainwaring Paul N , Murphy Declan G , Parnis Francis , Steer Christopher , Davis Ian D
Published: August 2014

Abiraterone improves survival, relieves pain, improves quality of life and extends time to prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) progression in patients with metastatic castration‐resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). A consensus‐based guide for using abiraterone in patients with mCRPC has been developed by Australian clinicians with expertise in prostate cancer, based on their experience and supported by published data. Recommendations were developed for eight key topics: abiraterone administration; steroid administration and duration of use; concomitant medications and drug interactions; timing of testing and monitoring response; safety in different populations; potential toxicities; precautions and contraindications; and referral and multidisciplinary care. Abiraterone is taken orally in a fasting state. Symptoms associated with mineralocorticoid excess are managed by coadministration of low‐dose prednisone or prednisolone. Potassium levels, blood pressure and liver function need to be tested frequently during the early treatment phase. Response to treatment is monitored based on symptoms, radiological imaging and PSA levels. Potential adverse consequences of long‐term steroid therapy on bone and metabolic health need to be screened for and managed. Advanced prostate cancer is best managed by a multidisciplinary team and early referral should be considered. Questions about the potential use of abiraterone in early disease and in combination with other therapies are being addressed in ongoing clinical trials.
Victims or profiteers? Issues of migration, racism and violence among Indian students in Melbourne
Authors: Baas Michiel
Published: August 2014

This paper analyses the impact the phenomenal growth (2002–2009) and rapid decline (2010–2012) of Indian student numbers has had on the city of Melbourne. Specifically addressing the way the debate developed over the allegedly racially motivated attacks on students in 2009 the paper examines how conflicting narratives on Indian students could emerge presenting them as ‘victims’ and/or ‘profiteers’. Making use of an analysis of over a thousand media reports as well as drawing on ethnographic material the paper argues that the way the debate about the racist character of the attacks unfolded in popular media is revealing of the way the growth in Indian students in Melbourne has been experienced and perceived over time. In particular the entanglement of education and migration in Australia, allowing Indian students to become permanent residents by graduating from low‐quality institutions, contributed to the perception of them being low‐skilled migrants and as such ‘profiteers’. As a result the paper not only shows how a rapidly growing and highly commercial education industry was able to influence the dynamics and socio‐cultural make‐up of the city of Melbourne but also how the entanglement of education and migration produced a volatile situation with ultimately far reaching social and economic consequences for the city.
‘Educity imaginaries’? Escaping mobile policy imaginaries to reimagine educational futures in Auckland
Authors: Lewis Nick , Kearns Liam
Published: August 2014

Over the last decade, international education initiatives and higher education restructuring in various parts of the world have been increasingly entangled with national knowledge economy policy and urban growth projects. The ensuing entanglements have been more or less ‘policied’ by what might be termed ‘educity imaginaries’, which have taken spectacular material form in some global cities. In this paper, we explore the working out of educity imaginaries in Auckland against the backdrop of shifting investment trajectories and the global mobility of educity policy. We argue that globalising imaginaries have intersected with local policy legacies and political economy to produce a mix of mundane and promissory imaginaries. We examine the frictions generated in these encounters and the ways in which they are reworked as resources in local city‐making. Working from a commitment to enactive research, we argue that Auckland City might make much more of the possibilities opened up by ‘educity imaginaries’.
Opportunities and tensions in the process of educational globalisation: The case of Hong Kong
Authors: Lui Tai‐lok
Published: August 2014

With the rise of Asian economies, university education in the region is no longer just a service to be consumed domestically. It is also perceived as an industry for a rising global city. How to capture the growing market and make the best use of such an opportunity for city building is now on the agenda of many cities in Asia. Hong Kong is a particularly interesting case as it is both a destination for many talented students from China and a bridge for international students to reach different parts (China in particular) of Asia. Educational globalisation seems to make sense politically as well as economically. Yet how to strike a balance between opening the door of universities to the outside world and meeting the education needs of the local population is by no means unproblematic. At stake are further changes in the universities, and major challenges to the political capacity of the government which has to turn higher education into a revenue generating service without doing it at the expense of local interests.
Assessing participation in cross‐border higher education in cities: Foreign education provision in Ho Chi Minh City
Authors: Ziguras Christopher , Pham Anh Thi Ngoc
Published: August 2014

