bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The DigiLit Framework
Authors: Baxa Julie , Christ Tanya
Published: November 2017

Selecting and integrating the use of digital texts/tools in literacy lessons are complex tasks. The DigiLit framework provides a succinct model to guide planning, reflection, coaching, and formative evaluation of teachers’ successful digital text/tool selection and integration for literacy lessons. For digital text/tool selection, teachers need to consider content accuracy, quality for supporting literacy development, intuitiveness, and user interactivity. For integrating these into instruction, modeling and guided practice should be provided for both literacy skills/strategies and the use of digital text/tool affordances. Also, instruction should capitalize on the digital affordances to transform instruction beyond what is possible with paper‐and‐pencil texts and tools. Examples of using the DigiLit framework to evaluate digital text/tool selections and their integration into literacy instruction are provided.
The GAIT translational control system
Authors: Arif Abul , Yao Peng , Terenzi Fulvia , Jia Jie , Ray Partho Sarothi , Fox Paul L.
Published: November 2017

The interferon (IFN)‐γ‐activated inhibitor of translation (GAIT) system directs transcript‐selective translational control of functionally related genes. In myeloid cells, IFN‐γ induces formation of a multiprotein GAIT complex that binds structural GAIT elements in the 3′‐untranslated regions (UTRs) of multiple inflammation‐related mRNAs, including ceruloplasmin and VEGF‐A, and represses their translation. The human GAIT complex is a heterotetramer containing glutamyl‐prolyl tRNA synthetase (EPRS), NS1‐associated protein 1 (NSAP1), ribosomal protein L13a (L13a), and glyceraldehyde‐3‐phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH). A network of IFN‐γ‐stimulated kinases regulates recruitment and assembly of GAIT complex constituents. Activation of cyclin‐dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5), mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1), and S6K1 kinases induces EPRS release from its parental multiaminoacyl tRNA synthetase complex to join NSAP1 in a ‘pre‐GAIT’ complex. Subsequently, the DAPK‐ZIPK kinase axis phosphorylates L13a, inducing release from the 60S ribosomal subunit and binding to GAPDH. The subcomplexes join to form the functional GAIT complex. Each constituent has a distinct role in the GAIT system. EPRS binds the GAIT element in target mRNAs, NSAP1 negatively regulates mRNA binding, L13a binds eIF4G to block ribosome recruitment, and GAPDH shields L13a from proteasomal degradation. The GAIT system is susceptible to genetic and condition‐specific regulation. An N‐terminus EPRS truncate is a dominant‐negative inhibitor ensuring a ‘translational trickle’ of target transcripts. Also, hypoxia and oxidatively modified lipoproteins regulate GAIT activity. Mouse models exhibiting absent or genetically modified GAIT complex constituents are beginning to elucidate the physiological role of the GAIT system, particularly in the resolution of chronic inflammation. Finally, GAIT‐like systems in proto‐chordates suggests an evolutionarily conserved role of the pathway in innate immunity. WIREs RNA 2018, 9:e1441. doi: 10.1002/wrna.1441

This article is categorized under:

Translation > Translation Regulation

RNA Interactions with Proteins and Other Molecules > RNA–Protein Complexes

Regulatory RNAs/RNAi/Riboswitches > Riboswitches
Strategies in Assessment of Leadership Competencies
Authors: Rosch David M. , Priest Kerry L.
Published: November 2017

This chapter focuses on common pitfalls in assessing leadership competencies, simple strategies to avoid them, and innovative theoretical approaches and strategies in assessment.
Light
Authors: Palmer Scott
Published: November 2017

How has light influenced the staging of theatre throughout history?

What does light contribute to performance?

How does it make meaning?

This collection explores the creative potential of light in the theatre. Through a wide range of extracts from historical accounts, new research and rare documents, some presented for the first time in English, Scott Palmer provides new ways of thinking about lighting as a creative performance practice.

Focusing on elements such as:

- The emergence of lighting design in the theatre

- Equipment and techniques

- The dramaturgy of light

- Its impact on actor, audience and playhouse

- The semiotics and phenomenology of light in performance

The book reveals why light has such a profound effect on the audience's experience of a theatrical event.
Life Course Health Development in Autism Spectrum Disorders
Authors: Drmic Irene E. , Szatmari Peter , Volkmar Fred
Published: November 2017

Life course health development (LCHD) incorporates theories and empirical evidence from the biological, physical, and social sciences to formulate a framework that explains how health develops over the life course. The life course health development conceptual framework can be applied to autism spectrum disorders (ASD) to help prioritize a research agenda and improve health development across the lifespan for individuals with ASD, their families, and communities. The following chapter highlights some issues and findings that are pertinent to an understanding of ASD using the lens of the life course health development principles. The chapter begins with a description of the clinical phenotype, followed by epidemiology of the disorder, and reviews changes in classification and diagnosis over time. Pathogenesis of the disorder is discussed, including information pertaining to hereditability, genetic and nongenetic factors, epigenetics, biomarkers, and genotype-phenotype correlations. Long-term follow-up outcome studies of adult independence and quality of life are reviewed, including examination of predictors of outcome, as well as stability of the diagnosis, symptom presentation, and cognitive functioning over time. Areas of key transitions over the life course are discussed from childhood to later adulthood. In addition, the importance of mental health status and care are highlighted. Finally, a number of research, data/methods, and translational priorities are offered that may help lead to a better understanding of life course health development in ASD.
A Life Course Health Development Perspective on Oral Health
Authors: Crall James J. , Forrest Christopher B.
Published: November 2017

