bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Communal coping and rumination in the aftermath of Chile earthquake: Multiple mediation analysis of the relationship between subjective severity and posttraumatic growth
Authors: García Felipe E. , Wlodarczyk Anna
Published: May 2018

Communal coping and collective participation were recently proposed as a potential mechanism that may favour not only individual's capacity to bounce back but also community cohesion and social well‐being and posttraumatic growth in the aftermath of natural disasters. To date, there is a lack of studies simultaneously assessing the effect of communal coping strategies and cognitive strategies on the development of posttraumatic growth. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the role of communal coping strategies and cognitive strategies such as intrusive and deliberated rumination as potential mediators between subjective severity of the event and posttraumatic growth and positive adjustment in the context of natural disaster. The questionnaire was administrated to 225 people affected by the most intense earthquake recorded in Chile in this century. The results of multiple mediation analysis showed that both cognitive strategies, such as deliberative rumination, and communal coping strategies, such as communal positive reappraisal and participation in spiritual rituals, are potential mediators between subjective severity and posttraumatic growth. Overall, the present work offers researchers and professionals interested in this area of study an interesting approach to analyse individual and collective coping strategies and its interrelation.
Ensure the marketplace of ideas stays open: Free speech on campus
Authors: Sutton Halley
Published: May 2018

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Free speech is not only an important backbone of American democracy but also an important part of higher education. But free speech can also create contentious moments on your campus, with emotions running high. To facilitate free speech, you need a plan for how to deal with all the possibilities, as well as ensure the safety of students, who have the right to protest speakers.
Lead unit with clear philosophy
Authors: Hope Joan
Published: May 2018

In the 28 years Bob Roberts has been chief of police at West Virginia University, he has led the unit as it more than doubled in size, became the first university department in the state to earn accreditation, gained a K9 unit and a bike patrol, and transitioned to a community policing model.
Understand the advantages of your campus when recruiting new officers
Authors: Sutton Halley
Published: May 2018

Recruiting new officers to work in law enforcement in higher education lends its own brand of challenges. In particular, the changing landscape and needs of law enforcement departments — including updated technology skills and an increased knowledge of mental health conditions and how to respond to those in crisis — require new officers with more competitive and marketable skills than in years prior.
Know who influences student‐athletes' expectations
Authors: McCarthy Claudine
Published: May 2018

Past studies revealed that student‐athletes develop perceived exchange agreements with their coaches, known as psychological contracts, which influence their attitudes toward their coach, team, and school. But, until now, little was known about student‐athletes' perceived obligations in these psychological contracts, and who else besides coaches have a significant influence.
Development of an assessment strategy in preclinical fixed prosthodontics course using virtual assessment software—Part 1
Authors: Sadid‐Zadeh Ramtin , Feigenbaum Dillon
Published: May 2018

The purpose of this study was to develop an assessment strategy for preclinical foxed prosthodontics using a virtual assessment software. This descriptive study examined 80 collected ivory teeth from previous classes prepared during preclinical fixed prosthodontics course. Ivory teeth prepared for the complete cast (tooth no. 46), metal ceramic (teeth nos 24 and 46), and all ceramic (tooth no. 21) crowns were scanned and superimposed with their respective standard preparations. Differences between these teeth and standard teeth prepared by faculty were computed using Compare software to generate comparison percentages. In addition, average finish line width, average total occlusal convergence, average axial wall height, and undercut presence/absence were quantified for student preparations using the software. Software‐generated values were then descriptively compared with faculty assessments. Comparison percentages aligned with faculty assessments for the amount of occlusal/incisal reduction and finish line location. The average axial wall height and finish line width calculated by Compare software were grouped based on their respective faculty assessment criteria. Software‐generated comparison percentages may be used to assess the amount of occlusal/incisal reduction and finish line location in student preparations. Additionally, averages extracted from Compare software could be used to assess student performance for axial wall height and finish line width.
Development of an assessment strategy in preclinical fixed prosthodontics course using virtual assessment software—Part 2
Authors: Sadid‐Zadeh Ramtin , Nasehi Amin , Davis Elaine , Katsavochristou Anastasia
Published: May 2018

The purpose of this study was to evaluate interrater agreement between faculty and virtual assessments of preparations for complete coverage restorations in preclinical fixed prosthodontics. Teeth prepared during preclinical fixed prosthodontics practical exams at the University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine were used in this study. Teeth were prepared for fabrication of complete cast, metal ceramic, and all ceramic crowns. The specimens were digitized using an intraoral scanner. Then, they were virtually superimposed on the corresponding standard preparations using Compare software. The software was used to quantify comparison percentages, average finish line widths, and average axial wall heights. Two calibrated faculty members assessed preparations for occlusal/incisal reduction, finish line location, axial wall height, and finish line width using traditional assessment forms. Cohen's kappa coefficient was used to measure interrater agreement between faculty and virtual assessments. Kappa interrater agreement scores ranged between 0.83 and 0.88 for virtually assessed comparison percentages and sums of faculty‐assessed occlusal/incisal reduction and finish line location. Kappa interrater agreement score ranges were 0.64–0.94 and 0.74–0.89 for comparisons of virtual and faculty assessments for axial wall height and finish line width, respectively. Virtual assessments are similar to faculty assessments for occlusal/incisal reduction, finish line location, axial wall height, and finish line width in fixed prosthodontics and can be used as equivalent evaluations of student performance for these criteria.
Disability resources in higher education, part 5: ‘A little help from my friends’
Authors: Thompson Tom L.
Published: May 2018

