bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cannabis use among two national samples of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander tobacco smokers
Authors: Thomas David P. , Davey Maureen E. , Panaretto Kathryn S. , van der Sterren Anke E.
Published: September 2017

Introduction and Aims

There is a concern that cannabis use is an important barrier to reducing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander smoking. We investigate the associations of cannabis use and tobacco smoking and quitting in two large national samples.

Design and Methods

The 2012–2013 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey was a national stratified random household survey conducted between April 2012 and February 2013, and included 2580 adult Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander smokers. The Talking About The Smokes Project interviewed a national quota sample of 1301 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adult smokers between August 2013 and August 2014. Both surveys asked about tobacco smoking and quitting, cannabis use and socio‐demographic factors.

Results

Both surveys estimated that cannabis use is common among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander smokers (National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey: 32%, Talking About The Smokes: 24%). Both surveys found a higher prevalence of cannabis use among smokers who were male, younger, unemployed or who more frequently consumed five or more alcoholic drinks in a day. However, the two surveys provided inconsistent evidence about whether cannabis use is associated with not quitting smoking tobacco.

Discussion and Conclusions

We did not find consistent evidence in this setting that cannabis use is an obstacle to quitting tobacco smoking. Nevertheless, we would still recommend that clinicians counselling Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander tobacco smokers about quitting talk about cannabis use because its use is common and almost all mix it with tobacco.
The Contemporary Constructive Task
Authors: Helmer Christine
Published: September 2017

Lutheran theology is noted for its excellent contributions to historical theology. Contemporary times, however, require that Lutheran theologians become attuned to the urgent demands of the present and take up the discipline of constructive theology to address these demands. Taking the lead from contemporary feminist Lutheran theologians, constructive approaches utilizing Lutheran theological resources must articulate vigorous critique of a corrosive neo‐liberal culture by articulating divine judgment on human greed as well as witnessing to divine grace that always favors truthful living.
Baptism in a Secular Age
Authors: Graff‐Kallevåg Kristin
Published: September 2017

In the Western world, the cultural conditions for interpreting and practicing baptism have changed radically in recent decades. An increasing level of religious plurality is one cultural trend that the theology of baptism must take seriously. One option for responding to this challenge is to interpret baptism as a rite of drastic communal transition whereby one enters into the church and leaves the world—with all its plurality—behind. Another option is to view baptism as a rite that, by bringing us into the church's fellowship with God in Christ, draws us into communion with all living creatures and calls upon us to engage in openness toward others.
Christian Participation and Creative Resistance: Reflecting on Luther's Two‐fold Governance in Muslim‐Majority Malaysia
Authors: Kit Sivin
Published: September 2017

How can Luther's contribution in theology and lessons arising from the Reformation have any relevance for Christians in Muslim‐majority Malaysia? In this article, I propose that a reflection on Luther's understanding of the so‐called “doctrine of two kingdoms”—better understood as God's two‐fold governance—offers a critical contribution that not only is relevant for the Malaysian Christian community, but also may have intercultural and interreligious implications for dialogue and engagement with the Muslim majority for interreligious solidarity and the common good.
Reception of Analogy of Being in Contemporary Eastern Orthodox Theology
Authors: Davydov Oleg
Published: September 2017

This article examines the relationship between the analogy of being (which is a fundamental principle of Catholic theology and metaphysics) and the most significant contemporary Eastern Orthodox theologians. This question of analogy touches upon the fundamental theological problem of the conceptualization of the relationship between God and creation. Even though there is no analogy in Eastern Orthodox theology, it has two polar positions regarding Western analogy of being—pro and con.
The transition path from female workers to neotenic reproductives in the termite Reticulitermes labralis
Authors: Su Xiaohong , Yang Xiaojuan , Li Jing , Xing Lianxi , Liu He , Chen Jiaoling
Published: September 2017

Termite workers are characterized by unique flexibility in that a worker can develop in one of three ways: remain a worker, become a soldier within two successive moults, or become a neotenic reproductive (NR) within a single moult. However, is it true that workers can transform into NRs within a single moult? Actually, the developmental pathways of workers turning into NRs remains unclear. In this study, we show for the first time that the female workers of Reticulitermes labralis develop into NRs after a pre‐NRs stage. We found that a female worker became a NR after two successive moults, whereas the male workers copulated directly with queens without undergoing any moults. After the first moult led the female workers into the pre‐NR stage, the length of their abdomens, seventh sternites and ovaries significantly increased. After the second moult from the pre‐NRs stage into NRs, the follicle cells returned to normal, and a few oocytes and follicle cells underwent apoptosis. These results demonstrated that the female pre‐NR type was a transitional type during the development of female workers to the NR caste, and the starting point for oogenesis resumption was the NR stage. We confirmed there were fundamental differences in the reproductive pathway of the male and female workers. Therefore, we determined that the transformation process of the female NRs from workers may be a very complex process, and the reproductive biology of the workers has great potential to provide important and spectacular insights into the evolution strategy of termites.
Ground plan of the larval nervous system in phoronids: Evidence from larvae of viviparous phoronid
Authors: Temereva Elena N.
Published: September 2017