One of the limitations of research on global educational mobility has been the primary classification of key participants – students and educational institutions – in national terms. This paper tests the challenges involved in such methodological nationalism by examining the provision of cross‐border education in one city. As Vietnam's commercial centre, Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) has experienced rapid transformation over the past two decades as the country has moved steadily from a state‐directed to a more market‐driven and globally integrated economy. Since the late 1990s there has been a parallel growth in cross‐border higher education in HCMC, through the outbound mobility of students and the provision of foreign programmes by international partnerships and branch campuses. Drawing on available data supplemented with insights gleaned from interviews and existing literature, this paper develops a methodology for identifying and quantifying the key features of each form of domestic, overseas and transnational provision. We estimate that around 6% of HCMC's tertiary students are studying overseas and between 2% and 3% in foreign programmes delivered in the city. The rates of enrolment in overseas and transnational programmes by students in HCMC are thus far higher than for Vietnam as a whole, but still considerably lower than in those well‐established cross‐border education hubs, Hong Kong and Singapore. We argue that concerns about the growth of private education and inequalities in access may continue to limit the growth of transnational provision in HCMC.
Stimulation of Suicidal Erythrocyte Death by Sulforaphane
Authors: Alzoubi Kousi , Calabrò Salvatrice , Faggio Caterina , Lang Florian
Published: August 2014

Sulforaphane, an isothiocyanate from cruciferous vegetable, counteracts malignancy. The effect is at least in part due to the stimulation of suicidal death or apoptosis of tumour cells. Mechanisms invoked in sulforaphane‐induced apoptosis include mitochondrial depolarization and altered gene expression. Despite the lack of mitochondria and nuclei, erythrocytes may, similar to apoptosis of nucleated cells, enter eryptosis, a suicidal cell death characterized by cell shrinkage and phosphatidylserine translocation to the erythrocyte surface. Stimulators of eryptosis include increase of cytosolic Ca2+‐activity ([Ca2+]i). This study explored whether sulforaphane stimulates eryptosis. Cell volume was estimated from forward scatter, phosphatidylserine exposure at the cell surface from annexin V binding and [Ca2+]i from Fluo‐3 fluorescence. A 48‐hr treatment of human erythrocytes with sulforaphane (50–100 μM) significantly decreased forward scatter, significantly increased the percentage of annexin V binding cells and significantly increased [Ca2+]i. The effect of sulforaphane (100 μM) on annexin V binding was significantly blunted but not abrogated by the removal of extracellular Ca2+. Sulforaphane (100 μM) significantly increased ceramide formation. In conclusion, sulforaphane stimulates suicidal erythrocyte death or eryptosis, an effect at least partially, but not exclusively, due to the stimulation of Ca2+ entry and ceramide formation.
Clinical performance of the Prostate Health Index (PHI) for the prediction of prostate cancer in obese men: data from the PROMEtheuS project, a multicentre European prospective study
Authors: Abrate Alberto , Lazzeri Massimo , Lughezzani Giovanni , Buffi Nicolòmaria , Bini Vittorio , Haese Alexander , de la Taille Alexandre , McNicholas Thomas , Redorta Joan Palou , Gadda Giulio M. , Lista Giuliana , Kinzikeeva Ella , Fossati Nicola , Larcher Alessandro , Dell'Oglio Paolo , Mistretta Francesco , Freschi Massimo , Guazzoni Giorgio
Published: August 2014

Objectives

To test serum prostate‐specific antigen (PSA) isoform [‐2]proPSA (p2PSA), p2PSA/free PSA (%p2PSA) and Prostate Health Index (PHI) accuracy in predicting prostate cancer in obese men and to test whether PHI is more accurate than PSA in predicting prostate cancer in obese patients.

Patients and Methods

The analysis consisted of a nested case‐control study from the pro‐PSA Multicentric European Study (PROMEtheuS) project. The study is registered at http://www.controlled‐trials.com/ISRCTN04707454. The primary outcome was to test sensitivity, specificity and accuracy (clinical validity) of serum p2PSA, %p2PSA and PHI, in determining prostate cancer at prostate biopsy in obese men [body mass index (BMI) ≥30 kg/m2], compared with total PSA (tPSA), free PSA (fPSA) and fPSA/tPSA ratio (%fPSA). The number of avoidable prostate biopsies (clinical utility) was also assessed. Multivariable logistic regression models were complemented by predictive accuracy analysis and decision‐curve analysis.

Results

Of the 965 patients, 383 (39.7%) were normal weight (BMI <25 kg/m2), 440 (45.6%) were overweight (BMI 25–29.9 kg/m2) and 142 (14.7%) were obese (BMI ≥30 kg/m2). Among obese patients, prostate cancer was found in 65 patients (45.8%), with a higher percentage of Gleason score ≥7 diseases (67.7%). PSA, p2PSA, %p2PSA and PHI were significantly higher, and %fPSA significantly lower in patients with prostate cancer (P < 0.001). In multivariable logistic regression models, PHI significantly increased accuracy of the base multivariable model by 8.8% (P = 0.007). At a PHI threshold of 35.7, 46 (32.4%) biopsies could have been avoided.

