bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Differentiating brain metastases from different pathological types of lung cancers using texture analysis of T1 postcontrast MR
Authors: Li Zhenjiang , Mao Yu , Li Hongsheng , Yu Gang , Wan Honglin , Li Baosheng
Published: December 2015

Purpose

The goal of this study was to investigate the feasibility of differentiating brain metastases from different types of lung cancers using texture analysis (TA) of T1 postcontrast MR images.

Methods

TA was performed, and four subset textures were extracted and calculated separately. The capability of each texture to classify the different types of lung carcinoma was investigated using the Kruskal‐Wallis test and receiver operating characteristic analysis. K‐nearest neighbor (KNN) classifier model and back‐propagation artificial neural network (BP‐ANN) classifier model were used to build models and improve the predictive ability of TA.

Results

Texture‐based lesion classification was highly specific in differentiating brain metastases originated from different types of lung cancers, with misclassification rates of 3.1%, 4.3%, 5.8%, and 8.1%, respectively, for small cell lung carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, and large cell lung carcinoma. The BP‐ANN model had a better predictive ability than the KNN model. No texture feature could distinguish between all four types of lung cancer.

Conclusions

TA may predict the differences among various pathological types of lung cancer with brain metastases. The texture parameters, which reflect the tumor histopathology structure, may serve as an adjunct tool for clinically accurate diagnoses and deserves further investigation. Magn Reson Med 76:1410–1419, 2016. © 2015 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine
Graphene reinforced regenerated cellulose nanocomposite fibers prepared by lyocell process
Authors: Mahmoudian Shaya , Reza Sazegar Mohammad , Afshari Nazanin , Uzir Wahit Mat
Published: December 2015

Nanocomposites of regenerated cellulose containing different amounts of graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) (0.5, 1, and 2 wt%) have been prepared by wet spinning using Lyocell process. The thermal stability, mechanical, and electrical properties of the nanocomposite fibers were studied. The nanocomposite fibers were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), Transmission electron microscopy, X‐ray diffraction, and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The tenacity and initial modulus of the nanocomposite fibers improved by 66% and 61%, respectively with the addition of 2 wt% GNPs. The T20 decomposition temperature of regenerated cellulose fibers improved with the addition of GNPs up to 2 wt%. The morphology by SEM revealed exfoliated dispersion of GNPs into the regenerated cellulose matrix which subsequently resulted in good interaction between the nanofillers and the matrix. The addition of exfoliated GNPs generated electrical conductivity. The nanocomposite fibers containing 2 wt% GNPs has a conductivity of 2.3 × 10−4 S/cm. The FTIR spectra showed that the addition of GNPs in regenerated cellulose did not result in any noticeable change in its chemical structure. The resulting nanocomposite may find potential applications in the areas of carbon fiber precursor, conductive fibers, electrical tools, and biodegradable composites. POLYM. COMPOS., 38:E81–E88, 2017. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers
Cellulose nanocrystals/poly(methyl methacrylate) nanocomposite films: Effect of preparation method and loading on the optical, thermal, mechanical, and gas barrier properties
Authors: Deng Fei , Li Mei‐Chun , Ge Xin , Zhang Yinhang , Cho Ur Ryong
Published: December 2015

Rod‐shaped cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) with aspect ratio of 17.10 were prepared from microcrystalline cellulose using sulfuric acid hydrolysis method. CNCs/poly(methyl methacrylate) (CPM) nanocomposites were fabricated in two different ways, including in situ prepared CPM nanocomposites (ICPM) and ex situ prepared CPM nanocomposites (ECPM). The ICPM nanocomposites were first synthesized via free radical graft copolymerization with initiator ceric ammonium nitride (CAN), and then prepared by solution casting method. The ECPM nanocomposites were prepared by solvent exchange and solution casting method. Characterizations of ICPM nanocomposites were fully conducted. Grafting was verified by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and the molecular weight of graft chains were determined using gel permeation chromatography (GPC). The performances of ICPM and ECPM nanocomposite films were studied with field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE‐SEM), ultraviolet–visible (UV–vis) transmittance spectroscopy, wide‐angle X‐ray Diffraction (WXRD) patterns, thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), tensile test and oxygen permeation analysis. ICPM nanocomposite films showed superior optical, thermal, mechanical and gas barrier properties to ECPM nanocomposite films. POLYM. COMPOS., 38:E137–E146, 2017. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers
A year (2014–2015) of plants in Proteomics journal. Progress in wet and dry methodologies, moving from protein catalogs, and the view of classic plant biochemists
Authors: Sanchez‐Lucas Rosa , Mehta Angela , Valledor Luis , Cabello‐Hurtado Francisco , Romero‐Rodrıguez M. Cristina , Simova‐Stoilova Lyudmila , Demir Sekvan , Rodriguez‐de‐Francisco Luis E. , Maldonado‐Alconada Ana M. , Jorrin‐Prieto Ana L. , Jorrín‐Novo Jesus V.
Published: December 2015