The work of disability resources in higher education is often unseen and not well‐understood. Consider the story below as a way of understanding some key elements of this work and how you can be a friend. My title is in part based on the Beatles' hit song “With a Little Help from My Friends.” This story is an analogy of how a person and a campus could experience one another and discover mutual benefits and joy.
Schools must provide nonacademic services to students with disabilities
Authors: Charmatz Marc
Published: May 2018

Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act applies to public entities, including state and community colleges. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act applies to programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance. Virtually all colleges and universities receive federal financial assistance, and “all of the operations of” a school are subject to Section 504. Most of the case law has focused on admission and expulsion, academic adjustments, auxiliary aids and services, and testing. See 34 C.F.R. 104.44. However, schools are also required to ensure nondiscrimination in nonacademic services — housing, health insurance, counseling, financial aid, physical education and athletics, recreation, transportation, and extracurricular activities. See 34 C.F.R. 104.43.
Manage accommodations with customized database
Authors: Hope Joan
Published: May 2018

If you're looking for a way to effectively manage accommodations, a database could help you. Miami University in Ohio's Students Accessing Miami system has accomplished those goals.
Empathize with your audience to share your story
Authors: Hope Joan
Published: May 2018

Hosting the television show Scientific American Frontiers made it clear to Alan Alda that many scientists aren't very good at communicating. In an effort to address that problem, Alda launched the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science at Stony Brook University. He also wrote the book If I Understood You, Would I Have This Look on My Face? My Adventures in the Art and Science of Relating and Communicating.
Caught in the web: Spider web architecture affects prey specialization and spider–prey stoichiometric relationships
Authors: Ludwig Lorraine , Barbour Matthew A. , Guevara Jennifer , Avilés Leticia , González Angélica L.
Published: May 2018

Quantitative approaches to predator–prey interactions are central to understanding the structure of food webs and their dynamics. Different predatory strategies may influence the occurrence and strength of trophic interactions likely affecting the rates and magnitudes of energy and nutrient transfer between trophic levels and stoichiometry of predator–prey interactions. Here, we used spider–prey interactions as a model system to investigate whether different spider web architectures—orb, tangle, and sheet‐tangle—affect the composition and diet breadth of spiders and whether these, in turn, influence stoichiometric relationships between spiders and their prey. Our results showed that web architecture partially affects the richness and composition of the prey captured by spiders. Tangle‐web spiders were specialists, capturing a restricted subset of the prey community (primarily Diptera), whereas orb and sheet‐tangle web spiders were generalists, capturing a broader range of prey types. We also observed elemental imbalances between spiders and their prey. In general, spiders had higher requirements for both nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) than those provided by their prey even after accounting for prey biomass. Larger P imbalances for tangle‐web spiders than for orb and sheet‐tangle web spiders suggest that trophic specialization may impose strong elemental constraints for these predators unless they display behavioral or physiological mechanisms to cope with nutrient limitation. Our findings suggest that integrating quantitative analysis of species interactions with elemental stoichiometry can help to better understand the occurrence of stoichiometric imbalances in predator–prey interactions.
High interspecific variation in nutrient excretion within a guild of closely related caddisfly species
Authors: Balik Jared A. , Taylor Brad W. , Washko Susan E. , Wissinger Scott A.
Published: May 2018

Understanding the amount of variation in functional traits between closely related species within guilds is critical for understanding links between community composition and ecosystem processes. Nutrient excretion is an important link between animals and their environments, and aquatic invertebrate communities can supply a considerable proportion of ecosystem nutrient demand via excretion. We quantified nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) excretion rates of 10 species of larval caddisflies that inhabit high‐elevation ponds and wetlands to determine the magnitude of variation in nutrient excretion within this guild. We found considerable interspecific variation in biomass‐specific excretion of nitrogen (eightfold differences), phosphorus (sevenfold differences), and the stoichiometric N:P ratios (fivefold differences). Through a meta‐analysis, we compared the variation within this guild to the variation found in other family‐level species assemblages to determine the overall range in the variation of nutrient excretion that could be expected across guilds and to determine whether the variation in this caddisfly guild is comparatively extreme, average, or low. The meta‐analysis revealed a large range in variation among guilds, and comparatively, the variation within this caddisfly guild is high for N excretion and intermediate for P excretion. The considerable variation within guilds revealed by our meta‐analysis suggests that functional redundancy among guild members is difficult to predict. Thus, some natural or human‐caused species gains or losses within biological groupings such as guilds and trophic levels could have little or no effect on ecosystem processes, whereas others could have very large effects.
Fish movement drives spatial and temporal patterns of nutrient provisioning on coral reef patches
Authors: Francis Fiona T. , Côté Isabelle M.
Published: May 2018

