bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Microwave experiments in the realm of fidelity
Authors: Kuhl U.
Published: May 2016

In this review article, we will demonstrate the power of microwave experiments in the realm of fidelity also known as Loschmidt echoes. As the determination of the fidelity itself is experimentally tedious and error prone, we will introduce the scattering fidelity which under the conditions of chaotic systems and weak coupling approaches the fidelity itself. The main ingredient in fidelity investigations is the type and strength of a perturbation. The perturbations presented here will be both global and local boundary perturbations, as well as local perturber movements but also the change of coupling to the environment. All these perturbations will produce their own fidelity decay as a function of the perturbation strength, which will be discussed in this article.
A generalized fidelity amplitude for open systems
Authors: Gorin T. , Moreno H. J. , Seligman T. H.
Published: May 2016

We consider a central system which is coupled via dephasing to an open system, i.e. an intermediate system which in turn is coupled to another environment. Considering the intermediate and far environment as one composite system, the coherences in the central system are given in the form of fidelity amplitudes for a certain perturbed echo dynamics in the composite environment. On the basis of the Born–Markov approximation, we derive a master equation for the reduction of that dynamics to the intermediate system alone. In distinction to an earlier paper (Moreno
et al
. 2015
Phys. Rev. A
92, 030104. (
doi:10.1103/PhysRevA.92.030104
)), where we discussed the stabilizing effect of the far environment on the decoherence in the central system, we focus here on the possibility of using the measurable coherences in the central system for probing the open quantum dynamics in the intermediate system. We illustrate our results for the case of chaotic dynamics in the near environment, where we compare random matrix simulations with our analytical result.
SignaFish: a zebrafish-specific signaling pathway resource
Authors: Csályi Kitti , Fazekas Dávid , Kadlecsik Tamás , Türei Dénes , Gul Leila , Horváth Balázs , Módos Dezső , Demeter Amanda , Pápai Nóra , Lenti Katalin , Csermely Péter , Vellai Tibor , Korcsmáros Tamás , Varga Máté
Published: May 2016

Understanding living systems requires an in depth knowledge of the signaling networks that drive cellular homeostasis, regulate intercellular communication and contribute to cell fates during development. Several resources exist to provide high-throughput datasets or manually curated interaction information from human or invertebrate model organisms. We previously developed SignaLink, a uniformly curated, multi-layered signaling resource containing information for human and for the model organisms nematodeCaenorhabditis elegansand fruit flyDrosophila melanogaster. Until now, the use of the SignaLink database for zebrafish pathway analysis was limited. To overcome this limitation we created SignaFish (http://signafish.org), a fish-specific signaling resource, built using the concept of SignaLink. SignaFish contains more than 200 curation based signaling interactions, 132 further interactions listed in other resources, and it also lists potential miRNA based regulatory connections for 7 major signaling pathways. From the SignaFish website, users can reach other web resources, such as ZFIN. SignaFish provides signaling or signaling-related interactions that can be examined for each gene, or downloaded for each signaling pathway. We believe that the SignaFish resource will serve as a novel navigating point for experimental design and evaluation for the zebrafish community and for researchers focusing on non-model fish species, such as cyclids.
Risk estimates for microcephaly related to Zika virus infection - from French Polynesia to Bahia, Brazil
Authors: Johansson Michael A , Mier-y-Teran-Romero Luis , Reefhuis Jennita , Gilboa Suzanne M , Hills Susan L
Published: May 2016

Zika virus (ZIKV) infection during pregnancy has been linked to birth defects,1yet the magnitude of risk remains uncertain. A study of the Zika outbreak in French Polynesia estimated that the risk of microcephaly due to ZIKV infection in the first trimester of pregnancy was 0.95% (95% confidence interval: 0.34-1.91%), based on eight microcephaly cases identified retrospectively in a population of approximately 270,000 people with an estimated 66% ZIKV infection rate.2
Eliminating redundancy among protein sequences using submodular optimization
Authors: Libbrecht Maxwell W. , Bilmes Jeffrey A. , Noble William Stafford
Published: May 2016

Abstact

Motivation

Submodular optimization, a discrete analogue to continuous convex optimization, has been used with great success in many fields but is not yet widely used in biology. We apply submodular optimization to the problem of removing redundancy in protein sequence data sets. This is a common step in many bioinformatics and structural biology workflows, including creation of non-redundant training sets for sequence and structural models as well as selection of “operational taxonomic units” from metagenomics data.

Results

We demonstrate that the submodular optimization approach results in representative protein sequence subsets with greater structural diversity than sets chosen by existing methods. In particular, we compare to a widely used, heuristic algorithm implemented in software tools such as CD-HIT, as well to as a variety of standard clustering methods, using as a gold standard the SCOPe library of protein domain structures. In this setting, submodular optimization consistently yields protein sequence subsets that include more SCOPe domain families than sets of the same size selected by competing approaches. We also show how the optimization framework allows us to design a mixture objective function that performs well for both large and small representative sets. The framework we describe is theoretically optimal under some assumptions, and it is flexible and intuitive because it applies generic methods to optimize one of a variety of objective functions. This application serves as a model for how submodular optimization can be applied to other discrete problems in biology.

