bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Peristaltic transport of a Jeffrey fluid under the effect of gravity field and rotation in an asymmetric channel with magnetic field
Authors: Abd-Alla A.M. , Abo-Dahab S.M. , Alsharif Abdullah
Published: October 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study the peristaltic flow of a Jeffrey fluid in an asymmetric channel, subjected to gravity field and rotation in the presence of a magnetic field. The channel asymmetry is produced by choosing the peristaltic wave train on the walls to have different amplitude and phase. The flow is investigated in a wave frame of reference moving with the velocity of the wave. Involved problems are analyzed through long wavelength and low Reynolds number.

Design/methodology/approach

The analytical expressions for the pressure gradient, pressure rise, stream function, axial velocity and shear stress have been obtained. The effects of Hartmann number, the ratio of relaxation to retardation times, time-mean flow, rotation, the phase angle and the gravity field on the pressure gradient, pressure rise, streamline, axial velocity and shear stress are very pronounced and physically interpreted through graphical illustrations. Comparison was made with the results obtained in the asymmetric and symmetric channels.

Findings

The results indicate that the effect of the Hartmann number, the ratio of relaxation to retardation times, time-mean flow, rotation, the phase angle and the gravitational field are very pronounced in the phenomena.

Originality/value

In the present work, the authors investigate gravity field, and rotation through an asymmetric channel in the presence of a magnetic field has been analyzed. It also deals with the effect of the magnetic field and gravity field of peristaltic transport of a Jeffrey fluid in an asymmetric rotating channel.
Joint effects of job demands and job resources on vocational teachers’ innovative work behavior
Authors: Messmann Gerhard , Stoffers Jol , Van der Heijden Beatrice , Mulder Regina H.
Published: October 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate interactions of job demands and job resources in the facilitation of innovative work behavior (IWB). In particular, the paper aims at researching interactive effects of psychological empowerment and participative safety and their potential to buffer negative effects of job demands.

Design/methodology/approach

A cross-sectional questionnaire study with 239 vocational teachers was carried out. For hypotheses testing, multiple linear regression models were analyzed.

Findings

The study provides evidence for psychological empowerment and participative safety as individual and interactive predictors of IWB. Furthermore, the findings indicate that effects of job demands are substantially more positive when psychological empowerment is high and, conversely, when participative safety is low.

Research limitations/implications

Future studies should address the issues of the current study using a longitudinal approach and additional data sources. Moreover, concerning generalizability, future studies could move beyond the current study context of innovative vocational colleges and teachers.

Practical implications

The paper highlights the importance of creating resourceful work environments, which empower employees and provide fellowship and minority acceptance. Furthermore, the findings call for paying attention to individually varying perceptions of job demands and corresponding needs for compensatory job resources.

Originality/value

The study adds to closing the gap of lacking insight into interactions among established predictors of IWB. In particular, this regards interactions among demanding and resourceful characteristics of the work environment that need to be balanced in order to activate proactive behaviors such as IWB.
How does social isolation in a context of dirty work increase emotional exhaustion and inhibit work engagement? A process model
Authors: Bentein Kathleen , Garcia Alice , Guerrero Sylvie , Herrbach Olivier
Published: October 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the consequences of experiencing social isolation in a context of dirty work. Relying on an integration of the job demands-resources model (Schaufeli and Bakker, 2004) with the social identity approach (Ashforth and Kreiner, 1999), the paper posits that perceived social isolation prevents the development of defense mechanisms that could counter the occupational stigma, and thus tends to increase perceptions of stigmatization, and to decrease perceptions of the prosocial impact of their work. Through these two perceptions, perceived social isolation indirectly affects emotional exhaustion and work engagement.

Design/methodology/approach

Research hypotheses are tested among a sample of 195 workers in the commercial cleaning industry who execute physically tainted tasks.

Findings

Results support the research model. Perceived prosocial impact mediates the negative relationship between perceived social isolation and work engagement, and perceived stigmatization mediates the positive relationship between perceived social isolation and emotional exhaustion.

Research limitations/implications

This research contributes to the dirty work literature by empirically examining one of its implicit assumptions, namely, that social isolation prevents the development of coping strategies. It also contributes to the literature on well-being and work engagement by demonstrating how they are affected by the social context of work.

Originality/value

The present paper is the first to study the specific challenges of social isolation in dirty work occupations and its consequences.
Team characteristics and leadership training participation
Authors: Solansky Stephanie , McIver Derrick
Published: October 2017

Purpose

By relying on social learning theory, the authors aim to evaluate how team characteristics as evaluated by a team coach impact participation in leadership development program activities. Specifically, the authors hypothesize that teams with high levels of competence and social support would participate more team and program-wide training activities.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors examine 41 teams (266 participants) in a leadership development program and develop a two-by-two matrix to categorize teams based on their underlying characteristics for the purpose of identifying participation differences.

Findings

The mixed results indicate how team social support is a key driver for participation in team activities and how team competence is associated with less participation in program-wide activities in a leadership development program.

