bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Matter of Low Self-Control? Exploring Differences Between Child Pornography Possessors and Child Pornography Producers/Distributers Using Self-Control Theory
Authors: Clevenger Shelly L. , Navarro Jordana N. , Jasinski Jana L.
Published: November 2014

This study examined the demographic and background characteristic differences between those arrested for child pornography (CP) possession (only), or CP production/distribution, or an attempted or completed sexual exploitation of a minor (SEM) that involved the Internet in some capacity within the context of self-control theory using data from the second wave of the National Juvenile Online Victimization Study (N-JOV2). Results indicate few demographic similarities, which thereby suggest these are largely heterogeneous groupings of individuals. Results also indicate CP producers/distributers engaged in a greater number of behaviors indicative of low self-control compared with CP possessors. Specifically, offenders arrested for CP production/distribution were more likely to have (a) had problems with drugs/alcohol at the time of the crime and (b) been previously violent. In contrast, the only indicator of low self-control that reached statistical significance for CP possessors was the previous use of violence. Moreover, in contrast to CP producers/distributers, full-time employment and marital status may be important factors to consider in the likelihood of arrest for CP possessors, which is congruent with the tenets of self-control theory.
Trends in Conflict
Authors: Eckberg Douglas
Published: November 2014

Previous research has found reduced mortality from aggravated assaults, attributed to medical care improvements. However, aggravated assault has limitations as a longitudinal measure of injuries from violence. The National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) can address this by providing estimates of serious injuries from criminal victimization. Their lethality trend is not compatible with the previous finding across 1973 through 1999, remaining stable rather than falling. After 1999, both Uniform Crime Reports (UCR)-and NCVS-based measures indicate increases in lethality. The trend differences raise serious problems of data choice for the researcher.
Aligning Cost Assessment With Community-Based Participatory Research
Authors: Meghea Cristian Ioan , Williams Karen Patricia
Published: November 2014

The few existing economic evaluations of community-based health promotion interventions were reported retrospectively at the end of the trial. We report an evaluation of the costs of the Kin KeeperSM Cancer Prevention Intervention, a female family-focused educational intervention for underserved women applied to increase breast and cervical cancer screening by enhancing cancer literacy. The cost analysis was performed from the perspective of a health organization with established community partnerships adding the Kin Keeper family intervention in the future to an existing community health worker program. The cost of delivering the Kin Keeper intervention, including two cancer education home visits, was $151/family. Kin Keeper is an inexpensive educational intervention delivered by community health workers to promote breast and cervical screening, with strong fidelity and quality. Prospecting cost evaluations of community-based interventions are needed for making informed timely decisions on the adaptation and expansion of such programs.
The moderating and mediating roles of self-acceptance and tolerance to others in the relationship between mindfulness and subjective well-being
Authors: Xu Wei , Oei Tian PS , Liu Xinghua , Wang Xiaoming , Ding Chen
Published: November 2014

This study explored the moderating and mediating influences of self-acceptance and tolerance to others in the relationship between mindfulness and subjective well-being. In total, 301 (130 males) university students completed the Five-Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire, Index of Well-being, Self-acceptance Questionnaire, and Tolerance Scale. The results showed that the positive link between mindfulness and subjective well-being was significantly mediated by self-acceptance only. Tolerance played a moderating role. The implications of the results for relevant research and mindfulness training were discussed.
Improving and validating children’s nurses communication skills with standardized patients in end of life care
Authors: Kenny Gerard , Cargil Jamie , Hamilton Catherine , Sales Rachel
Published: November 2014

Children’s nurse education is experiencing increases in recruitment targets at the same time that clinical placements are decreasing. With regard to end-of-life care, it is has become a challenge to ensure that all students come into contact with a satisfactory range of experience as part of the requirement for competency at the point of registration. The aim of our study was to find out if students at the end of their course were able to use communication skills acquired in their three years of training and adapt and transfer them to a specific palliative care context even if they had never worked in that area of care. Focus groups were conducted after the simulations which explored the students’ experiences of being involved in the scenarios. Four themes emerged that students identified either inhibited or enabled their communication skills, which included anxiety and fear, the need for professional props, the experience of it being real and feeling empowered.
Roma as a political identity: Exploring representations of Roma in Europe
Authors: McGarry Aidan
Published: November 2014

This article explores some of the myriad representations of Roma in Europe and argues that this proliferation makes it more difficult for policymakers to formulate coherent interventions, for academics to agree on a common conceptual language and for the majority to understand the inter-connected problems facing Roma communities. ‘Representations’ refers to how the community is understood by itself as well as by others. Whilst no community retains an uncontested image of itself and its identity, Roma communities have little or no control over how they are represented in the public sphere. Usually, representations of Roma originate and are sustained by non-Romani actors including international organisations, national governments and the majority. Of course, Roma communities have attempted to influence how they represent themselves externally to challenge negative stereotypes and internally, to raise a political consciousness and foster solidarity. Relatedly, the political representation of Roma is particularly important due to their weak political positioning in local, national and transnational contexts but also because it highlights the disparity between contested questions of who Roma are and devising policy interventions to address socio-economic and political exclusion. This article discusses a select number of prevalent Roma representations and links the representation of Roma identity to the public presence and agency of Romani communities.
The work of Sisyphus: Squaring the circle of Roma recognition
Authors: Tremlett Annabel , McGarry Aidan , Agarin Timofey
Published: November 2014

