bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparison of outpatient reimbursement for interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome and rheumatoid arthritis treatment in Taiwan: A nationwide population‐based study
Authors: Lin Hsiu‐Ying , Lee Ming‐Huei , Chang Kun‐Min , Wu Huei‐Ching
Published: August 2018

Objective

This study compared Taiwanese public health insurance outpatient reimbursements for interstitial cystitis (IC)/bladder pain syndrome (BPS) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treatment.

Methods

This observational study used data from the Taiwan Longitudinal Health Insurance Database between 2002 and 2013. Patients with International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification codes for IC/BPS and RA were selected and matched in a ratio of 1 : 5 based on index year. After adjustment for possible confounders, including age, sex, income, hospital levels of care, and reimbursements for 24 comorbidities, yearly and per‐visit pharmacy, non‐pharmacy, and total claims were determined.

Results

In all, 1438 IC/BPS and 7190 RA patients were identified in the database. IC/BPS patients were significantly younger, and the proportion of females in this group was higher. Income levels were lower in the IC/BPS cohort, but not significantly. There were no significant differences between cohorts in terms of reimbursements for treatment for comorbidities, with the exception of end‐stage renal disease, for which reimbursement was higher in the RA cohort. After adjusting for confounders, the regression coefficient for IC/BPS to RA was significantly lower for yearly total pharmacy claims, yearly total claims, per‐visit pharmacy claims, and total claims per visit.

Conclusions

Outpatient reimbursement was significantly lower for IC/BPS than for RA treatment, primarily with regard to pharmacy costs. This indicates less medical utilization for IC/BPS, possibly due to poor treatment outcomes and copayment polices. Further advances in the treatment of IC/BPS and health budget reallocation are encouraged.
Information Transmission across European Equity Markets During Crisis Periods
Authors: Chen Jing , McMillan David G. , Buckle Mike
Published: August 2018

To respond to the market turmoil following the demise of Lehman Brothers in September 2008, the majority of European countries imposed short‐selling restrictions on their equity markets. Such a regulatory intervention is likely to have impact on the price formation process and information transmission between markets. We find that the long‐run cointegrating relation between the high‐ and low‐risk country groups in Europe broke down as the crisis emerged and the regulatory remedy failed to correct this. Furthermore, we find the information transmission between markets has reversed from the high‐risk to low‐risk markets in the period following the Lehman demise and imposition of the ban. Further, we notice a similar reversal in the spillover of both return and volatility processes between the different risk‐level country groups. We, therefore, conclude that, overall, the 2008 short‐selling ban had an adverse impact on information transmission between the identified country portfolios in both the long and short run. Notably, the ban did not restore the pre‐crisis transmission channels.
Religiosity or racism? The bases of opposition to religious accommodation in Quebec
Authors: Dufresne Yannick , Kilibarda Anja , Blais André , Bibeau Alexis
Published: August 2018

Though Canada is internationally lauded for the success of its multiculturalism policies, debates about immigrant integration have arisen in recent years. These debates have turned on the extent to which religion should be accommodated in the public sphere. They have also been disproportionately concentrated in the French‐speaking province of Quebec. This paper asks whether this disproportionality is due to the Quebec population being particularly unfavourable to religious accommodation and, if so, whether this disfavour is grounded in racial antipathy toward newcomers or in the province's unique religious history. The findings show that while opposition to religious accommodation is higher in Quebec, and higher among francophones, it is rooted more in the low level of religiosity of the francophone population than in racial animus. These results emphasise the importance of correctly conceptualising distinctions between ethnocentric and culturally based sources of group conflict in multicultural settings such as Canada.
Discrimination is what ethnic groups make of it: subjective perceptions of peripherality among the Mohajirs of Pakistan
Authors: Siddiqi Farhan Hanif
Published: August 2018

The article attends to the dynamic of subjective interpretation of socio‐economic conditions by ethnic elites in ways that convince co‐ethnics of their relative deprivation and discrimination. The article asserts that it is essential to move beyond structuralist explanations relative to economic deprivation and discrimination for they stand to essentialise social and economic conditions as defined by ethnic entrepreneurs themselves. In studying the crystallisation of Mohajir ethnicity in the 1970s and 1980s, the article seeks to (re) present alternative interpretations relative to political, economic and social facts of discrimination as subjectively presented by the Mohajir ethnic elite. The article locates peripherality not in the political system that disadvantaged the Mohajirs but in the discourse of discrimination propagated by the new Mohajir ethnopolitical elite. It is in this sense that discrimination becomes what ethnic groups make of it.
An Eschatological Critique of Catherine Pickstock's Liturgical Theology
Authors: Grant Euan A.
Published: August 2018

