bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The effects of the PRISMA statement to improve the conduct and reporting of systematic reviews and meta‐analyses of nursing interventions for patients with heart failure
Authors: Liu Haihua , Zhou Xiaobin , Yu Guoyi , Sun Xiao
Published: February 2019

Aims

The study aims to evaluate the reporting and methodological quality of systematic reviews and meta‐analyses on nursing interventions in the field of heart failure and investigate whether reporting and methodological quality has been improved after PRISMA statement was published.

Methods

Pubmed, Cochrane Database of Systematic Review, and Embase databases were searched from inception of databases to July 31, 2018. Two authors independently extracted data from October 1, 2018, to October 31, 2018. AMSTAR and PRISMA checklists were used to assessed methodological and reporting quality.

Results

The 50 English articles satisfied inclusion criteria and were published from 2001 to 2017. After introduction of PRISMA statement, significant improvement in reporting of the following items was found: title, search, risk of bias in individual studies, summary measures, study selection, synthesis of results, summary of evidence for PRISMA checklists, and scientific quality of included studies provided (item 7) for AMSTAR checklists.

Conclusion

There were higher methodological and reporting quality after publication of PRISMA. We recommend authors, readers, reviewers, and editors to become more acquainted with and to more strictly adhere to the PRISMA and AMSTAR.
The mechanism of TDP‐43 gene expression on inflammatory factors and the JNK and p38 MAPK signalling pathways in ischaemic hypoxic stress dependence
Authors: Huang He , Zhang Zhao‐Fei , Qin Feng‐Wei , Tang Wang , Liu Dong‐Hua , Wu Pei‐Yu , Jiao Feng
Published: February 2019

In this study, the mechanism of TDP‐43 gene expression on inflammatory factors and Jun N‐terminal kinase (JNK) and p38 mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) signalling pathways in ischaemic hypoxic stress dependence was investigated. Sixty SD rats were selected and divided into the control group, the osteoarthritis (OA) model group, and the TDP‐43‐mMSCs+OA group. In the OA model group and the TDP‐43‐mMSCs+OA group, OA was established by collagenase injection. Western blotting assays were used to detect the expression of TDP‐43 in cartilage tissues of each rat. The secretion of tumour necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α) and interleukin‐1β (IL‐1β) in the serum of rats was determined by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The formation of cytoplasmic stress granules (SGs) and the expression of receptor for activated c‐kinase 1 (RACK1) were detected by Western blotting assays in each group of rats. The expression of MTK1 and MAPKKK phosphorylation and changes in the JNK and p38 MAPK signalling pathways were detected by Western blotting assays. Compared with the control group, the expression of TDP‐43 in the cartilage tissue of rats in the OA model group was significantly decreased. The expression of TDP‐43 in the cartilage tissue of rats in the TDP‐43‐mMSCs+OA group was significantly higher than that of the control group and the OA model group, which indicates that TDP‐43‐mMSC transplantation was successful. Enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay results showed that the plasma TNF‐α and IL‐1β levels in the OA model group were significantly increased (P < 0.01) when compared with the control group. However, the secretion of TNF‐α and IL‐1β in the serum of the TDP‐43‐mMSCs+OA group was significantly lower than that of the model group (P < 0.01) but still higher than the control group. This indicates that overexpression of TDP‐43 reduces the inflammatory response induced by OA. Western blotting assays showed that the amount of cytoplasmic SGs in the cartilage tissue of rats in the OA model group was significantly decreased when compared with the control group. The amount of SGs in the cartilage of rats in the TDP‐43‐mMSCs+OA group was significantly higher than that of the model group. The expression of RACK1 in the cartilage tissue of rats in the OA model group was significantly higher than that of the control group. Overexpression of the TDP‐43 gene can interfere with the secretion of inflammatory factors and inhibit the activation of the JNK and p38 MAPK signalling pathways by ischaemic hypoxia stress. Thus, the molecular mechanism of chondrocytopathic lesions was reversed, which provided a new theoretical basis for the treatment of OA.
Occupational values of nurses who succeeded their mothers in nursing
Authors: Lee Kyoung Ju , Kim Miyoung
Published: February 2019

Aims

To investigate how nurses who succeeded their mothers in the occupation are affected by their mothers and to explore how such nurses value their occupation.

Background

Although children who succeed their parents in an occupation have shown high job satisfaction and persistence, no study has presented this phenomenon in nursing perspectives.

Design

A qualitative study using interpretative phenomenological analysis.

Methods

Data were collected from July 2016–September 2017 through in‐depth interviews with seven mother–daughter nurse dyads. Data were analysed using dyadic analysis and interpretative phenomenological analysis.

Results

Three essential themes were derived: having affection for nursing per se; regarding the person per se as the primary value in nursing, instead of the person as a patient; and making a resolution to become a good nurse to follow their mothers’ footsteps. Person‐centred nursing was the core occupational value of nurses who succeeded their mothers in nursing.

Conclusion

Although daughters felt burdened by following their mothers into the nursing profession, they had a sense of responsibility to fulfill their duties in nursing and indicated that maintaining a balance between being responsible and feeling burdened was more important than anything else.