Most special issues on Roma minorities want to alert readers to the devastating consequences of racist public attitudes and misdirected public policy. Here we don't shy away from such issues, but we also want to challenge our own scholarship and ask some fundamental questions about how we, as academics, are approaching such research. In this introduction the context of the special issue is explored, both in terms of the historic backdrop of an expanding European Union and the academic theoretical framework of minority integration. Major critical questioning – such as broader questions around migration, race and ethnicity discourses – are still lacking when it comes to research on or with Roma minorities. Our main aim is to move debates on from continually describing who Roma people are and what they are doing, to questioning: who defines who is Roma, when and why? What happens in policy-making, research, everyday interactions? This approach sees an understanding of recognition, representations and power dynamics as fundamental to understanding the positionings of minorities who can also be marginalised or feel disenfranchised. This introduction to the special issue highlights the importance of deeply conceptualising issues around minority integration alongside empirical knowledge of how Roma identities become implicated in and through different modalities of mobilisation. Contributions to this special issue speak to debates in minority politics and identity studies along with migration and race/ethnicity discourses. This indicates that the experiences of, and discourses surrounding Roma minorities reflect the fundamental concerns of social science research about identity, ethnicity, cohesion and change.
A vibro-haptic human–machine interface for structural health monitoring
Authors: Mascareñas David , Plont Crystal , Brown Christina , Cowell Martin , Jameson N Jordan , Block Jessica , Djidjev Stephanie , Hahn Heidi , Farrar Charles
Published: November 2014

The goal of the structural health monitoring community has been to endow physical systems with a nervous system not unlike those commonly found in living organisms. Typically, the structural health monitoring community has attempted to do this by instrumenting structures with a variety of sensors and then applying various signal processing and classification procedures to the data in order to detect the presence of damage, the location of damage, the severity of damage, and to estimate the remaining useful life of the structure. This procedure has had some success, but we are still a long way from achieving the performance of nervous systems found in biology. This is primarily because contemporary classification algorithms do not have the performance required. In many cases, expert judgment is superior to automated classification. This work introduces a new paradigm. We propose interfacing the human nervous system to the distributed sensor network located on the structure and developing new techniques to enable human–machine cooperation. The results from the field of sensory substitution suggest this should be possible. This study investigates a vibro-haptic human–machine interface for structural health monitoring. The investigation was performed using a surrogate three-story structure. The structure features three nonlinearity-inducing bumpers to simulate damage. Accelerometers are placed on each floor to measure the response of the structure to a harmonic base excitation. The accelerometer measurements are preprocessed. The preprocessed data are then encoded as a vibro-tactile stimulus. Human subjects were then subjected to the vibro-tactile stimulus and asked to characterize the damage in the structure.
The 4D Model of the country image: An integrative approach from the perspective of communication management
Authors: Buhmann Alexander , Ingenhoff Diana
Published: November 2014

This conceptual article proposes a new integrative model of the country image by drawing on advances from the fields of business studies, social psychology, political science, and communication science. To interrelate different approaches, a communication management perspective is applied, providing a basic terminological framework systemizing the central constructs of country image, country reputation, country brand, and country identity. On this basis the authors develop the ‘4D Model' of the country image by integrating well-established concepts from national identity theory, attitude theory, and reputation management. The new model is suited for application in comparative analyses of country images both on the level of different groups (such as a country’s domestic and foreign publics) as well as different societal levels (such as individual attitudes on the one hand and mass-mediated prestige information on the other).
The ‘Mozart Effect’: A Sociological Reappraisal
Authors: Beauvais Clémentine
Published: November 2014

This article examines the ‘scientific legend’ of the ‘Mozart Effect’, which grew to become a large-scale cultural phenomenon with political ramifications, focused on early childhood education, during the 1990s and early 2000s in the United States. The search for the ‘Mozart Effect’ and its commercial exploitation followed the finding by Rauscher et al. (1993) that listening to Mozart’s music could improve performance on specific tasks of the Stanford-Binet intelligence test for a short duration of time. The ‘Mozart Effect’, this paper argues, was a particularly successful sociocultural phenomenon because its different components at the time of its emergence were propitiously situated to find particular resonance in late-20th-century America. Those components are identified as the emphasis on neuroscience and early childhood education in the 1990s ‘Decade of the Brain’; the American interest in intelligence-testing and intelligence-enhancing methods, especially in children; the increasingly blurry distinction in musical preferences across socioeconomic classes; and the changed status of classical music in the era of easily-reproducible and arranged listening. The legendary figure of Mozart, at the core of the ‘effect’ that bears its name, is also analysed in depth, as it ensured the neat cohesion of those elements, and contributed to a shift in this phenomenon towards early childhood education in popular and political understandings of the ‘Mozart Effect’. Beyond its value as a retrospective examination of a particularly successful ‘scientific legend’, this article aspires to present a case study in the diverse elements which can, under favourable circumstances, catalyse into popular phenomena of significant magnitude.
Resource Effects on In-Group Boundary Formation With Regard to Sexual Identity
Authors: Vaughn Allison A. , Cronan Sierra B. , Beavers Adam J.
Published: November 2014