Availability

Source code is available athttps://github.com/mlibbrecht/submodular_sequence_repset.

Contact

william-noble@uw.edu
Chloroquine inhibits Zika Virus infection in different cellular models
Authors: Delvecchio Rodrigo , Higa Luiza M , Pezzuto Paula , Valadão Ana Luiza , Garcez Patrícia P , Monteiro Fábio L , Loiola Erick C. , Rehen Stevens , Campanati Loraine , de Aguiar Renato Santana , Tanuri Amilcar
Published: May 2016

Zika virus (ZIKV) infectionin uteromight lead to microcephaly and other congenital defects. In adults, cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome and meningoencephalitis associated with ZIKV infection have been reported, and no specific therapy is available so far. There is urgency for the discovery of antiviral agents capable of inhibiting viral replication and its deleterious effects. Chloroquine is widely administered as an antimalarial drug, anti-inflammatory agent, and it also shows antiviral activity against several viruses. Here we show that chloroquine exhibits antiviral activity against ZIKV in VERO, human brain microvascular endothelial, and neural stem cells. We demonstratedin vitrothat chloroquine reduces the number of ZIKV-infected cells, virus production and cell death promoted by ZIKV infection without cytotoxic effects. Our results suggest that chloroquine is a promising candidate for ZIKV clinical trials, since it is already approved for clinical use and can be safely administered to pregnant woman.
Probing the mechanisms of intron creation in a fast-evolving mite
Authors: Roy Scott William
Published: May 2016

Available genomic sequences from diverse eukaryotes attest to creation of millions of spliceosomal introns throughout the course of evolution, however the question of how introns are created remains unresolved. Resolution of this question has been thwarted by the fact that many modern introns appear to be hundreds of millions of years old, obscuring the mechanisms by which they were initially created. As such, analysis of lineages undergoing rapid intron creation is crucial. Recently, Hoy et al. reported the genome of the predatory miteMetaseiulus occidentalis, revealing generally rapid molecular evolution including wholesale loss of ancestral introns and gain of new ones. I sought to test several potential mechanisms of intron creation. BLAST searches did not reveal patterns of similarity between intronic sequences from different sites or between intron sequences and non-intronic sequences, which would be predicted if introns are created by propagation of pre-existing intronic sequences or by transposable element insertion. To test for evidence that introns are created by any of multiple mechanisms that are expected to lead to duplication of sequences at the two splice boundaries of an intron, I compared introns likely to have been gained in the lineage leading toM. occidentalisand likely ancestral introns. These comparisons did initially reveal greater similarity between boundaries inM. occidentalis-specific introns, however this excess appeared to be largely or completely due to greater adherence of newer introns to the so-called protosplice site, and therefore may not provide strong evidence for particular intron gain mechanisms. The failure to find evidence for particular intron creation mechanisms could reflect the relatively old age of even these introns, intron creation by variants of tested mechanisms that do not leave a clear sequence signature, or by intron creation by unimagined mechanisms.
Systematic exploration of unsupervised methods for mapping behavior
Authors: Todd Jeremy G. , Kain Jamey S. , de Bivort Benjamin L.
Published: May 2016

To fully understand the mechanisms giving rise to behavior, we need to be able to precisely measure it. When coupled with large behavioral data sets, unsupervised clustering methods offer the potential of unbiased mapping of behavioral spaces. However, unsupervised techniques to map behavioral spaces are in their infancy, and there have been few systematic considerations of all the methodological options. We compared the performance of seven distinct mapping methods in clustering a data set consisting of the x-and y-positions of the six legs of individual flies. Legs were automatically tracked by small pieces of fluorescent dye, while the fly was tethered and walking on an air-suspended ball. We find that there is considerable variation in the performance of these mapping methods, and that better performance is attained when clustering is done in higher dimensional spaces (which are otherwise less preferable because they are hard to visualize). High dimensionality means that some algorithms, including the non-parametric watershed cluster assignment algorithm, cannot be used. We developed an alternative watershed algorithm which can be used in high-dimensional spaces when the probability density estimate can be computed directly. With these tools in hand, we examined the behavioral space of fly leg postural dynamics and locomotion. We find a striking division of behavior into modes involving the fore legs and modes involving the hind legs, with few direct transitions between them. By computing behavioral clusters using the data from all flies simultaneously, we show that this division appears to be common to all flies. We also identify individual-to-individual differences in behavior and behavioral transitions. Lastly, we suggest a computational pipeline that can achieve satisfactory levels of performance without the taxing computational demands of a systematic combinatorial approach.