Conclusion

In obese patients, PHI is significantly more accurate than current tests in predicting prostate cancer.
The social media revolution is changing the conference experience: analytics and trends from eight international meetings
Authors: Wilkinson Sarah E. , Basto Marnique Y. , Perovic Greta , Lawrentschuk Nathan , Murphy Declan G.
Published: August 2014

Objective

To analyse the use of Twitter at urology conferences to enhance the social media conference experience.

Materials and Methods

We prospectively registered the hashtags of eight international urology conferences taking place in 2013, using the social media metrics website, Symplur.com. In addition, we prospectively registered the hashtag for the European Association of Urology (EAU) Annual Congress for 3 consecutive years (2012–2014) to analyse the trend in the use of Twitter at a particular meeting. Metrics including number of ‘tweets’, number of participants, tweet traffic per day, and overall digital impressions, which were captured for 5 days before each conference, the conference itself, and the following 2 days. We also measured corresponding social media activity at a very large non‐urology meeting (the American Society of Clinical Oncology) for comparative purposes.

Results

Twitter activity was noted at all eight conferences in 2013. In all, 12 363 tweets were sent generating over 14 million impressions. The number of participants tweeting at each meeting varied from 80 (Congress of the Société Internationale d'Urologie, #SIU2013) to 573 (the American Urological Association, #AUA13). Overall, the AUA meeting (#AUA13) generated the most Twitter activity with >8.6 million impressions and a total of 4663 tweets over the peri‐conference period. It also had the most impressions and tweets per day over this period, at 717 000 and 389, respectively. The EAU Annual Congress 2013 (#EAU13) generated 1.74 million impressions from a total of 1762 tweets from 236 participants. For trends in Twitter use, there was a very sharp rise in Twitter activity at the EAU Annual Congress between 2012 and 2014. Over this 3‐year period, the number of participants increased almost 10‐fold, leading to an increase in the number of tweets from 347 to almost 6000. At #EAU14, digital impressions reached 7.35 million with 5903 tweets sent by 797 participants.

Conclusions

Urological conferences, to a varying extent, have adopted social media as a means of amplifying the conference experience to a wider audience, generating international engagement and global reach. Twitter is a very powerful tool that amplifies the content of scientific meetings, and conference organisers should put in place strategies to capitalise on this.
WHO VOTES EXPRESSIVELY, AND WHY? EXPERIMENTAL EVIDENCE
Authors: Etang Alvin , Fielding David , Knowles Stephen
Published: August 2014

Experiments have shown that some people behave more altruistically in collective decisions than they do in individual ones, which could be interpreted as an ‘expressive voting’ effect. However, there is substantial variation in the behaviour of experimental participants. We conduct experiments to explore the reasons for this variation, and find that certain characteristics are sometimes associated with a propensity for expressive voting. However, the strength of these effects depends on the ordering of individual and collective choices. The ‘warm glow’ of expressive voting can influence subsequent individual decisions, and the ‘cold shower’ of individual selfishness can influence subsequent collective decisions.
A‐kinase anchoring proteins: cAMP compartmentalization in neurodegenerative and obstructive pulmonary diseases
Authors: Poppinga W J , Muñoz‐Llancao P , González‐Billault C , Schmidt M
Published: August 2014

The universal second messenger cAMP is generated upon stimulation of Gs protein‐coupled receptors, such as the β2‐adreneoceptor, and leads to the activation of PKA, the major cAMP effector protein. PKA oscillates between an on and off state and thereby regulates a plethora of distinct biological responses. The broad activation pattern of PKA and its contribution to several distinct cellular functions lead to the introduction of the concept of compartmentalization of cAMP. A‐kinase anchoring proteins (AKAPs) are of central importance due to their unique ability to directly and/or indirectly interact with proteins that either determine the cellular content of cAMP, such as β2‐adrenoceptors, ACs and PDEs, or are regulated by cAMP such as the exchange protein directly activated by cAMP. We report on lessons learned from neurons indicating that maintenance of cAMP compartmentalization by AKAP5 is linked to neurotransmission, learning and memory. Disturbance of cAMP compartments seem to be linked to neurodegenerative disease including Alzheimer's disease. We translate this knowledge to compartmentalized cAMP signalling in the lung. Next to AKAP5, we focus here on AKAP12 and Ezrin (AKAP78). These topics will be highlighted in the context of the development of novel pharmacological interventions to tackle AKAP‐dependent compartmentalization.
Rapid Assessment of Seed Removal and Frugivore Activity as a Tool for Monitoring the Health Status of Tropical Forests
Authors: Boissier Olivier , Bouiges Axelle , Mendoza Irene , Feer François , Forget Pierre‐Michel
Published: August 2014

