bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The American Otological Society at its Sesquicentennial: Insights Into the Society's Formative Years
Authors: Jackler Robert K. , Alyono Jennifer C. , Mudry Albert C.
Published: January 2018

Objective:

To elucidate the sequence of events which led to the formation of the American Otological Society (AOS) in 1868 and to examine the lives and contributions of the nine founding members of the Society.

Methods:

Study of primary historical documents, biographical material, and previous histories of the AOS.

Results:

Earlier treatments of the history of the AOS minimally covered the events and personalities from the Society's formative period. The founders of the AOS were much influenced by recent advances in European Otology and the success of the nascent American Ophthalmological Society which had been founded in 1864. The AOS has long credited Elkanah Williams as its first president of the AOS, although he never actually served in this role and was not a contributor to otological literature. Documents suggest that 30 years old New York physician Daniel Bennett St John Roosa, recently returned from a grand tour of the leading European otological centers, was the principal advocate for the creation of the AOS.

Conclusions:

The 1860s were a pivotal period in the maturation of American Otology. Previously, most “aurists” were widely considered to be charlatans who practiced unscientifically and often unscrupulously. The AOS founder generation were a group of Ophthalmologists who strove to elevate otology from being a lesser appendage of the mother field to becoming a respected and scientifically based medical specialty in its own right.
Gradual Symmetric Progression of DFNA34 Hearing Loss Caused by an NLRP3 Mutation and Cochlear Autoinflammation
Authors: Nakanishi Hiroshi , Kawashima Yoshiyuki , Kurima Kiyoto , Muskett Julie A. , Kim H. Jeffrey , Brewer Carmen C. , Griffith Andrew J.
Published: January 2018

Objective:

To characterize the audiometric phenotype of autosomal-dominant DFNA34 hearing loss (HL) caused by a missense substitution in the NLRP3 gene. NLRP3 encodes a critical component of the NLRP3 inflammasome that is activated in innate immune responses.

Study Design:

This study was conducted under protocol 01-DC-0229 approved by the NIH Combined Neurosciences IRB. We performed medical and developmental history interviews and physical and audiological examinations of affected individuals with DFNA34 HL caused by the p.Arg918Gln mutation of NLRP3. We retrospectively reviewed audiological reports, when available, from other health care centers.

Setting:

Federal biomedical research facility.

Subjects:

Eleven members of a North American family segregating p.Arg918Gln.

Main Outcome Measures:

Pure-tone thresholds, rates of pure-tone threshold progression, and speech discrimination scores.

Results:

Eight subjects had bilateral sensorineural HL with an onset in the late 2nd to 4th decade of life. Slowly progressive HL initially primarily affected high frequencies. Low and middle frequencies were affected with advancing age, resulting in moderate HL with a downsloping audiometric configuration. The average annual threshold deterioration was 0.9 to 1.5 dB/yr. Speech recognition scores ranging from 60 to 100% were consistent with cochlear, but not retrocochlear, etiology. Three subjects (16, 22, and 32 yr old) had normal hearing thresholds.

Conclusion:

DFNA34 HL has an onset during early adulthood and progresses approximately 1.2 dB/yr.
Primate social group sizes exhibit a regular scaling pattern with natural attractors
Authors: Dunbar R. I. M. , Mac Carron Padraig , Shultz Susanne
Published: January 2018

Primate groups vary considerably in size across species. Nonetheless, the distribution of mean species group size has a regular scaling pattern with preferred sizes approximating 2.5, 5, 15, 30 and 50 individuals (although strepsirrhines lack the latter two), with a scaling ratio of approximately 2.5 similar to that observed in human social networks. These clusters appear to form distinct social grades that are associated with rapid evolutionary change, presumably in response to intense environmental selection pressures. These findings may have wider implications for other highly social mammal taxa.
Multiplex Assessment of Protein Variant Abundance by Massively Parallel Sequencing
Authors: Matreyek Kenneth A. , Starita Lea M. , Stephany Jason J. , Martin Beth , Chiasson Melissa A. , Gray Vanessa E. , Kircher Martin , Khechaduri Arineh , Dines Jennifer N. , Hause Ronald J. , Bhatia Smita , Evans William E. , Relling Mary V. , Yang Wenjian , Shendure Jay , Fowler Douglas M.
Published: January 2018