Abbreviations

GMM: Gaussian mixture model; PCA: principal components analysis; SW: sparse watershed; t-SNE: t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding
Sub-atomic resolution X-ray diffraction of the SH3 domain from the post-synaptic density protein Shank3
Authors: Ponna Srinivas Kumar , Myllykoski Matti , Boeckers Tobias M. , Kursula Petri
Published: May 2016

The post-synaptic density multidomain scaffolding proteins of the Shank family are structurally poorly characterised. The Shank family consists of three members, and domain-specific interactions of Shank are involved in forming a network of proteins at the post-synaptic region for intracellular signalling and cellular scaffolding. While X-ray crystallography has provided some information on individual Shank domains, the structural basis of Shank interactions is still largely unknown. In this study, the production and crystallisation of the previously uncharacterised Shank3 SH3 domain is presented. The highly twinned crystals diffracted synchrotron X-rays to a resolution higher than 0.9 Å, and these crystals will eventually have the potential to provide an ultrahigh-resolution view into the Shank family SH3 domains and their interactions.
Multi-ethnic polygenic risk scores improve risk prediction in diverse populations
Authors: Márquez-Luna Carla , Loh Po-Ru ,   South Asian Type 2 Diabetes (SAT2D) Consortium,   The SIGMA Type 2 Diabetes Consortium, Price Alkes L.
Published: May 2016

Methods for genetic risk prediction have been widely investigated in recent years. However, most available training data involves European samples, and it is currently unclear how to accurately predict disease risk in other populations. Previous studies have used either training data from European samples in large sample size or training data from the target population in small sample size, but not both. Here, we introduce a multi-ethnic polygenic risk score that combines training data from European samples and training data from the target population. We applied this approach to predict type 2 diabetes (T2D) in a Latino cohort using both publicly available European summary statistics in large sample size and Latino training data in small sample size. We attained a >70% relative improvement in prediction accuracy (fromR2=0.027 toR2=0.047) compared to methods that use only one source of training data, consistent with large relative improvements in simulations. We observed a systematically lower load of T2D risk alleles in Latino individuals with more European ancestry, which could be explained by polygenic selection in ancestral European and/or Native American populations. Application of our approach to predict T2D in a South Asian UK Biobank cohort attained a >70% relative improvement in prediction accuracy, and application to predict height in an African UK Biobank cohort attained a 30% relative improvement. Our work reduces the gap in polygenic risk prediction accuracy between European and non-European target populations.

Author Summary

The use of genetic information to predict disease risk is of great interest because of its potential clinical application. Prediction is performed via the construction of polygenic risk scores, which separate individuals into different risk categories. Polygenic risk scores can also be applied to improve our understanding of the genetic architecture of complex diseases. The ideal training data set would be a large cohort from the same population as the target sample, but this is generally unavailable for non-European populations. Thus, we propose a summary statistics based polygenic risk score that leverages both a large European training sample and a training sample from the same population as the target population. This approach produces a substantial relative improvement in prediction accuracy compared to methods that use a single training population when applied to predict type 2 diabetes in a Latino cohort, consistent with simulation results. We observed similar relative improvements in applications to predict type 2 diabetes in a South Asian cohort and height in an African cohort.
Design leaps: business model adaptation in emerging economies
Authors: Sharma Sunil , Dixit Mukund R. , Karna Amit
Published: May 2016

Purpose

Firms take design leaps when they imitate an established business model developed either by another firm or in another market to create business opportunities. While recent research has suggested the use of contextual intelligence for imitation, the exact process of adaptation of a business model is not fully understood. The purpose of this paper is to outline the process through which an emerging market firm adapts a developed market business model for creating business opportunities in the local market.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper investigates the journey of Air Deccan, the pioneer low-cost airline in India, from its founding until its successful adaptation of a (Western) business model and eventual failure. The authors use a qualitative case-based approach to study business model adaptation.

Findings

The authors find that adaptation involves the incorporation of following design features: novelty to overcome problem of institutional voids, elasticity to exploit unexpected increase in demand and efficiency to serve large volumes. Based on the evidence, the authors suggest the introduction of global efficiency measures as the boundary conditions of business model adaptation in emerging markets.

Research limitations/implications

The paper contributes to the literature on business models by suggesting elasticity as a unique design feature relevant for emerging markets. This paper provides granular understanding of business model toxicity.

Practical implications

Entrepreneurs and managers – looking to enter emerging markets through opportunity creation – should focus on providing contextually novel design features in the adapted business model. The authors also caution practitioners against the perils of toxicity arising out of combining contextual novelty with efficiency.

Originality/value

Recent literature suggests that multinationals need contextual intelligence to successfully monetize their investment in emerging economies. This paper provides rich description of the challenges faced by entrepreneurs in emerging markets, local innovations used to overcome them and boundary conditions.
Investment and collaboration: the Indian model for “best” HRM practices
Authors: Rao Pramila
Published: May 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine human resource management (HRM) practices of the top 25 companies identified as “best” in India in 2011. This paper provides insights into HRM practices of a leading country in Asia that is playing a very important role in the global economy.

