bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Power and conflict: the effect of a superior's interpersonal behaviour on trainees’ ability to challenge authority during a simulated airway emergency
Authors: Friedman Z. , Hayter M. A. , Everett T. C. , Matava C. T. , Noble L. M. K. , Bould M. D.
Published: August 2015

A key factor that may contribute to communication failures is status asymmetry between team members. We examined the effect of a consultant anaesthetist's interpersonal behaviour on trainees’ ability to effectively challenge clearly incorrect clinical decisions. Thirty‐four trainees were recruited to participate in a video‐recorded scenario of an airway crisis. They were randomised to a group in which a confederate consultant anaesthetist's interpersonal behaviour was scripted to recreate either a strict/exclusive or an open/inclusive communication dynamic. The scenario allowed trainees four opportunities to challenge clearly wrong decisions. Performances were scored using the modified Advocacy‐Inquiry Score. The highest median (IQR [range]) score was 3.0 (2.2–4.0 [1.0–5.0]) in the exclusive communication group, and 3.5 (3.0–4.5 [2.5–6.0]) in the inclusive communication group (p = 0.06). The study did not show a significant effect of consultant behaviour on trainees’ ability to challenge their superior. It did demonstrate trainees’ inability to challenge their seniors effectively, resulting in critical communication gaps.
The influence of simulated cataract on retinal vessel oximetry measurements
Authors: Heitmar Rebekka , Attardo Andrew
Published: August 2015

Purpose

To assess the impact of human crystalline lens opacification and yellowing, similar to that observed in patients with cataracts, on retinal vessel blood oxygen saturation measurements using custom manufactured soft contact lenses.

Methods

Ten healthy, non‐smoking individuals were enrolled for this study. All subjects underwent digital blood pressure measurements, assessment of non‐contact intra‐ocular pressure, pupil dilation and retinal vessel oximetry using dual‐wavelength photography (Oximetry Module, Imedos Systems). To simulate lens changes, three different contact lenses were inserted, one to simulate opacities followed by two more lenses to simulate different levels of lens yellowing (Cantor & Nissel).

Results

The measurements obtained showed an opposite change in arterial and venous oxygen saturation and optical density ratio across conditions, resulting in a statistically significant difference in arterial minus venous oxygen saturation value (p = 0.003). However, this difference was only significant for the ‘opacity’ condition but not for the ‘yellowing’ conditions.

Conclusion

Lenticular changes such as cataracts can impact on spectrophotometric analysis in particular dual‐wavelength retinal vessel oximetry. Hence, lenticular assessment and cataract grading should be considered when assessing elderly individuals and patient groups developing cataract earlier in life such as those suffering from diabetes mellitus.
Massive Trauma in A Community Exposed to Asbestos: Thinking and Dissociation among the Inhabitants of Casale Monferrato
Authors: Borgogno Francesca Viola , Franzoi Isabella Giulia , Barbasio Chiara Paola , Guglielmucci Fanny , Granieri Antonella
Published: August 2015

In Casale Monferrato, asbestos exposure has been a traumatic occurrence that has caused cancer and death among the town's inhabitants, resulting in the loss of trust and hope with regard to the future and the loss of healthy aspects of the self. This traumatic history has been denied for many years – part of an ‘out of sight, out of mind’ attitude that is often justified by financial interests. When traumatization is due to the careless behaviour of the owners of the major economic resources in a community, group identity is deeply affected. In such a situation, psychoanalytic group therapy seems to be the best means to historicize the event and create multiple narratives of somatopsychic suffering. In this paper, we present the experience of the first multifamily group in Casale Monferrato, focusing on the possibility of ‘diluting’ transference‐ and countertransference‐related feelings of helplessness, thereby making them more bearable and thinkable. Sharing the meaning of the trauma also highlighted vital aspects in the functioning of the mind of the group, leading to a new and more mature way of facing illness and death.
Religion as the Affirmation of Values
Authors: Black David M.
Published: August 2015

This paper starts from the thought that we cannot take for granted that a society's highest values will survive in the long term as effective motivators within that society. By ‘highest values’ I mean values such as justice, concern for members of weak and minority groups, and respect for promises and for the attempt to speak truthfully – values that apply at the highest level of generality. If they are to survive and to be effective, two things may be necessary: firstly, unpredictable ‘epiphanic’ moments in which the power of these values is emotionally experienced by individuals, and secondly, institutions and a vocabulary in which these values can be remembered, discussed and affirmed in emotionally and imaginatively impactful ways. I shall suggest, with reference in particular to the thought of Emmanuel Levinas and Ronald Dworkin, that the second of these factors, the remembering and affirmation of values, marks out the crucial, perhaps even the irreplaceable, contribution of a ‘religion’ to a society. The failure, within psychoanalysis and also more widely, to appreciate the working of this function in a society over generations may mean that the consequences of ‘growing out of religion’ (Winnicott) have not yet been adequately recognized.
Role of endothelial TRPV4 channels in vascular actions of the endocannabinoid, 2‐arachidonoylglycerol
Authors: Ho W S V , Zheng X , Zhang D X
Published: August 2015

Background and Purpose

Metabolites of the endocannabinoid, 2‐arachidonoylglycerol (2‐AG) have been postulated to act as endogenous activators of TRPV4, a Ca2+‐permeable cation channel that plays a critical role in endothelium‐dependent relaxation. However, it is unclear if TRPV4 contributes to the vascular actions of 2‐AG.