Determining the pathogenicity of human genetic variants is a critical challenge, and functional assessment is often the only option. Experimentally characterizing millions of possible missense variants in thousands of clinically important genes will likely require generalizable, scalable assays. Here we describe Variant Abundance by Massively Parallel Sequencing (VAMP-seq), which measures the effects of thousands of missense variants of a protein on intracellular abundance in a single experiment. We apply VAMP-seq to quantify the abundance of 7,595 single amino acid variants of two proteins, PTEN and TPMT, in which functional variants are clinically actionable. We identify 1,079 PTEN and 805 TPMT single amino acid variants that result in low protein abundance, and may be pathogenic or alter drug metabolism, respectively. We observe selection for low-abundance PTEN variants in cancer, and our abundance data suggest that a PTEN variant accounting for ~10% of PTEN missense variants in melanomas functions via a dominant negative mechanism. Finally, we demonstrate that VAMP-seq can be applied to other genes, highlighting its potential as a generalizable assay for characterizing missense variants.
Mobile augmented reality applications for construction projects
Authors: Zaher Mohamed , Greenwood David , Marzouk Mohamed
Published: January 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to facilitate the process of monitoring construction projects. Classic practice for construction progress tracking relies on paper reports, which entails a serious amount of manual data collection as well as the effort of imagining the actual progress from the paperwork.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper presents a new methodology for monitoring construction progress using smartphones. This is done by proposing a new system consisting of a newly-developed application named “BIM-U” and a mobile augmented reality (AR) channel named “BIM-Phase”. “BIM-U” is an Android application that allows the end-user to update the progress of activities onsite. These data are used to update the project’s 4D model enhanced with different cost parameters such as earned value, actual cost and planned value. The “BIM-Phase” application is a mobile AR channel that is used during construction phase through implementing a 4D “as-planned” phased model integrated with an augmented video showing real or planned progress.

Findings

The results from the project are then analysed and assessed to anticipate the potential of these and similar techniques for tracking time and cost on construction projects.

Originality/value

The proposed system through “BIM-U” and “BIM Phase” exploits the potential of mobile applications and AR in construction through the use of handheld mobile devices to offer new possibilities for measuring and monitoring work progress using building information modelling.
Transnational degree program franchising and the challenge of commercial franchisees
Authors: Juusola Katariina , Rensimer Lee
Published: January 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the interrelationship of branding practices and legitimacy-building of commercial degree program franchising within transnational higher education (TNHE). It aims to understand how commercial franchisees’ branding practices employ discursive and symbolic strategies for building legitimacy, and how these practices impact both organizational development and stakeholder perception.

Design/methodology/approach

This qualitative study uses document and visual content analysis, supported by discourse analysis, as the methods in analyzing commercial franchisees’ branding practices of their franchised programs. The sample of the study consists of five commercial franchisees offering primarily Western MBA programs in the United Arab Emirates. The data were obtained through franchisees’ websites, marketing materials, student prospectuses, visiting campuses and their marketing events, and through interviews with franchise managers.

Findings

The findings of this study indicate that growing a sustainable brand for a commercial franchisee requires successful building of its legitimacy in the host country. Legitimacy in such arrangement however involves two paradoxes: the “self-promoter’s paradox” where the franchisees often engage in legitimacy-building practices that decrease their legitimacy, and the “legitimacy-borrowing paradox” that happens when the commercial franchisee initially borrows its legitimacy from the franchised program, but simultaneously this borrowing of legitimacy prevents it from becoming a fully legitimate higher education institution.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the research on management of TNHE by exploring the branding practices of franchised programs, which so far has been a neglected area in research. Furthermore, interconnections of legitimacy-building and branding practices are underrepresented within the broader higher education research.
An adapted Porter Diamond Model for the evaluation of transnational education host countries
Authors: Tsiligiris Vangelis
Published: January 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to propose an adapted Porter Diamond Model (PDM) that can be used by transnational education (TNE) countries and institutions as an analytical framework for the strategic evaluation of TNE host countries in terms of attractiveness for exporting higher education.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses a literature review to adapt the PDM in the context of TNE host countries. A pilot study of adapted PDM is conducted for China and Malaysia. Available country data are collected via desk study.

Findings

The pilot application of the adapted PDM revealed no major issues or failings. Only some minor difficulties in the identification of appropriate data which can be resolved with the use of alternative metrics. The results from the analysis of the two countries indicate that China and Malaysia are both suitable TNE host countries for expanding existing and developing new activities. This also indicates that the proposed use of the adapted PDM is suitable to effectively evaluate TNE host countries.

Practical implications

This adapted model can be used by TNE exporting institutions and countries to access the suitability of prospective TNE host countries for education export. Also, it can be used to evaluate the future risks for existing TNE activities. TNE host countries can use the model to strengthen their attractiveness for education import or to plan of becoming education hubs.

Originality/value

Considering the scale and the expected growth of TNE, as well as the lack of strategic analysis tools for TNE; the proposed model provides a valuable practical tool to aid strategic planning at institutional and country level.
Multi-fuel energy source dispatch considering bi-objectives using ant lion algorithm
Authors: Pandiyan Balachandar , Ganesan Sivarajan , Jayakumar Nadanasabapathy , Subramanian Srikrishna
Published: January 2018

Purpose

The ever-stringent environmental regulations force power producers to produce electricity at the cheapest price and with minimum pollutant emission levels. The electrical power generation from fossil fuel releases several contaminants into the air, and this becomes excrescent if the generating unit is fed by multiple fuel sources (MFSs). Inclusion of this issue in operational tasks is a welcome perspective. This paper aims to develop a multi-objective model comprising total fuel cost and pollutant emission.

Design/methodology/approach

The cost-effective and environmentally responsive power system operations in the presence of MFSs can be recognised as a multi-objective constrained optimisation problem with conflicting operational objectives. The complexity of the problem requires a suitable optimisation tool. Ant lion algorithm (ALA), the most recent nature-inspired algorithm, was used as the main optimisation tool because of its salient characteristics. The fuzzy decision-making mechanism has been integrated to determine the best compromised solution in the multi-objective framework.

