bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Application of High Pressure with Homogenization, Temperature, Carbon Dioxide, and Cold Plasma for the Inactivation of Bacterial Spores: A Review
Authors: Lopes Rita P. , Mota Maria J. , Gomes Ana M. , Delgadillo Ivonne , Saraiva Jorge A.
Published: March 2018

Formation of highly resistant spores is a concern for the safety of low‐acid foods as they are a perfect vehicle for food spoilage and/or human infection. For spore inactivation, the strategy usually applied in the food industry is the intensification of traditional preservation methods to sterilization levels, which is often accompanied by decreases of nutritional and sensory properties. In order to overcome these unwanted side effects in food products, novel and emerging sterilization technologies are being developed, such as pressure‐assisted thermal sterilization, high‐pressure carbon dioxide, high‐pressure homogenization, and cold plasma. In this review, the application of these emergent technologies is discussed, in order to understand the effects on bacterial spores and their inactivation and thus ensure food safety of low‐acid foods. In general, the application of these novel technologies for inactivating spores is showing promising results. However, it is important to note that each technique has specific features that can be more suitable for a particular type of product. Thus, the most appropriate sterilization method for each product (and target microorganisms) should be assessed and carefully selected.
Internal Control and Operational Efficiency
Authors: Cheng Qiang , Goh Beng Wee , Kim Jae B.
Published: March 2018

In this study, we examine whether internal control over financial reporting affects firm operational efficiency. We find that operational efficiency, derived from frontier analysis, is significantly lower among firms with material weaknesses in internal control relative to firms without such weaknesses. We also find that the remediation of material weaknesses leads to an improvement in operational efficiency. Additional analyses indicate that the negative effect of material weaknesses on operational efficiency is stronger for firms with a greater demand for higher quality information for decision making, for weaknesses that are deemed to be more severe, and to a certain extent, for smaller firms. Overall, our study extends the literature by presenting systematic evidence on the effect of effective internal control on operational efficiency and informs the debate over the costs and benefits of the internal control reporting requirements under the Sarbanes‐Oxley Act of 2002.
Expertise Rents from Insider Trading for Financial Experts on Audit Committees
Authors: Duellman Scott , Guo Jun , Zhang Yan , Zhou Nan
Published: March 2018

We document the existence of expertise rents by finding that financial experts on audit committees obtain higher abnormal returns from insider purchases than do non‐financial experts on audit committees. We further investigate whether information processing skills work alone or jointly with an information advantage to generate expertise rents. While financial experts on audit committees outperform financial experts on other committees, financial experts on compensation, executive, nominating, and governance committees do not outperform non‐financial experts on these committees. These findings suggest that expertise rents are domain‐specific and can be obtained only when directors have both access to private information and information processing skills. In additional testing, we find that expertise rents for financial experts on audit committees are primarily driven by non‐accounting financial experts, whose finance or supervisory experience could make them better than accounting financial experts in understanding market conditions and assessing firm risk.
Brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in children with ASD and their parents: a 3‐year follow‐up
Authors: Francis K. , Dougali A. , Sideri K. , Kroupis C. , Vasdekis V. , Dima K. , Douzenis A.
Published: March 2018

Objective

Several lines of evidence point to a probable relationship between brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but studies have yielded inconsistent findings on the BDNF serum level in ASD. The study aimed to assess those levels in children with ASD and their families.

Method

BDNF serum levels were measured in 45 ASD children without intellectual disability (ID) and allergies, age 30–42 months and age‐matched normal controls. BDNF serum levels in the parents of the ASD subjects were compared to normal controls. BDNF serum levels in the ASD subjects were followed up for 3 years and correlated with adaptive functioning changes.

Results

BDNF serum levels were measured to be lower in children with ASD and independent of all the major baseline characteristics of the subjects. Having a child with ASD raises the BDNF levels in parents comparing to controls. Prospectively, no correlation between the change of BDNF variables in time and the change of the Vineland scores was found.

Conclusions

Our results contradict those from recent published meta‐analyses with the age, the presence of ID and allergies being possible contributing factors. The parents’ data indeed point to a role of BDNF in the pathophysiology of ASD.
Alcohol industry involvement in policymaking: a systematic review
Authors: McCambridge Jim , Mialon Melissa , Hawkins Ben
Published: March 2018

Aims

To summarize the substantive findings of studies of alcohol industry involvement in national or supranational policymaking, and to produce a new synthesis of current evidence.

Methods

This study examined peer‐reviewed journal reports published in the English language between 1980 and 2016 of studies of alcohol industry involvement in policymaking. Included studies were required to provide information on data collection and analysis and to have sought explicitly to investigate interventions by alcohol industry actors within the process of public policymaking. Eight electronic databases were searched on 27 February 2017. The methodological strengths and limitations of individual studies and the literature as a whole were examined. A thematic synthesis using an inductive approach to the generation of themes was guided by the research aims and objectives.

Results

Twenty reports drawn from 15 documentary and interview studies identify the pervasive influence of alcohol industry actors in policymaking. This evidence synthesis indicates that industry actors seek to influence policy in two principal ways by: (1) framing policy debates in a cogent and internally consistent manner, which excludes from policy agendas issues that are contrary to commercial interests; and (2) adopting short‐ and long‐term approaches to managing threats to commercial interests within the policy arena by building relationships with key actors using a variety of different organizational forms. This review pools findings from existing studies on the range of observed impacts on national alcohol policy decision‐making throughout the world.