The present review is an update of the previous one published in Proteomics 2015 Reviews special issue [Jorrin‐Novo, J. V. et al., Proteomics 2015, 15, 1089–1112] covering the July 2014–2015 period. It has been written on the bases of the publications that appeared in Proteomics journal during that period and the most relevant ones that have been published in other high‐impact journals. Methodological advances and the contribution of the field to the knowledge of plant biology processes and its translation to agroforestry and environmental sectors will be discussed. This review has been organized in four blocks, with a starting general introduction (literature survey) followed by sections focusing on the methodology (in vitro, in vivo, wet, and dry), proteomics integration with other approaches (systems biology and proteogenomics), biological information, and knowledge (cell communication, receptors, and signaling), ending with a brief mention of some other biological and translational topics to which proteomics has made some contribution.
Evaluation of local treatment effect by borrowing information from similar countries in multi‐regional clinical trials
Authors: Guo Hua , Chen Joshua , Quan Hui
Published: December 2015

One key objective of a multi‐regional clinical trial (MRCT) is to quantify country‐specific treatment effects to support local registration. Naïve estimate of the treatment effects based on country‐specific subsets of data are inefficient because of relatively sparse country‐specific sample sizes, even in large MRCTs, and subject to many limitations. The recently developed shrinkage estimate approach improves efficiency by incorporating data from other countries but treating all other countries equally, thus ignoring similarity to the country of interest. Ideally, for the estimation of treatment effect in a country of interest, it is more efficient to use all relevant data such as that from countries that are similar to the one of interest. We propose a tree‐based approach to incorporate similarity, with branches or forks used to represent the relationship of treatment effects between countries. Similarity in certain characteristics among countries in either continuous scale or categorical scale is used to build the tree. By allowing local treatment effects for countries to be random effects and follow a Gaussian process along the tree, we demonstrate that countries sharing the same internal parent nodes are more correlated and a country borrows more information from the neighbors sharing the same parent node. We illustrated this statistical framework using a MRCT with a continuous endpoint. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Symbiotic Dynamic: The Strategic Problem from the Perspective of Complexity
Authors: Terra Leonardo A. A. , Passador João L.
Published: December 2015

Major changes in today's world have made renowned authors recognize that the existing strategic models are not providing adequate solutions to deal with society's changing problems. The present research effort aims to understand the strategic problem and develop a concise study of the internal and external aspects of strategic problem dynamics, taking as a starting point the approaches inherent in complexity theory. As a result, it was found that organizations are the products of couplings between two or more separate systems; they couple to the socio‐human system, and these, to the rest of the planetary dynamics. As a last analysis, this configuration is strongly analogous to the dynamics based on symbiosis, found recently in biology. This latter approach suggests that it is an inspiring, important and useful metaphor for the improvement of theoretical frameworks in management. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Detailed Analysis of the Solution Heat Treatment of a Third-Generation Single-Crystal Nickel-Based Superalloy CMSX-10K®
Authors: Pang Hon Tong , D’Souza Neil , Dong Hongbiao , Stone Howard J. , Rae Catherine M. F.
Published: December 2015

A detailed analysis of the response of as-cast third-generation single-crystal nickel-based superalloy CMSX-10K® to solution heat treatment (SHT) has been carried out, alongside an SHT optimization exercise. The analysis was conducted through microstructural characterization, differential scanning calorimetry, and compositional homogeneity measurements, quantifying (i) the dissolution and microstructural evolution of the inter-dendritic constituents, (ii) the shift in thermo-physical characteristics of the material, and (iii) the change in compositional homogeneity across the microstructure, in order to gain further understanding of these phenomena during the progression of the SHT. During the early stages of SHT, the coarse cellular γ′/narrow γ channel inter-dendritic constituents which were the last areas to solidify during casting, progressively dissolve; homogenization between these inter-dendritic areas and adjacent dendritic areas leads to a rapid increase in the incipient melting temperature T
IM. The fine γ/γ′ morphology which were the first inter-dendritic constituents to solidify after primary γ dendrite solidification were found to progressively coarsen; however, subsequent dissolution of these coarsened γ/γ′ inter-dendritic areas did not result in significant increases in the T
IM until the near-complete dissolution of these inter-dendritic areas. After the final SHT step, residual compositional micro-segregation could still be detected across the microstructure despite the near-complete dissolution of these remnant inter-dendritic areas; even so the T
IM of the material approached the solidus temperature of the alloy.
Immune imbalance of regulatory T/type 2 helper cells in the pathogenesis of allergic rhinitis in children
Authors: Sun R , Tang X-Y , Yang Y
Published: December 2015

Objectives:

To determine the role of regulatory T/type 2 helper cell-mediated immune imbalance in the pathogenesis of allergic rhinitis and examine the association between clinical severity and regulatory T/type 2 helper cell-mediated immune imbalance.

Methods:

Levels of interleukins 4 and 5 and transforming growth factor β1, and expression of FOXP3 and GATA3 (which are functionally related to regulatory T and type 2 helper cells, respectively), were evaluated in 46 allergic rhinitis patients and 42 healthy subjects.

Results:

Compared to controls, allergic rhinitis patients showed significantly higher interleukin 4 and 5 levels, but lower transforming growth factor β1 levels. Furthermore, FOXP3 messenger RNA expression was lower in allergic rhinitis patients, while GATA3 messenger RNA and protein expression was significantly higher. Regulatory T/type 2 helper cell ratio was inversely correlated with clinical symptom scores.