Findings

This paper is the first to propose a more precise and practical operational model for studying a multi-fuel power dispatch scenario considering valve-point effects and CO2 emission. The modern meta-heuristic algorithm ALA is applied for the first time to address the economic operation of thermal power systems with multiple fuel options.

Practical implications

Power companies aim to make profit by abiding by the norms of the regulatory board. To achieve economic benefits, the power system must be analysed using an accurate operational model. The proposed model integrates total fuel cost, valve-point loadings and CO2 emission, which are prevailing power system operational objectives. The economic advantages of the operational model can be observed through economic deviation indices, and the performed analysis validates that the developed model corresponds to the actual power operation.

Originality/value

The realistic operational model is proposed by considering total fuel and pollutant emission, and the ALA is applied for the first time to address the proposed multi-objective problem. To validate the effectiveness of ALA, it is implemented in standard test systems with varying generating units (10-100) and the IEEE 30 bus system, and various kinds of power system operations are performed. Moreover, the comparison and performance analysis confirm that the current proposal is found enhanced in terms of solution quality.
The mediation effect of customer satisfaction in the relationship between service quality, service orientation, and marketing mix strategy to customer loyalty
Authors: Solimun Solimun , Fernandes Adji Achmad Rinaldo
Published: January 2018

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the mediation effect of customer satisfaction in the relationship between service quality, service orientation, and marketing mix strategy to customer loyalty, in a study in Telkomsel-Indonesia. The product used in this research will take the telecommunication service product categories with a number of products available in the market. In this research, the telecommunication service products of Telkomsel with various features as the research objects were studied.

Design/methodology/approach

The population of this research is Telkomsel customers who use the products of Halo, As and Simpati, domiciled in Malang, 2016. Since it was impossible to get the exact number of customers, the population in this study is infinite. The study had a sample size of 200 respondents. This research uses the structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis techniques along with AMOS methods.

Findings

The quality of service, service orientation, and strategy marketing mix applied by the company are not all variables can directly affect customer loyalty, but must first going through satisfaction. Which means that companies must first need to understand what the customer needs through variable service quality, service orientation, and marketing mix strategy so that the customers feel loyal when the level of satisfaction is resolved. The service quality provided by the telecommunications industry needs to be improved in order to improve customer satisfaction and loyalty of telecommunications services, especially for Telkomsel in Malang.

Originality/value

Originality for this paper shows: mediation effect (using the Sobel test) customer satisfaction on the effect of service quality, service orientation and marketing mix strategy to customer loyalty; location of the study (no previous research for this relationship): telecommunication services in Malang, Indonesia.
Impact of Trans‐Fats on Heat‐Shock Protein Expression and the Gut Microbiota Profile of Mice
Authors: Carvalho Gessika Cristina Borges Castro , Moura Carolina Soares , Roquetto Aline Rissetti , Barrera‐Arellano Daniel , Yamada Aureo Tatsumi , Santos Andrey dos , Saad Mário José Abdalla , Amaya‐Farfan Jaime
Published: January 2018

Partially hydrogenated oils are known to cause metabolic stress and dyslipidemia. This paper explores a new dimension about the interaction between dietary trans‐fats and the defense heat‐shock protein (HSP) system, inflammation, and the gut microbiota of mice consuming a hyperlipidic diet containing partially hydrogenated vegetable oil free of animal fat. Five diet groups were installed: control diet, 2 hyperlipidic‐partially hydrogenated‐oil diets, each containing either casein or whey‐protein hydrolysate (WPH) as protein source, and 2 consuming hyperlipidic‐unhydrogenated‐oil diets containing either WPH or casein as a protein source. The partially hydrogenated oil inhibited c‐Jun NH2‐terminal kinase phosphorylation in the casein diets, but without altering κ‐B kinase. Neither the lipid nor the protein had an influence on the proinflammatory toll‐like receptor 4 (TLR4) pathway, but the combination of the high‐lipid content and WPH impaired glucose tolerance without altering insulin or glucose transporter‐4 translocation. It was remarkable to observe that, contrary to the case of a common high‐fat diet, the lard‐free hyperlipidic diets were hardly able to invert the Bacteroidetes:Firmicutes phylum ratio. Our results suggest that, in the absence of lard, the intake of trans‐fatty acids is less harmful than expected because it does not trigger TLR4‐inflammation or pose great threat to the normal gut microbiota. WPH had the effect of promoting the expression of HSP90, HSP60, and HSP25, but did not prevent dysbiosis, when the diet contained the unhydrogenated oil. The partially hydrogenated oil also seemed to antagonize the ability of WPH to induce the expression of protective HSPs.
Painful procedures can affect post‐natal growth and neurodevelopment in preterm infants
Authors: Coviello Caterina , Popple Martinez Marina , Drovandi Livia , Corsini Iuri , Leonardi Valentina , Lunardi Clara , Antonelli Carla , Pratesi Simone , Dani Carlo
Published: January 2018

Aim

This Italian study evaluated whether painful procedures during the first four weeks of life were related to subsequent weight gain, head circumference (HC) and neurodevelopmental outcomes in preterm infants,

Methods

We evaluated the number of invasive procedures that infants born at less than 32 weeks of gestational age (GA) underwent in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of Careggi Hospital, Florence, from January to December 2015. Weight and HC were recorded at birth, 36 weeks of PMA and six and 12 months of CA. Neurological outcomes were assessed at six and 12 months of CA using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development – Third Edition.

