bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Review of Administrative Action
Authors: Jalan Prateek , Rai Ritin
Published: February 2017

This chapter examines the concept of administrative review in the context of the Indian Constitution, with particular emphasis on how administrative actions are reviewed under Article 14. It first considers whether administrative review is different from legislative review, and especially whether the grounds of judicial review under Article 14 apply to the same extent when it comes to the validity of legislation compared with administrative action. It then discusses the scope of the power of administrative review under the concept of ‘reasonableness’ and whether this concept has been applied on a consistent basis. It also comments on the inherently abstract and imprecise nature of the concept of ‘reasonableness’ and how this has contributed to the lack of a judicially manageable test or standard for analysing the various cases adjudicated by the Indian Supreme Court. Finally, the chapter discusses the nature of executive power and how it may influence an adjudication of reasonableness.
Legislative Competence
Authors: Niranjan V.
Published: February 2017

This chapter examines the law of legislative competence in India. After providing an overview of legislative competence in the Indian Constitution, it explains the distinction between legislative power (‘competence’) and the exercise of legislative power (‘repugnance’). In particular, it considers early clashes in the money-lending litigation, the argument of Sir Walter Monckton KC and the Advice of Lord Porter in the Prafulla Kumar Mukherjee case, and the birth of ‘aspect theory’ in Indian law. It then explores how competence and repugnance have impacted the legislative relationship between the States and the Union. It argues that the failure to separate competence and repugnance has given rise to new ‘doctrines’ in India, including aspect theory, and concludes by revisiting a long-standing controversy in Indian law about the applicability of Article 254(1) to legislation outside the Concurrent List.
Local Government
Authors: Sivaramakrishnan K. C.
Published: February 2017

This chapter examines the constitutional framework for the structure of local government in India, particularly the background, scope, and content of the Seventy-third and Seventy-fourth Constitutional Amendments, 1992 to the Indian Constitution. The Seventy-third Amendment required States to create self-governing, elected village councils, or panchayats, while the Seventy-fourth Amendment required the creation of elected municipalities in urban areas. The history of local self-government in India is discussed, before turning to a discussion of the constitutional position of local government in the country after Independence. The constitutional and statutory provisions on local government are considered, along with the motivations and the context behind the Seventy-third and Seventy-fourth Constitutional Amendments. The chapter explores issues of structure and implementation in local government, the functions and powers of local governments, and the case of industrial townships. Finally, it evaluates the functions and powers of local bodies and their place in the federal framework.
Life and Personal Liberty
Authors: Surendranath Anup
Published: February 2017

This chapter considers the ‘right to life and personal liberty’ guaranteed in Article 21 of the Indian Constitution. It provides an account of the content of this right, the way in which its meaning has developed and been understood, and the shape the jurisprudence in this area has taken. It explores certain specific guarantees that have been recognized under the right, and the way in which the right has been expanded, including through the Supreme Court’s emphasis on dignity. It considers debates on the hierarchy of rights and concerns that remain on the nature and meaning of this guarantee within Indian constitutional law.
Free Speech and Expression
Authors: Liang Lawrence
Published: February 2017

This chapter examines the place of the right to freedom of speech and expression within Indian constitutionalism. After reviewing the classical normative arguments for free speech, it considers how the domain of speech is related to colonial continuity, sedition, and public order. It discusses the scope of Article19(1)(a) of the Indian Constitution with respect to free speech, as well as the Indian Supreme Court’s successes and failures in its efforts to expand the domain of speech. It explores the democracy argument as the primary justification used by the courts in free speech cases, and its consequences. Finally, it looks at the standards for determining reasonableness, hate speech, and obscenity, and argues that the idea of a deliberative democracy must be supplemented with the concept of agonistic politics to enrich and strengthen the free speech tradition that has evolved in the past six decades.
Government Contracts
Authors: Varottil Umakanth
Published: February 2017

This chapter examines the Indian constitutional position relating to the formation of contracts and the substantive elements of government contracting. In particular, it considers the key issues and controversies surrounding government contracts and the contracting power of the government. It first discusses the formation of contracts to which the government is a party, along with the circumstances when the government can enter into a contract that binds it into a contractual obligation. It then describes the manner in which the government arrives at a decision to enter into—or award—a contract with (or to) a specific individual or business. It also comments on the nature and extent of judicial review of government contracting. Finally, it explains how the Indian Supreme Court has struck a balance to protect public interest from unauthorised government contracts, while also providing protection to contracting parties to a certain extent.
Impact of Surgical Specialty on Outcomes Following Carotid Endarterectomy
Authors: Lieber Bryan A. , Henry Jensen K. , Agarwal Nitin , Day John D. , Morris Thomas W. , Stephens Marcus L. , Abla Adib A.
Published: February 2017

BACKGROUND: The impact of surgeon specialty on outcomes following carotid endarterectomy (CEA) has been widely debated within the literature. Previous studies on this subject are often limited by small sample sizes, single-intuition designs, variability in patients and procedures, and potential confounding factors such as institution type and volume.

