bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Attitudes towards reforming primary care in Belgium: social network analysis in a pluralist context
Authors: Lorant Vincent , Rihoux Benoît , Nicaise Pablo
Published: March 2016

Objectives

Health care policies are influenced by many groups which in turn influence each other. Our aim was to describe a network of nominated influential stakeholders and analyze how it affects attitudes to reforming primary care.

Methods

Face-to-face interviews were carried out in Belgium with 102 influential people. Each respondent was asked to score solutions for improving the role of general practice in the health care system and to nominate up to six other influential stakeholders. Social network and multivariate analyses were used to describe the nomination network and its effect on attitudes to reform.

Results

The network was highly centralized and homophilous (tendency to bond with people who are similar) for language groups. Despite Belgium having a strong pluralist tradition of decision making, policy makers were central to the network (average indegree = 10.8) compared to professional representatives (6.9). Respondents supported an enhanced role for general practitioners but did not support radically new policies.

Conclusion

Social network analysis contributes to understanding why health care reforms may languish in pluralistic, decentralized health care systems. The central position of a stakeholder in a network is related to perceived influence but does not favour a radical policy orientation. In addition, language-group homophily in the ‘perceived influence network’ leads to a weak coalition that only favours small-step reform.
The association of angiotensin-converting enzyme gene insertion/deletion polymorphisms with adaptation to high altitude: A meta-analysis
Authors: Wang Yuxiao , Lu Hongxiang , Chen Yu , Luo Yongjun
Published: March 2016

Background:

Fluid retention is linked to the physiology and pathophysiology of humans at high altitude (HA). The angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene plays a role in the regulation of plasma volume and vascular tone.

Materials and methods:

In this meta-analysis, eligible studies published before 1 September 2015 that focused on the association between the ACE insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism and HA adaption were identified by searching the PubMed, Web of Science, Embase and Medline online databases. We used a fixed-effects model and assessed the study qualities multiple times.

Results:

The seven selected studies included a total of 582 HA-native individuals and 497 low-altitude controls, and these subjects were analyzed for the ACE I/D gene polymorphism. A significant association was found between the ACE DD genotype and HA maladaptation. The results for genotype DD versus ID + II were as follows: Odds ratio (OR) = 0.46; 95% CI 0.31–0.70; p = 0.0002. The results for genotype ID versus DD were as follows: OR = 1.97; 95% CI 1.27–3.06; p = 0.002.

Conclusions:

Our findings suggested that the DD genotype of ACE is a risk factor for HA maladaptation and that the presence of fewer ACE DD allele carriers in a population indicates a greater ability of that population to adapt to HA.
Performance Measurement and Performance Indicators
Authors: Star Sequoia , Russ-Eft Darlene , Braverman Marc T. , Levine Roger
Published: March 2016

Performance measurement systems (PMSs) are developed and implemented to support the accomplishment of objectives of an organization or organizational initiative. PMSs are structured to enable monitoring of performance. This monitoring is accomplished through the identification of areas of concern and success, with the ultimate goals of developing organizational capabilities and enhancing organizational learning. This article reviews the literature on performance measurement and its implementation, and proposes a model to guide the development and implementation of PMSs. The article concludes with a consideration of the broader implications of PMSs and provides recommendations for future research in PMSs with regard to human resource development.
When open data is a Trojan Horse: The weaponization of transparency in science and governance
Authors: Levy Karen EC , Johns David Merritt
Published: March 2016

Openness and transparency are becoming hallmarks of responsible data practice in science and governance. Concerns about data falsification, erroneous analysis, and misleading presentation of research results have recently strengthened the call for new procedures that ensure public accountability for data-driven decisions. Though we generally count ourselves in favor of increased transparency in data practice, this Commentary highlights a caveat. We suggest that legislative efforts that invoke the language of data transparency can sometimes function as “Trojan Horses” through which other political goals are pursued. Framing these maneuvers in the language of transparency can be strategic, because approaches that emphasize open access to data carry tremendous appeal, particularly in current political and technological contexts. We illustrate our argument through two examples of pro-transparency policy efforts, one historical and one current: industry-backed “sound science” initiatives in the 1990s, and contemporary legislative efforts to open environmental data to public inspection. Rules that exist mainly to impede science-based policy processes weaponize the concept of data transparency. The discussion illustrates that, much as Big Data itself requires critical assessment, the processes and principles that attend it—like transparency—also carry political valence, and, as such, warrant careful analysis.
Use of Indigenous Decellularized Valved Xenograft Conduit for Double-Barrel Right Ventricular Outflow Tract Reconstruction
Authors: Srimurugan Balaji , Nainar Madhusankar , Ramanan Sowmya , Ramesh Balasundari , Cherian K. M.
Published: March 2016

Over the last two decades, numerous conduit options and implantation techniques have been described for right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) reconstruction in the management of tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) with hypoplastic pulmonary annulus. The limited availability of homografts and the cost factor have led us to explore the use of decellularized xenografts as an alternative. Here we present a nine-year follow-up of an adult patient with TOF with hypoplastic pulmonary annulus, who underwent reconstruction of the RVOT by the double-barrel technique, using a decellularized porcine pulmonary artery xenograft valved conduit.
Base Camp Architecture
Authors: Brisibe Warebi Gabriel
Published: March 2016