Conclusions

Alcohol industry actors are highly strategic, rhetorically sophisticated and well organized in influencing national policymaking.
Care or Neglect?: Corporal Discipline Reform in a Rural Moroccan Classroom
Authors: El Ouardani Christine Nutter
Published: March 2018

I examine parent, student, and teacher reactions in a rural Moroccan village to a national ban on corporal punishment in schools. I argue that although the ban has largely been ignored in the local primary school, talk about acts of corporal punishment are used to make claims about the relationship between rural citizen and state as represented by the teachers because of the way in which these practices index care and authority.
The impacts of pretreatment circulating eosinophils and basophils on prognosis of stage Ⅰ–Ⅲ colorectal cancer
Authors: Wei Yisheng , Zhang Xiao , Wang Guoying , Zhou Yaguang , Luo Minrui , Wang Shan , Hong Chuyuan
Published: March 2018

Aim

The effects of circulating eosinophils and basophils on cancer survival are unclear. Here, we aimed to explore the impacts of eosinophils and basophils on prognosis of stage I–III colorectal cancer (CRC) patients.

Methods

From February 2003 to March 2013, 569 stage I–III CRC patients were enrolled in this retrospective study. The associations between pretreatment circulating eosinophils, basophils and CRC overall survival (OS), disease‐free survival (DFS) were investigated. Moreover, the prognostic value of combined eosinophils/basophils and neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR)/platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) was investigated.

Results

Kaplan–Meier methods showed the associations of eosinophils < 0.095 × 109/L and shorter OS (P < 0.0001), eosinophils < 0.055 × 109/L and shorter DFS (P < 0.0001), basophils < 0.015 × 109/L and shorter OS (P = 0.001), basophils < 0.015 × 109/L and shorter DFS (P = 0.005). Cox regression model showed that eosinophils < 0.095 × 109/L (hazard ratio [HR], 1.723; 95% confidence intervals [CI] = 1.177–2.523) and basophils < 0.015 × 109/L (HR, 1.714; 95% CI = 1.152–2.548) were independent prognostic factors for OS, and eosinophils < 0.055 × 109/L (HR, 2.309; 95% CI = 1.587–3.361) and basophils < 0.015 × 109/L (HR, 1.397; 95% CI = 1.003–1.945) were independent prognostic factors for DFS, respectively. The combined eosinophil‐PLR (HR, 2.611; 95% CI = 1.328–5.130) and basophil‐PLR (HR, 2.520; 95% CI = 1.240–5.123) were the independent prognostic factors for OS. The combined eosinophil‐NLR (HR, 2.770; 95% CI = 1.528–5.019) and eosinophil‐PLR (HR, 4.788; 95% CI = 2.458–9.329) were the independent prognostic factors for DFS.

Conclusion

Pretreatment circulating eosinophils < 0.095 × 109/L/0.055 × 109/L and circulating basophils < 0.015 × 109/L have significant impacts on prognosis of stage I–III CRC patients.
Role of super‐selective embolization in lower gastrointestinal bleeding
Authors: Senadeera Sajith C. , Vun Simon V. , Butterfield Nicholas , Eglinton Tim W. , Frizelle Frank A.
Published: March 2018

Background

Lower gastrointestinal bleeding (LGIB) is a common acute general surgical condition that is typically self‐limiting; however in refractory cases it can necessitate life‐saving intervention. When bleeding is refractory, super‐selective embolization (SSE) becomes an important management strategy. This study aims to evaluate outcomes of this procedure at our institution and identify predictors of clinical success.

Methods

A retrospective analysis of patients with positive computed tomography angiograms for LGIB at a tertiary centre between December 2007 and May 2017.

Results

Of 87 600 acute general surgical admissions, 2700 were for LGIB. Computed tomography angiography demonstrated active bleeding in 104 patients who then had mesenteric angiograms. SSE was performed in 77 patients of whom 66 (86%) demonstrated active bleeding. Technical success was achieved in 75 patients (97%). Clinical success was achieved in 63 patients (81%). Re‐bleeding occurred in 14 patients (19%), with four requiring surgery. One patient went forward for re‐embolization. Bowel ischaemia occurred in four patients (5.2%), with two requiring bowel resection. A 30‐day mortality following SSE was 6.5%, with one death attributable to bowel ischaemia and four deaths from medical comorbidity. Median age (years) of those who had clinical success was 78 (interquartile range (IQR) 16.4) and those who did not was 65 (IQR 20.2) (P = 0.031). Clinical success was more common in those who had diverticular related bleeding (61.9%) compared to other pathologies (38.1%) (P = 0.036).

Conclusion

SSE was successful in a high proportion of patients in this series with low complication rates. Clinical success was higher in those who were older or with diverticular related bleeding.
Hypoglycaemia was common in acute gastroenteritis in a prospective hospital‐based study, but electrolyte imbalances were not
Authors: Qadori Mohammed , Flem Elmira , Bekkevold Terese , Døllner Henrik , Gilje Ann Marit , Rojahn Astrid , Størdal Ketil
Published: March 2018

Aim

Using routine blood sampling in a gastroenteritis diagnostic workup is debatable. This study examined the relationship between the severity of acute gastroenteritis and blood test abnormalities.