Previous research has shown that resource scarcity decreases inclusiveness of racially ambiguous individuals when categorizing racial in-group members. Given that sexual identity can be visually ambiguous, the present studies sought to test this effect on in-group boundary formation for sexual identity in-groups. In Studies 1 and 2, participants were randomly assigned to view a slideshow representing resource scarcity or abundance (i.e., priming procedure). Next, participants categorized 24 photographs into sexual identity groups. As predicted, participants in the scarcity condition categorized fewer faces as in-group members compared to those in the abundance condition. In Study 3, a no-prime control group revealed that for straight participants, in-group overexclusion was due to a perceived resource scarcity, while for sexual minority participants, this effect was due to perceived resource abundance. Implications are discussed in terms of real-world applications of the findings as well as the methodology utilized in this study.
Structure and properties of WC–Co coatings obtained on steel substrates by liquid state sintering in vacuum
Authors: Burov V. G. , Bataev I. A. , Tyurin A. G. , Veselov S. V.
Published: November 2014

In this paper, the authors report the structure and mechanical properties of WC–Co coatings produced on low carbon steel substrates by liquid state sintering in vacuum. Special attention is paid to the research of structure evolution during sintering and of complex carbide formation. Material structure was investigated by optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The coating phase composition was researched within the temperature range of 600–1200°C using high temperature X-ray diffractometer. Brittle complex carbides appeared within the temperature range of 600–800°C. The result was confirmed by differential scanning calorimetry. Complex carbide formation increases when the carbon content is low. The results of the research were used to develop a method to suppress the formation of brittle complex carbides by changing the chemical composition of the substrate surface.
Mechanical and microstructural properties of NiCrFeSiBC/Cr3C2 composite coatings – part I
Authors: Singh S. , Kaur M.
Published: November 2014

NiCrFeSiBC/Cr3C2 composite coatings were developed on to GrA1 boiler steel by high velocity oxy fuel spray process. The aim was to develop the novel composite coating by finding optimum concentration of Cr3C2 in NiCrFeSiBC matrix, which further possesses the superior solid particle erosion resistance. The mechanical and microstructural properties of the developed coatings were critically examined. The as sprayed coatings were characterised by X-ray diffraction, SEM/energy dispersive spectroscopy analyses. The coatings exhibited characteristic splat-like morphology with the presence of micropores, unmelted and semimelted particles and inclusions. The adhesion strength of the developed coatings was also determined. The physical properties like surface roughness, porosity and microhardness of the as sprayed coatings have also been reported. The blending resulted into the formation of composite-like coatings where, the Cr3C2 phase was nearly uniformly distributed into the NiCrFeSiBC matrix. The results have been discussed with respect to the existing literature.
Loss of TET2 has dual roles in murine myeloproliferative neoplasms: disease sustainer and disease accelerator
Authors: Kameda Takuro , Shide Kotaro , Yamaji Takumi , Kamiunten Ayako , Sekine Masaaki , Taniguchi Yasuhiro , Hidaka Tomonori , Kubuki Yoko , Shimoda Haruko , Marutsuka Kousuke , Sashida Goro , Aoyama Kazumasa , Yoshimitsu Makoto , Harada Taku , Abe Hiroo , Miike Tadashi , Iwakiri Hisayoshi , Tahara Yoshihiro , Sueta Mitsue , Yamamoto Shojiro , Hasuike Satoru , Nagata Kenji , Iwama Atsushi , Kitanaka Akira , Shimoda Kazuya
Published: November 2014

Key Points

Loss of TET2 accelerates the degree of malignancy of MPNs in combination with JAK2V617F. Loss of TET2 sustains MPNs in combination with JAK2V617F.
ATL response to arsenic/interferon therapy is triggered by SUMO/PML/RNF4-dependent Tax degradation
Authors: Dassouki Zeina , Sahin Umut , El Hajj Hiba , Jollivet Florence , Kfoury Youmna , Lallemand-Breitenbach Valérie , Hermine Olivier , de Thé Hugues , Bazarbachi Ali
Published: November 2014

Key Points

Survival of ATL cells depends on continuous Tax expression. Arsenic/interferon combination induces SUMO/PML/RNF4-mediated Tax degradation.
How we treat chronic graft-versus-host disease
Authors: Flowers Mary E. D. , Martin Paul J.
Published: November 2014

Chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) remains a common and potentially life-threatening complication of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT). The 2-year cumulative incidence of chronic GVHD requiring systemic treatment is ∼30% to 40% by National Institutes of Health criteria. The risk of chronic GVHD is higher and the duration of treatment is longer after HCT with mobilized blood cells than with marrow cells. Clinical manifestations can impair activities of daily living and often linger for years. Hematology and oncology specialists who refer patients to centers for HCT are often subsequently involved in the management of chronic GVHD when patients return to their care after HCT. Treatment of these patients can be optimized under shared care arrangements that enable referring physicians to manage long-term administration of immunosuppressive medications and supportive care with guidance from transplant center experts. Keys to successful collaborative management include early recognition in making the diagnosis of chronic GVHD, comprehensive evaluation at the onset and periodically during the course of the disease, prompt institution of systemic and topical treatment, appropriate monitoring of the response, calibration of treatment intensity over time in order to avoid overtreatment or undertreatment, and the use of supportive care to prevent complications and disability.
Subclonal mutations in SETBP1 confer a poor prognosis in juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia
Authors: Stieglitz Elliot , Troup Camille B. , Gelston Laura C. , Haliburton John , Chow Eric D. , Yu Kristie B. , Akutagawa Jon , Taylor-Weiner Amaro N. , Liu Y. Lucy , Wang Yong-Dong , Beckman Kyle , Emanuel Peter D. , Braun Benjamin S. , Abate Adam , Gerbing Robert B. , Alonzo Todd A. , Loh Mignon L.
Published: November 2014

Key Points

Mutations in SETBP1 can be detected using droplet digital polymerase chain reaction in at least 30% of patients with JMML and are associated with a dismal prognosis. Patients harboring rare cells with mutant SETBP1 at diagnosis should be considered candidates for swift hematopoietic stem cell transplant.
Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels and lung function in adults with asthma: the HUNT Study
Authors: Larose Tricia L. , Langhammer Arnulf , Chen Yue , Camargo Carlos A. , Romundstad Pål , Mai Xiao-Mei
Published: November 2014

The association between vitamin D status and lung function in adults with asthma remains unclear.

We studied this cross-sectional association and possible modification by sex and allergic rhinitis in 760 adults (aged 19–55 years) with self-reported asthma in the Nord-Trøndelag Health Study. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) level <50 nmol·L−1was considered deficient. Lung function measurements included forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) % predicted, forced vital capacity (FVC) % predicted and FEV1/FVC ratio. Multiple linear regression models were used to estimate adjusted regression coefficients (β) and 95% confidence intervals.

44% of asthma adults had serum 25(OH)D levels <50 nmol·L−1. Its associations with lung function measures seemed to be modified by sex and allergic rhinitis (p<0.03 for three-way interaction term). Overall, a serum 25(OH)D level <50 nmol·L−1was not associated with lung function measurements in subjects with allergic rhinitis in this asthma cohort. In men with asthma but without allergic rhinitis, however, a serum 25(OH)D level <50 nmol·L−1was significantly associated with lower FEV1/FVC ratio (β=−8.60%; 95% CI: −16.95%– −0.25%).

Low serum 25(OH)D level was not associated with airway obstruction in most asthma adults with the exception of men with asthma but without allergic rhinitis.
Early-life risk factors for chronic nonrespiratory diseases
Authors: Chacko Archana , Carpenter David O. , Callaway Leonie , Sly Peter D.
Published: November 2014

We have witnessed a change in disease patterns contributing to the global burden of disease, with a shift from early childhood deaths due to the classic infectious communicable diseases to years lived with disability from chronic noncommunicable diseases. In both developing and developed countries, the years lived with disability attributable to chronic disease have increased: cardiovascular diseases by 17.7%; chronic respiratory disease by 8.5%; neurological conditions by 12.2%; diabetes by 30.0%; and mental and behavioural disorders by 5.0% over the past 20 years. Recognition of the contribution made by adverse environmental exposures in early life to noncommunicable diseases in later life is increasing. These early-life exposures appear to contribute to both chronic respiratory and chronic nonrespiratory diseases. In this State of the Art article, we aim to examine early-life environmental exposures that have an epidemiological association with chronic nonrespiratory diseases, such as obesity and type II diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and neurocognitive and behavioural problems. We will highlight the potential overlap in environmental risks with respiratory diseases, and point out knowledge gaps and research opportunities.
Dead space: the physiology of wasted ventilation
Authors: Robertson H. Thomas
Published: November 2014

An elevated physiological dead space, calculated from measurements of arterial CO2and mixed expired CO2, has proven to be a useful clinical marker of prognosis both for patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome and for patients with severe heart failure. Although a frequently cited explanation for an elevated dead space measurement has been the development of alveolar regions receiving no perfusion, evidence for this mechanism is lacking in both of these disease settings. For the range of physiological abnormalities associated with an increased physiological dead space measurement, increased alveolar ventilation/perfusion ratio (V′A/Q′) heterogeneity has been the most important pathophysiological mechanism. Depending on the disease condition, additional mechanisms that can contribute to an elevated physiological dead space measurement include shunt, a substantial increase in overallV′A/Q′ ratio, diffusion impairment, and ventilation delivered to unperfused alveolar spaces.
CMOS-compatible metal-stabilized nanostructured Si as anodes for lithium-ion microbatteries
Authors: Lee Gibaek , Schweizer Stefan L , Wehrspohn Ralf B
Published: November 2014