Impact

The present study can serve as a useful educational material for understanding the consequences of the succession of parents’ occupation in the perspective of nursing. It illustrates how nurses who succeed their mothers in the profession are influenced by their mothers to value person‐centred nursing and subsequently their rapid clinical adaptation.
Whose Side Are You On? Explaining the Extent to which National Interest Groups Support States in Global Politics
Authors: Hanegraaff Marcel
Published: February 2019

This article builds on the growing literature on lobbying in a multilevel context. Whereas previous studies have sought to explain why national groups start lobbying at the transnational level, this articles examines the policy positions of interest groups once they are active at this level. The main argument is that group type is a key factor for explaining the level of interest group support for states, yet the effect of group type is conditional on the institutional and issue contexts. The data for analysis are derived from 198 interviews conducted with representatives from businesses and NGOs at the Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization and the UN Climate Summit negotiations in 2011 and 2012. The results confirm that business groups support states much more often than NGOs do. Yet, the amount of support varies substantially across a country's level of development and democracy, and the salience of issues.
Renegotiation Versus Brexit: The Question of the UK's Constitutional Relationship with the EU
Authors: Vasilopoulou Sofia , Keith Dan
Published: February 2019

This article examines how the British public perceived UK Prime Minister David Cameron's plan to renegotiate his country's relationship with the EU. It asks whether attitudes towards renegotiation followed a similar pattern to attitudes towards Brexit. It asks: are preferences towards renegotiation and Brexit related, and did British citizens perceive them as conflicting or complementary? We modelled the similarities and differences between these two types of preferences, which allowed us to classify the attitudes into four patterns: unconditional europhiles, rejectionist eurosceptics, risk‐averse eurosceptics and power‐seeking eurosceptics. Using a large‐N cross‐sectional survey conducted in the UK in April 2015 (n = 3000), our findings suggest that similar utilitarian concerns underpinned both types of preferences; but education and partisan cues differentiated them. Our findings have implications for understanding the result of the UK referendum. They also highlight the complex considerations that drive citizens’ attitudes towards the EU and help us predict the scope of public acceptance of EU reform initiatives by other governments.
Long‐term results of crown fragment reattachment techniques for fractured anterior teeth: A retrospective case‐control study
Authors: Sarapultseva Maria , Sarapultsev Alexey
Published: February 2019

Objective

Among the techniques used by pediatric dentists for the crown fracture is the fragment reattachment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the long‐term survival of the tooth reattachment in comparison to the composite restoration technique.

Methods

The study included 67 patients aged 7‐9 years (males 38/56.7%; females 29/43.3%), with noncomplicated fractures of permanent teeth. The patients were divided into two groups; group A included 32 patients (males 18/56.2%; females 14/43.8%; total number of affected tooth 36), and group B comprised 35 patients (males 20/57.1%; females 15/42.9%; 36 affected tooth). In group A patients the reattachment was conducted after the trauma, and the direct composite restoration technique was used for patients in group B. All patients were evaluated for complications and pulp status for 5 years.

Results

There were no significant differences (P > 0.05) in terms of the occurrence of complications observed between groups throughout the 5‐year observation period.

Conclusion

Both methods provide similar results over the 60 months of observation.

Clinical Significance

Reattachment technique has shown to be a reliable treatment option that might be considered as a primary technique when the fragment is saved after the trauma.
Role of oxytocin in the control of stress and food intake
Authors: Onaka Tatsushi , Takayanagi Yuki
Published: February 2019

Oxytocin neurones in the hypothalamus are activated by stressful stimuli and food intake. The oxytocin receptor is located in various brain regions, including the sensory information‐processing cerebral cortex; the cognitive information‐processing prefrontal cortex; reward‐related regions such as the ventral tegmental areas, nucleus accumbens and raphe nucleus; stress‐related areas such as the amygdala, hippocampus, ventrolateral part of the ventromedial hypothalamus and ventrolateral periaqueductal gray; homeostasis‐controlling hypothalamus; and the dorsal motor complex controlling intestinal functions. Oxytocin affects behavioural and neuroendocrine stress responses and terminates food intake by acting on the metabolic or nutritional homeostasis system, modulating emotional processing, reducing reward values of food intake, and facilitating sensory and cognitive processing via multiple brain regions. Oxytocin also plays a role in interactive actions between stress and food intake and contributes to adaptive active coping behaviours.
Barriers to diabetic self‐care: A qualitative study of patients’ and healthcare providers’ perspectives
Authors: Mogre Victor , Johnson Natalie A. , Tzelepis Flora , Paul Christine
Published: February 2019

Aims and objectives

To explore patient and healthcare provider (HCP) perspectives about patients’ barriers to the performance of diabetic self‐care behaviours in Ghana.

Background

Sub‐Saharan African urban populations are increasingly affected by type 2 diabetes due to nutrition transition, sedentary lifestyles and ageing. Diabetic self‐care is critical to improving clinical outcomes. However, little is known about barriers to diabetic self‐care (diet, exercise, medication taking, self‐monitoring of blood glucose and foot care) in sub‐Saharan Africa.

Design

Qualitative study that followed the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ) guidelines.

Methods

Semi‐structured interviews were conducted among 23 people living with type 2 diabetes and 14 HCPs recruited from the diabetes clinics of three hospitals in Tamale, Ghana. Interviews were audiotaped and transcribed verbatim. The constant comparative method of data analysis was used and identified themes classified according to constructs of the theory of planned behaviour (TPB): attitudes/behavioural beliefs, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control.