This chapter outlines major concepts and principles embodied in the Life Course Health Development framework, examines evidence relating various aspects of major oral health-related conditions to this framework, and includes recommendations for advancing research and policy concerning oral health. LCHD provides a highly useful approach for understanding oral health determinants, disparities, and influences on general health and well-being and for advancing knowledge, policies, and programs to optimize health across individuals and populations. Substantial gaps exist in our current knowledge concerning how oral health is developed and influenced across the lifespan and the —pathways and trajectories, early programming, critical or sensitive periods, cumulative impact, and risk and protective factors—can help further our understanding of the determinants of oral health and disease and oral health disparities. LCHD also can serve as a valuable guide for developing a more contemporary conceptualization and definition of oral health which represents oral health as a more integral and integrated component of overall health and well-being of the individual.
Chronic Kidney Disease: A Life Course Health Development Perspective
Authors: Brophy Patrick D. , Charlton Jennifer R. , Bryan Carmody J. , Reidy Kimberly J. , Harshman Lyndsay , Segar Jeffrey , Askenazi David , Shoham David , Bagby Susan P.
Published: November 2017

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) reflects life events that range from maternal-fetal influences to geriatric exposures. The global direct and indirect costs of CKD are high and include maternal-neonatal hospitalization and treatment, acute kidney injury, dialysis and transplant, missed work, and medications, to name a few. The impact of poor diet, adverse childhood experiences, medication use, and failure to follow consistent public health standards are increasingly appreciated as key influences in the development of CKD. Socioeconomic factors can significantly influence the timing and phenotypic expression in people at risk for developing CKD, although more research is needed to understand these mechanisms. In general, biomedicine has been focused on treating well-established CKD morbidity. This strategy has been short sighted and costly. A more cost-effective approach would focus on early life interventions that hold the potential for mitigating CKD risk and its sequelae. This chapter applies the life course health development principles to review determinants and pathways for CKD evolution and identifies of the gaps in our knowledgebase. We also discuss several research strategies for evaluating the life course health development of CKD.
Growth and Life Course Health Development
Authors: Mummert Amanda , Schoen Meriah , Lampl Michelle
Published: November 2017

Physical growth is an emergent process integrating a complex network of social, biological, and environmental interactions. The global diversity of body shapes and sizes reflects developmental plasticity in response to environmental exposures, both advantageous and adverse, and depicts an evolutionarily robust strategy for species’ survival. Epidemiologic surveillance efforts demonstrate that early life skeletal growth and body composition trajectories are associated with and predict adult chronic disease risks. Both human and animal studies have provided an evidentiary base for the physiological mechanisms by which differences in growth processes manifest as cell- and organ-level changes that influence disease susceptibility across the life course. This chapter leverages a systems biology approach to describe macro- and micropathways affecting growth from a global perspective, reflecting on auxology’s place in theoretical frameworks that help us to understanding past, present, and future health trends. Methodological challenges that face the field are considered, and recommendations to guide future research and policy efforts are offered with the aim of advancing the science of growth biology and its contributions to life course health development.
From Epidemiology to Epigenetics: Evidence for the Importance of Nutrition to Optimal Health Development Across the Life Course
Authors: Taylor-Baer Marion , Herman Dena
Published: November 2017

Nutrition is a young science. For thousands of years, foods and herbs were a major component in the armamentarium of the physician and his predecessors.
How Socioeconomic Disadvantages Get Under the Skin and into the Brain to Influence Health Development Across the Lifespan
Authors: Kim Pilyoung , Evans Gary W. , Chen Edith , Miller Gregory , Seeman Teresa
Published: November 2017

Socioeconomic disadvantage (SED) has adverse impacts on physical (Adler and Rehkopf 2008; Blair and Raver 2012; Braverman and Egerter 2008; Cohen et al. 2010; Poulton et al. 2002) and psychological (Adler and Rehkopf 2008; Bradley and Corwyn 2002; Grant et al. 2003) health development. SED is similar to low socioeconomic status (SES) which is based on occupation, income, and education or a composite of more than one of these indicators (McLoyd 1998). However, we conceptualize SED more broadly than socioeconomic status to also include subjective perception of social position and contextual indicators of disadvantage, such as neighborhood deprivation. One of the most commonly used SED indicators is poverty, which is calculated using income that falls below an annually adjusted federal poverty line. Some studies suggest independent effects of different SED variables, but each variable tends to be highly correlated with the others; thus, it is often nearly impossible to disentangle independent effects. Therefore, in this chapter, we will review findings on different SED variables but discuss the impact of SED inclusively. In adulthood, SED is assessed based on factors in an individual’s own background such as income, occupation, and education level, whereas in childhood, SED is typically assessed based on these factors for the parents.
Core Principles of Life Course Health Development Methodology and Analytics
Authors: Little Todd D.
Published: November 2017