Practical implications

The results point to the importance of team characteristics when using teams for education and training programs such as leadership development programs. Team characteristics such as team competence and team social support should be considered when building teams and for team facilitation needs during education and training programs that implore teams to enhance learning.

Originality/value

Although the use of teams as an organizing strategy is popular, very little research has examined the effectiveness of this strategy by taking a deeper look at team characteristics and how these impact participation in a leadership development program.
The role of topic‐related background knowledge in visual attention to illustration and children's word learning during shared book reading
Authors: Kaefer Tanya
Published: October 2017

The purpose of this study was to examine how background knowledge of a topic may influence children's attention to different elements of storybook illustrations and how that influences word learning. Forty‐one kindergarten students were administered a test about a familiar topic (i.e., birds). Participants were then read either a fictional story about a familiar topic (birds) or a fictional story about a novel topic (wugs) on an eye‐tracker monitor. Results suggest that, for children who heard the familiar story, those who knew more about the category were faster to orient to the illustration of the novel word than children with lower background knowledge. Accordingly, children who were faster to orient to the illustration were more likely to learn the word. These results may suggest that one mechanism by which background knowledge improves implicit learning in shared‐book reading contexts is by guiding attention to the named elements of the illustrations.
Plant Phenolics Extraction from Flos Chrysanthemi: Response Surface Methodology Based Optimization and the Correlation Between Extracts and Free Radical Scavenging Activity
Authors: Wu Yanfang , Wang Xinsheng , Xue Jintao , Fan Enguo
Published: October 2017

Huaiju is one of the most famous and widely used Flos Chrysanthemi (FC) for medicinal purposes in China. Although various investigations aimed at phenolics extraction from other FC have been reported, a thorough optimization of the phenolics extraction conditions from Huaiju has not been achieved. This work applied the widely used response surface methodology (RSM) to investigate the effects of 3 independent variables including ethanol concentration (%), extraction time (min), and solvent‐to‐material ratio (mL/g) on the ultrasound‐assisted extraction (UAE) of phenolics from FC. The data suggested the optimal UAE condition was an ethanol concentration of 75.3% and extraction time of 43.5 min, whereas the ratio of solvent to material has no significant effect. When the free radical scavenging ability was used as an indicator for a successful extraction, a similar optimal extraction was achieved with an ethanol concentration of 72.8%, extraction time of 44.3 min, and the ratio of solvent to material was 29.5 mL/g. Furthermore, a moderate correlation between the antioxidant activity of TP extract and the content of extracted phenolic compounds was observed. Moreover, a well consistent of the experimental values under optimal conditions with those predicted values suggests RSM successfully optimized the UAE conditions for phenolics extraction from FC.

Practical Application

The work of the research investigated the plant phenolics in Flos Chrysanthemi and antioxidant capacities. These results of this study can support the development of antioxidant additive and relative food.
In Vitro Assessment of Bioactivities of Lactobacillus Strains as Potential Probiotics for Humans and Chickens
Authors: Shokryazdan P. , Jahromi M. F. , Liang J. B. , Sieo C. C. , Kalavathy R. , Idrus Z. , Ho Y. W.
Published: October 2017

Twelve previously isolated Lactobacillus strains were investigated for their in vitro bioactivities, including bile salt hydrolase (BSH), cholesterol‐reducing and antioxidant activities, cytotoxic effects against cancer cells, enzyme activity, and biogenic amine production. Among them, only 4 strains showed relatively high BSH activity, whereas the rest exhibited low BSH activity. All 12 strains showed cholesterol‐reducing and antioxidant activities, especially in their intact cells, which in most of the cases, the isolated strains were stronger in these activities than the tested commercial reference strains. None of the tested strains produced harmful enzymes (β‐glucosidase and β‐glucuronidase) or biogenic amines. Among the 12 strains, 3 strains were tested for their cytotoxic effects against 3 cancer cell lines, which exhibited strong cytotoxic effects, and they also showed selectivity in killing cancer cells when compared to normal cells. Hence, all 12 Lactobacillus strains could be considered good potential probiotic candidates because of their beneficial functional bioactivities.

Practical Application

The Lactobacillus strains tested in this study could be considered good potential probiotic candidates for food/feed industry because of their beneficial functional bioactivities such as good cholesterol‐reducing ability, high antioxidant activity, and good and selective cytotoxic effect against cancer cells.
Production of Cornstarch Granules Enriched with Quercetin Liposomes by Aggregation of Particulate Binary Mixtures Using High Shear Process
Authors: Toniazzo Taíse , Galeskas Helena , Dacanal Gustavo C. , Pinho Samantha C.
Published: October 2017

