bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Clinical Predictors of Acute Brain Injury in Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Patients With Altered Mental Status at Admission to Emergency Department
Authors: Kim Youn‐Jung , Sohn Chang Hwan , Seo Dong Woo , Oh Bum Jin , Lim Kyoung Soo , Kim Won Young
Published: June 2018

Objectives

Objective screening tool for patients at a high risk of developing acute brain injury (ABI) is necessary for the proper treatment of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning patients. The aim of this study is to identify clinical factors that could predict ABI due to CO poisoning in patients with an altered mental status.

Methods

A prospectively collected CO poisoning registry at a single academic medical center was retrospectively analyzed. CO poisoning patients with an altered mental status at the emergency department, defined as unalert on the alert/responsive to voice/responsive to pain/unresponsive scale and underwent diffusion‐weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW‐MRI) between January 1, 2013, and December 31, 2015, were included. ABI was defined as the presence of acute hypoxic brain lesions. Clinical predictors of ABI were identified by multivariate logistic regression analysis.

Results

Of 180 patients, 67 (37.2%) had ABI as revealed by DW‐MRI. Multivariate analysis showed that CO exposure duration > 5 hours (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 7.082; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 3.463–15.014; p < 0.001) defined as the time between CO exposure and rescue, abnormal white blood cell count (AOR = 2.568, 95% CI = 1.188–5.700, p = 0.02), and abnormal creatinine concentration (AOR = 2.667, 95% CI = 1.110–6.605, p = 0.03) were predictors of ABI. CO exposure duration had the highest predictive value (area under the curve, 0.815), and the optimal cutoff value was 5 hours. Moreover, increasing exposure durations (quartile) indicated a stepwise increase in the risk of ABI.

Conclusions

In CO poisoning patients with an altered mental status, CO exposure duration was useful for predicting ABI, which may help clinicians or paramedics identify high‐risk patients and provide treatment on priority.
Comparative analysis of the blood transcriptomes between wolves and dogs
Authors: Yang X. , Zhang H. , Shang J. , Liu G. , Xia T. , Zhao C. , Sun G. , Dou H.
Published: June 2018

Dogs were domesticated by human and originated from wolves. Their evolutionary relationships have attracted much scientific interest due to their genetic affinity but different habitats. To identify the differences between dogs and wolves associated with domestication, we analysed the blood transcriptomes of wolves and dogs by RNA‐Seq. We obtained a total of 30.87 Gb of raw reads from two dogs and three wolves using RNA‐Seq technology. Comparisons of the wolf and dog transcriptomes revealed 524 genes differentially expressed genes between them. We found that some genes related to immune function (DCK, ICAM4, GAPDH and BSG) and aerobic capacity (HBA1, HBA2 and HBB) were more highly expressed in the wolf. Six differentially expressed genes related to the innate immune response (CCL23, TRIM10, DUSP10, RAB27A, CLEC5A and GCH1) were found in the wolf by a Gene Ontology enrichment analysis. Immune system development was also enriched only in the wolf group. The ALAS2, HMBS and FECH genes, shown to be enriched by the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis, were associated with the higher aerobic capacity and hypoxia endurance of the wolf. The results suggest that the wolf might have greater resistance to pathogens, hypoxia endurance and aerobic capacity than dogs do.
Environmental correlates of livestock depredation by spotted hyaenas and livestock herding practices in a semi‐arid communal landscape
Authors: Mbiba Monicah , Muvengwi Justice , Ndaimani Henry
Published: June 2018

Human population increase, expansion of anthropogenic activities and the subsequent decline of wildlife habitats have resulted in constant overlaps in the needs of people and wildlife, resulting in human–wildlife conflict. One of the key drivers of human–wildlife conflict is livestock depredation by carnivores. Most studies on human–wildlife conflict have been conducted in communal areas adjacent to protected areas; however, little has been done in communities far from protected areas. To understand the environmental correlates of livestock depredation events in a communal landscape far from protected areas, we used maximum entropy modelling to predict occurrence of spotted hyaena (Crocuta crocuta) kill sites using distance from hills, homesteads, roads and tracks, streams and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). In addition, we investigated the livestock herding and kraaling practices of rural households in Nyamandi Communal Area, Zimbabwe. Distance to nearest homestead was the most important environmental correlate of kill site occurrence (85.8%), as more kills occurred nearer to homesteads. More households herded livestock in the wet than in the dry season, but interestingly, significantly more attacks occurred in the wet season than in the dry season (p < 0.05). We conclude that distance from homesteads is the most important correlate in the prediction of livestock depredation in this communal landscape.
Two and a half years on: data and experiences establishing a ‘Virtual Clinic’ for joint replacement follow up
Authors: Lovelock Thomas , O'Brien Michael , Young Ian , Broughton Nigel
Published: June 2018

Background

We use a ‘Virtual Clinic’ for follow up of hip and knee replacement patients. The aim of this study was to investigate patient compliance, pain and function, revision rates and surgeon experience using this system.