Catherine Pickstock's After Writing sets out to provide an account of liturgical time, subjectivity, and worship which is capable of surpassing the deconstruction of each of these in modernity and postmodernity. Her account of the way in which each of these is treated in the old Roman Rite, however, accentuates elements of ambiguity and deferral which erase two significant elements of traditional Catholic treatments of eschatology. The iterative element of growth and progress in holiness and Christian virtue is subsumed by continuous emphasis on ambiguity and deferral, while the promise of real eschatological novelty - that God seen now only in signs will be seen later face to face - is dissolved by an excessive valorisation of liturgical presence in the mode of signs. In order to avoid a postmodern reduction, then, it is better to embrace the liturgical vision of Joseph Ratzinger, in which liturgy and eschatology are both separated and united as different modalities of the presence of Christ, in which temporal liturgical life not only participates in but is directed towards a greater future fulfilment in the eschatological presence of God.
Asymmetric effects of theWTIcrude oil price on unemployment rates: a comparative study of Canadian provinces and the United States
Authors: Jung Young Cheol , Das Anupam
Published: August 2018

Since 2014, Canada has been experiencing a higher unemployment rate due to a slump of the crude oil price. Using a monthly data set of the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil spot price and unemployment rates of Canadian provinces and theUnited Statesfrom January 1976 to October 2016, we examine the asymmetric effects of oil price on unemployment rates. Specifically, we split the sample into the pre‐technological boom (January 1976 to March 1995) and post‐technological boom periods (April 1995 to October 2016) and analyse whether the asymmetric effects are discernible in these two periods. This is done by applying the ordinary least squares regressions and Granger causality tests. Our findings confirm the asymmetric effects for the full sample in theUnited States. In Canada, the negative and asymmetric relationship is conspicuous particularly in the post‐tech period, and this relationship is more prominent in three oil‐producing Canadian provinces namely Alberta, Saskatchewan and Newfoundland & Labrador. It is noticeable that both in Canada and in the three provinces, the falling oil price affects unemployment adversely only in the post‐tech period. Granger causality tests support the short‐run causal relationships between changes in oil price and unemployment rate in the post‐tech period.
The gender wage gap and the moderating effect of education in public and private sector employment
Authors: Stritch Justin M. , Villadsen Anders Ryom
Published: August 2018

In many countries, the rules and statutes governing public employment promote both transparency and accountability in employee hiring, promotion, and wage setting. These aspects of public employment might mitigate the pay inequalities women face in the public workplace relative to the private sector. At the same time, these formal aspects of public sector employment and payment systems might also limit the ability of women in the public sector to leverage human capital increases as a means of reducing pay inequalities. Utilizing 25 years of employee‐level data from Denmark, we find that women professionals in the Danish public sector face a smaller wage penalty than their private sector counterparts. However, our findings also suggest that public employment may place structural limits on their ability to leverage educational attainment to close the gap even further.
Public administration, public leadership and the construction of public value in the age of the algorithm and ‘big data’
Authors: Andrews Leighton
Published: August 2018

Public administration scholarship has to a significant degree neglected technological change. The age of the algorithm and ‘big data’ is throwing up new challenges for public leadership, which are already being confronted by public leaders in different jurisdictions. Algorithms may be perceived as presenting new kinds of ‘wicked problems’ for public authorities. The article offers a tentative overview of the kind of algorithmic challenges facing public leaders in an environment where the discursive context is shaped by corporate technology companies. Public value theory is assessed as an analytical framework to examine how public leaders are seeking to address the ethical and public value issues affecting governance and regulation, drawing on recent UK experience in particular. The article suggests that this is a fruitful area for future research.
Infraorbital foramen location in the pediatric population: A guide for infraorbital nerve block
Authors: Zdilla Matthew J. , Russell Michelle L. , Koons Aaron W.
Published: August 2018

Background

Infraorbital nerve blocks are often performed for the management of postoperative pain associated with cleft lip correction. Infraorbital nerve block procedures depend on the identification of the infraorbital foramen; however, there is little information regarding the infraorbital foramen location in the pediatric population.

Aims

The aim of this study was to identify the location of the infraorbital foramen in the pediatric population relative to a midpoint between the nasospinale and jugale.

Methods

The study assessed the location of 152 infraorbital foramina relative to a midpoint between the nasospinale and J on dry crania. Crania were from individuals ranging in age‐at‐death from 6‐month fetal to 18 years. The population was subdivided into fetal/infant (≥6 months fetal age‐<2 years), child (≥2‐<12 years), and adolescent (≥12‐≤18 years) groups for comparison.

Results

The average distance of the infraorbital foramen from the nasospinale‐to‐jugale midpoint was 1.55 ± 0.78 mm (Mean ± SD) in the fetal/infant group, 0.80 ± 0.91 mm in the child group, and 1.31 ± 1.68 mm in the adolescent group. Furthermore, infraorbital foramina tended to be located medial to the nasospinale‐to‐jugale midpoint in the fetal/infant population, directly upon or superomedial to the nasospinale‐to‐jugale midpoint in the child population, and directly upon or superior/superolateral to the nasospinale‐to‐jugale midpoint in the adolescent population.