Results

Barriers relating to attitudes included misconceptions that diabetes was caused by spiritual forces or curses, use of herbal medicines, intentional nonadherence, difficulty changing old habits, and feeling or lacking motivation to exercise. Barriers relating to subjective norms were inadequate family support, social stigma (usually by spouses and other members of the community) and cultural beliefs. Perceived behavioural control barriers were poor income levels, lack of glucometers, busy work schedules, long distance to the hospital and inadequate access to variety of foods due to erratic supply of foods or seasonality.

Conclusions

Both patients and HCPs discussed similar barriers and those relating to attitude and behavioural control were commonly discussed.

Relevance to Clinical Practice

Interventions to improve adherence to diabetic self‐care should focus on helping persons with diabetes develop favourable attitudes and how to overcome behavioural control barriers. Such interventions should have both individualised and community‐wide approaches.
Daily associations between basic psychological need satisfaction and well‐being at work: The moderating role of need strength
Authors: van Hooff Madelon L. M. , De Pater Irene E.
Published: February 2019

With this paper, we aim to enhance insight in the daily relationships between the satisfaction of basic psychological needs (i.e., the needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness) at work and employee well‐being (as indicated by positive energy), by examining the moderating role of the strengths of these needs. We collected data by means of a 2‐week diary study with two daily measurements (in the morning before work and at the end of the workday) among 109 fulltime working interns. Multi‐level analyses showed that the positive relationship between daily satisfaction of the need for relatedness at work and employee well‐being at the end of the workday was stronger for participants who expressed a high strength of this need. Furthermore, on workdays when participants experienced higher satisfaction of the needs for competence and autonomy, they experienced higher well‐being. Although we did not find moderating effects of need strength for these two needs, results did indicate between‐individual variance in the strength of the associations between satisfaction of these needs and employee well‐being.

Practitioner points

Daily satisfaction of the basic psychological needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness at work should be supported, because this relates positively to employee well‐being.

Enabling work‐related satisfaction of the need for relatedness is especially important for employees who exhibit a strong strength of this need.
Cultural Contributors to Ego‐Resiliency and Associations with Depressive Problems in Midwestern Latino Youth
Authors: Taylor Zoe E. , Jones Blake L.
Published: February 2019

Ego‐resiliency is an enduring psychological construct reflecting how individuals‐adapt to environmental stressors, conflict, and change which is linked to positive adjustment. Ego‐resiliency has not been examined in Latino youth, despite their high risk for mental health problems; nor have cultural precursors to ego‐resiliency been examined. Given these gaps, we examined whether familism values (supportive, obligation, and referent) were associated with ego‐resiliency and, in turn, depressive problems in Latino adolescents across two time points (N = 123, mean age = 11.53). Results indicated that supportive familism was associated positively with ego‐resiliency and negatively with depressive problems. Ego‐resiliency negatively predicted depressive problems across time, controlling for prior levels, suggesting that ego‐resiliency may have long‐term effects on depressive problems in Latino youth.
Practices That Support and Sustain Health in Schools: An Analysis of SHPPS Data
Authors: Lee Sarah M. , Miller Gabrielle F. , Brener Nancy , Michael Shannon , Jones Sherry E. , Leroy Zanie , Merlo Caitlin , Robin Leah , Barrios Lisa
Published: February 2019

BACKGROUND

The Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) model provides an organizing framework for schools to develop and implement school health policies, practices, and programs. The purpose of this study was to examine the presence of practices that support school health for each component of the WSCC model in US schools.

METHODS

Data from the School Health Policies and Practices Study 2014 were analyzed to determine the percentage of schools with practices in place that support school health for WSCC components.

RESULTS

Less than 27% of schools had a school health council that addressed any specific WSCC component, but more than 50% had a coordinator for all but one component. The use of other practices that support school health varied widely across the WSCC components. For example, more than 80% of schools reported family engagement for health education and nutrition environment and services, but less than 50% reported family engagement for other components.

CONCLUSIONS

These results indicate that many US schools are using practices that support school health and align with WSCC components, but improvement is needed. These results also highlight discrepancies in the types of practices being used.
Comparison of combination l‐asparaginase plus CHOP or modified MOPP treatment protocols in dogs with multi‐centric T‐cell or hypercalcaemic lymphoma
Authors: Angelo G. , Cronin K. , Keys D.
Published: February 2019

Objectives

To compare the progression‐free survival of dogs with high‐grade T‐cell lymphoma treated with either a cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisone‐based or a modified mechlorethamine, vincristine, prednisone and procarbazine chemotherapy protocol.

Materials and Methods

In this retrospective study, cases were selected based on histologic or cytologic diagnosis of lymphoma, T‐cell phenotype, hypercalcaemia, or both, and no previous chemotherapy for lymphoma. Treatment was not randomly allocated.

Results

Seventy‐three dogs were included in this study: 50 in the cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisone group and 23 in the mechlorethamine, vincristine, prednisone and procarbazine group. The median progression‐free survival was 133 days for dogs in the cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisone group and 97 days for dogs in the mechlorethamine, vincristine, prednisone and procarbazine group. When golden retrievers (n = 16) were evaluated ­separately, progression‐free survival was longer in the cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisone versus mechlorethamine, vincristine, prednisone and procarbazine treatment group (median PFS 154 days versus 70.5 days, respectively).