Nervous system organization differs greatly in larvae and adults of many species, but has nevertheless been traditionally used for phylogenetic studies. In phoronids, the organization of the larval nervous system depends on the type of development. With the goal of understanding the ground plan of the nervous system in phoronid larvae, the development and organization of the larval nervous system were studied in a viviparous phoronid species. The ground plan of the phoronid larval nervous system includes an apical organ, a continuous nerve tract under the preoral and postoral ciliated bands, and two lateral nerves extending between the apical organ and the nerve tract. A bilobed larva with such an organization of the nervous system is suggested to be the primary larva of the taxonomic group Brachiozoa, which includes the phyla Brachiopoda and Phoronida. The ground plan of the nervous system of phoronid larvae is similar to that of the early larvae of annelids and of some deuterostomians. The protostome‐ and deuterostome‐like features, which are characteristic of many organ systems in phoronids, were probably inherited by phoronids from the last common bilaterian ancestor. The information provided here on the ground plan of the larval nervous system should be useful for future analyses of phoronid phylogeny and evolution.
Fine‐scale acoustic telemetry reveals unexpected lake trout,Salvelinus namaycush, spawning habitats in northern Lake Huron, North America
Authors: Binder Thomas R. , Farha Steven A. , Thompson Henry T. , Holbrook Christopher M. , Bergstedt Roger A. , Riley Stephen C. , Bronte Charles R. , He Ji , Krueger Charles C.
Published: September 2017

Previous studies of lake trout,Salvelinus namaycush, spawning habitat in the Laurentian Great Lakes have used time‐ and labour‐intensive survey methods and have focused on areas with historic observations of spawning aggregations and on habitats prejudged by researchers to be suitable for spawning. As an alternative, we used fine‐scale acoustic telemetry to locate, describe and compare lake trout spawning habitats. Adult lake trout were implanted with acoustic transmitters and tracked during five consecutive spawning seasons in a 19–27 km2region of the Drummond Island Refuge, Lake Huron, using theVEMCOPositioning System. Acoustic telemetry revealed discrete areas of aggregation on at least five reefs in the study area, subsequently confirmed by divers to contain deposited eggs. Notably, several identified spawning sites would likely not have been discovered using traditional methods because either they were too small and obscure to stand out on a bathymetric map or because they did not conform to the conceptual model of spawning habitat held by many biologists. Our most unique observation was egg deposition in gravel and rubble substrates located at the base of and beneath overhanging edges of large boulders. Spawning sites typically comprised <10% of the reef area and were used consistently over the 5‐year study. Evaluation of habitat selection from the perspective of fish behaviour through use of acoustic transmitters offers potential to expand current conceptual models of critical spawning habitat.
Interactions among symbionts operate across scales to influence parasite epidemics
Authors: Halliday Fletcher W. , Umbanhowar James , Mitchell Charles E.
Published: September 2017

Parasite epidemics may be influenced by interactions among symbionts, which can depend on past events at multiple spatial scales. Within host individuals, interactions can depend on the sequence in which symbionts infect a host, generating priority effects. Across host individuals, interactions can depend on parasite phenology. To test the roles of parasite interactions and phenology in epidemics, we embedded multiple cohorts of sentinel plants, grown from seeds with and without a vertically transmitted symbiont, into a wild host population, and tracked foliar infections caused by three common fungal parasites. Within hosts, parasite growth was influenced by coinfections, but coinfections were often prevented by priority effects among symbionts. Across hosts, parasite phenology altered host susceptibility to secondary infections, symbiont interactions and ultimately the magnitude of parasite epidemics. Together, these results indicate that parasite phenology can influence parasite epidemics by altering the sequence of infection and interactions among symbionts within host individuals.
Individual fitness and the effects of a changing climate on the cessation and length of the breeding period using a 34‐year study of a temperate songbird
Authors: Tarwater Corey E. , Arcese Peter
Published: September 2017

Studies of the phenological responses of animals to climate change typically emphasize the initiation of breeding although climatic effects on the cessation and length of the breeding period may be as or more influential of fitness. We quantified links between climate, the cessation and length of the breeding period, and individual survival and reproduction using a 34‐year study of a resident song sparrow (Melospiza melodia) population subject to dramatic variation in climate. We show that the cessation and length of the breeding period varied strongly across years, and predicted female annual fecundity but not survival. Breeding period length was more influential of fecundity than initiation or cessation of breeding alone. Warmer annual temperature and drier winters and summers predicted an earlier cessation of breeding. Population density, the date breeding was initiated, a female's history of breeding success, and the number of breeding attempts initiated previously also predicted the cessation of breeding annually, indicating that climatic, population, and individual factors may interact to affect breeding phenology. Linking climate projections to our model results suggests that females will both initiate and cease breeding earlier in the future; this will have opposite effects on individual reproductive rate because breeding earlier is expected to increase fecundity, whereas ceasing breeding earlier should reduce it. Identifying factors affecting the cessation and length of the breeding period in multiparous species may be essential to predicting individual fitness and population demography. Given a rich history of studies on the initiation of breeding in free‐living species, re‐visiting those data to estimate climatic effects on the cessation and length of breeding should improve our ability to predict the impacts of climate change on multiparous species.
Communication in Colonial North America
Authors: Dubcovsky Alejandra
Published: September 2017