Conclusions

The infraorbital foramen was located within 2 mm, on average, from the nasospinale‐to‐jugale midpoint regardless of age group. Therefore, the nasospinale‐to‐jugale midpoint may serve as useful means of identifying the location of the infraorbital foramen in the pediatric population and aid in optimizing infraorbital nerve block procedures. The information in this report is valuable in general, but may be particularly useful in developing countries where there is a lack of ultrasound training and availability for health care providers; or places where infraorbital nerve block may be the sole anesthetic modality for cleft lip surgery, even among adolescent patients.
Philosophy and liturgy part 2: Liturgy and epistemology
Authors: Cockayne Joshua
Published: August 2018

In this article, I summarize recent work on the philosophy of liturgy. In part 2 of this article, I consider how liturgy can provide a way of knowing God personally. I outline accounts of acquiring phenomenal knowledge, practical knowledge, and propositional knowledge by participating in liturgy.
Some remarks on a problem in Madhyamaka philosophy of language
Authors: Westerhoff Jan
Published: August 2018

This paper attempts to dissolve an apparent difficulty arising in the philosophy of language as discussed by the Indian Buddhist Madhyamaka school. On the one hand Madhyamaka seems to be claiming that every entity is fundamentally linguistic in nature, on the other hand it also asserts that language does not exist. I argue that the difficulty is to be dissolved by distinguishing two different senses of language appealed to by the Mādhyamikas. They argue that one specific understanding of language is deficient (and that therefore language thus understood does not exist), but this is not the same sense of language according to which everything is linguistic in nature. The apparent contradiction is thereby resolved.
Low‐tech riparian and wet meadow restoration increases vegetation productivity and resilience across semiarid rangelands
Authors: Silverman Nicholas L. , Allred Brady W. , Donnelly John Patrick , Chapman Teresa B. , Maestas Jeremy D. , Wheaton Joseph M. , White Jeff , Naugle David E.
Published: August 2018

Restoration of riparian and wet meadow ecosystems in semiarid rangelands of the western United States is a high priority given their ecological and hydrological importance in the region. However, traditional restoration approaches are often intensive and costly, limiting the extent over which they can be applied. Practitioners are increasingly trying new restoration techniques that are more cost‐effective, less intensive, and can more practically scale up to the scope of degradation. Unfortunately, practitioners typically lack resources to undertake outcome‐based evaluations necessary to judge the efficacy of these techniques. In this study, we use freely available, satellite remote sensing to explore changes in vegetation productivity (normalized difference vegetation index) of three distinct, low‐tech, riparian and wet meadow restoration projects. Case studies are presented that range in geographic location (Colorado, Oregon, and Nevada), restoration practice (Zeedyk structures, beaver dam analogs, and grazing management), and time since implementation. Restoration practices resulted in increased vegetation productivity of up to 25% and increased annual persistence of productive vegetation. Improvements in productivity with time since restoration suggest that elevated resilience may further enhance wildlife habitat and increase forage production. Long‐term, documented outcomes of conservation are rare; we hope our findings empower practitioners to further monitor and explore the use of low‐tech methods for restoration of ecohydrologic processes at meaningful spatial scales.
Wolves not welcome? Zoning for large carnivore conservation and management under the Bern Convention and EU Habitats Directive
Authors: Trouwborst Arie
Published: August 2018

With some exceptions, populations of bears, wolves, lynx and other large carnivores are recovering across Europe. Zoning is one of the means available to public authorities to promote large carnivore conservation while minimizing conflicts with human interests. In principle, this can entail designating zones where large carnivore conservation is prioritized over conflicting human interests, but also zones where the population density of large carnivores is adjusted to human activities, including low‐density areas or exclusion zones. Zoning as a large carnivore conservation and management tool is explored here in light of two influential European legal instruments, the Bern Convention and the EU Habitats Directive. The article finds that, first, the various legal regimes that apply to large carnivores under these instruments in different parts of Europe by themselves provide for a distinct degree of high‐level zoning. Second, and importantly, the Convention and Directive determine the legal bandwidth within which domestic authorities can design and implement more specific (sub)national zoning regimes.
Blood pressure control in conventional hemodialysis
Authors: Georgianos Panagiotis I. , Agarwal Rajiv
Published: August 2018

Hypertension among patients on hemodialysis is common, difficult to diagnose and often inadequately controlled. Although specific blood pressure (BP) targets in this particular population are not yet established, meta‐analyses of randomized trials showed that deliberate BP‐lowering with antihypertensive drugs improves clinical outcomes in hemodialysis patients. BP‐lowering in these individuals should initially utilize nonpharmacological strategies aiming to control sodium and volume overload. Accordingly, restricting dietary sodium intake, eliminating intradialytic sodium gain via individualized dialysate sodium prescription, optimally assessing and managing dry‐weight and providing a sufficient duration of dialysis are first‐line treatment considerations to control BP. If BP remains uncontrolled despite the adequate management of volume, antihypertensive therapy is the next consideration. Contrary to nonhemodialysis populations, emerging clinical‐trial evidence suggests that among those on hemodialysis, β‐blockers are more effective than agents blocking the renin‐angiotensin‐system (RAS) in reducing BP levels and protecting from serious adverse cardiovascular complications. Accordingly, β‐blockade is our first‐line approach in pharmacotherapy of hypertension. Long‐acting calcium‐channel‐blockers and RAS‐blockers are our next considerations, taking into account the comorbidities and the overall risk profile of each individual patient. Additional research efforts, mainly randomized trials, are clearly warranted in order to elucidate aspects of management that remain elusive in hypertensive dialysis patients.
Applying Computer Adaptive Testing Methods to Suicide Risk Screening in the Emergency Department
Authors: Boudreaux Edwin D. , De Beurs Derek P. , Nguyen Tam H. , Haskins Brianna L. , Larkin Celine , Barton Bruce
Published: August 2018

Objective

Combine test theory with technology to develop brief, reliable suicide risk measures in the emergency department.