Results

We studied 83 preterm infants with a GA of 28 ± 2 weeks and birth weight of 1098 ± 340 g. A higher number of invasive painful procedures were related to a lower HC standard deviation score at 36 weeks of PMA and six and 12 months of CA and with lower cognitive scores at six months. At 12 months, the relationship only remained significant for infants born at less than 28 weeks (p < 0.001).

Conclusion

Invasive painful procedures affected regular HC growth and short‐term cognitive scores in preterm infants in the first year of life.
Editorial: vedolizumab as a treatment and cause of extra‐intestinal manifestations of inflammatory bowel disease
Authors: Barclay M. L. , Stamp L. K.
Published: January 2018

Linked Content

This article is linked to Tadbiri et al. To view this article visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.14419.
Letter: addition of azathioprine to infliximab maintenance therapy in patients with anti‐drug antibodies and subclinical inflammation
Authors: Primas C. , Reinisch S. , Novacek G.
Published: January 2018

Linked Content

This article is linked to Ungar et al and Strik et al papers. To view these articles visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.13862 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.13994.
Editorial: getting bullish about portal hypertension—chronic treatment with oral taurine? Author's reply
Authors: Ferlitsch A.
Published: January 2018

Linked Content

This article is linked to Schwarzer et al and Dunne and Fallowfield papers. To view these articles visit https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.14377 and https://doi.org/10.1111/apt.14344.
Building a new research framework for social evolution: intralocus caste antagonism
Authors: Pennell Tanya M. , Holman Luke , Morrow Edward H. , Field Jeremy
Published: January 2018

The breeding and non‐breeding ‘castes’ of eusocial insects provide a striking example of role‐specific selection, where each caste maximises fitness through different morphological, behavioural and physiological trait values. Typically, queens are long‐lived egg‐layers, while workers are short‐lived, largely sterile foragers. Remarkably, the two castes are nevertheless produced by the same genome. The existence of inter‐caste genetic correlations is a neglected consequence of this shared genome, potentially hindering the evolution of caste dimorphism: alleles that increase the productivity of queens may decrease the productivity of workers and vice versa, such that each caste is prevented from reaching optimal trait values. A likely consequence of this ‘intralocus caste antagonism’ should be the maintenance of genetic variation for fitness and maladaptation within castes (termed ‘caste load’), analogous to the result of intralocus sexual antagonism. The aim of this review is to create a research framework for understanding caste antagonism, drawing in part upon conceptual similarities with sexual antagonism. By reviewing both the social insect and sexual antagonism literature, we highlight the current empirical evidence for caste antagonism, discuss social systems of interest, how antagonism might be resolved, and challenges for future research. We also introduce the idea that sexual and caste antagonism could interact, creating a three‐way antagonism over gene expression. This includes unpacking the implications of haplodiploidy for the outcome of this complex interaction.
Gender, parental education, and experiences of bullying victimization by Australian adolescents with and without a disability
Authors: Kavanagh A. , Priest N. , Emerson E. , Milner A. , King T.
Published: January 2018

Background

This study sought to compare the prevalence of bullying victimization between adolescents with and without a disability and between adolescents with and without borderline intellectual functioning or intellectual disability (BIF/ID). We also sought to assess whether the relationships between either disability or BIF/ID and bullying victimization vary by gender and parental education.

Methods

The sample included 3,956 12‐ to 13‐year‐old adolescents who participated in Wave 5 of the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. Three indicators of bullying were used: physical bullying victimization, social bullying victimization, and “any bullying victimization.” We used Poisson regression to obtain the prevalence risk ratios (PRR) of bullying by disability status adjusting for potential confounders.

Results

In adjusted models, we found evidence that social bullying victimization was more prevalent among adolescents with a disability than those without a disability (PRR 1.29, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.06–1.42) and between adolescents with BIF/ID than those without (PRR 1.24, 95% CI 1.07–1.44). Adolescents with BIF/ID were also more likely to experience “any bullying victimization”(PRR 1.10, 95% CI 1.00–1.22). Having a disability and living in a family with low parental education were associated with an elevated risk of social bullying victimization BIF/ID.

Conclusions

Adolescents with disabilities and BIF/ID are at elevated risk of social bullying victimization. School‐based antibullying initiatives should concentrate on enhancing the inclusion of adolescents with disabilities, with an emphasis on adolescents from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Recruitment through Rule Breaking: Establishing Social Ties with Gang Members
Authors: Cheng Tony
Published: January 2018