The complexity of life course health development research demands rigorous methodology and analytics. Advanced techniques, improved estimation algorithms, and user-accessible software/hardware developments signal what I see as a paradigm shift in how life science research will be conducted now and in the future. Although techniques such as structural equation modeling (SEM), multilevel modeling (MLM), and mixture distribution modeling have permeated the research agenda in many fields, the capability of these tools has hardly been fully utilized. The craft of life course health development methodology and analytics requires dedication, sophistication, and a knack for molding the analysis tool to the research question at hand. For life course health development research to be at its most effective, utilizing the expertise of collaborative teams is essential. The days of one person being both expert theoretician and methodologist are waning. Partnering with dedicated experts on the various issues that I have outlined here will bring the needed sophistication and knack to execute research at its finest and most impactful levels. In this chapter, I highlight many of the issues that life course health development researchers will need to address and practices to adopt.
Epidemiological Study Designs: Traditional and Novel Approaches to Advance Life Course Health Development Research
Authors: Buka Stephen L. , Rosenthal Samantha R. , Lacy Mary E.
Published: November 2017

The central focus of life course epidemiology and life course approaches to health development is on the complex processes underlying the occurrence and accrual of risks at multiple levels and their impact on the developing individual. Reflecting the multilevel and integrated features of human health development that are at the centre of life course health-development (LCHD) principles, study designs seek better understanding of social, familial, and genetic contributions to the aetiology of health conditions, exploring the timing and interactions of different experiences and risks in relationship to the natural course of disorders in different populations and examining the time-specific and cumulative impacts of social and environmental factors. Many different study designs can advance a life course health-development framework. In this chapter we review common epidemiologic study designs including (i) cohort studies (general prospective cohort studies, perinatal/birth cohorts, twin studies, and high-risk cohort studies); (ii) case–control studies, including nested case–control studies within larger cohorts; (iii) cross-sectional studies; (iv) quasi-experimental designs; and (v) randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Although certain design strategies, namely, cohort studies, lend themselves more readily to the life course approach—examining the process of health development and its emphasis on emergent, person-context relations, and plasticity across the lifespan—we also describe other study designs that can be used to further our understanding of health and the development of different disorders and diseases from the life course perspective. The benefits and limitations of alternative design approaches are discussed using one study question as an example—investigating the relationship between traumatic experience and the development of a substance use disorder.
Life Course Research Agenda (LCRA), Version 1.0
Authors: Halfon Neal , Forrest Christopher B. , Lerner Richard M. , Faustman Elaine M. , Tullis Ericka , Son John
Published: November 2017

Life course health science research is “connecting the dots” between child health development, adult patterns of premature morbidity and mortality, and more integrated notions of healthy aging. However, there are still many outstanding questions about the relationship between early experiences and lifelong health and well-being, as well as a growing need to understand how emerging knowledge can be applied to the development of evidence-based practice and policy that can reduce risks, minimize exposures, and optimize lifelong health. In 2010, the Maternal and Child Health Life Course Research Network (LCRN) initiated an inclusive research agenda-setting process that resulted in the Handbook of Life Course Health Development, which offers state-of-the-art reviews and analyses of life course health-development (LCHD) research focused on key life stages and a variety of health conditions, as well as recommendations pertaining to future research in these areas. In developing this concluding chapter and the research agenda it contains, we have attempted to synthesize the authors’ findings and recommendations in order to propose a more integrated set of research priorities and strategies that can advance the entire LCHD field. The resulting transdisciplinary research agenda focuses on foundational research, including research that addresses life course epidemiology, research that elucidates LCHD processes (e.g., sensitive periods, epigenetics), and research that identifies effective interventions, with a special emphasis on health disparities research and research on high priority conditions (e.g., obesity and mental health conditions) and specific vulnerable populations (e.g., children in foster care, premature infants, and children with medical complexity). It also considers essential research capacity-building activities focused on data, data systems, and methods, as well as strategies for building the human, technical, cultural, and financial capacity required to carry out this challenging work. Lastly, it addresses the importance of translational and intervention research that can speed the application of concepts and findings to the practice and policy arenas. We conclude with a discussion of advancing the overall LCHD research paradigm, including the framework and principles that have emerged from the research thus far and that are helping to define a robust explanatory and theoretical LCHD framework.
Preconception and Prenatal Factors and Metabolic Risk
Authors: Wang Guoying , Bartell Tami R. , Wang Xiaobin
Published: November 2017

The prenatal period is a critical developmental stage for obesity and metabolic outcomes. In light of the global obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2DM) epidemic and growing evidence of early life origins of obesity and diabetes, early identification of individuals at high risk and early prevention of obesity and metabolic syndrome are a key to achieve primary prevention and reverse the trends of the obesity and T2DM epidemics. This chapter will discuss the impact of important preconceptional and prenatal factors, including maternal obesity and/or diabetes, gestational weight gain, and maternal micronutrient status, on in utero and lifelong metabolic outcomes and the possible gene–environment interactions and epigenetic mechanisms underlying early life origins of metabolic risk. Finally, it will provide perspectives on current knowledge gaps and recommendations to advance the field.
Identifying Research Strategies and Methodological Priorities for the Study of Demanding Energy
Authors: Hui Allison , Day Rosie , Walker Gordon
Published: November 2017