Communication in Colonial North America was difficult. To stay informed, people in the early modern world employed a variety of different methods and technologies. Before the regularization of postal routes and the proliferation of newspapers and other printed media, communication depended on the movement and connections of a wide variety of people. Exchanging information was not simply about having the most up‐to‐date news or the quickest messenger. It was a way of establishing and maintaining relationships, expressing identity, as well as articulating values and enforcing priorities—a process inextricably tied to social and geopolitical realities. Questions about how people communicated in colonial America open‐up wider discussions of literacy, technology, and power. This article reviews the most recent literature on the acquisition and spread of information in colonial North America, explores the different lines of inquiry scholars have pursued, and posits suggestions and problems for further research.
Preparation and heat‐insulating properties of biomorphic ZrO2 hollow fibers derived from a cotton template
Authors: Wang Tianchi , Yu Qinkun , Kong Jian
Published: September 2017

Zirconia (ZrO2) fibers are lightweight polycrystalline refractory materials that have long service life, and are suitable for use at ultra‐high temperatures (above 1600°C). In this study, biomorphic ZrO2 ceramic fibers were prepared by a simple impregnation method using a zirconic solution using cotton fibers as a biomaterial template. First, cotton fibers were immersed in a zirconyl chloride octahydrate (ZrOCl2·8H2O) solution, which also contained yttrium nitrate hexahydrate [Y(NO3)3·6H2O], stannic chloride (SnCl4·5H2O), and polyvinyl pyrrolidone. The precursor fibers were sintered at different temperatures to produce the final biomorphic ZrO2 ceramic fibers in air. Phase analysis, microstructures, thermoanalysis, and thermal conductivity were investigated. The experimental results show that these ZrO2 ceramic fibers faithfully retain the morphologies of the cotton fibers: parts of the fibers are hollow, allowing greater heat insulation than traditional ZrO2 fibers. In this study, we utilized the morph‐genetic theory to prepare insulation material, providing a new and effective way to fabricate materials with excellent heat‐insulating properties.
Usefulness of the lymphocyte positional parameters in the Sysmex XN haematology analyser in lymphoproliferative disorders and mononucleosis syndrome
Authors: Furundarena J. R. , Uranga A. , Sainz M. R. , González C. , Uresandi N. , Argoitia N. , Araiz M.
Published: September 2017

Introduction

The lymphocyte positional parameters included in Sysmex XN have been suggested as useful means to differentiate lymphoproliferative disorders (LPD), mononucleosis syndrome (MNS) and other lymphocytoses.

Methods

We evaluated Sysmex XN analysers, which supply 6 lymphocyte positional parameters that can be measured in the WDF scattergram: LY‐X, LY‐Y, LY‐Z, LY‐WX, LY‐WY and LY‐WZ.

Results

We collected 301 samples from normal controls, polyclonal lymphocytosis, MNS and LPD. MNS and monoclonal expansion of T granular lymphocyte (T‐GL) diagnostic groups accumulated higher numbers of significant differences in the mean values in comparison with the other groups. We propose a new algorithm that can differentiate T‐GL cases from other diagnostic groups with an SE of 67.5%, an SP of 98.2%, a PPV of 87.1% and an NPV of 94.3%. Another algorithm showed its efficiency to differentiate MNS cases from other diagnostic groups with an SE of 63.6%, an SP of 97.5%, a PPV of 70.0% and an NPV of 96.7%. In 38.5% of all cases, the analyser did not generate any morphologic flag. Abnormal results in lymphocyte positional parameters were useful to detect 72.5% of these samples.

Conclusion

The lymphocyte positional parameters provided by Sysmex XN analysers are useful to differentiate expansions of T‐GLs from other LPD and to differentiate MNS cases from other diagnostic groups. In addition, these parameters are very useful for detecting changes in the lymphocytes that make it necessary to review blood smears in samples without morphological flagging.
Plasma levels of haemostatic factors in patients with pulmonary embolism on admission and seven months later
Authors: Sane M. , Granér M. , Laukkanen J. A. , Harjola V.‐P. , Mustonen P.
Published: September 2017

Introduction

With the exception of D‐dimer, not much is known about the plasma levels of haemostatic factors during acute venous thromboembolism (VTE) compared to their basic levels in a stable phase. The goal of this study was to examine how plasma levels of factor V, VIII, XIIIa, von Willebrand factor antigen (vWF:Ag), fibrinogen, thrombomodulin evolve from the point of diagnosis of acute VTE to the end of standard treatment period.

Methods

Sixty‐three consecutive patients (mean 57, range 18‐86 years, 33 females) with acute pulmonary embolism (PE) were included. Laboratory samples were collected upon arrival (acute phase) and seven months later (stable phase). Fifteen similar aged individuals served as controls.

Results

Plasma levels of factor XIIIa (87.5% vs 117.7%, P < .001) and soluble thrombomodulin (36.6 vs 47.5 ng/L, P < .001) were lower, whereas plasma levels of vWF:Ag (2.66 vs 2.01 IU/mL, P < .001) and fibrinogen (4.3 vs 3.9 g/L, P < .05) were higher on admission compared to the stable phase. In the stable phase, vWF:Ag (2.01 vs 1.43 IU/mL, P < .01) and soluble thrombomodulin (47.5 vs 38.0 ng/mL, P < .05), but not FXIIIa levels, were higher in PE patients compared to healthy controls.