Many contemporary violence prevention programs direct concentrated law enforcement, social service, or educational attention toward individuals engaged in violence, and yet, this population is often avoiding this precise attention. Drawing on 18 months of ethnographic data, this case study asks: How do street outreach workers form social ties with active gang members? This study identifies three key mechanisms of social tie formation that break organizational rules, but account for how new social relations are formed with street savvy gang youth: (1) Network Targeting: identifying, entering, and extending services to the package of preexisting social ties beyond the eligible gang member; (2) Gift Giving: navigating those social ties when transferring out of pocket gifts to the target to elicit trust and demonstrate genuine investment; and (3) Transportation Brokerage: expanding clients’ social networks by literally driving them to prosocial influences and activities. Discussion of the value and limitations of each mechanism offers insights to urban sociologists interested in the origins of social ties in disadvantaged communities, as well as policymakers designing social interventions for hard to reach populations.
When the gold standard is not always golden: The value of invasive hemodynamic assessment to overcome the pitfalls of echocardiography in challenging cases of mitral stenosis
Authors: Harper Yenal , Salem Salem A. , Alsafwah Shadwan , Koshy Santhosh , Garg Nadish
Published: January 2018

Mitral stenosis is a uncommon valvular lesion in the developed countries. Noninvasive evaluation is the first‐line modality for assessment of mitral stenosis, however the noninvasive methods may have limitations in certain cases. Invasive hemodynamics can be used as adjunct tool for assessment of mitral stenosis in such difficult cases. Mitral valve using three‐dimensional planimetry is a promising technique for assessment of mitral stenosis.
DOES THE GREAT RECESSION IMPLY THE END OF THE GREAT MODERATION? INTERNATIONAL EVIDENCE
Authors: Charles Amélie , Darné Olivier , Ferrara Laurent
Published: January 2018

In this paper we examine whether or not the Great Recession had a temporary or permanent effect on output growth volatility after years of low macroeconomic volatility since the early eighties. Based on break detection methods applied to a set of advanced countries, our empirical results do not give evidence to the end of the Great Moderation period but rather that the Great Recession is characterized by a dramatic short‐lived effect on the output growth but not on its volatility. We show that neglecting the breaks both in mean and in variance can have large effects on output volatility modeling based on GARCH specifications. (JEL E32, C22, O40)
Detection of subclinical left ventricular dysfunction by tissue Doppler imaging in horses with aortic regurgitation
Authors: Ven S. , Decloedt A. , De Clercq D. , Vera L. , Rademakers F. , van Loon G.
Published: January 2018

Background

Aortic regurgitation (AR) can have an important clinical impact and in some cases leads to left ventricular (LV) failure. Tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) is an echocardiographic technique that has been used in horses to detect LV dysfunction.

Objectives

To examine whether TDI detects changes in radial myocardial wall motion in horses with AR compared with control horses.

Study design

Case–control study.

Methods

Echocardiography was performed in 30 healthy Warmblood horses and 34 Warmblood horses with AR, subdivided in groups with mild, moderate or severe AR. TDI measurements were performed on six segments of the short‐axis images of the LV myocardial wall. Myocardial wall motion was evaluated by measuring velocity and deformation during isovolumetric contraction, systole, early and late diastole. Timing of different events was also measured.

Results

In most segments, a significantly higher systolic myocardial velocity was found in horses with AR compared with controls. Horses with AR also had higher late diastolic velocity, although the difference was not significant in all segments. TDI measurement of timing intervals demonstrated less difference between groups.

Main limitations

There was a significant difference in age between the control group and horses with AR, which may confound the results. The assessment of AR severity was based on subjective criteria as there is no gold standard.

Conclusions

TDI showed significant differences in radial systolic and late diastolic myocardial velocity in horses with AR. This could indicate an altered LV function in these horses, but further research is needed to investigate the prognostic value of these measurements.
Pharmacological effects ofZataria multifloraBoiss L. and its constituents focus on their anti‐inflammatory, antioxidant, and immunomodulatory effects
Authors: Khazdair Mohammad Reza , Ghorani Vahideh , Alavinezhad Azam , Boskabady Mohammad Hossein
Published: January 2018

Zataria multifloraBoiss (Z. multiflora) belongs to the Lamiaceae family is used traditionally for culinary and medicinal purposes. Different pharmacological effects have been described for the plant including; bronchodilation, vasodilation, and effect on lung inflammation. The plant is also used as a remedy against cough in the traditional medicine. In this article, ‘pharmacological effects ofZ. multifloraand its constituents focusing on their anti‐inflammatory, antioxidant, and immunomodulatory properties were reviewed’ by searching various databases until ‘June’ 2016. The anti‐inflammatory effects of the plant such as decreased total white blood cell, neutrophils, and eosinophils counts were demonstrated. The sprotective effects ofZ. multifloraon serum levels of phospholipase A2 and total protein were showed. In addition, constituents of the plant, such as flavonoids and carvacrol, also showed anti‐inflammatory effects.Z. multifloraalso reduced oxidative stress by scavenging free radicals and can be used in the therapy of oxidative damage. Decreased level of malondialdehyde and protective effects ofZ. multifloraon serum levels of nitric oxide were also shown. Improvement of the serum levels of IgE, reduction in pro‐inflammatory cytokine (IL‐4,TGF‐β, andIL‐17), and increased anti‐inflammatory cytokines (IFN‐γ andFOXP3) were shown forZ. multifloraand its constituents, carvacrol and thymol. These results indicated that carvacrol and thymol could be used for treatment of inflammatory diseases as new anti‐inflammatory agents. Therefore,Z. multiflorashowed anti‐inflammatory, antioxidant, and immunomodulatory effects which could be used for treatment of inflammatory and immune dysregulation diseases or disorders associated with increased oxidative stress.
Thermal and hydrologic responses to climate change predict marked alterations in boreal stream invertebrate assemblages
Authors: Mustonen Kaisa‐Riikka , Mykrä Heikki , Marttila Hannu , Sarremejane Romain , Veijalainen Noora , Sippel Kalle , Muotka Timo , Hawkins Charles P.
Published: January 2018