Nutrient provisioning by animals can be a major driver of primary productivity in ecosystems. Animal‐mediated nutrient sources are particularly important in nutrient‐poor systems such as coral reefs. However, aggregations of mobile animals might lead to temporal and spatial variability in local nutrient availability, which is not well understood. In this study, we quantified how patterns of fish movement and abundance influence the stability of nitrogen provisioning on Bahamian coral reefs. We empirically measured and modeled nitrogen excretion estimates for 16 coral reef fish communities and combined these measurements with fish abundance and behavioral observations to compare reef nutrient budgets on diel, monthly, and annual time scales. Diel reef nitrogen provisioning by fishes varied greatly, with diurnal rates being on average four times greater than nocturnal rates. Diurnal rates were highly variable among reefs and were driven primarily by migratory grunts (Haemulidae) resting over reefs during the day but foraging off reefs at night. At the reef scale, overall nitrogen excretion rates were correlated with grunt abundance; however, grunt abundance could not be predicted by any reef physical characteristics. Within‐reef grunt excretion rates changed little across a 4‐month period but varied significantly over two years, indicating that nutrient supply on a patch reef is not stable over long periods of time. Quantifying how nutrient provisioning on patch reefs is linked to fish activity and movement patterns and how provisioning varies on different spatial and temporal scales is important for understanding overall patterns of primary productivity on reefs.
The complexity of interacting nutritional drivers behind food selection, a review of northern cervids
Authors: Felton Annika M. , Wam Hilde K. , Stolter Caroline , Mathisen Karen M. , Wallgren Märtha
Published: May 2018

The research literature on food selection by large herbivores is extensive. Still, we are generally lacking in our knowledge of the influence of potentially interacting chemical contents of the food. We made a qualitative review of a systematic literature search of studies that empirically link chemical contents of food to the food selection by northern cervids (genera Alces, Capreolus, Cervus, Dama, Odocoileus, Rangifer). We found that although the majority of the 98 relevant studies measuring any given food constituent (energy, protein, fiber, minerals, plant secondary metabolites) provided support for it acting as a driver of food selection (in either a negative or positive way), there was little support for the traditional hypotheses of maximization or limitation of any single constituent. Rather, because of the animals’ need to acquire an appropriate intake of several constituents at the same time, our review highlights how new empirical studies need to focus on several food constituents in synchrony: (1) Study designs should capture sufficient variation in the content of food constituents in order to tease apart their many co‐variations; and (2) insights about nutritional drivers may be lost if one uses only composite currencies such as crude energy, crude fiber, ash, or tannins, which may mask contrasting selection patterns of the lumped constituents. Season had an apparent influence on the selection of some food constituents, particularly various fiber fractions. In contrast, our review revealed a lack of evidence that cervids more strongly select for protein in summer than they do in winter. Our overall conclusion of the review is that interacting chemical contents of food make the nutritional value of a given food type into a varying entity. To better elucidate this variation, we need new technologies that non‐invasively capture nutrient intake of free‐ranging animals, across seasons.
Crop rotational diversity increases disease suppressive capacity of soil microbiomes
Authors: Peralta Ariane L. , Sun Yanmei , McDaniel Marshall D. , Lennon Jay T.
Published: May 2018

Microbiomes can aid in the protection of hosts from infection and disease, but the mechanisms underpinning these functions in complex environmental systems remain unresolved. Soils contain microbiomes that influence plant performance, including their susceptibility to disease. For example, some soil microorganisms produce antimicrobial compounds that suppress the growth of plant pathogens, which can provide benefits for sustainable agricultural management. Evidence shows that crop rotations increase soil fertility and tend to promote microbial diversity, and it has been hypothesized that crop rotations can enhance disease suppressive capacity, either through the influence of plant diversity impacting soil bacterial composition or through the increased abundance of disease suppressive microorganisms. In this study, we used a long‐term field experiment to test the effects of crop diversity through time (i.e., rotations) on soil microbial diversity and disease suppressive capacity. We sampled soil from seven treatments along a crop diversity gradient (from monoculture to five crop species rotation) and a spring fallow (non‐crop) treatment to examine crop diversity influence on soil microbiomes including bacteria that are capable of producing antifungal compounds. Crop diversity significantly influenced bacterial community composition, where the most diverse cropping systems with cover crops and fallow differed from bacterial communities in the 1–3 crop species diversity treatments. While soil bacterial diversity was about 4% lower in the most diverse crop rotation (corn–soybean–wheat + 2 cover crops) compared to monoculture corn, crop diversity increased disease suppressive functional group prnD gene abundance in the more diverse rotation by about 9% compared to monocultures. In addition, disease suppressive potential was significantly diminished in the (non‐crop) fallow treatment compared to the most diverse crop rotation treatments. The composition of the microbial community could be more important than diversity to disease suppressive function in our study. Identifying patterns in microbial diversity and ecosystem function relationships can provide insight into microbiome management, which will require manipulating soil nutrients and resources mediated through plant diversity.
Associational refuge facilitates phase shifts to macroalgae in a coral reef ecosystem
Authors: Davis Samantha L.
Published: May 2018