Longitudinal or time line studies of change in the architecture of a particular culture are common, but an area still open to further research is change across space or place. In particular, there is need for studies on architectural change of cultures stemming from the same ethnic source split between their homeland and other Diasporas. This change may range from minor deviations to drastic shifts away from an architectural norm and the accumulation of these shifts within a time frame constitutes variations. This article focuses on identifying variations in the architecture of the Ijo fishing group that migrates along the coastline of West Africa. It examines the causes of cross-cultural variation between base camp dwellings of Ijo migrant fishermen in the Bakassi Peninsula in Cameroon and Bayelsa State in Nigeria. The study draws on the idea of the inevitability of cultural and social change over time as proposed in the theories of cultural dynamism and evolution. It tests aspects of cultural transmission theory using the principal coordinates analysis to ascertain the possible causes of variation. From the findings, this research argues that migration has enhanced the forces of cultural dynamism, which have resulted in significant variations in the architecture of this fishing group.
Visible and near Infrared Spectra of Ferralsols According to Their Structural Features
Authors: de Oliveira José Francirlei , Brossard Michel , Corazza Edemar Joaquim , Marchão Robélio Leandro , de Fátima Guimarães Maria
Published: March 2016

In soil science, structural features of soils are an important attribute; soils can be characterised by proportional size distribution of aggregates and the pore space between and within those aggregates. The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between the visible and near infrared (Vis-NIR) spectra and microaggregates from a collection of Ferralsols. Our dataset consists of 56 spectra from seven soil profiles of kaolinitic and oxidic–gibbsitic Ferralsols. Soils were characterised according to their morphological features: those with a typical porous massive structure and those with a cohesive massive structure. Size distribution of five classes of microaggregate was determined (1000–2000 μm, 500–1000 μm, 250–500 μm, 105–250 μm and <105 μm). From the soil spectra, we determined the CIE (Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage) red index ( RICIE) and the absorption intensities of kaolinite ( IKa) and gibbsite ( IGb). The predominant fraction of microaggregates exhibited sizes between 250 and 1000 μm (Φ250–1000). The proportional increase of this microaggregate class in the soils increased the scattering and variability of reflected light, particularly when soil samples showed more than 0.50 g g−1 of Φ250–1000. The microaggregate size explained over 55% of reflectance intensity variability of wavelengths in the Vis-NIR regions, principally on reflectance intensity and concavity of the spectra at 436 nm, 546 nm and 2236 nm, which decreases with increased proportion of Φ250–1000. Thus, different structural features of Ferralsols can be directly evaluated through Vis-NIR spectroscopy, even in samples sieved through 2.00 mm. These results highlight the potential use of Vis-NIR spectroscopy in studies of soil classification, soil physical behaviour and soil physical fertility and environmental studies, principally by a new method of analysing bulk density and structure of soil directly from the soil spectra, without the need for predictive models. As well as spectra, RICIE, IKa and IGb can be used to characterise the various structural features of Ferralsols.
«SMART CITIES» OF THE DEBT CRISIS: GRASSROOTS CREATIVITY IN MEDITERRANEAN EUROPE
Authors: LEONTIDOU LILA
Published: March 2016

Αυτό το άρθρο κριτικάρει τις τρέχουσες, νεοφιλελεύθερες εννοιολογήσεις για την «Έξυπνη Πόλη» και την Υπόθεση της Θερμοκοιτίδας, εισάγοντας τη λαϊκή δημιουργικότητα και την αλληλεγγύη στη λογική τους. Επιχειρηματολογούμε ότι η κρίση στη Νότια Ευρώπη ανοίγει δρόμους για μια λαϊκή εκδοχή της Έξυπνης πόλης, μιας πόλης με υβριδικούς δημόσιους και κοινούς χώρους, όπου το εικονικό και το υλικό συγχωνεύονται και η λαϊκή δημιουργικότητα συνδυάζει τεχνολογία και γνώση, καθώς βασίζεται κυρίως στη μαζική χρήση ψηφιακών τεχνολογιών και σε ένα υψηλά καταρτισμένο νεαρό πληθυσμό. Κατασκευάζονται τυπολογίες για πολλούς τύπους διαφοροποιημένων συλλογικοτήτων, οικονομιών και παραγωγικών πρωτοβουλιών. Κριτικάρονται εκ θεμελίων οι σημερινές εκ των άνω στρατηγικές Οριενταλισμού, στιγματισμού και καταστολής κάθε κινητοποίησης, εναλλακτικού πολιτικού λόγου, φαντασίας και δημιουργικότητας, ως υπεύθυνες για την ίδια την κρίση. Τίθενται ερωτήματα πολιτικής και διερευνάται σχεδιασμός με στόχο την ενδυνάμωση της λαϊκής δημιουργικότητας στο πλαίσιο της ψηφιακής κοινωνίας.
The Cognitive Profiles of Poor Readers/Good Spellers and Good Readers/Poor Spellers in a Consistent Orthography: A Retrospective Analysis
Authors: Manolitsis George , Georgiou George K.
Published: March 2016