Air temperature at the northernmost latitudes is predicted to increase steeply and precipitation to become more variable by the end of the 21st century, resulting in altered thermal and hydrological regimes. We applied five climate scenarios to predict the future (2070–2100) benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages at 239 near‐pristine sites across Finland (ca. 1200 km latitudinal span). We used a multitaxon distribution model with air temperature and modeled daily flow as predictors. As expected, projected air temperature increased the most in northernmost Finland. Predicted taxonomic richness also increased the most in northern Finland, congruent with the predicted northwards shift of many species’ distributions. Compositional changes were predicted to be high even without changes in richness, suggesting that species replacement may be the main mechanism causing climate‐induced changes in macroinvertebrate assemblages. Northern streams were predicted to lose much of the seasonality of their flow regimes, causing potentially marked changes in stream benthic assemblages. Sites with the highest loss of seasonality were predicted to support future assemblages that deviate most in compositional similarity from the present‐day assemblages. Macroinvertebrate assemblages were also predicted to change more in headwaters than in larger streams, as headwaters were particularly sensitive to changes in flow patterns. Our results emphasize the importance of focusing protection and mitigation on headwater streams with high‐flow seasonality because of their vulnerability to climate change.
Isthmus sites identified by Ripple Mapping are usually anatomically stable: A novel method to guide atrial substrate ablation?
Authors: Luther Vishal , Qureshi Norman , Lim Phang Boon , Koa‐Wing Michael , Jamil‐Copley Shahnaz , Ng Fu Siong , Whinnett Zachary , Davies D. Wyn , Peters Nicholas S. , Kanagaratnam Prapa , Linton Nick
Published: January 2018

Background

Postablation reentrant ATs depend upon conducting isthmuses bordered by scar. Bipolar voltage maps highlight scar as sites of low voltage, but the voltage amplitude of an electrogram depends upon the myocardial activation sequence. Furthermore, a voltage threshold that defines atrial scar is unknown. We used Ripple Mapping (RM) to test whether these isthmuses were anatomically fixed between different activation vectors and atrial rates.

Methods

We studied post‐AF ablation ATs where >1 rhythm was mapped. Multipolar catheters were used with CARTO Confidense for high‐density mapping. RM visualized the pattern of activation, and the voltage threshold below which no activation was seen. Isthmuses were characterized at this threshold between maps for each patient.

Results

Ten patients were studied (Map 1 was AT1; Map 2: sinus 1/10, LA paced 2/10, AT2 with reverse CS activation 3/10; AT2 CL difference 50 ± 30 ms). Point density was similar between maps (Map 1: 2,589 ± 1,330; Map 2: 2,214 ± 1,384; P  =  0.31). RM activation threshold was 0.16 ± 0.08 mV. Thirty‐one isthmuses were identified in Map 1 (median 3 per map; width 27 ± 15 mm; 7 anterior; 6 roof; 8 mitral; 9 septal; 1 posterior). Importantly, 7 of 31 (23%) isthmuses were unexpectedly identified within regions without prior ablation. AT1 was treated following ablation of 11/31 (35%) isthmuses. Of the remaining 20 isthmuses, 14 of 16 isthmuses (88%) were consistent between the two maps (four were inadequately mapped). Wavefront collision caused variation in low voltage distribution in 2 of 16 (12%).

Conclusions

The distribution of isthmuses and nonconducting tissue within the ablated left atrium, as defined by RM, appear concordant between rhythms. This could guide a substrate ablative approach.
Mitochondrial function and autophagy: integrating proteotoxic, redox, and metabolic stress in Parkinson's disease
Authors: Zhang Jianhua , Culp Matilda Lillian , Craver Jason G. , Darley‐Usmar Victor
Published: January 2018

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a movement disorder with widespread neurodegeneration in the brain. Significant oxidative, reductive, metabolic, and proteotoxic alterations have been observed in PD postmortem brains. The alterations of mitochondrial function resulting in decreased bioenergetic health is important and needs to be further examined to help develop biomarkers for PD severity and prognosis. It is now becoming clear that multiple hits on metabolic and signaling pathways are likely to exacerbate PD pathogenesis. Indeed, data obtained from genetic and genome association studies have implicated interactive contributions of genes controlling protein quality control and metabolism. For example, loss of key proteins that are responsible for clearance of dysfunctional mitochondria through a process called mitophagy has been found to cause PD, and a significant proportion of genes associated with PD encode proteins involved in the autophagy‐lysosomal pathway. In this review, we highlight the evidence for the targeting of mitochondria by proteotoxic, redox and metabolic stress, and the role autophagic surveillance in maintenance of mitochondrial quality. Furthermore, we summarize the role of α‐synuclein, leucine‐rich repeat kinase 2, and tau in modulating mitochondrial function and autophagy. Among the stressors that can overwhelm the mitochondrial quality control mechanisms, we will discuss 4‐hydroxynonenal and nitric oxide. The impact of autophagy is context depend and as such can have both beneficial and detrimental effects. Furthermore, we highlight the potential of targeting mitochondria and autophagic function as an integrated therapeutic strategy and the emerging contribution of the microbiome to PD susceptibility.