Clinical Significance

The progression‐free survival time for dogs with multi‐centric T‐cell lymphoma treated with a modified mechlorethamine, vincristine, prednisone and procarbazine protocol was similar to that of dogs treated with cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine and prednisone. Further studies, including those evaluating golden retrievers separately, are needed to confirm these findings.
Multidrug resistant Aeromonas spp. isolated from zebrafish (Danio rerio): antibiogram, antimicrobial resistance genes and class 1 integron gene cassettes
Authors: Hossain S. , Dahanayake P.S. , De Silva B.C.J. , Wickramanayake M.V.K.S. , Wimalasena S.H.M.P. , Heo G.-J.
Published: February 2019

Aeromonas spp. are Gram-negative opportunistic bacteria which have been commonly associated with fish diseases. In this study, antibiogram, antimicrobial resistance genes and integrons of 43 zebrafish-borne Aeromonas spp. were studied. The isolates were identified as six Aeromonas species (A. veronii biovar veronii (n = 26), A. veronii biovar sobria (n = 3), A. hydrophila (n = 8), A. caviae (n = 3), A. enteropelogenes (n = 2) and A. dhakensis (n = 1)). Antibiogram of the isolates indicated that most of them were resistant to amoxicillin (100·00%), nalidixic acid (100·00%), oxytetracycline (100·00%), ampicillin (93·02%), tetracycline (74·42%), rifampicin (67·44%) and imipenem (65·15%). Multiple antimicrobial resistance (MAR) index values ranged from 0·19–0·44 to 90·70% isolates showed multidrug resistance. PCR of antimicrobial resistance genes revealed that the tetracycline resistance gene (tetA) was the most predominant (67·44%) among the isolates. The qnrS (53·49%), tetB (30·23%), tetE (30·23%), qnrB (23·26%) and aac(6’)-Ib-cr (4·65%) genes were also detected. Class 1 integrase (IntI1) gene was found in 46·51% of the isolates. Two types of class 1 integron gene cassette profiles (qacG-aadA6-qacG and drfA1) were identified. The results showed that zebrafish-borne aeromonads can harbour different types of antimicrobial resistance genes and class 1 integrons.

Significance and Impact of the Study

Aeromonas spp. are important pathogens found in diverse environments. Antimicrobial resistance genes and integrons of ornamental fish-borne Aeromonas spp. are not well studied. The antibiogram, antimicrobial resistance genes and class 1 integrons of Aeromonas spp. isolated from zebrafish were characterized for the first time in Korea. The prevalence of tetracycline resistance genes, plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance genes and class 1 integron gene cassettes were observed among the isolates. The qacG-aadA6-qacG gene cassette was identified for the first time in Aeromonas spp. The results suggest that the wise use of antimicrobials is necessary for the better management of the ornamental fish.
Unbehagen im Rechtsstaat
Authors: Boutin Stéphane
Published: February 2019

Dieser Beitrag untersucht die aktuellen Erzählkämpfe zwischen Populismus und Antipopulismus aus einer wissensstilistischen Perspektive am Kreuzungspunkt ihrer ästhetischen, epistemischen und politischen Dimensionen. Dazu werden zunächst die inszenatorischen Mechanismen rechtspopulistischer Entpluralisierungsstrategien am Beispiel von Arlie Russell Hochschilds Strangers in Their Own Land (2016) herausgearbeitet. Danach wird diesem populistischen Denkstil—anhand einer Analyse von David Simons und William F. Zorzis HBO‐Miniserie Show Me a Hero (2015)—ein antipopulistisches Wissen gegenübergestellt, dessen Stilistik sich mit Gilles Deleuzes Begriff des minoritär‐stotternden Nicht‐Stils auf eine pluralisierende Insistenz hin lesen lässt. Dabei wird deutlich, dass Show Me a Hero den Konflikt zwischen Rechtsstaat und Populismus als wechselseitigen Abnutzungskrieg um die Frage demokratischer Pluralität inszeniert: Die Serie zeigt einerseits, wie Demokratien durch fortwährende populistische Angriffe bis zur Kapitulation ermattet werden können, stilisiert andererseits aber auch einen Habitus rechtsstaatlicher Resilienz, der im Gegenzug die Kräfte des Populismus zu zermürben und zu redemokratisieren vermag.
Public Support for a Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Trends and Predictors
Authors: Crosby Andrew , Holbrook Allyson L.
Published: February 2019

Although researchers have explored policy attitudes in domains that require expertise (e.g., medicine), less research has explored policy attitudes related to economic policies that also require expertise to understand. This paper examines public opinion about a balanced budget amendment (BBA) to the U.S. Constitution. Using data from 38 national public opinion polls conducted over 36 years, we find that support for a BBA is related to respondent and contextual factors. Support for a BBA has become more polarized along party and ideological lines over time, and implications of a BBA for other policies affect people's support for an amendment.
Isolated straight hair nevus in a White child
Authors: Rault Lucie , Morice‐Picard Fanny , Svahn Isabelle , Gontier Etienne , Eyraud Alexia , Taïeb Alain
Published: February 2019