This chapter revisits the whole edited collection with an explicit focus upon research strategies for studying demanding energy. Investigating what energy is for, it argues, involves embedding three methodological priorities into research designs: (1) posing questions that focus upon social dynamics rather than upon energy itself; (2) reflecting upon how particular units of study facilitate the examination of different types of interconnections; and (3) incorporating spatial and temporal dynamics into research designs. The approaches to case selection and sampling that follow from these priorities are then elaborated. By challenging the idea that energy research must place energy at the centre of all of its research questions, this chapter provides openings for developing innovative accounts of what energy is for and how it is changing.
Electroweak splitting functions and high energy showering
Authors: Chen Junmou , Han Tao , Tweedie Brock
Published: November 2017

Abstract

We derive the electroweak (EW) collinear splitting functions for the Standard Model, including the massive fermions, gauge bosons and the Higgs boson. We first present the splitting functions in the limit of unbroken SU(2)
L
× U(1)
Y
and discuss their general features in the collinear and soft-collinear regimes. These are the leading contributions at a splitting scale (k

T
) far above the EW scale (v). We then systematically incorporate EW symmetry breaking (EWSB), which leads to the emergence of additional “ultra-collinear” splitting phenomena and naive violations of the Goldstone-boson Equivalence Theorem. We suggest a particularly convenient choice of non-covariant gauge (dubbed “Goldstone Equivalence Gauge”) that disentangles the effects of Goldstone bosons and gauge fields in the presence of EWSB, and allows trivial book-keeping of leading power corrections in v/k

T
. We implement a comprehensive, practical EW showering scheme based on these splitting functions using a Sudakov evolution formalism. Novel features in the implementation include a complete accounting of ultra-collinear effects, matching between shower and decay, kinematic back-reaction corrections in multi-stage showers, and mixed-state evolution of neutral bosons (γ/Z/h) using density-matrices. We employ the EW showering formalism to study a number of important physical processes at

$$ \mathcal{O} $$

O

(1-10 TeV) energies. They include (a) electroweak partons in the initial state as the basis for vector-boson-fusion; (b) the emergence of “weak jets” such as those initiated by transverse gauge bosons, with individual splitting probabilities as large as

$$ \mathcal{O} $$

O

(35%); (c) EW showers initiated by top quarks, including Higgs bosons in the final state; (d) the occurrence of

$$ \mathcal{O} $$

O

(1) interference effects within EW showers involving the neutral bosons; and (e) EW corrections to new physics processes, as illustrated by production of a heavy vector boson (W ′) and the subsequent showering of its decay products.
Preoperative 68Ga‐DOTA‐Somatostatin Analog‐PET/CT Hybrid Imaging Increases Detection Rate of Intra‐abdominal Small Intestinal Neuroendocrine Tumor Lesions
Authors: Norlén Olov , Montan Harald , Hellman Per , Stålberg Peter , Sundin Anders
Published: November 2017

Background

Small intestinal neuroendocrine tumors (SI‐NETs) are the most common form of neoplasm in the small bowel. Radiological identification of primary tumors (PT), which may be multiple, is difficult, and therefore palpation of the entire small bowel is routinely performed during laparotomy. The aim was to determine detection rates of PT and peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC) with 68Ga‐DOTATOC/TATE‐PET/CT in comparison with i.v. contrast‐enhanced computed tomography (CE‐CT) and thus to clarify whether modern functional imaging can mitigate the need for palpation of bowel during surgery enabling oncologically adequate laparoscopic resection.

Methods

A total of 28 patients with SI‐NET who preoperatively underwent both 68Ga‐DOTATOC/TATE‐PET/CT and CE‐CT were included. The detection rates of PT and PC for PET/CT and CE‐CT were compared to the findings in the surgical and histopathological reports. Appropriate statistical tests were used, and significance was set to p < 0.05.

Results

Out of 82 PT, 43 PT were not detected by any imaging modality. More PT lesions were detected with PET/CT (n = 39 [47.5%]) than with CE‐CT (n = 10 [12.2%], p < 0.001). Also, PET/CT identified significantly more PC lesions than CE‐CT (78 and 38%, p = 0.004, respectively).

Conclusion

PET/CT detected more PT and PC lesions than CE‐CT. Some PTs and PC lesions were only detected by one of the modalities, and CT performed in conjunction with PET/CT should therefore be performed as a fully diagnostic CE‐CT for optimal results. Palpation of the small bowel remains crucial during surgery in these patients because several PTs escaped detection by both PET/CT and CE‐CT.
The effect of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction on wound healing: a preliminary study
Authors: Meesters Astrid , den Bosch-Meevissen Yvo M. C. In , Weijzen Chantal A. H. , Buurman Wim A. , Losen Mario , Schepers Jan , Thissen Monique R. T. M. , Alberts Hugo J. E. M. , Schalkwijk Casper G. , Peters Madelon L.
Published: November 2017

Psychological factors have been shown to influence the process of wound healing. This study examined the effect of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) on the speed of wound healing. The local production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and growth factors was studied as potential underlying mechanism. Forty-nine adults were randomly allocated to a waiting-list control group (n = 26) or an 8-week MBSR group (n = 23). Pre- and post-intervention/waiting period assessment for both groups consisted of questionnaires. Standardized skin wounds were induced on the forearm using a suction blister method. Primary outcomes were skin permeability and reduction in wound size monitored once a day at day 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 10 after injury. Secondary outcomes were cytokines and growth factors and were measured in wound exudates obtained at 3, 6, and 22 h after wounding. Although there was no overall condition effect on skin permeability or wound size, post hoc analyses indicated that larger increases in mindfulness were related to greater reductions in skin permeability 3 and 4 days after wound induction. In addition, MBSR was associated with lower levels of interleukin (IL)-8 and placental growth factor in the wound fluid 22 h after wound induction. These outcomes suggest that increasing mindfulness by MBSR might have beneficial effects on early stages of wound healing.

