bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sports‐related eye and adnexal injuries in the Western Australian paediatric population
Authors: Hoskin Annette K. , Yardley Anne‐Marie E. , Hanman Kate , Lam Geoffrey , Mackey David A.
Published: December 2015

Purpose

To identify the causes of sports‐related eye and adnexal injuries in children in Perth, Western Australia, to determine which sporting activities pose the highest risk of eye and adnexal injury to children.

Methods

We performed a 12‐year retrospective review of children admitted to hospital from 2002 to 2013 with sports‐related ocular and adnexal eye injuries. The main outcome measures were the cause and type of ocular and adnexal injuries, age and gender risk factors.

Results

A total of 93 cases of sports‐related ocular and adnexal injury were identified in the 12‐year time period. A peak in injuries occurred for 12‐ to 14‐year‐olds with a second peak in 6‐ to 8‐year‐olds; the median age was 8.82 years (range = 1.59–16.47). Cycling, football (including soccer and Australian Rules Football), tennis, trampolining, fishing and swimming were the sports responsible for the greatest number of injuries, a total of 63%. More than one‐third (35%) of injuries resulted from being struck by a blunt object, and more than a quarter (26%) were as a result of contact with a blunt projectile.

Conclusion

Serious ocular and adnexal injuries have occurred in children as a result of participating in sports, with cycling and football being the largest contributors in the 12‐year period we assessed. As we continue to encourage children to spend more time participating in sports and recreational activities, identifying associated risk factors will help us develop injury prevention strategies to promote eye safety for children.
Evaluation of early anatomical changes following canaloplasty with anterior segment spectral‐domain optical coherence tomography and ultrasound biomicroscopy
Authors: Fuest Matthias , Kuerten David , Koch Eva , Becker Jakob , Hirsch Thalia , Walter Peter , Plange Niklas
Published: December 2015

Purpose

To analyse structural changes in conjunctiva, sclera and Schlemm's canal (SC) following canaloplasty with optical coherence tomography (AS‐OCT) and ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM).

Methods

Fifteen patients undergoing canaloplasty were included in this prospective study. AS‐OCT images were acquired pre‐ and 1, 7, 30 and 90 days postoperatively. UBM was performed 3 months postoperatively. The surgical site was evaluated for the presence of SC, transscleral filtration, a scleral lake and the visibility of intra‐Schlemm‐sutures. The height and width of SC were measured at the 3 and 9 o'clock limbus position.

Results

After canaloplasty, SC was detectable with AS‐OCT in 93% of the patients on day 1. The increase in height was higher than that in width (height: +369%, p = 0.0004, width: +152%, p = 0.002). IOP was negatively correlated to SC's width 1 week postoperatively (r = −0.63, p = 0.04) and to SC's height until 3 months (r = −0.66, p = 0.02) postoperatively. Using UBM, a reflection of the traction sutures indicated SC's position in all patients. Transscleral filtration was found in all patients using AS‐OCT, demonstrating a peak 1 week postoperatively. At 3 months, a scleral lake could be visualized in 50% and 83% of patients using AS‐OCT and UBM, respectively.

Conclusions

AS‐OCT offers a high resolution for imaging superficial conjunctival areas and SC after canaloplasty, whereas UBM is capable of detecting deeper structures such as scleral lakes or intra‐canal‐sutures. The results imply a correlation of the dilation of SC with the IOP‐lowering effect and an early pronounced transscleral filtration following canaloplasty.
Navigating borders' multiplicity: the critical potential of assemblage
Authors: Sohn Christophe
Published: December 2015

Various critical and scholarly works have underlined the multiplicity of borders, or the idea that borders mean different things to different people. This paper discusses the potential of the concept of assemblage for better understanding the ontological multidimensionality intrinsic to borders. An assemblage is understood to be a heterogeneous and open‐ended grouping of elements that do not form a coherent whole that helps explain how different meanings emanating from various actors may interact and endure in a contingent and provisional way. It can be argued that such a topological approach may be well suited to highlight the overall significance of a border's identity beyond its diversity and on‐going transformation.
Dissociation between systemic and pulmonary anti‐inflammatory effects of dexamethasone in humans
Authors: Bartko Johann , Stiebellehner Leopold , Derhaschnig Ulla , Schoergenhofer Christian , Schwameis Michael , Prosch Helmut , Jilma Bernd
Published: December 2015

Aims

The local pulmonary inflammatory response has a different temporal and qualitative profile compared with the systemic inflammatory response. Although glucocorticoids substantially downregulate the systemic release of acute‐phase mediators, it is not clear whether they have comparable inhibitory effects in the human lung compartment. Therefore, we compared the anti‐inflammatory effects of a pure glucocorticoid agonist, dexamethasone, on bronchoalveolar lavage and blood cytokine concentrations in response to bronchially instilled endotoxin.

Methods

In this randomized, double‐blind and placebo‐controlled trial, 24 volunteers received dexamethasone or placebo and had endotoxin instilled into a lung segment and saline instilled into a contralateral segment, followed by bronchoalveolar lavage.