Reading and spelling are closely related to each other, but empirical evidence shows that they can also dissociate. The purpose of this study was to examine the cognitive profiles of good readers/poor spellers and poor readers/good spellers in a relatively consistent orthography (Greek). One hundred forty children were administered measures of phonological awareness, rapid automatized naming, phonological short-term memory, and orthographic knowledge in grades 1 and 2. Their performance in reading and spelling was assessed in grade 4. Two small groups of children exhibited dissociation between reading and spelling: seven children were identified as poor readers/good spellers and 11 children as good readers/poor spellers. The former group experienced severe deficits in both rapid naming and phonological awareness. The latter group experienced only mild deficits in orthographic knowledge. Although inefficient orthographic knowledge affects their spelling accuracy (Greek is inconsistent in the direction of spelling), it does not impact their reading fluency because they can recognize words by relying on partial cues.
Comic heroes or saviours? Constructing alternative identities in a social critical approach to the teaching of English as a foreign language.
Authors: Emmanouilidou Maria Dimitrios , Emmanouilidou Sophia Dimitrios , Papademetriou Efi
Published: March 2016

Current educational systems primarily focus on the verbal and logico-mathematical aptitude of students, thus neglecting the cultivation of visual literacy and critical literacy skills, although the ubiquity of images in school textbooks necessitates the inclusion of a ‘visual grammar’ metalanguage in educational practices. The aim of the present paper is to present and analyse how a group of eighteen sixth grade students of an EFL classroom in a state primary school in Thessaloniki managed to ‘deconstruct’ the depiction of superheroes/heroines in comic books or action movies, in an effort to represent them in a more humane and mundane way, where their super powers are summoned to the advantage of a society in need. The overall organization of the instructional intervention is built on an introductory phase, a main phase and a follow-up phase. The analysis of the students’ compositions relies on the application of the principles of critical visual literacy and the results display that through the process of scaffolding, the students can reject dominant representations of power and reconstruct cliché identities by re-exploring pre-existing roles. The end result, that is the classroom calendar compiled by twelve multimodal texts, manifests the students’ skilful utilization of both visual and verbal semiotic resources in a balanced way, with a view to transmitting their social messages taking into account the broader social, cultural and political context within which power relations and social roles constantly evolve and are constructed.
Accessing Nature’s diversity through metabolic engineering and synthetic biology
Authors: King Jason R. , Edgar Steven , Qiao Kangjian , Stephanopoulos Gregory
Published: March 2016

In this perspective, we highlight recent examples and trends in metabolic engineering and synthetic biology that demonstrate the synthetic potential of enzyme and pathway engineering for natural product discovery. In doing so, we introduce natural paradigms of secondary metabolism whereby simple carbon substrates are combined into complex molecules through “scaffold diversification”, and subsequent “derivatization” of these scaffolds is used to synthesize distinct complex natural products. We provide examples in which modern pathway engineering efforts including combinatorial biosynthesis and biological retrosynthesis can be coupled to directed enzyme evolution and rational enzyme engineering to allow access to the “privileged” chemical space of natural products in industry-proven microbes. Finally, we forecast the potential to produce natural product-like discovery platforms in biological systems that are amenable to single-step discovery, validation, and synthesis for streamlined discovery and production of biologically active agents.
Alcoholic hepatitis: Yes to prednisolone and no to pentoxifylline
Authors: Davies Oluwaseun , Dezfulian Cameron
Published: March 2016

An evaluation of a recent study by Thursz MR, Richardson P, Allison M et al. “Prednisolone or Pentoxifylline for Alcoholic Hepatitis”. N Engl J Med 2015;372:1619-28. PubMed PMID: 25901427. EudraCT number, 2009-013897-42. Current Controlled Trials number ISRCTN88782125.
Dynamics of lysozyme activity in rat’s offspring before and after birth in intact rats and rats with painful stimulation at the day before the birth
Authors: Абрамова  , Abramova Marina , Алексеев  , Alekseev Vladimir , Бойченко  , Boychenko Aleksandr , Овсянников  , Ovsyannikov Vikotor , Алексеева  , Alekseeva Natalya
Published: March 2016

Electrical painful stimulation of pregnant female rats at the day before the birth leads to an increased activity of lysozyme in rat’s offspring in the womb. No differences were found between lysozyme activity in the rat’s blood, which were born from intact female rats and female rats with electrical painful stimulation.
Age changes of the lymphatic channel of amucous membrane ofavagina
Authors: Бураева  , Buraeva Zarina , Каркусова  , Karkusova Alla
Published: March 2016

The results of researchof the lymphatic channel of the vaginal mucosa, of 28 women in the aged aspect were presented. The method of interstitial injection of lymphatic bed of Gerota blue mass revealed that post-climacteric period revealed rare, randomly arranged lymphatic capillaries and lymphatic vessels are severely deformed, unrelated general architectonics, as well as a decrease of volume density of lymphatic channel occursin the process of involution and may indicate the violation of drainage function of lymphatic device.
Epidemiological situation of brucellosis in North Ossetia-Alania in 2006–2014
Authors: Бутаева  , Butaeva M. , Бутаев  , Butaev T. , Маргиева  , Margieva F.
Published: March 2016