Experimental Approach

Isometric tension recording of rat small mesenteric arteries and aortae were used to assess the effect of 2‐AG and the synthetic TRPV4 activator, GSK1016790A (GSK) on vascular reactivity. Changes in intracellular Ca2+ concentration and single‐channel currents were measured in TRPV4‐expressing human coronary endothelial cells.

Key Results

In mesenteric arteries, endothelium‐dependent relaxation to both 2‐AG and GSK was attenuated by structurally distinct TRPV4 antagonists, HC067047, RN1734 and ruthenium red. The responses were inhibited by KCa inhibitors (apamin + charybdotoxin) and a gap junction inhibitor (18α‐glycyrrhetinic acid). In contrast to GSK, 2‐AG elicited considerable relaxation independently of the endothelium or TRPV4. Inhibition of 2‐AG metabolism via monoacylglycerol lipase and COX (by MAFP and indomethacin) caused potentiation, while cytochrome P450 and lipoxygenase inhibitors had no effect on 2‐AG relaxation. In coronary endothelial cells, 2‐AG (with and without MAFP) induced HC067047‐sensitive increases in intracellular Ca2+ concentration. 2‐AG also increased TRPV4 channel opening in inside‐out patches. However, in aortae, GSK induced a relaxation sensitive to HC067047 and ruthenium red, whereas 2‐AG induced contractions.

Conclusions and Implications

These data suggest that 2‐AG can directly activate endothelial TRPV4, which partly contributes to the relaxant response to 2‐AG. However, the functional role of TRPV4 is highly dependent on the vascular region.
Divergent modulation of Rho‐kinase and Ca2+ influx pathways by Src family kinases and focal adhesion kinase in airway smooth muscle
Authors: Shaifta Yasin , Irechukwu Nneka , Prieto‐Lloret Jesus , MacKay Charles E , Marchon Keisha A , Ward Jeremy P T , Knock Greg A
Published: August 2015

Background and Purpose

The importance of tyrosine kinases in airway smooth muscle (ASM) contraction is not fully understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of Src‐family kinases (SrcFK) and focal adhesion kinase (FAK) in GPCR‐mediated ASM contraction and associated signalling events.

Experimental Approach

Contraction was recorded in intact or α‐toxin permeabilized rat bronchioles. Phosphorylation of SrcFK, FAK, myosin light‐chain‐20 (MLC20) and myosin phosphatase targeting subunit‐1 (MYPT‐1) was evaluated in cultured human ASM cells (hASMC). [Ca2+]i was evaluated in Fura‐2 loaded hASMC. Responses to carbachol (CCh) and bradykinin (BK) and the contribution of SrcFK and FAK to these responses were determined.

Key Results

Contractile responses in intact bronchioles were inhibited by antagonists of SrcFK, FAK and Rho‐kinase, while after α‐toxin permeabilization, they were sensitive to inhibition of SrcFK and Rho‐kinase, but not FAK. CCh and BK increased phosphorylation of MYPT‐1 and MLC20 and auto‐phosphorylation of SrcFK and FAK. MYPT‐1 phosphorylation was sensitive to inhibition of Rho‐kinase and SrcFK, but not FAK. Contraction induced by SR Ca2+ depletion and equivalent [Ca2+]i responses in hASMC were sensitive to inhibition of both SrcFK and FAK, while depolarization‐induced contraction was sensitive to FAK inhibition only. SrcFK auto‐phosphorylation was partially FAK‐dependent, while FAK auto‐phosphorylation was SrcFK‐independent.

Conclusions and Implications

SrcFK mediates Ca2+‐sensitization in ASM, while SrcFK and FAK together and individually influence multiple Ca2+ influx pathways. Tyrosine phosphorylation is therefore a key upstream signalling event in ASM contraction and may be a viable target for modulating ASM tone in respiratory disease.
Putative binding sites for arachidonic acid on the human cardiac Kv1.5 channel
Authors: Bai Jia‐Yu , Ding Wei‐Guang , Kojima Akiko , Seto Tomoyoshi , Matsuura Hiroshi
Published: August 2015

Background and Purpose

In human heart, the Kv1.5 channel contributes to repolarization of atrial action potentials. This study examined the electrophysiological and molecular mechanisms underlying arachidonic acid (AA)‐induced inhibition of the human Kv1.5 (hKv1.5) channel.

Experimental Approach

Site‐directed mutagenesis was conducted to mutate amino acids that reside within the pore domain of the hKv1.5 channel. Whole‐cell patch‐clamp method was used to record membrane currents through wild type and mutant hKv1.5 channels heterologously expressed in CHO cells. Computer docking simulation was conducted to predict the putative binding site(s) of AA in an open‐state model of the Kv1.5 channel.