Results

Bronchially instilled endotoxin induced a local and systemic inflammatory response. Dexamethasone strongly blunted the systemic interleukin (IL) 6 and C‐reactive protein release. In sharp contrast, dexamethasone left the local release of acute‐phase mediators in the lungs virtually unchanged: bronchoalveolar lavage levels of IL‐6 were only 18% lower and levels of IL‐8 were even higher with dexamethasone compared with placebo, although the differences between treatments were not statistically significant (P = 0.07 and P = 0.08, respectively). However, dexamethasone had inhibitory effects on pulmonary protein extravasation and neutrophil migration.

Conclusions

The present study demonstrated a remarkable dissociation between the systemic anti‐inflammatory effects of glucocorticoids and its protective effects on capillary leak on the one hand and surprisingly low anti‐inflammatory effects in the lungs on the other.
Role of Aspirin and Dexamethasone against Experimentally Induced Depression in Rats
Authors: Bhatt Shailendra , Shukla Priyanka , Raval Jibril , Goswami Sunita
Published: December 2015

A large number of current studies indicate that inflammatory mediators may contribute to depression in experimental models as well as in human beings. Nevertheless, the subject, whether anti‐inflammatory treatments can prevent depression still remains controversial. In the present study, a chronic mild stress (CMS) model of male Sprague Dawley rats was used to investigate the role of anti‐inflammatory drugs in the treatment of depression. All the animals in different groups, except the normal control group, were exposed to CMS procedure for 28 days and concurrently treated with aspirin (10 mg/kg, p.o.), dexamethasone (1 mg/kg p.o.) and amitriptyline (10 mg/kg p.o., reference standard), respectively. Amitriptyline was also used in combination with aspirin and dexamethasone to inspect any synergistic effects. Tests performed towards the end of the study included sucrose preference test, behavioural tests like forced swim test, elevated plus‐maze, light/dark box, locomotor activity and biochemical estimations like serum cortisol and brain neurotransmitters. Disease control group (CMS‐treated) produced significant depressive behaviour in rats. The animals treated with aspirin showed increased sucrose preference, decreased immobility time in forced swim test, decreased serum cortisol and increased brain serotonin levels signifying antidepressant action. In contrast, there was aggravation of depressive behaviour in rats treated with dexamethasone. Together, these findings suggest that aspirin can serve as a potential antidepressant both individually and as adjunctive agent in the treatment of depression. Inhibition of the inflammatory mediators during stress procedures or any other potential physiological and biochemical mechanisms may be involved in its antidepressant effect.
A Personalist Ontological Approach to Synthetic Biology
Authors: Gómez‐Tatay Lucía , Hernández‐Andreu José Miguel , Aznar Justo
Published: December 2015

Although synthetic biology is a promising discipline, it also raises serious ethical questions that must be addressed in order to prevent unwanted consequences and to ensure that its progress leads toward the good of all. Questions arise about the role of this discipline in a possible redefinition of the concept of life and its creation. With regard to the products of synthetic biology, the moral status that they should be given as well as the ethically correct way to behave towards them are not clear. Moreover, risks that could result from a misuse of this technology or from an accidental release of synthetic organisms into the environment cannot be ignored; concerns about biosecurity and biosafety appear. Here we discuss these and other questions from a personalist ontological framework, which defends human life as an essential value and proposes a set of principles to ensure the safeguarding of this and other values that are based on it.
Determinants of Breastfeeding Practices and Success in a Multi‐Ethnic Asian Population
Authors: Pang Wei Wei , Aris Izzuddin M. , Fok Doris , Soh Shu‐E , Chua Mei Chien , Lim Sok Bee , Saw Seang‐Mei , Kwek Kenneth , Gluckman Peter D. , Godfrey Keith M. , van Dam Rob M. , Kramer Michael S. , Chong Yap‐Seng ,   the GUSTO Study Group
Published: December 2015

Background

Many countries in Asia report low breastfeeding rates and the risk factors for early weaning are not well studied. We assessed the prevalence, duration, and mode of breastfeeding (direct or expressed) among mothers of three Asian ethnic groups.

Methods

Participants were 1,030 Singaporean women recruited during early pregnancy. Data collected included early breastfeeding experiences, breastfeeding duration, and mode of breastfeeding. Full breastfeeding was defined as the intake of breast milk, with or without water. Cox regression models were used to identify factors associated with discontinuation of any and full breastfeeding. Logistic regression analyses assessed the association of ethnicity with mode of breastfeeding.

Results

At 6 months postpartum, the prevalence of any breastfeeding was 46 percent for Chinese mothers, 22 percent for Malay mothers, and 41 percent for Indian mothers; prevalence of full breastfeeding was 11, 2, and 5 percent, respectively. More Chinese mothers fed their infants expressed breast milk, instead of directly breastfeeding them, compared with the other two ethnic groups. Duration of any and full breastfeeding were positively associated with breastfeeding a few hours after birth, higher maternal age and education, and negatively associated with irregular breastfeeding frequency and being shown how to breastfeed. Adjusting for maternal education, breastfeeding duration was similar in the three ethnic groups, but ethnicity remained a significant predictor of mode of breastfeeding.

