bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Living on the edge: latitudinal variations in the reproductive biology of two coastal species of sharks
Authors: Taylor S. M. , Harry A. V. , Bennett M. B.
Published: September 2016

Differences in the reproductive biology of both the Australian weasel shark Hemigaleus australiensis and the Australian sharpnose shark Rhizoprionodon taylori were apparent between individuals from the southern‐most extent of their range in eastern Australia (Moreton Bay) and those from northern Australia. For H. australiensis from Moreton Bay the total length (LT) at which 50% of individuals were mature (LT50) was 759 mm for females and 756 mm for males, values that were respectively 17–26% larger than reported for the species in northern Australia. The relatively low percentage (63%) of pregnant mature females and presence of small, similar‐sized, embryos in utero in both May and November suggested a semi‐synchronous, annual reproductive cycle in Moreton Bay, whereas a synchronous, biannual reproductive cycle occurred in northern Australia. It is likely that H. australiensis has a resting phase between gestation cycles at the southern‐most extent of its range. For R. taylori from Moreton Bay the LT50s were 588 and 579 mm for females and males, respectively, values 2–3% larger than for individuals from the mid‐Queensland coast and 31–35% larger than for individuals from northern Australia. The length at which 50% of the females were maternal (611 mm LT) in Moreton Bay was greater than the LT50, indicating that not all sharks mate immediately after maturing. Rhizoprionodon taylori in the south had an annual reproductive cycle incorporating a 7–8 month embryonic diapause, with pups probably born in February. A mean fecundity of 7·5 was almost double that reported from northern Australia. Regional variations in the reproductive characteristics of H. australiensis and R. taylori may influence their resilience to fishing and other anthropogenic pressures. The substantial differences reported here highlight the importance of region‐specific life‐history parameters to successful management and conservation.
Viral encephalopathy and retinopathy in aquaculture: a review
Authors: Doan Q K , Vandeputte M , Chatain B , Morin T , Allal F
Published: September 2016

Viral encephalopathy and retinopathy (VER), otherwise known as viral nervous necrosis (VNN), is a major devastating threat for aquatic animals. Betanodaviruses have been isolated in at least 70 aquatic animal species in marine and in freshwater environments throughout the world, with the notable exception of South America. In this review, the main features of betanodavirus, including its diversity, its distribution and its transmission modes in fish, are firstly presented. Then, the existing diagnosis and detection methods, as well as the different control procedures of this disease, are reviewed. Finally, the potential of selective breeding, including both conventional and genomic selection, as an opportunity to obtain resistant commercial populations, is examined.
Comparison of topical tacrolimus and clobetasol in the management of symptomatic oral lichen planus: A double‐blinded, randomized clinical trial in Sri Lanka
Authors: Hettiarachchi Pilana Vithanage Kalani Shihanika , Hettiarachchi Ruvini Manjula , Jayasinghe Ruwan Duminda , Sitheeque Mohaideen
Published: September 2016

Aim

Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a common, chronic inflammatory disease of the oral mucosa. Although several studies have shown the efficacy of different treatment modalities, a definitive cure has not yet been established. The present trial compares the effectiveness of topically‐applied clobetasol and tacrolimus in the symptomatic management of OLP.

Methods

A randomized, comparative, double‐blind study with 68 patients (43 females, 25 males; mean age: 46.76 years) was undertaken. Patients were randomly divided into two groups of 34 patients each to receive topical tacrolimus 0.1% cream or clobetasol propionate 0.05% cream for 3 weeks.

Results

After 3 weeks of treatment, the mean pain score dropped by 1.59 (right) and 1.53 (left) in the tacrolimus group, while in clobetasol group these values were 0.94 and 0.85, respectively. The mean scores for clinical appearance reduced by 1.18 (right) and 1.0 (left) in the tacrolimus group compared with a reduction of 0.5 and 0.26, respectively, in the clobetasol group. These reductions were statistically significant (P < .05).

Conclusion

The results suggest that tacrolimus 0.1% cream is an effective alternative to topical steroid and can be considered a first‐line therapy in OLP. However, further studies are needed to confirm the effectiveness of this treatment before it is recommended for use in clinical practice.
Women's Housework: New Tests of Time and Money
Authors: Hook Jennifer L.
Published: September 2016

The author uses variation by the day of week—comparing weekdays to weekends—to reconsider three main explanations for variation in women's housework time. The author predicts that though evidence of gender deviance neutralization (GDN) should be evident across the days of the week, evidence of time constraints and absolute earnings should be most apparent on weekdays. The author tests these hypotheses with the largest sample to date (American Time Use Survey 2003–2012) and careful consideration of the functional form between resources/constraints and housework time. The author finds that all three measures of resources/constraints—relative earnings, absolute earnings, and employment hours—perform as poor predictors of women's housework on weekends. Weekends are when women, regardless of employment status, do gender, but not in the way hypothesized by GDN. On weekdays, women's own employment hours and earnings have negative, but diminishing, effects on their housework time. GDN is not supported.
Psychological Distress, Couple Interactions, and Parenting: A Dyadic Analysis of African American Couples
Authors: Sutton Tara E. , Simons Leslie Gordon , Simons Ronald L. , Cutrona Carolyn
Published: September 2016