Design/methodology/approach

This conceptual paper will use for its research analysis the business reports of the Outlook Business Magazine and AON Hewitt. AON Hewitt is a global human resource consulting company and is an established authority in identifying “best” companies in India since 2004. A qualitative content analysis was done of the business report to identify predominant themes.

Findings

The analysis identified how the “best” 25 Indian companies offer progressive HRM practices that required careful investment and collaboration. This research showcases seven specific HRM themes that include elaborate staffing, investment in learning, work–life balance, egalitarian practices, developmental performance culture, generous benefits and engagement initiatives.

Practical implications

This paper provides preliminary guidelines for global practitioners who may be interested in doing business in India. It also provides a model of “best” HRM practices adopted by 25 companies that could help other organizations identify successful HRM practices in India. Among the 25 companies, 16 are Indian companies and 9 are subsidiaries of multinationals.

Originality/value

This paper outlines HRM “best” practices of organizations in an emerging Asian economy that has not been addressed before. This paper hopes to bridge this paucity in the extant literature by showcasing the “best” HRM practices from 25 “best” companies in India. It also provides an Indian model of “best” HRM practices that can be tested by other scholars for future studies.
Wage Growth for the Health Care Workforce: Projecting the Affordable Care Act Impact
Authors: Parente Stephen T. , Feldman Roger , Spetz Joanne , Dowd Bryan , Baggett Emily Egan
Published: May 2016

Objective

To predict changes in wage growth for health care workers based on projections of insurance enrollment from the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

Data Sources

Enrollment data came from three large employers and a sampling of premiums from ehealthinsurance.com. Information on state Medicaid eligibility rules and costs were from the Kaiser Family Foundation. National predictions were based on the MEPS and Medicare Current Beneficiary surveys. Bureau of Labor Statistics data were used to estimate employment.

Study Design

We projected health insurance enrollment by plan type using a health plan choice model. Using claims data, we measured the services demanded for each plan choice and year. Projections of labor demand were based on current output/input ratios. Changes in wages resulting from changes in labor demand from 2014 to 2021 were based on labor supply and demand elasticities.

Principal Findings

Expenditures required to retain and grow the health care workforce will increase substantially. Wages will increase most for professions with the greatest training requirements (physicians and registered nurses). The largest impact will be felt in 2015.

Conclusions

Projected wage increases for health care workers may drive substantial growth in insurance premiums and reduce the affordability of health insurance.
Geographic Variation in Quality of Care for Commercially Insured Patients
Authors: McKellar Michael Richard , Landrum Mary Beth , Gibson Teresa B. , Landon Bruce E. , Fendrick A. Mark , Chernew Michael E.
Published: May 2016

Background

Extensive evidence documents geographic variation in spending, but limited research assesses geographic variation in quality, particularly among commercially insured enrollees.

Objective

To measure geographic variation in quality measures, correlation among measures, and correlation between measures and spending for commercially insured enrollees.

Data Source

Administrative claims from the 2007–2009 Truven MarketScan database.

Methods

We calculated variation in, and correlations among, 10 quality measures across 306 Hospital Referral Regions (HRRs), adjusting for beneficiary traits and sample size differences. Further, we created a quality index and correlated it with spending.

Results

The coefficient of variation of HRR‐level performance ranged from 0.04 to 0.38. Correlations among quality measures generally ranged from 0.2 to 0.5. Quality was modestly positively related to spending.

Conclusion

Quality varied across HRRs and there was only a modest geographic “quality footprint.”
Enhancing knowledge exchange and combination through HR practices: reflexivity as a translation process
Authors: Monks Kathy , Conway Edel , Fu Na , Bailey Katie , Kelly Grainne , Hannon Enda
Published: May 2016

Knowledge‐intensive firms need to encourage their employees to engage in knowledge exchange and combination (KEC) so as to create the new knowledge that is core to their success. HRM has the potential to play a key role in encouraging KEC, but relatively little is known about the micro‐processes through which HRM and KEC are linked. Based on a sample of 498 knowledge workers in 14 knowledge‐intensive firms in the pharmaceutical and information and communications technology sectors in Ireland and the UK, this study focuses on the knowledge workers themselves and their perceptions of how HR practices influence KEC. In so doing, we drill down into the micro‐foundations of the proposed linkages between HRM and knowledge creation, proffering reflexivity as a translation process in understanding these linkages.
Spinal fentanyl vs. sufentanil for post‐operative analgesia after C‐section: a double‐blinded randomised trial
Authors: Wilwerth M. , Majcher J.‐L. , Van der Linden P.
Published: May 2016

Background

Fentanyl and sufentanil are the most commonly administered intrathecal lipophilic opioids worldwide, although their relative efficacy when given by this route is not well characterised.