Trial Registration NTR3652, http://www.trialregister.nl
Is reciprocity really outcome-based? A second look at gift-exchange with random shocks
Authors: Davis Brent J. , Kerschbamer Rudolf , Oexl Regine
Published: November 2017

By means of a laboratory experiment, Rubin and Sheremeta (Manag Sci 62(4):985–999, 2016), study a bonus-version of the gift-exchange game, including two treatment variations. First they vary whether the effort provided by the agent directly translates into output for the principal, or whether it is distorted by a shock. Second, for the condition with a shock they vary whether the shock is observed by the principal, or not. The authors’ main findings are that (1) the introduction of an unobservable shock significantly reduces welfare; and (2) informing the principal about the size of the shock does not restore gift-exchange. In a replication study we largely reproduce finding (1), but we fail to confirm finding (2). Our data suggests that small behavioral differences in the initial rounds lead to a hysteresis effect that is responsible for the differences in results across studies.
Low physiological arousal and high impulsivity as predictors of self‐injurious thoughts and behaviors among adolescents
Authors: Aldrich Jaclyn T. , Wielgus Madeline D. , Mezulis Amy H.
Published: November 2017

Self‐injurious thoughts and behaviors are used to escape or regulate aversive physiological states during stress. Low sympathetic nervous system arousal during stress has been shown to confer risk. This risk may be exacerbated by trait impulsivity; adolescents high in impulsivity are more likely to rashly use maladaptive regulation strategies. We examined this relationship longitudinally in a sample of adolescents ages 10 to 14 (55.4% female) from the United States. Consistent with our hypothesis, low arousal during stress and high trait impulsivity interacted to predict the use of self‐injurious thoughts and behaviors over a six‐month period. This study extends and clarifies previous research findings regarding the relationship between physiological arousal and self‐injurious thoughts and behaviors.
Exploring APOE genotype effects on Alzheimer's disease risk and amyloid β burden in individuals with subjective cognitive decline: The FundacioACE Healthy Brain Initiative (FACEHBI) study baseline results
Authors: Moreno–Grau Sonia , Rodríguez‐Gómez Octavio , Sanabria Ángela , Pérez‐Cordón Alba , Sánchez‐Ruiz Domingo , Abdelnour Carla , Valero Sergi , Hernández Isabel , Rosende‐Roca Maitée , Mauleón Ana , Vargas Liliana , Lafuente Asunción , Gil Silvia , Santos‐Santos Miguel Ángel , Alegret Montserrat , Espinosa Ana , Ortega Gemma , Guitart Marina , Gailhajanet Anna , de Rojas Itziar , Sotolongo‐Grau Óscar , Ruiz Susana , Aguilera Nuria , Papasey Judith , Martín Elvira , Peleja Esther ,   Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative, Lomeña Francisco , Campos Francisco , Vivas Assumpta , Gómez‐Chiari Marta , Tejero Miguel Ángel , Giménez Joan , Serrano‐Ríos Manuel , Orellana Adelina , Tárraga Lluís , Ruiz Agustín , Boada Mercè ,   FACEHBI study group, Abdelnour C. , Aguilera N. , Alegret M. , Berthier M. , Boada M. , Buendia M. , Bullich S. , Campos F. , Cañabate P. , Cuevas C. , de Rojas I. , Espinosa A. , Gailhajenet A. , Diego S. , Gil S. , Giménez J. , Gismondi R. , Gómez‐Chiari M. , Guitart M. , Hernández‐Olasagarre B. , Hernández I. , Ibarria M. , Lafuente A. , Lomeña F. , Martín E. , Martínez J. , Mauleón A. , Monté G. , Moreno M. , Moreno‐Grau S. , Núñez L. , Orellana A. , Ortega G. , Páez A. , Pancho A. , Pavía J. , Pelejà E. , Pérez‐Cordon A. , Pérez‐Grijalba V. , Pesini P. , Preckler S. , Rodríguez‐Gómez O. , Romero J. , Rosende‐Roca M. , Ruiz A. , Ruiz S. , Sanabria A. , Sánchez‐Ruiz D. , Santos‐Santos M.A. , Sarasa M. , Sotolongo‐Grau O. , Tárraga L. , Tejero M.A. , Torres M. , Valero S. , Vargas L. , Vivas A.
Published: November 2017

Introduction

Subjective cognitive decline (SCD) has been proposed as a potential preclinical stage of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Nevertheless, the genetic and biomarker profiles of SCD individuals remain mostly unexplored.