Key Results

The hKv1.5 current was minimally affected at the onset of depolarization but was progressively reduced during depolarization by the presence of AA, suggesting that AA acts as an open‐channel blocker. AA itself affected the channel at extracellular sites independently of its metabolites and signalling pathways. The blocking effect of AA was attenuated at pH 8.0 but not at pH 6.4. The blocking action of AA developed rather rapidly by co‐expression of Kvβ1.3. The AA‐induced block was significantly attenuated in H463C, T480A, R487V, I502A, I508A, V512A and V516A, but not in T462C, A501V and L510A mutants of the hKv1.5 channel. Docking simulation predicted that H463, T480, R487, I508, V512 and V516 are potentially accessible for interaction with AA.

Conclusions and Implications

AA itself interacts with multiple amino acids located in the pore domain of the hKv1.5 channel. These findings may provide useful information for future development of selective blockers of hKv1.5 channels.
Early intervention and identification strategies for young people at risk of developing mental health issues: working in partnership with schools in Birmingham, UK
Authors: Palmer Colin J. , Connor Charlotte , Newton Benjamin John , Patterson Paul , Birchwood Max
Published: August 2015

Aim

This study explores the mental health needs of teachers and how these might impact on their capacity to provide early identification and intervention strategies to support their student's emotional well‐being.

Method

The present study surveyed a sample of UK teachers (N = 320) to explore the impact of work‐related stress on their mental health and their ability to provide early intervention support for their students.

Results

Our survey showed high levels of work‐related stress due to time pressures and excessive workloads; many teachers failed to seek help for their stress often due to stigmatic attitudes and fear of negative response by senior management. Such factors led some to withdraw from taking on extra responsibilities with regard to student support and to consider leaving the teaching profession altogether. Coping mechanisms included the use of alcohol and tobacco, with only a small minority receiving access to psychological therapies.

Conclusion

High levels of work‐related stress in teachers can have serious consequences for their mental health and impede their ability to provide effective early intervention support for their student's emotional well‐being. Improvements in mental health training for teachers and greater assistance for their own mental health needs are necessary.
Ecological interactions on macroevolutionary time scales: clams and brachiopods are more than ships that pass in the night
Authors: Liow Lee Hsiang , Reitan Trond , Harnik Paul G.
Published: August 2015

Competition among organisms has ecological and evolutionary consequences. However, whether the consequences of competition are manifested and measureable on macroevolutionary time scales is equivocal. Marine bivalves and brachiopods have overlapping niches such that competition for food and space may occur. Moreover, there is a long‐standing debate over whether bivalves outcompeted brachiopods evolutionarily, because brachiopod diversity declined through time while bivalve diversity increased. To answer this question, we estimate the origination and extinction dynamics of fossil marine bivalve and brachiopod genera from the Ordovician through to the Recent while simultaneously accounting for incomplete sampling. Then, using stochastic differential equations, we assess statistical relationships among diversification and sampling dynamics of brachiopods and bivalves and five paleoenvironmental proxies. None of these potential environmental drivers had any detectable influence on brachiopod or bivalve diversification. In contrast, elevated bivalve extinction rates causally increased brachiopod origination rates, suggesting that bivalves have suppressed brachiopod evolution.
Can the cardiovascular family history reported by our patients be trusted? The Norwegian Stroke in the Young Study
Authors: Øygarden H. , Fromm A. , Sand K. M. , Eide G. E. , Thomassen L. , Naess H. , Waje‐Andreassen U.
Published: August 2015

Background and purpose

Family history (FH) is used as a marker for inherited risk. Using FH for this purpose requires the FH to reflect true disease in the family. The aim was to analyse the concordance between young and middle‐aged ischaemic stroke patients' reported FH of cardiovascular disease (CVD) with their parents' own reports.

Methods

Ischaemic stroke patients aged 15–60 years and their eligible parents were interviewed using a standardized questionnaire. Information of own CVD and FH of CVD was registered. Concordance between patients and parents was tested by kappa statistics, sensitivity, specificity, predictive values and likelihood ratios. Regression analyses were performed to identify patient characteristics associated with non‐concordance of replies.

Results

There was no difference in response rate between fathers and mothers (P = 0.355). Both parents responded in 57 cases. Concordance between patient and parent reports was good, with kappa values ranging from 0.57 to 0.7. The patient‐reported FH yielded positive predictive values of 75% or above and negative predictive values of 90% or higher. The positive likelihood ratios (LR+) were 10 or higher and negative likelihood ratios (LR−) were generally 0.5 or lower. Interpretation regarding peripheral arterial disease was limited due to low parental prevalence. Higher age was associated with impaired concordance between patient and parent reports (odds ratio 1.05; 95% confidence interval 1.01–1.09; P = 0.020).