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Phenolic fractions from nine Trifolium species modulate the coagulant properties of blood plasma in vitro without cytotoxicity towards blood cells
Authors: Kolodziejczyk-Czepas Joanna , Sieradzka Malgorzata , Moniuszko-Szajwaj Barbara , Nowak Pawel , Oleszek Wiesław , Stochmal Anna
Published: January 2018

Objective

The study covers an evaluation of the influence of extracts (1–50 μg/ml), isolated from aerial parts of nine Trifolium L. species (i.e. T. alexandrinum, T. fragiferum, T. hybridum, T. incarnatum, T. pallidum, T. pratense, T. resupinatum var. majus, T. resupinatum var. resupinatum and T. scabrum) on haemostatic properties of blood plasma.

Methods

The clot formation and fibrinolysis assay (CFF), blood clotting times, the extrinsic and intrinsic coagulation pathway-dependent polymerization of plasma fibrin were measured. The effects of plant extracts on amidolytic activity of thrombin were also evaluated and compared with argatroban, an antithrombotic drug. Cytotoxicity was assessed in a model of blood platelets and as the viability of peripheral blood mononuclear cells.

Key findings

While no changes in blood clotting times or fibrinolytic properties of blood plasma were found, some fractions impaired the blood plasma coagulation induced by the intrinsic coagulation pathway. Reduction in the maximal velocity of fibrin polymerization was also observed in the clot formation and fibrinolysis assay. No cytotoxicity of Trifolium extracts towards the investigated cells was recorded.

Conclusions

The most efficient anticoagulant activity in plasma was found for T. fragiferum and T. incarnatum extracts, while the T. alexandrinum fraction was the most effective inhibitor of thrombin amidolytic activity.
Essential oils improved weight gain, growth and feed efficiency of young dairy calves fed 18 or 20% crude protein starter diets
Authors: Kazemi‐Bonchenari M. , Falahati R. , Poorhamdollah M. , Heidari S. R. , Pezeshki A.
Published: January 2018

The objective was to evaluate interactions between starter protein (180 vs. 200 g/kg, DM basis) and a mixture of essential oils (EOs; containing thymol, eugenol, vanillin, limonene and guaiacol) on growth, metabolic and ruminal functions of Holstein dairy calves. In a completely randomized 2 × 2 factorial design, 48 calves, 3 days old (averaging BW 42.7 ± 1.9 kg), were allocated into groups fed the following diets: (i) 180 g/kg CP with no EO (180P‐NEO); (ii) 180 g/kg CP with EO (180P‐EO); (iii) 200 g/kg CP with no EO (200P‐NEO); and (iv) 200 g/kg CP with EO (200P‐EO). The EO was supplemented as 1 g/kg of starter DM. Calves were fed ad libitum starter diet and were weaned at day 59 of age, but diets continued until day 80. There were no interactive effects of CP and EO on intake and growth. Pre‐weaning feed efficiency tended to be increased for 200P‐EO (p = .09). Average daily gain and feed efficiency during pre‐weaning period as well as weaning weight were increased (p < .05) by EO, whereas wither height was increased by EO (p = .03) and tended to be increased for 200P vs. 180P (p = .06). Post‐weaning blood urea nitrogen concentration tended to be lower in 180P vs. 200P (p = .08). Ruminal short‐chain fatty acids concentration was greatest in 200P‐EO. The EO increased both butyrate (p = .02) and propionate proportions (p = .01) and reduced acetate proportional ratio (p < .01). Ruminal ammonia‐N was tended to be lower in calves‐fed EO (p = .05) and was lower in those fed 180P vs. 200P (p < .01). In conclusion, supplementation of the starter diet with essential oil improved weight gain, growth and feed efficiency of dairy calves, irrespective of dietary protein content.
The Labour Market Effects of Increases in Social Insurance Premium: Evidence from Japan
Authors: Kodama Naomi , Yokoyama Izumi
Published: January 2018

Exploiting heterogeneous variations in labour cost increases due to Japan's 2003 social insurance premium reform as a natural experiment, we estimate the impacts of the increased social insurance premiums on employment, working hours and payroll costs. Using the difference‐in‐differences method with establishment fixed effects, we find that firms reduce the number of employees and increase average annual earnings from longer working hours in response to an exogenous increase in labour costs without productivity gains. Firms manage to pay for this increase in the average wage paid to the remaining workers by reducing the number of employees to keep total payroll costs unchanged. In contrast, since social insurance premiums are shared equally between employees and employers, firms pay the remaining half premiums that they are imposed with. Sub‐sample analyses show that firms adhering to a labour hoarding policy did fire many workers taking advantage of the 2003 reform. This may indicate that the reform provided a good excuse to cut employment in firms that had been forced to comply with a labour hoarding policy even in an over‐employment situation, which is more likely in sectors and countries where dismissals are rigorously regulated.
Statin use and the risk of cardiovascular implantable electronic device infection: A cohort study in a veteran population
Authors: Alzahrani Talal , Liappis Angelike P. , Baddour Larry M. , Karasik Pamela E.
Published: January 2018