Liposomes are colloidal structures capable of encapsulating, protecting, and releasing hydrophobic bioctives, as flavonoids. Quercetin is a flavonoid with high antioxidant activity that provides benefits to health. The wet‐agglomeration processes in high‐shear equipment are useful to produce granules from binary mixtures, obtaining a powder with homogeneous composition and without segregation or elutriation of fine particles. In this study, the binary mixtures containing microparticles of native cornstarch and nanoparticles of quercetin liposomes were aggregated in high‐shear batches, using maltodextrin solution as binder agent. The cornstarch was enriched by agglomeration with 8%, 22%, and 30% (w/w) of quercetin‐loaded lyophilized liposomes and the physical properties were evaluated. The moisture of all formulations showed similar values ranging from 4.42% to 4.57%. The values of hygroscopicity (g adsorbed water/100 g of dry matter) indicated the lyophilized liposomes were able to decrease the capacity of the agglomerated cornstarch to absorb water, decreasing the possibility of microbiological contamination. The addition of quercetin‐loaded lyophilized liposomes improved the flowability and turned the powder (agglomerated cornstarch) less cohesive. The pasting properties of enriched agglomerated cornstarch decreased the pasting temperature about 10 °C, and the cornstarch agglomerated with 8% (w/w) of quercetin‐loaded lyophilized liposomes showed no significance difference in the peak viscosity. Agglomeration of cornstarch with more than 8% (w/w) lyophilized liposomes decreased the tendency of starch to retrograde, which is very interesting for food products which requires low levels of retrogradation of granules for their stability.

Practical Application

This study is an unprecedent association of 2 technologies, nanoencapsulation and wet agglomeration, here used together to enrich cornstarch with quercetin. The agglomeration process was used to obtain granules of cornstarch, an ingredient extremely used in the food industry, enriched with quercetin‐loaded lyophilized liposomes. The goals were both the improvement of the nutritional quality and the increase of the added value of the cornstarch.
Aqueous Extract of Gynura Bicolor Attenuated Hepatic Steatosis, Glycative, Oxidative, and Inflammatory Injury Induced by Chronic Ethanol Consumption in Mice
Authors: Yin Mei‐chin , Wang Zhi‐hong , Liu Wen‐hu , Mong Mei‐chin
Published: October 2017

Gynura bicolor leaf aqueous extract (GAE) is rich in phytochemicals including phenolic acids, flavonoids, carotenoids, and anthocyanins. Effects of GAE upon hepatic injury in mice with chronic ethanol intake were examined. Lieber–DeCarli liquid diet with ethanol was used to induce hepatic lipid accumulation, oxidative, glycative, and inflammatory injury. GAE at 0.25% or 0.5% was added in feeds, and supplied to mice consumed Lieber–DeCarli liquid diet with ethanol for 6 wk. Blood and liver were collected for analyses. Results showed that ethanol increased plasma and hepatic triglyceride and cholesterol content, and affected plasma levels of insulin, adiponectin, leptin, and ghrelin. GAE at both doses decreased lipid accumulation, and at high dose improved hormones abnormality. Histological data revealed that GAE supplement mitigated hepatic lipid deposit. Ethanol increased plasma Nε‐(carboxyethymethyl)‐lysine and pentosidine levels. GAE at high doses lowered those glycative factors. Ethanol depleted glutathione content, increased CYP2E1 activity and reactive oxygen species production, and reduced the activity of glutathione peroxide, glutathione reductase and catalase in liver. GAE supplement at both doses reversed these alterations and attenuated hepatic oxidative stress. GAE supplement also at both doses decreased hepatic inflammatory cytokines release in ethanol treated mice. These findings support that leaves of G. bicolor is a functional food with liver protective activities against ethanol.
Polysaccharides in Spirulina platensis Improve Antioxidant Capacity of Chinese‐Style Sausage
Authors: Luo Aiguo , Feng Jia , Hu Bianfang , Lv Junping , Chen C‐Y. Oliver , Xie Shulian
Published: October 2017

This study examined the effect of Spirulina platensis polysaccharides (SPP) at 0.1%, 0.25%, and 0.5% (wt/wt) of Chinese‐style sausages on lipid peroxidation, microbiological and sensory properties during 24 d stored at 4 °C. During the storage, pH, lightness (L*) values, DPPH radical scavenging activity and sensory scores decreased with time and TBARS, TVB‐N, mesophilic, and psychrotrophic total viable counts increased. However, the magnitude of the changes was attenuated with the addition of SPP as compared to control. Samples containing SPP had significantly (P ≤ 0.05) higher DPPH radical scavenging activity and lower TBARS values compared with the control, and the antioxidant effect was dose‐dependent. The addition of 0.5% SPP maintained stable redness (a*) values of sausages, although there was no positive effect on the microbiological status. Moreover, the addition of SPP prevented the decrease of aroma, flavor and sensory acceptance of samples. The results suggested incorporation of SPP could decrease lipid peroxidation and improve sensory properties of Chinese‐style sausage.