OBJECTIVE: To identify similarities and differences between surgeon specialties in postoperative stroke and mortality rates for patients undergoing unilateral CEAs by utilizing a large, multicenter prospective database.

METHODS: We utilized a large national prospective database (National Surgical Quality Inpatient database) and investigated all patients with a 1-sided, surgically naïve CEA, performed by either a general, vascular, cardiothoracic, or neurological surgeon. We employed a logistic regression analysis to control for the most salient variables identified via univariate analysis. Our primary outcomes were all-cause mortality and stroke.

RESULTS: There were 42 369 patients included across all specialties. Patients from each specialty were similar in demographics but varied in medical history. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that among the specialties only general surgeons had significantly greater postoperative stroke rates (2.3%) when compared to vascular surgeons (1.5%; P = .003, odds ratio [OR] 1.574, confidence interval [CI]: 1.168-2.121). In contrast, surgical specialty was not a significant risk factor for 30-d postoperative mortality (0% in cardiothoracic surgeons; 0.8% in vascular surgeons; 1.1% in general surgeons; 1.8% in neurosurgeons; Cardiothoracic surgeons: P = .995, OR: 0 [no incidences of mortality]; neurosurgeon: P = .118, OR: 0.2057, CI: 0.833-2.057; general surgeon P = .210, OR: 1.326, CI: 1.853-2.062). Most secondary outcomes (myocardial infarction, infection, reoperation, pneumonia) were similar between specialties (P = .339-.816). However, length of stay (P < .001), operative duration (P < .001), incidence of venous thromboembolism (P < .001), and the postoperative requirement for a ventilator greater than 48 h (P = .004) were all the greatest among neurosurgeons.

CONCLUSION: Multidisciplinary approaches with improved communication among surgical specialties may enhance patient management and improve success after CEA. Though there were differences in postoperative stroke and other secondary outcomes, no differences were observed among specialties in mortality after unilateral CEA in more than 40 000 patients.
Assessment of the Accuracy and Errors of Head-Up Display by an Optical Neuronavigation System in Brain Tumor Surgery
Authors: Asano Kenichiro , Katayama Kosuke , Kakuta Kiyohide , Oyama Kanae , Ohkuma Hiroki
Published: February 2017

BACKGROUND: A head-up display (HUD) in which navigational information is projected into the microscope view may enable surgeons to perform operations more efficiently. Projecting depictions of both tumor and important intracranial structures on the HUD may facilitate safe surgery.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate accuracy and errors regarding important intracranial structures, errors due to brain shifts, and preservation rates for important intracranial structures.

METHODS: A total of 184 surgeries in 172 patients were performed using this operation system. Postoperatively, we determined accuracy and errors for actual structures and virtual reality on the HUD and performed statistical analyses.

RESULTS: Preresection accuracy for important intracranial structures was highest for the internal carotid artery (ICA; 90.4%) and lowest for the posterior inferior cerebellar artery (53.6%). Differences between pre- and postresection accuracy were greatest, in descending order, for the cortical vein (P < .0001), V4 segment of vertebral artery (P < .0001), and anterior inferior cerebellar artery (P = .00780), whereas differences between pre- and postresection errors were smallest for the cranial nerve V (P = .500), middle cerebral artery (P = .0313), and ICA (P = .0313). Cases of poor preresection accuracy and large differences in pre- to postresection accuracy were seen in the prone position.

CONCLUSION: A reliable surgical resection rate was achieved using the HUD, and reliable preservation of important intracranial structures was also possible. Accuracy was concluded to be within an acceptable range.
Population viability at extreme sex-ratio skews produced by temperature-dependent sex determination
Authors: Hays Graeme C. , Mazaris Antonios D. , Schofield Gail , Laloë Jacques-Olivier
Published: February 2017

For species with temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD) there is the fear that rising temperatures may lead to single-sex populations and population extinction. We show that for sea turtles, a major group exhibiting TSD, these concerns are currently unfounded but may become important under extreme climate warming scenarios. We show how highly female-biased sex ratios in developing eggs translate into much more balanced operational sex ratios so that adult male numbers in populations around the world are unlikely to be limiting. Rather than reducing population viability, female-biased offspring sex ratios may, to some extent, help population growth by increasing the number of breeding females and hence egg production. For rookeries across the world (
n
= 75 sites for seven species), we show that extreme female-biased hatchling sex ratios do not compromise population size and are the norm, with a tendency for populations to maximize the number of female hatchlings. Only at extremely high incubation temperature does high mortality within developing clutches threaten sea turtles. Our work shows how TSD itself is a robust strategy up to a point, but eventually high mortality and female-only hatchling production will cause extinction if incubation conditions warm considerably in the future.
Strong selection at the level of codon usage bias: evidence against the Li-Bulmer model
Authors: Machado Heather E. , Lawrie David S. , Petrov Dmitri A.
Published: February 2017