Ecological processes in tropical forests are being affected at unprecedented rates by human activities. Yet, the continuity of ecological functions like seed dispersal is crucial for forest regeneration. It thus becomes increasingly urgent to be able to rapidly assess the health status of these processes in order to take appropriate management measures. We tested a method to rapidly evaluate seed removal rates on two animal‐dispersed tree species,Virola kwataeandV. michelii(Myristicaceae), at three sites in French Guiana with increasing levels of anthropogenic disturbance. We counted fallen fruits, fruit valves, and seeds of each focal fruiting tree in a single 1 m2quadrat, and calculated two indices: the proportion of seeds removed and the proportion of fruits opened by mammals. They both provide an indirect and rapid assessment of frugivore activity. Our results showed a significant decrease in the proportion of removed seeds (16%) and fruits opened (19%) at the most impacted site in comparison with the other two sites (79% for seeds, 60% and 35% for fruits). This testifies to an increased impoverishment of the primate and toucan communities at the disturbed sites. This standardized protocol provides fast information about the health status of the community of seed dispersers and predators and of their seed removal services. It is time‐ and cost‐effective and is not species‐specific, allowing comparisons among sites or over time. We suggest using it with the pantropical Myristicaceae and any other capsule‐producing family to rapidly assess the health status of seed removal processes across the tropics.
Do Bats Roost and Forage in Shade Coffee Plantations? A Perspective from the Frugivorous Bat Sturnira hondurensis
Authors: Cortés‐Delgado Natalia , Sosa Vinicio J.
Published: August 2014

Shade coffee plantations are considered important habitats for frugivorous bats. However, it is not known if bats use this agricultural habitat for shelter, food resources, or both. This study addresses these questions using the highland yellow‐shouldered bat (Sturnira hondurensis) as an example. Twenty‐six adult individuals of S. hondurensis were captured, 50 percent in tropical montane cloud forest (TMCF) and 50 percent in shade coffee plantations (SCP) in Veracruz, Mexico, and each was fitted with a radio transmitter for locating roosts and feeding areas. Data were obtained from 24 of them. The fieldwork was conducted between October 2010 and October 2011 covering all seasons. Twenty‐two day roosts were located in the cavities of twelve different species of tree. Roosts located in TMCF differed significantly from those in SCP, having a smaller crown area and a greater species richness and density of plants around the roost. In SCP, both the average home range and the average core use area were smaller than in TMCF, but the differences were not statistically significant. Distances travelled by bats were generally longer and more variable in the SCP; the distance between capture site and foraging site was significantly greater in SCP than in TMCF. In SCP, there were fewer understory chiropterochorous plants, which are the main item in the diet of this bat and many other sympatric species of frugivorous bats. Although S. hondurensis does use roosts and foraging sites in the SCP, it is important to note that this species and others with similar requirements primarily depend on the preservation of intact forest adjacent to modified landscapes, where roosts and fruit are constantly available in abundance. Management practices should guarantee a greater density and diverse of trees and the preservation of understory plants with fruits in the coffee plantations that allow a long‐term survival of frugivorous bats populations.
Collective Crowd Formation Transform with Mutual Information–Based Runtime Feedback
Authors: Xu Mingliang , Wu Yunpeng , Ye Yangdong , Farkas Illes , Jiang Hao , Deng Zhigang
Published: August 2014

This paper introduces a new crowd formation transform approach to achieve visually pleasing group formation transition and control. Its core idea is to transform crowd formation shapes with a least effort pair assignment using the Kuhn–Munkres algorithm, discover clusters of agent subgroups using affinity propagation and Delaunay triangulation algorithms and apply subgroup‐based social force model (SFM) to the agent subgroups to achieve alignment, cohesion and collision avoidance. Meanwhile, mutual information of the dynamic crowd is used to guide agents' movement at runtime. This approach combines both macroscopic (involving least effort position assignment and clustering) and microscopic (involving SFM) controls of the crowd transformation to maximally maintain subgroups' local stability and dynamic collective behaviour, while minimizing the overall effort (i.e. travelling distance) of the agents during the transformation. Through simulation experiments and comparisons, we demonstrate that this approach is efficient and effective to generate visually pleasing and smooth transformations and outperform several existing crowd simulation approaches including reciprocal velocity avoidances, optimal reciprocal collision avoidance and OpenSteer.
Lenti‐GDNF Gene Therapy Protects Against Alzheimer's Disease‐Like Neuropathology in 3xTg‐AD Mice and MC65 Cells
Authors: Revilla Susana , Ursulet Suzanna , Álvarez‐López María Jesús , Castro‐Freire Marco , Perpiñá Unai , García‐Mesa Yoelvis , Bortolozzi Analía , Giménez‐Llort Lydia , Kaliman Perla , Cristòfol Rosa , Sarkis Chamsy , Sanfeliu Coral
Published: August 2014