Practical Application

There is a great need for adding natural antioxidants to healthier meat and meat products. Spirulina platensis polysaccharides (SPP) had strong antioxidant activity. The addition of SPP to Chinese‐style pork sausage could inhibit lipid peroxidation, to extend the shelf life of meat products. SPP were very potential to be used to replace synthetic antioxidants in meat and meat products.
Radiological manifestations of immune‐related adverse effects observed in patients with melanoma undergoing immunotherapy
Authors: Sidhu Parveen , Menzies Alexander M , Long Georgina , Carlino Matteo , Lorens Shirleen , Kapoor Rony
Published: October 2017

Immunotherapy drugs work by stimulating the patient's own immune system to recognize and destroy cancer cells. This subclass of drugs is increasingly administered to patients with advanced melanoma. They are also commonly incorporated into other cancer therapies such as non‐small cell lung cancer, renal cancer, head and neck cancers and Hodgkin lymphoma. The most commonly administered immunotherapeutic agents in the treatment of melanoma include programmed cell death protein 1 (PD‐1) inhibitors, cytotoxic T‐lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA‐4) inhibitors and a subclass of cytokines. During treatment with these antibodies, a unique set of adverse effects may occur which are often called immune‐related adverse events (irAEs). It is vital for radiologists to be aware of and document these side effects during routine staging or body imaging during therapy. Some of these include pneumonitis, colitis, hypophysitis, lymphadenopathy or sarcoid‐like syndrome and myositis. IrAEs such as sarcoid‐like lymphadenopathy can mimic progression of disease. Serious side effects are seen in less than 10% of patients, and typically emerge between 6 and 12 weeks after commencing treatment. The clinical manifestations of these side effects typically vary from mild to severe and so do the radiological findings. Patients with mild side effects are often treated successfully with systemic corticosteroids, while severe cases require cessation of immunotherapy. We provide a pictorial article on the common irAEs and the associated radiological manifestations.
Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH): Increased prevalence in Pacific Islanders
Authors: Bateman Mathew , Hapuarachchi Kamal , Pinto Clinton , Doyle Anthony James
Published: October 2017

Introduction

Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) is a musculoskeletal disorder in which ligaments and entheses slowly become ossified, leading to decreased mobility and pain. The prevalence is variably reported as between 3% and 25% of the population over 50. In Australasia, the prevalence and severity of DISH has long been thought by radiologists to be high in certain populations, particularly among Pacific Islanders. The purpose of this study is to investigate the prevalence and severity of DISH in a Pacific Islander community.

Methods

Chest radiographs in 459 individuals were retrospectively reviewed to assess for the presence of features consistent with DISH, as per the Resnick Criteria. Each radiograph was also assessed for the number of vertebral bodies involved. The clinical records of these patients were accessed to obtain the patient's ethnicity.

Results

The prevalence of DISH in our group overall was 138/459 (30%) with a prevalence of 42/96 (44%) in the Pacific Islanders. The difference compared to the Europeans in the group is highly significant (P < 0.0001).

Conclusions

This study verifies the high prevalence of DISH in Pacific Islanders.
Genetic barcoding of dark‐spored myxomycetes (Amoebozoa)—Identification, evaluation and application of a sequence similarity threshold for species differentiation in NGS studies
Authors: Borg Dahl Mathilde , Brejnrod Asker D. , Unterseher Martin , Hoppe Thomas , Feng Yun , Novozhilov Yuri , Sørensen Søren J. , Schnittler Martin
Published: October 2017

Unicellular, eukaryotic organisms (protists) play a key role in soil food webs as major predators of microorganisms. However, due to the polyphyletic nature of protists, no single universal barcode can be established for this group, and the structure of many protistean communities remains unresolved. Plasmodial slime moulds (Myxogastria or Myxomycetes) stand out among protists by their formation of fruit bodies, which allow for a morphological species concept. By Sanger sequencing of a large collection of morphospecies, this study presents the largest database to date of dark‐spored myxomycetes and evaluate a partial 18S SSU gene marker for species annotation. We identify and discuss the use of an intraspecific sequence similarity threshold of 99.1% for species differentiation (OTU picking) in environmental PCR studies (ePCR) and estimate a hidden diversity of putative species, exceeding those of described morphospecies by 99%. When applying the identified threshold to an ePCR data set (including sequences from both NGS and cloning), we find 64 OTUs of which 21.9% had a direct match (>99.1% similarity) to the database and the remaining had on average 90.2 ± 0.8% similarity to their best match, thus thought to represent undiscovered diversity of dark‐spored myxomycetes.
Impact of sequence processing and taxonomic classification approaches on eukaryotic community structure from environmental samples with emphasis on diatoms
Authors: Hardge Kristin , Neuhaus Stefan , Kilias Estelle S. , Wolf Christian , Metfies Katja , Frickenhaus Stephan
Published: October 2017