The analysis of the dynamics of human brucellosis incidence in North Ossetia-Alania was presented and the evaluation of epizootic and epidemiological situation for years of 2005–2014 was given when 101 cases of newly diagnosed brucellosis were registered. The contamination of people occurs by eating contaminated brucella meat and dairy products, also by taking care of sick farm animals, by participating in hunting companies. The main reasons of the emergence and spread of brucellosis infection in animals are: the unauthorized acquisition and importation of animals; untimely discovery of sick animals and their insulation; the joint use of common pasture and watering places animals from favourable and unfavourable households on brucellosis.
Fare Prediction Websites and Transaction Prices: Empirical Evidence from the Airline Industry
Authors: Mantin Benny , Rubin Eran
Published: March 2016

The marketing and operations disciplines have increasingly accounted for the presence of strategic consumer behavior. Theory suggests that such behavior exists when consumers are able to consider future distribution of prices, and that this behavior exposes firms to intertemporal competition that results with a downward pressure on prices. However, deriving future distribution of prices is not a trivial task. Online decision support tools that provide consumers with information about future distributions of prices can facilitate strategic consumer behavior. This paper studies whether the availability of such information affects transacted prices by conducting an empirical analysis in the context of the airline industry. Studying the effect at the route level, we find significant price reduction effects as such information becomes available for a route, both in fixed-effects and difference-in-differences estimation models. This effect is consistent across the different fare percentiles and amounts to a reduction of approximately 4%–6% in transactions’ prices. Our results lend ample support to the notion that price prediction decision tools make a statistically significant economic impact. Presumably, consumers are able to exploit the information available online and exhibit strategic behavior.

Data, as supplemental material, are available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/mksc.2015.0965 .
Do Empty Creditors Matter? Evidence from Distressed Exchange Offers
Authors: Danis András
Published: March 2016

In this paper, I examine the effect of credit default swaps (CDSs) on the restructuring of distressed firms. Using a sample of U.S. distressed exchange offers during the period 2006–2011, I show that the participation rate among bondholders is significantly lower if the firm has CDSs traded on its debt. To address endogeneity concerns, I use the introduction of the Big Bang Protocol as a natural experiment. The results suggest that firms with CDSs find it difficult to reduce debt out of court. This is important because it can increase the likelihood of future bankruptcy, which is inefficient. The findings are consistent with the empty creditor hypothesis, which posits that bondholders who are hedged with CDSs are less likely to participate in a debt restructuring. The paper also contains direct evidence for the existence of empty creditors.

This paper was accepted by Amit Seru, finance.
Sense of identity: Craft, decoration and queer challenges in the art of Jakkai Siributr
Authors: Curtin Brian
Published: March 2016

This article examines contemporary debates on the historical and theoretical relationship between craft and visual art through an analysis of the artworks of Jakkai Siributr. Siributr, a Thai artist based in Bangkok and who studied in the United States, creates tapestries and installations based on methods of weaving, constructed textiles and embroidery. Through the tracing of a critical history of relationships between art and craft since early influential precedents in proto-feminist and feminist art to more recent works by Ghada Amer and Do-Ho Suh, the article identifies how the art/craft division is typically understood as transgressed only on certain conditions: that opticality is emphasized over the haptic and the artist is engaged with issues of sociocultural identity. Noting how this complicates pervasive suggestions that the ‘international art world’ is a domain of free play – that is, that all forms of practices are potentially equally valid under the rubric of ‘contemporary art’ – Siributr’s works are explored as disrupting the discursive tradition of art/craft because his methods slip between optic and haptic experience and challenge an easy assimilation to questions of identity. This disruption is partly based on the artist’s use of the form and rhetoric of the ‘decorative’, and the article elaborates the challenges that Siributr poses for unspoken divisions of art and craft in terms of practice and types of engagement. These challenges are contextualized by remarks on the queer-theoretical interest of what it means to expose and break norms and shape less binary or dualistic forms of understanding and practice.
COMPETÊNCIAS COLETIVAS E DESEMPENHO COLETIVO: UM ESTUDO COM EQUIPES DE GASTRONOMIA
Authors: Giansante Cláudia Cintra Bortoletto , Venelli-Costa Luciano , Vieira Almir Martins , Dutra Joel Souza
Published: March 2016

Este trabalho tem por objetivo principal analisar a influência das competências coletivas sobre o desempenho coletivo de equipes de alunos de gastronomia de uma universidade privada. Com uma proposta metodológica quali-quantitativa, o estudo utilizou o método comparativo e a técnica de observação em 12 encontros para trabalhos coletivos no Laboratório de Alimentos, por 131 alunos distribuídos em 21 equipes: 10 equipes do quarto período e 11 do segundo período. As equipes foram observadas de forma sistemática, uma aula prática semanal, período de quatro meses sequenciais e avaliadas por meio de dois instrumentos de coleta de dados: o formulário quali-quantitativo de competência coletiva e o formulário de notas acadêmicas. Para análise dos dados, a pesquisa empregou métodos estatísticos para obter as médias dos escores quantitativos das variáveis para testes de correlação, cálculo do coeficiente de correlação de Pearson, além de interpretações qualitativas de indicadores de competências coletivas. A correlação positiva entre competências coletivas e desempenho coletivo apareceu apenas nas equipes do quarto período que já trabalham juntas há mais de um ano, e se diferenciaram pela presença de liderança e indicadores de competências coletivas.
DISTÂNCIA PSÍQUICA E INVESTIMENTOS DIRETOS EXTERNOS BRASILEIROS
Authors: Futuro Ricardo Lavigne , Vianna Nadia Wacila Hanaina
Published: March 2016