Conclusions

The low rates and duration of breastfeeding in this population may be improved with breastfeeding education and support, especially in mothers with lower education. Further work is needed to understand the cultural differences in mode of feeding and its implications for maternal and infant health.
Synthesis, in Vitro, and in Vivo Biological Evaluation and Molecular Docking Analysis of Novel 3‐(3‐oxo‐substitutedphenyl‐3‐)4‐(2‐(piperidinyl)ethoxy)phenyl)propyl)‐2H‐chromen‐2‐one Derivatives as Anti‐breast Cancer Agents
Authors: Dube Pritam N. , Waghmare Madhuri N. , Mokale Santosh N.
Published: December 2015

The analogs of coumarin–chalcones have been reported to exhibit antineoplastic, anti‐allergic, antihepatoprotective, and estrogenic activity. Herein, we have reported 3‐(3‐oxo‐substitutedphenyl‐3‐)4‐(2‐(piperidinyl)ethoxy)phenyl)propyl)‐2H‐chromen‐2‐one derivatives as a new class of compounds that exhibit selectivity for ER‐α binding along with antiproliferative and cytotoxic activity on human breast cancer cell line. The active compounds which show prominent activity against estrogen receptor‐alpha‐positive (ER+) human breast cancer cell lines MCF‐7 and Zr‐75‐1 are subjected to in vivo screening. The Glide XP docking was performed for designed scaffold to optimize its structural requirement for ER‐α inhibition.
Clinical and laboratory correlates of lung disease and cancer in adults with idiopathic hypogammaglobulinaemia
Authors: Brent J , Guzman D , Bangs C , Grimbacher B , Fayolle C , Huissoon A , Bethune C , Thomas M , Patel S , Jolles S , Alachkar H , Kumaratne D , Baxendale H , Edgar J D , Helbert M , Hambleton S , Arkwright P D
Published: December 2015

Idiopathic hypogammaglobulinaemia, including common variable immune deficiency (CVID), has a heterogeneous clinical phenotype. This study used data from the national UK Primary Immune Deficiency (UKPID) registry to examine factors associated with adverse outcomes, particularly lung damage and malignancy. A total of 801 adults labelled with idiopathic hypogammaglobulinaemia and CVID aged 18–96 years from 10 UK cities were recruited using the UKPID registry database. Clinical and laboratory data (leucocyte numbers and serum immunoglobulin concentrations) were collated and analysed using uni- and multivariate statistics. Low serum immunoglobulin (Ig)G pre-immunoglobulin replacement therapy was the key factor associated with lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) and history of LRTI was the main factor associated with bronchiectasis. History of overt LRTI was also associated with a significantly shorter delay in diagnosis and commencing immunoglobulin replacement therapy [5 (range 1–13 years) versus 9 (range 2–24) years]. Patients with bronchiectasis started immunoglobulin replacement therapy significantly later than those without this complication [7 (range 2–22) years versus 5 (range 1–13) years]. Patients with a history of LRTI had higher serum IgG concentrations on therapy and were twice as likely to be on prophylactic antibiotics. Ensuring prompt commencement of immunoglobulin therapy in patients with idiopathic hypogammaglobulinaemia is likely to help prevent LRTI and subsequent bronchiectasis. Cancer was the only factor associated with mortality. Overt cancer, both haematological and non-haematological, was associated with significantly lower absolute CD8+ T cell but not natural killer (NK) cell numbers, raising the question as to what extent immune senescence, particularly of CD8+ T cells, might contribute to the increased risk of cancers as individuals age.
Clinically occult primary fallopian tube carcinoma presenting as a malignant pleural effusion
Authors: Hiensch Robert , Meinhof Klaus , Leytin Anatoly , Hagopian George , Szemraj Eva , Epelbaum Oleg
Published: December 2015

We report the first known case of malignant pleural effusion (MPE) as the sole presenting feature of clinically occult primary fallopian tube carcinoma (PFTC). A 57‐year‐old healthy woman was admitted with dyspnea. Evaluation demonstrated a right pleural effusion, fluid of which was malignant. The immunohistochemical profile, including negative calretinin, favored metastatic adenocarcinoma over mesothelioma but could not identify the primary tumour site. Pleural biopsy was not pursued as it would not have helped localize the primary. Chest, abdomen and pelvic computed tomography (CT) demonstrated only borderline lymphadenopathy in the left para‐aortic lymph node chain that was hypermetabolic on positron emission tomography. Ultrasound and CT showed normal adnexal anatomy. These findings, coupled with an elevated serum CA‐125, prompted empiric neoadjuvant chemotherapy targeting epithelial ovarian carcinoma (EOC) followed by surgery, which revealed a tiny left PFTC with negative peritoneal washings. Sampled left para‐aortic lymph nodes were positive. The pleural effusion resolved after chemotherapy. Malignant pleural disease without peritoneal involvement is more characteristic of PFTC than of EOC, in which MPE is common but almost always accompanies peritoneal carcinomatosis. The extensive lymphatic supply of the fallopian tube promotes distant metastasis of small, seemingly localized tumours. This case is a reminder that the clinician should not be dissuaded from considering carcinoma of Müllerian origin, especially PFTC, as the cause of a MPE even in the face of normal gynecologic imaging. Appropriately broad immunohistochemical staining and careful attention to even minimal lymphadenopathy can be invaluable in pinpointing the primary tumour site in such patients.
Research START: A Multimethod Study of Barriers and Accelerators of Recruiting Research Participants
Authors: Stein Mark A. , Shaffer Michele , Echo‐Hawk Abigail , Smith Jody , Stapleton Ann , Melvin Ann
Published: December 2015