Next‐generation sequencing is a common method for analysing microbial community diversity and composition. Configuring an appropriate sequence processing strategy within the variety of tools and methods is a nontrivial task and can considerably influence the resulting community characteristics. We analysed the V4 region of 18S rRNA gene sequences of marine samples by 454‐pyrosequencing. Along this process, we generated several data sets with QIIME, mothur, and a custom‐made pipeline based on DNAStar and the phylogenetic tree‐based PhyloAssigner. For all processing strategies, default parameter settings and punctual variations were used. Our results revealed strong differences in total number of operational taxonomic units (OTUs), indicating that sequence preprocessing and clustering had a major impact on protist diversity estimates. However, diversity estimates of the abundant biosphere (abundance of ≥1%) were reproducible for all conducted processing pipeline versions. A qualitative comparison of diatom genera emphasized strong differences between the pipelines in which phylogenetic placement of sequences came closest to light microscopy‐based diatom identification. We conclude that diversity studies using different sequence processing strategies are comparable if the focus is on higher taxonomic levels, and if abundance thresholds are used to filter out OTUs of the rare biosphere.
Generalized estimating equation model to compare drug effects on synovitis of the dominant wrist in severe rheumatoid arthritis between tocilizumab versus adalimumab versus abatacept using high‐resolution ultrasound
Authors: Chen Ying‐Chou , Chiu Wen‐Chan , Su Fu‐Mei , Chen Jia‐Feng
Published: October 2017

Purpose

The use of biological agents has revolutionized the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, details of serial synovial changes in imaging evaluation are unclear. Using power Doppler (PD) ultrasound, this study aimed to evaluate the comparative efficacy of biologicals for patients with refractory RA, with the hope that these findings could aid in clinical decision making.

Methods

Patients with RA who received abatacept, adalimumab or tocilizumab therapy were enrolled. All underwent gray scale synovial hypertrophy and PD assessments of the dominant wrist (dorsal aspect) at baseline and at 1, 3 and 6 months after therapy. A generalized estimating equation model was used to compare efficacy among the three drugs.

Results

Of the 103 patients enrolled, 32 received adalimumab, 38 abatacept and 33 tocilizumab. There were no significant differences in age or sex among the three groups. All had a treatment response according to gray scale (P = 0.000) and PD (P = 0.001) synovitis scores. The tocilizumab group had a significantly lower synovial hypertrophy score at 6 months (P = 0.006), and the adalimumab group also had a lower score although without statistical significance (P = 0.043). The adalimumab group had a lower PD score than the other two groups (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

In a 6‐month head‐to‐head comparison of patients with RA, tocilizumab and adalimumab had a greater effect on reducing synovial hypertrophy, while adalimumab had a greater effect in controlling inflammation in PD.
Antioxidant system is essential to increase drought tolerance of sugarcane
Authors: Vilela R.D. , Bezerra B.K.L. , Froehlich A. , Endres L.
Published: October 2017

Drought is one of the main factors affecting the productivity of agricultural crops, and plants respond to such stress by activating various physiological and biochemical mechanisms against dehydration. The present study investigated two varieties of sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) with contrasting responses to drought (RB867515, more tolerant; and RB855536, less tolerant) and subjected them to progressive drought conditions (2, 4, 6 and 8 days) followed by rehydration. Drought caused a decrease in water potential (ψw) and osmotic potential (ψos) in the leaves, which recovered to normal levels after rehydration only up to the fourth day of drought. Water stress changed the carbon metabolism of leaves by reducing starch and sucrose contents and increasing glucose and fructose contents in both varieties. Water deficit caused a significant reduction in the maximum quantum efficiency of photosystem II (Fv/Fm) and effective quantum yield (ΦPSII) in both varieties; however, RB867515 recovered faster after rehydration. Under water stress, the more tolerant variety RB867515 exhibited increased activity of the antioxidant enzymes catalase, ascorbate peroxidase and superoxide dismutase compared with the RB855536 variety. The results suggest that RB867515 is more tolerant to drought conditions because of a more efficient antioxidant system, which results in reduced photosynthesis photoinhibition during water stress, thus revealing itself as a potential physiological marker for drought tolerance studies.
Ghrelin deletion protects against age‐associated hepatic steatosis by downregulating the C/EBPα‐p300/DGAT1 pathway
Authors: Guillory Bobby , Jawanmardi Nicole , Iakova Polina , Anderson Barbara , Zang Pu , Timchenko Nikolai A. , Garcia Jose M.
Published: October 2017

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common liver disease worldwide. NAFLD usually begins as low‐grade hepatic steatosis which further progresses in an age‐dependent manner to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), fibrosis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma in some patients. Ghrelin is a hormone known to promote adiposity in rodents and humans, but its potential role in hepatic steatosis is unknown. We hypothesized that genetic ghrelin deletion will protect against the development of age‐related hepatic steatosis. To examine this hypothesis, we utilized ghrelin knockout (KO) mice. Although no different in young animals (3 months old), we found that at 20 months of age, ghrelin KO mice have significantly reduced hepatic steatosis compared to aged‐matched wild‐type (WT) mice. Examination of molecular pathways by which deletion of ghrelin reduces steatosis showed that the increase in expression of diacylglycerol O‐acyltransferase‐1 (DGAT1), one of the key enzymes of triglyceride (TG) synthesis, seen with age in WT mice, is not present in KO mice. This was due to the lack of activation of CCAAT/enhancer binding protein‐alpha (C/EBPα) protein and subsequent reduction of C/EBPα‐p300 complexes. These complexes were abundant in livers of old WT mice and were bound to and activated the DGAT1 promoter. However, the C/EBPα‐p300 complexes were not detected on the DGAT1 promoter in livers of old KO mice resulting in lower levels of the enzyme. In conclusion, these studies demonstrate the mechanism by which ghrelin deletion prevents age‐associated hepatic steatosis and suggest that targeting this pathway may offer therapeutic benefit for NAFLD.
Interplay of pathogenic forms of human tau with different autophagic pathways
Authors: Caballero Benjamin , Wang Yipeng , Diaz Antonio , Tasset Inmaculada , Juste Yves Robert , Stiller Barbara , Mandelkow Eva‐Maria , Mandelkow Eckhard , Cuervo Ana Maria
Published: October 2017