Methods

All hip and knee replacements conducted from 2000 onwards were suitable for ‘Virtual Clinic’ review. Between July 2014 and December 2016, all patients due for follow up (at 1, 5 and 7 years post‐operatively, or biennially thereafter) were mailed an Oxford Hip or Knee Score and a request for a radiograph. A surgeon reviewed the questionnaire and radiograph and decided whether face‐to‐face review was necessary. We calculated compliance as the percentage of eligible patients who completed the ‘Virtual Clinic’. We used retrospective review of medical records for all clinic participants to analyse Oxford scores, disposition following appointment, and revision rates. We reviewed all clinic participants in December 2017 to identify any further revisions. Surgeon feedback was assessed by emailed survey.

Results

A total of 2076 patients were due for follow up. 1405 patients were contactable, and 710 completed the process. We calculated a 36% compliance rate. Surgeons decided 162 (23%) patients with a mean Oxford score of 24.2 required face‐to‐face assessment. This identified 13 patients needing revision. One other patient was revised for loosening which developed between ‘Virtual Clinic’ appointments. Surgeon feedback indicated the inclusion of a ‘comment’ section on the questionnaire as particularly useful.

Discussion

We describe our adoption of a ‘Virtual Clinic’ for joint replacement follow up. We recommend this system as a practical method of following up patients.
Horizontal participatory action research: Refugee solidarity in the border zone
Authors: Starodub Alissa
Published: June 2018

This paper outlines a refugee solidarity action in the territory of the border zone on the West Balkan route to Central Europe. Methodologically it develops a horizontal approach to participatory action research. In an attempt to engage in research and action created in a non‐hierarchical collaboration with non‐academic co‐researchers, horizontal participatory action research renounces forcing the research process into a lockstep curriculum. It replaces power relations between researchers and participants with collective and relational knowledge creation and includes multiple modalities of reflection. Taking action, researchers are empowered to project the possibility of achieving social transformation through their practice of solidarity with migratory movements across borders. These movements contain moments of autonomy in regards to any attempt to control and regulate them. Solidarity in the terms of the horizontal participatory action research is thus conceived as action and reflection that is affirmative of the autonomy of migration.
Assessing the impact of China's timber industry on Congo Basin land use change
Authors: Fuller Trevon L. , Narins Thomas P. , Nackoney Janet , Bonebrake Timothy C. , Sesink Clee Paul , Morgan Katy , Tróchez Anthony , Bocuma Meñe Demetrio , Bongwele Eddy , Njabo Kevin Y. , Anthony Nicola M. , Gonder Mary Katherine , Kahn Matthew , Allen Walter R. , Smith Thomas B.
Published: June 2018

Through the rise of global commodity chains, consumer demand in China and the USA has given rise to the extraction of natural resources in the Congo Basin. The Chinese market for high‐valued animal products such as elephant ivory and pangolin scales has encouraged poaching, exploitation and trafficking of these goods in Africa. Chinese demand for other African commodities, however, remains less well known. Using data across a 15‐year period (2001–2015), we analysed the relationship between Chinese timber imports and tree‐cover loss in the Congo Basin. Tree‐cover loss was measured via remote sensing and the value of imports was obtained from official trade statistics. Results indicate that the total accumulated export of wood from Congo Basin countries to China doubled between 2001 and 2015, with 50% of exports originating from Cameroon and the Republic of Congo. We found a positive relationship between measures of Chinese logging and the loss of tree cover in the Congo Basin. Further investigation of the timber products market showed that US demand for Chinese‐made furniture was positively correlated with Chinese timber imports from the Congo Basin. These findings suggest that US demand for furniture encourages Chinese economic actors to harvest timber from Congo Basin forests. Our results help to illuminate the complex environmental and economic drivers surrounding trade and deforestation and can help inform consumers about more sustainable ways to purchase wood products from one of the world's preeminent biodiversity hotspots.
Soil seed bank assay methods influence interpretation of non‐native plant management
Authors: Chiquoine Lindsay P. , Abella Scott R.
Published: June 2018

Questions

In the assessment of a soil seed bank at invaded sites, do sampling at different microsite types and use of different assessment methods yield different results, which may influence interpretation of management effectiveness and potential for native plant restoration?

Location

Saguaro National Park, Arizona, United States.

Methods

Seed bank samples were collected from two microsite types (below‐shrub canopies and interspaces between perennial plants) at plots within Pennisetum ciliare‐invaded and untreated sites, non‐invaded sites and sites with five frequencies of Pennisetum‐removal treatments. Seed bank samples were characterized by seedling emergence and seed extraction methods.

Results

Assay method influenced whether we detected a significant Pennisetum‐removal treatment response on Pennisetum detected in the seed bank. A treatment response was not observed using the emergence method. Using the extraction method, we found that untreated Pennisetum plots contained significantly more Pennisetum seed than removal treatments. Treatments did not affect detection of native seed banks using either method. Microsite type only had an effect on seed detected using the emergence method, where more perennial species and seed densities were detected below shrubs. Native species richness and estimated seed densities using extraction were correlated with emergence results (r = 0.52, N = 42, p < 0.001 and r = 0.56; N = 42, p < 0.001, respectively).