Conclusion

This study confirms the concept of FXIIIa consumption during acute phase of VTE by showing its intraindividual normalization during the follow‐up. vWF:Ag, known to be associated with the risk of VTE, was constantly elevated in the majority of the patients. Soluble thrombomodulin levels were lower in acute phase compared to stable phase, a finding which significance needs to be evaluated in the future.
Exposure to secondhand smoke, exclusive breastfeeding and infant adiposity at age 5 months in the Healthy Start study
Authors: Moore B. F. , Sauder K. A. , Starling A. P. , Ringham B. M. , Glueck D. H. , Dabelea D.
Published: September 2017

Background

Infant adiposity may be influenced by several environmental risk factors, but few studies have explored these interactions.

Objective

To examine the interaction between exposure to secondhand smoke and breastfeeding exclusivity on adiposity at age 5 months.

Methods

We studied 813 mother‐offspring pairs from the longitudinal Healthy Start study. Fat mass and fat‐free mass were measured by air displacement plethysmography. Linear regression analyses were used to estimate the association between household smokers (none, any) with fat mass, fat‐free mass, percent fat mass, weight‐for‐age z‐score, weight‐for‐length z‐score and BMI‐for‐age z‐score as separate outcomes. Interaction terms between household smokers and breastfeeding exclusivity (<5 months, ≥5 months) were added to separate models.

Results

The combination of exposure to secondhand smoke and a lack of exclusive breastfeeding was associated with increased adiposity at age 5 months. For example, within the not exclusively breastfed strata, exposure to secondhand smoke was associated with increased fat mass (0.1 kg; 95% CI: 0.0–0.2; P = 0.05). Conversely, within the exclusively breastfed strata, there was virtually no difference in fat mass between exposed and non‐exposed infants (coefficient: −0.1; 95% CI: −0.3–0.1; P = 0.25).

Conclusions

Our findings may inform new public health strategies with potential relevance for both smoking cessation and obesity prevention.
Prevalence and causes of preoperative anaemia in elective major surgery patients
Authors: Hong Frank S. , Sieradzki Nicole , Pollock Claire , Nasra Faye , Mo Allison , Willcox Abbey , Churilov Leonid , Ho Wai Khoon , Smith Carole
Published: September 2017

Background

Preoperative anaemia is associated with increased morbidity and mortality in surgical patients. Recent national patient blood management guideline recommended screening surgical patients for anaemia, particularly iron deficiency anaemia, without reference to the prevalence of anaemia or iron deficiency anaemia in this patient population.

Aims

To establish the prevalence and cause of preoperative anaemia in elective major surgery patients.

Methods

Patients attending the anaesthetic pre‐admission clinics from 1 July 2013 to 30 June 2014 prior to their major elective surgery in our institution were screened for anaemia and iron deficiency by measuring full blood count, iron studies and C‐reactive protein. Patients who were anaemic were either further assessed in the haematology clinic or had their medical records reviewed to ascertain the cause of the anaemia.

Results

Of 1494 patients, 208 (13.9%) were anaemic, with a male predominance (70.7%); 57 (27.4%) of them had iron deficiency anaemia. Other common causes of anaemia include underlying malignancy (18.3%), end‐stage renal failure (11.5%) and other chronic diseases (7.2%). In 53 patients (25.5%), the cause was unknown. Anaemia was most commonly found in patients scheduled for gastrointestinal surgery.

Conclusion

Preoperative anaemia affects 13.9% of patients undergoing elective major surgery. The most common causes are iron deficiency and chronic diseases. The cause was unexplained in 25.5% of patients with anaemia. The prevalence of anaemia in different surgical specialties may have implications on the approach to screening, particularly in resource‐limited areas.
Early use of peripherally inserted central catheters is safe in Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia
Authors: Stewart James D. , Runnegar Naomi
Published: September 2017

Background

Management of Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia (SAB) includes prolonged intravenous antibiotics often administered through a peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC). Optimal timing of PICC insertion for SAB treatment is unknown. There are concerns that early insertion may increase the risk of subsequent line infection.

Aims

This retrospective audit aims to determine if early PICC insertion is safe. The outcomes considered included crude mortality, attributable mortality, PICC line infections, duration of bacteraemia and relapsed SAB.

Methods

Patients with SAB at our institution between March 2013 and September 2016 were identified. Early PICC line insertion was defined as occurring within 48 h of index positive blood culture.

Results

This retrospective audit identified 357 patients with SAB who subsequently received a PICC. This study did not show any significant differences between the early and late PICC insertion groups for attributable mortality (6.3% and 4.8%, P = 0.27), duration of bacteraemia (median 2 days for both groups, P = 0.48) and relapsed SAB (4.7% and 4.1%, P = 0.74). Importantly, no confirmed PICC infections were identified in either group.