Esta pesquisa busca investigar a influência da distância psíquica sobre a seleção dos mercados em investimentos diretos externos (realizada por empresas brasileiras após o ano 2000) e verificar se o modelo de Uppsala ainda explica o caso brasileiro. Desta forma, contribui com o campo de estudo de processos de internacionalização. A pesquisa é quantitativa e utiliza as análises fatorial e de correlação, e as escalas de distância psíquica, desenvolvidas por Dow e Karunaratna (2006). No modelo de Uppsala, as empresas procuram primeiro países com menor distância psíquica (fator de incertezas) e depois com maior distância psíquica. Portanto, quanto maior a distância psíquica, menor a probabilidade das empresas em estabelecer-se naquele país, e a aprendizagem a partir da experiência no exterior aumenta tal probabilidade. Os testes estatísticos realizados sugerem que pode ser admitida a existência de associação entre distância psíquica e quantidade de entradas, assim como entre a distância psíquica e o tempo de experiência no mercado internacional, porém é fraca essa correlação.
The Practice Guidelines for Primary Care of Acute Abdomen 2015
Authors: Mayumi Toshihiko , Yoshida Masahiro , Tazuma Susumu , Furukawa Akira , Nishii Osamu , Shigematsu Kunihiro , Azuhata Takeo , Itakura Atsuo , Kamei Seiji , Kondo Hiroshi , Maeda Shigenobu , Mihara Hiroshi , Mizooka Masafumi , Nishidate Toshihiko , Obara Hideaki , Sato Norio , Takayama Yuichi , Tsujikawa Tomoyuki , Fujii Tomoyuki , Miyata Tetsuro , Maruyama Izumi , Honda Hiroshi , Hirata Koichi
Published: March 2016

Background: Since acute abdomen requires accurate diagnosis and treatment within a particular time limit to prevent mortality, the Japanese Society for Abdominal Emergency Medicine in collaboration with four other medical societies launched the Practice Guidelines for Primary Care of Acute Abdomen that were the first English guidelines in the world for the management of acute abdomen. Here we provide the highlights of these guidelines (all CQ and recommendations were shown in supplementary information).

Methods: A systematic and comprehensive evaluation of the evidence for epidemiology, diagnosis, differential diagnosis, and primary treatment for acute abdomen was performed to develop the Practice Guidelines for Primary Care of Acute Abdomen 2015. Because many types of pathophysiological events underlie acute abdomen, these guidelines cover the primary care of adult patients with nontraumatic acute abdomen.

Results: A total of 108 questions based on 9 subject areas were used to compile 113 recommendations. The subject areas included definition, epidemiology, history taking, physical examination, laboratory test, imaging studies, differential diagnosis, initial treatment, and education. Japanese medical circumstances were considered for grading the recommendations to assure useful information. The two‐step methods for the initial management of acute abdomen were proposed. Early use of transfusion and analgesia, particularly intravenous acetaminophen, were recommended.

Conclusions: The Practice Guidelines for Primary Care of Acute Abdomen 2015 have been prepared as the first evidence‐based guidelines for the management of acute abdomen. We hope that these guidelines contribute to clinical practice and improve the primary care and prognosis of patients with acute abdomen.
Interleukin‐18 and Chronic Kidney Disease in Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome
Authors: Yoda Aya , Matsubara Hiroshi , Kadota Koichiro , Inoue Keita , Nakamichi Seiko , Nishino Tomoya , Abe Koh , Takeshima Fuminao , Ozono Yoshiyuki
Published: March 2016

Background: Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) are common diseases encountered in primary care. These diseases share the same pathophysiology of chronic inflammation. In recent years, it was reported that the inflammasome participates in chronic inflammation, and interleukin (IL)‐18 has received significant attention as an inflammasome marker. IL‐18 is also closely associated with renal function, and is a stronger predictive marker of renal function disorder than high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein (hsCRP) or IL‐6. OSAS is also reported to be an independent risk factor of CKD. However, other basal diseases associated with OSAS and severe renal function disorders may also be CKD risk factors, such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and hyperlipidemia. So it should be carefully interpreted. Therefore, we investigated renal function in OSAS patients with no potentially confounding disorders using IL‐18.

Methods: We assessed OSAS severity (apnea–hypopnea index [AHI]); renal function (estimated glomerular filtration rate); and hsCRP, IL‐6, and IL‐18 levels in 23 patients newly diagnosed with OSAS and free from other diseases.

Results: Serum levels of IL‐18 demonstrated a significant negative correlated with eGFR (P < 0.05).