Conclusions

Results highlight several considerations for how different seed bank methods can influence interpretation of management treatments. Along with vegetation surveys, seed bank observations indicate that removal treatments successfully reduced Pennisetum in soil seed banks at invaded sites relative to invaded untreated sites. Natives were a significant proportion of seed banks, showing potential for native plants to establish after treatments of non‐native plants. Results suggest potential to calibrate seed bank methods with each other to reconcile differences. Because viability of extracted seed was uncertain, further analysis may be necessary to test which assay method best predicts future vegetation.
MicroRNA‐351‐5p aggravates intestinal ischaemia/reperfusion injury through the targeting of MAPK13 and Sirtuin‐6
Authors: Hu Yupeng , Tao Xufeng , Han Xu , Xu Lina , Yin Lianhong , Sun Huijun , Qi Yan , Xu Youwei , Peng Jinyong
Published: June 2018

Background and Purpose

Intestinal ischaemia‐reperfusion (II/R) injury is a serious clinical problem. Here we have investigated novel mechanisms and new drug targets in II/R injury by searching for microRNAs regulating such injury.

Experimental Approach

We used hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) of IEC‐6 cell cultures and models of II/R models in rats and mice. Microarray assays were used to identify target miRNAs from rat intestinal. Real‐time PCR, Western blot and dual luciferase reporter assays, and agomir and antagomir in vitro and in vivo were used to assess the effects of the target miRNA on II/R injury.

Key Results

The miR‐351‐5p was differentially expressed in our models and it targeted MAPK13 and sirtuin‐6. This miRNA reduced levels of sirtuin‐6 and AMP‐activated protein kinase phosphorylation, and activated forkhead box O3 (FoxO3α) phosphorylation to cause oxidative stress. Also, miR‐351‐5p markedly reduced MAPK13 level, activated polycystic kidney disease 1/NF‐κB signal and increased NF‐κB (p65). Moreover, miR‐351‐5p up‐regulated levels of Bcl2‐associated X, cytochrome c, apoptotic peptidase activating factor 1, cleaved‐caspase 3 and cleaved‐caspase 9 by reducing sirtuin‐6 levels to promote apoptosis. In addition, miR‐351‐5p mimic in IEC‐6 cells and agomir in mice aggravated these effects, and miR‐351‐5p inhibitor and antagomir in mice alleviated these actions.

Conclusions and Implications

Our data showed that miR‐351‐5p aggravated II/R injury by promoting intestinal mucosal oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis by targeting MAPK13 and sirtuin‐6.These data provide new insights into the mechanisms regulating II/R injury, and of miR‐351‐5p could be considered as a novel therapeutic target for such injury.
Identification of novel macropinocytosis inhibitors using a rational screen of Food and Drug Administration‐approved drugs
Authors: Lin Hui‐Ping , Singla Bhupesh , Ghoshal Pushpankur , Faulkner Jessica L , Cherian‐Shaw Mary , O'Connor Paul M , She Jin‐Xiong , Belin de Chantemele Eric J , Csányi Gábor
Published: June 2018

Background and Purpose

Macropinocytosis is involved in many pathologies, including cardiovascular disorders, cancer, allergic diseases, viral and bacterial infections. Unfortunately, the currently available pharmacological inhibitors of macropinocytosis interrupt other endocytic processes and have non‐specific endocytosis‐independent effects. Here we have sought to identify new, clinically relevant inhibitors of macropinocytosis, using an FDA‐approved drug library.

Experimental Approach

In the present study, 640 FDA‐approved compounds were tested for their ability to inhibit macropinocytosis. A series of secondary assays were performed to confirm inhibitory activity, determine IC50 values and investigate cell toxicity. The ability of identified hits to inhibit phagocytosis and clathrin‐mediated and caveolin‐mediated endocytosis was also investigated. Scanning electron microscopy and molecular biology techniques were utilized to examine the mechanisms by which selected compounds inhibit macropinocytosis.

Key Results

The primary screen identified 14 compounds that at ~10 μM concentration inhibit >95% of macropinocytotic solute internalization. Three compounds ‐ imipramine, phenoxybenzamine and vinblastine ‐ potently inhibited (IC50 ≤ 131 nM) macropinocytosis without exerting cytotoxic effects or inhibiting other endocytic pathways. Scanning electron microscopy imaging indicated that imipramine inhibits membrane ruffle formation, a critical early step leading to initiation of macropinocytosis. Finally, imipramine has been shown to inhibit macropinocytosis in several cell types, including cancer cells, dendritic cells and macrophages.

Conclusions and Implications

Our results identify imipramine as a new pharmacological tool to study macropinocytosis in cellular and biological systems. This study also suggests that imipramine could be a good candidate for repurposing as a therapeutic agent in pathological processes involving macropinocytosis.
Tobacco and cannabis use in college students are predicted by sex‐dimorphic interactions between MAOA genotype and child abuse
Authors: Fite Paula J. , Brown Shaquanna , Hossain Waheeda , Manzardo Ann , Butler Merlin G. , Bortolato Marco
Published: June 2018

Background

Postsecondary students in Western countries exhibit a high prevalence of cannabis and tobacco use disorders. The etiology of these problems is contributed by several psychosocial factors, including childhood adversity and trauma; however, the mechanisms whereby these environmental determinants predispose to the use of these substances remain elusive, due to our poor knowledge of genetic and biological moderators. Converging evidence points to the monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) gene as a moderator of the effects of lifetime stress on the initiation of substance use.