1

Codon usage bias (CUB), where certain codons are used more frequently than expected by chance, is a ubiquitous phenomenon and occurs across the tree of life. The dominant paradigm is that the proportion of preferred codons is set by weak selection. While experimental changes in codon usage have at times shown large phenotypic effects in contrast to this paradigm, genome-wide population genetic estimates have supported the weak selection model. Here we use deep genomic sequencing of twoDrosophila melanogasterpopulations to measure selection on synonymous sites in a way that allowed us to estimate the prevalence of both weak and strong selection. We find that selection in favor of preferred codons ranges from weak (|Nes| ∼ 1) to strong (|Nes| > 10). While previous studies indicated that selection at synonymous sites could be strong, this is the first study to detect and quantify strong selection specifically at the level of CUB. We suggest that the level of CUB in the genome is determined by the proportion of synonymous sites under no, weak, and strong selection. This model challenges the standard Li-Bulmer model and explains some of the longest-standing puzzles in the field.
Disease implications of animal social network structure: a synthesis across social systems
Authors: Sah Pratha , Mann Janet , Bansal Shweta
Published: February 2017

The disease costs of sociality have largely been understood through the link between group size and transmission. However, infectious disease spread is driven primarily by the social organization of interactions in a group and not its size.

We used statistical models to review the social network organization of 47 species, including mammals, birds, reptiles, fish and insects by categorizing each species into one of three social systems,relatively solitary,gregariousandsocially hierarchical. Additionally, using computational experiments of infection spread, we determined the disease costs of each social system.

We find that relatively solitary species have large variation in number of social partners, that socially hierarchical species are the least clustered in their interactions, and that social networks of gregarious species tend to be the most fragmented. However, these structural differences are primarily driven by weak connections, which suggests that different social systems have evolved unique strategies to organize weak ties.

Our synthetic disease experiments reveal that social network organization can mitigate the disease costs of group living for socially hierarchical species when the pathogen is highly transmissible. In contrast, highly transmissible pathogens cause frequent and prolonged epidemic outbreaks in gregarious species.

We evaluate the implications of network organization across social systems despite methodological challenges, and our findings offer new perspective on the debate about the disease costs of group living. Additionally, our study demonstrates the potential of meta-analytic methods in social network analysis to test ecological and evolutionary hypotheses on cooperation, group living, communication, and resilience to extrinsic pressures.
Relational citizenship: supporting embodied selfhood and relationality in dementia care
Authors: Kontos Pia , Miller Karen‐Lee , Kontos Alexis P.
Published: February 2017

We draw on findings from a mixed‐method study of specialised red‐nosed elder‐clowns in a long‐term care facility to advance a model of ‘relational citizenship’ for individuals with dementia. Relational citizenship foregrounds the reciprocal nature of engagement and the centrality of capacities, senses, and experiences of bodies to the exercise of human agency and interconnectedness. We critically examine elder‐clown strategies and techniques to illustrate how relational citizenship can be supported and undermined at the micro level of direct care through a focus on embodied expressions of creativity and sexuality. We identify links between aesthetic enrichment and relational practices in art, music and imagination. Relational citizenship offers an important rethinking of notions of selfhood, entitlement, and reciprocity that are central to a sociology of dementia, and it also provides new ethical grounds to explore how residents’ creative and sexual expression can be cultivated in the context of long‐term care.
Assessing the Effectiveness of High‐Profile Targeted Killings in the “War on Terror”
Authors: Carson Jennifer Varriale
Published: February 2017

Research Summary

Since the attacks of September 11, 2001, and the ensuing “war on terrorism,” the U.S. government has engaged in a series of controversial counterterrorism policies. Perhaps none is more so than the use of targeted killings aimed at eliminating the senior leadership of the global jihadist movement. Nevertheless, prior research has yet to establish that this type of tactic is effective, even among high‐profile targets. Employing a robust methodology, I find that these types of killings primarily yielded negligible effects.

Policy Implications

Given the immense controversy surrounding the policy of targeted killings, it has become that much more vital to assess whether such measures are effective. This study's findings, that most of these high‐profile killings either had no influence or were associated with a backlash effect, have important implications for future counterterrorism efforts. All in all, the U.S. government's investment in the policy of targeted killings seems to be counterproductive if its main intention is a decrease in terrorism perpetrated by the global jihadist movement.
Characteristics and Rheological Properties of Polysaccharide Nanoparticles from Edible Mushrooms (Flammulina velutipes)
Authors: Wang Wenhang , Li Cong , Du Guanhua , Zhang Xiuling , Zhang Hongjie
Published: February 2017

Nanotechnology has become relevant in the food‐related industries, and edible mushrooms can be a potential raw material for providing satisfied edible nanomaterial. In this study, by following 3 different pretreatments (hot water or cold alkali or hot alkali) insoluble polysaccharide nanoparticles were prepared from Flammulina velutipes by wet milling and high pressure homogenization and their properties were investigated. The resultant nanoparticles were characterized by SEM, GC‐MS (for its main compositions), FTIR, XRD, and TG. The 1 wt% nanoparticle dispersions presented non‐Newtonian, shear‐thinning fluids with the viscosity in an increasing order for the hot water < cold alkali < hot alkali. Moreover, the dynamical rheological results showed differences of storage (G′) and loss (G″) moduli of these particle dispersions. It was concluded that the Flammulina velutipes‐derived polysaccharides nanoparticles have great potential applications in the food industry, for example, as emulsifiers, reinforcement agents, and bioactive carriers.
The Tasmanian atrial fibrillation study: Transition to direct oral anticoagulants 2011‐2015
Authors: Alamneh Endalkachew Admassie , Chalmers Leanne , Bereznicki Luke R.
Published: February 2017

Introduction

Contemporary Australian data regarding antithrombotic prescribing patterns following approval of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) are limited.