Under‐recruitment into clinical trials is a common and costly problem that undermines medical research. To better understand barriers to recruitment into clinical trials in our region, we conducted a multimethod descriptive study. We initially surveyed investigators who had conducted or were currently conducting studies that utilized an adult or pediatric clinical research center (n = 92). We then conducted focus groups and key informant interviews with investigators, coordinators, and other stakeholders in clinical and translational research (n = 32 individuals). Only 41% of respondents reported that they had or were successfully meeting recruitment goals and 24% of the closed studies actually met their targeted recruitment goals. Varied reasons were identified for poor recruitment but there was not a single investigator or study “phenotype” that predicted enrollment outcome. Investigators commonly recruited from their own practice or clinic, and 29% used a manual electronic medical record search. The majority of investigators would utilize a service that provides recruitment advice, including feasibility assessment and consultation, easier access to the electronic health record and assistance with institutional review board and other regulatory requirements. Our findings suggest potential benefits providing assistance across a range of services that can be individualized to the varied needs of clinical and translational investigators.
Children with autism are impaired in the understanding of teaching
Authors: Knutsen John , Mandell David S. , Frye Douglas
Published: December 2015

Children learn novel information using various methods, and one of the most common is human pedagogical communication or teaching – the purposeful imparting of information from one person to another. Neuro‐typically developing (TD) children gain the ability to recognize and understand teaching as a core method for acquiring knowledge from others. However, it is not known when children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) acquire the ability to recognize and understand teaching. This study (total N = 70) examined whether children with ASD recognize the two central elements that define teaching: (1) that teaching is an intentional activity; and (2) that teaching requires a knowledge difference between teacher and learner. Theory of mind understanding was also tested. Compared to individually matched TD children, high cognitively functioning children with ASD were impaired in their comprehension of both components of teaching understanding, and their performance was correlated with theory of mind understanding. These findings could have broad implications for explaining learning in children with autism, and could help in designing more effective interventions, which could ultimately lead to improved learning outcomes for everyday life skills, school performance, health, and overall well‐being.
Effectiveness of neuromuscular electrical stimulation during gait in children with cerebral palsy
Authors: Dayanidhi Sudarshan
Published: December 2015

This commentary is on the original article by Pool et al. on pages 492–501 of this issue.
Causes and pathways of cerebral palsy following neonatal encephalopathy in children born at term
Authors: Marret Stéphane
Published: December 2015

This commentary is on the original article by Garfinkle et al. on pages 189–194 of this issue.
Pain as a root of the problem: health‐related quality of life in children with cerebral palsy
Authors: Vargus‐Adams Jilda N
Published: December 2015

This commentary is on the original article by DiFazio et al. on pages 298–305of this issue.
Differentiating between language domains, cognition, and communication in children with cerebral palsy
Authors: Geytenbeek Johanna
Published: December 2015

This commentary is on the original article by Mei et al. on pages 605–611 of this issue.
Cortical speech and non‐speech discrimination in relation to cognitive measures in preschool children
Authors: Kuuluvainen Soila , Alku Paavo , Makkonen Tommi , Lipsanen Jari , Kujala Teija
Published: December 2015

Effective speech sound discrimination at preschool age is known to be a prerequisite for the development of language skills and later literacy acquisition. However, the speech specificity of cortical discrimination skills in small children is currently not known, as previous research has either studied speech functions without comparison with non‐speech sounds, or used much simpler sounds such as harmonic or sinusoidal tones as control stimuli. We investigated the cortical discrimination of five syllable features (consonant, vowel, vowel duration, fundamental frequency, and intensity), covering both segmental and prosodic phonetic changes, and their acoustically matched non‐speech counterparts in 63 6‐year‐old typically developed children, by using a multi‐feature mismatch negativity (MMN) paradigm. Each of the five investigated features elicited a unique pattern of differentiating negativities: an early differentiating negativity, MMN, and a late differentiating negativity. All five studied features showed speech‐related enhancement of at least one of these responses, suggesting experience‐related neural commitment in both phonetic and prosodic speech processing. In addition, the cognitive performance and language skills of the children were tested extensively. The speech‐related neural enhancement was positively associated with the level of performance in several neurocognitive tasks, indicating a relationship between successful establishment of cortical memory traces for speech and enhanced cognitive functioning. The results contribute to the understanding of typical developmental trajectories of linguistic vs. non‐linguistic auditory skills, and provide a reference for future studies investigating deficits in language‐related disorders at preschool age.
Human or Social Resources Management: Which Conditions ForceHRDepartments to Select the Right Employees for Organizational Social Capital?
Authors: Sozen H. Cenk , Varoglu Demet , Yeloglu H. Okan , Basim H. Nejat
Published: December 2015

This study examines in which cases organizations tend to form social capital, and explores how such attitude affects their recruitment strategies. This countrywide research project covering 158 firms located in 18 different cities was conducted to understand and to identify the variables which increase organizations' tendency to form social capital. A mixed methodological approach was adopted to reveal relationships between variables. The results show that dependency to state and suppliers, environmental uncertainty, rate of tenured staff in organizations, ownership status, conduct ofHRactivities by other departments or units and educational level ofHRstaff increase organizations' tendency to form social capital. Besides, it was found that organizational age, outsourcing ofHRactivities and centralizedHRdepartments are negatively associated with social capital.
Unexplained early onset epileptic encephalopathy: Exome screening and phenotype expansion
Authors: Allen Nicholas M. , Conroy Judith , Shahwan Amre , Lynch Bryan , Correa Raony G. , Pena Sergio D. J. , McCreary Dara , Magalhães Tiago R. , Ennis Sean , Lynch Sally A. , King Mary D.
Published: December 2015

Early onset epileptic encephalopathies (EOEEs) represent a significant diagnostic challenge. Newer genomic approaches have begun to elucidate an increasing number of responsible single genes as well as emerging diagnostic strategies. In this single‐center study, we aimed to investigate a cohort of children with unexplained EOEE. We performed whole‐exome sequencing (WES), targeting a list of 137 epilepsy‐associated genes on 50 children with unexplained EOEE. We characterized all phenotypes in detail and classified children according to known electroclinical syndromes where possible. Infants with previous genetic diagnoses, causative brain malformations, or inborn errors of metabolism were excluded. We identified disease‐causing variants in 11 children (22%) in the following genes: STXBP1 (n = 3), KCNB1 (n = 2), KCNT1, SCN1A, SCN2A, GRIN2A, DNM1, and KCNA2. We also identified two further variants (in GRIA3 and CPA6) in two children requiring further investigation. Eleven variants were de novo, and in one paternal testing was not possible. Phenotypes were broadened for some variants identified. This study demonstrates that WES is a clinically useful screening tool for previously investigated unexplained EOEE and allows for reanalysis of data as new genes are being discovered. Detailed phenotyping allows for expansion of specific gene disorders leading to epileptic encephalopathy and emerging sub‐phenotypes.
Targeting glycolysis in the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum
Authors: van Niekerk David D. , Penkler Gerald P. , du Toit Francois , Snoep Jacky L.
Published: December 2015

Glycolysis is the main pathway for ATP production in the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum and essential for its survival. Following a sensitivity analysis of a detailed kinetic model for glycolysis in the parasite, the glucose transport reaction was identified as the step whose activity needed to be inhibited to the least extent to result in a 50% reduction in glycolytic flux. In a subsequent inhibitor titration with cytochalasin B, we confirmed the model analysis experimentally and measured a flux control coefficient of 0.3 for the glucose transporter. In addition to the glucose transporter, the glucokinase and phosphofructokinase had high flux control coefficients, while for the ATPase a small negative flux control coefficient was predicted. In a broader comparative analysis of glycolytic models, we identified a weakness in the P. falciparum pathway design with respect to stability towards perturbations in the ATP demand.

Database

The mathematical model described here has been submitted to the JWS Online Cellular Systems Modelling Database and can be accessed at http://jjj.bio.vu.nl/database/vanniekerk1. The SEEK‐study including the experimental data set is available at DOI 10.15490/seek.1.investigation.56 (http://dx.doi.org/10.15490/seek.1.investigation.56).
Protease signaling in animal and plant‐regulated cell death
Authors: Salvesen Guy S. , Hempel Anne , Coll Nuria S.
Published: December 2015

This review aims to highlight the proteases required for regulated cell death mechanisms in animals and plants. The aim is to be incisive, and not inclusive of all the animal proteases that have been implicated in various publications. The review also aims to focus on instances when several publications from disparate groups have demonstrated the involvement of an animal protease, and also when there is substantial biochemical, mechanistic and genetic evidence. In doing so, the literature can be culled to a handful of proteases, covering most of the known regulated cell death mechanisms: apoptosis, regulated necrosis, necroptosis, pyroptosis and NETosis in animals. In plants, the literature is younger and not as extensive as for mammals, although the molecular drivers of vacuolar death, necrosis and the hypersensitive response in plants are becoming clearer. Each of these death mechanisms has at least one proteolytic component that plays a major role in controlling the pathway, and sometimes they combine in networks to regulate cell death/survival decision nodes. Some similarities are found among animal and plant cell death proteases but, overall, the pathways that they govern are kingdom‐specific with very little overlap.
Human fear acquisition deficits in relation to genetic variants of the corticotropin‐releasing hormone receptor 1 and the serotonin transporter — revisited
Authors: Heitland I. , Groenink L. , van Gool J. M. , Domschke K. , Reif A. , Baas J. M. P.
Published: December 2015