Conclusions: Even when renal dysfunction is mild, chronic inflammation is present in OSAS patients. We hypothesize that IL‐18 is a useful marker to detect chronic inflammation in OSAS patients and that this chronic inflammation contributes to CKD. These results suggest that IL‐18 is an associative marker for OSAS and renal function disorder, and can help achieve early treatment intervention in primary care.
Long‐term Low‐carbohydrate Diets and Type 2 Diabetes Risk: A Systematic Review and Meta‐analysis of Observational Studies
Authors: Noto Hiroshi , Goto Atsushi , Tsujimoto Tetsuro , Noda Mitsuhiko
Published: March 2016

Objective: Low‐carbohydrate diets have favorable short‐term effects on body weight and risk factors for cardiovascular disease. However, they are potentially associated with an increased long‐term risk of mortality. Our objective was to elucidate their effects on the incidence of diabetes.

Methods: Several databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, ISI Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov) were searched for relevant articles that were published prior to May 2015. Cohort studies with a follow‐up period of at least one year were included. Identified articles were systematically reviewed, and those with pertinent data were selected for inclusion in a meta‐analysis. The pooled risk ratio (RR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) for the incidence of diabetes was calculated using the random‐effects model with inverse‐variance weighting.

Results: We included 13 studies in a systematic review, followed by a meta‐analysis using pertinent data. Among the 440,669 people that were included in 11 cohort studies, 27,887 (6.3%) cases of diabetes were documented. The risk of incident diabetes among individuals with a low‐carbohydrate diet was not significantly different from that of individuals with a high‐carbohydrate diet: the pooled RR was 1.03 (95% CI, 0.91–1.16).

Conclusion: Low‐carbohydrate diets did not show any benefit on the risk of diabetes. However, this analysis is based on limited observational studies, and large‐scale trials examining the complex interactions between low‐carbohydrate diets and long‐term outcomes are needed.
Asymptomatic Hyperuricemia
Authors: Hosoya Tatsuo , Nishio Shinichiro
Published: March 2016

According to recent study, hyperuricemia is not only a basic pathology of gout, but has been found that it is intimately related to the development and progress of hypertension, chronic renal disease (CKD), cardiovascular disease, and stroke. This means that hypertension, CKD and cardiovascular disease are caused by the direct effect (pro‐oxidant effect) of urate without going through urate crystal deposition.

If the above issues can be indicated as clear evidence by treatment of interventional clinical trials, it can be thought that the treatment strategy for hyperuricemia to prevent organ damage will see substantial progress.
Intractable Hiccups and Nausea as a Principal Symptom of Neuromyelitis Optica in a Patient with a Prior History of Miller‐Fisher Syndrome
Authors: Sato Shuku , Terane Aya , Nishiguchi Sho , Branch Joel , Kawada Junya , Kitagawa Izumi , Tokuda Yasuharu
Published: March 2016

Nausea is a common symptom and usually suggests a gastrointestinal disease rather than rare and severe neurological disorders such as neuromyelitis optica (NMO). A 69‐year‐old female with a prior history of Miller–Fisher syndrome presented with unremitting vomiting and hiccups. She was diagnosed with gastroenteritis over multiple visits to our hospital. However, she developed right‐sided vision loss and bilateral lower extremity weakness. Magnetic resonance imaging of her spinal cord showed a lesion extending from T4 to L4, indicating transverse myelitis, and another lesion in the right ophthalmic nerve. Aquaporin‐4 antibody testing was positive. A definitive diagnosis of NMO was made 23 days after the manifestation of her initial symptom however treatment produced only partial recovery of muscle weakness, and no recovery of her vision. It is important to make a timely diagnosis of NMO since specific treatment may be effective if provided at an earlier stage of the disease.
Reallabore für nachhaltiges Wissen ‐ Forschung für und mit Zukunft
Authors: Wagner Felix , Ertner Stephan
Published: March 2016

In Reallaboren arbeiten Hochschulen und Forschungseinrichtungen mit Bürger(inne)n und Gemeinden gemeinsam an Fragen der nachhaltigen Entwicklung. Das Ministerium für Wissenschaft, Forschung und Kunst Baden-Württemberg fördert dieses Format seit Anfang 2015 in großem
Umfang. Über die Ergebnisse wird ab dieser GAIA-Ausgabe auf den Mitteilungsseiten berichtet.
Humanökologie und Ernährungsökologie: Konzeptionelle Allianzen und Synergien
Authors: Teherani-Krönner Parto , Rückert-John Jana
Published: March 2016

Ernährung ist heute in der modernen Gesellschaft und im globalen Maßstab mit zahlreichen Folgewirkungen verbunden und erscheint vor diesem Hintergrund als nicht nachhaltig. Die Jahrestagung 2016 der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Humanökologie (DGH)versucht, human-,
ernährungs- und kulturökologische Ansätze zu vereinen und für Lösungskonzepte fruchtbar zu machen.
Performance of electrolyte measurements assessed by a trueness verification program
Authors: Ge Menglei , Zhao Haijian , Yan Ying , Zhang Tianjiao , Zeng Jie , Zhou Weiyan , Wang Yufei , Meng Qinghui , Zhang Chuanbao
Published: March 2016

In this study, we analyzed frozen sera with known commutabilities for standardization of serum electrolyte measurements in China.