Conclusions

Early PICC insertion in SAB appears safe in this retrospective audit. If validated in prospective studies, this should allow for the early establishment of safe, reliable intraveous access in SAB patients.
Evaluating the role of magnetic resonance imaging post‐neoadjuvant therapy for breast cancer in the NEONAB trial
Authors: Murphy Caitlin , Mukaro Violet , Tobler Robert , Asher Rebecca , Gibbs Emma , West Linda , Giuffre Bruno , Baron‐Hay Sally , Khasraw Mustafa
Published: September 2017

Background

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) accuracy after neoadjuvant systemic therapy (NST) for breast cancer varies according to hormone receptor (HR), human epidermal growth factor receptor type‐2 (HER2) subtype and Ki‐67 proliferation index. Whether MRI accuracy varies by genomic signatures is unknown. We examined the accuracy of MRI in the NEONAB trial (Clinicaltrials.gov #: NCT01830244).

Aim

To examine the accuracy of MRI to predict pathological response to neoadjuvant therapy for breast cancer in the NEONAB trial.

Methods

Patients with stages II–III breast cancer received sequential epirubicin, cyclophosphamide and nab‐paclitaxel and trastuzumab if they were HER2+. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) were calculated to assess the utility of preoperative MRI to predict pathological complete response (pCR). Bland‐Altman plots were used to assess agreement between MRI and pathological assessment of residual disease.

Results

MRI correctly predicted pCR in 64.1% of the cohort. Sensitivity and specificity were 52% and 78%, respectively; PPV 73% and NPV 58%. MRI predicted pCR most accurately in HER2‐positive patients; sensitivity 58%, specificity 100%, PPV 100% and NPV 38%. MRI had higher PPV and NPV in tumours with Ki‐67 ≥ 15% than tumours with Ki‐67 < 15%, 75% versus 50% and 57.5% versus 50%, respectively. In this study, MRI underestimated residual tumour size by 1.65 mm (limits of agreement: 43.07–39.77 mm).

Conclusions

MRI appears more accurate for predicting pCR in HER2+ disease than other subtypes and in cancers with Ki‐67 ≥ 15% compared to those with Ki‐67 < 15%. Accuracy of MRI in our HR+, RS ≥ 25 cohort is comparable to previous reports of unselected HR+ disease. MRI post‐NST should be interpreted in conjunction with HER2 status and Ki‐67 index of the primary.
Novel viral vectors in infectious diseases
Authors: Humphreys Ian R. , Sebastian Sarah
Published: September 2017

Since the development of vaccinia virus as a vaccine vector in 1984, the utility of numerous viruses in vaccination strategies has been explored. In recent years, key improvements to existing vectors such as those based on adenovirus have led to significant improvements in immunogenicity and efficacy. Furthermore, exciting new vectors that exploit viruses such as cytomegalovirus (CMV) and vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) have emerged. Herein, we summarize these recent developments in viral vector technologies, focusing on novel vectors based on CMV, VSV, measles and modified adenovirus. We discuss the potential utility of these exciting approaches in eliciting protection against infectious diseases.
Group and individual stereotype threat and identity management strategies: An investigation of rugby women
Authors: Laurin Raphaël
Published: September 2017

The aim of this study was to test the gender identification effect on the stereotype threat (ST) experience felt, and whether the individual or group ST experience influenced the identity management strategies. Ninety‐six French rugby women were asked to imagine a training situation in which they practiced rugby in the presence of men. Results showed that the group identification did not affect Individual or Group ST and that the more women feel an individual ST the more they assess men's ability positively, and the less they assesses women's ability positively and that the more they feel a group ST the more they assess the ability of women positively. The theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed.
Life in a bubble: the role of the labyrinth organ in determining territory, mating and aggressive behaviours in anabantoids
Authors: Tate M. , McGoran R. E. , White C. R. , Portugal S. J.
Published: September 2017

The anabantoids are a group ofc.137 species of air‐breathing freshwater fishes found in Africa and southern Asia. All anabantoids have a pair of suprabranchial chambers that each house an air‐breathing organ known as the labyrinth apparatus: a complex bony structure lined with thin, highly vascularised respiratory epithelium. The labyrinth apparatus allows anabantoids to extract oxygen from air and is a morpho‐physiological innovation that has had a dramatic influence on the behaviour of these fishes. Air‐breathing influences a wide range of anabantoid behaviours, including territorial displays, courtship and breeding and parental care and also equips these fishes to persist in hypoxic and polluted water. These traits also make anabantoids successful invaders of novel habitats, a global problem compounded by their popularity in the aquarium trade. By reviewing the functionality and evolution of air breathing in anabantoids, this review aims to examine the role of the labyrinth apparatus in modulating behaviour within this group. The anabantoids are a fascinating group and have often been cited as a model organism due to the stereotypical and easily identifiable behaviours that they adopt during social interactions. They also provide a unique opportunity to further our understanding about how fishes adapt their behaviour in response to an extreme environment, whilst limited by their own physiological constraints.
Molecular and morphological analyses revealed a cryptic species of dojo loach Misgurnus anguillicaudatus (Cypriniformes: Cobitidae) in Japan
Authors: Okada R. , Inui T. , Iguchi Y. , Kitagawa T. , Takata K. , Kitagawa T.
Published: September 2017