Methods

A computer adaptive test for suicide risk was built using the Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation and tested among the emergency department population. Data were analyzed from a sample of 1,350 patients in several Massachusetts emergency departments. The test was built as outlined by the National Institutes of Health Patient‐Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System.

Results

Of 1,350 patients, 74 (5%) scored above the cutoff of BSS > 2. Item 2, “Wish to die”, was the most informative item. When using only Item 2, 20% (n = 15/74) of at‐risk patients and 3% (n = 40/1,276) of not‐at‐risk patients were misclassified. Patients were classified after four items with computer adaptive testing trait estimates highly comparable to those of the full scale. The precision rule model did not reduce the scale.

Conclusions

This study models the creation of a computer adaptive test for suicide ideation and marks the start of the development of computer adaptive tests as a novel suicide risk screening tool in the emergency department. Computer adaptive tests hold promise for revolutionizing behavioral health screening by addressing barriers including time and knowledge deficits.
Suicide Stigma and Suicide Literacy in a Clinical Sample
Authors: Batterham Philip J. , Han Jin , Calear Alison L. , Anderson Josephine , Christensen Helen
Published: August 2018

Objective

The aims of this study were to (1) investigate levels and correlates of suicide stigma and suicide literacy in a sample of individuals attending a tertiary depression clinic in Australia (N = 287), with comparison to a community‐based Australian sample (N = 1,410), and (2) validate measures of suicide stigma and literacy in a clinical sample.

Method

Australian adults (N = 287) aged 18–78 years referred by their general practitioners for assessment at a psychiatric clinic for patients with difficult‐to‐treat mood disorders were recruited to complete a survey, including measures of suicide literacy, suicide stigma, mental health symptoms, and demographics.

Results

Compared to the Australian community sample, participants in the clinical sample reported lower suicide literacy, lower suicide stigma, greater glorification of suicide, and greater attribution of suicide to isolation. Suicide ideation was associated with greater glorification of suicide. Females had higher suicide literacy and lower suicide stigma than males. The psychometric properties of the suicide stigma measure appeared to be robust and consistent with previous evaluations.

Conclusion

Given the low levels of suicide literacy in this clinical sample, suicide prevention initiatives designed for community settings may also be important in clinical settings.
The Capability for Suicide in Firefighters
Authors: Streeb Nicole , Shoji Kotaro , Benight Charles C.
Published: August 2018

Objective

Suicide among firefighters is a critical mental health concern that remains under studied. The interpersonal–psychological theory of suicidal behavior (IPTS) states that, to engage in lethal suicidal behaviors, an individual must possess thwarted belongingness, perceived burdensomeness, and fearlessness about death (IPTS factors). Social cognitive theory may assist IPTS in explaining suicidal behavior.

Method

Participants for the study were 216 volunteers and career firefighters. The sample was almost exclusively male, non‐Hispanic or Latino, and Caucasian with a mean age of 40.6. We examined the mediating effect of firefighter coping self‐efficacy (FFCSE) and coping self‐efficacy for trauma (CSE‐T) in the relationship between critical incidents and the IPTS factors. Moderated mediation analyses were performed with separate conditional effects of each social support subscale on the indirect effect of each self‐efficacy perception in the relationship between critical incidents and the IPTS factors.

Results

Mediation analysis indicated that FFCSE did not mediate the relationships; however, CSE‐T did mediate the relationships between critical incidents and the IPTS factors. These significant indirect effects of CSE‐T were moderated by social support from significant other.

Conclusions

CSE‐T within the context of significant other support is important to consider in understanding firefighter mental health.
HLA common and well‐documented alleles in China
Authors: He Y. , Li J. , Mao W. , Zhang D. , Liu M. , Shan X. , Zhang B. , Zhu C. , Shen J. , Deng Z. , Wang Z. , Yu W. , Chen Q. , Guo W. , Su P. , Lv R. , Li G. , Li G. , Pei B. , Jiao L. , Shen G. , Liu Y. , Feng Z. , Su Y. , Xie Y. , Di W. , Liu X. , Yang X. , Wang J. , Qi J. , Liu Q. , Han Y. , He J. , Cai J. , Zhang Z. , Zhu F. , Du D.
Published: August 2018