Methods

We evaluated apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4's effect in the risk of presenting SCD, using the Fundacio ACE Healthy Brain Initiative (FACEHBI) SCD cohort and Spanish controls, and performed a meta‐analysis addressing the same question. We assessed the relationship between APOE dosage and brain amyloid burden in the FACEHBI SCD and Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative cohorts.

Results

Analysis of the FACEHBI cohort and the meta‐analysis demonstrated SCD individuals presented higher allelic frequencies of APOE ε4 with respect to controls. APOE dosage explained 9% (FACEHBI cohort) and 11% (FACEHBI and Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative cohorts) of the variance of cerebral amyloid levels.

Discussion

The FACEHBI sample presents APOE ε4 enrichment, suggesting that a pool of AD patients is nested in our sample. Cerebral amyloid levels are partially explained by the APOE allele dosage, suggesting that other genetic or epigenetic factors are involved in this AD endophenotype.
Evaluation of a primary care paramedic STEMI bypass guideline
Authors: Kwong Jonathan L. , Ross Garry , Turner Linda , Olynyk Chris , Cheskes Sheldon , Thurston Adam , Verbeek P. Richard
Published: November 2017

Objective

Limited evidence supports primary care paramedic (PCP) direct transport of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The goal of this study was to evaluate an urban-based PCP STEMI bypass guideline.

Methods

We reviewed consecutive Toronto Paramedic Services call reports between April 7, 2015, and May 31, 2016, regarding STEMI patients identified by PCPs. The primary outcome was patient assignment (stable versus unstable) according to guideline criteria. Secondary outcomes were the proportion of PCP-transported patients who had an indication for an advanced care intervention (ACI) or who received an ACI when PCPs rendezvoused with an advanced care paramedic (ACP). Lastly, we reviewed prehospital outcomes of cardiac arrest patients and calculated the difference in transport intervals between direct PCP bypass and a PCI-centre and predicted transport interval to the closest emergency department (ED).

Results

Of 361 patients, 232 were PCP transports and 129 were ACP-rendezvous transports. There was a significant difference in the distribution of stable and unstable patients between PCPs and ACPs (p<0.001). For PCP patients, 21/232 (9.1%) had indications for an ACI, whereas 34/129 (26.4%) ACP patients received an ACI. Eleven patients experienced cardiac arrest; 10 were successfully resuscitated (5 of these by PCPs). The median difference between direct PCP bypass and a PCI-centre versus transport to the closest ED was 5.53 minutes (IQR=6.71).

Conclusions

We found a significant difference in the distribution of stable and unstable patients and fewer patients with indications for an ACI in PCP patients. This PCP STEMI bypass guideline appears feasible.
Bevacizumab in Recurrent High-Grade Gliomas: A Canadian Retrospective Study
Authors: Lim Fat Mary Jane , Maurice Catherine , Maganti Manjula , Mason Warren P.
Published: November 2017

Background: Bevacizumab has been used in recurrent glioblastoma (rGBM) since 2010 in Canada. Given its cost, potential toxicities, and unclear efficacy, further studies are required to better define suitable candidates for therapy. Methods: A single-center retrospective review of patients started on bevacizumab for rGBM from 2012 to 2015 was performed. Patient demographics, tumor characteristics, treatment regimen, and dates of clinical progression and death were collected. Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were used as clinical outcomes and estimates. Radiological response was assessed using modified Response Assessment in Neuro-Oncology criteria. Results: A total of 80 patients were included. There were 67 reported deaths, and the median OS was 9.2 months (95% confidence interval [CI95%]=7.0-10.1 months), with a 12-month OS of 31% (CI95%=21.9-43.5%). Some 79 patients were included for analysis of clinical progression, among whom 61 had documented clinical progression. The median clinical PFS was 4.6 months (CI95%=3.8-6.4 months), and the 6-month clinical PFS was 39% (CI95%=29.0-52.9%). Addition of chemotherapy did not improve clinical outcomes. A total of 68 patients were included for radiological progression analysis, with 58 radiological progressions. The median radiological PFS was 5.8 months (CI95%=4.2-6.7 months), and the 6-month radiological PFS was 46% (CI95%=35.6-60.0%). Conclusions: This is the first reported Canadian experience with bevacizumab for rGBM. Our clinical outcomes are consistent with published data from multicenter phase II and III trials on bevacizumab in rGBM. More research is required to determine which subtype(s) of patients with rGBM could benefit from bevacizumab upon recurrence.
Changes in ice volume of the Ningchan No.1 Glacier, China, from 1972 to 2014, as derived from in situ measurements
Authors: CAO BO , PAN BAOTIAN , GUAN WEIJIN , WANG JIE , WEN ZHENLING
Published: November 2017