Methods

We prospectively enrolled children under five years of age referred for outpatient or inpatient management for gastroenteritis from February 2014 to April 2016. The four study hospitals cared for 30% of Norwegian children. The severity of gastroenteritis was assessed using Vesikari scores. Blood samples were analysed at each hospital.

Results

The 659 children had a median age of 19 months. The rotavirus was found in 314/514 children with stool samples (61%). Severe gastroenteritis, indicated by a Vesikari score of ≥11, was found in 392/549 (71%) with completed scores, but only 40 of 649 (6%) assessed for dehydration were more than 5% dehydrated. None had sodium <130 mmol/L. Glucose of 3.0–3.3 mmol/L was detected in 52/578 (9%) and <3.0 mmol/L in 33/578 (6%). Hypoglycaemia, elevated urea, low bicarbonate and negative base excess were associated with disease severity. The duration of vomiting and the rotavirus infection were associated with hypoglycaemia. Elevated urea, low bicarbonate and negative base excess had high specificities, but low sensitivities.

Conclusion

Hypoglycaemia was common in acute gastroenteritis, but major electrolyte disturbances were infrequent.
What Does Trump Really Want?
Authors: Winter David G.
Published: March 2018

Donald Trump's 2017 inaugural address was scored with a content analysis measure of implicit motives. The results show that compared to other 20th and 21st century U.S. presidents, he scores very high in achievement and power motive imagery, but only about average in affiliation imagery. Based on previous research on presidents’ motive imagery, this profile suggests some predictions about the Trump presidency and possible problems for it. In political leaders, high achievement motivation often leads to frustration with the political process. Power motivation, while associated with rated greatness, is related to polarization of public opinion and war. The effects of motives are further channel by temperament and traits—in Trump's case, high extraversion and low agreeableness.
‘Massive’ metformin overdose
Authors: Chiew Angela L. , Wright Daniel F. B. , Dobos Nicola M. , McArdle Kylie , Mostafa Ahmed A. , Newth Annemarie , Roberts Michael S. , Isbister Geoffrey K.
Published: March 2018

Massive metformin overdose can cause metabolic acidosis with hyperlactatemia. A 55‐year‐old woman presented 5 h after multidrug overdose, including 132 g extended‐release metformin. Continuous venovenous haemodiafiltration (CVVHDF) and noradrenaline were commenced due to metabolic acidosis (pH 7.0, lactate 17 mmol l–1) and shock. Despite 3 h of CVVHDF, her acidosis worsened (pH 6.83, lactate 24 mmol l–1). Intermittent haemodialysis (IHD) improved acidosis (pH 7.13, lactate 26 mmol l–1) but again worsened (pH 6.91, lactate 30 mmol l–1) with CVVHDF recommencement. IHD (12 h), CVVHDF (26 h) and vasopressor support for 7 days resulted in survival. Measured metformin concentrations were extremely high with a peak of 292 μg ml–1 at 8 h postingestion. IHD, but not CVVHDF in this case, was associated with improvement in metabolic acidosis and hyperlactataemia. Pharmacokinetic analysis of metformin concentrations found a reduced apparent oral clearance of 8.2 l h–1 and a half‐life of approximately 30 h. During IHD, the apparent oral clearance increased to 22.2 l h–1 with an approximate half‐life of 10 h. The impact of prolonged oral absorption from a pharmacobezoar and redistribution of metformin from peripheral sites (including erythrocytes) on the pharmacokinetic profile cannot be determined from the data available.
Model Selection for Semiparametric Marginal Mean Regression Accounting for Within-Cluster Subsampling Variability and Informative Cluster Size
Authors: Shen Chung-Wei , Chen Yi-Hau
Published: March 2018

We propose a model selection criterion for semiparametric marginal mean regression based on generalized estimating equations. The work is motivated by a longitudinal study on the physical frailty outcome in the elderly, where the cluster size, that is, the number of the observed outcomes in each subject, is “informative” in the sense that it is related to the frailty outcome itself. The new proposal, called Resampling Cluster Information Criterion (RCIC), is based on the resampling idea utilized in the within-cluster resampling method (Hoffman, Sen, and Weinberg, 2001, Biometrika88, 1121–1134) and accommodates informative cluster size. The implementation of RCIC, however, is free of performing actual resampling of the data and hence is computationally convenient. Compared with the existing model selection methods for marginal mean regression, the RCIC method incorporates an additional component accounting for variability of the model over within-cluster subsampling, and leads to remarkable improvements in selecting the correct model, regardless of whether the cluster size is informative or not. Applying the RCIC method to the longitudinal frailty study, we identify being female, old age, low income and life satisfaction, and chronic health conditions as significant risk factors for physical frailty in the elderly.
LOBBYING AND ELECTIONS
Authors: Klingelhöfer Jan
Published: March 2018

I analyse the interaction between post‐election lobbying and the voting decisions of forward‐looking voters. The existing literature has shown that in models with citizen candidates from a dispersed distribution of preferences, lobbying has no influence on implemented policy. In my model with ideological parties, lobbying is shown to have an effect on policy. In terms of welfare, I show that the median voter and the majority of voters can be better off with lobbying.
Activation of AMPK by simvastatin inhibited breast tumor angiogenesis via impeding HIF‐1α‐induced pro‐angiogenic factor
Authors: Wang Ji‐Chang , Li Xiong‐Xiong , Sun Xin , Li Guang‐Yue , Sun Jing‐Lan , Ye Yuan‐Peng , Cong Long‐Long , Li Wei‐Ming , Lu Shao‐Ying , Feng Jun , Liu Pei‐Jun
Published: March 2018