Aims

Building on these premises, in this study, we analyzed whether MAOA upstream variable number tandem repeat (uVNTR) alleles interact with child maltreatment history to predict for lifetime cannabis and tobacco consumption.

Materials and methods

Five hundred college students (age: 18–25 years) from a large Midwestern University were surveyed for their child maltreatment history (encompassing emotional, physical, and sexual abuse, as well as emotional and physical neglect) and lifetime consumption of cannabis and tobacco. Saliva samples were obtained to determine the MAOA uVNTR genotype of each participant.

Results

In female students, lifetime tobacco and cannabis use was predicted by the interaction of physical and emotional abuse with high‐activity MAOA allelic variants; conversely, in males, the interaction of low‐activity MAOA alleles and physical abuse was associated with lifetime use of tobacco, but not cannabis.

Discussion

These findings collectively suggest that the vulnerability to smoke tobacco and cannabis is predicted by sex‐dimorphic interactions of MAOA gene with childhood abuse.

Conclusion

These biosocial underpinnings of tobacco and cannabis use may prove important in the development of novel personalized preventive strategies for substance use disorders in adolescents.
The impact of brain‐derived neurotrophic factor Val66Met polymorphism on cognition and functional brain networks in patients with intractable partial epilepsy
Authors: Sidhu Meneka K. , Thompson Pamela J. , Wandschneider Britta , Foulkes Alexandra , de Tisi Jane , Stretton Jason , Perona Marina , Thom Maria , Bonelli Silvia B. , Burdett Jane , Williams Elaine , Duncan John S. , Matarin Mar
Published: June 2018

Introduction

Medial temporal lobe epilepsy (mTLE) is the most common refractory focal epilepsy in adults. Around 30%‐40% of patients have prominent memory impairment and experience significant postoperative memory and language decline after surgical treatment. BDNF Val66Met polymorphism has also been associated with cognition and variability in structural and functional hippocampal indices in healthy controls and some patient groups.

Aims

We examined whether BDNF Val66Met variation was associated with cognitive impairment in mTLE.

Methods

In this study, we investigated the association of Val66Met polymorphism with cognitive performance (n = 276), postoperative cognitive change (n = 126) and fMRI activation patterns during memory encoding and language paradigms in 2 groups of patients with mTLE (n = 37 and 34).

Results

mTLE patients carrying the Met allele performed more poorly on memory tasks and showed reduced medial temporal lobe activation and reduced task‐related deactivations within the default mode networks in both the fMRI memory and language tasks than Val/Val patients.

Conclusions

Although cognitive impairment in epilepsy is the result of a complex interaction of factors, our results suggest a role of genetic factors on cognitive impairment in mTLE.
Inventory Management and Endogenous Demand: Investigating the Role of Customer Referrals, Defections, and Product Market Failure
Authors: Sokolinskiy Oleg , Sopranzetti Ben , Rogers Dale S. , Leuschner Rudolf
Published: June 2018

This article optimizes a finite population, dynamic, stochastic inventory model where future demand is endogenous to inventory policy. Specifically, satisfied customers are not only likely to remain with the firm, but may also refer new customers. In contrast, backorders and lost sales may cause disgruntled customers to defect and potentially cause them to dissuade new customers from doing business with the firm. Thus, inventory policy and customer demand are endogenous. Further, the model allows for the possibility that too many customer defections may lead to product market failure. The incorporation of these innovations into our model yields inventory policies that differ substantially from those reported in the literature, with the greatest differences occurring when the firm has low to medium market share.
Managing Television Commercial Inventory under Competition: An Equilibrium Analysis
Authors: Geng Qin , Mallik Suman
Published: June 2018

We develop a game theoretic model for managing prime time on‐air ad inventory in the television industry. The ad inventory in this industry is priced based on rating points or the number of viewers that watch a commercial. The rating points are sold through two distinct processes: the upfront, which occurs before the broadcast season, and the scatter, which occurs throughout during the broadcast season. Television networks need to allocate their total rating points inventory to these two markets before knowing either the performance rating of their shows or the scatter market price, both of which are ex ante uncertain. The television networks offer performance guarantees on the inventory that is sold in the upfront market while such guarantees are not offered in the scatter market. We consider the inventory competition between two television networks under such a setting. To the best of our knowledge, ours is the first article to consider competition in media revenue management. We establish the existence of unique Nash equilibrium under quantity competition and describe the sensitivity of the equilibrium outcome with respect to various problem parameters. We show that choosing quantity over price during the upfront is a dominant strategy for a television network. We compare our competitive model with a centralized system and discuss the managerial implications for our work.
Testing for constant correlation of filtered series under structural change
Authors: Demetrescu Matei , Wied Dominik
Published: June 2018