Conclusions

The FH provided by young and middle‐aged stroke patients is in good concordance with parental reports. FH is an adequate proxy to assess inherited risk of CVD in young stroke patients.
Seizing control of epileptic activity can improve outcome
Authors: Chapman Kevin E. , Specchio Nicola , Shinnar Shlomo , Holmes Gregory L.
Published: August 2015

In epileptic encephalopathy, the seizures and interictal epileptiform activity create additional neurocognitive dysfunction beyond that due to the underlying etiology. Treatment leading to a reduction in seizures or interictal abnormalities may help improve neurocognitive function in these situations. The focus of our discussion is reviewing data that support the concept that treatment can impact outcome independent of the etiology in some cases.
Enzymatic characterization and gene identification of aconitate isomerase, an enzyme involved in assimilation of trans‐aconitic acid, from Pseudomonas sp. WU‐0701
Authors: Yuhara Kahori , Yonehara Hiromi , Hattori Takasumi , Kobayashi Keiichi , Kirimura Kohtaro
Published: August 2015

trans‐Aconitic acid is an unsaturated organic acid that is present in some plants such as soybean and wheat; however, it remains unclear how trans‐aconitic acid is degraded and/or assimilated by living cells in nature. From soil, we isolated Pseudomonas sp. WU‐0701 assimilating trans‐aconitic acid as a sole carbon source. In the cell‐free extract of Pseudomonas sp. WU‐0701, aconitate isomerase (AI; EC 5.3.3.7) activity was detected. Therefore, it seems likely that strain Pseudomonas sp. WU‐0701 converts trans‐aconitic acid to cis‐aconitic acid with AI, and assimilates this via the tricarboxylic acid cycle. For the characterization of AI from Pseudomonas sp. WU‐0701, we performed purification, determination of enzymatic properties and gene identification of AI. The molecular mass of AI purified from cell‐free extract was estimated to be ~ 25 kDa by both SDS/PAGE and gel filtration analyses, indicating that AI is a monomeric enzyme. The optimal pH and temperature of purified AI for the reaction were 6.0 °C and 37 °C, respectively. The gene ais encoding AI was cloned on the basis of the N‐terminal amino acid sequence of the protein, and Southern blot analysis revealed that only one copy of ais is located on the bacterial genome. The gene ais contains an ORF of 786 bp, encoding a polypeptide of 262 amino acids, including the N‐terminal 22 amino acids as a putative periplasm‐targeting signal peptide. It is noteworthy that the amino acid sequence of AI shows 90% and 74% identity with molybdenum ABC transporter substrate‐binding proteins of Pseudomonas psychrotolerans and Xanthomonas albilineans, respectively. This is the first report on purification to homogeneity, characterization and gene identification of AI.

Database

The nucleotide sequence of ais described in this article is available in the DDBJ/EMBL/GenBank nucleotide sequence databases under the Accession No. LC010980
Recognition deficits in mice carrying mutations of genes encoding BLOC‐1 subunits pallidin or dysbindin
Authors: Spiegel S. , Chiu A. , James A. S. , Jentsch J. D. , Karlsgodt K. H.
Published: August 2015

Numerous studies have implicated DTNBP1, the gene encoding dystrobrevin‐binding protein or dysbindin, as a candidate risk gene for schizophrenia, though this relationship remains somewhat controversial. Variation in dysbindin, and its location on chromosome 6p, has been associated with cognitive processes, including those relying on a complex system of glutamatergic and dopaminergic interactions. Dysbindin is one of the seven protein subunits that comprise the biogenesis of lysosome‐related organelles complex 1 (BLOC‐1). Dysbindin protein levels are lower in mice with null mutations in pallidin, another gene in the BLOC‐1, and pallidin levels are lower in mice with null mutations in the dysbindin gene, suggesting that multiple subunit proteins must be present to form a functional oligomeric complex. Furthermore, pallidin and dysbindin have similar distribution patterns in a mouse and human brain. Here, we investigated whether the apparent correspondence of pallid and dysbindin at the level of gene expression is also found at the level of behavior. Hypothesizing a mutation leading to underexpression of either of these proteins should show similar phenotypic effects, we studied recognition memory in both strains using the novel object recognition task (NORT) and social novelty recognition task (SNRT). We found that mice with a null mutation in either gene are impaired on SNRT and NORT when compared with wild‐type controls. These results support the conclusion that deficits consistent with recognition memory impairment, a cognitive function that is impaired in schizophrenia, result from either pallidin or dysbindin mutations, possibly through degradation of BLOC‐1 expression and/or function.
Decentralised forest management as utopia: a response to Asiyanbi
Authors: Nuesiri Emmanuel O
Published: August 2015

Response to Commentary Beyond utopia and a ‘power‐full’ state: a reply to Nuesiri
Networks of home, travel and use during Hong Kong return migration: thinking topologically about the spaces of human–material practices
Authors: HUI ALLISON
Published: August 2015

Despite acknowledgements that migration depends on human–material practices, research into migrant materialities has often focused on limited spatiotemporal frames and the relation of objects to (inter)personal concerns. Taking everyday interactions with materials as of inherent interest, I examine how thinking topologically about multiple spaces helps to trace migrants’ relationships to changing groups of objects. After introducing Mol and Law's concepts of regional, network and fluid space, I discuss three types of networks with diverse relations to them – networks of home, for travel, and of use. Though networks of home are important to migrants, and can remain intact while travelling across regions, they also demonstrate considerable fluidity when interacting with other networks, which themselves affect adaptation and everyday practices. Supported by examples from Hong Kong return migrants, I show how managing multiple material networks, each with multiple spatial relations, is central to being a migrant.
Elucidating the Role of the Aluminous Source on Limestone Reactivity in Cementitious Materials
Authors: Puerta‐Falla Guillermo , Balonis Magdalena , Le Saout Gwenn , Falzone Gabriel , Zhang Carolyn , Neithalath Narayanan , Sant Gaurav
Published: August 2015