Substantial data from preclinical studies have revealed the biphasic effects of statins on cardiovascular angiogenesis. Although some have reported the anti‐angiogenic potential of statins in malignant tumors, the underlying mechanism remains poorly understood. The aim of this study is to elucidate the mechanism by which simvastatin, a member of the statin family, inhibits tumor angiogenesis. Simvastatin significantly suppressed tumor cell‐conditioned medium‐induced angiogenic promotion in vitro, and resulted in dose‐dependent anti‐angiogenesis in vivo. Further genetic silencing of hypoxia‐inducible factor‐1α (HIF‐1α) reduced vascular endothelial growth factor and fibroblast growth factor‐2 expressions in 4T1 cells and correspondingly ameliorated HUVEC proliferation facilitated by tumor cell‐conditioned medium. Additionally, simvastatin induced angiogenic inhibition through a mechanism of post‐transcriptional downregulation of HIF‐1α by increasing the phosphorylation level of AMP kinase. These results were further validated by the fact that 5‐aminoimidazole‐4‐carboxamide ribonucleotide reduced HIF‐1α protein levels and ameliorated the angiogenic ability of endothelial cells in vitro and in vivo. Critically, inhibition of AMPK phosphorylation by compound C almost completely abrogated simvastatin‐induced anti‐angiogenesis, which was accompanied by the reduction of protein levels of HIF‐1α and its downstream pro‐angiogenic factors. These findings reveal the mechanism by which simvastatin induces tumor anti‐angiogenesis, and therefore identifies the target that explains the beneficial effects of statins on malignant tumors.
The inclusion of children with disabilities in oral health research: A systematic review
Authors: Alwadi Maram A. , Baker Sarah R. , Owens Janine
Published: March 2018

Objective

This systematic review aimed to describe the extent to which oral health research since the advent of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the current movement on the inclusion of voices of children, has been done on or with children with disabilities.

Methods

A systematic review of the dental literature for children with disabilities from 2001 to 2017 was conducted. Electronic databases were searched for oral health literature on the involvement of children with disabilities. Each identified article was examined by 2 reviewers against the inclusion criteria and categorized according to the extent to which children with disabilities were involved in oral health research, type of study, children's ages, type of impairment and the country of origin.

Results

The search included 113 articles after application of the exclusion criteria. Of these papers, 6.2% were classified as research with children, 41.6% used proxies to gain the perspective of children with disabilities and 52.2% were classified as research on children with disabilities. The majority of studies, which attempted some form of inclusion, were from Sweden and India.

Conclusions

Most oral health research is conducted on children with disabilities (viewing them as objects) rather than with them (viewing them as active participants). Unlike previous systematic reviews which report an increase in the inclusion of the voices of children in oral health research, children with disabilities were mostly excluded from research. Future research should attempt to use methods which involve children with disabilities as fully as possible in the research process. This ensures that their perspectives are obtained and their voices are heard.
On‐The‐Fly Tracking of Flame Surfaces for the Visual Analysis of Combustion Processes
Authors: Oster T. , Abdelsamie A. , Motejat M. , Gerrits T. , Rössl C. , Thévenin D. , Theisel H.
Published: March 2018

The visual analysis of combustion processes is one of the challenges of modern flow visualization. In turbulent combustion research, the behaviour of the flame surface contains important information about the interactions between turbulence and chemistry. The extraction and tracking of this surface is crucial for understanding combustion processes. This is impossible to realize as a post‐process because of the size of the involved datasets, which are too large to be stored on disk. We present an on‐the‐fly method for tracking the flame surface directly during simulation and computing the local tangential surface deformation for arbitrary time intervals. In a massively parallel simulation, the data are distributed over many processes and only a single time step is in memory at any time. To satisfy the demands on parallelism and accuracy posed by this situation, we track the surface with independent micro‐patches and adapt their distribution as needed to maintain numerical stability. With our method, we enable combustion researchers to observe the detailed movement and deformation of the flame surface over extended periods of time and thus gain novel insights into the mechanisms of turbulence–chemistry interactions. We validate our method on analytic ground truth data and show its applicability on two real‐world simulations.
Effect of socket grafting with deproteinized bone mineral: An RCT on dimensional alterations after 6 months
Authors: Tomasi Cristiano , Donati Mauro , Cecchinato Denis , Szathvary Isacco , Corrà Enrico , Lindhe Jan
Published: March 2018

Objective

To examine if (i) characteristics of the fresh extraction socket site influenced subsequent dimensional alterations and (ii) placement of deproteinized bovine mineral in the socket affected volumetric change during healing.

Materials and methods

Twenty seven subjects and 28 extraction sites were included. Immediately after the removal of the tooth and after 6 months of healing, stone and virtual models of the jaw were produced. A cone beam computerized tomography scan was obtained immediately after extraction and the thickness of the buccal bone wall at the extraction site was measured. Extraction sites were randomly assigned to test or control group. In the test group, extraction sockets were filled with deproteinized bone mineral and covered with a collagen membrane. In the control group, only a collagen membrane was placed.