Loss of neuronal proteostasis, a common feature of the aging brain, is accelerated in neurodegenerative disorders, including different types of tauopathies. Aberrant turnover of tau, a microtubule‐stabilizing protein, contributes to its accumulation and subsequent toxicity in tauopathy patients’ brains. A direct toxic effect of pathogenic forms of tau on the proteolytic systems that normally contribute to their turnover has been proposed. In this study, we analyzed the contribution of three different types of autophagy, macroautophagy, chaperone‐mediated autophagy, and endosomal microautophagy to the degradation of tau protein variants and tau mutations associated with this age‐related disease. We have found that the pathogenic P301L mutation inhibits degradation of tau by any of the three autophagic pathways, whereas the risk‐associated tau mutation A152T reroutes tau for degradation through a different autophagy pathway. We also found defective autophagic degradation of tau when using mutations that mimic common posttranslational modifications in tau or known to promote its aggregation. Interestingly, although most mutations markedly reduced degradation of tau through autophagy, the step of this process preferentially affected varies depending on the type of tau mutation. Overall, our studies unveil a complex interplay between the multiple modifications of tau and selective forms of autophagy that may determine its physiological degradation and its faulty clearance in the disease context.
Host countries’ growth opportunities and China's outward FDI
Authors: Shen Jun , Li Li
Published: October 2017

In 2014, China proposed the Belt and Road policy, which has pushed China's outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) to over tens of billions of US dollars. However, existing studies have not reached a consensus about the decisive factors in China's OFDI. To verify whether China's OFDI activities are motivated by profits, this paper applies a measure of country‐specific growth opportunities adopted by Bekaert et al. (2007) to measure the growth opportunities of the target countries for China's OFDI. A multinational panel data model, based on data from 51 countries from 2003 to 2012, is used to explore the relationship between host countries’ growth opportunities and China's OFDI. Overall, the analysis finds that China's OFDI does not follow the host countries’ growth opportunities but exhibits different features toward developed countries and developing countries. For developed countries, China's OFDI follows host countries’ growth opportunities to some extent. In the case of developing countries, China's OFDI does not follow host countries’ growth opportunities. When we consider factors such as a host country's financial development and political stability, improvement in these factors improves the attractiveness of the host country to China's OFDI. It is also found that the 2008 global financial crisis did not have a very significant impact on China's OFDI activities.
Health Behavior Change in Older Adults: Testing the Health Action Process Approach at the Inter‐ and Intraindividual Level
Authors: Bierbauer Walter , Inauen Jennifer , Schaefer Sabine , Kleemeyer Maike Margarethe , Lüscher Janina , König Claudia , Tobias Robert , Kliegel Matthias , Ihle Andreas , Zimmerli Lukas , Holzer Barbara M. , Siebenhuener Klarissa , Battegay Edouard , Schmied Christian , Scholz Urte
Published: October 2017

Background

Health behavior change theories usually claim to be universally and individually applicable. Most research has tested behavior change theories at the interindividual level and within young‐to‐middle‐aged populations. However, associations at the interindividual level can differ substantially from associations at the intraindividual level. This study examines the applicability of the Health Action Process Approach (HAPA) at the inter‐ and the intraindividual level among older adults.

Methods

Two intensive longitudinal studies examined the HAPA model covering two different health behaviors and two different time spans: Study 1 (physical activity, N = 52 × 6 monthly observations) and Study 2 (medication adherence, N = 64 × 30 daily observations). The HAPA constructs (risk awareness, outcome expectancy, self‐efficacy, intention, action planning, action control), and self‐reported behaviors were assessed.

Results

Overall, at the interindividual level, results of both studies largely confirmed the associations specified by the HAPA. At the intraindividual level, results were less in line with the HAPA. Only action control emerged as consistent predictor of behavior.

Conclusions

This study emphasises the importance of examining health behavior change theories at both, the inter‐ and the intraindividual level.
Landlords, tenants, and the legal status of secondary suites in Hamilton, Ontario
Authors: Patterson Ashleigh , Harris Richard
Published: October 2017

Key Messages

Secondary suites contain lower‐income tenants.

Half of all tenants in secondary suites are unsure about the legal status of their apartments.