Aim

The aim of this study was to assess antithrombotic prescribing patterns before, during, and after the clinical introduction of DOACs.

Methods

Using digital medical records, this retrospective cohort study included all patients with AF as a primary or secondary diagnosis who were admitted to the Royal Hobart Hospital, Tasmania, Australia, between January 2011 and July 2015.

Results

Antithrombotic agents were prescribed for 2078 (91.9%) of 2261 patients without documented contraindication to therapy. Higher rates of OAC prescribing were observed following government subsidization of DOACs in Quarter 3 (Q3) 2013 than anticoagulation rates in the prior quarters (54.4% in Q3, 2013, to 68.1% in Q2, 2015, P<.001), with the prescribing of warfarin and antiplatelet agents declining. DOACs, as a class, accounted for 18.4% of patients on antithrombotic therapy in 2011‐2015; the proportion of patients receiving a DOAC steadily increased from 3.9% among OAC users in Q3, 2011, to 67.6% in Q2, 2015 (P<.001). In a subset of patients with newly diagnosed AF, patients commenced on DOACs were younger (70.4 vs 73.8 years, P=.04) and had lower stroke and bleeding risk scores (CHA2DS2‐VASc 2.8 vs 3.3, P=.03, HAS‐BLED 2 vs 3, P=.04) than patients who were newly prescribed warfarin.

Conclusions

Direct oral anticoagulants rapidly became the most commonly prescribed class of antithrombotic medications in patients with AF soon after they became widely available. Warfarin and antiplatelet prescribing declined significantly, although a substantial proportion of patients continued to be prescribed antiplatelet therapy. Patients who were initiated on DOACs were typically younger with fewer comorbid conditions compared with those initiated on warfarin therapy.
Detection and differentiation of the coconut lethal yellowing phytoplasma in coconut‐growing villages of Grand‐Lahou, Côte d'Ivoire
Authors: Rosete Y. A. , Diallo H. A. , Konan Konan J. L. , Yankey N. , Saleh M. , Pilet F. , Contaldo N. , Paltrinieri S. , Bertaccini A. , Scott J.
Published: February 2017

Surveys for the Côte d'Ivoire lethal yellowing (CILY) phytoplasma were conducted in eight severely CILY‐affected villages of Grand‐Lahou in 2015. Leaves, inflorescences and trunk borings were collected from coconut palms showing CILY symptoms and from symptomless trees. Total DNA was extracted from these samples and tested by nested polymerase chain reaction/RFLP and sequence analysis of the 16S rRNA, ribosomal protein (rp) and the translocation protein (secA) genes. The CILY phytoplasma was detected in 82.9% of the symptom‐bearing palms collected from all the surveyed villages and from all the plant parts. Trunk borings were recommended as the most suitable plant tissue type for sampling. Results indicate that the CILY phytoplasma may have a westward spread to other coconut‐growing areas of Grand‐Lahou. CILY phytoplasma strains infecting coconut palms in the western region of Grand‐Lahou exhibited unique single nucleotide polymorphisms on the rp sequence compared to the strains from the eastern region. Moreover, single nucleotide polymorphisms on the SecA sequence distinguished the CILY phytoplasma from the Cape St. Paul Wilt Disease phytoplasma in Ghana, and the Lethal Yellowing phytoplasma in Mozambique.
Venture capital‐backed and commitments test entity initial public offerings on the ASX
Authors: Murgulov Zoltan , Marsden Alastair , Rhee S. Ghon , Veeraraghavan Madhu
Published: February 2017

This paper examines initial returns to venture capital (VC) backed and non‐VC‐backed IPO companies on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX). We find support for the theoretical predictions of Rossetto (2008), by providing empirical evidence that VC‐backed CTE IPOs exhibit greater wealth losses to pre‐IPO investors compared to non‐VC‐backed CTE IPOs during hot issue markets. We also find that greater retained ownership increases IPO underpricing. In the subsample of IPOs with below the median level of retained ownership IPOs, VC‐backed CTE IPOs and VC‐backed, non‐CTE IPOs have significantly higher levels of underpricing and wealth loss compared to non‐VC‐backed, non‐CTE IPOs.
Cesarean section trends in the Nordic Countries – a comparative analysis with the Robson classification
Authors: Pyykönen Aura , Gissler Mika , Løkkegaard Ellen , Bergholt Thomas , Rasmussen Steen C. , Smárason Alexander , Bjarnadóttir Ragnheiður I. , Másdóttir Birna B. , Källén Karin , Klungsoyr Kari , Albrechtsen Susanne , Skjeldestad Finn E. , Tapper Anna‐Maija
Published: February 2017

Introduction

The cesarean rates are low but increasing in most Nordic countries. Using the Robson classification, we analyzed which obstetric groups have contributed to the changes in the cesarean rates.