Although it has been reported that populations of the Japanese dojo loach Misgurnus anguillicaudatus (Cypriniformes: Cobitidae) belong to two distinct mitochondrial (mt)DNA (Type I and Type II), the taxonomic status of the species remains unresolved. To address this question, nuclear DNA and morphological analyses were performed on M. anguillicaudatus population in the Nakaikemi Wetland, where Type I and Type II lineages are sympatric. Results suggest the existence of a cryptic species (Type I) within the Japanese dojo loach.
A new species of Astyanax (Characiformes: Characidae) from Dolina Água Milagrosa, Rio Paraguai basin, Mato Grosso, Brazil
Authors: da Graça W. J. , Oliveira C. A. M. , Lima F. C. T. , da Silva H. P. , Fernandes I. M.
Published: September 2017

A new species of Astyanax is described from the upper Rio Paraguai basin, Mato Grosso State, Brazil. The new species can be distinguished from congeners by having the body intensely yellowish in life (v. silvery, reddish or lightly yellow) and by morphometric and meristics traits. Astyanax dolinae n. sp. cannot be assigned to any of the Astyanax species complex currently recognized for the genus. It is only known from the Dolina Água Milagrosa, a karstic sinkhole lake, entirely fed by groundwater, surrounded by Cerrado, the savannah‐like vegetation of central South America.
The Clinical Potential of Senolytic Drugs
Authors: Kirkland James L. , Tchkonia Tamara , Zhu Yi , Niedernhofer Laura J. , Robbins Paul D.
Published: September 2017

Senolytic drugs are agents that selectively induce apoptosis of senescent cells. These cells accumulate in many tissues with aging and at sites of pathology in multiple chronic diseases. In studies in animals, targeting senescent cells using genetic or pharmacological approaches delays, prevents, or alleviates multiple age‐related phenotypes, chronic diseases, geriatric syndromes, and loss of physiological resilience. Among the chronic conditions successfully treated by depleting senescent cells in preclinical studies are frailty, cardiac dysfunction, vascular hyporeactivity and calcification, diabetes mellitus, liver steatosis, osteoporosis, vertebral disk degeneration, pulmonary fibrosis, and radiation‐induced damage. Senolytic agents are being tested in proof‐of‐concept clinical trials. To do so, new clinical trial paradigms for testing senolytics and other agents that target fundamental aging mechanisms are being developed, because use of long‐term endpoints such as lifespan or healthspan is not feasible. These strategies include testing effects on multimorbidity, accelerated aging‐like conditions, diseases with localized accumulation of senescent cells, potentially fatal diseases associated with senescent cell accumulation, age‐related loss of physiological resilience, and frailty. If senolytics or other interventions that target fundamental aging processes prove to be effective and safe in clinical trials, they could transform geriatric medicine by enabling prevention or treatment of multiple diseases and functional deficits in parallel, instead of one at a time.
The Role of Parental Posttraumatic Stress, Marital Adjustment, and Dyadic Self‐Disclosure in Intergenerational Transmission of Trauma: A Family System Approach
Authors: Bachem Rahel , Levin Yafit , Zhou Xiao , Zerach Gadi , Solomon Zahava
Published: September 2017

Research indicates that posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) induced by war trauma may be transmitted to veterans’ wives and offspring (secondary traumatic stress; STS). However, the interplay between family members’ characteristics has not been accounted for in such processes. Taking a family systems perspective, we examine the contributions of fathers’ PTSS, mothers’ STS, marital adjustment, and self‐disclosure of both parents to offspring's STS and test whether marital quality applies as a mechanism of parent–child transmission. Combat veterans and former prisoners of war (N = 123), their spouses, and adult offspring were investigated in a multiple‐step mediation analysis. The results highlight the mother's crucial role in trauma transmission and suggest that strengthening the marital relationship may buffer the transmission of fathers’ PTSS to offspring.
p75 neurotrophin receptor interacts with and promotes BACE1 localization in endosomes aggravating amyloidogenesis
Authors: Saadipour Khalil , Mañucat‐Tan Noralyn B. , Lim Yoon , Keating Damien J. , Smith Kevin S. , Zhong Jin‐hua , Liao Hong , Bobrovskaya Larisa , Wang Yan‐Jiang , Chao Moses V. , Zhou Xin‐Fu
Published: September 2017

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by a progressive deposition of amyloid beta (Aβ) and dysregulation of neurotrophic signaling, causing synaptic dysfunction, loss of memory, and cell death. The expression of p75 neurotrophin receptor is elevated in the brain of AD patients, suggesting its involvement in this disease. However, the exact mechanism of its action is not yet clear. Here, we show that p75 interacts with beta‐site amyloid precursor protein cleaving enzyme‐1 (BACE1), and this interaction is enhanced in the presence of Aβ. Our results suggest that the colocalization of BACE1 and amyloid precursor protein (APP) is increased in the presence of both Aβ and p75 in cortical neurons. In addition, the localization of APP and BACE1 in early endosomes is increased in the presence of Aβ and p75. An increased phosphorylation of APP‐Thr668 and BACE1‐Ser498 by c‐Jun N‐terminal kinase (JNK) in the presence of Aβ and p75 could be responsible for this localization. In conclusion, our study proposes a potential involvement in amyloidogenesis for p75, which may represent a future therapeutic target for AD.