Aims

Glial cell‐derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) is emerging as a potent neurotrophic factor with therapeutic potential against a range of neurodegenerative conditions including Alzheimer's disease (AD). We assayed the effects of GDNF treatment in AD experimental models through gene‐therapy procedures.

Methods

Recombinant lentiviral vectors were used to overexpress GDNF gene in hippocampal astrocytes of 3xTg‐AD mice in vivo, and also in the MC65 human neuroblastoma that conditionally overexpresses the 99‐residue carboxyl‐terminal (C99) fragment of the amyloid precursor protein.

Results

After 6 months of overexpressing GDNF, 10‐month‐old 3xTg‐AD mice showed preserved learning and memory, while their counterparts transduced with a green fluorescent protein vector showed cognitive loss. GDNF therapy did not significantly reduce amyloid and tau pathology, but rather, induced a potent upregulation of brain‐derived neurotrophic factor that may act in concert with GDNF to protect neurons from atrophy and degeneration. MC65 cells overexpressing GDNF showed an abolishment of oxidative stress and cell death that was at least partially mediated by a reduced presence of intracellular C99 and derived amyloid β oligomers.

Conclusions

GDNF induced neuroprotection in the AD experimental models used. Lentiviral vectors engineered to overexpress GDNF showed to be safe and effective, both as a potential gene therapy and as a tool to uncover the mechanisms of GDNF neuroprotection, including cross talk between astrocytes and neurons in the injured brain.
Interobserver variability of cervical cytology in HIV‐infected women
Authors: Heard I. , Potard V. , Bergeron C. , Cartier I. , Costagliola D.
Published: August 2014

Objectives

Our objectives were to determine the reproducibility of cytological specimen interpretation between two pathologists in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)‐infected women (from the VIHGY, ANRS CO17 study of human papillomavirus genital pathology among HIV‐positive women) and to analyse the improvement, if any, between conventional and liquid‐based cytology (LBC) interpretations.

Materials and methods

A sample of all abnormal and 40% of randomly selected normal Papanicolaou (Pap) tests was randomly ordered and read blindly by a second pathologist using the revised Bethesda terminology 2001. For both conventional and liquid‐based preparations, unweighted and Cicchetti–Allison‐weighted kappa and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. Kappa values were then compared using the Altman rule to classify the reproducibility of cytological specimen interpretation.

Results

Two hundred and seventy‐seven conventional Pap tests were reviewed, including 79 abnormal and 10 unsatisfactory results. Overall agreement between the two observers was 78%, with an estimated Cicchetti–Allison‐weighted kappa of 0.69 (95%CI, 0.61–0.77). The corresponding values for the 268 LBCs, including 123 abnormal and two unsatisfactory results, were 84% and 0.82 (95%CI, 0.76–0.87), respectively. The reproducibility of LBC interpretations was significantly higher than that of conventional preparations (P = 0.009) and, for both laboratories, the percentages of unsatisfactory results were significantly lower for LBC.

Conclusion

In HIV‐infected women in the combination antiretroviral therapy era, the strength of agreement was better for LBCs than for conventional preparations, with a lower percentage of unsatisfactory results. When available, LBC should be preferred because of its higher reproducibility.
Effect of hyoscine N‐butylbromide on adenoma detection rate: Meta‐analysis of randomized clinical trials
Authors: Madhoun Mohammad F. , Ali Tauseef , Tierney William M. , Maple John T.
Published: August 2014

Background and Aim

Anti‐spasmodic drugs may facilitate mucosal inspection during colonoscopy. The impact of hyoscine N‐butylbromide (HBB) on polyp detection rate (PDR) and adenoma detection rate (ADR) is unclear.

Methods

We conducted a reproducible literature search of multiple databases. Two reviewers independently compared manuscripts for PDR, ADR, advanced adenoma detection rate (AADR), and rates of complications. Pooling was conducted by fixed‐effects and random‐effects models. Relative risk (RR) estimates were calculated (95% confidence interval). I2 index assessed heterogeneity.