The American Society for Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics HLA common and well‐documented (CWD) catalog, CWD 2.0.0 catalog and European Federation for Immunogenetics (EFI) CWD catalog have been published, which are useful for improving the accuracy of HLA genotyping in laboratories. Here, we studied the Chinese HLA CWD catalog. A total of 812 211 unrelated volunteer donors from the China Marrow Donor Program (CMDP) were analyzed. Six hundred seventy‐six alleles at the HLA‐A, ‐B, ‐C, ‐DRB1, and ‐DQB1 loci were defined as CWD alleles in the Chinese population, including 159 common and 517 well‐documented alleles. The distribution of HLA alleles in the Chinese CWD catalog is different from that in the EFI CWD catalog. Thirty‐two percent (215/676) of CWD alleles in the Chinese CWD catalog are shared with those in the EFI CWD catalog. Fifty‐six percent (380/676) of alleles in the Chinese CWD catalog are not found in the EFI CWD catalog, while 655 alleles in the EFI CWD catalog are neither common nor well‐documented alleles in the Chinese CWD catalog. The Chinese CWD catalog described in this study may help to improve high‐resolution histocompatibility testing for CMDP‐accredited laboratories in China. However, to accommodate an increasing number of HLA alleles, this Chinese CWD catalog should be regularly updated.
The HLA‐A*33:110 allele identified in a volunteer donor for hematopoietic stem cell transplant
Authors: Baek I.‐C. , Choi E.‐J. , Shin D.‐H. , Kim H.‐J. , Kim T.‐G.
Published: August 2018

HLA‐A*33:110 differs from HLA‐A*33:03:01:01 in a codon 149 in exon 3.
Resequencing of four novel alleles with nanopore technology
Authors: Fuerst D. , Radecke F. , Schrezenmeier H. , Schwarz K. , Mytilineos J.
Published: August 2018

Long nanopore reads allow phasing of heterozygous positions but show limitations in sequencing of homopolymers.
The HLA‐DQB1*04:02:03 allele identified in a volunteer donor for hematopoietic stem cell transplant
Authors: Baek In‐Cheol , Choi Eun‐Jeong , Shin Dong‐Hwan , Kim Hyoung‐Jae , Kim Tai‐Gyu
Published: August 2018

HLA‐DQB1*04:02:03 differs from HLA‐DQB1*04:02:01:01 in a codon 62 in exon 2.
Capturing the heterogeneity of urban growth in South Korea using a latent class regression model
Authors: Park Soyoung , Lee Jae Hyun , Clarke Keith C.
Published: August 2018

This study aims to analyze the spatial patterns of urban growth in South Korea between 2000 and 2010. Fourteen suspected causative independent variables were selected and latent class regression (LCR) was used to analyze the relationship between dependent (urban growth) and independent (causative) variables. The goodness‐of‐fit was assessed by comparison to logistic regression (LR) analysis. The LR analysis produced consistent coefficients for each independent variable across the study area. In contrast, an LCR analysis, with a three‐class assumption, resulted in a different magnitude and directional effects of the coefficients for each class. The LCR analysis enabled the identification of both spatially homogeneous and heterogeneous areas. In addition, the LCR analysis performed better than the LR analysis with a lower Akaike information criterion and Bayesian information criterion value, and a higher receiver operating characteristic value. We conclude that LCR analysis should be used to establish causative “driving” factors for efficient urban growth planning and urban spatial policy.
Repeat photography, post‐phenomenology and “being‐with” through the image (at the First World War cemeteries of Asiago, Italy)
Authors: Rossetto Tania
Published: August 2018

The current elaboration of a post‐phenomenological geography is mostly a theoretical effort. This paper aims to contribute to this theoretical stance from a practical point of view by proposing a comparison between the technique of repeat photography and the trajectories along which the approach of post‐phenomenological geography has been outlined recently. From the engagement with a number of post‐phenomenological interventions and an empirical case study – namely, a repeat‐photography project conducted by the Italian amateur photographer Claudio Rigon at First World War cemetery sites on the Asiago Plateau in the Italian Pre‐Alpine region – the paper derives a conceptual development of this outline. Drawing from the theorisation of photographic indexicality and the role of subjects and objects in the photographic act, it is argued that repeat photography, more than other photographic genres, simultaneously entails the agency and displacement of the human. In fact, the compulsory nature and strict rules of repeat photography (same subject, same vantage point, same frame, same atmosphere) liberate the photographer from the self‐referential nature of creative photography and make room for other, non‐human agents to co‐determine the process and the final product. Repeat photography is envisioned here as a form of “being‐with” through the image, a way to be attuned to subjects, objects and spacetimes, which is not, or not solely, human‐centred, but can still convey an ethical aspect.
How to Be a Serious Leisure Participant? (A Case Study)
Authors: Isik Utku
Published: August 2018

The benefits of serious leisure activities demonstrate the significance of serious leisure participation. This study is thought to contribute to literature on how leisure time participation can be generated and sustained. This research presents a case study analysis on how an individual can be a significant leisure participant. In line with the purpose of the study, an “Astro pitch” organization was done which was originally started by the researcher but later continued by participants themselves willingly without any intervention. This organization continued on Mondays and a total of 14 participants (7 in each team) participated in the activity for about 8 months. Semi-structured interview technique (a qualitative technique) was used during data collection. While the games continued (they are still going on), the participants were first informed about serious leisure activities and they were asked whether this organization was considered as a serious leisure activity by them. Later, the researcher prepared a theoretical framework to ask participants how the organization was born, how it continued non-stop with the same participants and the general benefits of this organization. The main ideas obtained by the researcher were analyzed in terms of content by using Maxqda program and codes, categories and themes were obtained. According to themes found in this study; a leader is required for the participants to be a serious leisure participants and to sustain the activity; the activity should include opportunities for the individual to stand out, there must be rapport in the group, and the activity should be enjoyed.
Correlation between neuroanatomical and functional respiratory changes observed in an experimental model of Parkinson's disease
Authors: Fernandes‐Junior Silvio A. , Carvalho Kárin S. , Moreira Thiago S. , Takakura Ana C.
Published: August 2018

New Findings

What is the central question of this study?