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Cover Image for this Issue: doi. 10.1111/jnc.14163.
Vaccination strategies in tauopathies and synucleinopathies
Authors: Braczynski Anne K. , Schulz Jörg B. , Bach Jan‐Philipp
Published: September 2017

Vaccination therapies constitute potential treatment options in neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer disease or Parkinson disease. While a lot of research has been performed on vaccination against extracellular amyloid β, the focus recently shifted toward vaccination against the intracellular proteins tau and α‐synuclein, with promising results in terms of protein accumulation reduction. In this review, we briefly summarize lessons to be learned from clinical vaccination trials in Alzheimer disease that target amyloid β. We then focus on tau and α‐synuclein. For both proteins, we provide important data on protein immunogenicity, and put them into context with data available from both animals and human vaccination trials targeted at tau and α‐synuclein. Together, we give a comprehensive overview about current clinical data, and discuss associated problems.

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Comfort‐Supporting Nursing Activities for End‐of‐Life Patients in an Institutionalized Environment
Authors: Kisvetrová Helena , Vévodová Šárka , Školoudík David
Published: September 2017

Purpose

Comfort promotion plays a significant role in end‐of‐life patient care. The objective of this study was to determine the utilization rate of comfort supporting nursing activities in end‐of‐life patients in an institutionalized environment in the Czech Republic in relation to the age of the registered nurses (RNs), length of work experience, education level, and type of workplace.

Design

A cross‐sectional, descriptive study was designed. A questionnaire with Likert scales included 31 activities of dying care and spiritual support interventions. The sample comprised 907 RNs working in 49 institutions in nine regions of the Czech Republic. The Kruskal‐Wallis test, Mann‐Whitney U post‐hoc test with Bonferroni correction of significance, Spearman's correlation analysis, and logical regression model were used for statistical evaluation.

Findings

The least frequently implemented activity by RNs was “Show the patient's willingness to discuss death” and the most frequent activity was “Threat to the patient's dignity and respect.” The highest utilization rate of nursing activities was reported in the physical dimension, while the lowest utilization rate of nursing activities was in the social dimension set. Significant predictors for the high utilization rate of physical dimension set activities were hospice care departments, long‐term care facilities (LTCFs), and the age of RNs. Hospice departments were also a predictor of high utilization rate of activities in the psychological, spiritual, and social dimension set activities.

Conclusions

With the exception of hospice departments, RNs used activities encouraging psychological, spiritual, and social comfort for end‐of‐life patients less frequently than the physical dimension.

Clinical Relevance

RNs in hospitals and LTCFs focus insufficiently on the spiritual and psychosocial comfort of end‐of‐life patients. This study is of particular significance to educators who prepare the next generation of nurses.
Clinical analysis of the factors that influence disease progression of differentiated thyroid carcinoma in children
Authors: Qu Yuan , Huang Rui , Li Lin
Published: September 2017

Aim

To investigate the factors that influence disease progression of paediatric patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma.

Methods

A total of 34 patients under 18 years of age with differentiated thyroid carcinoma (32 papillary and 2 follicular; 9 males and 25 females; 19 cases younger than 15 years old and 15 cases 15–18 years old) treated in our department from June 2009 to August 2015 were retrospectively reviewed. All of the patients underwent a total thyroidectomy or near‐total thyroidectomy, central node dissection and/or lateral neck dissection, radioactive iodine treatment and thyroid‐stimulating hormone suppressive therapy. A univariate analysis was conducted by log‐rank to evaluate the factors that influenced progression‐free survival of differentiated thyroid carcinoma in these patients.

Results

The median progression‐free survival time of all patients was 23 months, ranging from 4 to 72 months. Progression of pulmonary metastatic disease was observed in two cases, a recurrence in the thyroid bed was found in one case, and thyroglobulin significantly increased in four cases. In the univariate analysis, the factor that influenced progression‐free survival of differentiated thyroid carcinoma was multifocality (P = 0.040), and independently, age, gender, tumour size, pathological type, degree of infiltration, lymph node metastasis and pulmonary metastasis had no significant influence on progression‐free survival (P > 0.05).

Conclusion

Multifocality was the factor that influenced the progression‐free survival of differentiated thyroid carcinoma patients under 18 years of age.
National study of parental confidence in general practitioners
Authors: Freed Gary L , Spike Neil , O'Hara Jonathan , Hiscock Harriet , Rhodes Anthea L
Published: September 2017

Aim

To assess a national sample of Australian parental confidence in general practitioner (GP) care for illness and injury for their children.

Methods

Cross‐sectional, internet‐based survey of a national, representative sample of parents of children birth – 17 years in Australia was used. Purposeful recruitment was used to achieve a national, representative sample of 2100 Australian parents, reflective of demographic and geographic distribution based on census data. Parents were asked to indicate their degree of confidence in a GP to handle medical problems as well as their preference for, and use of, paediatric speciality care for their children.

Results

Fewer than half of parents (44%) reported that they were completely confident in a GP to provide general care as defined as ‘can handle almost all general health issues for my child’. A slightly greater proportion of parents (56%) were completely confident in a GP to provide care for minor injuries, defined as injuries not requiring an X‐ray. Greater confidence in general care was seen among parents >40 years of age and those whose GP is always bulk billed.