Background

The rate of cardiovascular implantable electronic device infection (CIEDI) has increased, despite the use of perioperative antibiotics at the time of device placement or revision. This is due, in part, to the presence of multiple comorbid conditions in an elderly population, in general, who require CIED. Statins may have an antibacterial effect, although there is currently no evidence that the likelihood of CIEDI has been impacted by statin use.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study was performed to assess whether statins are associated with a reduced risk of CIEDI. The VA Informatics and Computing Infrastructure (VINCI) database, which includes all veterans who underwent CIED placement between 2008 and 2015, was used. A logistic regression model was constructed to estimate the adjusted risk of CIEDI among patients who were receiving statins after adjusting for confounding factors.

Results

Overall, 18,970 CIED procedures were included, and 98% of them were performed in men with a mean age of 71 ± 11 years. The rate of diabetes mellitus, heart failure, advanced chronic kidney diseases, CIEDI, positive methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus nasal colonization, and statin use were 23%, 15.7%, 3.3%, 1.14%, 12.6%, and 56%, respectively. The logistic regression analysis showed that statins were significantly associated with a reduced risk of CIEDI; after controlling for other effects, the reduction was 66% (odds ratio 0.34 [0.2–0.59], P‐value < 0.001). The effect of statins was confirmed by propensity score analysis.

Conclusions

Our study showed that among patients receiving statins who had undergone CIED placement, there was a 66% reduction in subsequent CIEDI.
Baltoscandian conodont biofacies fluctuations and their link to Middle Ordovician (Darriwilian) global cooling
Authors: Rasmussen Jan A. , Stouge Svend
Published: January 2018

The Middle Ordovician conodont genera that are suitable for palaeoenvironmental interpretations from the epicontinental Baltoscandian platform have been identified and evaluated to establish and describe conodont biofacies and their relationship to global cooling. The construction of biofacies was based on multivariate statistical analyses of more than 375 700 conodont specimens from 520 samples and 21 localities across Baltica. Three distinct, recurrent and laterally extensive conodont biofacies existed across the Baltoscandian platform of the Baltica continent during the Dapingian and early to middle Darriwilian stages (Middle Ordovician). A relatively shallow water conodont assemblage named the Baltoniodus–Microzarkodina Biofacies characterized the inner shelf localities in central Sweden, Estonia, Russia and Ukraine. In the distal shelf areas, patterns are more complex. Here, genera of the Periodon Biofacies characterized the shelf margin areas of the Scandinavian Caledonides facing the relatively warm Iapetus Ocean towards the north, whereas the Protopanderodus Biofacies dominated the distal shelf areas facing the cooler Tornquist Sea towards the south‐west. Although these three main biofacies continued to dominate during the succeeding Darriwilian stage, distinct changes in the distribution of biofacies took place during the transition from the Dapingian Stage to the Darriwilian. We argue that the biofacies change was triggered by a regressive event related to early Darriwilian cooling, and that the palaeoclimatological changes influenced the Baltic conodont faunas near the Tornquist Sea margin before those of the Iapetus margin (early vs middle Darriwilian).
Pediatric penile porokeratosis: A case report
Authors: Bari Omar , Calame Antoanella , Marietti‐Shepherd Sarah , Barrio Victoria R.
Published: January 2018

We present what we believe to be the second case of pediatric penile porokeratosis and the youngest case reported. A 6‐year‐old boy presented with a pruritic, verrucous growth at the urethral meatus that recurred after two meatotomies. The diagnosis of porokeratosis was confirmed by biopsy. Porokeratosis should be added to the differential diagnosis of chronic hyperkeratotic penile lesions in children.
Peroxiredoxin 4 (PRDX4): Its critical in vivo roles in animal models of metabolic syndrome ranging from atherosclerosis to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
Authors: Yamada Sohsuke , Guo Xin
Published: January 2018

The peroxiredoxin (PRDX) family, a new family of proteins with a pivotal antioxidative function, is ubiquitously synthesized and abundantly identified in various organisms. In contrast to the intracellular localization of other family members (PRDX1/2/3/5/6), PRDX4 is the only known secretory form and protects against oxidative damage by scavenging reactive oxygen species in both the intracellular (especially the endoplasmic reticulum) compartments and the extracellular space. We generated unique human PRDX4 (hPRDX4) transgenic (Tg) mice on a C57BL/6J background and investigated the critical and diverse protective roles of PRDX4 against diabetes mellitus, atherosclerosis, insulin resistance, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) as well as evaluated its role in the intestinal function in various animal models. Our published data have shown that PRDX4 helps prevent the progression of metabolic syndrome by reducing local and systemic oxidative stress and synergistically suppressing steatosis, inflammatory reactions, and/or apoptotic activity. These observations suggest that Tg mice may be a useful animal model for studying the relevance of oxidative stress on inflammation and the dysregulation of lipid/bile acid/glucose metabolism upon the progression of human metabolic syndrome, and that specific accelerators of PRDX4 may be useful as therapeutic agents for ameliorating various chronic inflammatory diseases.