What is the relationship between neuroanatomical and functional respiratory changes in an experimental model of Parkinson's disease?

What is the main finding and its importance?

Sixty days after induction of Parkinson's disease in a rat model, there are decreases in baseline breathing and in the number of neurons, density of the neurokinin‐1 receptor and density of astrocytes in the ventrolateral respiratory region. These results provide the first evidence that neuroanatomical changes occur before functional respiratory deficits in a Parkinson's disease model and that there is a positive correlation between those sets of changes. The neuroanatomical changes impair respiratory activity and are presumably a major cause of the respiratory problems observed in Parkinson's disease.

We showed previously that 60 days after the induction of Parkinson's disease (PD) in a rat model, there are decreases in baseline breathing and in the number of phox2b‐expressing neurons of the retrotrapezoid nucleus (RTN) and nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS), as well as a reduction in the density of the neurokinin‐1 receptor (NK1r) in the pre‐Bötzinger complex (preBötC) and rostral ventrolateral respiratory group (rVRG). Here, our aim was to evaluate the correlation between neuroanatomical and functional respiratory changes in an experimental model of PD. Male Wistar rats with bilateral injections of 6‐hydroxydopamine (6‐OHDA, 24 μg μl−1) or vehicle into the striatum had respiratory parameters assessed by whole‐body plethysmography 1 day before and 30, 40 or 60 days after the ablation. From the 30th day after the ablation, we observed a reduction in the number of phox2b neurons in the RTN and NTS and a reduction in the density of astrocytes in the rVRG. At 40 days after the ablation, we observed decreases in the density of NK1r in the preBötC and rVRG and of astrocytes in the RTN region. At 60 days, we observed a reduction in the density of astrocytes in the NTS and preBötC regions. The functional data showed changes in the resting and hypercapnia‐induced respiratory rates and tidal volume from days 40–60 after injury. Our data suggest that the neuroanatomical changes impair respiratory activity and are presumably a major cause of the respiratory problems observed in PD.
Gastric cooling and menthol cause an increase in cardiac parasympathetic efferent activity in healthy adult human volunteers
Authors: Kazadi Lubobo‐Claude , Fletcher Janine , Barrow Paul A.
Published: August 2018

New Findings

What is the central question of this study?

How do gastric stretch and gastric cooling stimuli affect cardiac autonomic control?

What is the main finding and its importance?

Gastric stretch causes an increase in cardiac sympathetic activity. Stretch combined with cold stimulation result in an elimination of the sympathetic response to stretch and an increase in cardiac parasympathetic activity, in turn resulting in a reduction in heart rate. Gastric cold stimulation causes a shift in sympathovagal balance towards parasympathetic dominance. The cold‐induced bradycardia has the potential to decrease cardiac workload, which might be significant in individuals with cardiovascular pathologies.

Gastric distension increases blood pressure and heart rate in young, healthy humans, but little is known about the effect of gastric stretch combined with cooling. We used a randomized crossover study to assess the cardiovascular responses to drinking 300 ml of ispaghula husk solution at either 6 or 37°C in nine healthy humans (age 24.08 ± 9.36 years) to establish the effect of gastric stretch with and without cooling. The effect of consuming peppermint oil capsules to activate cold thermoreceptors was also investigated. The ECG, respiratory movements and continuous blood pressure were recorded during a 5 min baseline period, followed by a 115 min post‐drink period, during which 5 min epochs of data were recorded. Cardiac autonomic activity was assessed using time and frequency domain analyses of respiratory sinus arrhythmia to quantify parasympathetic autonomic activity, and corrected QT (QTc) interval analysis to quantify sympathetic autonomic activity. Gastric stretch only caused a significant reduction in QTc interval lasting up to 15 min, with a concomitant but non‐significant increase in heart rate, indicating an increased sympathetic cardiac tone. The additional effect of gastric cold stimulation was significantly to reduce heart rate for up to 15 min, elevate indicators of cardiac parasympathetic tone and eliminate the reduction in QTc interval seen with gastric stretch only. Stimulation of gastric cold thermoreceptors with menthol also caused a significant reduction in heart rate and concomitant increase in the root mean square of successive differences. These findings indicate that gastric cold stimulation causes a shift in the sympathovagal balance of cardiac control towards a more parasympathetic dominant pattern.
Establishment and evaluation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease model by chronic exposure to motor vehicle exhaust combined with lipopolysaccharide instillation
Authors: Shu Jiaze , Lu Wenju , Yang Kai , Zheng Qiuyu , Li Defu , Li Yi , Kuang Meidan , Liu Hanwei , Li Ziying , Chen Yuqin , Zhang Chenting , Luo Xiaoyun , Huang Junyi , Wu Xiongting , Tang Haiyang , Wang Jian
Published: August 2018

New Findings

What is the central question of this study?