Coral reefs are among the most diverse and productive marine ecosystems and are currently threatened by natural disturbances such as predator outbreaks and tropical storms that can facilitate community shifts from coral to macroalgae. Such shifts have received considerable attention since macroalgae are known to inhibit coral recruitment, and thus hinder or prevent recovery to the coral‐dominated state. It is critical to understand mechanisms that permit the establishment and persistence of macroalgae. Though many macroalgae are chemically and physically defended against herbivores as adults, these defenses may be lower during early life stages. One potential mechanism that could facilitate the establishment and persistence of macroalgae is an associational refuge whereby early life stages are protected from herbivory in close proximity of older, less palatable conspecifics. Using Turbinaria ornata as a model macroalga, I tested whether an associational refuge between different life stages could facilitate the establishment and long‐term persistence of Turbinaria in the lagoons of Moorea, French Polynesia. Results suggest that Turbinaria may only be limited by herbivory as recruits, which can lead to the establishment of Turbinaria if the alga survives the brief period when it is especially vulnerable to herbivores. I also tested whether vulnerable recruits experience a refuge from herbivory when they are associated with relatively unpalatable adults, and found that survival of recruits was higher when they were associated with adults than when alone. I also found that the value of a refuge can be spatially variable because the association with adults has a growth and survivorship cost to recruits where herbivory was low. These mechanisms can promote persistent macroalgal assemblages and limit the capacity of herbivores to control macroalgae and reverse a phase shift.
One way to increase enrollment
Authors: Dennis Marguerite J.
Published: May 2018

In their book That Used to Be Us: How America Fell Behind in the World It Invented and How We Came Back, authors Thomas L. Friedman and Michael Mandelbaum posit that the future of the United States rests firmly on the shoulders of our education system. However, the authors report that only 25 percent of high school graduates who enroll in an undergraduate degree program are prepared for college work, and approximately 40 percent are required to take remedial courses. Only 60 percent will graduate in six years. And companies spend more than $3 billion annually on remedial training. The book cites many additional negative statistics, all indications that unless things change, the United States will continue to fall farther and farther behind other countries.
Race‐conscious admission requires focus, evidence‐based results — not perfection
Authors: Sutton Halley
Published: May 2018

BOSTON — Colleges and universities have made progress addressing race in the admissions process, but they have a long way to go. “Even as there is work to do, there is much to celebrate,” said Shannon Gundy, director of undergraduate admissions at the University of Maryland. Gundy, along with Art Coleman, co‐founder of EducationCounsel; and Jerry Lucido, executive director for the University of Southern California Center for Enrollment Research, Policy, and Practice, spoke at the annual conference for the National Association for College Admission Counseling in a session that explored the pitfalls and best practices in incorporating or maintaining race‐conscious admissions strategies.
Natural Gas From US Shales Holding Down Prices in United States and Abroad
Authors: Willett Robert E.
Published: May 2018

Because the shale revolution in oil rolls on and on, undercutting international attempts to defuse it and defending us from imports, more and more associated gas from oil production continues to be produced, keeping gas prices low. Saudi Arabia and others have allowed oil prices to hike, and the current $70 a barrel is plenty to give many shale producers a sufficient profit motive.
Incentive Regulation 3.0 for Electric Utilities
Authors: Makholm Jeff D.
Published: May 2018

It is evident that the US electric utility business is in a period of regulatory change—with newsworthy “Utility of the Future” initiatives coming out of the best scholarly energy research institutes (at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom). There has also been great interest—both nationally and internationally—in the Reforming the Energy Vision (REV) initiative in New York. Driven in part by such activity, and in part by the stagnant load growth for electric utilities after the 2007–09 Great Recession, there is a new and evident resurgence of interest in incentive regulation.
FERC‐Regulated Gas Pipelines Facing Uncertainty
Authors: Smead Richard G.
Published: May 2018

The overall world of interstate gas pipeline development has involved a lot of major hurdles over the last few years, as the size and geography of the shale revolution led to a massive build‐out of the nation's energy infrastructure.
Investigating the impact of primary care payments on underdiagnosis in dementia: A difference‐in‐differences analysis
Authors: Mason Anne , Liu Dan , Kasteridis Panagiotis , Goddard Maria , Jacobs Rowena , Wittenberg Raphael , McGonigal Gerard
Published: May 2018

Objective

In England, two primary care incentive schemes were introduced to increase dementia diagnosis rates to two‐thirds of expected levels. This study assesses the effectiveness of these schemes.

Methods

We used a difference‐in‐differences framework to analyse the individual and collective impacts of the incentive schemes: (1) Directed Enhanced Service 18 (DES18: facilitating timely diagnosis of and support for dementia) and (2) the Dementia Identification Scheme (DIS). The dataset included 7529 English general practices, of which 7142 were active throughout the 10‐year study period (April 2006 to March 2016). We controlled for a range of factors, including a contemporaneous hospital incentive scheme for dementia. Our dependent variable was the percentage of expected cases that was recorded on practice dementia registers (the “rate”).

Results

From March 2013 to March 2016, the mean rate rose from 51.8% to 68.6%. Both DES18 and DIS had positive and significant effects. In practices participating in the DES18 scheme, the rate increased by 1.44 percentage points more than the rate for non‐participants; DIS had a larger effect, with an increase of 3.59 percentage points. These combined effects increased dementia registers nationally by an estimated 40 767 individuals. Had all practices fully participated in both schemes, the corresponding number would have been 48 685.