Global climate change is causing widespread glacier retreat, with many small glaciers disappearing from the world's mountain ranges. We obtained the annual mass balance of a small glacier (the Ningchan No.1 Glacier) located on the northeastern Tibetan Plateau, from the years 2010 to 2015 using glaciological and geodetic methods. We also measured the glacier's thickness in 2014 using ground-penetrating radar. Employing topographical maps and ZY-3 images, we obtained Digital Elevation Models for 1972 and 2014. Our results showed that the mean annual mass balance from 2010 to 2015 was ~−0.9 ± 0.5 m w.e. The mean equilibrium line altitude was ~4680 m in the period 2010–15, which exceeds the maximum elevation of the glacier. The glacier has lost area and mass across its elevation range. The mean ice thickness was 24.0 ± 2.5 m in 2014. From 1972 to 2014, the glacier's area shrank from 0.77 ± 0.05 to 0.39 ± 0.04 km2, and the ice volume decreased by (14.96 ± 0.97) × 106 m3, equivalent to (12.72 ± 0.82) × 106 t w.e. over the same period.
Social Norms and Self-Efficacy to Quit Waterpipe Use: Findings from a Tobacco Study among Male Smokers in Rural Viet Nam
Authors: Kumar Pritika C. , Cleland Charles M. , Latkin Carl , Vandevanter Nancy , Siman Nina , Nguyen Trang , Nguyen Linh , Nguyen Nam , Shelley Donna
Published: November 2017

Introduction: Waterpipe use is a significant health concern in low- and middle-income countries like Viet Nam, yet there is a lack of research on factors that may influence use and self-efficacy to quit among adults.

Aims: This study examined the relationship between social norms related to waterpipe use and self-efficacy to quit among male waterpipe smokers in Viet Nam.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 214 adult male waterpipe smokers enrolled in a large cluster–randomised controlled trial conducted in a rural province in Viet Nam. Associations between social norms related to waterpipe smoking and the participants’ confidence to quit waterpipes were assessed using hierarchical regression models to account for differences among study sites and other covariates.

Results: Self-efficacy to quit smoking was positively associated with immediate family members’ not minding participants smoking and with extended family's encouragement to quit smoking.

Conclusions: The findings suggest the need for a more comprehensive understanding of the functions and characteristics of the social context of waterpipe smoking, including the social networks of waterpipe smokers, to inform effective cessation interventions for waterpipe smokers.
Repeated treatment with nitric oxide synthase inhibitor attenuates learned helplessness development in rats and increases hippocampal BDNF expression
Authors: Stanquini Laura Alves , Biojone Caroline , Guimarães Francisco Silveira , Joca Sâmia Regiane
Published: November 2017

Background

Nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitors induce antidepressant-like effects in animal models sensitive to acute drug treatment such as the forced swimming test. However, it is not yet clear if repeated treatment with these drugs is required to induce antidepressant-like effects in preclinical models.

Objective

The aim of this study was to test the effect induced by acute or repeated (7 days) treatment with 7-nitroindazole (7-NI), a preferential inhibitor of neuronal NOS, in rats submitted to the learned helplessness (LH) model. In addition, we aimed at investigating if 7-NI treatment would increase brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) protein levels in the hippocampus, similarly to the effect of prototype antidepressants.

Methods

Animals were submitted to a pre-test (PT) session with inescapable footshocks or habituation (no shocks) to the experimental shuttle box. Six days later they were exposed to a test with escapable footshocks. Independent groups received acute (a single injection after PT or before test) or repeated (once a day for 7 days) treatment with vehicle or 7-NI (30 mg/kg).

Results

Repeated, but not acute, treatment with 7-NI attenuated LH development. The effect was similar to repeated imipramine treatment. Moreover, in an independent experimental group, only repeated treatment with 7-NI and imipramine increased BDNF protein levels in the hippocampus.

Conclusion

The results suggest the nitrergic system could be a target for the treatment of depressive-like conditions. They also indicate that, similar to the positive control imipramine, the antidepressant-like effects of NOS inhibition could involve an increase in hippocampal BDNF levels.
A preliminary survey of school-based water, sanitation, hygiene (WASH) resources and soil-transmitted helminthiasis in eight public schools in Odeda LGA, Ogun State, Nigeria
Authors: Mogaji H.O. , Dedeke G.A. , Jaiyeola O.A. , Adeniran A.A. , Olabinke D.B. , Oluwole A.S. , Abe E.M. , Adeaga D.O. , Yusuff Q.A. , Yusuff H.A. , Ekpo U.F.
Published: November 2017

This cross-sectional study was undertaken to assess the status of school-based water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) resources and soil-transmitted helminthiasis (STH) in Odeda, Ogun State, Nigeria. The status and condition of WASH resources were determined in eight selected schools (three with WASH support and five without). Stool samples were also collected from 428 pupils from both school categories and screened for STH infections. Findings showed that water and sanitation conditions of WASH resource programming schools were better than those in schools without WASH support. However, pupils’ knowledge about STH infections and basic hygiene were not significantly different between both categories of school (P > 0·05). The prevalence of Hookworm, Ascariasis and Trichuriasis cases recorded were 26·2, 18·2 and 1·6% respectively, with an overall prevalence of 33·4%. By school categories, Ascariasis (14·9vs20·6), Hookworm (17·7vs32·0), Trichuriasis (1·7vs1·6) and, any STH prevalence (27·4vs37·5) were recorded for schools with WASH resource programming and those without respectively. A greater portion of the infected children 95 (66·4%) were from schools without WASH support. Our findings imply that WASH resource may have very positive impact on the control of STH among school children. However, there is need for improvement on coverage, adequacy and maintenance of WASH facilities in school.
Unbiased Large Spectroscopic Surveys of Galaxies Selected by SPICA Using Dust Bands
Authors: Kaneda H. , Ishihara D. , Oyabu S. , Yamagishi M. , Wada T. , Armus L. , Baes M. , Charmandaris V. , Czerny B. , Efstathiou A. , Fernández-Ontiveros J. A. , Ferrara A. , González-Alfonso E. , Griffin M. , Gruppioni C. , Hatziminaoglou E. , Imanishi M. , Kohno K. , Kwon J. , Nakagawa T. , Onaka T. , Pozzi F. , Scott D. , Smith J.-D. T. , Spinoglio L. , Suzuki T. , van der Tak F. , Vaccari M. , Vignali C. , Wang L.
Published: November 2017