The paper proposes a test for constant correlations that allow for breaks at unknown times in the marginal means and variances. Theoretically and in an application to US and German stock returns, we find that not accounting for changes in the marginal moments has severe consequences. This is because incorrect standardization of the series transfers to the sample correlations onto which the tests are built. Correcting for variance breaks at unknown time will have an asymptotic effect. To discuss adjustments, we tackle the issue more generally by considering partial-sums-based inference on moment properties of unobserved processes that is conducted on the basis of estimated counterparts obtained in a preliminary step. The paper gives a characterization of the conditions under which the effect of filtering does not vanish asymptotically. The analysis extends to models with breaks in parameters at estimated time.
The diagnostic accuracy of laser Doppler flowmetry in assessing pulp blood flow in permanent teeth: A systematic review
Authors: Ghouth Nahar , Duggal Monty S. , BaniHani Alaa , Nazzal Hani
Published: June 2018

Background/Aim

Pulp necrosis is a frequent complication following dental trauma. The diagnosis of the state of the dental pulp can be challenging as most commonly used diagnostic tools are subjective and rely on a response from the patient, potentially making their use unreliable, especially in the child population. The aim of the study was to systematically review the evidence on the use of laser Doppler flowmetry in the assessment of the pulp status of permanent teeth compared to other sensibility and/or vitality tests.

Methods

A systematic literature search, using MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, www.clinicaltrials.gov and www.controlled-trials.com, in addition to citation and manual reference list searches, was conducted up to 15th January 2018. A risk of bias assessment was performed using the quality assessment for diagnostic accuracy studies tool (QUADAS‐2) with all steps performed independently by two reviewers.

Results

Four studies with a high risk of bias were included in the final analysis. Laser Doppler flowmetry was reported to be more accurate in differentiating between teeth with normal pulps and pulp necrosis with a sensitivity of (81.8%‐100%) and specificity of 100% in comparison to other vitality tests such as pulp oximetry (sensitivity = 81.3%, specificity = 94.9%) and sensibility tests such as electric pulp testing (sensitivity = 63.3%‐91.5%, specificity = 88%‐100%).

Conclusion

Despite the higher reported sensitivity and specificity of laser Doppler flowmetry in assessing pulp blood flow, these data are based on studies with a high level of bias and serious shortfalls in study designs. More research is needed to study the effect of different laser Doppler flowmetry's parameters on its diagnostic accuracy and the true cut‐off ratios over which a tooth could be diagnosed as having a normal pulp.
“My Child, My Choice”? Mandatory Curriculum, Sex, and the Conscience of Parents
Authors: Bialystok Lauren
Published: June 2018

In this essay Lauren Bialystok argues that the standard liberal defense of parental opt‐outs is inconsistent in the case of comprehensive sex education. Using the recent controversy over a new sex education curriculum in Ontario, Canada, as a case study, Bialystok examines the aims and effects of sex education and the self‐described conscience of opposing parents to reveal that children's interests may be harmed by deferring to parents' views on sexuality. The opt‐out strategy is a merely formal solution, which appears to be indifferent to both the strength of the justification for sex education and the content of the grounds on which parents oppose it. Being overly respectful of parental conscience in the case of sex education risks reproducing the illiberal paradigms that the curriculum is intended to erode, and thus subverts its own liberal intentions. Bialystok concludes by suggesting ways of honoring parents' right to involvement in their children's education while delivering a mandatory curriculum.
Lying in Politics: Fake News, Alternative Facts, and the Challenges for Deliberative Civics Education
Authors: Gordon Mordechai
Published: June 2018

Inspired by Orwell's chilling account of brainwashing, propaganda, and the obliteration of the lines between fiction and truth, Mordechai Gordon attempts to make sense of the phenomenon of lying in politics as a challenge to deliberative civics education. His analysis begins with a detailed consideration of the distinctions Hannah Arendt draws between factual truth, lying, and opinions in several works but with particular reference to her essays “Lying in Politics” and “Truth and Politics.” Gordon shows that although Arendt recognized many of the dangers to the vitality of a democracy when the lines that distinguish between facts, lies, and opinions become blurred, she could not have anticipated the extent to which the advent of modern technology and online media would exacerbate this problem in contemporary society. Next, he draws on the theory of deliberative democracy to argue that the lack of a clear distinction between fiction and factual truths serves to undermine the quality of political debates in a democratic society. In the final part of the essay, Gordon discusses the challenges that the advent of fake news organizations and the dissemination of alternative facts as truth pose to deliberative civics education, specifically how the trend of a diminishing space of truth and fact undermines efforts to teach students how to engage effectively and productively in democratic deliberations.
Turbid water induces refuge behaviour of a commercially important ayu: A field experiment for interstream movement using multiple artificial streams
Authors: Mori Terutaka , Kato Yasumitsu , Takagi Tetsuya , Onoda Yukio , Kayaba Yuichi
Published: June 2018