Conclusion

The primary care incentive schemes appear to have been effective in closing the gap between recorded and expected prevalence of dementia, but the hospital scheme had no additional discernible effect. This study contributes additional evidence that financial incentives can motivate improved performance in primary care.
The impact of psychomotor subtypes and duration of delirium on 6‐month mortality in hip‐fractured elderly patients
Authors: Bellelli Giuseppe , Carnevali Lucio , Corsi Maurizio , Morandi Alessandro , Zambon Antonella , Mazzola Paolo , Galeazzi Marianna , Bonfanti Alessandra , Massariello Francesca , Szabo Hajnalka , Oliveri Giulia , Haas Justin , d'Oro Luca Cavalieri , Annoni Giorgio
Published: May 2018

Objective

Studies exploring the incidence and impact of the psychomotor subtypes of postoperative delirium (POD) on the survival of hip fracture patients are few, and results are inconsistent. We sought to assess the incidence of POD subtypes and their impact, in addition to delirium duration, on 6‐month mortality in older patients after hip‐fracture surgery.

Methods

This is a prospective study involving 571 individuals admitted to an Orthogeriatric Unit within a 5‐year period with a diagnosis of hip fracture. Survival status was assessed 6 months after posthip fracture surgery. Postoperative delirium was diagnosed using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Postoperative delirium subtypes were classified according to Lipowski's criteria. Cox regressions were used to evaluate the associations between POD subtypes, POD duration, and 6‐month mortality, adjusting for covariates.

Results

The incidence of psychomotor POD subtypes was hypoactive 57 (10.0%), hyperactive 84 (14.7%), and mixed 79 (13.8%). Six‐month mortality rates were 8.3%, 10.7%, 36.8%, and 29.1% in the no‐delirium, hyperactive, hypoactive, and mixed‐delirium subgroups, respectively. In adjusted models, the hypoactive subgroup (Hazard Ratio, HR = 3.14, 95% Confidence Intervals, CI, 1.63‐6.04) and mixed subgroup (HR = 2.89, 95% CI, 1.49‐5.62) showed high mortality rates and a significantly increased risk of mortality associated with POD duration as well.

Conclusions

Hyperactive delirium was the most common POD psychomotor subtype, but hypoactive and mixed POD were associated with 6‐month mortality risk. Moreover, the risk of death 6 months after surgery increased for both subgroups (hypoactive and mixed) with increasing duration of POD.
The course of apathy in late‐life depression treated with electroconvulsive therapy; a prospective cohort study
Authors: Carlier A. , van Exel E. , Dols A. , Bouckaert F. , Sienaert P. , ten Kate M. , Wattjes M.P. , Vandenbulcke M. , Stek M.L. , Rhebergen D.
Published: May 2018

Objectives

Apathy, a lack of motivation, is frequently seen in older individuals, with and without depression, with substantial impact on quality of life. This prospective cohort study of patients with severe late‐life depression treated with electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) aims to study the course of apathy and the predictive value of vascular burden and in particular white matter hyperintensities on apathy course.

Methods

Information on apathy (defined by a score of >13 on the Apathy Scale), depression severity, vascular burden, and other putative confounders was collected in at 2 psychiatric hospitals on patients with late‐life depression (aged 55 to 87 years, N = 73). MRI data on white matter hyperintensities were available in 52 patients. Possible risk factors for apathy post‐ECT were determined using regression analyses.

Results

After treatment with ECT, 52.0% (26/50) of the depression remitters still suffered from clinically relevant apathy symptoms. In the entire cohort, more patients remained apathetic (58.9%) than depressed (31.5%). Presence of apathy post‐ECT was not associated with higher age, use of benzodiazepines, or severity of apathy and depression at baseline. Less response in depressive symptomatology after ECT predicted post‐treatment apathy. The presence of vascular disease, diabetes mellitus and smoking, and white matter hyperintensities in the brain was not associated with post‐treatment apathy.

Conclusions

Apathy may perpetuate in individual patients, despite remission of depressive symptoms. In this cohort of patients with late‐life depression, post‐ECT apathy is not associated with white matter hyperintensities.
Single‐ and dual‐task performance during on‐the‐road driving at a low and moderate dose of alcohol: A comparison between young novice and more experienced drivers
Authors: Jongen Stefan , van der Sluiszen Nick N.J.J.M. , Brown Dennis , Vuurman Eric F.P.M.
Published: May 2018