We report a 6‐month‐old girl born with a fronto‐parietal patch of hair straighter than the remainder of the scalp hairs. We took a biopsy to rule out a congenital melanocytic nevus. We concluded after additional scanning electron microscopy study of the hair shafts that the lesion corresponds to a possible local mosaicism causing an isolated straight hair nevus phenotype.
Ecophysiological responses to climate change in cicadas
Authors: Moriyama Minoru , Numata Hideharu
Published: February 2019

Cicadas are large hemipteran insects characterized by unique life‐history traits, such as extraordinarily long life cycles, a subterranean/terrestrial habitat transition, xylem sap‐feeding and melodious sound production. These fascinating features of cicadas have attracted much attention in the research fields of physiology and ecology, resulting in an accumulation of knowledge about the underlying mechanisms and their adaptive significance. Although community‐level responses to recent climate change have already been documented for cicada fauna, an understanding of their causal relationships is still at the initial stages. In this review, we summarize current knowledge about environmental adaptations of cicadas to facilitate a deeper understanding of the ecophysiological consequences of climate change. We first outline the diverse responses of cicadas to environmental factors, mainly temperature, and their strategies to cope with naturally fluctuating environments. Then, we discuss the consequence of upcoming climate change by consolidating the current findings. This review highlights the fact that fitness‐relevant activities are fine‐tuned to a species‐specific temperature optimum to achieve habitat segregation among coexisting species, implying that cicada diversity is highly susceptible to climate warming. As a result of their conspicuous large bodies and species‐specific calling songs, cicadas are promising candidates for use as bioindicator species to monitor ecological impacts of climate change. We encourage future works that continuously quantify population‐ and community‐level responses to upcoming climate change, as well as unveil mechanistic links between physiological traits and ecological consequences.
Testing psychometric properties of a new instrument ‘Promoting Active Ageing in Older People with Mental Disorders Scale’ from a cross‐sectional study
Authors: Kenbubpha Kedsaraporn , Higgins Isabel , Wilson Amanda , Chan Sally W.‐C.
Published: February 2019

Background

There is no instrument that measures the promotion of active ageing or the factors that influence the promotion of active ageing in older people with mental disorders living in the community. This study aimed to examine psychometric properties of a new survey instrument.

Methods

A mixed methods exploratory sequential design was used incorporating a cross‐sectional survey. The Promoting Active Ageing in Older People with Mental Disorders Scale (PAA‐MD) was sent to 579 primary care providers in Yasothon province, Thailand. Construct validity was tested using exploratory factor analysis. The internal reliability was examined using Cronbach's alpha coefficient.

Results

The PAA‐MD consisted of three sections. Section II found Bartlett's test of sphericity was χ2(1431) = 26221.167, P < 0.001. Items used theoretical justification to group items into five factors, namely: participation, education, health, leisure, and security. Section III indicated Bartlett's test was χ2(666) = 23524.074, P < 0.001. Items were grouped into five components, namely: facilitators, barriers, knowledge, skills, resources and support. Internal reliability of sections II and III with Cronbach's alpha was greater than 0.7. The corrected item‐total correlation coefficient of all items was greater than 0.30.

Conclusion

The PAA‐MD contains 104 items from three sections. Construct validity was adequate to capture phenomena. Internal reliability revealed good homogeneity.
The necessity and benefits of multiple feedback for robust biological development
Authors: Wan Frederic Y. M.
Published: February 2019

Robust development of biological organisms is known to involve a variety of inhibitors whose specific roles in downregulating the undesirably excessive signaling activities are reasonably well understood. Empirical evidence points to existence of feedback mechanisms for upregulating inhibitory agents. At least two conventional feedback models have been found by model analysis to be ineffective or biologically inappropriate. In this paper, we explore more fully the recently formulated new type of regulatory feedback for robustness to examine all such feedback processes possible in a three‐component basic extracellular model for ligand signaling. Acting alone, all processes will again be shown to be ineffective for promoting robustness. The principal finding of the present theoretical analysis is that a concurrent implementation of some combinations of two of these feedback processes actually renders the signaling gradient robust with respect to genetic and epi‐genetic perturbations. Moreover, different multifeedback combinations achieve robustness in different ways. These findings provide a possible explanation for the concurrent presence of several such individually ineffective feedback processes in robust signaling gradients.
Detection of HLA‐C*07:595, an HLA‐C*07 variant, in a Taiwanese hematopoietic stem cell donor
Authors: Yang Kuo‐Liang , Lin Py‐Yu
Published: February 2019

One nucleotide replacement in codon 309 of the HLA‐C*07:02:01:01 results in a novel allele, HLA‐C*07:595.
Characterization of the novel HLA‐C*08:159 allele by next‐generation sequencing
Authors: He Yanmin , Wang Wei , You Xuan , He Ji , Faming Zhu
Published: February 2019

HLA‐C*08:159 differs from HLA‐C*08:02:01:01 by one nucleotide substitution at codon 219 in exon 4.
Segregation in the Twenty First Century: Processes, Complexities and Future Directions
Authors: Piekut Aneta , Pryce Gwilym , van Gent Wouter
Published: February 2019