Fresh frozen sera were sent to 187 clinical laboratories in China for measurement of four electrolytes (sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium). Target values were assigned by two reference laboratories. Precision (CV), trueness (bias), and accuracy [total error (TE

About half of the laboratories used a homogeneous system (same manufacturer for instrument, reagent and calibrator) for calcium and magnesium measurement, and more than 80% of laboratories used a homogeneous system for sodium and potassium measurement. More laboratories met the tolerance limit of imprecision (coefficient of variation [CV

The use of commutable proficiency testing/external quality assessment (PT/EQA) samples with values assigned by reference methods can monitor performance and provide reliable data for improving the performance of laboratory electrolyte measurement. The homogeneous systems were superior to the non homogeneous systems, whereas accuracy of assigned values of calibrators and assay stability remained challenges.
A Memory-Based Learning Approach for Named Entity Recognition in Hindi
Authors: Sarkar Kamal , Shaw Sudhir Kumar
Published: March 2016

Named entity (NE) recognition (NER) is a process to identify and classify atomic elements such as person name, organization name, place/location name, quantities, temporal expressions, and monetary expressions in running text. In this paper, the Hindi NER task has been mapped into a multiclass learning problem, where the classes are NE tags. This paper presents a solution to this Hindi NER problem using a memory-based learning method. A set of simple and composite features, which includes binary, nominal, and string features, has been defined and incorporated into the proposed model. A relatively small Hindi Gazetteer list has also been employed to enhance the system performance. A comparative study on the experimental results obtained by the memory-based NER system proposed in this paper and a hidden Markov model (HMM)-based NER system shows that the performance of the proposed memory-based NER system is comparable to the HMM-based NER system.
A graph theoretical approach to data fusion
Authors: Žurauskienė Justina , Kirk Paul D.W. , Stumpf Michael P.H.
Published: March 2016

The rapid development of high throughput experimental techniques has resulted in a growing diversity of genomic datasets being produced and requiring analysis. Therefore, it is increasingly being recognized that we can gain deeper understanding about underlying biology by combining the insights obtained from multiple, diverse datasets. Thus we propose a novel scalable computational approach to unsupervised data fusion. Our technique exploits network representations of the data to identify similarities among the datasets. We may work within the Bayesian formalism, using Bayesian nonparametric approaches to model each dataset; or (for fast, approximate, and massive scale data fusion) can naturally switch to more heuristic modeling techniques. An advantage of the proposed approach is that each dataset can initially be modeled independently (in parallel), before applying a fast post-processing step to perform data integration. This allows us to incorporate new experimental data in an online fashion, without having to rerun all of the analysis. We first demonstrate the applicability of our tool on artificial data, and then on examples from the literature, which include yeast cell cycle, breast cancer and sporadic inclusion body myositis datasets.
Experience Affects Critical Period Plasticity in the Visual Cortex through an Epigenetic Regulation of Histone Post-Translational Modifications
Authors: Baroncelli Laura , Scali Manuela , Sansevero Gabriele , Olimpico Francesco , Manno Ilaria , Costa Mario , Sale Alessandro
Published: March 2016

During an early phase of enhanced sensitivity called the critical period (CP), monocular deprivation causes a shift in the response of visual cortex binocular neurons in favor of the nondeprived eye, a process named ocular dominance (OD) plasticity. While the time course of the CP for OD plasticity can be modulated by genetic/pharmacological interventions targeting GABAergic inhibition, whether an increased sensory-motor experience can affect this major plastic phenomenon is not known. We report that exposure to environmental enrichment (EE) accelerated the closure of the CP for OD plasticity in the rat visual cortex. Histone H3 acetylation was developmentally regulated in primary visual cortex, with enhanced levels being detectable early in enriched pups, and chromatin immunoprecipitation revealed an increase at the level of the BDNF P3 promoter. Administration of the histone deacetylase inhibitor SAHA (suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid) to animals reared in a standard cage mimicked the increase in H3 acetylation observed in the visual cortex and resulted in an accelerated decay of OD plasticity. Finally, exposure to EE in adulthood upregulated H3 acetylation and was paralleled by a reopening of the CP. These findings demonstrate a critical involvement of the epigenetic machinery as a mediator of visual cortex developmental plasticity and of the impact of EE on OD plasticity.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTWhile it is known that an epigenetic remodeling of chromatin structure controls developmental plasticity in the visual cortex, three main questions have remained open. Which is the physiological time course of histone modifications? Is it possible, by manipulating the chromatin epigenetic state, to modulate plasticity levels during the critical period? How can we regulate histone acetylation in the adult brain in a noninvasive manner? We show that the early exposure of rat pups to enriching environmental conditions accelerates the critical period for plasticity in the primary visual cortex, linking this effect to increased histone acetylation, specifically at the BDNF gene level. Moreover, we report that the exposure of adult animals to environmental enrichment enhances histone acetylation and reopens juvenile-like plasticity.
Deletion ofVax1from Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone (GnRH) Neurons Abolishes GnRH Expression and Leads to Hypogonadism and Infertility
Authors: Hoffmann Hanne M. , Trang Crystal , Gong Ping , Kimura Ikuo , Pandolfi Erica C. , Mellon Pamela L.
Published: March 2016