Results

Patient demographics were comparable. The pooled analysis showed a trend toward improving PDR and ADR among the HBB group compared with the placebo group but failed to reach statistical significance, (46% vs 43%, RR = 1.08 [0.94, 1.25], P = 0.27), (31% vs 28%, RR = 1.12 [0.97, 1.29], P = 0.11) respectively.

Conclusion

HBB during colonoscopy may provide marginal improvements in ADR and PDR. However, heterogeneity in the available data precludes firm conclusions at this time.
The potential risks of pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer with GLP‐1‐based therapies are far outweighed by the proven and potential (cardiovascular) benefits
Authors: Ryder R. E. J.
Published: August 2014

Recent suggestions that glucagon‐like peptide‐1 (GLP‐1)‐based therapies could cause pancreatitis, and even pancreatic cancer, are based on:

Animal studies

The worrying histological changes are not reproduced in all studies and are unexpectedly variable with different GLP‐1‐based therapies.

An observational study

Singh's findings that pancreatitis is doubled with GLP‐1‐based therapies could relate to their use in obese patients who are prone to pancreatitis risk factors—gallstones and hypertriglyceridaemia. The other observational studies do not find an association between GLP‐1‐based therapies and pancreatitis.

US Food and Drug Administration adverse event reporting system

The increased reports of pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer are likely to be attributable to ‘notoriety bias’.

A study of organ donor pancreases

Butler's findings for those on GLP‐1‐based therapies vs. those not, could have other explanations. Meanwhile:

Meta analysis

Randomized control trials with GLP‐1‐based therapies do not find increased pancreatitis risk. Meta‐analysis of 53 randomized controlled trials including 20 212 dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 inhibitor‐treated patients found a significantly reduced risk of major adverse cardiovascular events [odds ratio 0.689 (0.528–0.899), P = 0.006] for dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 inhibitors compared with control subjects.

Cardiovascular risk

The evidence suggests that there is more than a possibility that some of the GLP‐1 receptor agonists, and possibly also some dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 inhibitors, may be associated with reduced cardiovascular events. Eight ongoing long‐term cardiovascular randomized controlled trials will report from September 2013 onwards. These trials should resolve the issue of pancreatitis risk and substantiate the extent of benefit.

Conclusion

Whilst we should remain vigilant, currently the balance of evidence is strongly in support of GLP‐1‐based therapy, with benefits far outweighing potential risks.
Government Size and Business Cycle Volatility: How Important are Credit Constraints?
Authors: Leibrecht Markus , Scharler Johann
Published: August 2014

In this paper we analyse how the availability of credit influences the relationship between government size as a proxy for fiscal stabilization policy and the amplitude of business cycle fluctuations in a sample of advanced OECD countries. Interpreting relatively low loan‐to‐value ratios as an indication of tight credit constraints, we find that government size exerts a stabilizing effect on output and consumption growth fluctuations only when credit constraints are relatively tight. Our results provide support for the hypothesis that credit market frictions play a crucial role in the transmission of fiscal policy.
Youth depression alleviation: the Fish Oil Youth Depression Study (YoDA‐F): A randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled treatment trial
Authors: Rice Simon M. , Hickie Ian B. , Yung Alison R. , Mackinnon Andrew , Berk Michael , Davey Christopher , Hermens Daniel F. , Hetrick Sarah E. , Parker Alexandra G. , Schäfer Miriam R. , McGorry Patrick D. , Amminger G. Paul
Published: August 2014

Aim

US authorities have recommended ‘black‐box’ warnings for antidepressants because of the increased risk of suicidality for individuals up to age 25. There is thus a clinical and ethical imperative to provide effective treatment for youth depression with an acceptable risk–benefit balance. Long‐chain omega‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) play an important role in a range of physiological processes in living organisms. Supplementation with omega‐3 PUFAs has been shown to have a range of beneficial effects on both physical and mental health, and results of previous trials suggest that omega‐3 PUFAs may be a safe and effective treatment for depression. However, conclusions from these trials have been limited by their relatively small sample sizes.

Methods

This trial will test the effectiveness of a 12‐week parallel group, double‐blind, randomized, placebo‐controlled trial of 1.4 g day−1 omega‐3 PUFAs in help seeking 15‐ to 25‐year‐olds (N = 400) presenting with major depressive disorder. The primary hypothesis is that young people will show greater improvement of depressive symptoms after 12 weeks of treatment with omega‐3 PUFAs plus cognitive behavioural case management compared with treatment with placebo plus cognitive behavioural case management.