Economic inequality, international migration and urban transformation have generated fresh interest in segregation and given new social significance to questions of socio‐spatial separation and interaction. At the same time, advances in data, methods and theory are opening up new avenues of inquiry that push the focus beyond simple measures of unevenness of residential patterns towards more nuanced analysis of spatial asymmetry, structure and scale. There is also a drive towards considering spaces and activities outside the neighbourhood, bringing new richness to our understanding of how various social groups interact in the various aspects of their lives. These processes and complexities form the backdrop for our special issue and we reflect on the implications for future priorities in research on segregation in the twenty first century.
Evaluation of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II as a candidate for sudden acquired retinal degeneration syndrome (SARDS) in Dachshunds
Authors: Stromberg Stephanie J. , Thomasy Sara M. , Marangakis Ariana D. , Kim Soohyun , Cooper Ann E. , Brown Emily A. , Maggs David J. , Bannasch Danika L.
Published: February 2019

Objective

Sudden acquired retinal degeneration syndrome (SARDS) is one of the leading causes of acute blindness in dogs, with an unknown etiology and no effective treatment. Certain breeds such as Dachshunds are overrepresented among SARDS patients, and therefore, the syndrome is suspected to have a genetic component. The objective of this study was to determine if a genetic locus associated with SARDS in Dachshunds could be identified using a genome‐wide association study (GWAS).

Procedures

Genome‐wide association mapping was performed in 15 SARDS‐affected and 16 unaffected Dachshunds. Genotyping of three classical DLA class II genes (DLA‐DRB1, DLA‐DQA1, and DLA‐DQB1) was performed in 34 SARDS‐affected and 66 unaffected Dachshunds to evaluate for an association in this region.

Results

Although no single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were of genome‐wide statistical significance (PBonferroni < 0.05), 5 of the top 9 SNPs were in the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). Using DLA typing, the allele DLA‐DRB1*09401 was identified as a risk factor for the development of SARDS (P = 0.0032, OR = 4.0). The alleles DLA‐DQB1*00101 (P = 0.0050, OR = 0.31), DLA‐DQA1*00901 (P = 0.0087, OR = 0.33), and a previously identified DLA‐DRB1allele described as “DRB1‐T” (P = 0.0284, OR = 0.37) were identified as protective factors.

Conclusions

Although far from definitive, association of SARDS with alleles of immunologic importance further supports the hypothesis that autoimmunity may play a role in the pathogenesis of SARDS.
Pursuing Cross-Cultural Pedagogical Success in China
Authors: Allen William E.
Published: February 2019

The purpose of this article is to present issues for research consideration related to cross-cultural teaching challenges as an American in China. This article describes my pedagogical practices and insight after five years of teaching business ethics, management and leadership primarily to Chinese undergraduate students in Henan Province, Central China. The issues raised and the suggestions for future research explored herein will hopefully lead to greater understanding and pedagogical success for American teachers working in China. In addition, cross-cultural educators may gain at least one critical tool or insight to increase their teaching efficacy as all educators are teaching cross-culturally with the presence of ethnic groups and international students in classrooms. At a minimum, this discussion may shorten the learning curve a bit for those recent to the profession who find themselves in an unfamiliar cultural environment and who strive to adapt their pedagogy for improved classroom experiences and student-centered course outcomes.
Cardiac‐specific overexpression of caveolin‐3 preserves t‐tubular ICa during heart failure in mice
Authors: Kong Cherrie H. T. , Bryant Simon M. , Watson Judy J. , Roth David M. , Patel Hemal H. , Cannell Mark B. , James Andrew F. , Orchard Clive H.
Published: February 2019

New Findings

What is the central question of this study?

What is the cellular basis of the protection conferred on the heart by overexpression of caveolin‐3 (Cav‐3 OE) against many of the features of heart failure normally observed in vivo?

What is the main finding and its importance?

Cav‐3 overexpression has little effect in normal ventricular myocytes but reduces cellular hypertrophy and preserves t‐tubular ICa, but not local t‐tubular Ca2+ release, in heart failure induced by pressure overload in mice. Thus Cav‐3 overexpression provides specific but limited protection following induction of heart failure, although other factors disrupt Ca2+ release.

Caveolin‐3 (Cav‐3) is an 18 kDa protein that has been implicated in t‐tubule formation and function in cardiac ventricular myocytes. During cardiac hypertrophy and failure, Cav‐3 expression decreases, t‐tubule structure is disrupted and excitation–contraction coupling (ECC) is impaired. Previous work has suggested that Cav‐3 overexpression (OE) is cardio‐protective, but the effect of Cav‐3 OE on these cellular changes is unknown. We therefore investigated whether Cav‐3 OE in mice is protective against the cellular effects of pressure overload induced by 8 weeks’ transverse aortic constriction (TAC). Cav‐3 OE mice developed cardiac dilatation, decreased stroke volume and ejection fraction, and hypertrophy and pulmonary congestion in response to TAC. These changes were accompanied by cellular hypertrophy, a decrease in t‐tubule regularity and density, and impaired local Ca2+ release at the t‐tubules. However, the extent of cardiac and cellular hypertrophy was reduced in Cav‐3 OE compared to WT mice, and t‐tubular Ca2+ current (ICa) density was maintained. These data suggest that Cav‐3 OE helps prevent hypertrophy and loss of t‐tubular ICa following TAC, but that other factors disrupt local Ca2+ release.
Bone marrow mononuclear cell transplantation rescues the glomerular filtration barrier and epithelial cellular junctions in a renovascular hypertension model
Authors: Oliveira Mariana , Lira Rafaelle , Freire Thiago , Luna Camila , Martins Marcela , Almeida Aline , Carvalho Simone , Cortez Erika , Stumbo Ana Carolina , Thole Alessandra , Carvalho Lais
Published: February 2019

New Findings

What is the central question of this study?