In this study, by using motor vehicle exhaust (MVE) exposure with or without lipopolysaccharide (LPS) instillation, we established, evaluated and compared MVE, LPS and MVE+LPS treatment‐induced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) models in mice.

What is the main finding and its importance?

Our study demonstrated that the combination of chronic exposure to MVE with early LPS instillation can establish a mouse model with some features of COPD, which will allow researchers to investigate the underlying molecular mechanisms linking air pollution and COPD pathogenesis.

Although it is well established that motor vehicle exhaust (MVE) has a close association with the occurrence and exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), very little is known about the combined effects of MVE and intermittent or chronic subclinical inflammation on COPD pathogenesis. Therefore, given the crucial role of inflammation in the development of COPD, we wanted to establish an animal model of COPD using both MVE exposure and airway inflammation, which could mimic the clinical pathological changes observed in COPD patients and greatly benefit the study of the molecular mechanisms of COPD. In the present study, we report that mice undergoing chronic exposure to MVE and intratracheal instillation of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) successfully established COPD, as characterized by persistent air flow limitation, airway inflammation, inflammatory cytokine production, emphysema and small airway remodelling. Moreover, the mice showed significant changes in ventricular and vascular pathology, including an increase in right ventricular pressure, right ventricular hypertrophy and remodelling of pulmonary arterial walls. We have thus established a new mouse COPD model by combining chronic MVE exposure with early intratracheal instillation of LPS, which will allow us to study the relationship between air pollution and the development of COPD and to investigate the underlying molecular mechanisms.
Effect of ozone concentration on atomic layer deposited tin oxide
Authors: Park Hyunwoo , Park Joohyun , Shin Seokyoon , Ham Giyul , Choi Hyeongsu , Lee Seungjin , Lee Namgue , Kwon Sejin , Bang Minwook , Lee Juhyun , Kim Bumsik , Jeon Hyeongtag
Published: August 2018

Tin dioxide (SnO2) thin films were deposited by atomic layer deposition (ALD) using tetrakis(dimethylamino)tin {[(CH3)2N]4Sn} and various concentrations of ozone (O3) at 200 °C. In order to characterize SnO2 thin films, the growth rate, thin film crystallinity, surface roughness, chemical bonding state, and electrical and optical properties were investigated. The growth rate of SnO2 increased slightly when the O3 concentration was increased. However, the growth rate was almost saturated above 300 g/m3 concentration of O3. Also, the x-ray diffraction patterns of SnO2 thin films become sharper when the O3 concentration increased. Specifically, the (101) and (211) peaks of SnO2 improved. In addition, the defects of the SnO2 thin films such as oxygen vacancy and hydroxyl group are related to the O3 concentration that was observed via x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. As the O3 concentration is higher than 300 g/m3, the electrical Hall resistivity and mobility saturated 3.6 × 10−3 Ω cm and 9.58 cm2/V s, respectively. However, the carrier concentration slightly decreased to 3.22 × 1020 cm−3. It is assumed that the oxygen vacancies were filled with a high O3 concentration at ALD reaction. The optical bandgaps were larger than 3.5 eV, and the transmittance of all SnO2 thin films exceeded 90%. The O3 concentration below 200 g/m3 in the ALD process of SnO2 thin films is considered to be one of the factors that can affect the crystallinity, chemical bonding, and electrical properties.
Profiling the origin, dynamics, and function of traction force in B cell activation
Authors: Wang Junyi , Lin Feng , Wan Zhengpeng , Sun Xiaolin , Lu Yun , Huang Jianyong , Wang Fei , Zeng Yingyue , Chen Ying-Hua , Shi Yan , Zheng Wenjie , Li Zhanguo , Xiong Chunyang , Liu Wanli
Published: August 2018

B cells exert traction forces on antigen-presenting surfaces during activation.
Relationship between the Viable but Nonculturable State and Antibiotic Persister Cells
Authors: Ayrapetyan Mesrop , Williams Tiffany , Oliver James D.
Published: August 2018

Bacteria have evolved numerous means of survival in adverse environments with dormancy, as represented by “persistence” and the “viable but nonculturable” (VBNC) state, now recognized to be common modes for such survival. VBNC cells have been defined as cells which, induced by some stress, become nonculturable on media that would normally support their growth but which can be demonstrated by various methods to be alive and capable of returning to a metabolically active and culturable state.
Profiling of Bacterial and Fungal Microbial Communities in Cystic Fibrosis Sputum Using RNA
Authors: Grahl Nora , Dolben Emily L. , Filkins Laura M. , Crocker Alex W. , Willger Sven D. , Morrison Hilary G. , Sogin Mitchell L. , Ashare Alix , Gifford Alex H. , Jacobs Nicholas J. , Schwartzman Joseph D. , Hogan Deborah A.
Published: August 2018

Here we demonstrate the use of an RNA-based analysis of specific taxa of interest, including bacteria and fungi, within microbial communities. This multiplex method may be useful as a means to identify samples with specific combinations of taxa and to gain information on how specific populations vary over time and space or in response to perturbation. A rapid means to measure bacterial and fungal populations may aid in the study of host response to changes in microbial communities.
Mechanism of High-Level Daptomycin Resistance in
Corynebacterium striatum
Authors: Goldner Nicholas K. , Bulow Christopher , Cho Kevin , Wallace Meghan , Hsu Fong-Fu , Patti Gary J. , Burnham Carey-Ann , Schlesinger Paul , Dantas Gautam
Published: August 2018

Antimicrobial resistance threatens the efficacy of antimicrobial treatment options, including last-line-of-defense drugs. Understanding how this resistance develops can help direct antimicrobial stewardship efforts and is critical to designing the next generation of antimicrobial therapies. Here we determine how
Corynebacterium striatum
, a skin commensal and opportunistic pathogen, evolved high-level resistance to a drug of last resort, daptomycin. Through a single mutation, this pathogen was able to remove the daptomycin’s target, phosphatidylglycerol (PG), from the membrane and evade daptomycin’s bactericidal activity. We found that additional compensatory changes were not necessary to support the removal of PG and replacement with phosphatidylinositol (PI). The ease with which
C. striatum
evolved high-level resistance is cause for alarm and highlights the importance of screening new antimicrobials against a wide range of clinical pathogens which may harbor unique capacities for resistance evolution.
Global prevalence of resistant hypertension: a meta-analysis of data from 3.2 million patients
Authors: Noubiap Jean Jacques , Nansseu Jobert Richie , Nyaga Ulrich Flore , Sime Paule Sandra , Francis Innocent , Bigna Jean Joel
Published: August 2018

Objective

We conducted the first systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate the specific prevalence of apparent treatment-resistant, pseudo-resistant and true-resistant hypertension among treated patients with hypertension globally.

Methods

We conducted a search in PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science and Global Index Medicus to identify articles published from inception to 30 September 2017, and searched the reference list of retrieved articles. We used a random-effects model to estimate the prevalence of resistant hypertension across studies and heterogeneity was assessed via the χ² test on Cochran’s Q statistic.

Results

We included 91 studies published between 1991 and 2017 reporting data of a pooled sample of 3 207 911 patients with hypertension on antihypertensive drugs globally. Most of the studies (n=64, 70%) only used office blood pressure (BP) measurement. In the general, population of treated patients with hypertension, the prevalence of true-resistant, apparent treatment-resistant and pseudo-resistant hypertension were 10.3% (95% CI 7.6% to 13.2%), 14.7% (95% CI 13.1% to 16.3%) and 10.3% (95% CI 6.0% to 15.5%). The prevalence of true-resistant hypertension was 22.9% (95% CI 19.1% to 27.0%), 56.0% (95% CI 52.7% to 59.3%) and 12.3% (95% CI 1.7% to 30.5%) in chronic kidney disease, renal transplant and elderly patients, respectively.

Conclusions

This study shows a high prevalence of true-resistant hypertension. This prevalence is lower than that of apparent treatment-resistant hypertension, demonstrating the importance to exclude causes of pseudo-resistant hypertension including white-coat hypertension with the use of ambulatory BP measurement. The burden of resistant hypertension is highest in patients with chronic kidney disease. New treatments for resistant hypertension are highly needed, considering the disastrous complications of the disease.
Water-use strategies of coexisting shrub species in the Yellow River Delta, China
Authors: Zhu Jinfang , Liu Jingtao , Lu Zhaohua , Li Junsheng , Sun Jingkuan
Published: August 2018

In coastal ecosystems, water availability is limited because of the high soil salinity influenced by sea water intrusion, high soil noncapillary porosity, and significant seasonal fluctuation of precipitation. Therefore, water availability is a key determinant of plant growth and distribution in coastal ecosystems. Tamarix chinensis Lour. and Ziziphus jujuba var. spinosa Hu are two coexisting shrub species growing on Chenier Island in the Yellow River Delta (YRD), China. Our aim was to investigate how the water-use strategies of the two species respond to variations in soil moisture to improve understand of their adaptations to drought stress and their coexistence mechanism. During the growing season, the oxygen stable isotope signatures (δ18O) were measured for soil water in different soil depths (0–20, 20–40, 40–60, and 60–100 cm), shallow groundwater, and xylem water. The proportional contributions of potential water sources for the two species were calculated by using the IsoSource mixing model. The results showed that the δ18O values of the two species showed a clear seasonal difference. When soil moisture was high and air temperature was low, T. chinensis mainly used water from soil depths of 60–100 cm, while Z. jujuba mainly used water from soil depths of 0–40 cm. When soil moisture was low or air temperature was high, T. chinensis mainly used the saline shallow groundwater, while Z. jujuba mainly used water from soil depths of 20–100 cm. When there was a large amount of precipitation, both T. chinensis and Z. jujuba mainly absorbed water from soil depths of 20–40 cm. Tamarix chinensis and Z. jujuba had different water-use patterns during the growing season, which reflected their adaptations to seasonal fluctuations in soil water content within a water-limited coastal ecosystem, while the niche differentiation in water use of the two species clarifies their coexistence mechanism.