Parental depression is a well‐established risk factor for couple conflict and ineffective or hostile parenting (M. C. Lovejoy, P. A. Graczyk, E. O'Hare, & G. Neuman, 2000; L. M. Papp, M. C. Goeke‐Morey, & E. M. Cummings, 2007). Although research suggests that caregiver depression may impact parenting indirectly via increased conflict between couples (e.g., R. D. Conger et al., 2002), few studies take into account the behaviors of both caregivers in exploring these relations. The goal of the current study is to employ an actor–partner mediator model to examine the complex relations among psychological distress, negative couple interactions, and parenting. Using a sample of 162 African American couples with children, we find evidence that the psychological distress of each caregiver has an effect on couple interactions for both men and women. The effects from each caregivers' distress to parenting are mainly indirect through the interactional behaviors of the mother toward the father, consistent with the father vulnerability hypothesis (e.g., E. M. Cummings, M. Goeke‐Morey, & J. Raymond, 2004).
Marital Conflict Trajectories and Associations With Children's Disruptive Behavior
Authors: Madigan Sheri , Plamondon André , Jenkins Jennifer M.
Published: September 2016

We seek to identify heterogeneous trajectories of marital conflict during the early childhood period, identify predictors associated with these trajectories, and examine associations between trajectory group membership and children's disruptive behavior. Participants were 469 families examined 4 times when the children were 2 to 54 months of age. Maternal reports of marital conflict, adverse childhood experiences, depressive symptoms, and sociodemographic characteristics were collected, and averaged maternal and paternal reports of child disruptive problems were used. Using growth mixture modeling, 3 trajectories of marital conflict were identified: high increasing (21.8%), high decreasing (7%), and low stable (71.2%). Maternal adverse childhood experiences predicted increased risk of belonging in the high‐increasing group, whereas depressive symptoms predicted increased risk of belonging in the high‐decreasing group. Importantly, children of mothers in the high‐increasing group exhibited higher levels of disruptive behavior at 54 months when compared with children of mothers in the high‐decreasing and low‐stable groups.
Differential Impact of Multiple Sclerosis on Cortical and Deep Gray Matter Structures in African Americans and Caucasian Americans
Authors: Al‐Kawaz Mais , Monohan Elizabeth , Morris Eric , Perumal Jai S. , Nealon Nancy , Vartanian Timothy , Gauthier Susan A.
Published: September 2016

BACKGROUND

African Americans with multiple sclerosis (AAwMS) have different disease phenotypes when compared to Caucasians Americans with MS (CAwMS). The pathologic basis of this difference in disease presentation is unknown.

METHODS

Fifty‐Four AAwMS and 54 CAwMS were appropriately matched for age, gender, treatment duration, and disease duration. FreeSurfer was used to segment brain white matter and gray matter from T1 images and compute thalamic volume. Regional cortical thickness was calculated using QDEC.

RESULTS

The 2 matched cohorts differed in disability, with AAwMS demonstrating significantly higher EDSS scores (2.3±2.2 vs. 1.3±1.5, P < .009), yet the 2 populations had similar T2 hyperintense lesion volumes (P = .35). AAwMS had a significantly lower total global cortical thickness when compared to CAwMS (P = .03). Controlling for EDSS, AAwMS showed multiple cortical regions to be significantly thinner than CAwMS; these included areas within the temporal, parietal and occipital lobes, as well as the precentral and postcentral gyrus. Middletemporal cortex was most affected in AAwMS in the left hemisphere (P = .009), while the superiortemporal cortex was most affected in the right hemisphere (P = .0001). In contrast, thalamic volume was significantly reduced in CAwMS when compared to AAwMS (P = .01). In both groups, worse disability was associated with lower total thalamic volume percentage.

CONCLUSION

AAwMS and CAwMS patients differ with regard to global and regional cortical thickness and thalamic volume. This diverging pattern of gray matter volumetrics among otherwise matched patients suggests that racial‐specific disease differences may exist.
THE IMPACT OF CHINESE IMPORT COMPETITION ON THE LOCAL STRUCTURE OF EMPLOYMENT AND WAGES: EVIDENCE FROM FRANCE
Authors: Malgouyres Clément
Published: September 2016

The rapid rise of Chinese exports over the past two decades has raised concerns about manufacturing jobs and wage inequality in high‐income countries. spillovers beyond the manufacturing sector are an important issue given the large size of the nontraded sector in modern economies as well as the imperfect spatial mobility of households. In this paper, I estimate the impact of Chinese import competition onto the structure of employment and wages of local labor markets in France, with an emphasis on spillovers effects beyond manufacturing and the degree of local wage inequality. Local employment and total labor income in both manufacturing and nonmanufacturing are negatively affected by rising exposure to imports. Import competition from China polarized the local structure of employment in the manufacturing sector. The wage distribution is uniformly negatively affected in manufacturing while the nontraded sector experiences wage polarization, i.e., a rise in upper‐tail inequality and a decline in bottom‐tail inequality. While overall wage inequality is on average not affected, I show that it increased in response to trade shocks in areas where the minimum wage is only weakly binding.
Prevalence of comorbidities in obese New Zealand children and adolescents at enrolment in a community‐based obesity programme
Authors: Anderson Yvonne C , Wynter Lisa E , Treves Katharine F , Grant Cameron C , Stewart Joanna M , Cave Tami L , Wild Cervantee EK , Derraik José GB , Cutfield Wayne S , Hofman Paul L
Published: September 2016

Aim

The aim of this study was to describe the characteristics at enrolment of children and adolescents referred to an obesity programme and to determine how the prevalence of comorbidities differed in Indigenous versus non‐Indigenous children.