The primary endpoint of this prospective, randomised, double‐blind study was to compare effective analgesia duration of intrathecal administered fentanyl 25 μg and sufentanil 2.5 or 5 μg, Second endpoints were to compare post‐operative morphine consumption and incidence of side effects between these opioids dosages.

Methods

After IRB approval, 180 full‐term parturients undergoing elective Caesarean section were randomly allocated into three groups, according to the opioid added to 10 mg intrathecal hyperbaric bupivacaine: fentanyl 25 μg, sufentanil 2.5 μg or sufentanil 5 μg. Total effective analgesia was defined as time from spinal injection (T0) to first IV morphine requirement (T1) administered with a patient controlled intravenous pump. Statistical data analysis included non‐parametric tests and chi‐squared. A P value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Data are presented as median [interquartile ranges 25–75].

Results

Duration of analgesia was significantly longer with sufentanil 2.5 μg (214 min [189–251]) and 5 μg (236 min [190–372]) compared to fentanyl 25 μg (187 min [151–230]) (P < 0.01). Morphine consumption at T1 + 4 h was lower in the sufentanil groups (6 mg [3–9] and 6 mg [2–10]) than in the fentanyl group (9 mg [5–13]) (P < 0.01). Incidence of adverse effects was not different between groups.

Conclusion

In the conditions of our study, sufentanil 5 μg was the opioid of choice, associated with the best quality of anaesthesia without increased incidence of side effects.
Food for Thought: A Randomised Controlled Trial of Emotional Freedom Techniques and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy in the Treatment of Food Cravings
Authors: Stapleton Peta , Bannatyne Amy Jean , Urzi Keri‐Charle , Porter Brett , Sheldon Terri
Published: May 2016

Addressing the internal determinants of dysfunctional eating behaviours (e.g. food cravings) in the prevention and treatment of obesity has been increasingly recognised. This study compared Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) to Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for food cravings in adults who were overweight or obese (N = 83) in an 8‐week intervention. Outcome data were collected at baseline, post‐intervention, and at 6‐ and 12‐months follow‐up. Overall, EFT and CBT demonstrated comparable efficacy in reducing food cravings, one's responsiveness to food in the environment (power of food), and dietary restraint, with Cohen's effect size values suggesting moderate to high practical significance for both interventions. Results also revealed that both EFT and CBT are capable of producing treatment effects that are clinically meaningful, with reductions in food cravings, the power of food, and dietary restraint normalising to the scores of a non‐clinical community sample. While reductions in BMI were not observed, the current study supports the suggestion that psychological interventions are beneficial for food cravings and both CBT and EFT could serve as vital adjunct tools in a multidisciplinary approach to managing obesity.
Place‐value understanding in number line estimation predicts future arithmetic performance
Authors: Dietrich Julia F. , Huber Stefan , Dackermann Tanja , Moeller Korbinian , Fischer Ursula
Published: May 2016

In multi‐digit numbers, the value of each digit is determined by its position within the digit string. Children's understanding of this place‐value structure constitutes a building block for later arithmetic skills. We investigated whether a number line estimation task can provide an assessment of place‐value understanding in first grade. We hypothesized that estimating the position of two‐digit numbers requires place‐value understanding. Therefore, we fitted a linear function to children's estimates of two‐digit numbers and considered the resulting slope as a measure of children's place‐value understanding. We observed a significant correlation between this slope and children's performance in a transcoding task known to require place‐value understanding. Additionally, the slope for two‐digit numbers assessed at the beginning of grade 1 predicted children's arithmetic performance at the end of grade 1. These results indicate that the number line estimation task may indeed constitute a valid measure for first‐graders' place‐value understanding. Moreover, these findings are hard to reconcile with the view that number line estimation directly assesses a spatial representation of numbers. Instead, our results suggest that numerical processes involved in performing the task (such as place‐value understanding) may drive the association between number line estimation and arithmetic performance.
The effect of different radiation sources for the UV curing of a screen‐printed, water‐based polyurethane acrylate binder
Authors: Akbulut Gökhan , Karagüzel Kayaoğlu Burçak , Eren Mesut , Yıldız Bülent , Orbay Murat
Published: May 2016

In this paper, titanium‐dioxide‐pigmented printing pastes of water‐borne, UV‐curable polyurethane acrylate binder with two different UV‐curing photoinitiator combinations were prepared and screen printed on a black t‐shirt fabric. The effects of mercury and gallium radiation sources employed either singly or in combination for UV curing and the total energy level on the printing performance were investigated. The cured textile samples were subjected to colour measurements before and after five cycles of washing, and hiding power and changes in chromacity, hue, and colour were determined. Single‐lamp applications of mercury and gallium were not satisfactory, and opaque pigment hindered deep curing, especially at thicker coating levels. It was found that employment of a mercury–gallium lamp system applying an irradiation at medium level can provide pigment printing of opaque white inks with excellent coverage, washing resistance, and medium hardness.
The performance of telescoping fat pad biopsies for detecting systemic amyloidosis: a four and a half year retrospective analysis and brief review of the fine needle aspiration literature
Authors: Stoddard Hugh , Zedek Daniel , Sayed Christopher
Published: May 2016