Conclusion:

Regulatory T/type 2 helper cell immune imbalance may contribute to allergic rhinitis development. These findings provide a new insight into disease pathogenesis and potential therapeutic approaches.
The PT at 35: Revisiting Scholarly Interpretations of the Brazilian Workers' Party
Authors: DO AMARAL OSWALDO E. , POWER TIMOTHY J.
Published: December 2015

This review essay critically examines the evolution of scholarly literature on Brazil'sPartido dos Trabalhadoressince the PT's founding in 1980. We periodise the relevant literature into four phases, examining the foundation of the PT, the party's early experience in subnational government, its transformation and moderation in the late 1990s, and finally its experiences in national government since capturing the presidency in 2002. After detailing strengths and weaknesses of this research, we also examine the trajectory of the PT in light of recent comparative work on the so-called ‘left turn’ in Latin America. We conclude by offering an agenda for future research on the PT.
Novel insights on the diversity and ecology of the Family Lumbrineridae (Polychaeta) along the Iberian Peninsula coasts
Authors: García Gómez S.C. , Carrera-Parra Luis F. , Mas Ferran Alsina , Freitas Rosa , Martins Roberto
Published: December 2015

Lumbrinerids are amongst the most abundant and diverse polychaete families in worldwide continental shelves, and have received attention recently through the description of several new species and new occurrences. Herein, a total of four lumbrinerid species are firstly reported in the eastern and southern Spanish continental shelf, extending their biogeographic distribution to the western Mediterranean Sea and increasing up to 25 the number of species known in the Iberian Peninsula coasts. New insights on taxonomy, ecological and biogeographic preferences and an updated taxonomic key for Iberian coasts and surrounding areas are also provided.
Nutrition and physical activity for the prevention and treatment of age-related sarcopenia
Authors: Bosaeus Ingvar , Rothenberg Elisabet
Published: December 2015

Sarcopenia, defined as loss of skeletal muscle mass and function, is associated with adverse outcomes such as physical disability, impaired quality of life and increased mortality. Several mechanisms are involved in the development of sarcopenia. Potentially modifiable factors include nutrition and physical activity. Protein metabolism is central to the nutritional issues, along with other potentially modifying nutritional factors as energy balance and vitamin D status. An increasing but still incomplete knowledge base has generated recent recommendations on an increased protein intake in the elderly. Several factors beyond the total amount of protein consumed emerge as potentially important in this context. A recent summit examined three hypotheses: (1) A meal threshold; habitually consuming 25–30 g protein at breakfast, lunch and dinner provides sufficient protein to effectively stimulate muscle protein anabolism; (2) Protein quality; including high-quality protein at each meal improves postprandial muscle protein synthesis; and (3) performing physical activity in close temporal proximity to a high-quality protein meal enhances muscle anabolism. Optimising the potential for muscle protein anabolism by consuming an adequate amount of high-quality protein at each meal, in combination with physical activity, appears as a promising strategy to prevent or delay the onset of sarcopenia. However, results of interventions are inconsistent, and well-designed, standardised studies evaluating exercise or nutrition interventions are needed before guidelines can be developed for the prevention and treatment of age-related sarcopenia.
Neuropsychological and social cognitive function in young people at genetic risk of bipolar disorder
Authors: McCormack C. , Green M. J. , Rowland J. E. , Roberts G. , Frankland A. , Hadzi-Pavlovic D. , Joslyn C. , Lau P. , Wright A. , Levy F. , Lenroot R. K. , Mitchell P. B.
Published: December 2015

Background

Impairments in key neuropsychological domains (e.g. working memory, attention) and social cognitive deficits have been implicated as intermediate (endo) phenotypes for bipolar disorder (BD), and should therefore be evident in unaffected relatives.

Method

Neurocognitive and social cognitive ability was examined in 99 young people (age range 16–30 years) with a biological parent or sibling diagnosed with the disorder [thus deemed to be at risk (AR) of developing BD], compared with 78 healthy control (HC) subjects, and 52 people with a confirmed diagnosis of BD.

Results

Only verbal intelligence and affective response inhibition were significantly impaired in AR relative to HC participants; the BD participants showed significant deficits in attention tasks compared with HCs. Neither AR nor BD patients showed impairments in general intellectual ability, working memory, visuospatial or language ability, relative to HC participants. Analysis of BD-I and BD-II cases separately revealed deficits in attention and immediate memory in BD-I patients (only), relative to HCs. Only the BD (but not AR) participants showed impaired emotion recognition, relative to HCs.

Conclusions

Selective cognitive deficits in the capacity to inhibit negative affective information, and general verbal ability may be intermediate markers of risk for BD; however, the extent and severity of impairment in this sample was less pronounced than has been reported in previous studies of older family members and BD cases. These findings highlight distinctions in the cognitive profiles of AR and BD participants, and provide limited support for progressive cognitive decline in association with illness development in BD.
Exposure to genocide and the risk of schizophrenia: a population-based study
Authors: Levine S. Z. , Levav I. , Goldberg Y. , Pugachova I. , Becher Y. , Yoffe R.
Published: December 2015

Background

No evidence exists on the association between genocide and the incidence of schizophrenia. This study aims to identify critical periods of exposure to genocide on the risk of schizophrenia.