The properties of fully complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS)-compatible metal-coated nanostructured silicon anodes for Li-ion microbatteries have been studied. The one-dimensional nanowires on black silicon (nb-Si) were prepared by inductively coupled plasma (ICP) etching and the metal (Au and Cu) coatings by successive magnetron sputtering technique. The Cu-coated nb-Si show the most promising electrochemical performance enhancements for the initial specific capacity as well as their cyclability compared to pristine nb-Si. The electrochemical and microstructural properties before and after cycling of the metal-coated nb-Si compared to their pristine counterparts are discussed in detail.
The associations of leg lean mass with foot pain, posture and function in the Framingham foot study
Authors: McLean Robert R , Dufour Alyssa B , Katz Patricia P , Hillstrom Howard J , Hagedorn Thomas J , Hannan Marian T
Published: November 2014

Background

Foot disorders are common in older adults and associated with impaired lower extremity function. Reduced muscle mass may play a role in the etiology of foot disorders and consequent poor function.

Methods

We examined the association of leg lean mass with foot pain, posture and function among 1,795 individuals (mean age 67 years) from the population‐based Framingham Foot Study (2002‐2008). Pain was assessed via questionnaire, and a pressure mat classified foot posture (arch: high, low, referent) during standing and function (pronation, supination, referent) during gait. Leg lean mass was measured by whole body dual energy x‐ray absorptiometry.

Results

In age‐ and body mass index‐adjusted logistic (pain) and multinomial logistic (posture, function) regression models, a 1‐standard deviation increase in leg lean mass was associated with lower odds of foot pain (OR = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.68, 0.86) and pronation (OR = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.67, 0.85), and higher odds of supination (OR = 1.17, 95% CI: 1.04, 1.31). Adjustment for sex attenuated these associations. Higher leg lean mass was associated with lower odds of high arch, even after adjustment for sex (OR = 0.73, 95% CI: 0.60, 0.89).

Conclusions

Though not related to foot pain or function, reduced leg lean mass was associated with extreme foot posture in older adults. Loss of muscle mass with aging may thus play a role in the etiology of functional impairment due to foot disorders.
Next-generation pathogen genomics
Authors: Weinstock George M , Peacock Sharon J
Published: November 2014

No abstract
Proteomics informed by transcriptomics reveals Hendra virus sensitizes bat cells to TRAIL-mediated apoptosis
Authors: Wynne James W , Shiell Brian J , Marsh Glenn A , Boyd Victoria , Harper Jennifer A , Heesom Kate , Monaghan Paul , Zhou Peng , Payne Jean , Klein Reuben , Todd Shawn , Mok Lawrence , Green Diane , Bingham John , Tachedjian Mary , Baker Michelle L , Matthews David , Wang Lin-Fa
Published: November 2014

Background

Bats are a major reservoir of emerging infectious viruses. Many of these viruses are highly pathogenic to humans however bats remain asymptomatic. The mechanism by which bats control viral replication is unknown. Here we utilize an integrated approach of proteomics informed by transcriptomics to compare the response of immortalized bat and human cells following infection with the highly pathogenic bat-borne Hendra virus (HeV).

Results

The host response between the cell lines was significantly different at both the mRNA and protein levels. Human cells demonstrated minimal response eight hours post infection, followed by a global suppression of mRNA and protein abundance. Bat cells demonstrated a robust immune response eight hours post infection, which led to the up-regulation of apoptosis pathways, mediated through the tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis inducing ligand (TRAIL). HeV sensitized bat cells to TRAIL-mediated apoptosis, by up-regulating death receptor transcripts. At 48 and 72 hours post infection, bat cells demonstrated a significant increase in apoptotic cell death.

Conclusions

This is the first study to comprehensively compare the response of bat and human cells to a highly pathogenic zoonotic virus. An early induction of innate immune processes followed by apoptosis of virally infected bat cells highlights the possible involvement of programmed cell death in the host response. Our study shows for the first time a side-by-side high-throughput analysis of a dangerous zoonotic virus in cell lines derived from humans and the natural bat host. This enables a way to search for divergent mechanisms at a molecular level that may influence host pathogenesis.
Engineering the control of mosquito-borne infectious diseases
Authors: Gabrieli Paolo , Smidler Andrea , Catteruccia Flaminia
Published: November 2014

Recent advances in genetic engineering are bringing new promise for controlling mosquito populations that transmit deadly pathogens. Here we discuss past and current efforts to engineer mosquito strains that are refractory to disease transmission or are suitable for suppressing wild disease-transmitting populations.
Genomic epidemiology of a protracted hospital outbreak caused by multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumanniiin Birmingham, England
Authors: Halachev Mihail R , Chan Jacqueline Z-M , Constantinidou Chrystala I , Cumley Nicola , Bradley Craig , Smith-Banks Matthew , Oppenheim Beryl , Pallen Mark J
Published: November 2014

Background

Multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii commonly causes hospital outbreaks. However, within an outbreak, it can be difficult to identify the routes of cross-infection rapidly and accurately enough to inform infection control. Here, we describe a protracted hospital outbreak of multidrug-resistant A. baumannii, in which whole-genome sequencing (WGS) was used to obtain a high-resolution view of the relationships between isolates.