Tenants in small properties owned by resident landlords are the most satisfied.
Expecting the Unexpected? Expectations for Future Success Among Adolescent First‐Time Offenders
Authors: Mahler Alissa , Fine Adam , Frick Paul J. , Steinberg Laurence , Cauffman Elizabeth
Published: October 2017

Adolescent first‐time offenders demonstrate greater risk of continued offending, justice system contact, and high school dropout. The current study evaluates if optimistic expectations protect youth by reducing offending and improving school grades for 3 years following a first arrest (N = 1,165, Mage = 15.29). This article also considers whether improved behavior raises expectations about the future and uses autoregressive latent trajectory modeling with structured residuals to examine the within‐person cross‐lagged associations between expectations and behavior. The results indicated that positive expectations reduce offending and improve grades, which are in turn associated with higher expectations. Although raising expectations may improve outcomes following an arrest, ensuring adolescents have the tools to meet their goals may be an effective way to raise expectations.
Late leakage after anterior resection: a defunctioning stoma alters the clinical course of anastomotic leakage
Authors: Jutesten H. , Draus J. , Frey J. , Neovius G. , Lindmark G. , Buchwald P. , Lydrup M. L.
Published: October 2017

Aim

Anastomotic leakage (AL) is common after anterior resection (AR). Long term clinical outcomes of AL including late presenting leakage (LL) are not well studied. This study was undertaken to assess clinical features of LL with respect to incidence, association with predisposing factors and need for re‐intervention.

Methods

The Swedish Colorectal Cancer Registry (SCRCR) was explored for AL cases after AR for rectal cancer in patients operated in the south of Sweden from 1 January 2001 to 31 December 2011. Demographic data, surgical technical details, number of postoperative days (POD) until diagnosis of AL, presenting symptoms, methods of diagnosis and treatment were retrieved from medical records. LL was defined according to different cut‐offs as leakages occurring after hospital discharge (LLAHD), after 30 POD (LL ≥ POD 30) and after 90 POD(LL ≥ POD 90).

Results

In total, 1442 patients were operated on with AR of whom 144 cases of AL (10%) were identified. Median time from operation to follow‐up was 87 months (range 21–162). LLAHD, LL ≥ POD 30 and LL ≥ POD 90 were present in 51%, 24% and 9% respectively. All categories of LL were associated with a defunctioning stoma. Relaparotomy was significantly less often employed in LLAHD, but not in other categories of LL.

Conclusion

LL constitutes a substantial portion of all AL after AR for rectal cancer. The large proportion of LLAHD calls for awareness in the outpatient setting.
What Drives Attendance at Informal Learning Activities? A Study of Two Art Programs
Authors: Akiva Thomas , Schunn Christian D. , Louw Marti
Published: October 2017

Multiple reasons shape how young people and families choose to participate in informal learning programs at museums and other settings. Youth interest is likely a factor, but so might be geographic proximity, institutional affiliation, household income, and race/ethnicity. We examined the relative impact of these factors through a comparative study of two art programs; one a small, neighborhood‐based organization focused on art and STEM, and the other a program in a well‐established art museum. The smaller program tended to draw youth from closer geographic proximity. Interest in art drove attendance at both programs, but institutional membership was also important. Demographic factors also were a factor, and race/ethnicity was more strongly associated with program placement than household income. We discuss the importance of better understanding of such factors as museums and other programs continue to grow as important sites for learning.
INTEGRATED HOUSEHOLD SURVEYS: AN ASSESSMENT OF U.S. METHODS AND AN INNOVATION
Authors: Samphantharak Krislert , Schuh Scott , Townsend Robert M.
Published: October 2017

We present a vision for improving household financial surveys by integrating responses from questionnaires more completely with financial statements and combining them with payments data from diaries. Integrated household financial accounts—balance sheet, income statement, and statement of cash flows—are used to assess the degree of integration in leading U.S. household surveys, focusing on inconsistencies in measures of the change in cash. Diaries of consumer payment choice can improve dynamic integration. Using payments data, we construct a statement of liquidity flows: a detailed analysis of currency, checking accounts, prepaid cards, credit cards, and other payment instruments, consistent with conventional cash flow measures and the other financial accounts. (JEL D12, D14, E41, E42)
A review of more than 30 years of cytogenetic studies of Tephritidae in support of sterile insect technique and global trade
Authors: Zacharopoulou A. , Augustinos A.A. , Drosopoulou E. , Tsoumani K.T. , Gariou‐Papalexiou A. , Franz G. , Mathiopoulos K.D. , Bourtzis K. , Mavragani‐Tsipidou P.
Published: October 2017

Cytogenetics of Tephritidae has contributed for more than 30 years to the efficient control of pest members of this family and the species delimitation among them. The sterile insect technique (SIT) is a species‐specific and environmentally friendly method for the population control of insect pest species, always as a component of integrated pest management approaches. The construction of polytene chromosome maps facilitated the development, characterization, and improvement of genetic sexing strains, which have boosted the effectiveness of SIT and are considered as models for developing genetic sexing methodologies in other target species. In parallel, characterization of mitotic karyotypes and the availability of polytene chromosomes in Diptera have been and are being used as supplementary evidence in taxonomic studies. Lately, under the common understanding that speciation can be achieved via various pathways and under the umbrella of integrative taxonomy, cytogenetic studies have contributed to multidisciplinary taxonomic approaches. Such studies can shed light on the borders between closely related species and/or incipient speciation, and this is crucial both for the implementation of SIT and the revision/improvement of quarantine policies. In this review, we summarize the cytogenetic status of Tephritidae and discuss the contribution of cytogenetics to the development of genetic sexing strains in this family.
Low clinical conversion rate in clinically isolated syndrome patients – diagnostic benefit of McDonald 2010 criteria?
Authors: Rosenkranz S. C. , Kaulen B. , Neuhaus A. , Siemonsen S. , Köpke S. , Daumer M. , Stellmann J.‐P. , Heesen C.
Published: October 2017

Background and purpose

New diagnostic criteria of multiple sclerosis (MS) increase the number of patients being diagnosed with MS whilst a substantial part might not convert to clinically definite MS (CDMS). The diagnostic accuracy of the McDonald 2005 and 2010 criteria for conversion to CDMS was evaluated in an unselected cohort of patients in whom an MS diagnostic work‐up was decided.

Methods

Clinical, magnetic resonance imaging and cerebrospinal fluid data were analysed for all patients who presented with symptoms suspicious for MS at the university based MS outpatient clinic between 2006 and 2010 (n = 165).

Results

Follow‐up was available for 131 patients. During the mean follow‐up period of 2 years, 19% of patients developed CDMS whereas 64% of the patients fulfilling McDonald 2010 criteria did not convert to CDMS.

Conclusion

The low clinical conversion rate indicates that the new diagnostic criteria may increase the incidence of MS cases with a less active disease course.
Do birds differentiate between white noise and deterministic chaos?
Authors: Blumstein Daniel T. , Whitaker Jessica , Kennen Judith , Bryant Gregory A.
Published: October 2017

Noisy, unpredictable sounds are often present in the vocalizations of fearful and stressed animals across many taxa. A variety of structural characteristics, called nonlinear acoustic phenomena, that include subharmonics, rapid frequency modulations, and deterministic chaos are responsible for the harsh sound quality of these vocalizations. Exposure to nonlinear sound can elicit increased arousal in birds and mammals. Past experiments have used white noise to test for effects of deterministic chaos on perceivers. However, deterministic chaos differs structurally from white noise (i.e., random signal with equal energy at all frequencies), and unlike white noise, may differ dramatically depending on how it is produced. In addition, the subtle structural variation of chaos may not be distinguishable in the environment due to the attenuation and degradation of sound over distance and different habitat types. We designed two experiments to clarify whether American robins (Turdus migratorius) and warbling vireos (Vireo gilvus) discriminate between white noise and deterministic chaos. We broadcast and re‐recorded white noise and two exemplars of deterministic chaos—one generated with a Chua oscillator and the other generated using a logistic equation—at 1, 10, 20, 30, 40, and 80 m across open and forested habitat and used spectrogram correlations to compare stimuli along this degradational gradient. We found that sounds degraded similarly in both habitats when compared to a reference distance of 1 m. Comparing pairs of stimuli across distances suggested that Chua chaos was more easily distinguishable from noise and logistic chaos. In addition, all stimuli became more distinctive over increased distance. The second experiment tested behavioral responses of robins and warbling vireos to control sounds of tropical kingbird (Quiscalus mexicanus), white noise, and two exemplars of deterministic chaos (Chua and logistic). Neither American robins nor warbling vireos responded differently to at least two types of deterministic chaos and white noise, validating previous playback studies that used white noise as a surrogate for deterministic chaos. Uniform responses to a variety of nonlinear features in these birds possibly reflect error management in alarm signal detection.
Optimal defoliation management of brachiaria grass–forage peanut for balanced pasture establishment
Authors: Tamele O. H. , Lopes de Sá O. A. A. , Bernardes T. F. , Lara M. A. S. , Casagrande D. R.
Published: October 2017

A well‐established canopy is crucial for a stable mixed grass–legume forage pasture. The aim of this study was to assess a defoliation intensity that can ensure the establishment of mixed pasture of brachiaria grass (Brachiaria brizantha) intercropped with forage peanut (Arachis pintoi). The treatments comprised four canopy heights: 10, 20, 30 and 40 cm, maintained throughout the first 3 years of pasture establishment. Canopy structure, morphogenetic and structural characteristics were measured. A block design was used with four replicates, and seasons of the year were considered using repeated measurements over time. Light interception during the experimental period was 86.3%, 95.9%, 97.6%, and 99.1% for 10, 20, 30 and 40 cm of defoliation respectively (p < .001). Competition for light in taller canopies (at 30 and 40 cm) caused etiolation of forage peanut (greater internode, petiolate and stolon lengths). This response promoted its upward growth, leading to a lower stolon density compared with 10 and 20 cm. The treatment at 10 cm displayed a predominance of forage peanut (up to 0.614), potentially compromising community stability. Overall, the 20 cm canopy height showed a desired botanical composition (from 0.20 to 0.45 of legume in forage mass) and thus was considered an ideal defoliation intensity for establishment of mixed canopies of brachiaria grass and forage peanut.