Method

This population-based study comprised of all subjects born in European nations where the Holocaust occurred from 1928 to 1945, who immigrated to Israel by 1965 and were indexed in the Population Register (N= 113 932). Subjects were followed for schizophrenia disorder in the National Psychiatric Case Registry from 1950 to 2014. The population was disaggregated to compare groups that immigrated before (indirect exposure:n= 8886, 7.8%) or after (direct exposure:n= 105 046, 92.2%) the Nazi or fascist era of persecutions began. The latter group was further disaggregated to examine likely initial prenatal or postnatal genocide exposures. Cox regression modelling was computed to compare the risk of schizophrenia between the groups, adjusting for confounders.

Results

The likely direct group was at a statistically (p< 0.05) greater risk of schizophrenia (hazard ratio = 1.27, 95% confidence interval 1.06–1.51) than the indirect group. Also, the likely combinedin uteroand postnatal, and late postnatal (over age 2 years) exposure subgroups were statistically at greater risk of schizophrenia than the indirect group (p< 0.05). The likelyin uteroonly and early postnatal (up to age 2 years) exposure subgroups compared with the indirect exposure group did not significantly differ. These results were replicated across three sensitivity analyses.

Conclusions

This study showed that genocide exposure elevated the risk of schizophrenia, and identifiedin uteroand postnatal (combined) and late postnatal (age over 2 years) exposures as critical periods of risk.
Which adolescents develop persistent substance dependence in adulthood? Using population-representative longitudinal data to inform universal risk assessment
Authors: Meier M. H. , Hall W. , Caspi A. , Belsky D. W. , Cerdá M. , Harrington H. L. , Houts R. , Poulton R. , Moffitt T. E.
Published: December 2015

Background

To our knowledge, there are no universal screening tools for substance dependence that (1) were developed using a population-based sample, (2) estimate total risk briefly and inexpensively by incorporating a relatively small number of well-established risk factors, and (3) aggregate risk factors using a simple algorithm. We created a universal screening tool that incorporates these features to identify adolescents at risk for persistent substance dependence in adulthood.

Method

Participants were members of a representative cohort of 1037 individuals born in Dunedin, New Zealand in 1972–1973 and followed prospectively to age 38 years, with 95% retention. We assessed a small set of childhood and adolescent risk factors: family history of substance dependence, childhood psychopathology (conduct disorder, depression), early exposure to substances, frequent substance use in adolescence, sex, and childhood socioeconomic status. We defined the outcome (persistent substance dependence in adulthood) as dependence on one or more of alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, or hard drugs at ⩾3 assessment ages: 21, 26, 32, and 38 years.

Results

A cumulative risk index, a simple sum of nine childhood and adolescent risk factors, predicted persistent substance dependence in adulthood with considerable accuracy (AUC = 0.80).

Conclusions

A cumulative risk score can accurately predict which adolescents in the general population will develop persistent substance dependence in adulthood.
EXPLICIT INSTRUCTION, BILINGUALISM, AND THE OLDER ADULT LEARNER
Authors: Cox Jessica G.
Published: December 2015

Little is known about older adult language learners and effects of aging on L2 learning. This study investigated learning in older age through interactions of learner-internal and -external variables; specifically, late-learned L2 (bilingualism) and provision of grammar explanation (explicit instruction, EI). Forty-three older adults (age 60+) who were monolingual English or bilingual English/Spanish speakers learned basic Latin morphosyntax using a computer program with or without EI. Results showed no overall effects of EI, although bilinguals with EI had advantages when transferring skills. Bilinguals also outperformed monolinguals on interpretation regardless of instruction.

This study expands the scope of SLA research to include older adults and bilinguals, when traditionally participants are young adult monolinguals. It bolsters nascent research on older adults by adopting a tried-and-true paradigm: interactions between variables. Older adults’ overall success at learning language counters negative stereotypes of aging and demonstrates that bilingual linguistic advantages are lifelong.
Diet is not related to productivity but to territory occupancy in a declining population of Egyptian VulturesNeophron percnopterus
Authors: DOBREV VLADIMIR , BOEV ZLATOZAR , ARKUMAREV VOLEN , DOBREV DOBROMIR , KRET ELZBIETA , SARAVIA VICTORIA , BOUNAS ANASTASIOS , VAVYLIS DIMITRIS , NIKOLOV STOYAN C. , OPPEL STEFFEN
Published: December 2015

A prominent threat to European vultures has been sanitary regulations that banned the disposal of livestock carcasses. Changes in food abundance following these regulations have been associated with changes in vulture behaviour and demographic parameters, but to what extent diet changes are responsible for population declines is poorly understood. The Egyptian VultureNeophron percnopterusis the smallest and most threatened European vulture species and has an opportunistic and diverse diet. In Eastern Europe, the Egyptian Vulture population is declining more rapidly than elsewhere but there is little information on diet composition and the relationship between diet and demographic parameters to inform conservation management. We examined whether Egyptian Vulture population declines in Bulgaria and Greece may have been associated with diet changes that affected breeding productivity by monitoring breeding success and collecting diet remains from 143 Egyptian Vulture breeding attempts between 2006 and 2013. We found no relationship between diet diversity or composition and productivity. However, there was a significant relationship between occupancy rate of territories and diet diversity, indicating that occupancy rate decreased with a very diverse or a very narrow diet and a higher proportion of wild animals or a lower proportion of livestock in the diet. There was no temporal change in diet diversity in Bulgaria after admission to the EU in 2007. We conclude that it is unlikely that diet limitations on reproductive output are a critical threat to Egyptian Vultures on the Balkan Peninsula. The relationship between diet diversity and territory occupancy rate may indicate that adult birds with a very narrow or a very broad diet may be more susceptible to consuming poisoned carcasses, and more information on the effect of diet availability on adult and juvenile survival would be useful to inform and improve conservation management actions.
Redemption theories and the value of American colonial paper money
Authors: Michener Ron
Published: December 2015

Before the Revolution American colonies issued paper money known as ‘bills of credit’. The bills issued in the Middle colonies held their value surprisingly well despite large wartime fluctuations in the quantity issued, but those issued in New England depreciated as the quantity in circulation increased. The bills' stable purchasing power in the Middle colonies has often been attributed to the redemption provisions enacted when the bills were issued. Similar provisions in New England supposedly failed because New England failed to enforce them. This article explores the comparative enforcement of redemption provisions in the two regions, and in New York in particular, and concludes that differential enforcement does not explain the disparity between the New England experience and that in the Middle colonies.
‘Nobody canna cross it’: language-ideological dimensions of hypercorrect speech in Jamaica
Authors: BOHMANN AXEL
Published: December 2015

The concept of speaky-spoky, a pejorative label for hypercorrect speech in Jamaica, has thus far been described in the context of shared speech community norms (Patrick 1999). In this article, I analyze a stretch of speaky-spoky discourse and its recontextualization. The theoretical perspectives from which the data are examined are that of the sociolinguistics of globalization (Blommaert 2010) and of entextualization (Bauman & Briggs 1990; Silverstein & Urban 1996). The method of analysis draws on Goffman's writing on frames (1974) and production formats (1981). I argue that the ideological dimensions and interactional versatility of the speaky-spoky concept have thus far not received enough empirical attention. To address this gap, I propose to interpret speaky-spoky as a dynamic and relational ‘construct resource’ (Fabricius & Mortensen 2013) that speakers draw upon to highlight social meaning in interaction.
Primary prevention of cardiovascular disease in a primary care setting
Authors: Tahaineh Linda , Barakat Suhad , Albsoul-Younes Abla M. , Khalifeh Ola
Published: December 2015

Aim

This study was designed to investigate primary prevention of cardiovascular disease in a primary care setting in Jordan.

Methods

Adult patients without clinical cardiovascular disease who attended a primary care setting were interviewed and their medical files were reviewed. Data collected to assess primary prevention of cardiovascular disease included lifestyle/risk factor screening, weight assessment, blood pressure measurement and control, and blood lipid measurement and control.

Results

A total of 224 patients were interviewed. The proportions of patients’ files with risk factors documentation were 37.9% for smoking status, 30.4% for physical activity assessment and 72.8% for blood pressure assessment. The majority of hypertensive patients (95.9%) had a blood pressure reading at their most recent visit of ⩽140/90 or was prescribed ⩾2 antihypertensive medications.

Conclusion

Documentation of cardiovascular disease risk factors was suboptimal. Healthcare providers should be encouraged to document and assess cardiovascular risk factors to improve primary prevention.
District nurses’ experiences of preventive home visits to 75-year-olds in Stockholm: a qualitative study
Authors: Lagerin Annica , Törnkvist Lena , Hylander Ingrid
Published: December 2015

Aims

This study had two aims: to describe the dialogue between district nurses (DNs) and older people in preventive home visits (PHVs) from the perspective of the DNs, and to identify barriers to and facilitators of this dialogue as perceived by the DNs.

Background

The number of older people is rapidly increasing in all western countries, and as people’s age increases, the probability that they will have multiple diseases also increases. Planned actions are therefore needed to promote health and prevent diseases among older people so they can remain in good health and live in their homes for as long as possible. In Sweden, PHVs to 75-year-olds by DNs are one such action.

Methods

This qualitative study included five group interviews with 20 DNs. Data were analysed with qualitative content analysis.

Findings

DNs’ experiences of barriers to and facilitators of a successful health dialogue were sorted into five domains. Together, these domains provided a systematic description of the interaction between the DN and the older person in the PHV. The domains included: establishing trustful contact, conducting a structured interview, making an overall assessment, proposing health-promoting activities and offering follow-up. The barriers and facilitators could be related to the older person, the DN or the home environment. The latent content of the interviews was evident in three themes that were related to the DNs’ experiences of barriers and facilitators. These themes illustrated professional dilemmas that the DNs had to resolve to achieve the purpose of the PHV. The study demonstrates that the interaction between a DN and an older person in a PHV can be described as a complex social process in which the DN balances a personal and professional approach, combines a person-oriented and a task-oriented approach and employs both a salutogenic and pathogenic perspective.
PROOF ANALYSIS FOR LEWIS COUNTERFACTUALS
Authors: NEGRI SARA , SBARDOLINI GIORGIO
Published: December 2015

A deductive system for Lewis counterfactuals is presented, based directly on the influential generalisation of relational semantics through ternary similarity relations introduced by Lewis. This deductive system builds on a method of enriching the syntax of sequent calculus by labels for possible worlds. The resulting labelled sequent calculus is shown to be equivalent to the axiomatic systemVCof Lewis. It is further shown to have the structural properties that are needed for an analytic proof system that supports root-first proof search. Completeness of the calculus is proved in a direct way, such that for any given sequent either a formal derivation or a countermodel is provided; it is also shown how finite countermodels for unprovable sequents can be extracted from failed proof search, by which the completeness proof turns into a proof of decidability.
Another Wreck on the New Haven: Accidents, Risk Perception, and the Stigmatization of the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad, 1911–1914
Authors: Aldrich Mark
Published: December 2015

Modern research demonstrates that there may be wide differences between scientific and popular risk assessments. Popular risk perception is multidimensional; some risks that seem uncontrollable or dreadful are especially abhorrent. Risks are also socially constructed and they may be augmented or attenuated by opinion leaders, advocacy groups, and media treatments. In extreme cases “information cascades” can lead to a self -reinforcing process that amplifies perceived risks resulting in the stigmatization of a technology or a company. We apply these insights to an historical case study of the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad during the years 1911 through 1914. During these years the New Haven experienced a burst of train wrecks. Sensational reporting of these accidents, along with increasingly shrill government investigations, coincided with ongoing exposés of the company's questionable financial practices and turned the New Haven into a pariah company, stigmatizing and forcing out its management. Yet statistics available at the time show that the New Haven was no more dangerous than average. The example of the New Haven also encouraged all railroads to introduce safer methods and technologies than they otherwise would have.
Inquisitions and Scholarship
Authors: Anderson R. Warren
Published: December 2015

Inquisitors engaged in mass censorship across the Iberian and Italian peninsulas; however, the effect it had on scholarship is debated. To test the effect of inquisitorial control a database of more than 2,000 top-tier mathematicians, scientists, authors, artists, and composers was created for 16 European countries from 1000 to 1749. Italy and Iberia had large declines of high-level scholars shortly after the establishment of the inquisitions. In contrast, other countries—both Protestant and Catholic—had increases in top-level scholars. Even though other countries had book burnings, religious persecution, and intolerance, the presence of an institution that became intolerant and oppressive significantly impacted the location of scientists and other top achievers throughout the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.
Professor Andrew E. Czeizel, Hungary (April 3, 1935–August 10, 2015)
Authors: Métneki Julia
Published: December 2015

We are sad to announce the passing of Andrew E. Czeizel on August 10, 2015, at the age of 80, after a long-lasting illness.
Active Mud Volcano Field Discovered off Southeast Alaska
Authors: Berkowitz Rachel
Published: December 2015

A cruise to study landslide potential along an earthquake-prone fault found a surprising methane plume.
Pit- and trench-forming osteoclasts: a distinction that matters
Authors: Merrild Ditte MH , Pirapaharan Dinisha C , Andreasen Christina M , Kjærsgaard-Andersen Per , Møller Anaïs MJ , Ding Ming , Delaissé Jean-Marie , Søe Kent
Published: December 2015

Osteoclasts (OCs) seeded on bone slices either drill round pits or dig long trenches. Whereas pits correspond to intermittent resorption, trenches correspond to continuous and faster resorption and require a distinct assembly of the resorption apparatus. It is unknown whether the distinction between pits and trenches has any biological relevance. Using OCs prepared from different blood donors, we found that female OCs achieved increased resorption mainly through pit formation, whereas male OCs did so through trench formation. Trench formation went along with high collagenolytic activity and high cathepsin K (CatK) expression, thereby allowing deeper demineralization. A specific CatK inhibitor abrogated the generation of trenches, while still allowing the generation of pits. OCs obtained from bone marrow were more prone to generate trenches than those obtained from blood. Scanning electron microscopy of bone surfaces eroded in vivo showed trenches and pits of similar size as those made by OCs in culture. We conclude that the distinction between trench- and pit-forming OCs is relevant to the differences among OCs from different skeletal sites, different individuals, including gender, and results from differences in collagenolytic power. This indicates a biological relevance and highlights the importance of discriminating between pits and trenches when assessing resorption.
Microbial, host and xenobiotic diversity in the cystic fibrosis sputum metabolome
Authors: Quinn Robert A , Phelan Vanessa V , Whiteson Katrine L , Garg Neha , Bailey Barbara A , Lim Yan Wei , Conrad Douglas J , Dorrestein Pieter C , Rohwer Forest L
Published: December 2015

Cystic fibrosis (CF) lungs are filled with thick mucus that obstructs airways and facilitates chronic infections. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a significant pathogen of this disease that produces a variety of toxic small molecules. We used molecular networking-based metabolomics to investigate the chemistry of CF sputa and assess how the microbial molecules detected reflect the microbiome and clinical culture history of the patients. Metabolites detected included xenobiotics, P. aeruginosa specialized metabolites and host sphingolipids. The clinical culture and microbiome profiles did not correspond to the detection of P. aeruginosa metabolites in the same samples. The P. aeruginosa molecules that were detected in sputum did not match those from laboratory cultures. The pseudomonas quinolone signal (PQS) was readily detectable from cultured strains, but absent from sputum, even when its precursor molecules were present. The lack of PQS production in vivo is potentially due to the chemical nature of the CF lung environment, indicating that culture-based studies of this pathogen may not explain its behavior in the lung. The most differentially abundant molecules between CF and non-CF sputum were sphingolipids, including sphingomyelins, ceramides and lactosylceramide. As these highly abundant molecules contain the inflammatory mediator ceramide, they may have a significant role in CF hyperinflammation. This study demonstrates that the chemical makeup of CF sputum is a complex milieu of microbial, host and xenobiotic molecules. Detection of a bacterium by clinical culturing and 16S rRNA gene profiling do not necessarily reflect the active production of metabolites from that bacterium in a sputum sample.
Transcriptome dynamics of a broad host-range cyanophage and its hosts
Authors: Doron Shany , Fedida Ayalla , Hernández-Prieto Miguel A , Sabehi Gazalah , Karunker Iris , Stazic Damir , Feingersch Roi , Steglich Claudia , Futschik Matthias , Lindell Debbie , Sorek Rotem
Published: December 2015

Cyanobacteria are highly abundant in the oceans and are constantly exposed to lytic viruses. The T4-like cyanomyoviruses are abundant in the marine environment and have broad host-ranges relative to other cyanophages. It is currently unknown whether broad host-range phages specifically tailor their infection program for each host, or employ the same program irrespective of the host infected. Also unknown is how different hosts respond to infection by the same phage. Here we used microarray and RNA-seq analyses to investigate the interaction between the Syn9 T4-like cyanophage and three phylogenetically, ecologically and genomically distinct marine Synechococcus strains: WH7803, WH8102 and WH8109. Strikingly, Syn9 led a nearly identical infection and transcriptional program in all three hosts. Different to previous assumptions for T4-like cyanophages, three temporally regulated gene expression classes were observed. Furthermore, a novel regulatory element controlled early-gene transcription, and host-like promoters drove middle gene transcription, different to the regulatory paradigm for T4. Similar results were found for the P-TIM40 phage during infection of Prochlorococcus NATL2A. Moreover, genomic and metagenomic analyses indicate that these regulatory elements are abundant and conserved among T4-like cyanophages. In contrast to the near-identical transcriptional program employed by Syn9, host responses to infection involved host-specific genes primarily located in hypervariable genomic islands, substantiating islands as a major axis of phage–cyanobacteria interactions. Our findings suggest that the ability of broad host-range phages to infect multiple hosts is more likely dependent on the effectiveness of host defense strategies than on differential tailoring of the infection process by the phage.
Selective consumption and metabolic allocation of terrestrial and algal carbon determine allochthony in lake bacteria
Authors: Guillemette François , Leigh McCallister S , del Giorgio Paul A
Published: December 2015

Here we explore strategies of resource utilization and allocation of algal versus terrestrially derived carbon (C) by lake bacterioplankton. We quantified the consumption of terrestrial and algal dissolved organic carbon, and the subsequent allocation of these pools to bacterial growth and respiration, based on the δ13C isotopic signatures of bacterial biomass and respiratory carbon dioxide (CO2). Our results confirm that bacterial communities preferentially remove algal C from the terrestrially dominated organic C pool of lakes, but contrary to current assumptions, selectively allocate this autochthonous substrate to respiration, whereas terrestrial C was preferentially allocated to biosynthesis. The results provide further evidence of a mechanism whereby inputs of labile, algal-derived organic C may stimulate the incorporation of a more recalcitrant, terrestrial C pool. This mechanism resulted in a counterintuitive pattern of high and relatively constant levels of allochthony (~76%) in bacterial biomass across lakes that otherwise differ greatly in productivity and external inputs.
A molecular ruler regulates cytoskeletal remodelling by the Rho kinases
Authors: Truebestein Linda , Elsner Daniel J. , Fuchs Elisabeth , Leonard Thomas A.
Published: December 2015

The Rho-associated coiled-coil kinases (ROCK) are essential regulators of the actin cytoskeleton; however, the structure of a full-length ROCK is unknown and the mechanisms by which its kinase activity is controlled are not well understood. Here we determine the low-resolution structure of human ROCK2 using electron microscopy, revealing it to be a constitutive dimer, 120 nm in length, with a long coiled-coil tether linking the kinase and membrane-binding domains. We find, in contrast to previous reports, that ROCK2 activity does not appear to be directly regulated by binding to membranes, RhoA, or by phosphorylation. Instead, we show that changing the length of the tether modulates ROCK2 function in cells, suggesting that it acts as a molecular ruler. We present a model in which ROCK activity is restricted to a discrete region of the actin cytoskeleton, governed by the length of its coiled-coil. This represents a new type of spatial control, and hence a new paradigm for kinase regulation.
Branched-chain amino acid catabolism is a conserved regulator of physiological ageing
Authors: Mansfeld Johannes , Urban Nadine , Priebe Steffen , Groth Marco , Frahm Christiane , Hartmann Nils , Gebauer Juliane , Ravichandran Meenakshi , Dommaschk Anne , Schmeisser Sebastian , Kuhlow Doreen , Monajembashi Shamci , Bremer-Streck Sibylle , Hemmerich Peter , Kiehntopf Michael , Zamboni Nicola , Englert Christoph , Guthke Reinhard , Kaleta Christoph , Platzer Matthias , Sühnel Jürgen , Witte Otto W. , Zarse Kim , Ristow Michael
Published: December 2015