Methods

To delineate and investigate the outbreak, we attempted to genome-sequence 114 isolates that had been assigned to the A. baumannii complex by the Vitek2 system and obtained informative draft genome sequences from 102 of them. Genomes were mapped against an outbreak reference sequence to identify single nucleotide variants (SNVs).

Results

We found that the pulsotype 27 outbreak strain was distinct from all other genome-sequenced strains. Seventy-four isolates from 49 patients could be assigned to the pulsotype 27 outbreak on the basis of genomic similarity, while WGS allowed 18 isolates to be ruled out of the outbreak. Among the pulsotype 27 outbreak isolates, we identified 31 SNVs and seven major genotypic clusters. In two patients, we documented within-host diversity, including mixtures of unrelated strains and within-strain clouds of SNV diversity. By combining WGS and epidemiological data, we reconstructed potential transmission events that linked all but 10 of the patients and confirmed links between clinical and environmental isolates. Identification of a contaminated bed and a burns theatre as sources of transmission led to enhanced environmental decontamination procedures.

Conclusions

WGS is now poised to make an impact on hospital infection prevention and control, delivering cost-effective identification of routes of infection within a clinically relevant timeframe and allowing infection control teams to track, and even prevent, the spread of drug-resistant hospital pathogens.
Linking hypothetical knowledge patterns to disease molecular signatures for biomarker discovery in Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Malhotra Ashutosh , Younesi Erfan , Bagewadi Shweta , Hofmann-Apitius Martin
Published: November 2014

Background

A number of compelling candidate Alzheimer’s biomarkers remain buried within the literature. Indeed, there should be a systematic effort towards gathering this information through approaches that mine publicly available data and substantiate supporting evidence through disease modeling methods. In the presented work, we demonstrate that an integrative gray zone mining approach can be used as a way to tackle this challenge successfully.

Methods

The methodology presented in this work combines semantic information retrieval and experimental data through context-specific modeling of molecular interactions underlying stages in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Information about putative, highly speculative AD biomarkers was harvested from the literature using a semantic framework and was put into a functional context through disease- and stage-specific models. Staging models of AD were further validated for their functional relevance and novel biomarker candidates were predicted at the mechanistic level.

Results

Three interaction models were built representing three stages of AD, namely mild, moderate, and severe stages. Integrated analysis of these models using various arrays of evidence gathered from experimental data and published knowledge resources led to identification of four candidate biomarkers in the mild stage. Mode of action of these candidates was further reasoned in the mechanistic context of models by chains of arguments. Accordingly, we propose that some of these ‘emerging’ potential biomarker candidates have a reasonable mechanistic explanation and deserve to be investigated in more detail.

Conclusions

Systematic exploration of derived hypothetical knowledge leads to generation of a coherent overview on emerging knowledge niches. Integrative analysis of this knowledge in the context of disease mechanism is a promising approach towards identification of candidate biomarkers taking into consideration the complex etiology of disease. The added value of this strategy becomes apparent particularly in the area of biomarker discovery for neurodegenerative diseases where predictive biomarkers are desperately needed.
A phylogeny-based sampling strategy and power calculator informs genome-wide associations study design for microbial pathogens
Authors: Farhat Maha R , Shapiro B Jesse , Sheppard Samuel K , Colijn Caroline , Murray Megan
Published: November 2014

Whole genome sequencing is increasingly used to study phenotypic variation among infectious pathogens and to evaluate their relative transmissibility, virulence, and immunogenicity. To date, relatively little has been published on how and how many pathogen strains should be selected for studies associating phenotype and genotype. There are specific challenges when identifying genetic associations in bacteria which often comprise highly structured populations. Here we consider general methodological questions related to sampling and analysis focusing on clonal to moderately recombining pathogens. We propose that a matched sampling scheme constitutes an efficient study design, and provide a power calculator based on phylogenetic convergence. We demonstrate this approach by applying it to genomic datasets for two microbial pathogens: Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Campylobacter species.
γδ T cells promote inflammation and insulin resistance during high fat diet-induced obesity in mice
Authors: Mehta Pooja , Nuotio-Antar Alli Martina , Smith C Wayne
Published: November 2014