Can a single bone marrow mononuclear cell (BMMC) transplant into the subcapsular region of kidney improve cellular communication and adhesion, while restoring renal tissue cytoarchitecture and function during renovascular hypertension?

What is the main finding and its importance?

The BMMC transplantation restored connexin 40 expression and led to recovery of N‐ and E‐cadherin levels within 15 days. It was observed, for the first time, that BMMC transplantation restores expression of nephrin, a component of the glomerular filtration barrier related to podocytes and the glomerular basal membrane.

Stem cell therapy has emerged as a potential treatment for renal diseases owing to the regenerative potential of stem cells. However, a better understanding of the morphological and functional changes of damaged renal cells in the presence of transplanted stem cells is needed. The aim of this study was to investigate cell–cell communication and adhesion in renal parenchyma, with analysis of fibrosis, to evaluate renal morphology and function after bone marrow mononuclear cell (BMMC) transplantation in two‐kidney–one‐clip rats. The BMMC therapy significantly decreased blood pressure and renin expression, improved renal morphology and restored the glomerular filtration barrier, with remodelling of podocytes. In addition, there was a reduction in fibrosis, and connexin 40 and nephrin expression were significantly increased after 7 and 15 days of transplantation. Plasma creatinine, urea and total protein levels were restored, and proteinuria was reduced. Furthermore, N‐ and E‐cadherin expression was increased soon after BMMC therapy. Green fluorescent protein‐positive BMMCs were found in the renal cortex 24 and 48 h after transplantation into the renal subcapsule, and at 7 and 15 days after transplantation, these cells were observed throughout the renal medulla, indicating cellular migration. Therefore, these data suggest that transplanted BMMCs improve cell–cell communication and adhesion between damaged cells, which is accompanied by a recovery of renal morphology and function.
Medex 2015: The key role of cardiac mechanics to maintain biventricular function at high altitude
Authors: Maufrais Claire , Rupp Thomas , Bouzat Pierre , Estève François , Nottin Stéphane , Walther Guillaume , Verges Samuel
Published: February 2019

New Findings

What is the central question of this study?

This study is the first to investigate the effects of high‐altitude trekking on biventricular mechanics, including measurements of left ventricular subendocardial and subepicardial function.

What is the main finding and its importance?

We provide new evidence that an increased contractility and untwisting efficiency, a key element of diastolic function, probably plays a key role in preservation of cardiac function during high‐altitude trekking. Persistent increased loading conditions during several weeks at high altitude might have a key role in the appearance of left or right ventricular dysfunction.

Cardiac responses to acute hypoxic exposure have been thoroughly investigated. We analysed the effects of high‐altitude trekking (i.e. prolonged hypoxic exposure) on biventricular function, including the evaluation of subendocardial and subepicardial function in the left ventricle (LV). Resting evaluations of LV and right ventricular (RV) function and mechanics were assessed by speckle tracking echocardiography on 20 subjects at sea level and at high altitude (5085 m, after a 10 day ascent). Pulmonary artery systolic pressure was increased at high altitude (sea level, 13.1 ± 5.9 mmHg; high altitude, 26.6 ± 10.8 mmHg; P < 0.001). Left ventricular volumes were decreased, whereas RV volumes were increased at high altitude. Alterations in pulmonary artery systolic pressure and cardiac volumes were correlated with hypoxaemia. We observed neither RV nor LV systolic dysfunction, including analysis of LV subendocardial and subepicardial function. Left ventricular systolic strain rates were enhanced at high altitude. Transmitral and transtricuspid diastolic filling ratios were decreased at high altitude. Diastolic apical rotational rate, untwisting rate and untwisting rate/peak twist ratio (i.e. untwisting efficiency) were enhanced at high altitude. We observed no echocardiographic signs of LV and RV pathological dysfunction at rest at high altitude. In contrast, our data highlighted major changes in the LV mechanics, with an increased LV contractility and a higher untwisting efficiency at high altitude. Biventricular interaction, alterations in loading conditions and an increase in plasma catecholamine concentration might partly explain these modifications. Thus, we demonstrated that LV mechanics (i.e. increased strain rates and untwisting efficiency) have a key role in preservation of cardiac function during high‐altitude trekking.
Feedforward inhibition ahead of ictal wavefronts is provided by both parvalbumin‐ and somatostatin‐expressing interneurons
Authors: Parrish R. Ryley , Codadu Neela K. , Mackenzie‐Gray Scott Connie , Trevelyan Andrew J.
Published: February 2019

Key points

There is a rapid interneuronal response to focal activity in cortex, which restrains laterally propagating activity, including spreading epileptiform activity.