When limestone (CaCO3) is present in ordinary portland cement (OPC), carbonate‐AFm phases (i.e., hemi‐ and/or mono‐carboaluminate) are stabilized at the expense of the sulfate‐AFm, which is more commonly found in cement systems. In OPC, the quantity of AFm hydrates formed is often limited by the availability of aluminum. Therefore, as a means of enhancing AFm phase formation, this study elucidates the role of aluminous sources including: calcium aluminate cements, metakaolin, and a hydratable alumina to determine if their addition would enhance limestone reactions and carbonate‐AFm formation in cement systems. The results of a detailed study including: X‐ray diffraction, strength measurements, thermogravimetric analysis, and thermodynamic calculations are used to quantify solid phase constitutions, and the extent of limestone reacted. The results suggest that, the amount of limestone reacted and the specific carbonate‐AFm formed is sensitive to both, the nature of the aluminous source and limestone content. Pozzolanic reactions which occur when metakaolin is used as an aluminous source are noted to be especially beneficial in offsetting the effects of OPC replacement. It is noted that although the different aluminous materials react with different quantities of CaCO3 during hydration, enhanced carbonate‐AFm formation alone is insufficient to ensure strength equivalence, when OPC is replaced by limestone.
Hydrothermal Degradation Behavior of Y‐TZP Ceramics Sintered by Nonconventional Microwave Technology
Authors: Presenda Álvaro , Salvador Maria Dolores , Moreno Rodrigo , Borrell Amparo
Published: August 2015

Different factors such as the characteristics of starting powders, their processing, the sintering technique and the final sintering temperature were assessed with the goal to improve the low‐temperature degradation (LTD) resistance of 3Y‐TZP materials without compromising on the mechanical properties. The degradation of hydrothermally treated specimens was studied by AFM, nanoindentation technique, micro‐Raman spectroscopy, and electron microscopy. 3Y‐TZP previously prepared in laboratory by colloidal processing, and sintered by microwave method at low temperature (1200°C) led to excellent mechanical and LTD resistance, as compared to dental restorations based on Y‐TZP commercial material. In the former, the presence of m‐phase was almost nonexistent even after 200 h of exposure to LTD conditions and the initial mechanical properties were maintained, giving 16 and 250 GPa mean values for hardness and Young's modulus, respectively. The influence of the fast‐technology by microwave heating is presented with a nonconventional sintering method to fabricate 3Y‐TZP ceramics for dental application with very high resistance against LTD and optimized mechanical properties.
Fluctuations in the extent of mangroves driven by multi‐decadal changes in North Atlantic waves
Authors: Walcker Romain , Anthony Edward Jamal , Cassou Christophe , Aller Robert Curwood , Gardel Antoine , Proisy Christophe , Martinez Jean‐Michel , Fromard François
Published: August 2015

Aim

The goal of the study was to quantify changes in the extent of mangroves since the mid‐twentieth century and to test the hypothesis that these changes are driven by ocean waves.

Location

The pristine 300‐km‐long coast of French Guiana, South America.

Methods

We produced time series of mangrove maps using archival remote sensing images. We retrieved significant wave heights (HS), mean wave periods (TM) and mean wave directions (θM) from the European Centre for Medium‐Range Weather Forecasts reanalysis products. We used complex empirical orthogonal function (CEOF) decomposition to extract the main mode of mangrove surface area (MS) variability and singular value decomposition (SVD) to test the relationships between MS and HS, TM and θM.

Results

The leading mode of variability extracted from the CEOF decomposition of MS captured approximately 78% of the total auto‐covariance and revealed multi‐decadal fluctuations in MS that were on the order of 10,000 ha. The SVD results indicated that the multi‐decadal fluctuation in MS cross‐covaried with HS, TM and θM over the North Atlantic sector, particularly in the region immediately off the French Guiana coast that is remotely forced by the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) during the winter season.

Main conclusions

We provide evidence based on linear statistics that variations in the extent of mangroves are driven by large‐scale, low‐frequency changes in North Atlantic waves that are related to the NAO. Such a relationship is hypothesized to operate through wave pounding, which alters the mud substrates on which mangroves thrive and which varies with the phase of the NAO. In addition to long‐term trends due to anthropogenic climate change, our results stress the importance of studying low‐frequency modes of climate variability to understand changes in the extent of mangroves.
On the concept of chorotype
Authors: Fattorini Simone
Published: August 2015

Recent reviews of the meaning of the word ‘chorotype’ in biogeography have led to contrasting definitions and a confusion of concepts. This is because ‘chorotype’ has been used by different authors to express two different concepts: (1) groups of species with overlapping ranges (overall distributions) and (2) groups of species with a similar distribution within a certain area. To avoid confusion, I suggest the term ‘global chorotype’ be used to indicate a group into which species with similar ranges can be classified; and ‘regional chorotype’ be used for a group of species with similar distributions within a certain region. Although the global chorotype represents the world‐wide spatial responses of species to historical and environmental pressures, and does not vary with the area under consideration, a particular species might be classified into different regional chorotypes in different study areas.
Clinical Correlates of Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome in Pregnancy
Authors: Fisher Nelli , Saraf Sumit , Egbert Neha , Homel Peter , Stein Evan G. , Minkoff Howard
Published: August 2015