γδ T cells are resident in AT and increase during diet-induced obesity. Their possible contribution to the inflammatory response that accompanies diet-induced obesity was investigated in mice after a 5 to 10 week milk HFD. The HFD resulted in significant increases in CD44hi, CD62Llo, and TNF-α+  γδ T cells in eAT of WT mice. Mice deficient in all γδ T cells (TCRδ−/−) or only Vγ4 and Vγ6 subsets (Vγ4/6−/−) were compared with WT mice with regard to proinflammatory cytokine production and macrophage accumulation in eAT. Obesity among these mouse strains did not differ, but obese TCRδ−/− and Vγ4/6−/− mice had significantly reduced eAT expression of F4/80, a macrophage marker, and inflammatory mediators CCL2 and IL-6 compared with WT mice. Obese TCRδ−/− mice had significantly reduced CD11c+ and TNF-α+ macrophage accumulation in eAT after 5 and 10 weeks on the HFD, and obese Vγ4/6−/− mice had significantly increased CD206+ macrophages in eAT after 5 weeks on the diet and significantly reduced macrophages after 10 weeks. Obese TCRδ−/− mice had significant reductions in systemic insulin resistance and inflammation in liver and skeletal muscle after longer-term HFD feeding (10 and 24 weeks). In vitro studies revealed that isolated γδ T cells directly stimulated RAW264.7 macrophage TNF-α expression but did not stimulate inflammatory mediator expression in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. These findings are consistent with a role for γδ T cells in the proinflammatory response that accompanies diet-induced obesity.
Prediction of general hospital admission in people with dementia: Cohort study
Authors: Russ Tom C. , Parra Mario A. , Lim Alison E. , Law Emma , Connelly Peter J. , Starr John M.
Published: November 2014

Background

People with dementia are extremely vulnerable in hospital and unscheduled admissions should be avoided if possible.

Aims

To identify any predictors of general hospital admission in people with dementia in a well-characterised national prospective cohort study.

Method

A cohort of 730 persons with dementia was drawn from the Scottish Dementia Research Interest Register (47.8% female; mean age 76.3 years, s.d. = 8.2, range 50–94), with a mean follow-up period of 1.2 years.

Results

In the age- and gender-adjusted multivariable model (n= 681; 251 admitted), Neuropsychiatric Inventory score (hazard ratio per s.d. disadvantage 1.21, 95% CI 1.08–1.36) was identified as an independent predictor of admission to hospital.

Conclusions

Neuropsychiatric symptoms in dementia, measured using the Neuropsychiatric Inventory, predict non-psychiatric hospital admission of people with dementia. Further studies are merited to test whether interventions to reduce such symptoms might reduce unscheduled admissions to acute hospitals.
Postpartum change in common mental disorders among rural
Vietnamese women: Incidence, recovery and risk and protective
factors
Authors: Nguyen Trang Thu , Tran Thach Duc , Tran Tuan , La Buoi , Nguyen Hau , Fisher Jane
Published: November 2014

Background

In low- and middle-income countries little is known about changes in
women's mental health status from the perinatal period to 15 months
postpartum or the factors associated with different trajectories.

Aims

To determine the incidence and rates of recovery from common mental
disorders (CMD) among rural Vietnamese women and the risk and protective
factors associated with these outcomes from the perinatal period to 15
months after giving birth.

Method

In a population-based prospective study, a systematically recruited
cohort of women completed baseline assessments in either the last
trimester of pregnancy or 4–6 weeks after giving birth and were followed
up 15 months later. The common mental disorders of major depression,
generalised anxiety and panic disorder were assessed by
psychiatrist-administered Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV
Disorders at both baseline and follow-up.

Results

A total of 211 women provided complete data in this study. The incidence
rate of CMD in the first postpartum year was 13% (95% CI 8–19), and 70%
(95% CI 59–80) of women who had perinatal CMD recovered within the first
postpartum year. Incidence was associated with having experienced
childhood maltreatment, experiencing the intimate partner as providing
little care, sensitivity, kindness or affection, and the chronic stress
of household poverty. Recovery was associated with higher quality of a
woman's relationships with her intimate partner and her own mother,
longer period of mandated rest following birth, and sharing of domestic
tasks and infant care.

Conclusions

Modifiable social factors, in particular the quality of a woman's closest
relationships with her partner and her own mother, and participation by
family members in domestic work and infant care, are closely related to
women's mental health in the first year after giving birth in
resource-constrained settings.
Tracking developmentally regulated post-synthetic processing of homogalacturonan and chitin using reciprocal oligosaccharide probes
Authors: Mravec Jozef , Kračun Stjepan K. , Rydahl Maja G. , Westereng Bjørge , Miart Fabien , Clausen Mads H. , Fangel Jonatan U. , Daugaard Mathilde , Van Cutsem Pierre , De Fine Licht Henrik H. , Höfte Herman , Malinovsky Frederikke G. , Domozych David S. , Willats William G. T.
Published: November 2014

Polysaccharides are major components of extracellular matrices and are often extensively modified post-synthetically to suit local requirements and developmental programmes. However, our current understanding of the spatiotemporal dynamics and functional significance of these modifications is limited by a lack of suitable molecular tools. Here, we report the development of a novel non-immunological approach for producing highly selective reciprocal oligosaccharide-based probes for chitosan (the product of chitin deacetylation) and for demethylesterified homogalacturonan. Specific reciprocal binding is mediated by the unique stereochemical arrangement of oppositely charged amino and carboxy groups. Conjugation of oligosaccharides to fluorophores or gold nanoparticles enables direct and rapid imaging of homogalacturonan and chitosan with unprecedented precision in diverse plant, fungal and animal systems. We demonstrated their potential for providing new biological insights by using them to study homogalacturonan processing during Arabidopsis thaliana root cap development and by analyzing sites of chitosan deposition in fungal cell walls and arthropod exoskeletons.
BRG1 promotes DNA double-strand break repair by facilitating the replacement of RPA with RAD51
Authors: Qi Wenjing , Wang Ruoxi , Chen Hongyu , Wang Xiaolin , Xiao Ting , Boldogh Istvan , Ba Xueqing , Han Liping , Zeng Xianlu
Published: November 2014

DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) are a type of lethal DNA damage. To repair DSBs, a tight coordination between the factors modulating chromatin structure and the DNA repair machinery is required. BRG1, the ATPase subunit of the chromatin remodeling complex SWItch/Sucrose NonFermentable (SWI/SNF), is often linked to tumourigenesis and genome instability, and its role in DSB repair remains largely unclear. In the present study, we showed that BRG1 is recruited to DSB sites and enhances DSB repair. Using DR-GFP and EJ5-GFP reporter systems, we demonstrated that BRG1 facilitates homologous recombination (HR) repair rather than nonhomologous end-joining (NHEJ) repair. Moreover, the BRG1/RAD52 complex mediates the replacement of RPA with RAD51 onto single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) to initiate DNA strand invasion. Loss of BRG1 results in the failure of RAD51 loading onto ssDNAs, abnormal HR repair and enhanced DSB-induced lethality. Our present study provides a mechanistic insight into how BRG1, which is known to be a chromatin remodeling modulator, plays a substantial role in the HR repair pathway in mammalian cells.
INPP5E interacts with AURKA, linking phosphoinositide signalling to primary cilium stability
Authors: Plotnikova Olga V. , Seo Seongjin , Cottle Denny L. , Conduit Sarah , Hakim Sandra , Dyson Jennifer M. , Mitchell Christina A. , Smyth Ian M.
Published: November 2014

Mutations in Inositol Polyphosphate-5-phosphatase E (INPP5E) cause the ciliopathies known as Joubert and MORM Syndromes; however the role of INPP5E in cilia biology is not well understood. We describe an interaction between INPP5E and AURKA, a centrosomal kinase that regulates mitosis and ciliary disassembly, and show this interaction is important for primary cilia stability. Furthermore, AURKA phosphorylates and thereby increases INPP5E 5-phosphatase activity, which in turn promotes transcriptional down-regulation of AURKA, partly via an AKT-dependent mechanism. These findings establish the first direct link between AURKA and phosphoinositide signalling and suggest the function of INPP5E in cilia is at least partly mediated by its interactions with AURKA.
Geographic variation in thermal physiological performance of the intertidal crabPetrolisthes violaceusalong a latitudinal gradient
Authors: Gaitán-Espitia Juan Diego , Bacigalupe Leonardo D. , Opitz Tania , Lagos Nelson A. , Timmermann Tania , Lardies Marco A.
Published: November 2014

Environmental temperature has profound implications on the biological performance and biogeographical distribution of ectothermic species. Variation of this abiotic factor across geographic gradients is expected to produces physiological differentiation and local adaptation of natural populations depending on their thermal tolerances and physiological sensitivities. Here, we have studied geographic variation in whole-organism thermal physiology of seven populations of the porcelain crab Petrolisthes violaceus across a latitudinal gradient of 3000 km, characterized by a cline of thermal conditions. Our study found that populations of P. violaceus exhibit a lack of differences in the limits of their thermal performance curves and a negative correlation of their optimal temperatures with latitude. Additionally, our findings showed that high latitude populations of P. violaceus exhibited broader thermal tolerances, which is consistent with the Climatic Variability Hypothesis. Interestingly, under a future scenario of warming oceans, the thermal safety margins of P. violaceus indicate that lower latitude populations can physiologically tolerate the ocean warming scenarios projected by the IPCC for the end of the twenty-first century.
The energetic benefits of tendon springs in running: is the reduction of muscle work important?
Authors: Holt Natalie C. , Roberts Thomas J. , Askew Graham N.
Published: November 2014

The distal muscle-tendon units of cursorial species are commonly composed of short muscle fibres and long, compliant tendons. It is assumed that the ability of these tendons to store and return mechanical energy over the course of a stride, thus avoiding the cyclic absorption and regeneration of mechanical energy by active muscle, offers some metabolic energy savings during running. However, this assumption has not been tested directly. We used muscle ergometry and myothermic measurements to determine the cost of force production in muscles acting isometrically, as they could if mechanical energy was stored and returned by tendon, and undergoing active stretch-shorten cycles, as they would if mechanical energy was absorbed and regenerated by muscle. We found no detectable difference in the cost of force production in isometric cycles compared with stretch-shorten cycles. This result suggests that replacing muscle stretch-shorten work with tendon elastic energy storage and recovery does not reduce the cost of force production. This calls into question the assumption that reduction of muscle work drove the evolution of long distal tendons. We proposed that the energetic benefits of tendons are derived primarily from their effect on muscle and limb architecture rather than their ability to reduce cyclic muscle work.