Results

The thickness of the buccal bone wall at the extraction site influenced the amount of volume reduction that occurred. Socket grafting influenced the degree of ridge diminution only at sites where the buccal bone wall was thin (≤ 1 mm).

Conclusion

A graft comprised of collagen‐enriched deproteinized bovine bone mineral, placed to fill extraction sockets failed to influence the overall diminution of the ridge that occurred during healing. The thickness of the buccal bone wall apparently had a significant influence on volumetric alterations of the edentulous ridge following tooth extraction.
Long‐term outcome and quality of life in patients with total colonic aganglionosis in the Netherlands
Authors: Roorda D. , Witvliet M. J. , Wellens L. M. , Schulten D. V. , Sloots C. E. J. , de Blaauw I. , Broens P. M. A. , Oosterlaan J. , van Heurn L. W. E. , van der Steeg A. F. W.
Published: March 2018

Aim

Total colonic aganglionosis (TCA) is a severe form of Hirschsprung's disease (HD) associated with a high morbidity. This study assessed long‐term functional outcome and quality of life (QoL) of patients with TCA in a national consecutive cohort.

Methods

Surgical and demographic characteristics in the medical records of all patients (n = 53) diagnosed with TCA between 1995 and 2015 were reviewed. Functional outcome of all nonsyndromal patients, aged ≥ 4 years (n = 35), was assessed using a questionnaire and in medical records. Generic and disease‐specific QoL were assessed using standardized validated questionnaires.

Results

Of 35 patients eligible for follow‐up, 18 (51%) responded to the questionnaires. They were aged 4–19 years. A Duhamel procedure was performed in 67% of these patients and a Rehbein procedure was performed in 33%. In the questionnaire, 65% of the patients reported constipation, 47% faecal incontinence and 53% soiling. Moreover, 18% of patients used bowel management (flushing or laxatives) and 29% had an adapted diet only. Children and adolescents with TCA had worse perception of their general health and were more limited by bodily pain and discomfort compared with healthy peers. Their quality of life is influenced most by frequent complaints of diarrhoea and other physical symptoms.

Conclusion

Children and adolescents with TCA report lower health‐related QoL compared with healthy peers, especially in the physical domain. We suggest standardized follow‐up and prospective longitudinal future research on functionality and QoL of these patients.
Modelling the distribution and compositional variation of plant communities at the continental scale
Authors: Jiménez‐Alfaro Borja , Suárez‐Seoane Susana , Chytrý Milan , Hennekens Stephan M. , Willner Wolfgang , Hájek Michal , Agrillo Emiliano , Álvarez‐Martínez Jose M. , Bergamini Ariel , Brisse Henry , Brunet Jörg , Casella Laura , Dítě Daniel , Font Xavier , Gillet François , Hájková Petra , Jansen Florian , Jandt Ute , Kącki Zygmunt , Lenoir Jonathan , Rodwell John S. , Schaminée Joop H. J. , Sekulová Lucia , Šibík Jozef , Škvorc Željko , Tsiripidis Ioannis
Published: March 2018

Aim

We investigate whether (1) environmental predictors allow to delineate the distribution of discrete community types at the continental scale and (2) how data completeness influences model generalization in relation to the compositional variation of the modelled entities.

Location

Europe.

Methods

We used comprehensive datasets of two community types of conservation concern in Europe: acidophilous beech forests and base‐rich fens. We computed community distribution models (CDMs) calibrated with environmental predictors to predict the occurrence of both community types, evaluating geographical transferability, interpolation and extrapolation under different scenarios of sampling bias. We used generalized dissimilarity modelling (GDM) to assess the role of geographical and environmental drivers in compositional variation within the predicted distributions.

Results

For the two community types, CDMs computed for the whole study area provided good performance when evaluated by random cross‐validation and external validation. Geographical transferability provided lower but relatively good performance, while model extrapolation performed poorly when compared with interpolation. Generalized dissimilarity modelling showed a predominant effect of geographical distance on compositional variation, complemented with the environmental predictors that also influenced habitat suitability.

Main conclusions

Correlative approaches typically used for modelling the distribution of individual species are also useful for delineating the potential area of occupancy of community types at the continental scale, when using consistent definitions of the modelled entity and high data completeness. The combination of CDMs with GDM further improves the understanding of diversity patterns of plant communities, providing spatially explicit information for mapping vegetation diversity and related habitat types at large scales.
Impact of the Charlson comorbidity index and prognostic nutritional index on prognosis in patients with early gastric cancer after endoscopic submucosal dissection
Authors: Iwai Naoto , Dohi Osamu , Naito Yuji , Inada Yutaka , Fukui Akifumi , Takayama Shun , Ogita Kazuyuki , Terasaki Kei , Nakano Takahiro , Ueda Tomohiro , Okayama Tetsuya , Yoshida Naohisa , Katada Kazuhiro , Kamada Kazuhiro , Uchiyama Kazuhiko , Ishikawa Takeshi , Handa Osamu , Takagi Tomohisa , Konishi Hideyuki , Yagi Nobuaki , Itoh Yoshito
Published: March 2018

Background and Aim

With the aging of society, comorbidities or nutritional status are assessed prior to endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for early gastric cancer (EGC). However, it is uncertain which factors are important for predicting prognosis in EGC patients after ESD. Thus, we aimed to evaluate clinical outcomes of ESD for EGC, with respect to comorbidities or nutritional status.