Material and methods

Retrospective population‐based registry study including all deliveries (3 398 586) between 2000 and 2011 in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. The Robson group distribution, cesarean rate and contribution of each Robson group were analyzed nationally for four 3‐year time periods. For each country, we analyzed which groups contributed to the change in the total cesarean rate.

Results

Between the first and the last time period studied, the total cesarean rates increased in Denmark (16.4 to 20.7%), Norway (14.4 to 16.5%) and Sweden (15.5 to 17.1%), but towards the end of our study, the cesarean rates stabilized or even decreased. The increase was explained mainly by increases in the absolute contribution from R5 (women with previous cesarean) and R2a (induced labor on nulliparous). In Finland, the cesarean rate decreased slightly (16.5 to 16.2%) mainly due to decrease among R5 and R6–R7 (breech presentation, nulliparous/multiparous). In Iceland, the cesarean rate decreased in all parturient groups (17.6 to 15.3%), most essentially among nulliparous women despite the increased induction rates.

Conclusions

The increased total cesarean rates in the Nordic countries are explained by increased cesarean rates among nulliparous women, and by an increased percentage of women with previous cesarean. Meanwhile, induction rates on nulliparous increased significantly, but the impact on the total cesarean rate was unclear. The Robson classification facilitates benchmarking and targeting efforts for lowering the cesarean rates.
Effect of Hypothermic Machine Perfusion on the Preservation of Kidneys Donated After Cardiac Death: A Single‐Center, Randomized, Controlled Trial
Authors: Wang Wei , Xie Dawei , Hu Xiaopeng , Yin Hang , Liu Hang , Zhang Xiaodong
Published: February 2017

To assess the application of a hypothermic machine perfusion device (LifePort) in kidney transplantation from donation after cardiac death (DCD) donors, 24 pairs of DCD kidneys were randomly divided into two groups: one of the paired kidneys from the same donor was perfused with the LifePort machine (hypothermic machine perfusion [HMP]), and the contralateral kidney was prepared using common static cold preservation (CCP). The two groups were compared with respect to the incidence of delayed graft function (DGF), level of graft function, and pathological changes in time‐zero biopsy specimens. The incidence of DGF was 16.7 and 37.5% in the HMP and CCP groups, respectively; the difference between the two groups was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The incidence of acute rejection was 4.1 (1/24) and 8.3% (2/24) in the HMP and CCP groups, respectively; this difference was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). Forty‐eight kidney patients were followed up for 6 months, and the two groups of recipients all survived, yielding a survival rate of 100%. The mean 6‐month serum creatinine levels were 98.7 ± 23.6 µmol/L in the HMP group and 105.3 ± 35.1 µmol/L in the CCP group; there was no significant difference between the two groups. HMP can reduce the incidence of DGF in DCD kidneys, and this effect is greater for expanded criteria donors kidneys. HMP can also improve early renal function.
Paediatric approaches to child maltreatment are subject to wide organisational variations across Europe
Authors: Otterman Gabriel , Jalsenius Marie , Maguire Sabine , Sarkadi Anna , Janson Staffan
Published: February 2017

Aim

Little is known about the organisation of child maltreatment practice in Europe. We therefore explored medical child protection systems and training across Europe.

Methods

An online survey was completed by physicians working in child maltreatment, identified through professional organisations in 28 member countries of the European Union, Iceland, Norway and Switzerland in 2012–2013. Respondents were questioned regarding management of suspected child maltreatment, mandatory reporting, professional training, patient referral and physician roles in multidisciplinary investigations. Responses underwent a narrative synthesis and descriptive enumerations.

Results

The survey was completed by 88 individuals, unevenly distributed in 22 of 31 countries. Physicians were mandated to report child maltreatment in 16 of 22 countries. All of 88 responding physicians described multidisciplinary involvement in the clinical and forensic management of suspected child maltreatment. Practitioners involved in physical examinations included general physicians, paediatricians, forensic medical examiners, gynaecologists and paediatric surgeons. Paediatricians were required to undergo child protection training according to 30 of 86 respondents in 14 of 22 countries.