We recently showed that a genetic polymorphism (rs878886) in the human corticotropin‐releasing hormone receptor 1 (CRHR1) is associated with reduced fear‐conditioned responses to a threat cue. This is a potentially important finding considering that the failure to acquire fear contingencies can leave an individual in a maladaptive state of more generalized anxiety. Consistent with that idea, the CRHR1‐dependent fear acquisition deficit translated into heightened contextual anxiety when taking genetic variability within the serotonin transporter long polymorphic region (5‐HTTLPR) into account. To replicate our previous findings, we conducted a replication study in 224 healthy medication‐free human subjects using the exact same cue and context virtual reality fear‐conditioning procedure as in study by Heitland et al. (2013). In the replication study, consistent with the original findings, CRHR1 rs878886 G‐allele carriers showed reduced acquisition of cue‐specific fear‐conditioned responses compared with C/C homozygotes. Also, in this larger sample the cue acquisition deficit of G‐allele carriers translated into heightened contextual anxiety, even independent of 5‐HTT gene variation. In contrast to our earlier findings, there was an additional interaction effect of CRHR1 rs878886 and the triallelic 5‐HTTLPR/rs25531 variant on cued fear acquisition. In summary, this study replicated the initially reported association of the CRHR1 rs878886 G‐allele with cued fear acquisition deficits, albeit with a different pattern of results regarding the interaction with 5‐HTT variation. This further supports the notion that the human corticotropin‐releasing hormone plays a role in the acquisition of fears.
Multiple stressors, nonlinear effects and the implications of climate change impacts on marine coastal ecosystems
Authors: Hewitt Judi E. , Ellis Joanne I. , Thrush Simon F.
Published: December 2015

Global climate change will undoubtedly be a pressure on coastal marine ecosystems, affecting not only species distributions and physiology but also ecosystem functioning. In the coastal zone, the environmental variables that may drive ecological responses to climate change include temperature, wave energy, upwelling events and freshwater inputs, and all act and interact at a variety of spatial and temporal scales. To date, we have a poor understanding of how climate‐related environmental changes may affect coastal marine ecosystems or which environmental variables are likely to produce priority effects. Here we use time series data (17 years) of coastal benthic macrofauna to investigate responses to a range of climate‐influenced variables including sea‐surface temperature, southern oscillation indices (SOI, Z4), wind‐wave exposure, freshwater inputs and rainfall. We investigate responses from the abundances of individual species to abundances of functional traits and test whether species that are near the edge of their tolerance to another stressor (in this case sedimentation) may exhibit stronger responses. The responses we observed were all nonlinear and some exhibited thresholds. While temperature was most frequently an important predictor, wave exposure and ENSO‐related variables were also frequently important and most ecological variables responded to interactions between environmental variables. There were also indications that species sensitive to another stressor responded more strongly to weaker climate‐related environmental change at the stressed site than the unstressed site. The observed interactions between climate variables, effects on key species or functional traits, and synergistic effects of additional anthropogenic stressors have important implications for understanding and predicting the ecological consequences of climate change to coastal ecosystems.
Plant roots and GHG mitigation in native perennial bioenergy cropping systems
Authors: Jungers Jacob M. , Eckberg James O. , Betts Kevin , Mangan Margaret E. , Wyse Donald L. , Sheaffer Craig C.
Published: December 2015

Native perennial bioenergy crops can mitigate greenhouse gases (GHG) by displacing fossil fuels with renewable energy and sequestering atmospheric carbon (C) in soil and roots. The relative contribution of root C to net GHG mitigation potential has not been compared in perennial bioenergy crops ranging in species diversity and N fertility. We measured root biomass, C, nitrogen (N), and soil organic carbon (SOC) in the upper 90 cm of soil for five native perennial bioenergy crops managed with and without N fertilizer. Bioenergy crops ranged in species composition and were annually harvested for 6 (one location) and 7 years (three locations) following the seeding year. Total root biomass was 84% greater in switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) and a four‐species grass polyculture compared to high‐diversity polycultures; the difference was driven by more biomass at shallow soil depth (0–30 cm). Total root C (0–90 cm) ranged from 3.7 Mg C ha−1 for a 12‐species mixture to 7.6 Mg C ha−1 for switchgrass. On average, standing root C accounted for 41% of net GHG mitigation potential. After accounting for farm and ethanol production emissions, net GHG mitigation potential from fossil fuel offsets and root C was greatest for switchgrass (−8.4 Mg CO2e ha−1 yr−1) and lowest for high‐diversity mixtures (−4.5 Mg CO2e ha−1 yr−1). Nitrogen fertilizer did not affect net GHG mitigation potential or the contribution of roots to GHG mitigation for any bioenergy crop. SOC did not change and therefore did not contribute to GHG mitigation potential. However, associations among SOC, root biomass, and root C : N ratio suggest greater long‐term C storage in diverse polycultures vs. switchgrass. Carbon pools in roots have a greater effect on net GHG mitigation than SOC in the short‐term, yet variation in root characteristics may alter patterns in long‐term C storage among bioenergy crops.
Relationship between cardiac autonomic function and cognitive function in Alzheimer's disease
Authors: Nonogaki Zen , Umegaki Hiroyuki , Makino Taeko , Suzuki Yusuke , Kuzuya Masafumi
Published: December 2015

Aim

Alzheimer's disease (AD) affects many central nervous structures and neurotransmitter systems. These changes affect not only cognitive function, but also cardiac autonomic function. However, the functional relationship between cardiac autonomic function and cognition in AD has not yet been investigated. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the association between cardiac autonomic function measured by heart rate variability and cognitive function in AD.