Methods

Participants were residents of a semi‐rural region of New Zealand (NZ). Eligibility was defined by a body mass index (BMI) of ≥98th percentile or >91st centile with weight‐related comorbidities. Fasting blood, medical and physical assessments were obtained.

Results

During the recruitment period from January 2012 to August 2014, 239 participants, aged 4.8–16.8 years, undertook assessment. Average BMI standard deviation score was 3.09 (standard deviation (SD) = 0.60, range 1.52–5.34 SD). The majority of participants were of either Maori (NZ’s indigenous people (45%)) or NZ European (45%) ethnicity; 29% of participants were from the most deprived quintile of household deprivation.

Maori participants were more likely than NZ Europeans to have a mother who smoked during pregnancy (52% vs. 28%, P = 0.001), a family history of type 2 diabetes (66% vs. 53%, P = 0.04), acanthosis nigricans on examination (58% vs. 20%, P < 0.0001), a low serum high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (27% vs. 14%, P = 0.03) or high serum triglyceride (38% vs. 24%, P = 0.03) concentration.

Conclusion

The unique aspect of this study was the ability to recruit high levels of Maori participants and those from most deprived areas, indicating a high level of acceptability for these target groups. Comorbidities were prevalent in this cohort of overweight/obese school‐aged children. While there were some differences in comorbidity prevalence between Maori and NZ Europeans, the overall clinical picture in our cohort, irrespective of ethnicity, was of concern.
Sleep‐dependent memory consolidation is related to perceived value of learned material
Authors: van Rijn Elaine , Lucignoli Carlo , Izura Cristina , Blagrove Mark T.
Published: September 2016

Although many types of newly encoded information can be consolidated during sleep, an enhanced effect has been found for memories tagged as relevant to the future, such as through knowledge of future testing or payment for successful recall. In the current study, participants (n = 80) learned Welsh and Breton translations of English words, and intrinsic relevance of learned material was operationalized as perceived value of the Welsh and Breton languages. Participants were non‐Welsh native English speakers who had recently arrived in Wales. Memory for the words was tested immediately and 12 h later, after either a period of wake or a period of sleep. An increase in recall for both languages was found after sleep, but not after wake. Importantly, for the sleep condition, overnight improvement in Welsh word recall was associated with participants’ level of valuing the Welsh language. This association was not found for the wake period condition. These findings support previous indications of an active role of sleep in the consolidation of memories relevant for the future, and demonstrate that this effect may be modulated by individual differences in perceived value of the learned material. It remains to be established whether this association is mediated by an emotional attachment to the language or a cognitive facility with it, or both.
Evaluating the Effects of Dietary Prebiotic Mixture of Mannan Oligosaccharide and Poly‐β‐Hydroxybutyrate on the Growth Performance, Immunity, and Survival of Rainbow Trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum 1792), Fingerlings
Authors: H. Najdegerami Ebrahim , Tokmachi Amir , Bakhshi Farideh
Published: September 2016

This study investigated the effects of dietary poly‐β‐hydroxybutyrate (PHB) and mannan oligosaccharide (MOS) on the growth performance, digestive enzyme activities, and disease resistance of rainbow trout fingerlings. A total of 420 fingerlings, distributed equally into four different groups, each with three replicates, were fed a basal diet (control), 2% PHB (PHB), 0.2% MOS (MOS), or a diet supplemented with a mixture of 2% PHB and 0.2% MOS (PHB+MOS) for 60 d. Results showed that dietary PHB and/or MOS did not cause significant improvement in the growth performance of the fingerlings. The gut pH was markedly reduced; however, the activities of the digestive enzymes (except for pepsin and amylase by dietary PHB) were not significantly improved by the dietary supplements. Results also showed that dietary PHB and/or MOS markedly increased the resistance of the fingerlings toward Yersinia ruckeri infection, while the lowest total antibody was observed in fish fed control and MOS, indicating that MOS exerts its protective effects by modulating other mechanisms. Overall, this study provided a first screening effort to determine the effects of PHB and/or MOS as dietary supplements in rainbow trout fingerlings to develop an optimal prebiotic mix for improving the growth and health status of rainbow trout.
Seeing Speech as Spectacle inThe White Devil
Authors: Davies Callan
Published: September 2016

This article argues that, in the early seventeenth century, rhetorical devices and stage devices overlap. There has been much critical interest in the materiality of theatres like the Blackfriars, the Globe, and the Red Bull. Recent work in early modern theatre studies has made some broad gestures to the way in which poetic and verbal effects are linked with the practical theatrical work of the playhouse. Rhetoric and rhetorical styles have also been subject to renewed scholarly interest, with some suggesting the imminence of an “aesthetic turn” or “New Formalism.” Yet these two critical approaches often remain distinct. Attention to the interaction between speech and spectacle can unite ostensibly different angles of literary analysis and deliver further attention to the visual, philosophical, and intellectual complexity of seventeenth‐century playhouse spectacle.

I begin by exploring some important terms in early modern English that point to rhetoric's participation in the material world and that suggest these two approaches, when considered from an historical perspective, are complementary. I then attend to the dumb shows and to light and darkness in JohnWebster'sThe White Devil(1612) to argue for a critical approach to early modern theatre studies that combines historically minded close reading with recent revisionist considerations of spectacle and that sees rhetorical style as part of the visual and material world of the playhouse.
Four‐year entecavir therapy reduces hepatocellular carcinoma, cirrhotic events and mortality in chronic hepatitis B patients
Authors: Su Tung‐Hung , Hu Tsung‐Hui , Chen Chi‐Yi , Huang Yi‐Hsiang , Chuang Wan‐Long , Lin Chun‐Che , Wang Chia‐Chi , Su Wei‐Wen , Chen Ming‐Yao , Peng Cheng‐Yuan , Chien Rong‐Nan , Huang Yi‐Wen , Wang Horng‐Yuan , Lin Chih‐Lin , Yang Sheng‐Shun , Chen Tsung‐Ming , Mo Lein‐Ray , Hsu Shih‐Jer , Tseng Kuo‐Chih , Hsieh Tsai‐Yuan , Suk Fat‐Moon , Hu Chi‐Tan , Bair Ming‐Jong , Liang Cheng‐Chao , Lei Yung‐Chao , Tseng Tai‐Chung , Chen Chi‐Ling , Kao Jia‐Horng ,   the C‐TEAM study group and the Taiwan Liver Diseases Consortium
Published: September 2016

Background & Aims

Oral antiviral therapy may reduce the disease progression of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients. We aimed to further investigate the efficacy of long‐term entecavir therapy in reduction of the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), cirrhotic events and mortality in a large group of CHB‐related cirrhosis patients.

Methods

The C‐TEAM (Cirrhosis‐Taiwanese EntecAvir Multicenter) study was a nationwide, multicenter, retrospective–prospective cohort study in Taiwan. We enrolled treatment‐naïve patients with CHB‐related cirrhosis and baseline HBV‐DNA≥2000 IU/mL receiving long‐term entecavir therapy and compared the development of HCC, cirrhotic events and mortality with that of a historical untreated cohort.

Results

In total, 1315 entecavir‐treated and 503 untreated patients with cirrhosis were enrolled, with median treatment and follow‐up durations of 4 and 6 years respectively. Compared with the untreated cohort, entecavir therapy was associated with a 60% HCC risk reduction [hazard ratio (HR): 0.40, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.28‐0.57]. Additionally, an older age, the male gender, HBeAg positivity, alpha‐fetoprotein (AFP)≥7 ng/mL before therapy were independent predictors of HCC development. Further analysis showed that entecavir therapy significantly reduced risks of variceal bleeding, spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, and liver‐related and all‐cause mortality. These findings were confirmed by propensity score‐matched cohorts in sensitivity analysis. In patients under entecavir therapy, an older age, the male gender, HBeAg positivity, AFP level ≥7 ng/mL before therapy, and 1‐year virological response were predictive of HCC development.

Conclusions

Four‐year entecavir therapy significantly reduces the risk of HCC, cirrhotic events and mortality in patients with CHB‐related cirrhosis.
Patient with rapidly evolving neurological disease with neuropathological lesions of Creutzfeldt‐Jakob disease, Lewy body dementia, chronic subcortical vascular encephalopathy and meningothelial meningioma
Authors: Vita Maria Gabriella , Tiple Dorina , Bizzarro Alessandra , Ladogana Anna , Colaizzo Elisa , Capellari Sabina , Rossi Marcello , Parchi Piero , Masullo Carlo , Pocchiari Maurizio
Published: September 2016

We report a case of rapidly evolving neurological disease in a patient with neuropathological lesions of Creutzfeldt‐Jakob disease (CJD), Lewy body dementia (LBD), chronic subcortical vascular encephalopathy and meningothelial meningioma. The coexistence of severe multiple pathologies in a single patient strengthens the need to perform accurate clinical differential diagnoses in rapidly progressive dementias.
How populist was David Cameron?
Authors: Alexandre‐Collier Agnès
Published: September 2016

The ‘rhetorical populism’ of the former prime minister's big society agenda may have waxed and waned, says Agnès Alexandre‐Collier. But Cameron was an innovator of party management and governing practices whose focus on connecting with ‘the people’ transformed his party – but also supplied the means of his own downfall.
The decline of deference and the left: An egalitarian moment for localism
Authors: Sutcliffe‐Braithwaite Florence
Published: September 2016

The decline of deference in the UK may have given rise to greater individualism and class‐dealignment at the ballot box. But for the left, argues Florence Sutcliffe‐Braithwaite, it also holds the promise of a new politics of localism and democratised policymaking – provided that the Labour party is able to grasp the opportunity.
If you care about social equality, you want a big state: Home, work, care and social egalitarianism
Authors: McTernan Emily , O'Neill Martin , Schemmel Christian , Schuppert Fabian
Published: September 2016

Justified scepticism about distant bureaucracies and transactional politics mutated into a wholesale retreat from the state on the left – but to create a just and egalitarian society, say Emily McTernan, Martin O'Neill, Christian Schemmel and Fabian Schuppert, we need a powerful, democratic ‘big state’.
Contrasting effects of intra‐ and interspecific identity and richness of ectomycorrhizal fungi on host plants, nutrient retention and multifunctionality
Authors: Hazard Christina , Kruitbos Laura , Davidson Hazel , Taylor Andy F. S. , Johnson David
Published: September 2016

A major gap in our understanding of biodiversity–ecosystem function relationships concerns the role of intra‐ and interspecific diversity of mycorrhizal fungi, which are critical for plant fitness, biogeochemical cycling and other processes. Here, we test the hypothesis that the identity and richness of ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi at the intra‐ and interspecific levels affect ecosystem multifunctionality by regulating plant and fungal productivity, soil CO2 efflux and nutrient retention.

Microcosms containing Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) seedlings colonized by different ECM fungal isolates, in monocultures and mixtures, enabled us to test for both intra‐ and interspecific identity and richness effects, and transgressive overyielding.

Intra‐ and interspecific identity had modest but significant effects on plant and fungal productivity and nutrient retention, but no effect on CO2 efflux. Intraspecific richness increased plant root productivity and ECM root tips but decreased hyphal length, whereas interspecific richness had no effects. Interspecific mixtures outperformed the most productive monocultures in only 10% of the cases, compared with 42% for the intraspecific mixtures.

Both intra‐ and interspecific identity and richness of ECM fungi regulate ecosystem multifunctionality, but their effects on the direction and magnitude of individual variables differ. Transgressive overyielding suggests that positive niche complementarity effects are driving some of the responses to intraspecific richness.
Lymphocytic esophagitis: a histologic pattern with emerging clinical ramifications
Authors: Lisovsky Mikhail , Westerhoff Maria , Zhang Xuchen
Published: September 2016

The clinical significance of lymphocytic esophagitis (LyE), which is characterized by the prominence of peripapillary intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs) without significant granulocytosis, remains poorly understood. During the last few years, plausible clinical correlates and novel approaches for stratification of LyE have started to emerge. Association with Crohn's disease has been established in children, but is not observed in adults. In adults, the form of LyE showing CD4+‐predominant IELs has been recently found to be associated with non‐achalasia primary motility abnormalities. GERD is another possible association. The most common clinical manifestations of adult LyE are dysphagia and normal endoscopic appearance of the esophagus. LyE should be reported by pathologists in order to distinguish it from its mimics, such as eosinophilic esophagitis, and to assist in directing the next steps in evaluation for known associated diseases, such as Crohn's disease or motility disorders.
Provider Response to QTc Prolongation on Standard 12‐Lead EKG: Do We Notice or Do We Care?
Authors: GOOD MEGHAN M. , RIAD FADY S. , GOOD CHESTER B. , SHALABY ALAA A.
Published: September 2016

Background

Drugs and electrolyte imbalances are widely recognized as common triggers of a prolonged QT interval. We conducted a chart review to assess provider response to prolonged QT reported on a standard 12‐lead electrocardiogram (EKG).

Methods

We identified all Veterans Affairs Pittsburgh Healthcare System patients in a 6‐month period with an EKG reporting a corrected QT (QTc) >500 ms. We excluded confounding or uninterpretable EKGs. Charts were reviewed to assess medications and electrolytes at the time of the EKG as well as the setting (inpatient vs outpatient) in which the EKG was obtained. Provider documentation of QTc and any corrective measures were sought.

Results

After exclusions, 106 patients were included in this analysis (87 [82%] inpatient and 19 [18%] outpatient). Most were male (101, 95%) with a mean age of 63.5 ± 10.6 years. At the time of index EKG, most patients were receiving at least one (72, 68%), and frequently two or more (35, 33%), QTc prolonging medications. Providers documented QTc prolongation in 20 inpatients (19%). Drugs were adjusted or discontinued in only two inpatients (2%). There were 14 patients (14%) with potassium level <3.6 mmol/L and 10 of 69 (14%) patients had a magnesium level <1.7 mg/dL.

Conclusion

Patients with prolonged QTc on EKG were more likely to be inpatients than outpatients. Inpatients were more likely to be receiving multiple types and classes of QTc prolonging medications. In the vast majority of cases, providers did not address the prolonged QTc and only rarely initiated remedial actions.
Enhanced T helper 1 and 2 cytokine responses at birth associate with lower risk of middle ear infections in infancy
Authors: Bergroth Eija , Roponen Marjut , Karvonen Anne M. , Keski‐Nisula Leea , Remes Sami , Riedler Josef , Roduit Caroline , Dalphin Jean‐Charles , Kaulek Vincent , Loss Georg J. , Lauener Roger , Hirvonen Maija‐Riitta , Genuneit Jon , Schmaußer‐Hechfellner Elisabeth , Renz Harald , Pfefferle Petra I. , Krauss‐Etschmann Susanne , Schaub Bianca , von Mutius Erika , Pekkanen Juha ,   the PASTURE Study Group
Published: September 2016

Background

Respiratory tract infections and their symptoms are frequent during early childhood, but their risk factors, including the effect of early immune regulation, are less known. The aim of the study was to analyze whether stimulated cord blood cytokine production is associated with the frequency of respiratory tract infection symptoms or infections during the first year of life.

Methods

The study population consisted of children of mothers from farm or non‐farm rural environment from Austria, Finland, Germany, and Switzerland who participated in a prospective birth cohort study (PASTURE: Protection against Allergy—Study in Rural Environments) (N = 550). Cord blood samples were stimulated with the combination of phorbol ester and ionomycin (P/I) for 24 h, and the production of IL‐5, IL‐10, TNF‐α, and IFN‐γ was determined using ELISA. Information about infectious morbidity was collected using weekly diaries.

Results

P/I‐stimulated production of IL‐5 (adjusted risk ratio (aRR) for ≤median production, 0.37; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.25–0.55, aRR for >median production, 0.41; 95% CI, 0.27–0.61 vs. production median production, 0.39; 95% CI, 0.25–0.62 vs. production <detection limit) in cord blood were associated with lower number of weeks with reported middle ear infection. There was a tendency toward positive association with P/I‐stimulated TNF‐α production and middle ear infections.

Conclusion

Our results suggest that increased Th2‐ and Th1‐associated cytokine responses at birth may provide protection from later middle ear infections.
Identification and molecular mapping of Flowering Date1 (FD1), a major photoperiod insensitivity gene in the adzuki bean (Vigna angularis)
Authors: Yamamoto Hiroki , Horiuchi Yuki , Ogura Reina , Sakai Hiroaki , Sato Hitoshi , Kato Kiyoaki
Published: September 2016

The induction of flowering under long‐day conditions is an important adaptation by short‐day plants, such as adzuki beans (Vigna angularis), to high‐latitude environments. This study clarified the genetic control underlying the long‐day insensitivity of adzuki bean cultivar ‘Shumari’. ‘Shumari’ was found to be insensitive to a 16‐h day, whereas landrace Acc2265 was highly sensitive. When grown under natural long‐day conditions at Obihiro (42°9′N), Acc2265 initiated flowering at least 80 days after ‘Shumari’. When 86 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from crosses between ‘Shumari’ and Acc2265 were grown under these conditions, their flowering dates ranged from the middle of July to the end of October. The distinct bimodal distribution in the RIL population was due to a single major gene, designated Flowering Date1 (FD1). Molecular mapping showed that FD1 was located between the SSR markers Az02‐37M3 and Az02‐40M9, at distances of 6 and 10.4 cM, respectively, on linkage group 2. RILs carrying FD1S lacked long‐day sensitivity, whereas RILs carrying FD1A were sensitive to long‐day conditions, confirming that FD1 controls long‐day sensitivity.
C4 photosynthesis in C3 rice: a theoretical analysis of biochemical and anatomical factors
Authors: Wang Shuyue , Tholen Danny , Zhu Xin‐Guang
Published: September 2016

Engineering C4 photosynthesis into rice has been considered a promising strategy to increase photosynthesis and yield. A question that remains to be answered is whether expressing a C4 metabolic cycle into a C3 leaf structure and without removing the C3 background metabolism improves photosynthetic efficiency. To explore this question, we developed a 3D reaction diffusion model of bundle‐sheath and connected mesophyll cells in a C3 rice leaf. Our results show that integrating a C4 metabolic pathway into rice leaves with a C3 metabolism and mesophyll structure may lead to an improved photosynthesis under current ambient CO2 concentration. We analysed a number of physiological factors that influence the CO2 uptake rate, which include the chloroplast surface area exposed to intercellular air space, bundle‐sheath cell wall thickness, bundle‐sheath chloroplast envelope permeability, Rubisco concentration and the energy partitioning between C3 and C4 cycles. Among these, partitioning of energy between C3 and C4 photosynthesis and the partitioning of Rubisco between mesophyll and bundle‐sheath cells are decisive factors controlling photosynthetic efficiency in an engineered C3–C4 leaf. The implications of the results for the sequence of C4 evolution are also discussed.
Knowing Your Ability
Authors: Lau Tszyuen , Wang Yanjing
Published: September 2016

In this article, we present an attempt to reconcile intellectualism and the anti‐intellectualist ability account of knowledge‐how by reducing “S knows how to F” to, roughly speaking, “S knows that she has the ability to F demonstrated by a concrete way w.” More precisely, “S has a certain ability” is further formalized as the proposition that S can guarantee a certain goal by a concrete way w of some method under some precondition. Having the knowledge of our own ability, we can plan our future actions accordingly, which would not be possible by merely having the ability without knowing it, and this pinpoints the crucial difference between knowledge‐how and ability. Our semi‐formal account avoids most of the objections to both intellectualism and the anti‐intellectualist ability account, and provides a multistage learning process of knowledge‐how, which reveals various subtleties.
Discussion of ‘Oceanographic and eustatic control of carbonate platform evolution and sequence stratigraphy on the Cretaceous (Valanginian–Campanian) passive margin, northern Gulf of Mexico’ by Phelps et al. (2014), Sedimentology, 61, 461–496
Authors: Rose Peter R.
Published: September 2016

Errors in Phelps et al. () arise from: (i) inclusion of the East Texas Basin and basin‐flank formations in a regional stratigraphic transect purported to represent the San Marcos Arch (axis of the Comanche Platform, central and south Texas); and (ii) revision of Edwards Group strata (Person Formation) that ignores well‐documented studies in the subsurface and adjacent outcrops in the Balcones fault zone and Edwards Plateau. Consequently, the Upper Albian Composite Sequence 104–101 of Phelps et al. () should be revised from one cycle to three and the upper boundary of the Albian Supersequence should be elevated to 99·6 Ma.
Lack of Response to HBHA in HIV‐Infected Patients with Latent Tuberculosis Infection
Authors: Delogu G. , Vanini V. , Cuzzi G. , Chiacchio T. , De Maio F. , Battah B. , Pinnetti C. , Sampaolesi A. , Antinori A. , Goletti D.
Published: September 2016

Heparin‐binding haemagglutinin (HBHA) has been proposed as an immunological biomarker for discriminating active tuberculosis (TB) from latent TB infection (LTBI) and to identify those at higher risk of progressing to active disease. Few data are available in immune‐compromised patients, which are those with increased risk of TB reactivation. The aim of this stusy was to evaluate the immune response to HBHA in HIV‐infected subjects with LTBI (HIV‐LTBI) or active TB (HIV‐TB) in comparison with the immune response to additional Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) or HIV and CMV antigens. The responses are evaluated in relation to TB status and in the LTBI subjects with the progression to active TB within 2 years. Forty‐one HIV‐infected antiretroviral‐naïve subjects were prospectively enrolled: 18 were HIV‐TB and 23 HIV‐LTBI. Whole blood was in vitro stimulated overnight with several antigens and mitogen. Interferon‐γ response in the harvested plasma was evaluated by ELISA. Despite that CD4 cell count was significantly different between HIV‐LTBI and HIV‐TB, no differences were observed in response to Mtb‐ or HIV‐specific antigens. Differently, low responses to HBHA were observed in both HIV‐LTBI and HIV‐TB subjects. Importantly, none of the six HIV‐LTBI responding to HBHA developed TB, while two of 17 non‐HBHA responders developed active disease. HIV‐TB‐coinfected subjects, regardless of their TB status, showed low responses to HBHA despite maintaining detectable responses to other antigens; moreover, among the HIV‐LTBI, the lack of HBHA responses indicated an increased risk to develop active TB. These results, although preliminary, suggest that a positive response to HBHA in HIV‐LTBI correlates with Mtb containment.
Flux and permanence of risk perceptions: Tourists' perception of the relative and absolute risk for various destinations
Authors: Wolff Katharina , Larsen Svein
Published: September 2016

The present investigation is a cross‐sectional, multi‐national, quantitative, and quasi‐experimental comparison of tourists’ risk perceptions regarding different destinations throughout the past decade. Over 10,000 tourists to Norway from 89 different countries filled in a questionnaire rating the perceived risk for various destinations. Data were collected during 2004, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2015 and allow for a comparison of perceived risk across time, place and nationality. Results show that while absolute risk judgments for different destinations fluctuate somewhat over the years, relative risk judgments remain constant. Findings also reveal a “home‐is‐safer‐then‐abroad‐bias” with tourists consistently perceiving their home country among the safest destinations. The current investigation is rare because it looks at more than one destination at a time. Insights gained from the present findings diverge from what would have been concluded from employing case studies, that is, looking at one destination at a time.
In vivo Identification of the Passive Mechanical Properties of Deep Soft Tissues in the Human Leg
Authors: Frauziols F. , Chassagne F. , Badel P. , Navarro L. , Molimard J. , Curt N. , Avril S.
Published: September 2016

A non‐invasive method is proposed to identify in vivo the passive mechanical properties of deep soft tissues in the human leg. Force‐displacement curves in response to a localized compression of the calf are measured with a custom made experimental set‐up. The material parameters of a finite element model are then calibrated against the experimental curves using a genetic algorithm. A thorough investigation of the efficacy of this method to identify such mechanical properties is conducted through a design of experiments analysis and mixed numerical–experimental validations. It is the first time that a thorough analysis is conducted to really separate the contribution of deep and superficial tissues in the response to compression tests, and this permits to estimate the parameters of deep soft tissues on four subjects independently of the response of their other tissues. Two strain energy density functions are compared. It is shown that a 2nd order‐reduced polynomial better describes the passive mechanical behavior of the deep soft tissues of the leg than the neo‐Hookean model.
The influence of sodium bicarbonate on maximal force and rates of force development in the triceps surae and brachii during fatiguing exercise
Authors: Siegler Jason C. , Mudie Kurt , Marshall Paul
Published: September 2016

New Findings

What is the central question of this study?

Does metabolic alkalosis in humans, induced by sodium bicarbonate, affect rates of skeletal muscle fatigue differentially in muscle groups composed predominately of slow‐ and fast‐twitch fibres?

What is the main finding and its importance?

Sodium bicarbonate exhibited no effect on the fatigue profile observed between triceps surae and brachii muscle groups during and after 2 min of tetanic stimulation. For the first time in exercising humans, we have profiled the effect of sodium bicarbonate on the voluntary and involuntary contractile characteristics of muscle groups representative of predominately slow‐ and fast‐twitch fibres.

The effect of metabolic alkalosis on fibre‐specific maximal force production and rates of force development (RFD) has been investigated previously in animal models, with evidence suggesting an improved capacity to develop force rapidly in fast‐ compared with slow‐twitch muscle. We have attempted to model in vivo the fatigue profile of voluntary and involuntary maximal force and RFD in the triceps surae and brachii after sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) ingestion. In a double‐blind, three‐way repeated‐measures design, participants (n = 10) ingested either 0.3 g kg−1 NaHCO3 (ALK) or equivalent calcium carbonate (PLA) prior to 2 min of continuous (1 Hz) supramaximal stimulation (300 ms at 40 Hz) of the triceps surae or brachii, with maximal voluntary efforts (maximal voluntary torque) coupled with direct muscle stimulation also measured at baseline, 1 and 2 min. Metabolic alkalosis was achieved in both ALK trials but was not different between muscle groups. Regardless of the conditions, involuntary torque declined nearly 60% in the triceps brachii (P < 0.001) and ∼30% in the triceps surae (P < 0.001). In all trials, there was a significant decline in normalized involuntary RFD (P < 0.05). Maximal voluntary torque declined nearly 28% but was not different between conditions (P < 0.01), and although declining nearly 21% in voluntary RFD (P < 0.05) there was no difference between PLA and ALK in either muscle group (P = 0.93). Sodium bicarbonate exhibited no effect on the fatigue observed between representative fibre‐type muscle groups on maximal voluntary and involuntary torque or rates of torque development during and after 2 min of tetanic stimulation.
Impaired central respiratory chemoreflex in an experimental genetic model of epilepsy
Authors: Totola Leonardo T. , Takakura Ana C. , Oliveira José Antonio C. , Garcia‐Cairasco Norberto , Moreira Thiago S.
Published: September 2016

Key points

It is recognized that seizures commonly cause apnoea and oxygen desaturation, but there is still a lack in the literature about the respiratory impairments observed ictally and in the post‐ictal period.

Respiratory disorders may involve changes in serotonergic transmission at the level of the retrotrapezoid nucleus (RTN).

In this study, we evaluated breathing activity and the role of serotonergic transmission in the RTN with a rat model of tonic–clonic seizures, the Wistar audiogenic rat (WAR).

We conclude that the respiratory impairment in the WAR could be correlated to an overall decrease in the number of neurons located in the respiratory column.

Respiratory disorders may involve changes in serotonergic neurotransmission at the level of the chemosensitive neurons located in the retrotrapezoid nucleus (RTN). Here, we investigated the central respiratory chemoreflex and the role of serotonergic neurotransmission in the RTN with a rat model of tonic–clonic seizures, the Wistar audiogenic rat (WAR). We found that naive or kindled WARs have reduced resting ventilation and ventilatory response to hypercapnia (7% CO2). The number of chemically coded (Phox2b+/TH−) RTN neurons, as well as the serotonergic innervation to the RTN, was reduced in WARs. We detected that the ventilatory response to serotonin (1 mm, 50 nl) within the RTN region was significantly reduced in WARs. Our results uniquely demonstrated a respiratory impairment in a genetic model of tonic–clonic seizures, the WAR strain. More importantly, we demonstrated an overall decrease in the number of neurons located in the ventral respiratory column (VRC), as well as a reduction in serotonergic neurons in the midline medulla. This is an important step forward to demonstrate marked changes in neuronal activity and breathing impairment in the WAR strain, a genetic model of epilepsy.
A Methodology for Verifying Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Wall Stress
Authors: Ruiz de Galarreta Sergio , Cazón Aitor , Antón Raúl , Finol Ender A.
Published: September 2016

An abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a permanent focal dilatation of the abdominal aorta of at least 1.5 times its normal diameter. Although the criterion of maximum diameter is still used in clinical practice to decide on a timely intervention, numerical studies have demonstrated the importance of other geometric factors. However, the major drawback of numerical studies is that they must be validated experimentally before clinical implementation. This work presents a new methodology to verify wall stress predicted from the numerical studies against the experimental testing. To this end, four AAA phantoms were manufactured using vacuum casting. The geometry of each phantom was subject to microcomputed tomography (μCT) scanning at zero and three other intraluminal pressures: 80, 100, and 120 mm Hg. A zero-pressure geometry algorithm was used to calculate the wall stress in the phantom, while the numerical wall stress was calculated with a finite-element analysis (FEA) solver based on the actual zero-pressure geometry subjected to 80, 100, and 120 mm Hg intraluminal pressure loading. Results demonstrate the moderate accuracy of this methodology with small relative differences in the average wall stress (1.14%). Additionally, the contribution of geometric factors to the wall stress distribution was statistically analyzed for the four phantoms. The results showed a significant correlation between wall thickness and mean curvature (MC) with wall stress.
Cost Estimation Model for Polyacrylonitrile-Based Carbon Fiber Manufacturing Process
Authors: Singh Gill Amaninder , Visotsky Darian , Mears Laine , Summers Joshua D.
Published: September 2016

A polyacrylonitrile (PAN)-based carbon fiber (CF) manufacturing cost estimation model driven by mass is presented in this study. One of the biggest limiting factors in the large-scale use of carbon fiber (CF) in manufacturing is its high cost. The costs involved in manufacturing the carbon fiber have been formalized into a cost model in order to facilitate the understanding of these factors. This can play a key role in manufacturing CF in a cost-effective method. This cost model accounts for the fixed and variable costs involved in all the stages of manufacturing, in addition to accounting for price elasticity.
Distortions and Residual Stresses at Layer-by-Layer Additive Manufacturing by Fusion
Authors: Safronov V. A. , Khmyrov R. S. , Kotoban D. V. , Gusarov A. V.
Published: September 2016

Thermal shrinkage of the added material can distort the manufactured part and generate residual stresses. Experiments are carried out on growing the beams of rectangular cross section. The beams bend with formation of a concave top surface. The distortion is characterized by the curvature radius. The curvature radius significantly increases with the beam height, however, its variation with the layer thickness is within the experimental uncertainty. The proposed mathematical model assumes sequential addition of thermally expanded elastic layers. It explains the experiments and indicates the existence of finite limits for the stress and the deformation fields and the curvature radius at small layer thickness. The proposed model can be applied to predict residual stresses and deformations arising in complicated parts.