Systemic amyloidosis has historically been diagnosed by organ biopsy and Congo red staining, with reported sensitivities that exceed 90%. The abdominal fat pad fine needle aspiration (FNA), introduced in the 1970's, carries sensitivity estimates largely derived from studies with deficiencies. Patient follow‐up is often unclear and proportionally low numbers of patients are verified as true negatives. Issues in other studies include only testing verified systemic amyloidosis cases. The telescoping fat pad biopsy (TFPB) is used as an alternative to FNA and is similarly carried out quickly with low morbidity. Although the two methods would seem to be comparable intuitively, this has not been established because sensitivity data for the TFPB method is scarce to non‐existent. The charts of 58 consecutive patients who underwent TFPB screening for amyloidosis in a single hospital from August of 2010 to January 2015 were examined. All six TFPB positive patients were determined to be true positives. Eight TFPB negative patients were concurrently determined to have systemic amyloidosis by other methods – organ biopsy (7) and mass spectrometry (1) resulting in a 43% sensitivity. The remaining patients were categorized into 25 true negatives and 18 that were indeterminate based on clinical course and other biopsy results.
Risk factors for traumatic dental injuries in the primary dentition: concepts, interpretation, and evidence
Authors: Feldens Carlos Alberto , Borges Tássia Silvana , Vargas‐Ferreira Fabiana , Kramer Paulo Floriani
Published: May 2016

The purpose of this comprehensive review is to explore the main concepts related to quantification and interpretation of risk factors and investigate characteristics associated with traumatic dental injuries (TDI) in the primary dentition. Initially, the main concepts related to causality and risk factors were summarized, including how to measure, express, and compare risk as well as interpret statistical significance. Based on a structured search through PubMed, original research articles regarding TDI and associated factors in the primary dentition were then reviewed by two examiners. Studies with a sample size of at least 300 children aged between 0 and 6 years were summarized according to journal, country, study design, and type of statistical analysis. Variables associated with TDI in primary teeth were identified from studies with multivariable analysis. Measures of effect size and P values were presented. Thirty‐two studies were retrieved: most were cross‐sectional in design and only 17 (53.1%) performed multivariable analysis. Most investigations did not find an association between gender and socioeconomic variables with TDI. Increased overjet was the only factor consistently identified as an associated factor. Behavioral characteristics have been recently investigated and suggested as potential risk factors for TDI in the primary dentition. In conclusion, increased overjet is undoubtedly associated with TDI in the primary dentition. As behavioral factors may be targeted by preventive strategies, their role on TDI occurrence should be clarified in future cohort studies. Clinicians should understand the terms and measures described in studies on risk factors to properly apply knowledge and benefit patients.
COMT Val158Met genotype is associated with reward learning: a replication study and meta‐analysis
Authors: Corral‐Frías N. S. , Pizzagalli D. A. , Carré J. M. , Michalski L. J. , Nikolova Y. S. , Perlis R. H. , Fagerness J. , Lee M. R. , Conley E. Drabant , Lancaster T. M. , Haddad S. , Wolf A. , Smoller J. W. , Hariri A. R. , Bogdan R.
Published: May 2016

Identifying mechanisms through which individual differences in reward learning emerge offers an opportunity to understand both a fundamental form of adaptive responding as well as etiological pathways through which aberrant reward learning may contribute to maladaptive behaviors and psychopathology. One candidate mechanism through which individual differences in reward learning may emerge is variability in dopaminergic reinforcement signaling. A common functional polymorphism within the catechol‐O‐methyl transferase gene (COMT; rs4680, Val158Met) has been linked to reward learning, where homozygosity for the Met allele (linked to heightened prefrontal dopamine function and decreased dopamine synthesis in the midbrain) has been associated with relatively increased reward learning. Here, we used a probabilistic reward learning task to asses response bias, a behavioral form of reward learning, across three separate samples that were combined for analyses (age: 21.80 ± 3.95; n = 392; 268 female; European‐American: n = 208). We replicate prior reports that COMT rs4680 Met allele homozygosity is associated with increased reward learning in European‐American participants (β = 0.20, t = 2.75, P < 0.01; ΔR2 = 0.04). Moreover, a meta‐analysis of 4 studies, including the current one, confirmed the association between COMT rs4680 genotype and reward learning (95% CI −0.11 to −0.03; z = 3.2; P < 0.01). These results suggest that variability in dopamine signaling associated with COMT rs4680 influences individual differences in reward which may potentially contribute to psychopathology characterized by reward dysfunction.
Climate‐driven changes to ocean circulation and their inferred impacts on marine dispersal patterns
Authors: Wilson Laura J. , Fulton Christopher J. , Hogg Andrew McC , Joyce Karen E. , Radford Ben T. M. , Fraser Ceridwen I.
Published: May 2016

Aim

The dispersal and distribution patterns of many marine organisms are driven by oceanographic conditions, which are influenced by global climate. Climate‐driven oceanographic changes are thus likely to result in biogeographical changes. We assess how recent and predicted oceanographic changes affect the dispersal capacities and distributions of ecologically important (especially habitat‐forming) marine organisms.