Conclusions

Parental confidence in GPs is an important issue. Our findings that fewer than half of parents are completely confident in their GP to provide general care to their child may be an influencing factor on current health‐care utilisation trends. The potential implications of low parental confidence in GPs are greater numbers of emergency department presentations for children with lower urgency conditions and increased referrals of children for specialty care.
Seizures and chorioretinal lacunae in an infant
Authors: Tripathy Koushik , Chawla Rohan , Betala Divya
Published: September 2017

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Cleft lip and palate with lip pits and ankyloblepharon
Authors: Malpas Tim , Singh Deep , Sarvasiddhi Satish , Lawrenson David , Wellesley Diana
Published: September 2017

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Infection process of Gaeumannomyces graminis var. graminis on the roots and culms of rice
Authors: Hawerroth Caroline , Araujo Leonardo , Rodrigues Fabrício Ávila
Published: September 2017

Crown sheath rot, caused by the ascomycete Gaeumannomyces graminis var. graminis that infects the root and the base of the culm of rice, causes early grains maturation, tiller death and reduced yield. As a paucity of information exists in the literature on the rice‐G. graminis var. graminis interaction at the microscopic level, this study aimed to gain novel insights into the infection process of this pathogen in the root and culm of rice using both light and scanning electron microscopy. In the roots, the fungus initially colonized the epidermal, exodermal and sclerenchyma cells. At 15 days after inoculation (dai), fungal hyphae colonized the cortex and clusters of perithecia were observed in the roots. At 20 dai, the fungus reached the central cylinder, and an intense fungal colonization at the base of the culm was observed that resulted in the formation of a mycelial mat on both adaxial and abaxial surfaces of the leaf sheaths. At 25 dai, fungal growth was noticed in the parenchyma cells, vascular bundles and airspaces. Perithecia emerged through the base of prophyllum and from the first leaf sheath at 30 dai. The results of this study provide new insights into the infection process of G. graminis var. graminis in rice and may help to find better control measures in reducing crown sheath rot development.
Simvastatin exerts antiproliferative and differentiating effects on MG63 osteoblast‐like cells: Morphological and immunocytochemical study
Authors: Magan‐Fernandez A. , Fernández‐Barbero J. E. , O’ Valle F. , Ortiz R. , Galindo‐Moreno P. , Mesa F.
Published: September 2017

Background and Objective

Current evidence suggests that statins exert an anabolic effect on bone and may therefore impact on osteogenic differentiation and proliferation. These effects can be useful for their use in guided bone regeneration. The objective of this study was to determine the in vitro effects of simvastatin on the differentiation and proliferation of MG63 human osteoblast tumor cells.

Material and Methods

MG63 human osteosarcoma cells were cultured in the presence of simvastatin or solvent alone for 72 hours, and their proliferation was assessed by MTT assay. Cells from the culture were prepared for light, transmission and scanning electron microscopy studies. immunocytochemical was used to analyze the differentiation and proliferation markers Musashi‐1, Ki‐67, CD56 and CD44.

Results

Cultured MG63 control cells showed spheroid morphology with numerous secretion vesicles accumulated on the surface, observing no cytoplasmic projections with intercellular connections. However, cells cultured with simvastatin had a polygonal and spindle‐shaped morphology, with cytoplasmic projections that interconnected cells. There were numerous microvilli‐like filamentous projections on the surface with no defined pattern. At 72 hours of culture, CD56, Ki‐67 and Musashi‐1 expression was significantly reduced (P < .001) in simvastatin‐treated cells. CD44 expression was intense in both groups and was not affected by simvastatin treatment.

Conclusion

MG63 cells cultured with simvastatin for 72 hours undergo morphological and surface changes. Simvastatin treatment exerts antiproliferative and differentiating effects on these cells as well as promoting recovery of cellular homeostasis.
Cointegrated Linear Processes in Hilbert Space
Authors: Beare Brendan K. , Seo Juwon , Seo Won‐Ki
Published: September 2017

We extend the notion of cointegration for multivariate time series to a potentially infinite‐dimensional setting in which our time series takes values in a complex separable Hilbert space. In this setting, standard linear processes with nonzero long‐run covariance operator play the role of processes. We show that the cointegrating space for an process may be sensibly defined as the kernel of the long‐run covariance operator of its difference. The inner product of an process with an element of its cointegrating space is a stationary complex‐valued process. Our main result is a version of the Granger–Johansen representation theorem: we obtain a geometric reformulation of the Johansen I(1) condition that extends naturally to a Hilbert space setting, and show that an autoregressive Hilbertian process satisfying this condition, and possibly also a compactness condition, admits an representation.
Weather and Intertemporal Labor Supply: Results from German Time‐Use Data
Authors: Krüger Jens J. , Neugart Michael
Published: September 2017

Dynamic models of intertemporal labor supply suggest that workers substitute labor for leisure as a response to transitory wage changes. Empirical estimates of intertemporal substitution are difficult to interpret as wage changes are rarely transitory and workers may not have flexible working times. We address both issues by estimating an intertemporal labor supply model with German time‐use data as well as information on weather and the flexibility of working time arrangements. Our results provide some evidence on an interday labor supply substitution effect for women but not for men.