The mid-infrared range contains many spectral features associated with large molecules and dust grains such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and silicates. These are usually very strong compared to fine-structure gas lines, and thus valuable in studying the spectral properties of faint distant galaxies. In this paper, we evaluate the capability of low-resolution mid-infrared spectroscopic surveys of galaxies that could be performed by SPICA. The surveys are designed to address the question how star formation and black hole accretion activities evolved over cosmic time through spectral diagnostics of the physical conditions of the interstellar/circumnuclear media in galaxies. On the basis of results obtained with Herschel far-infrared photometric surveys of distant galaxies and Spitzer and AKARI near- to mid-infrared spectroscopic observations of nearby galaxies, we estimate the numbers of the galaxies at redshift z > 0.5, which are expected to be detected in the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon features or dust continuum by a wide (10 deg2) or deep (1 deg2) blind survey, both for a given observation time of 600 h. As by-products of the wide blind survey, we also expect to detect debris disks, through the mid-infrared excess above the photospheric emission of nearby main-sequence stars, and we estimate their number. We demonstrate that the SPICA mid-infrared surveys will efficiently provide us with unprecedentedly large spectral samples, which can be studied further in the far-infrared with SPICA.
MAIZE–SOYBEAN INTERCROPPING FOR SUSTAINABLE INTENSIFICATION OF CEREAL–LEGUME CROPPING SYSTEMS IN NORTHERN NIGERIA
Authors: KAMARA ALPHA Y. , TOFA ABDULLAHI I. , ADEMULEGUN TEMITOPE , SOLOMON REUBEN , SHEHU HAULATU , KAMAI NKEKI , OMOIGUI LUCKY
Published: November 2017

Field studies were conducted during the 2014 and 2015 wet seasons at Zaria in the northern Guinea savanna and at Iburu in the southern Guinea savanna of Nigeria to determine the productivity of maize–soybean intercropping system. There were four treatment combinations in the experiment: sole maize; sole soybean; maize spaced at 50 cm and intercropped with soybean; and maize spaced at 65 cm and intercropped with soybean. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with three replications. The results showed that sole cropped maize and soybean generally outperformed the intercropped component crops. Land Equivalent Ratio (LER) was greater than 1 for all the intercrop treatments, indicating that it is advantageous to grow maize and soybean in association than in pure stands. Except for 2014 in Zaria, LER for intercropped maize spaced at 50 cm was higher than that for maize spaced at 65 cm. Gross Monetary Value (GMV) was generally higher for intercrops than sole crops except in Iburu in 2015 where GMV for intercropped maize spaced at 65 cm was similar to those of sole maize and soybean. Monetary Advantage Index (MAI) was positive for all intercrop treatments in both locations and years, which shows definite yield and economic advantages compared to the sole cropping systems. This suggests that farmers can intercrop soybean and maize with maize spaced at 50 cm and 65 cm.
Derivation of A1-type granites by partial melting of newly underplated rocks related with the Tarim mantle plume
Authors: SU YUPING , ZHENG JIANPING , LIANG LILI , DAI HONGKUN , ZHAO JUNHONG , CHEN MING , PING XIANQUAN , LIU ZIQI , WANG JIAN
Published: November 2017

The granitic rocks of the Tarim large igneous province (LIP) are temporally and spatially related to mafic intrusions. However, their tectonic setting and genetic relationship are debated. Here, we report geochemical, and zircon U–Pb–Hf isotopic results for three alkali feldspar granitic plutons in the Halajun area, western margin of the Tarim Block. Zircon U–Pb ages suggest these plutons were emplaced at 268–275 Ma, coeval with the neighbouring mafic–ultramafic complexes and syenitic rocks. These granitic rocks have high contents of SiO2, alkalis, Rb, Th, Zr and REE (except Eu), and high ratios of FeO*/MgO and Ga/Al, and show strong depletions in Ba, Sr, Eu, which are commonly observed in the A1-type granites. Zircon Hf isotopes reveal a limited range ofεHf(t) values from −1.0 to +3.5 for different samples from three granitic plutons, obviously higher than those (mostly <0) of the mafic rocks. This distinct difference, along with a Daly gap and small volume of mafic rocks, argues against extreme fractionation of mafic magma as the main origin of the A1-type granites. Instead the A1-type granites were most likely derived from partial melting of newly underplated rocks triggered by the upwelling asthenosphere, followed by extensive fractionation. These A1-type granites were emplaced within an anorogenic setting during the late stage of the Tarim LIP, which possibly lasts for more than 30 Ma. The Piqiang mafic–ultramafic complex directly stemmed from asthenospheric mantle and Halajun A1-type granites represent two manners of vertical crustal growth.