Location

We include studies from tropical, temperate and sub‐polar regions to draw globally relevant conclusions.

Methods

We review biogeographical, biological and oceanographic studies to critically evaluate emerging trends in biogeographical responses to climate‐driven oceanographic changes, and predict how future changes will affect marine ecosystems.

Results

Many oceanic dispersal pathways are being altered by climate change. These changes will affect marine ecosystems by differentially affecting the replenishment potential and connectivity of key habitat‐forming species. In particular, the length of propagule pre‐competency periods, propagule behaviour and the geographical distance between areas of suitable habitat will be critical in determining how oceanographic changes affect the pattern and success of dispersal events, including the likelihood of species experiencing poleward range shifts in response to a warming climate.

Main conclusions

Future climate‐driven oceanographic changes are likely to strengthen or weaken different oceanic dispersal pathways, which will either increase or decrease the potential for dispersal and connectivity in various marine taxa according to the interaction between the local oceanographic, geographical and taxon‐specific biological factors. A key focus for future work should be the development of fine‐scale near‐shore ocean circulation models that can be used to assess the dispersal response of key marine taxa under various marine climate change scenarios.
Semiquantitative prediction of early response of conventional transcatheter arterial chemoembolization for hepatocellular carcinoma using postprocedural plain cone‐beam computed tomography
Authors: Minami Yasunori , Takita Masahiro , Tsurusaki Masakatsu , Yagyu Yukinobu , Ueshima Kazuomi , Murakami Takamichi , Kudo Masatoshi
Published: May 2016

Aim

To investigate whether plain cone‐beam computed tomography (CT) immediately after conventional transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (c‐TACE) can help to predict tumor response semiquantitatively in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods

Analysis was carried out retrospectively on 262 targeted HCCs in 169 patients treated with c‐TACE. Dynamic CT was performed at baseline and 1–4 months after c‐TACE. Receiver–operating characteristic curve analysis was undertaken to evaluate whether voxel values of cone‐beam CT could predict a complete response and to identify the cut‐off value. Final tumor response assessment and early prediction using the retention pattern of iodized oil, the cut‐off value of the density, and the combination of the cut‐off density value and retention pattern of iodized oil in HCCs on postprocedural cone‐beam CT were compared.

Results

Complete response was obtained in 72.9% of lesions. According to the pattern of iodized oil uptake, the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for predicting complete response were 85.9%, 70.4%, and 81.7%, respectively by excellent uptake on cone‐beam CT. The area under the curve was 0.86 with the optimal cut‐off at a voxel value of 200.13. According to not only the density but also the homogeneity of iodized oil retention, the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy values for predicting complete response were 86.4%, 95.8%, and 88.9%, respectively. The predictive accuracy was significantly better than that of the pattern of iodized oil retention only (P = 0.019).

Conclusion

The combination of density and visual estimate of homogeneity is superior to either alone in predicting tumor response of c‐TACE in HCC patients.
Pathogenesis of alcoholic liver disease
Authors: Sugimoto Kazushi , Takei Yoshiyuki
Published: May 2016

Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) has become one of the most critical health problems in many countries, including Japan. Liver injury in ALD ranges from steatosis and steatohepatitis to fibrosis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Many factors are thought to contribute to the development and progression of ALD, particularly insulin resistance, generation of reactive oxygen species during alcohol metabolism, adipokines from visceral adipose tissue, and endotoxin derived from the gut. Although the pathogenesis of ALD has been widely investigated, the precise mechanisms are yet to be elucidated and many questions remain. This article reviews the possible mechanisms for the development of ALD identified to date.
Factors impacting students' online learning experience in a learner‐centred course
Authors: Wu Y.
Published: May 2016

Technologies bring a new era of content presentation for online teaching and learning. With more instructors adopting new tools to design online teaching materials, students are often put into learning contexts with certain new design components. Assessing learner experience and outcome in these contexts is challenging because of the complexity involved, as social and individual factors and behavioural impacts of using the new components have to be considered. Few studies have been reported in the literature identifying behavioural factors of learners' online learning experience when they interact with the content. Factors that affect learners' online learning experience, especially the affect factors, are less understood. This study therefore proposed and tested a model that explains the relationships among the affect factors and outcome behaviours of participants' online learning experience, taking into account individual difference, and employing a comparison based on a difference in content presentation. The data were collected from a professional training course offered by a university in the United States. The results support the assumption that time spent in study affects learning outcome and other outcome related behaviours. Also, positive relations between perceived quality of content design and outcome behaviour were found, indicating the effects of sense of presence and feeling of enjoyment on performance of creative tasks. The study intends to foster a deeper understanding of motivation and behaviours of online learning under innovative content design.
Appropriate Implantable Defibrillator Therapy in Adults With Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
Authors: THAVIKULWAT AMALIE C. , TOMSON TODD T. , KNIGHT BRADLEY P. , BONOW ROBERT O. , CHOUDHURY LUBNA
Published: May 2016