Driving experience and alcohol are two factors associated with a higher risk of crash involvement in young novice drivers. Driving a car is a complex task involving multiple tasks leading to dividing attention. The aim of this study was to compare the single and combined effects of a low and moderate dose of alcohol on single‐ and dual‐task performance between young novice and more experienced young drivers during actual driving. Nine healthy novice drivers were compared with 9 more experienced drivers in a three‐way, placebo‐controlled, cross‐over study design. Driving performance was measured in actual traffic, with standard deviation of lateral position as the primary outcome variable. Secondary task performance was measured with an auditory word learning test during driving. Results showed that standard deviation of lateral position increased dose‐dependently at a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.2 and 0.5 g/L in both novice and experienced drivers. Secondary task performance was impaired in both groups at a BAC of 0.5 g/L. Furthermore, it was found that driving performance in novice drivers was already impaired at a BAC of 0.2 g/L during dual‐task performance. The findings suggest that young inexperienced drivers are especially vulnerable to increased mental load while under the influence of alcohol.
A 14;19 TRANSLOCATION IN B‐CELL CHRONIC LYMPHOCYTIC LEUKEMIA: A NEW RECURRING CHROMOSOME ABERRATION
Authors: UESHIMA Yoshimi , BIRD Mary Lourdes , VARDIMAN James W. , ROWLEY Janet D.
Published: May 2018

Four of 30 patients with a diagnosis of B‐CLL or prolymphocytic transformation of CLL, who had an adequate cytogenetic analysis, had abnormalities involving 14q32. Three of the 4 had a translocation involving chr. 19; in 2 of them it appeared to be t(14;19) (q32;q13‐1). The third patient probably had the same translocation. All 3 patients had received therapy prior to cytogenetic analysis.
ESTABLISHMENT AND CHARACTERIZATION OF HUMAN MYELOMONOCYTIC (TYS) AND HISTIOCYTIC (TYH) CELL LINES
Authors: HARANAKA Katsuyuki , SATOMI Nobuko , SAKURAI Akiko , HARANAKA Ruriko , MASUDA Etsuko , EZOE Hisanori , OBARA Tadashi , MIWA Shiro
Published: May 2018

Two human hematopoietic cell lines (TYS and TYH) with monocytic characteristics were derived from the peripheral blood of a patient with acute myelomonocytic leukemia and of another with a follicular large‐cell type of malignant lymphoma. The TYS cells, derived from the leukemia patient, revealed a monocytic appearance with microvilli at one side and had many granules and vacuoles. They showed strongly positive reactions with α‐NBE, NASDAE, and AcP, and were reactive with monoclonal antibodies such as Oklal, 12 and B1. The TYS cells, which phagocytized carbon particles and antibody‐coated SRBC but not latex particles, released lysosomal enzymes and tu‐ moricidal factor into the supernatant. The TYH cells, derived from the malignant lymphoma patient, had abundant cytoplasm and pseudopods detectable by electron microscopy with a monocytoid appearance and virus‐like particles in the cytoplasm. They showed strongly positive reactions with α‐NBE, NASDAE and β‐Gase, but no reactivity with monoclonal antibodies or with surface markers except Fc‐γ‐R. TYH cells phagocytized latex particles very well. Two different human monocyte‐histiocyte lineages were thus established. During culture, the TYS and TYH cells maintained their characteristics over 28 and 16 months of Passage, respectively.
TISSUE‐SPECIFIC MARKERS IN FLOW CYTOMETRY OF UROLOGICAL CANCERS: CYTOKERATINS IN BLADDER CARCINOMA
Authors: FEITZ W.F.J. , BECK H.L.M. , SMEETS A.W.G.B. , DEBRUYNE F.M.J. , VOOIJS G.P. , HERMAN C.J. , RAMAEKERS F.C.S.
Published: May 2018

Thirty‐eight transitional‐cell carcinomas (TCC) were analyzed by flow cytometry (FCM) using propidium iodide for DNA analysis and antibodies to cytokeratin by indirect immunofluorescence. By means of two‐dimensional FCM analysis, cytokeratin‐positive tumor cells could be analysed separately from cytokeratin‐negative stromal and inflammatory cells. This resulted in an 18% increase in sensitivity of FCM detection of aneuploidy (10/38 samples with one‐parameter DNA analysis versus 15/38 samples with two‐parameter DNA and cytokeratin analysis). In addition, S‐phase could be determined in the 15 aneuploid samples by means of two‐parameter analysis where this was not possible using only DNA content because of the overlap of diploid and aneuploid populations. FCM analysis allowed quantification of the percentage of tumor cells expressing cytokeratin 18 which has previously been shown to correlate quantitatively with higher grade, higher stage TCC. The quantitative measurement of tumor‐cell expression of cytokeratin 18 by FCM analysis appears to provide additional information of potential prognostic value, independent of tumor‐cell ploidy and proliferative fractions.
TWO CEA AND THREE NCA SPECIES, ALTHOUGH DISTINGUISHABLE BY MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES, HAVE NEARLY IDENTICAL PEPTIDE PATTERNS
Authors: GRUNERT Fritz , ABUHARFEIL Nizar , SCHWARZ Klaus , VON KLEIST Sabine
Published: May 2018