Methods

We carried out a retrospective study involving 708 EGC in 585 patients who were enrolled between April 2007 and March 2012. They were classified into two groups; an elderly (≥80 years) and non‐elderly (<80 years) group. Short‐ and long‐term outcomes were evaluated between the groups.

Results

There were no significant differences regarding short‐term outcomes. Overall survival (OS) rates in the elderly group were significantly lower than those in the non‐elderly group (P = 0.001). OS rates in patients with a low (≤2) Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) were significantly higher than those in patients with a high (≥3) CCI, regardless of age. OS rates in patients with a high (≥47.7) prognostic nutritional index (PNI) were significantly higher than those in patients with a low (<47.7) PNI, regardless of age. In multivariate analysis, an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (PS) ≥2 (hazard ratio [HR], 95% confidence interval: 3.23, 1.54–6.75), CCI ≥3 (HR 7.88, 4.50–13.80) and PNI <47.7 (HR 3.44, 2.00–5.90) were significantly associated with OS rate (P < 0.01).

Conclusion

CCI and PNI can be prognostic indicators for non‐elderly and elderly patients with EGC after ESD.
Children's academic attainment is linked to the global organization of the white matter connectome
Authors: Bathelt Joe , Gathercole Susan E , Butterfield Sally ,   the CALM team, Astle Duncan E
Published: March 2018

Literacy and numeracy are important skills that are typically learned during childhood, a time that coincides with considerable shifts in large‐scale brain organization. However, most studies emphasize focal brain contributions to literacy and numeracy development by employing case‐control designs and voxel‐by‐voxel statistical comparisons. This approach has been valuable, but may underestimate the contribution of overall brain network organization. The current study includes children (N = 133 children; 86 male; mean age = 9.42, SD = 1.715; age range = 5.92–13.75y) with a broad range of abilities, and uses whole‐brain structural connectomics based on diffusion‐weighted MRI data. The results indicate that academic attainment is associated with differences in structural brain organization, something not seen when focusing on the integrity of specific regions. Furthermore, simulated disruption of highly‐connected brain regions known as hubs suggests that the role of these regions for maintaining the architecture of the network may be more important than specific aspects of processing. Our findings indicate that distributed brain systems contribute to the etiology of difficulties with academic learning, which cannot be captured using a more traditional voxel‐wise statistical approach.
HpBase: A genome database of a sea urchin, Hemicentrotus pulcherrimus
Authors: Kinjo Sonoko , Kiyomoto Masato , Yamamoto Takashi , Ikeo Kazuho , Yaguchi Shunsuke
Published: March 2018

To understand the mystery of life, it is important to accumulate genomic information for various organisms because the whole genome encodes the commands for all the genes. Since the genome of Strongylocentrotus purpratus was sequenced in 2006 as the first sequenced genome in echinoderms, the genomic resources of other North American sea urchins have gradually been accumulated, but no sea urchin genomes are available in other areas, where many scientists have used the local species and reported important results. In this manuscript, we report a draft genome of the sea urchin Hemincentrotus pulcherrimus because this species has a long history as the target of developmental and cell biology in East Asia. The genome of H. pulcherrimus was assembled into 16,251 scaffold sequences with an N50 length of 143 kbp, and approximately 25,000 genes were identified in the genome. The size of the genome and the sequencing coverage were estimated to be approximately 800 Mbp and 100×, respectively. To provide these data and information of annotation, we constructed a database, HpBase (http://cell-innovation.nig.ac.jp/Hpul/). In HpBase, gene searches, genome browsing, and blast searches are available. In addition, HpBase includes the “recipes” for experiments from each lab using H. pulcherrimus. These recipes will continue to be updated according to the circumstances of individual scientists and can be powerful tools for experimental biologists and for the community. HpBase is a suitable dataset for evolutionary, developmental, and cell biologists to compare H. pulcherrimus genomic information with that of other species and to isolate gene information.
Methods to measure performance of Grapholitha molesta on apples of five varieties
Authors: Wang Yi , Kong Wei‐Na , Zhao Long‐Long , Xiang Hui‐Ming , Zhang Li‐Jun , Li Jie , Ridsdill‐Smith James , Ma Rui‐Yan
Published: March 2018

Host plants will affect the performance and population dynamics of the polyphagous insect pest Grapholitha molesta (Busck) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). Cultivar‐level variability needs to be considered in assessing the performance of G. molesta. We evaluated the fitness of G. molesta on five apple varieties in the laboratory by placing eggs on apples and observing their performance including survival, development, and fecundity of the adult insect. Our results demonstrated differences between indices such as larval duration, pupal weight, egg production, length of tunnel, and exiting rate of larvae, which gave similar host rankings. Variety Danxia was less suitable than Jinqing and Shuohong, and more suitable than Empire and Jinxing. However, other indices such as pupal duration, total pre‐oviposition time, and the estimated population parameters resulted in a different host ranking. We calculated weighted fitness scores to overcome the problem of inconsistent rankings. Empire changed from being the second highest ranking variety based on all population parameters to the second lowest using weighted fitness scores. The difference in ranking observed between apple varieties demonstrates the care needed in predicting population performance in the field using single traits.
The effects of post‐compulsory education and training systems on literacy and numeracy skills: A comparative analysis using PISA 2000 and the 2011 survey of adult skills
Authors: Pensiero Nicola , Green Andy
Published: March 2018