Riverine systems are inherently dendritic in nature, and turbid water may not necessarily flow equally throughout an entire catchment. Tributaries have the potential to serve as refugia from temporarily turbid water in the main stem. As ayu (Plecoglossus altivelis) are one of the important species for the inland fisheries industry and recreational fishing, their behaviour in a branched river network is a primary concern. We released ayu with radio‐transmitting tags into two experimental streams that joined at a downstream pool. Turbid water was released into one of the streams, and we identified whether avoidance movement of ayu between the two experimental streams was triggered by flowing turbid water. The suspended solid concentration elevated rapidly after adding the turbid water and was maintained at more than 400 mg/L for 3 hr. Avoidance movement of ayu was triggered when the suspended solid concentration exceeded approximately 200 mg/L. Then, most ayu moved from the turbid stream to the nonturbid one, leading to a difference in ayu density between the two streams. Therefore, we demonstrated that turbid water induced interstream movement of a commercially important ayu as refuge behaviour, suggesting that river connectivity is important for the persistence of the ayu.
Contrasting changes in freshwater fish assemblages and food webs follow modification of tropical waterways
Authors: Liew Jia Huan , Giam Xingli , Clews Esther , Tan Kenrick Y. W. , Tan Heok Hui , Kho Zi Yi , Yeo Darren C. J.
Published: June 2018

Fresh waters are increasingly threatened by flow modification. Knowledge about the impacts of flow modification is incomplete, especially in the tropics where ecological studies are only starting to emerge in recent years. Using presence/absence data dated approximately four decades apart (~1966 to ~2010) from 10 tropical rivers, we assessed the changes in freshwater fish assemblage and food web after flow modification. The sites were surveyed with methods best suited to habitat conditions (e.g., tray/push netting for low‐order forest streams, visual surveys for canalised rivers and net casting for impounded rivers). With the presence/absence data, we derived and compared six measures of fish assemblage and food web structure: species richness, proportion of native species, overall functional diversity, native functional diversity, food web complexity and maximum trophic level. We found that changes in community assemblage and food web structure were not generalisable across modification regimes. In canalised sites, species richness and maximum trophic levels were lower in the second time period while the opposite was true for impounded sites. However, proportion of native species was consistently lower in the second time period across modification regimes. Changes in fish assemblages and food webs appear to be driven by species turnover. We recorded 79 cases of site‐specific extirpation and 117 cases of site‐specific establishment. Our data further suggest that turnover in assemblage is again contingent on flow‐modification regime. While the process was stochastic in canalised rivers, benthopelagic species were more likely to be extirpated from impounded rivers where species lost were replaced by predominantly alien fish taxa.
ATP6V0A2‐related cutis laxa in 10 novel patients: Focus on clinical variability and expansion of the phenotype
Authors: Beyens Aude , Moreno‐Artero Ester , Bodemer Christine , Cox Helen , Gezdirici Alper , Yilmaz Gulec Elif , Kahloul Najoua , Khau Van Kien Philippe , Ogur Gonul , Harroche Annie , Vasse Marc , Salhi Aïcha , Symoens Sofie , Hadj‐Rabia Smail , Callewaert Bert
Published: June 2018

In ATP6V0A2‐related cutis laxa, the skin phenotype varies from a wrinkly skin to prominent cutis laxa and typically associates with skeletal and neurological manifestations. The phenotype remains incompletely characterized, especially in adult patients. Glycosylation defects and reduced acidification of secretory vesicles contribute to the pathogenesis, but the consequences at the clinical level remain to be determined. Moreover, the morphology of the elastic fibres has not been studied in ATP6V0A2‐related cutis laxa, nor its relation with potential clinical risks. We report on the extreme variability in ATP6V0A2‐related cutis laxa in 10 novel patients, expand the phenotype with emphysema and von Willebrand disease and hypothesize on the pathogenesis that might link both with deficiency of glycosylation and with elastic fibre anomalies. Our data will affect clinical management of patients with ATP6V0A2‐related cutis laxa.
Microstructure‐sensitive fatigue modelling of medical‐grade fine wire
Authors: Clark B.C. , Castelluccio G.M. , Reiterer M.W. , McDowell D.L. , Neu R.W.
Published: June 2018

This work presents a modelling methodology to assess the sensitivity to microstructure in high‐cycle fatigue performance of fine wires made from MP35N alloy (35Ni‐35Co‐20Cr‐10Mo in wt%) used as conductors in cardiac leads. The model consists of a microstructure generator that creates a mesh of a statistically representative microstructure, a finite element analysis using a crystal plasticity constitutive model to determine the local response behaviour of the microstructure, and a postprocesser using fatigue indicating parameters to assess the likelihood of fatigue crack initiation. The fatigue crack initiation potency for selected microstructure attributes, boundary and interface conditions, and loading profiles is determined by computing the Fatemi‐Socie fatigue indicating parameter over a physically relevant volume of scale. Case studies are used to investigate (1) the influence of nonmetallic inclusion proximity to the wire surface on fatigue potency and (2) the transition life demarcating lives primarily controlled by fatigue crack initiation versus microcrack fatigue growth.
Gender in academic STEM: A focus on men faculty
Authors: Sattari Negin , Sandefur Rebecca L.
Published: June 2018