The authors aimed to determine whether clinical findings of preeclampsia predict magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) diagnosis of posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES). The course among preeclamptics/eclamptics with clinically suspected PRES with vs without MRI diagnosis of PRES was compared. Of 46 patients who underwent MRI (eight eclamptics, 38 preeclamptics), five eclamptics (62.5%) and four preeclamptics (10.5%) had confirmed PRES (P=.004). Patients with PRES were younger (26 years vs 31 years, P=.008) and had a higher prevalence of thrombocytopenia (33% vs 8%, P=.04), a greater prevalence of proteinuria (100% vs 61%, P=.04), and higher peak systolic and diastolic blood pressures (P<.05). As opposed to findings from previous reports, PRES was not seen uniformly among eclamptic women and was found in 10.5% of preeclamptics with clinical suspicion of PRES in this study. Given that no single or set of findings were reliable predictors of PRES, consideration for rigorous management of hypertension should be applied to all patients with preeclampsia and eclampsia.
Instigation of endothelial Nlrp3 inflammasome by adipokine visfatin promotes inter‐endothelial junction disruption: role of HMGB1
Authors: Chen Yang , Pitzer Ashley L. , Li Xiang , Li Pin‐Lan , Wang Lei , Zhang Yang
Published: August 2015

Recent studies have indicated that the inflammasome plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of vascular diseases. However, the pathological relevance of this inflammasome activation, particularly in vascular cells, remains largely unknown. Here, we investigated the role of endothelial (Nucleotide‐binding Oligomerization Domain) NOD‐like receptor family pyrin domain containing three (Nlrp3) inflammasomes in modulating inter‐endothelial junction proteins, which are associated with endothelial barrier dysfunction, an early onset of obesity‐associated endothelial injury. Our findings demonstrate that the activation of Nlrp3 inflammasome by visfatin markedly decreased the expression of inter‐endothelial junction proteins including tight junction proteins ZO‐1, ZO‐2 and occludin, and adherens junction protein VE‐cadherin in cultured mouse vascular endothelial (VE) cell monolayers. Such visfatin‐induced down‐regulation of junction proteins in endothelial cells was attributed to high mobility group box protein 1 (HMGB1) release derived from endothelial inflammasome‐dependent caspase‐1 activity. Similarly, in the coronary arteries of wild‐type mice, high‐fat diet (HFD) treatment caused a down‐regulation of inter‐endothelial junction proteins ZO‐1, ZO‐2, occludin and VE‐cadherin, which was accompanied with enhanced inflammasome activation and HMGB1 expression in the endothelium as well as transmigration of CD43+ T cells into the coronary arterial wall. In contrast, all these HFD‐induced alterations in coronary arteries were prevented in mice with Nlrp3 gene deletion. Taken together, these data strongly suggest that the activation of endothelial Nlrp3 inflammasomes as a result of the increased actions of injurious adipokines such as visfatin produces HMGB1, which act in paracrine or autocrine fashion to disrupt inter‐endothelial junctions and increase paracellular permeability of the endothelium contributing to the early onset of endothelial injury during metabolic disorders such as obesity or high‐fat/cholesterol diet.
Reductions in aggression and violence following cognitive behavioural anger treatment for detained patients with intellectual disabilities
Authors: Taylor J. L. , Novaco R. W. , Brown T.
Published: August 2015

Background

Aggression is a significant problem amongst people with intellectual disabilities (ID), particularly those residing in hospital settings. Anger is related to aggression in secure services working people with ID, and the effectiveness of psychological interventions in reducing anger has been demonstrated in this population. However, no studies have systematically examined whether levels of aggression reduce following anger treatment with people with ID detained in secure settings.

Method

This programme evaluation study concerns individually delivered cognitive anger treatment delivered to 50 patients (44 men and 6 women) with mild to borderline ID, delivered twice weekly for 18 sessions in a specialist forensic hospital service. Aggressive incidents and physical assault data were obtained from records 12 months pre‐treatment and 12 months post‐treatment.

Results

Following completion of treatment, the total number of aggressive incidents recorded in patients' files fell by 34.5%, and the post‐treatment reduction in the number of physical assaults was 55.9%. Analysis of the data partitioned into 6‐month blocks over the 24‐month study period showed that significant reductions in aggressive and violent incidents occurred in the assessment intervals following anger treatment.