Appropriate ICD Therapy in HCM

Introduction

Implantable cardioverter‐defibrillators (ICDs) are effective at terminating the ventricular arrhythmias that cause sudden cardiac death (SCD) in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). However, identifying patients at risk for SCD remains an ongoing challenge.

Methods and Results

We retrospectively studied all adult patients with HCM treated with ICDs at our referral center from 2000 to 2013 to determine the risk factor profile, rates of appropriate ICD therapy, and complications associated with ICD implantation and discharge. Over a mean follow‐up period of 5.2 ± 4.5 years, ICDs provided appropriate therapy to 25 of 135 patients (2.6%/year for primary prevention, 9.8%/year for secondary prevention). Established risk factors for SCD were equally prevalent among patients who received appropriate therapy and those who did not. There were similar rates of appropriate therapy for primary prevention patients with each risk factor. Patients with multiple risk factors had similar rates of appropriate therapy to patients with a single risk factor. Patients who underwent implantation at a younger age were more likely to experience appropriate therapy. Inappropriate therapy occurred in 27 of 135 patients (20%).

Conclusions

These data indicate that the rate of appropriate ICD therapy for primary prevention in a contemporary adult HCM population is lower than previously reported. The frequency of appropriate therapy was equally modest regardless of the nature and number of risk factors that led to ICD implantation, and patients with multiple risk factors for SCD did not have an increased rate of appropriate therapy.
Can Fat Deposition After Myocardial Infarction Alter the Performance of RF Catheter Ablation of Scar‐Related Ventricular Tachycardia?: Results from a Computer Modeling Study
Authors: PÉREZ JUAN J. , D'AVILA ANDRE , ARYANA ARASH , TRUJILLO MACARENA , BERJANO ENRIQUE
Published: May 2016

Effect of Fat Deposition on the Performance in RF Ablation

Introduction

The outcomes of catheter ablation of scar‐mediated ventricular tachycardia (VT) remain far from perfect. The presence of fat as a component of the underlying substrate for scar‐mediated VT could be relevant since this entity can seriously impede the passage of RF current due to its low electrical conductivity.

Methods and Results

Computer models of RF ablation were built in order to investigate the means by which the spatial heterogeneity of different tissues represented within the ventricular infarct zone, including the viable myocardium, fibrous tissue, and fat, could influence temperature distributions during RF ablation. The results demonstrated that spatial distributions of different tissue types significantly alter the density of electrical current largely as a result of fat impeding the passage of current. However, the thermal lesions appear minimally unaffected by this phenomenon, with variations in depth of ∼1 mm.

Conclusion

While during RF ablation of scar‐related ventricular tachycardia differences in tissue characteristics may affect the density of electrical current on a small‐scale, overall this does not appear to significantly impact the size of the created thermal lesions.
Developmental changes in electroencephalographic frontal asymmetry in young children at risk for depression
Authors: Goldstein Brandon L. , Shankman Stewart A. , Kujawa Autumn , Torpey‐Newman Dana C. , Olino Thomas M. , Klein Daniel N.
Published: May 2016

Background

A number of studies have reported that depression is associated with lower relative left frontal activity in the alpha band (i.e. frontal asymmetry, or FA), as measured by electroencephalogram. FA has also been hypothesized to be a vulnerability marker for depression. If this is the case, FA should be evident in offspring of depressed mothers, a group at elevated risk for depression. However, the results of previous offspring studies have been inconsistent and none of these studies has considered whether the relationship between FA and risk changes over development in children.

Method

We assessed FA twice, at ages 3 and 6, in 253 never depressed children from a community sample. Maternal history of depressive disorders was determined by a diagnostic interview completed by the mothers at the first assessment.

Results

There was a significant interaction between maternal depression and offspring age at assessment, indicating that FA exhibits different developmental trajectories depending on level of familial risk for depression. Offspring of depressed mothers exhibited a decreasing relative left FA over the course of early childhood, while offspring of nondepressed mothers exhibited relatively similar, symmetrical, levels of frontal alpha activity at both assessment points.

Conclusions

These results suggest that changes in FA from early to middle childhood distinguish those at risk for depression and that cross‐sectional assessment of FA may have limited value in understanding risk. These results highlight the importance of considering development in understanding the role of FA in depression.