Conclusion

This survey demonstrates that there were wide variations in the organisation of child maltreatment paediatrics in Europe. The differing legislative frameworks and models of care are pertinent to consider when comparing epidemiology of maltreatment reported from across European countries.
Low-dose interleukin-2 promotes STAT-5 phosphorylation, Treg survival and CTLA-4-dependent function in autoimmune liver diseases
Authors: Jeffery H C , Jeffery L E , Lutz P , Corrigan M , Webb G J , Hirschfield G M , Adams D H , Oo Y H
Published: February 2017

CD4+CD25highCD127lowforkhead box protein 3 (FoxP3+) regulatory T cells (Treg) are essential for the maintenance of peripheral tolerance. Impaired Treg function and an imbalance between effector and Tregs contribute to the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases. We reported recently that the hepatic microenvironment is deficient in interleukin (IL)−2, a cytokine essential for Treg survival and function. Consequently, few liver-infiltrating Treg demonstrate signal transducer and activator of transcription-5 (STAT-5) phosphorylation. To establish the potential of IL-2 to enhance Treg therapy, we investigated the effects of very low dose Proleukin (VLDP) on the phosphorylation of STAT-5 and the subsequent survival and function of Treg and T effector cells from the blood and livers of patients with autoimmune liver diseases. VLDP, at less than 5 IU/ml, resulted in selective phosphorylation of STAT-5 in Treg but not effector T cells or natural killer cells and associated with increased expression of cytotoxic T lymphocyte antigen-4 (CTLA-4), FoxP3 and CD25 and the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 in Treg with the greatest enhancement of regulatory phenotype in the effector memory Treg population. VLDP also maintained expression of the liver-homing chemokine receptor CXCR3. VLDP enhanced Treg function in a CTLA-4-dependent manner. These findings open new avenues for future VLDP cytokine therapy alone or in combination with clinical grade Treg in autoimmune liver diseases, as VLDP could not only enhance regulatory phenotype and functional property but also the survival of intrahepatic Treg.
Acute exercise elicits differential expression of insulin resistance genes in the skeletal muscle of patients with polycystic ovary syndrome
Authors: Dantas Wagner Silva , Murai Igor Hisashi , Perandini Luiz Augusto , Azevedo Hatylas , Moreira‐Filho Carlos Alberto , Camara Niels Olsen Saraiva , Roschel Hamilton , Gualano Bruno
Published: February 2017

Objective

This study aimed to explore the role of acute exercise on skeletal muscle gene expression related to insulin resistance in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and controls.

Methods

Four obese women with PCOS and four body mass index (BMI)‐matched controls (CTRL) participated in this study. After an overnight fast, the subjects underwent a single 40‐min bout of aerobic exercise. Muscle samples were obtained from vastus lateralis at baseline and 60 min after exercise. The expression of a panel of insulin resistance genes was evaluated by a quantitative PCR array system. Network‐based analyses were performed to interpret transcriptional changes occurring before and after the exercise challenge.

Results

Overall, differentially expressed genes associated with mitochondria function and peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor signalling were identified. At baseline, there was a significant upregulation of six genes exclusively in PCOS (i.e. NFKBIA, MAPK3, PPARGC1A, GAPDH, ACTB and PPARA). Twelve genes were upregulated in CTRL after a single bout of aerobic exercise (i.e. LEPR, CXCR4, CCR5, IL‐18R1, CRLF2, ACACA, CEBPA, PPARGC1A, UCP1, TNFRSF1B, TLR4 and IKBKB). After the exercise session, three genes were upregulated in PCOS (i.e. SOCS3, NAMPT and IL‐8), whilst IL‐6 was upregulated in both groups after exercise.

Conclusions

This study provides novel evidence on the effects of acute exercise on insulin resistance genes in skeletal muscle of PCOS. The differentially expressed genes reported herein could be further investigated as targets for therapeutic interventions aimed at improving insulin resistance in this syndrome.
Child involvement in treatment planning and assessment in Israel
Authors: Oppenheim‐Weller Shani , Schwartz Ella , Ben‐Arieh Asher
Published: February 2017

What can facilitate at‐risk children's involvement in treatment planning and assessment? We examine this question by investigating the perceptions, attitudes, and characteristics of Israeli social workers. We examine whether their seniority, views on the importance of children's participation, and their attitudes toward parents are related to their report of at‐risk children's involvement in treatment planning and placement decisions. At‐risk children's involvement includes preparing them to appear before the committees that handle placement decisions for youth and the social workers' willingness to consider children's opinions. Eighty coordinators of these committees in social services departments in Israel participated. Our findings indicate that, based on the coordinators' answers, at‐risk children are more likely to be involved in treatment planning and assessment committees when the child protection officers prepare parents prior to participating in the committee meetings, and when the coordinators assigned the case are more senior. The influence of children's opinions on the decisions of the committees was predicted by the weight their parents' opinions carried and whether their parents received any relevant materials prior to the committee meetings. Our findings highlight the importance of involving parents in treatment planning and assessment committees' decision making.
Sharing personal information in the child protection context: Impediments in the Australian legal framework
Authors: Adams Carolyn , Lee‐Jones Krista
Published: February 2017