Conclusion

Because of using a large sample, results from this study will provide the strongest evidence to date to inform the use of omega‐3 PUFAs as first‐line therapy in young people presenting with major depressive disorder. The study also heralds an important step towards indicated prevention of persistent depression, which may reduce the burden, stigmatization, disability and economic consequences of this disorder.
Validation of diagnosis of aplastic anaemia in La Rioja (Spain) by International Classification of Diseases codes for case ascertainment for the Spanish National Rare Diseases Registry
Authors: Ruiz Elena , Ramalle‐Gómara Enrique , Quiñones Carmen , Rabasa Pilar , Pisón Carlos
Published: August 2014

Objective

To analyse the validity of diagnosis of aplastic anaemia (AA) by International Classification of Diseases codes in hospital discharge data (MBDS) and the mortality registry (MR) of La Rioja to detect cases to be included in the Spanish National Rare Diseases Registry.

Methods

International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes were used to detect AA cases during the period 2007–2012 from two administrative databases: the MBDS and the MR of La Rioja (Spain). Medical records of population selected by merging both databases were used to confirm true AA cases. The annual mean incidence rate of AA was calculated using confirmed incident cases.

Results

By merging both databases, 62 hypothetical AA incident patients were detected during the period 2007–2012. The medical records of the 89% of them could be revised, and they confirmed that only the 15% of the patients actually suffered AA. The annual mean AA incidence in La Rioja was 4.17 per million inhabitants (6.23 per million, males; 2.10 per million, females).

Conclusions

The MBDS and the MR are not in themselves sufficient to ascertain AA cases in La Rioja and medical records should be reviewed to confirm true AA cases to be included in the Spanish National Rare Diseases Registry.
Cannabinoid modulation of alpha2 adrenergic receptor function in rodent medial prefrontal cortex
Authors: Cathel Alessandra M. , Reyes Beverly A. S. , Wang Qin , Palma Jonathan , Mackie Kenneth , Van Bockstaele Elisabeth J. , Kirby Lynn G.
Published: August 2014

Endocannabinoids acting at the cannabinoid type 1 receptor (CB1R) are known to regulate attention, cognition and mood. Previous studies have shown that, in the rat medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), CB1R agonists increase norepinephrine release, an effect that may be attributed, in part, to CB1Rs localised to noradrenergic axon terminals. The present study was aimed at further characterising functional interactions between CB1R and adrenergic receptor (AR) systems in the mPFC using in vitro intracellular electrophysiology and high‐resolution neuroanatomical techniques. Whole‐cell patch‐clamp recordings of layer V/VI cortical pyramidal neurons in rats revealed that both acute and chronic treatment with the synthetic CB1R agonist WIN 55,212‐2 blocked elevations in cortical pyramidal cell excitability and increases in input resistance evoked by the α2‐adrenergic receptor (α2‐AR) agonist clonidine, suggesting a desensitisation of α2‐ARs. These CB1R–α2‐AR interactions were further shown to be both action potential‐ and gamma‐aminobutyric acid‐independent. To better define sites of cannabinoid–AR interactions, we localised α2A‐adrenergic receptors (α2A‐ARs) in a genetically modified mouse that expressed a hemoagglutinin (HA) tag downstream of the α2A‐AR promoter. Light and electron microscopy indicated that HA‐α2A‐AR was distributed in axon terminals and somatodendritic processes especially in layer V of the mPFC. Triple‐labeling immunocytochemistry revealed that α2A‐AR and CB1R were localised to processes that contained dopamine‐β‐hydroxylase, a marker of norepinephrine. Furthermore, HA‐α2A‐AR was localised to processes that were directly apposed to CB1R. These findings suggest multiple sites of interaction between cortical cannabinoid–adrenergic systems that may contribute to understanding the effect of cannabinoids on executive functions and mood.
Comparison of HCF life prediction methods based on different critical planes under multiaxial variable amplitude loading
Authors: Wang C. , Shang D.‐G. , Wang X.‐W. , Chen H. , Liu J.‐Z.
Published: August 2014

High‐cycle fatigue life prediction methods based on different critical planes, including the maximum shear stress (MSS) plane, the weighted average shear stress plane and the Maximum Variance shear stress plane, are compared by two multiaxial cycle counting methods, i.e. the main and auxiliary channels (MAC) counting and the relative equivalent stress counting. A modified damage model is used to calculate the multiaxial fatigue damage. Compared with the experimental lives for 7075‐T651 aluminium alloy, the predicted results show that the MSS method together with MAC counting is suitable for the multiaxial fatigue life prediction.
Variables Affecting L2 Gains During Study Abroad
Authors: Baker‐Smemoe Wendy , Dewey Dan P. , Bown Jennifer , Martinsen Rob A.
Published: August 2014