This article analyses the contribution of post‐compulsory education and training systems to the development of literacy and numeracy skills across OECD countries. While there is extensive cross‐country comparative research on the effects of primary and lower secondary education systems on aggregate skills levels, there has been little comparative analysis of system effects after the end of lower secondary education. This article uses a quasi‐cohort analysis of the tested literacy and numeracy skills of 15‐year‐olds in PISA 2000 and 27‐year‐olds in the 2011 OECD Survey of Adult Skills (SAS) to estimate the gains in different countries in mean levels of competence in literacy and numeracy. We found that Nordic countries (Norway and Sweden) with comprehensive upper secondary education and training systems and German‐speaking countries (Austria and Germany) with dual systems of apprenticeship were particular effective, whilst countries with mixed systems (England, Ireland, Northern Ireland and Spain) showed a relative decline in both literacy and numeracy. The education system characteristics that account for these differences are (a) the inclusiveness – as proxied by high rates of participation at 17/18 and low social gradients of level 3 completion; (b) the esteem of vocational programmes; and (c) curriculum standardisation with regard to the study of maths and the national language.
PlGF and sFlt‐1 levels in patients with non‐transfusion‐dependent thalassemia: Correlations with markers of iron burden and endothelial dysfunction
Authors: Kelaidi Charikleia , Kattamis Antonis , Apostolakou Filia , Poziopoulos Christos , Lazaropoulou Christina , Delaporta Polyxeni , Kanavaki Ino , Papassotiriou Ioannis
Published: March 2018

Background

Levels of the angiogenic cytokines placental growth factor (PlGF) and soluble Fms‐like tyrosine kinase‐1 (sFlt‐1) and the angiogenic balance, expressed by sFlt‐1/PlGF ratio, are perturbed in sickle‐cell disease and iron overload, but they have not been evaluated in non‐transfusion‐dependent thalassemia (NTDT).

Patients and Methods

We measured levels of PlGF, sFlt‐1 and vWF:antigen in patients with NTDT of beta‐thalassemia genotype, and correlated them with erythrocytic indices and markers of iron overload, inflammation, and tissue hypoxia. Thirty‐four NTDT patients with mean hemoglobin level of 8.4 g/dL were included in the study along with 20 apparently healthy individuals who served as controls.

Results

Ferritin, LDH, and hs‐CRP were higher in patients as compared to controls. We found significant differences between patients and controls in regard to levels of PlGF (52.2 vs 17.2 pg/mL, P < .001), sFlt‐1/PlGF (2 vs 4.7, P < .001), and vWF:antigen (88 vs 77.1 IU/dL, P < .01). There was a strong correlation of ferritin with PlGF (r = .653, P < .001) and with vWF:antigen (r = .503, P = .003).

Conclusions

In this study, we demonstrated an association between increased PlGF and iron overload and the degree of tissue hypoxia in patients with NTDT. High vWF:antigen expressing endothelial damage may be associated with specific NTDT comorbidities.
Multisensory integration of speech sounds with letters vs. visual speech: only visual speech induces the mismatch negativity
Authors: Stekelenburg Jeroen J. , Keetels Mirjam , Vroomen Jean
Published: March 2018

Numerous studies have demonstrated that the vision of lip movements can alter the perception of auditory speech syllables (McGurk effect). While there is ample evidence for integration of text and auditory speech, there are only a few studies on the orthographic equivalent of the McGurk effect. Here, we examined whether written text, like visual speech, can induce an illusory change in the perception of speech sounds on both the behavioural and neural levels. In a sound categorization task, we found that both text and visual speech changed the identity of speech sounds from an /aba/‐/ada/ continuum, but the size of this audiovisual effect was considerably smaller for text than visual speech. To examine at which level in the information processing hierarchy these multisensory interactions occur, we recorded electroencephalography in an audiovisual mismatch negativity (MMN, a component of the event‐related potential reflecting preattentive auditory change detection) paradigm in which deviant text or visual speech was used to induce an illusory change in a sequence of ambiguous sounds halfway between /aba/ and /ada/. We found that only deviant visual speech induced an MMN, but not deviant text, which induced a late P3‐like positive potential. These results demonstrate that text has much weaker effects on sound processing than visual speech does, possibly because text has different biological roots than visual speech.
TrkB signalling pathway mediates the protective effects of exercise in the diabetic rat retina
Authors: Allen Rachael S. , Hanif Adam M. , Gogniat Marissa A. , Prall Brian C. , Haider Raza , Aung Moe H. , Prunty Megan C. , Mees Lukas M. , Coulter Monica M. , Motz Cara T. , Boatright Jeffrey H. , Pardue Machelle T.
Published: March 2018