Hypothalamic gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons are at the apex of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis that regulates mammalian fertility. Herein we demonstrate a critical role for the homeodomain transcription factor ventral anterior homeobox 1 (VAX1) in GnRH neuron maturation and show thatVax1deletion from GnRH neurons leads to complete infertility in males and females. Specifically, globalVax1knock-out embryos had normal numbers of GnRH neurons at 13 d of gestation, but no GnRH staining was detected by embryonic day 17. To identify the role of VAX1 specifically in GnRH neuron development,Vax1floxmice were generated and lineage tracing performed inVax1flox/flox:GnRHcre:RosaLacZmice. This identified VAX1 as essential for maintaining expression ofGnrh1. The absence of GnRH staining in adultVax1flox/flox:GnRHcremice led to delayed puberty, hypogonadism, and infertility. To address the mechanism by which VAX1 maintainsGnrh1transcription, the capacity of VAX1 to regulateGnrh1transcription was evaluated in the GnRH cell lines GN11 and GT1-7. As determined by luciferase and electrophoretic mobility shift assays, we found VAX1 to be a direct activator of the GnRH promoter through binding to four ATTA sites in the GnRH enhancer (E1) and proximal promoter (P), and able to compete with the homeoprotein SIX6 for occupation of the identified ATTA sites in the GnRH promoter. We conclude that VAX1 is expressed in GnRH neurons where it is required for GnRH neuron expression of GnRH and maintenance of fertility in mice.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTInfertility classified as idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (IHH) is characterized by delayed or absent sexual maturation and low sex steroid levels due to alterations in neuroendocrine control of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. The incidence of IHH is 1–10 cases per 100,000 births. Although extensive efforts have been invested in identifying genes giving rise to IHH, >50% of cases have unknown genetic origins. We recently showed that haploinsufficiency of ventral anterior homeobox 1 (Vax1) leads to subfertility, making it a candidate in polygenic IHH. In this study, we investigate the mechanism by which VAX1 controls fertility finding that VAX1 is required for maintenance ofGnrh1gene expression and deletion ofVax1from GnRH neurons leads to complete infertility.
Propagating Neural Source Revealed by Doppler Shift of Population Spiking Frequency
Authors: Zhang Mingming , Shivacharan Rajat S. , Chiang Chia-Chu , Gonzalez-Reyes Luis E. , Durand Dominique M.
Published: March 2016

Electrical activity in the brain during normal and abnormal function is associated with propagating waves of various speeds and directions. It is unclear how both fast and slow traveling waves with sometime opposite directions can coexist in the same neural tissue. By recording population spikes simultaneously throughout the unfolded rodent hippocampus with a penetrating microelectrode array, we have shown that fast and slow waves are causally related, so a slowly moving neural source generates fast-propagating waves at ∼0.12 m/s. The source of the fast population spikes is limited in space and moving at ∼0.016 m/s based on both direct and Doppler measurements among 36 different spiking trains among eight different hippocampi. The fact that the source is itself moving can account for the surprising direction reversal of the wave. Therefore, these results indicate that a small neural focus can move and that this phenomenon could explain the apparent wave reflection at tissue edges or multiple foci observed at different locations in neural tissue.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTThe use of novel techniques with an unfolded hippocampus and penetrating microelectrode array to record and analyze neural activity has revealed the existence of a source of neural signals that propagates throughout the hippocampus. The source itself is electrically silent, but its location can be inferred by building isochrone maps of population spikes that the source generates. The movement of the source can also be tracked by observing the Doppler frequency shift of these spikes. These results have general implications for how neural signals are generated and propagated in the hippocampus; moreover, they have important implications for the understanding of seizure generation and foci localization.
Opening Holes in the Blanket of Inhibition: Localized Lateral Disinhibition by VIP Interneurons
Authors: Karnani Mahesh M. , Jackson Jesse , Ayzenshtat Inbal , Hamzehei Sichani Azadeh , Manoocheri Kasra , Kim Samuel , Yuste Rafael
Published: March 2016

Inhibitory interneurons in the neocortex often connect in a promiscuous and extensive fashion, extending a “blanket of inhibition” on the circuit. This raises the problem of how can excitatory activity propagate in the midst of this widespread inhibition. One solution to this problem could be the vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) interneurons, which disinhibit other interneurons. To explore how VIP interneurons affect the local circuits, we use two-photon optogenetics to activate them individually in mouse visual cortexin vivowhile measuring their output with two-photon calcium imaging. We find that VIP interneurons have narrow axons and inhibit nearby somatostatin interneurons, which themselves inhibit pyramidal cells. Moreover, via this lateral disinhibition, VIP cellsin vivomake local and transient “holes” in the inhibitory blanket extended by SOM cells. VIP interneurons, themselves regulated by neuromodulators, may therefore enable selective patterns of activity to propagate through the cortex, by generating a “spotlight of attention”.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTMost inhibitory interneurons have axons restricted to a nearby area and target excitatory neighbors indiscriminately, raising the issue of how neuronal activity can propagate through cortical circuits. Vasoactive intestinal peptide-expressing interneurons (VIPs) disinhibit cortical pyramidal cells through inhibition of other inhibitory interneurons, and they have very focused, “narrow” axons. By optogenetically activating single VIPs in live mice while recording the activity of nearby neurons, we find that VIPs break open a hole in blanket inhibition with an effective range of ∼120 μm in lateral cortical space where excitatory activity can propagate.