Methods

A total of 78 AD patients were recruited for this study. Cardiac autonomic function was evaluated using heart rate variability analysis. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to model the association between heart rate variability and cognitive function (global cognitive function, memory, executive function and processing speed), after adjustment for covariates.

Results

Global cognitive function was negatively associated with sympathetic modulation (low‐to‐high frequency power ratio). Memory performance was positively associated with parasympathetic modulation (high frequency power) and negatively associated with sympathetic modulation (low‐to‐high frequency power ratio). These associations were independent of age, sex, educational years, diabetes, hypertension and cholinesterase inhibitor use.

Conclusions

Cognitive function, especially in the areas of memory, is associated with cardiac autonomic function in AD. Specifically, lower cognitive performance was found to be associated with significantly higher cardiac sympathetic and lower parasympathetic function in AD. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2017; 17: 92–98.
Contrasting effects of GPS device and harness attachment on adult survival of Lesser Black‐backed Gulls Larus fuscus and Great Skuas Stercorarius skua
Authors: Thaxter Chris B. , Ross‐Smith Viola H. , Clark Jacquie A. , Clark Nigel A. , Conway Greg J. , Masden Elizabeth A. , Wade Helen M. , Leat Eliza H. K. , Gear Sheila C. , Marsh Mike , Booth Chris , Furness Robert W. , Votier Steve C. , Burton Niall H. K.
Published: December 2015

Telemetry has become an important method for studying the biology and ecology of animals. However, the impact of tracking devices and their method of attachment on different species across multiple temporal scales has seldom been assessed. We compared the behavioural and demographic responses of two species of seabird, Lesser Black‐backed Gull Larus fuscus and Great Skua Stercorarius skua, to a GPS device attached using a crossover wing harness. We used telemetry information and monitoring of breeding colonies to compare birds equipped with a device and harness, and control birds without an attachment. We assessed whether tagged birds have lower short‐term breeding productivity or lower longer term overwinter return rates (indicative of overwinter survival) than controls. For Great Skua, we also assessed whether territory attendance within the breeding season differed between tagged and control birds. As with previous studies on Lesser Black‐backed Gull, we found no short‐term impacts on breeding productivity or long‐term impacts on overwinter return rates. For Great Skua, there was no evidence for impacts of the device and harness on territory attendance or breeding productivity. However, as found by a previous study of Great Skuas using a different (body) harness design, there was strong evidence of reduced overwinter return rates. Consequently, a device attached using a wing harness was considered suitable for long‐term deployment on Lesser Black‐backed Gulls, but not on Great Skuas. These findings will inform the planning of future tracking studies.
Alcohol use disorder hospitalisations over the last two decades: a population‐based cohort study
Authors: Liang W. , Chikritzhs T.
Published: December 2015

Background

Alcohol use disorders are risk factors for almost all health conditions due to heavy alcohol use. The epidemiology of alcohol use disorders can be used to monitor harm from heavy alcohol consumption.

Aim

To estimate changes in the risk of alcohol use disorders over the last two decades among the Western Australian adult population.

Methods

This population‐based cohort study used hospital separation records for Western Australian residents aged 18 years and older that occurred between 1990 and 2013 with a primary diagnosis of alcohol use disorder and annual estimated residential population to estimate the annual gender‐ and age‐specific incidence rate. A random sample of emergency presentations to public hospitals in Western Australia between 2002 and 2013 was used to account for confounding effects, such as changes in patient access to medical care and overall improvement in healthcare service in the multivariable Poisson regression model.

Results

The risk of alcohol use disorder hospitalisations among the Western Australia population has increased considerably since 1998 with a decline in 2012 and 2013. The average rate remained significantly higher from 2010 to 2013 compared with previous years.

Conclusions

The trend of alcohol use disorder hospitalisations is indicative of an increase in harm due to heavy alcohol use in the population.
Experience with Company Unions and their Treatment under the Wagner Act: A Four Frames of Reference Analysis
Authors: Kaufman Bruce E.
Published: December 2015

This paper reexamines American experience with company unions (also known as nonunion employee representation plans) before they were banned by the Wagner Act (1935). For the half‐century following the passage of the act, labor historians and industrial relations scholars painted a bleak portrait of company unions as anti‐union sham organizations. Since the 1980s, additional research has documented a more positive side; similarly, concern has grown that the Wagner Act's ban is stifling legitimate employee participation programs. This paper brings new theoretical and empirical evidence to both historical and legal parts of this debate, including examination of company unions through individualist, unitarist, pluralist, and radical frames; demonstration that the pluralists’ view of company unions was more diverse and positive than conventionally portrayed; presentation of new historical evidence and testimony on the company union experience; and a substantially revisionist assessment of the merits of the Wagner Act's ban. In particular, the conclusion is that, given any reasonable weighting of the four frames, the company union ban is overly restrictive and should be modified so companies can implement the positive side of nonunion employee committees but not the negative. The paper ends by noting that the unbalanced and narrowly critical treatment of company unions in the mainline industrial relations tradition is a case study of the field's perhaps fatal post–World WarIIcore intellectual‐normative contradiction—professed inclusiveness of all frames of employment relations but, in practice, attention to and preference for a narrow union‐centric version of one frame.
The Structure of the Permanent Job Wage Premium: Evidence from Europe
Authors: Kahn Lawrence M.
Published: December 2015

Using individual longitudinal European Community Household Panel data for thirteen countries during 1995–2001 and fixed‐effects models, I find for men, the permanent job wage premium is higher for younger workers and those who were noncitizens or foreign born; for women, the premium is higher for young workers, short‐tenure workers, and those who were noncitizens or foreign born. Thus, the gain to permanent employment is higher for those with less experience in the domestic labor market.
Reassessing Unmet Need for Family Planning in the Postpartum Period
Authors: Rossier Clémentine , Bradley Sarah E.K. , Ross John , Winfrey William
Published: December 2015

Despite renewed interest in postpartum family planning programs, the question of the time at which women should be expected to start contraception after a birth remains unanswered. Three indicators of postpartum unmet need consider women to be fully exposed to the risk of pregnancy at different times: right after delivery (prospective indicator), after six months of amenorrhea (intermediate indicator), and at the end of amenorrhea (classic indicator). DHS data from 57 countries in 2005–13 indicate that 62 percent (prospective), 43 percent (intermediate), and 32 percent (classic) of women in the first year after a birth have an unmet need for contraception (40 percent when including abstinence). While the protection afforded by postpartum abstinence and lactational amenorrhea lowers unmet need, further analysis shows that women also often rely on these methods without being actually protected. Programs should acknowledge these methods’ widespread use and inform women about their limits. Also, the respective advantages of targeting the postnatal period, the end of six months of amenorrhea/exclusive breastfeeding, or the resumption of sexual intercourse to offer contraceptive services should be tested.
Periodontitis prevalence and serum antibody reactivity to periodontal bacteria in primary Sjögren's syndrome: a pilot study
Authors: Lugonja Bozo , Yeo Lorraine , Milward Michael R. , Smith Diana , Dietrich Thomas , Chapple Iain L. C. , Rauz Saaeha , Williams Geraint P. , Barone Francesca , de Pablo Paola , Buckley Chris , Hamburger John , Richards Andrea , Poveda‐Gallego Ana , Scheel‐Toellner Dagmar , Bowman Simon J.
Published: December 2015

Aims

The aims of this study were as follows: (i) To assess the prevalence of periodontitis among patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) and comparator groups of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA). (ii) To perform a pilot study to compare serum antibody responses to 10 oral/periodontal bacteria in these patient groups and a historical comparator group of patients with periodontitis.

Materials and Methods

Standard clinical periodontal assessments were performed on 39 pSS, 36 RA and 23 OA patients and “In‐house” antibody ELISAs for serum antibodies against 10 oral/periodontal bacteria were performed in these groups.

Results

Forty‐six percent of the pSS group, 64% of the RA group and 48% of the OA group had moderate/severe periodontitis. These frequencies did not reach statistical significance between groups. Raised antibody levels to Prevotella denticola were found in the pSS, RA and periodontitis groups compared to the OA group. Significant between group differences were seen for Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Prevotella intermedia and Campylobacter showae. None of these differences were specifically associated with pSS.

Conclusion

This study showed no increase in periodontitis in pSS patients. Although the P. denticola data are of interest, identifying bacterial triggering factors for pSS will likely require alternative strategies including modern techniques such as microbiome analysis.
Stress response of Salmo salar (Linnaeus 1758) facing low abundance infestation of Caligus rogercresseyi (Boxshall & Bravo 2000), an object in the tank, and handling
Authors: González Gómez M P , Marín Arribas S L , Vargas‐Chacoff L
Published: December 2015

This study looks at how low infestation loads of adult Caligus rogercresseyi and other stressors affect the physiology of Salmo salar. Experimental fish groups were with (infested) or without (control) exposure to the parasite. The parasite cohort was followed for 78 days post‐infestation (dpi), and only adult lice were observed. Additional stressors were applied at 60 and 75 dpi. The analysis included measurements of fish physiology and weight. Low‐level infestations by adult C. rogercresseyi for more than 50 dpi induced moderate stress in S. salar as well as a high energy demand and increased small skin mucous cells. Threshold lice loads were identified, and above those loads, a high stress response was observed. Additional stressors altered fish physiology, inducing downregulation of the cortisol response after the first stressor and upregulation after the second stressor, but infested fish responded more strongly. Parasitism by C. rogercresseyi is energetically demanding, affecting the primary and secondary responses (e.g. cortisol and glucose levels), as well as the tertiary response (fish weight).