The interneuronal response involves intense activation of both parvalbumin‐ and somatostatin‐expressing interneurons.

Interneuronal bursting is time‐locked to glutamatergic barrages in the pre‐ictal period.

Ca2+ imaging using conditional expression of GCaMP6f provides an accurate readout of the evolving firing patterns in both types of interneuron.

The activation profiles of the two interneuronal classes are temporally offset, with the parvalbumin population being activated first, and typically, at higher rates.

Previous work has described powerful restraints on laterally spreading activity in cortical networks, arising from a rapid feedforward interneuronal response to focal activity. This response is particularly prominent ahead of an ictal wavefront. Parvalbumin‐positive interneurons are considered to be critically involved in this feedforward inhibition, but it is not known what role, if any, is provided by somatostatin‐expressing interneurons, which target the distal dendrites of pyramidal cells. We used a combination of electrophysiology and cell class‐specific Ca2+ imaging in mouse brain slices bathed in 0 Mg2+ medium to characterize the activity profiles of pyramidal cells and parvalbumin‐ and somatostatin‐expressing interneurons during epileptiform activation. The GCaMP6f signal strongly correlates with the level of activity for both interneuronal classes. Both interneuronal classes participate in the feedfoward inhibition. This contrasts starkly with the pattern of pyramidal recruitment, which is greatly delayed. During these barrages, both sets of interneurons show intense bursting, at rates up to 300Hz, which is time‐locked to the glutamatergic barrages. The activity of parvalbumin‐expressing interneurons appears to peak early in the pre‐ictal period, and can display depolarizing block during the ictal event. In contrast, somatostatin‐expressing interneuronal activity peaks significantly later, and firing persists throughout the ictal events. Interictal events appear to be very similar to the pre‐ictal period, albeit with slightly lower firing rates. Thus, the inhibitory restraint arises from a coordinated pattern of activity in the two main classes of cortical interneurons.
A Traction-Free Model for the Tensile Stiffness and Bending Stiffness of Laminated Ribbons of Flexible Electronics
Authors: Yin Shizhen , Su Yewang
Published: February 2019

Laminated ribbons have been widely adopted for structures of flexible electronics to simultaneously achieve the electronic functions and mechanical performances. Their effective tensile stiffness and bending stiffness, which are extensively used as fundamental parameters in the mechanical analysis, are usually obtained by the plane-strain hypothesis for simplicity. However, it is found that the practical condition is usually closer to the traction free, even for the cases with a relatively large width. Here, a traction-free model is proposed to analytically obtain the effective tensile stiffness and bending stiffness of laminated ribbons, which can be used directly in the mechanical analysis of flexible electronics. The prediction of the traction-free model agrees very well with the precise result obtained by 3D finite element analysis (FEA) for the cases that are in the range of structure designs of flexible electronics. It is found that the tensile/bending stiffness of traction-free model is between the plane-stress model and plane-strain model, but is closer to the plane-stress model. The use of the plane-strain model sometimes may yield a considerable error in the mechanical analysis of flexible electronics. The parameter study shows that this model is very important for the problems with advanced materials, such as metamaterials with negative Poisson's ratio. This work provides a theoretical basis for the mechanical analysis of flexible electronics.
Temperature dependence of the magnetization of La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 thin films on LaAlO3
Authors: Burema Arjan A. , van Rijn Job J. L. , Banerjee Tamalika
Published: February 2019

The authors report on the interplay between magnetically ordered phases with temperature and magnetic field across compressively strained interfaces of thin La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 films on LaAlO3 substrates. From the temperature dependence of the magnetization and resistivity studies, they find two distinct temperature regimes, where this interplay is clearly exhibited. They ascribe this to the strain induced Jahn–Teller-like distortion that favors the stabilization of the d3z2−r2 orbitals and enhances superexchange between adjoining Mn atoms. The temperature and field sweep of the magnetization and electronic transport lead to a hybridization between the closely spaced energy levels of d3z2−r2 and dx2−y2 orbitals leading to the coexistence of ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic phases. Such an observation, not reported earlier, offers new routes for the design and study of magnetic textures in variously strained interfaces between perovskite oxides.
Restoring tactile sensations via neural interfaces for real-time force-and-slippage closed-loop control of bionic hands
Authors: Zollo Loredana , Di Pino Giovanni , Ciancio Anna L. , Ranieri Federico , Cordella Francesca , Gentile Cosimo , Noce Emiliano , Romeo Rocco A. , Dellacasa Bellingegni Alberto , Vadalà Gianluca , Miccinilli Sandra , Mioli Alessandro , Diaz-Balzani Lorenzo , Bravi Marco , Hoffmann Klaus-P. , Schneider Andreas , Denaro Luca , Davalli Angelo , Gruppioni Emanuele , Sacchetti Rinaldo , Castellano Simona , Di Lazzaro Vincenzo , Sterzi Silvia , Denaro Vincenzo , Guglielmelli Eugenio
Published: February 2019

Sensory output produced by a robotic hand during grasping and manipulation evoked real-time nearly natural force and slippage feedback.
The real
Alita: Battle Angel
cyborgs
Authors: Murphy Robin R.
Published: February 2019

Advances in medical rehabilitation robotics are making Alita-like cyborgs almost a reality, but laws are lagging.