Ageing has been defined as a global decline in physiological function depending on both environmental and genetic factors. Here we identify gene transcripts that are similarly regulated during physiological ageing in nematodes, zebrafish and mice. We observe the strongest extension of lifespan when impairing expression of the branched-chain amino acid transferase-1 (bcat-1) gene in C. elegans, which leads to excessive levels of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs). We further show that BCAAs reduce a LET-363/mTOR-dependent neuro-endocrine signal, which we identify as DAF-7/TGFβ, and that impacts lifespan depending on its related receptors, DAF-1 and DAF-4, as well as ultimately on DAF-16/FoxO and HSF-1 in a cell-non-autonomous manner. The transcription factor HLH-15 controls and epistatically synergizes with BCAT-1 to modulate physiological ageing. Lastly and consistent with previous findings in rodents, nutritional supplementation of BCAAs extends nematodal lifespan. Taken together, BCAAs act as periphery-derived metabokines that induce a central neuro-endocrine response, culminating in extended healthspan.
MicroRNA miR124 is required for the expression of homeostatic synaptic plasticity
Authors: Hou Qingming , Ruan Hongyu , Gilbert James , Wang Guan , Ma Qi , Yao Wei-Dong , Man Heng-Ye
Published: December 2015

Homeostatic synaptic plasticity is a compensatory response to alterations in neuronal activity. Chronic deprivation of neuronal activity results in an increase in synaptic AMPA receptors (AMPARs) and postsynaptic currents. The biogenesis of GluA2-lacking, calcium-permeable AMPARs (CP-AMPARs) plays a crucial role in the homeostatic response; however, the mechanisms leading to CP-AMPAR formation remain unclear. Here we show that the microRNA, miR124, is required for the generation of CP-AMPARs and homeostatic plasticity. miR124 suppresses GluA2 expression via targeting its 3′-UTR, leading to the formation of CP-AMPARs. Blockade of miR124 function abolishes the homeostatic response, whereas miR124 overexpression leads to earlier induction of homeostatic plasticity. miR124 transcription is controlled by an inhibitory transcription factor EVI1, acting by association with the deacetylase HDAC1. Our data support a cellular cascade in which inactivity relieves EVI1/HDAC-mediated inhibition of miR124 gene transcription, resulting in enhanced miR124 expression, formation of CP-AMPARs and subsequent induction of homeostatic synaptic plasticity.
Autocrine selection of a GLP-1R G-protein biased agonist with potent antidiabetic effects
Authors: Zhang Hongkai , Sturchler Emmanuel , Zhu Jiang , Nieto Ainhoa , Cistrone Philip A. , Xie Jia , He LinLing , Yea Kyungmoo , Jones Teresa , Turn Rachel , Di Stefano Peter S. , Griffin Patrick R. , Dawson Philip E. , McDonald Patricia H. , Lerner Richard A.
Published: December 2015

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor (GLP-1R) agonists have emerged as treatment options for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). GLP-1R signals through G-protein-dependent, and G-protein-independent pathways by engaging the scaffold protein β-arrestin; preferential signalling of ligands through one or the other of these branches is known as ‘ligand bias’. Here we report the discovery of the potent and selective GLP-1R G-protein-biased agonist, P5. We identified P5 in a high-throughput autocrine-based screening of large combinatorial peptide libraries, and show that P5 promotes G-protein signalling comparable to GLP-1 and Exendin-4, but exhibited a significantly reduced β-arrestin response. Preclinical studies using different mouse models of T2DM demonstrate that P5 is a weak insulin secretagogue. Nevertheless, chronic treatment of diabetic mice with P5 increased adipogenesis, reduced adipose tissue inflammation as well as hepatic steatosis and was more effective at correcting hyperglycaemia and lowering haemoglobin A1c levels than Exendin-4, suggesting that GLP-1R G-protein-biased agonists may provide a novel therapeutic approach to T2DM.
System-wide assembly of pathways and modules hierarchically reveal metabolic mechanism of cerebral ischemia
Authors: Zhu Yan , Guo Zhili , Zhang Liangxiao , Zhang Yingying , Chen Yinying , Nan Jingyi , Zhao Buchang , Xiao Hongbin , Wang Zhong , Wang Yongyan
Published: December 2015

The relationship between cerebral ischemia and metabolic disorders is poorly understood, which is partly due to the lack of comparative fusing data for larger complete systems and to the complexity of metabolic cascade reactions. Based on the fusing maps of comprehensive serum metabolome, fatty acid and amino acid profiling, we identified 35 potential metabolic biomarkers for ischemic stroke. Our analyses revealed 8 significantly altered pathways by MetPA (Metabolomics Pathway Analysis, impact score >0.10) and 15 significantly rewired modules in a complex ischemic network using the Markov clustering (MCL) method; all of these pathways became more homologous as the number of overlapping nodes was increased. We then detected 24 extensive pathways based on the total modular nodes from the network analysis, 12 of which were new discovery pathways. We provided a new perspective from the viewpoint of abnormal metabolites for the overall study of ischemic stroke as well as a new method to simplify the network analysis by selecting the more closely connected edges and nodes to build a module map of stroke.