Professionals, including social workers, in the child protection context are frequently required to make decisions on whether to share sensitive personal information about children, their families, and others with colleagues and across institutional and jurisdictional boundaries. Sharing information across agencies and organisations is essential to allow joined‐up service provision and to effectively protect and support children and their families. A legal framework that supports this decision making is a necessary, although not sufficient, condition for effective information sharing. This article examines the complex legal framework that governs information sharing across the Australian states and territories. It identifies a number of structural and regulatory elements that unnecessarily limit information sharing or have a tendency to create a culture that is risk averse, rather than proactive, in sharing information. The article suggests structural and regulatory reforms that would improve the legal framework for sharing information, while at the same time giving due recognition to the human rights that come into tension in this policy context: the right to privacy and the rights of the child.
Identification of novel SNORD118 mutations in seven patients with leukoencephalopathy with brain calcifications and cysts
Authors: Iwama Kazuhiro , Mizuguchi Takeshi , Takanashi Jun‐ichi , Shibayama Hidehiro , Shichiji Minobu , Ito Susumu , Oguni Hirokazu , Yamamoto Toshiyuki , Sekine Akiko , Nagamine Shun , Ikeda Yoshio , Nishida Hiroya , Kumada Satoko , Yoshida Takeshi , Awaya Tomonari , Tanaka Ryuta , Chikuchi Ryo , Niwa Hisayoshi , Oka Yu‐ichi , Miyatake Satoko , Nakashima Mitsuko , Takata Atsushi , Miyake Noriko , Ito Shuichi , Saitsu Hirotomo , Matsumoto Naomichi
Published: February 2017

Background

Leukoencephalopathy with brain calcifications and cysts (LCC) is neuroradiologically characterized by leukoencephalopathy, intracranial calcification, and cysts. Coats plus syndrome is also characterized by the same neuroradiological findings together with defects in retinal vascular development. Indeed, LCC and Coats plus were originally considered to be the same clinical entity termed cerebroretinal microangiopathy with calcifications and cysts, but evidence suggests that they are genetically distinct. Mutations in CTS telomere maintenance complex component 1 (CTC1) and small nucleolar RNA, C/D box 118 (SNORD118) genes have been found to cause Coats plus and LCC, respectively.

Materials and Methods

Eight unrelated families with LCC were recruited. These patients typically showed major neuroradiological findings of LCC with no signs of extra‐neurological manifestations such as retinal abnormality, gastrointestinal bleeding, or hematological abnormalities. SNORD118 was examined by Sanger sequencing in these families.

Results

Seven out of eight probands carry compound heterozygous mutations, suggesting that SNORD118 mutations are the major cause of LCC. We identified a total of eight mutation, including four that were novel. Some of the variants identified in this study present heterozygously in public databases with an extremely rare frequency (<0.1%).

Conclusion

Biallelic SNORD118 mutations were exclusively found in most unrelated families with LCC.
Evaluation of lymphocyte transformation tests as compared with patch tests in nickel allergy diagnosis
Authors: Ständer Sascha , Oppel Eva , Thomas Peter , Summer Burkhard
Published: February 2017

Background

The patch test is considered to be the gold standard for diagnosing nickel (Ni) allergy. The lymphocyte transformation test (LTT) can also be used to detect Ni sensitization. However, little is known about the correlation between patch test and LTT reactions to Ni.

Objective

To establish and validate an LTT for Ni sensitization by comparison with patch test reaction and history.

Methods

Fifty individuals without self‐reported ‘Ni allergy’ (controls) and 50 patients with self‐reported suspicion of Ni allergy were included. A questionnaire‐aided history was taken, and patch tests with at least the baseline series and LTTs with various NiSO4 dilutions were performed.

Results

In the patch tests, 2 of 50 controls and 18 of 50 patients with self‐reported suspicion of Ni allergy showed positive reactions to Ni. In the LTTs, 2 of 50 controls and 26 of 50 patients with self‐reported suspicion of Ni allergy showed positive reactions to NiSO4 2.5 × 10−5 m, and 2 of 50 controls and 17 of 50 patients with self‐reported suspicion of Ni allergy showed positive reactions to NiSO4 1 × 10−5 m. Sixteen of the 18 history‐positive and patch test‐positive patients (i.e. 88% sensitivity) were also LTT‐positive, in contrast to only 2 positive LTT reactors within the 48 PT and history negative individuals (i.e. 96% specificity). [Correction added on 16 February 2017, after first online publication: The preceding sentence has been edited for language and this has been amended in this version.]

Conclusion

Performing the LTT with optimized stimulating conditions might be a useful additional tool for the diagnosis of Ni allergy if non‐sensitized controls are included.
Efficacy and safety of canagliflozin as add‐on therapy to teneligliptin in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: Results of a 24‐week, randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled trial
Authors: Kadowaki Takashi , Inagaki Nobuya , Kondo Kazuoki , Nishimura Kenichi , Kaneko Genki , Maruyama Nobuko , Nakanishi Nobuhiro , Iijima Hiroaki , Watanabe Yumi , Gouda Maki
Published: February 2017

Aims

To investigate efficacy and safety of the sodium–glucose co‐transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor canagliflozin administered as add‐on therapy to the dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 (DPP‐4) inhibitor teneligliptin in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Materials and methods

We conducted a multicentre, randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, phase 3 clinical trial in Japanese patients with T2DM who had inadequate glycaemic control with teneligliptin. Patients were randomized to receive teneligliptin 20 mg plus either canagliflozin 100 mg (T + C, n = 70) or placebo (T + P, n = 68) once daily. The primary endpoint was the change in glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) from baseline to week 24. Other endpoints included changes in fasting plasma glucose, body weight, proinsulin/C‐peptide ratio, homeostatic model assessment 2‐%B and adverse events. Patients also underwent mixed‐meal tolerance tests.