In this study, we explore how men faculty understand the role of gender in shaping faculty experiences in academic science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and how they position themselves in relation to inequalities disfavouring women. Our data reveal diversity among men in their understandings regarding challenges facing women in STEM. The majority of our participants revealed gender‐blind perspectives and argued that the egalitarian structure of academia does not allow gender to impact attainments in STEM in any significant way. However, a considerable number of them felt privileged compared to women and described subtle ways in which gender shapes opportunities. Our findings show the important implications of men's sensitivity to gender in the ways they perform their professional roles as, for example, mentors, colleagues and teachers in relation to women in STEM. They further call for attention to men's perceptions of gender issues when designing institutional interventions for improving women's conditions in STEM.
Proficiency‐related variation in syntactic complexity: A study of English L1 and L2 oral descriptive discourse
Authors: Lambert Craig , Nakamura Sachiko
Published: June 2018

This cross‐sectional study compares the discourse of Japanese learners of English at different proficiency levels with their native English‐speaking peers in completing six communication tasks in order to better understand the emergence of syntactic complexity in relationship to developing second language (L2) proficiency. The study investigates four clause combination strategies (coordination, nominal subordination, adverbial subordination, and relative subordination) in relationship to lexical selection and compensation strategies in order to gain insight into how and why syntactic complexity at the clausal and phrasal levels varied between groups. Results indicate that the four types of clause combination strategies investigated varied systematically with proficiency level as argued in previous theory and research and might be productively distinguished in future analysis of L2 learner language. The study also identifies how L2 noun phrase complexity was moderated by lexical compensation. The results of the study have important implications for the coding of syntactic complexity in L2 learner language.
Extrapolation‐based Bandwidth Selectors: A Review and Comparative Study with Discussion on Bivariate Applications
Authors: Wang Qing
Published: June 2018

Cross‐validation is a widely used tool in selecting the smoothing parameter in a non‐parametric procedure. However, it suffers from large sampling variation and tends to overfit the data set. Many attempts have been made to reduce the variance of cross‐validation. This paper focuses on two recent proposals of extrapolation‐based cross‐validation bandwidth selectors: indirect cross‐validation and subsampling‐extrapolation technique. In univariate case, we notice that using a fixed value parameter surrogate for indirect cross‐validation works poorly when the true density is hard to estimate, while the subsampling‐extrapolation technique is more robust to non‐normality. We investigate whether a hybrid bandwidth selector could benefit from the advantages of both approaches and compare the performance of different extrapolation‐based bandwidth selectors through simulation studies, real data analyses and large sample theory. A discussion on their extension to bivariate case is also presented.
The rise of professional unions in Germany. Challenge and threat for established industrial relations?
Authors: Keller Berndt
Published: June 2018

The author analyses the rise of professional unions, one of the most remarkable developments in German labour movement since the early 2000s. By means of strikes, they managed to get officially accepted as autonomous partners for collective bargaining. The author asks whether their emergence challenges or even threats the established systems of industrial relations.
Engaging with and navigating limbo: Lived experiences of siblings of adults with autism spectrum disorders
Authors: Noonan Hester , O’ Donoghue Isabelle , Wilson Charlotte
Published: June 2018

Background

Supporting an adult with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can be associated with family stress but also with personal growth and resilience. Research providing insight into how typically developing siblings make sense of their unique sibling relationships in adulthood remains limited.

Method

Using interpretative phenomenological analysis, this study explored subjective experiences of eight siblings of adults with ASD and co‐occurring intellectual disability.

Results

Analysis of interview transcripts revealed a complex lived experience explained by the overarching theme “engaging with and navigating limbo”, which was characterized by commitment to the sibling relationship, power tensions in the family, uncertainty about the future and negotiating the tension between relational closeness and distance.

Conclusion

Using family systems theory, overregulation and closed communication emerged as processes relevant to families living with ASD. Clinical opportunities to support family communication, change tolerance and belonging are discussed.
Photoonycholysis: new findings
Authors: Baran R. , Mascaro J.M. , Aguilera P.
Published: June 2018

Abstract

First described in 1961, photoonycholysis (PO) is a rare nail alteration that may result from drug intake, from topical aminolevulinate photodynamic therapy or from photosensitive conditions such as porphyria or pseudoporphyria. Spontaneous PO is rare. This review updates the numerous causes of PO and highlights some new ways producing this condition. Four different types of PO are clearly recognized without relationship with the responsible drug. An updated list of potential inducing drug is provided. Some practical points on PO have been raised. The inability to reproduce photoonycholysis experimentally should be emphasized, and the pathogenesis of PO still needs to be clarified.
Dermoscopy in disseminated sporotrichosis
Authors: Dabas G. , Kaur H. , Vinay K. , Kumaran M.S. , Shivaprakash M.R. , Saikia U.N. , Dogra S.
Published: June 2018

Linked article: This article is commentary on by M. Sławińska et al., pp. e35–e36 in this issue. To view this article visit https://doi.org/10.1111/jdv.15155
Comparison between Atlantic salmon Salmo salar post‐smolts reared in open sea cages and in the Preline raceway semi‐closed containment aquaculture system
Authors: Balseiro Pablo , Moe Øyvind , Gamlem Ingrid , Shimizu Munetaka , Sveier Harald , Nilsen Tom O. , Kaneko Nobuto , Ebbesson Lars , Pedrosa Cindy , Tronci Valentina , Nylund Are , Handeland Sigurd O.
Published: June 2018