Second language (L2) gains during study abroad have been related to several variables including length of stay (Llanes, 2011), language use (Martinsen, Baker, Dewey, Bown, & Johnson, 2010), and social network development (Isabelli‐García, 2006), among others. However, most studies have investigated only a few predictors in single study abroad programs. While these findings are helpful, larger scale studies are needed to better understand the variables that contribute to L2 gains across several different cultures and learner groups. The current study examines predictors of L2 gain of more than 100 native English speakers who participated in study abroad in Mexico, Spain, France, Egypt, Russia, and China. Participants were asked to complete an ACTFL Oral Proficiency Interview at the beginning and end of their study abroad program. Participants were then divided into “gainers” and “non‐gainers,” or those who did or did not make significant language gains from pre‐ to posttest. Their language gains from pre to posttest were compared to several predictors: personality (measured by the NEO Five‐Factor Inventory), social networks (size, dispersion, density, etc.), intercultural sensitivity (measured by the Intercultural Development Inventory), amount of second language use, gender, and age. Results suggest that many students were able to make gains in language, in each of the programs, and that the strongest predictors of L2 gains were cultural sensitivity and social network variables.
Ecological mechanisms underpinning climate adaptation services
Authors: Lavorel Sandra , Colloff Matthew J. , Mcintyre Sue , Doherty Michael D. , Murphy Helen T. , Metcalfe Daniel J. , Dunlop Michael , Williams Richard J. , Wise Russell M. , Williams Kristen J.
Published: August 2014

Ecosystem services are typically valued for their immediate material or cultural benefits to human wellbeing, supported by regulating and supporting services. Under climate change, with more frequent stresses and novel shocks, 'climate adaptation services', are defined as the benefits to people from increased social ability to respond to change, provided by the capability of ecosystems to moderate and adapt to climate change and variability. They broaden the ecosystem services framework to assist decision makers in planning for an uncertain future with new choices and options. We present a generic framework for operationalising the adaptation services concept. Four steps guide the identification of intrinsic ecological mechanisms that facilitate the maintenance and emergence of ecosystem services during periods of change, and so materialise as adaptation services. We applied this framework for four contrasted Australian ecosystems. Comparative analyses enabled by the operational framework suggest that adaptation services that emerge during trajectories of ecological change are supported by common mechanisms: vegetation structural diversity, the role of keystone species or functional groups, response diversity and landscape connectivity, which underpin the persistence of function and the reassembly of ecological communities under severe climate change and variability. Such understanding should guide ecosystem management towards adaptation planning.
Acute adiponectin delivery is cardioprotective in the aged female rat heart
Authors: Tomicek Nanette J , Hunter J Craig , Machikas Alexandra M , Lopez Veronica , Korzick Donna H
Published: August 2014

Aim

The aged, post‐menopausal female heart is characterized by reduced ischemic tolerance, and few therapies currently exist to limit ischemic damage. Adiponectin (APN), a cytokine produced in adipose tissue, limits infarct size and improves functional recovery after ischemia/reperfusion injury in adult hearts. The aim of the present study was to extend these previous studies and determine the cardioprotective efficacy of APN treatment in aged female rats.

Methods

Hearts were isolated from adult (age 6–7 months; n = 10), aged (age 23 months; n = 14) and aged ovariectomized (n = 10) female rats, and subjected to ischemia/reperfusion injury. On ischemia, hearts were infused with 9 μg of APN or vehicle. Adiponectin receptor 1, adiponectin receptor 2 and adenosine monophosphate‐dependent kinase (AMPK) were assessed by western blotting, tumor necrosis factor‐α and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase levels by real time polymerase chain reaction. Non‐reducing western blotting for APN multimers in visceral adipose was also carried out.

Results

APN infusion successfully improved post‐ischemic left ventricular developed pressure (∼10–15%) and attenuated the rise in end diastolic pressure in all groups (P < 0.05). With ischemia/reperfusion injury, phospho‐AMPK increased in all groups with additive effects of APN on increasing phospho‐AMPK abundance in aged ovary‐intact female rats only (P < 0.001). Age‐associated increases in pre‐ischemic tumor necrosis factor‐α mRNA were unaffected by APN, whereas nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase 2 mRNA levels were attenuated by APN in adult and aged ovariectomized female rats. An age‐associated decrease in cardiac adiponectin receptor 2 was observed in conjunction with elevated high molecular weight APN in adipose.

Conclusions

The present data suggest that APN might be a relevant therapy for protecting the aging female heart, albeit through divergent mechanisms that are likely influenced by age‐associated estrogen availability. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2015; 15: 636–646.