Results

The difference between the T + C and T + P groups for HbA1c change from baseline to week 24 was −0.88% (least‐squares mean, P < .001). Fasting plasma glucose, body weight and the proinsulin/C‐peptide ratio were significantly lower in the T + C group than in the T + P group. Homeostatic model assessment 2‐%B improved with T + C compared with T + P. The T + C group exhibited a decrease in the 2‐hour postprandial plasma glucose and plasma glucose area under the curve (AUC)0‐2h in a mixed‐meal tolerance test. No significant between‐group differences were observed for C‐peptide AUC0‐2h or glucagon AUC0‐2h after meals. Incidences of adverse events were 60.0% and 47.1% in the T + C and T + P groups, respectively. No hypoglycaemia was observed.

Conclusions

Canagliflozin administered as add‐on therapy to teneligliptin was effective and well tolerated in Japanese T2DM patients.
Susceptibility of common tree species in Sweden to Phytophthora cactorum, P. cambivora and P. plurivora
Authors: Cleary M. R. , Blomquist M. , Vetukuri R.R. , Böhlenius H. , Witzell J.
Published: February 2017

In Sweden, invasive Phytophthora pathogens have been recognized as a growing threat to urban and production forests, calling for an urgent update of regeneration strategies for infested areas. Stem inoculation tests were performed to test the relative susceptibility of common conifer and broadleaved tree species Pinus sylvestris, Picea abies, Larix x eurolepis, Betula pendula, Quercus robur, Fagus sylvatica, Populus trichocarpa and Tilia cordata to the root pathogens Phytophthora cactorum, P. cambivora and P. plurivora commonly isolated from Swedish soils. Results indicate that all the species tested were susceptible and formed lesions following stem inoculation with all three Phytophthora species, but to varying degrees. Of particular interest are the high levels of susceptibility in P. trichocarpa to all three Phytophthora species compared to other tested tree species.
Fruit and nut weight in pecan tree canopies in relation to the severity of pecan scab at different heights
Authors: Bock C. H. , Hotchkiss M. W. , Wood B. W.
Published: February 2017

Fusicladium effusum is the cause of pecan scab, the most destructive disease of pecan in the south‐eastern USA. The aim of the study was to determine how scab severity at different sample heights in tall trees (14–16 m) affected fruit and nut weight at those same heights. Three experiments were performed in 2010‐2011 on trees of scab‐susceptible cultivars (cvs. Desirable and Wichita) and either received fungicide using an air‐blast sprayer or were non‐treated controls. Samples for measures of fruit and nut weight were taken at 0–5.0, 5.0+–7.5, 7.5+–10.0, 10.0+–12.5 and 12.5+–15.0 m (and were assessed for scab severity). A general linear mixed model analysis showed main effects of sample height, fungicide treatment and sample height × fungicide treatment interactions in all experiments on fruit and nut weight and on disease severity. Control trees had significantly more severe disease on fruit lower in the canopy, while fungicide‐treated trees either had similar disease severity at all heights or slightly more severe disease in the upper canopy. On control trees, where there was a linear relationships between fruit or nut weight and sample height, it was invariably positive (R2= .85–.94). On fungicide‐treated trees, fruit or nut weight most often had a negative linear relationship with sample height (R2=.69–.89). When significant, in control and treated trees, there was invariably a negative linear relationship between fruit or nut weight and scab severity (R2=.66–.94). Gradients in fungicide coverage and scab severity impact fruit and nut weights that can have ramifications on yield for a tree as a whole. Understanding the distribution of scab in pecan and other tall tree canopies provides a basis for developing management strategies and fungicide application methods to uniformly minimize disease.
Neuronal responses support a role for orbitofrontal cortex in cognitive set reconfiguration
Authors: Sleezer Brianna J. , LoConte Giuliana A. , Castagno Meghan D. , Hayden Benjamin Y.
Published: February 2017

We are often faced with the need to abandon no‐longer beneficial rules and adopt new ones. This process, known as cognitive set reconfiguration, is a hallmark of executive control. Although cognitive functions like reconfiguration are most often associated with dorsal prefrontal structures, recent evidence suggests that the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) may play an important role as well. We recorded the activity of OFC neurons while rhesus macaques performed an analogue of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Task that involved a trial and error stage. The OFC neurons demonstrated two types of switch‐related activity, an early (switch‐away) signal and a late (switch‐to) signal, when the new task set was established. We also found a pattern of match modulation: a significant change in activity for the stimulus that matched the current perceptual rule (and would therefore be selected). These results extend our understanding of the executive functions of the OFC. They also allow us to directly compare the OFC with the complementary datasets we previously collected in the ventral (VS) and dorsal (DS) striatum. Although both effects are observed in all three areas, the timing of responses aligns the OFC more closely with DS than with VS.