The use of closed containment (CCS) or semi‐closed containment systems (S‐CCS) for Atlantic salmon Salmo salar aquaculture is under evaluation in Norway. One such system is the Preline S‐CCS, a floating raceway system that pumps water from 35 m depth creating a constant current through the system. Exposing fish to moderate water currents is considered aerobic exercise and it is often perceived as positive for fish welfare, growth, food utilization, muscle development and cardiac health. The present study compared fish reared in the Preline S‐CCS and in a reference open pen. Samples were taken in fresh water before being transferred to the seawater systems and after 1, 2 and 4 months in seawater and analysed for growth, mortality, muscle development and plasma insulin‐like growth factor I (IGF‐I) levels. Moreover, gene transcription were determined in the skeletal muscle [igf‐I, insulin‐like growth factor 1 receptor a (igf1ra) and insulin‐like growth factor 1 binding protein 1a (igf1bp1a)] and cardiac transcription factors [myocyte‐specific enhancer factor 2C (mef2c), gata4 and vascular endothelial growth factor (vegf)]. While the results suggest that post‐smolts in Preline S‐CCS were smaller than reference fish, fish from Preline S‐CCS have less accumulated mortality at the end of the experiment and showed 2.44 times more small muscle fibres than the reference group fish after 4 months in seawater. These results confirmed what was previously observed in the second generation of Preline. Similar levels of big muscle fibres between Preline S‐CCS and reference suggest a similar hypertrophy of muscle fibres even with lower IGF‐I expression in the Preline S‐CCS. Cardiac gene transcription suggests cardiac hypertrophy was observed after 4 months in seawater in the Preline S‐CCS group. Altogether, Preline S‐CCS is a promising technology able to produce more robust S. salar with a faster growth and lower mortality in the subsequent standard open cage system growth period.
Observations of follicle cell processes in a holocephalan
Authors: Díaz Andrade María C. , Moya Ana C. , Wehitt Anahí , Di Giácomo Edgardo E. , Galíndez Elena J.
Published: June 2018

The presence of follicular cellular processes (FCP) that cross the zona pellucida, has been recorded in the ovarian follicles ofCallorhinchus callorhynchus. This constitutes the first report describing the presence of these structures in a species of the Holocephali. Considering that FCPs have only previously been reported in the Selachii, these findings suggest that FCPs could have been lost by the Batoidea after their divergence, around 280 MB.P.
Brain, antibiotics, and microbiota – how do they interplay?
Authors: Rybnikova Elena
Published: June 2018

The microbiome and its cross‐talk with the brain have drawn increasing attention lately, since imbalances in the gut microbiota's composition may result in pathogenic dysfunctions affecting brain functioning up to development of neurodegenerative and mental diseases. The current Editorial discusses a study by Gao and coworkers in the current issue of the Journal of Neurochemistry in which the authors use a model of antibiotic‐induced dysbiosis ‐ targeted infusion of antibiotics into the gut ‐ to assess if microbiotic metabolites exert effects on local neurotransmitter expression or contribute to the gut‐brain axis. The authors mechanistically link distal ileal infusion of antibiotics with a change in the levels of microbial metabolites that affect the expression of neurotransmitters in the brain and thereby can participate in the fine‐tuning of the hypothalamic functions, including regulation of visceral and neuroendocrine processes, stress responses, mood and anxiety. Their study thus represents an important step towards our understanding of the brain‐gut axis, with the potential to advance therapeutics.

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HCN channels in the hippocampus regulate active coping behavior
Authors: Fisher Daniel W. , Han Ye , Lyman Kyle A. , Heuermann Robert J. , Bean Linda A. , Ybarra Natividad , Foote Kendall M. , Dong Hongxin , Nicholson Daniel A. , Chetkovich Dane M.
Published: June 2018

Active coping is an adaptive stress response that improves outcomes in medical and neuropsychiatric diseases. To date, most research into coping style has focused on neurotransmitter activity and little is known about the intrinsic excitability of neurons in the associated brain regions that facilitate coping. Previous studies have shown that HCN channels regulate neuronal excitability in pyramidal cells and that HCN channel current (Ih) in the CA1 area increases with chronic mild stress. Reduction of Ih in the CA1 area leads to antidepressant‐like behavior, and this region has been implicated in the regulation of coping style. We hypothesized that the antidepressant‐like behavior achieved with CA1 knockdown of Ih is accompanied by increases in active coping. In this report, we found that global loss of TRIP8b, a necessary subunit for proper HCN channel localization in pyramidal cells, led to active coping behavior in numerous assays specific to coping style. We next employed a viral strategy using a dominant negative TRIP8b isoform to alter coping behavior by reducing HCN channel expression. This approach led to a robust reduction in Ih in CA1 pyramidal neurons and an increase in active coping. Together, these results establish that changes in HCN channel function in CA1 influences coping style.

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