Conclusions

These findings reinforce the efficacy of cognitive behavioural anger treatment for detained patients with ID and histories of aggression; and despite its methodical limitations the study indicates the ecological validity of this treatment approach.
An Alternative Technique for the Fabrication of a Metal‐Reinforced Interim Implant‐Supported Fixed Prosthesis: A Clinical Report
Authors: AlHelal Abdulaziz , Baba Nadim Z. , AlRumaih Hamad
Published: August 2015

Despite advancements in restorative materials and techniques, complications with implant‐supported fixed prostheses such as veneer fracture and material wear are very common and present with varying frequencies. Following these complications, repair of this type of prosthesis can be time‐consuming and costly even in the hand of experience clinicians. Several techniques have proposed using the existing framework to minimize the cost of the repair for the patient; however, while the repairs are being performed, the patient will have to either wear an interim complete denture or no prosthesis, which might cause some inconvenience to the patient. This article will present a technique for the fabrication of a metal‐reinforced interim implant‐supported fixed prosthesis for patients to wear while the existing prosthesis is being repaired.
Historicizing the Lived Experience of Violence: Bryen's Violence in Roman
Egypt
Authors: Grey Cam
Published: August 2015

Ari Byren's Violence in Roman Egypt: A Study in Legal
Interpretation (2013) effectively inserts itself into two
complementary fields of inquiry and discussion within the field of classical
studies. First, it offers a detailed treatment of the social history of
small communities in Roman Egypt, providing an important contribution to the
study of violence in antiquity—a topic that has gained interest in recent
years. Second, it is an extended meditation on the place of violence within
a society and law's role in defining and eliminating it.
Law as Redemption: A Historical Comparison of the Ways Marginalized
People Use Courts
Authors: Penningroth Dylan C.
Published: August 2015

This essay reflects on how Bryen's Violence in Roman Egypt (2013), a
study of second‐century Roman Egypt, contributes to the study of law and on
how legal culture in ancient Egypt relates to law and legal cultures in
other times and places. From the perspective of social history, this essay
focuses on the connections between the victims of violence who seek redress
in local courts in Egypt and more contemporary work on the legacy of slavery
in colonial Ghana and the United States. This comparison reveals how law
becomes a vehicle for the marginalized to repair and reconstruct their
personhood.
Review Symposium: Interdisciplinary Readings of Ari Bryen's Violence in
Roman Egypt—Author's Reflections
Authors: Bryen Ari Z.
Published: August 2015

In this brief comment, I respond to symposium reviewers of my book
Violence in Roman Egypt (2013). I consider the insights each provides from
their respective discipline, and identify connections across those
disciplines as well. More broadly, I comment on the theoretical purchase and
unique challenges of law and society scholarship.
A thiol‐disulfide oxidoreductase of the Gram‐positive pathogen Corynebacterium diphtheriae is essential for viability, pilus assembly, toxin production and virulence
Authors: Reardon‐Robinson Melissa E. , Osipiuk Jerzy , Jooya Neda , Chang Chungyu , Joachimiak Andrzej , Das Asis , Ton‐That Hung
Published: August 2015

The Gram‐positive pathogen Corynebacterium diphtheriae exports through the Sec apparatus many extracellular proteins that include the key virulence factors diphtheria toxin and the adhesive pili. How these proteins attain their native conformations after translocation as unfolded precursors remains elusive. The fact that the majority of these exported proteins contain multiple cysteine residues and that several membrane‐bound oxidoreductases are encoded in the corynebacterial genome suggests the existence of an oxidative protein‐folding pathway in this organism. Here we show that the shaft pilin SpaA harbors a disulfide bond in vivo and alanine substitution of these cysteines abrogates SpaA polymerization and leads to the secretion of degraded SpaA peptides. We then identified a thiol‐disulfide oxidoreductase (MdbA), whose structure exhibits a conserved thioredoxin‐like domain with a CPHC active site. Remarkably, deletion of mdbA results in a severe temperature‐sensitive cell division phenotype. This mutant also fails to assemble pilus structures and is greatly defective in toxin production. Consistent with these defects, the ΔmdbA mutant is attenuated in a guinea pig model of diphtheritic toxemia. Given its diverse cellular functions in cell division, pilus assembly and toxin production, we propose that MdbA is a component of the general oxidative folding machine in C. diphtheriae.
De novo analysis of the transcriptome of Pratylenchus zeae to identify transcripts for proteins required for structural integrity, sensation, locomotion and parasitism
Authors: Fosu‐Nyarko John , Tan Jo‐Anne C. H. , Gill Reetinder , Agrez Vaughan G. , Rao Uma , Jones Michael G. K.
Published: August 2015

The root lesion nematode Pratylenchus zeae, a migratory endoparasite, is an economically important pest of major crop plants (e.g. cereals, sugarcane). It enters host roots, migrates through root tissues and feeds from cortical cells, and defends itself against biotic and abiotic stresses in the soil and in host tissues. We report de novo sequencing of the P. zeae transcriptome using 454 FLX, and the identification of putative transcripts encoding proteins required for movement, response to stimuli, feeding and parasitism. Sequencing generated 347 443 good quality reads which were assembled into 10 163 contigs and 139 104 singletons: 65% of contigs and 28% of singletons matched sequences of free‐living and parasitic nematodes. Three‐quarters of the annotated transcripts were common to reference nematodes, mainly representing genes encoding proteins for structural integrity and fundamental biochemical processes. Over 15 000 transcripts were similar to Caenorhabditis elegans genes encoding proteins with roles in mechanical and neural control of movement, responses to chemicals, mechanical and thermal stresses. Notably, 766 transcripts matched parasitism genes employed by both migratory and sedentary endoparasites in host interactions, three of which hybridized to the gland cell region, suggesting that they might be secreted. Conversely, transcripts for effectors reported to be involved in feeding site formation by sedentary endoparasites were conspicuously absent. Transcripts similar to those encoding some secretory–excretory products at the host interface of Brugia malayi, the secretome of Meloidogyne incognita and products of gland cells of Heterodera glycines were also identified. This P. zeae transcriptome provides new information for genome annotation and functional analysis of possible targets for control of pratylenchid nematodes.
Computed tomography, anatomical description and three‐dimensional reconstruction of the lower jaw of Eusthenopteron foordi Whiteaves, 1881 from the Upper Devonian of Canada
Authors: Porro Laura B. , Rayfield Emily J. , Clack Jennifer A.
Published: August 2015