In perchloric acid extracts of normal lung and colonic tumors, 3 NCA molecules were identified by monoclonal antibodies that cross‐reacted with CEA, which itself gave 2 bands in SDS‐PAGE. The proteins had molecular weights of 50, 75 and 97 kd, while the 2 CEA molecules banded at 180 and 160 kd in SDS‐PAGE. No MAb recognized only one molecule, with the exception of MAb 3/13 which precipitated solely the upper CEA band. Analysis of the biochemical relationship of the cross‐reactive antigens showed that none of them contained any internal methionine. Furthermore, after digestion by thermolysine, the peptide maps of the Immunoprecipitated molecules showed very close similarities, if not identity. When the cross‐reactive and the CEA were compared, the only differences found were in the upper CEA band, which apparently lacked one hydrophobic peptide, while the 97 kd cross‐reacting protein showed one extra peptide. We conclude from our results that CEA and the cross‐reacting molecules are composed of nearly identical, small (i.e. less than 50 kd) polypeptide chains.
Mr75,000 PROTEIN, A TUMOR MARKER IN RENAL ADENOCARCINOMA, REACTING WITH ANTIBODIES TO A SYNTHETIC PEPTIDE BASED ON A CLONED HUMAN ENDOGENOUS RETROVIRAL NUCLEOTIDE SEQUENCE
Authors: WAHLSTRÖM T. , NÄRVÄNEN A. , SUNI J. , PAKKANEN R. , LEHTONEN T. , SAKSELA E. , VAHERI A. , COPELAND T. , COHEN M. , OROSZLAN S.
Published: May 2018

Using a rabbit antiserum to a synthetic undecapeptide deduced from a cloned human retroviral gaggene‐related DNA sequence, we found a specific immunohistochemical reaction in all of 42 tested renal‐cell adenocarcinomas (RCC), while none of 17 similarly tested Wilms' tumors and 65 carcinomas at other sites were positive. The RCC included two cases that presented with distant metastases. It had not been possible to establish the origin of these until immunohistochemical staining revealed this typical reaction. Subsequent renal angiography disclosed the primary. In immunoblotting the antiserum detected an Mr75,000 protein in RCC tissue, and this reaction was blocked by the undecapeptide. The usefulness of this protein as a tumor marker for RCC is discussed.
ARACHIDONIC ACID METABOLISM IN MURINE FIBROSARCOMA CELLS WITH DIFFERING IN VIVO AND IN VITRO CHARACTERISTICS
Authors: FLIGIEL Suzanne E. G. , PERONE Patricia , VARANI James
Published: May 2018

Arachidonic acid metabolism was examined in a series of strongly malignant murine fibrosarcoma cell lines and in a series of weakly malignant lines isolated from the same tumors. The cells were examined in the unstimulated state and after stimulation with 12‐0‐tetradecanoyl phorbol acetate (TPA), laminin or fibronectin . All 3 agents were known from previous studies to induce adherence and motility in the murine fibrosarcoma cells. When the cells were prelabelled with 3H‐arachidonic acid, all 3 agents stimulated the release of radioactivity into the supernatant fluids. The response to TPA was rapid while the response was slower but sustained when either laminin or fibronectin was used as the stimulating agent. This is of interest because TPA induces a rapid but transient adherence response in the same cells while laminin and fibronectin induce a slow, sustained response. Examination by radioimmunoassay procedures indicated that both control cells and stimulated cells were able to produce a variety of lipoxygenase and cyclooxygenase metabolites. In quantitative terms, the strongly Malignant cells were more active than their weakly malignant counterparts. They released greater amounts of radioactivity into the supernatant fluid and produced a greater quantity of arachidonic acid Metabolites, particularly prostaglandin E2, than did the corresponding weakly malignant cells. This is of interest because previous studies have shown that while both the strongly and weakly malignant cells respond in the adherence assay to TPA, laminin and fibronectin, only the strongly malignant cells demonstrate directional motility (chemotaxis and haptetaxis).
Reorganization of equivalence classes: effects of preliminary training and meaningful stimuli
Authors: Arntzen Erik , Nartey Richard K. , Fields Lanny
Published: May 2018

In Condition 1, adults learned the baseline relations for the three equivalence classes A1‐B1‐C1‐D1‐E1, A2‐B2‐C2‐D2‐E2, and A3‐B3‐C3‐D3‐E3. Classes contained abstract shapes in the ABS and four preliminary training groups. Each class in the PIC group contained one picture and four abstract shapes. Before class formation for four other groups, preliminary training involved establishing identity (CC) or arbitrary (CX) relations either with or without a delay. Without preliminary training, classes formed with low and high likelihoods in the ABS and PIC groups, respectively. Preliminary training with no delay produced modest increases in class formation, while preliminary training with delay produced large increases in class formation. Condition 2 replicated Condition 1 but with training of reassigned BC and CD relations that linked C from one class to B and D from another class: B1‐C2, B2‐C3, B3‐C1, C2‐D1, C3‐D2, and C1‐D3. Subsequent tests assessed the emergence of the reorganized classes A1‐B1‐C2‐D1‐E1, A2‐B2‐C3‐D2‐E2, and A3‐B3‐C1‐D3‐E3. All preliminary training procedures increased likelihood of forming the reorganized classes to the level seen in the PIC group. Greater gains were produced by preliminary training with no delays than with delays. Test performances also showed how preliminary training influenced baseline acquisition speed and participant‐defined relations.
Comparative analysis and optimization of protocols for producing recombinant lentivirus carrying the anti‐Her2 chimeric antigen receptor gene
Authors: Yuan Weihua , Chen Jie , Cao Ying , Yang Lingcong , Shen Luxi , Bian Qi , Bin Shufang , Li Panyuan , Cao Jiawei , Fang Hezhi , Gu Haihua , Li Hongzhi
Published: May 2018

Background

The production of anti‐Her2 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells needs to be optimized to make it a reliable therapy.