Diabetic retinopathy is a leading cause of vision loss. Treatment options for early retinopathy are sparse. Exercise protects dying photoreceptors in models of retinal degeneration, thereby preserving vision. We tested the protective effects of exercise on retinal and cognitive deficits in a type 1 diabetes model and determined whether the TrkB pathway mediates this effect. Hyperglycaemia was induced in Long Evans rats via streptozotocin injection (STZ; 100 mg/kg). Following confirmed hyperglycaemia, both control and diabetic rats underwent treadmill exercise for 30 min, 5 days/week at 0 m/min (inactive groups) or 15 m/min (active groups) for 8 weeks. A TrkB receptor antagonist (ANA‐12), or vehicle, was injected 2.5 h before exercise training. We measured spatial frequency and contrast sensitivity using optokinetic tracking biweekly post‐STZ; retinal function using electroretinography at 4 and 8 weeks; and cognitive function and exploratory behaviour using Y‐maze at 8 weeks. Retinal neurotrophin‐4 was measured using ELISA. Compared with non‐diabetic controls, diabetic rats showed significantly reduced spatial frequency and contrast sensitivity, delayed electroretinogram oscillatory potential and flicker implicit times and reduced cognitive function and exploratory behaviour. Exercise interventions significantly delayed the appearance of all deficits, except for exploratory behaviour. Treatment with ANA‐12 significantly reduced this protection, suggesting a TrkB‐mediated mechanism. Despite this, no changes in retinal neurotrohin‐4 were observed with diabetes or exercise. Exercise protected against early visual and cognitive dysfunction in diabetic rats, suggesting that exercise interventions started after hyperglycaemia diagnosis may be a beneficial treatment. The translational potential is high, given that exercise treatment is non‐invasive, patient controlled and inexpensive.
Partitioning of soil phosphorus among arbuscular and ectomycorrhizal trees in tropical and subtropical forests
Authors: Liu Xubing , Burslem David F. R. P. , Taylor Joe D. , Taylor Andy F. S. , Khoo Eyen , Majalap‐Lee Noreen , Helgason Thorunn , Johnson David
Published: March 2018

Partitioning of soil phosphorus (P) pools has been proposed as a key mechanism maintaining plant diversity, but experimental support is lacking. Here, we provided different chemical forms of P to 15 tree species with contrasting root symbiotic relationships to investigate plant P acquisition in both tropical and subtropical forests. Both ectomycorrhizal (ECM) and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) trees responded positively to addition of inorganic P, but strikingly, ECM trees acquired more P from a complex organic form (phytic acid). Most ECM tree species and all AM tree species also showed some capacity to take up simple organic P (monophosphate). Mycorrhizal colonisation was negatively correlated with soil extractable P concentration, suggesting that mycorrhizal fungi may regulate organic P acquisition among tree species. Our results support the hypothesis that ECM and AM plants partition soil P sources, which may play an ecologically important role in promoting species coexistence in tropical and subtropical forests.
N‐glycan structures of human alveoli provide insight into influenza A virus infection and pathogenesis
Authors: Sriwilaijaroen Nongluk , Nakakita Shin‐ichi , Kondo Sachiko , Yagi Hirokazu , Kato Koichi , Murata Takeomi , Hiramatsu Hiroaki , Kawahara Toshio , Watanabe Yohei , Kanai Yasushi , Ono Takao , Hirabayashi Jun , Matsumoto Kazuhiko , Suzuki Yasuo
Published: March 2018

The rapidly evolvable influenza A virus has caused pandemics linked to millions of deaths in the past century. Influenza A viruses are categorized by H (hemagglutinin; HA) and N (neuraminidase; NA) proteins expressed on the viral envelope surface. Analyses of past pandemics suggest that the HA gene segment comes from a nonhuman virus, which is then introduced into an immunologically naïve human population with potentially devastating consequences. As a prerequisite for infection, the nonhuman HA molecules of H1–H16 viruses must be able to bind to specific sialyl receptors on the host cell surface along the human respiratory tract. Thus, additional insight into the structures of host cell glycans and how different HAs interact with different glycans might provide new insight into the mechanisms underlying sustained infection and transmission in humans. In this work, we identified the sialyl N‐glycans found in normal human alveoli and characterized the influenza viruses that preferentially bound to these different structures. We also determined the amino acid changes in HA that were linked to a switch of receptor‐binding preference from nonhuman to pandemic, as well as pandemic to seasonal. Our data provide insight into why seasonal viruses are associated with reduced alveolar infection and damage and suggest new considerations for designing anti‐HA vaccines and drugs. The results provide a better understanding of viral tropism and pathogenesis in humans that will be important for prediction and surveillance of zoonotic, pandemic, and epidemic influenza outbreaks.

Database

The novel hemagglutinin nucleotide sequences reported here were deposited in GISAID under the accession numbers of EPI685738 for A/Yamaguchi/20/2006(H1N1) and EPI685740 for A/Kitakyushu/10/2006(H1N1).
Are Low Equity R2 Firms More or Less Transparent? Evidence from the Corporate Bond Market
Authors: Hao Wei , Prevost Andrew , Wongchoti Udomsak
Published: March 2018

We examine the relation between a firm's equity R2 and the pricing and design of its debt securities. We find that firms with less synchronous stock returns are associated with a higher cost of debt after controlling for default and liquidity risks. Bonds issued by low synchronicity issuers also experience larger price reactions to information signals provided by equity analysts. Further analysis demonstrates that lower synchronicity is associated with cross‐sectional variation in the use of call provisions and with split S&P and Moody's bond ratings. Contrary to conventional interpretation, these results suggest that low R2 reflects inferior information transparency and higher information risk.