The cranial anatomy of the iconic early tetrapod Eusthenopteron foordi is probably the best understood of all fossil fishes. In contrast, the anatomy of the lower jaw – crucial for both phylogenetics and biomechanical analyses – has been only superficially described. Computed tomography data of three Eusthenopteron skulls were segmented using visualization software to digitally separate bone from matrix and individual bones from each other. Here, we present a new description of the lower jaw of Eusthenopteron based on microcomputed tomography data, including the following: detailed description of sutural morphology and the mandibular symphysis; confirmed occurrence of pre‐ and intercoronoid fossae on the dorsal aspect of the lower jaw; and the arrangement of the submandibular bones. Furthermore, we identify a novel dermal ossification, the postsymphysial, present on the anteromedial aspect of the lower jaw in Eusthenopteron and describe its distribution in other stem tetrapod taxa. Sutural morphology is used to infer load regimes and, along with overall skull and lower jaw morphology, suggests that Eusthenopteron may have used biting along with suction feeding to capture and consume large prey. Finally, visualization software was used to repair and reconstruct the lower jaw, resulting in a three‐dimensional digital reconstruction.
Current Account Adjustment in the Eurozone: Lessons From a Flexible Price Model
Authors: Zwick Christoph
Published: August 2015

This paper discusses the desired size of the internal devaluation in the Eurozone for a scenario of current account adjustment induced by shifts in relative demand. Based on Obstfeld and Rogoff, I develop a four‐region model of the world economy consisting of the Eurozone‐core, Eurozone‐periphery, United States and Asia. In contrast to most of the existing literature, this model structure enables studying the impact of global current account adjustment on the rebalancing process in the Eurozone. In addition, the model allows for movements of factors of production between tradable and non‐tradable sectors. The results point to the important impact of sectoral reallocation and increases in Asian demand on the size of the internal devaluation as well as on the implied length of the adjustment period.
A Geometric Model for the Coiling of an Elastic Rod Deployed Onto a Moving Substrate
Authors: Jawed Mohammad K. , Brun Pierre-Thomas , Reis Pedro M.
Published: August 2015

We report results from a systematic numerical investigation of the nonlinear patterns that emerge when a slender elastic rod is deployed onto a moving substrate; a system also known as the elastic sewing machine (ESM). The discrete elastic rods (DER) method is employed to quantitatively characterize the coiling patterns, and a comprehensive classification scheme is introduced based on their Fourier spectrum. Our analysis yields physical insight on both the length scales excited by the ESM, as well as the morphology of the patterns. The coiling process is then rationalized using a reduced geometric model (GM) for the evolution of the position and orientation of the contact point between the rod and the belt, as well as the curvature of the rod near contact. This geometric description reproduces almost all of the coiling patterns of the ESM and allows us to establish a unifying bridge between our elastic problem and the analogous patterns obtained when depositing a viscous thread onto a moving surface; a well-known system known as the fluid-mechanical sewing machine (FMSM).
A Study on Native Oil Components Depletion of Industrial Metalworking Fluid During Microfiltration
Authors: Jubery Talukder Z. , Kapoor Shiv G. , Wentz John E.
Published: August 2015

The depletion of native oil components from semisynthetic metalworking fluids (MWFs) during microfiltration is caused in part by the deposition of the MWF components on the pore walls, a mechanism that also results in the decline of the filtration rate of MWF over time. Simulated experiments with a fluid dynamic model that considers interparticle and particle–wall interactions show that membrane pore walls' surface charge density can be tailored to reduce system flux decline. However, results of the model show that the tailored membrane pore design may still see depletion of the oil components from the filtered MWF due to oil components being trapped in a suspended position above the pore mouth.
Mechanical and Thermal Stresses in FGPPM Hollow Cylinder Due to Radially Symmetric Loads
Authors: Jabbari M. , Meshkini M. , Eslami M. R.
Published: August 2015

In this paper, the general solution of steady-state 1D radially symmetric mechanical and thermal stresses and electrical and mechanical displacements for a hollow thick cylinder made of fluid-saturated functionally graded poro piezoelectric materials (FGPPMs) is developed. The general form of thermal and mechanical boundary conditions is considered on the inside and outside surfaces. A direct method is used to solve the heat conduction equation and nonhomogenous system of partial differential Navier equations, using complex Fourier series and power law functions method. The material properties, except the Poisson ratio, are assumed to depend on the radial variable r and they are expressed as power law functions.