Methods

Three types of lentiviral vectors expressing anti‐Her2 CAR together with packaging plasmids were co‐transfected into 293 T‐17 cells. The vector with the best packaging efficiency was selected, and the packaging cell culture system and packaging plasmid system were optimized. Centrifugation speed was optimized for the concentration of lentivirus stock. The various purification methods used included membrane filtration, centrifugation with a sucrose cushion and the novelly‐designed instantaneous high‐speed centrifugation. The recombinant lentiviruses were transduced into human peripheral T cells with an optimized multiplicity of infection (MOI). CAR expression levels by three vectors and the efficacy of CAR‐T cells were compared.

Results

When co‐transfected, packaging cells in suspension were better than the commonly used adherent culture condition, with the packaging system psPAX2/pMD2.G being better than pCMV‐dR8.91/pVSV‐G. The optimal centrifugation speed for concentration was 20 000 g, rather than the generally used ultra‐speed. Importantly, adding instantaneous centrifugation for purification significantly increased human peripheral T cell viability (from 13.25% to 62.80%), which is a technical breakthrough for CAR‐T cell preparation. The best MOI value for transducing human peripheral T cells was 40. pLVX‐EF1a‐CAR‐IRES‐ZsGreen1 expressed the highest level of CAR in human peripheral T cells and the cytotoxicity of CAR‐T cells reached 63.56%.

Conclusions

We optimized the preparation of recombinant lentivirus that can express third‐generation anti‐Her2 CAR in T cells, which should lay the foundation for improving the efficacy of CAR‐T cells with respect to killing target cells.
An investigation of the benefits and barriers of e‐business adoption activities in Yemeni SMEs
Authors: Abdullah Ahmed , Thomas Brychan , Murphy Lyndon , Plant Eoin
Published: May 2018

Yemeni small‐ and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) are at the early stages of e‐business adoption and their owners and managers need to be supported to gain an understanding of the benefits that their business can achieve from adopting e‐business. Yemeni SMEs are at the early stages of e‐business adoption. The delay in adopting more advanced e‐business solutions are due to factors including the comparatively low level of technology usage within the organization, lack of qualified staff available to develop, implement and support firms’ websites, and limited financial resources. A lack of computer software and hardware resources appears to have a detrimental effect on e‐business adoption amongst Yemeni SMEs.
Making it happen: The pivotal role of knowledge sharing for information technology deployment success during joint venture change
Authors: Eaves1 Sally , Kumar Vikas , White Gareth R. T. , Loonam John
Published: May 2018

Tacit and explicit knowledge sharing must be continually cultivated to enable information technology implementation success. Effective information technology deployment necessitates a holistic focus beyond technical and legacy factors to include social, organizational, political, and interpersonal dimensions. Attention to cultural integration is a critical component of managing joint venture change and building employee engagement, perception of legitimacy and knowledge sharing norms. Individual employees occupy a key role in determining intended strategic impacts by committing to and enacting change efforts, particularly though making discretionary decisions to share their knowledge or alternatively to hoard, hide or disengage from sharing; an outcome which may be influenced by perceptions on knowledge ownership and value.
In vitro assessment of the factors that determine the activity of the rumen microbiota for further applications as inoculum
Authors: Belanche Alejandro , Palma‐Hidalgo Juan M , Nejjam Ibtissam , Serrano Rosa , Jiménez Elisabeth , Martín‐García Ignacio , Yáñez‐Ruiz David R
Published: May 2018

BACKGROUND

The rumen microbiota has been used as inoculum for in vitro studies and as a probiotic to improve productivity in young animals. However, great variability across studies has been noted depending on the inoculum considered. The present study aims to assess the relevance of different factors (microbial fraction, collection time, donor animal diet, fermentation substrate and inoculum preservation method) to maximize the rumen inoculum activity and set the standards for further in vitro and in vivo applications.

RESULTS

Rumen inoculum sampled at 3 h after feeding led to greater microbial growth and activity [+12% volatile fatty acid (VFA), +17% ammonia] compared to before feeding. Similar results were noted when rumen liquid or rumen content were used as inocula. Rumen inoculum adapted to concentrate diets increased microbial activity (+19% VFA) independently of the substrate used in vitro. Freezing‐thawing the inoculum, in comparison to fresh inoculum, decreased microbial activity (−14% VFA, −96% ammonia), anaerobic fungi and protozoa, with holotrichs protozoa being particularly vulnerable. Inoculum lyophilization had a stronger negative effect on microbial activity (−51% VFA) and delayed re‐activation of the microbes, leading to lower levels of methanogens and anaerobic fungi, as well as almost complete wipe out of rumen protozoa.

CONCLUSIONS

Fresh rumen fluid sampled at 3 h after feeding from donor animals that were fed concentrate diets should be chosen when the aim is to provide the most diverse and active rumen microbial inoculum. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry