bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Developing state and transition models of floodplain vegetation dynamics as a tool for conservation decision‐making: a case study of the Macquarie Marshes Ramsar wetland
Authors: Bino Gilad , Sisson Scott A. , Kingsford Richard T. , Thomas Rachael F. , Bowen Sharon
Published: February 2015

Floodplain vegetation states (communities) exhibit spatiotemporal dynamics in vegetation structure and composition, which reflect unique hydrological and connectivity patterns. Shifts in inundation regimes can drive succession and establish new stable states, determined by the magnitude and duration of the hydrological perturbation.

We aimed to develop a modelling approach that is able to capture ecosystem dynamics, identify and quantify the main drivers of change, and provide a tool for conservation decision‐making. We developed state and transition models for floodplain vegetation states based on surveys in 1991 and 2008 in the Macquarie Marshes (Australia), a Ramsar wetland of international importance. We used a Bayesian logistic regression approach to model state and transitions between vegetation states and investigated how flood frequency, distance to stream and fire frequency were associated with vegetation dynamics during this period.

During 1991–2008, significant transitions have occurred towards drier states. Semi‐permanent wetland vegetation had the lowest persistence probability (ppsis = 0·456) and a significant threshold response of transitioning to terrestrial vegetation (ptran = 0·505). Transition to drier states was driven by lower inundation probabilities followed by increased fire probability, and distance to nearest stream.

Using developed models, we predicted persistence probabilities of vegetation states under an unregulated (i.e. no dams or diversions) and regulated water availability system. Under a regulated system, semi‐permanent wetland vegetation had an average persistence of ppsis = 0. 67 and 0·08 in the northern and southern sections of the nature reserve, respectively. Under an unregulated system, the predicted persistence of semi‐permanent wetland vegetation was considerably higher: ppsis = 0·87 and 0·38, respectively.

Synthesis and applications. Developing quantitative models of state transitions significantly improved our understanding of ecosystem dynamics, identifying sensitive indicators for monitoring and thus supporting conservation decision‐making. This helps managers understand potential trajectories of change in ecosystems in response to management options. For example, increasing environmental flows in the Macquarie Marshes is predicted to shift the community towards more of a wetland than the terrestrial state, resulting from river regulation. State and transition models identified how key ecological assets respond to drivers of change, particularly where these can be managed. This is critical for ensuring that all ecosystem components are managed and that these do not shift into undesirable states.
Gambling in the Czech Republic
Authors: Szczyrba Zdeněk , Mravčík Viktor , Fiedor David , Černý Jakub , Smolová Irena
Published: February 2015

Aim

To provide an overview of gambling and associated problems in the Czech Republic, including an overview of the historical context, legislation, prevalence, treatment and research base and agenda.

Methods

A review of literature and relevant sources.

Results

The trajectory of gambling patterns in the territory of the Czech Republic in the 20th century reflected broad socio‐political changes. Those included significant expansion between the wars, strict state control and bans on some gambling activities during the communist regime and finally dynamic development characterized by a boom in electronic gaming machines (EGMs) and increasing accessibility of gambling facilities after 1989, which aggravated gambling‐related problems. Many municipalities have banned EGMs, which has created conflict in regulation at state and municipal levels. The draft gambling law prepared in 2014 aims to clarify the regulatory framework. Before 2012 there was only sporadic research interest in gambling, but in 2012 the first complex research on gaming and problem gambling in the Czech population took place. The estimated prevalence of problem gambling is currently 2% in the population aged 15–64 years. Preventive measures, counselling and treatment services for problem gamblers are limited.

Conclusions

Weak and ineffective regulation of the gambling market in the Czech Republic during the past 20 years, despite the large growth in gambling, has led to inadequate prevention and response to problem gambling which has become a considerable public health, social and political issue.
The effect of prophylactic intravenous tranexamic acid on blood loss after vaginal delivery in women at low risk of postpartum haemorrhage: a double‐blind randomised controlled trial
Authors: Mirghafourvand Mojgan , Mohammad‐Alizadeh Sakineh , Abbasalizadeh Fatemeh , Shirdel Mina
Published: February 2015

Objective

To determine the effect of prophylactic tranexamic acid (TA) on calculated and measured blood loss after vaginal delivery in women at low risk of postpartum haemorrhage.

Methods

In this double‐blind randomised controlled trial, 120 women with a singleton pregnancy were randomly allocated to receive either one gram intravenous TA or placebo in addition to 10 IU oxytocin after delivery of the fetus. Calculated blood loss was determined based on haematocrit before delivery and 12–24 h postdelivery. The quantity of blood loss was measured during two time periods: from delivery of the fetus to placental expulsion and from placental expulsion to the end of the second hour after childbirth.

Results

The mean (SD) calculated total blood loss (519 (320) vs 659 (402) mL, P = 0.036) and measured blood loss from placental delivery to 2 h postpartum (69 (39) vs 108 (53) mL, P < 0.001) was significantly lower in the intervention group compared with the control group. There was no significant difference between groups in terms of blood loss from delivery of the fetus until placental expulsion. The frequency of calculated blood loss > 1000 mL was lower in the TA group (7% vs 18%, P = 0.048).

Conclusion

Prophylactic TA reduces blood loss after vaginal delivery in women with a low risk of postpartum haemorrhage. The prophylactic use of TA may reduce blood loss complications and enhance maternal health.
Exercise in pregnancy does not alter gestational weight gain, MCP‐1 or leptin in obese women
Authors: Dekker Nitert Marloes , Barrett Helen L. , Denny Kerina J. , McIntyre H. David , Callaway Leonie K. ,   the BAMBINO group
Published: February 2015

Background

Increasing physical activity in pregnancy may improve pregnancy outcomes for obese women. Exercise could reduce gestational weight gain, improve the maternal circulating lipid profile as well as alter leptin, Interleukin‐8 (IL‐8) and Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein‐1 (MCP‐1) levels.

Aim

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of exercise on gestational weight gain, maternal circulating lipids, IL‐8, MCP‐1 and leptin levels in obese pregnant women.

Materials and Methods

The analysis was performed in the 35 obese women enrolled in the pilot BAMBINO randomised controlled trial who provided blood samples at 12‐ and 28‐weeks gestation. Women in the exercise intervention arm received an individualised exercise plan. Blood samples, exercise diary and pedometer data were obtained at 12‐, 20‐, 28‐ and 36‐weeks' gestation. Cord blood was obtained at delivery.

Results

Women in the exercise arm exercised more than those in the control arm (P = 0.038). There was no difference in gestational weight gain, excess gestational weight gain, MCP‐1 and leptin levels between women in the exercise intervention (n = 19) or the control arm (n = 16). IL‐8 was not detectable. Exercise did not alter the maternal lipid profile.

Conclusions

The low level of physical activity achieved in obese women in the exercise intervention arm was insufficient to alter gestational weight gain, MCP‐1, leptin or circulating lipid levels.
Class Meets Land: The Social Mobilization of Land as Catalyst for Urban Change
Authors: Kaika Maria , Ruggiero Luca
Published: February 2015

The paper explores the active yet neglected role that local class struggle over land plays in negotiating new forms of urbanity. Unfashionably shifting research focus from global elites and the “creative class” to local industrial elites and industrial workers, we show that socially embodied local struggles over land are as relevant to globalized urbanizations as they had been to industrial capitalism, and need to be brought back squarely into geographical analysis. We focus empirically on the closely knitted histories of the Pirelli company, Pirelli's workers, and Pirelli's industrial space at Bicocca (north‐east Milan). As we unfold Bicocca's transformation from workers' village (nineteenth century), to radical industrial action hub (1960s–1970s), and finally to trendy mixed‐use space (1990s–2000s), we show how, for over a century, social struggles over land remain the terrain on which new forms of urbanity are fought, and highlight two important points. First, class struggle over the economic, social, and symbolic role of industrial land was not theoutcome of, but an essentialprecondition forurban restructuring. Second, the industrial working class and traditional elites were notpassive recipients, butactive producersof urban change.
Accommodating Autistics and Treating Autism: Can We Have Both?
Authors: Lim Chong‐Ming
Published: February 2015

One of the central claims of the neurodiversity movement is that society should accommodate the needs of autistics, rather than try to treat autism. People have variously tried to reject this accommodation thesis as applicable to all autistics. One instance is Pier Jaarsma and Stellan Welin, who argue that the thesis should apply to some but not all autistics. They do so via separating autistics into high‐ and low‐functioning, on the basis of IQ and social effectiveness or functionings. I reject their grounds for separating autistics. IQ is an irrelevant basis for separating autistics. Charitably rendering it as referring to more general capacities still leaves us mistaken about the roles they play in supporting the accommodation thesis. The appeal to social effectiveness or functionings relies on standards that are inapplicable to autistics, and which risks being deaf to the point of their claims. I then consider if their remaining argument concerning autistic culture may succeed independently of the line they draw. I argue that construing autistics' claims as beginning from culture mistakes their status, and may even detract from their aims. Via my discussion of Jaarsma and Welin, I hope to point to why the more general strategy of separating autistics, in response to the accommodation thesis, does not fully succeed. Finally, I sketch some directions for future discussions, arguing that we should instead shift our attention to consider another set of questions concerning the costs and extent of change required to accommodate all autistics.
A reflective study into children's cognition when making computer games
Authors: Allsop Yasemin
Published: February 2015

In this paper, children's mental activities when making digital games are explored. Where previous studies have mainly focused on children's learning, this study aimed to unfold the children's thinking process for learning when making computer games. As part of an ongoing larger scale study, which adopts an ethnographic approach, this research reports on how children think when making their own computer games using their “Thinking Maps” and video recordings of group discussions. A model for Thinking for Learning, “think‐to‐learn‐to‐think,” is discussed and children's activities are used to define the stages of this cycle. The study of children's pre–during–after project “Thinking Maps” and explanations during group discussions suggests that their thinking sequences were altered during and after their game design activities. The children presented their “thinking process” when designing computer games as a continual circular cycle and described their mind as a virtual lab to plan and visualise solutions before testing them on screen, using the “Alice” game design program.
Sequence hierarchy in a Mesoproterozoic interior sag basin: from basin fill to reservoir scale, the Tombador Formation, Chapada Diamantina Basin, Brazil
Authors: Magalhães A. J. C. , Raja Gabaglia G. P. , Scherer C. M. S. , Bállico M. B. , Guadagnin F. , Bento Freire E. , Silva Born L.R. , Catuneanu O.
Published: February 2015

The Tombador Formation exhibits depositional sequence boundaries placed at the base of extensive amalgamated fluvial sand sheets or at the base of alluvial fan conglomeratic successions that indicate basinward shifts of facies. The hierarchy system that applies to the Tombador Formation includes sequences of different orders, which are defined as follows: sequences associated with a particular tectonic setting are designated as ‘first order’ and are separated by first‐order sequence boundaries where changes in the tectonic setting are recorded; second‐order sequences represent the major subdivisions of a first‐order sequence and reflect cycles of change in stratal stacking pattern observed at 102 m scales (i.e., 200–300 m); changes in stratal stacking pattern at 101 m scales indicate third‐order sequences (i.e., 40–70 m); and changes in stratal stacking pattern at 100 m scales are assigned to the fourth order (i.e., 8–12 m). Changes in palaeogeography due to relative sea level changes are recorded at all hierarchical levels, with a magnitude that increases with the hierarchical rank. Thus, the Tombador Formation corresponds to one‐first‐order sequence, representing a distinct intracratonic sag basin fill in the polycyclic history of the Espinhaço Supergroup in Chapada Diamantina Basin. An angular unconformity separates fluvial‐estuarine to alluvial fan deposits and marks the second‐order boundary. Below the angular unconformity the third‐order sequences record fluvial to estuarine deposition. In contrast, above the angular unconformity these sequences exhibit continental alluvial successions composed conglomerates overlain by fluvial and eolian strata. Fourth‐order sequences are recognized within third‐order transgressive systems tract, and they exhibit distinct facies associations depending on their occurrence at estuarine or fluvial domains. At the estuarine domain, they are composed of tidal channel, tidal bar and overlying shoreface heterolithic strata. At the fluvial domain the sequences are formed of fluvial deposits bounded by fine‐grained or tidal influenced intervals. Fine grained intervals are the most reliable to map in fourth‐order sequences because of their broad laterally extensive sheet‐like external geometry. Therefore, they constitute fourth‐order sequence boundaries that, at the reservoir approach, constitute the most important horizontal heterogeneity and, hence, the preferable boundaries of production zones. The criteria applied to assign sequence hierarchies in the Tombador Formation are based on rock attributes, are easy to apply, and can be used as a baseline for the study of sequence stratigraphy in Precambrian and Phanerozoic basins placed in similar tectonic settings.
Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Oxygen‐containing Heterocyclic Ring‐fused 23‐Hydroxybetulinic Acid Derivatives as Antitumor Agents
Authors: Zhang Hengyuan , Li Fangzheng , Zhu Peiqing , Liu Jie , Yao Hequan , Jiang Jieyun , Ye Wencai , Wu Xiaoming , Xu Jinyi
Published: February 2015

A collection of isoxazole and oxadiazole substituted 23‐hydroxybetulinic acid (HBA) derivatives were designed, synthesized and evaluated for their antitumor activity. Most of the newly synthesized compounds exhibited more potent antiproliferative activity than patent compound 23‐hydroxybetulinic acid, especially 13e and 14a were about four‐ to sevenfold more potent against all tested cancer cell lines than 23‐hydroxybetulinic acid. Furthermore, the in vivo antitumor activity of 13e and 14a was validated in H22 liver cancer and B16 melanoma xenograft mouse models. The structure–activity relationships of these 23‐hydroxybetulinic acid derivatives were also discussed based on the present investigation.
Policy Narratives versus Everyday Geographies: Perceptions of Changing Local Space in Melbourne's Diverse North
Authors: Robertson Shanthi , Colic–Peisker Val
Published: February 2015

This paper presents a comparative case study of two northern suburbs in Melbourne, Australia, in order to analyze local perceptions of proximity, mobility, and spaces of community interaction within diverse neighborhoods experiencing socioeconomic and demographic transition. We first look at government policies concerning the two suburbs, which position one suburb within a narrative of gentrification and the other within a narrative of marginalization. We then draw on diverse residents’ experiences and perceptions of local space, finding that these “everyday geographies” operate independently of and often at odds with local policy narratives of demographic and socioeconomic transition. We conclude that residents’ “everyday geographies” reveal highly varied and contested experiences of sociospatial dimensions of local change, in contrast to policy narratives that are often neoliberally framed.
Spatio‐temporal dynamics of adaptation in the human visual system: a high‐density electrical mapping study
Authors: Andrade Gizely N. , Butler John S. , Mercier Manuel R. , Molholm Sophie , Foxe John J.
Published: February 2015

When sensory inputs are presented serially, response amplitudes to stimulus repetitions generally decrease as a function of presentation rate, diminishing rapidly as inter‐stimulus intervals (ISIs) fall below 1 s. This ‘adaptation’ is believed to represent mechanisms by which sensory systems reduce responsivity to consistent environmental inputs, freeing resources to respond to potentially more relevant inputs. While auditory adaptation functions have been relatively well characterized, considerably less is known about visual adaptation in humans. Here, high‐density visual‐evoked potentials (VEPs) were recorded while two paradigms were used to interrogate visual adaptation. The first presented stimulus pairs with varying ISIs, comparing VEP amplitude to the second stimulus with that of the first (paired‐presentation). The second involved blocks of stimulation (N = 100) at various ISIs and comparison of VEP amplitude between blocks of differing ISIs (block‐presentation). Robust VEP modulations were evident as a function of presentation rate in the block‐paradigm, with strongest modulations in the 130–150 ms and 160–180 ms visual processing phases. In paired‐presentations, with ISIs of just 200–300 ms, an enhancement of VEP was evident when comparing S2 with S1, with no significant effect of presentation rate. Importantly, in block‐presentations, adaptation effects were statistically robust at the individual participant level. These data suggest that a more taxing block‐presentation paradigm is better suited to engage visual adaptation mechanisms than a paired‐presentation design. The increased sensitivity of the visual processing metric obtained in the block‐paradigm has implications for the examination of visual processing deficits in clinical populations.
On the ethical use of placebos
Authors: Rawlins Richard
Published: February 2015

Sham drugs, fake therapies and non‐effective treatments have long been used to placate patients and are often referred to as ‘placebos’. Placebos are used regularly as controls for clinical drug trials but their use as therapeutic modalities in their own right is controversial. This article combines my experience as a consultant surgeon with the insight of also being a magician, and member of The Magic Circle, UK, in viewing the world of deception and delusion in health care. This perspective endorses the use of placebos within the paradigm of ethical care based on patients giving fully informed consent. This means that unless and until there is generally accepted plausible evidence that a specific complementary or alternative medicine (CAM) or practice produces outcomes better than those produced by therapeutic encounters with attentive empathic practitioners alone, it should be accepted that the CAM therapy works through the mechanism of a placebo response – and that is what patients should be told. That may diminish the beneficial effects of the CAM/placebo therapy, but the placebo response will not be entirely negated – honesty and intellectual integrity should trump the convenience of the practitioner.
Oxygen limitations on marine animal distributions and the collapse of epibenthic community structure during shoaling hypoxia
Authors: Chu Jackson W. F. , Tunnicliffe Verena
Published: February 2015

Deoxygenation in the global ocean is predicted to induce ecosystem‐wide changes. Analysis of multidecadal oxygen time‐series projects the northeast Pacific to be a current and future hot spot of oxygen loss. However, the response of marine communities to deoxygenation is unresolved due to the lack of applicable data on component species. We repeated the same benthic transect (n = 10, between 45 and 190 m depths) over 8 years in a seasonally hypoxic fjord using remotely operated vehicles equipped with oxygen sensors to establish the lower oxygen levels at which 26 common epibenthic species can occur in the wild. By timing our surveys to shoaling hypoxia events, we show that fish and crustacean populations persist even in severe hypoxia (<0.5 mL L−1) with no mortality effects but that migration of mobile species occurs. Consequently, the immediate response to hypoxia expansion is the collapse of community structure; normally partitioned distributions of resident species coalesced and localized densities increased. After oxygen renewal and formation of steep oxygen gradients, former ranges re‐established. High frequency data from the nearby VENUS subsea observatory show the average oxygen level at our site declined by ~0.05 mL L−1 year−1 over the period of our study. The increased annual duration of the hypoxic (<1.4 mL L−1) and severely hypoxic periods appears to reflect the oxygen dynamics demonstrated in offshore source waters and the adjacent Strait of Georgia. Should the current trajectory of oxygen loss continue, community homogenization and reduced suitable habitat may become the dominant state of epibenthic systems in the northeast Pacific. In situ oxygen occurrences were not congruent with lethal and sublethal hypoxia thresholds calculated across the literature for major taxonomic groups indicating that research biases toward laboratory studies on Atlantic species are not globally applicable. Region‐specific hypoxia thresholds are necessary to predict future impacts of deoxygenation on marine biodiversity.
Early glial activation precedes neurodegeneration in the cerebral cortex after SIV infection: A 3D, multivoxel proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy study
Authors: Wu WE , Babb JS , Tal A , Kirov II , George AE , Ratai E‐M , Gonzalez RG , Gonen O
Published: February 2015

Objectives

As ∼40% of HIV‐infected individuals experience neurocognitive decline, we investigated whether proton magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (1H‐MRSI) detects early metabolic abnormalities in the cerebral cortex of a simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV)‐infected rhesus monkey model of neuroAIDS.

Methods

The brains of five rhesus monkeys before and 4 or 6 weeks after SIV infection (with CD8+ T‐cell depletion) were assessed with T2‐weighted quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and 16×16×4 multivoxel 1H‐MRSI (echo time/repetition time = 33/1440 ms). Grey matter and white matter masks were segmented from the animal MRIs and used to produce cortical masks co‐registered to 1H‐MRSI data to yield cortical metabolite concentrations of the glial markers myo‐inositol (mI), creatine (Cr) and choline (Cho), and of the neuronal marker N‐acetylaspartate (NAA). The cortex volume within the large, 28 cm3 (∼35% of total monkey brain) volume of interest was also calculated for each animal pre‐ and post‐infection. Mean metabolite concentrations and cortex volumes were compared pre‐ and post‐infection using paired sample t‐tests.

Results

The mean (± standard deviation) pre‐infection concentrations of the glial markers mI, Cr and Cho were 5.8 ± 0.9, 7.2 ± 0.4 and 0.9 ± 0.1 mM, respectively; these concentrations increased 28% (p ≈ 0.06), 15% and 10% (both p < 0.05), respectively, post‐infection. The mean concentration of neuronal marker NAA remained unchanged (7.0 ± 0.6 mM pre‐infection vs. 7.3 ± 0.8 mM post‐infection; p ≈ 0.37). The mean cortex volume was also unchanged (8.1 ± 1.1 cm3 pre‐infection vs. 8.3 ± 0.5 cm3 post‐infection; p ≈ 0.76).

Conclusions

These results support the hypothesis that early cortical glial activation occurs after SIV infection prior to the onset of neurodegeneration. This suggests HIV therapeutic interventions should potentially target early glial activation in the cerebral cortex.
The rapid test in Spanish pharmacies: a novel programme to reach heterosexual men?
Authors: Fernández‐Balbuena S , Marcos H , Pérez‐Rubio A , Hoyos J , Belza MJ , de la Fuente L
Published: February 2015

Objectives

Spain has been a pioneer in the implementation of rapid HIV testing programmes in pharmacies to increase access to testing. However, no formal evaluation of the effectiveness of these programmes has been carried out to date. Our aim was to evaluate the ability of a novel in‐pharmacy rapid HIV testing programme to promote diagnosis and reach vulnerable populations.

Methods

Between 2011 and 2012, 2168 people underwent testing in 16 urban pharmacies in 10 cities of a Spanish region with a low prevalence of HIV infection. The main outcomes of the programme were compared with those of the regional surveillance system for new HIV diagnoses (RHSS‐CyL).

Results

Overall, 52.8% of those tested were heterosexual men, 15.8% were men who have sex with men (MSM) and 25.3% were women. Nine per cent were immigrants and 41.9% were < 30 years old. In total, 59.5% of the heterosexual men, 44.6% of the MSM and 65.3% of the women were previously untested. There were 23 positive results, representing 6% of all new regional diagnoses in 2011. The global prevalence was 1.1% (95% confidence interval 0.6–1.5%) and the prevalence in MSM was 3.8%. Of the reactive results, 60.9% were in MSM, 34.8% in heterosexual men and only 4.3% in women, vs. 35.4%, 37.5% and 15.0%, respectively, reported by the RHSS‐CyL. The mean age of those testing positive was 32.7 years vs. 38.7 years in the RHSS‐CyL. Fifty per cent of MSM and 75% of heterosexual men testing positive were previously untested.

Conclusions

In Spain, this is the first programme not targeted at the most at‐risk populations, and has been shown to be effective in reaching and diagnosing heterosexual men, who are the group most affected by delayed diagnoses. Heterosexual men accounted for over half of those tested and a third of those diagnosed, and most of them were previously untested. Young and previously untested MSM also greatly benefitted from the programme.
A systematic review on the effects of air polishing devices on oral tissues
Authors: Bühler J , Amato M , Weiger R , Walter C
Published: February 2015

Objectives

Air‐polishing devices are used for the instrumentation of the root surface. Their potential of harm to the hard and/or soft tissues needs to be considered during periodontal treatment. The objective of this systematic review was to analyse the effects of air polishing devices on oral tissues.

Methods

The electronic databases MEDLINE, EMBASE and the Cochrane Library were screened for studies published through 18 November 2013. The surface modifications on human cementum, dentine or gingiva after the instrumentation were considered as outcomes.

Results

Of the 1266 abstracts screened, 17 studies were included in the analysis. Different air polishing powders consisting of sodium bicarbonate, calcium carbonate, pumice or glycine were used in different ex vivo or in vitro settings. Thirteen publications reported data on the effects of air polishing devices on cementum and dentine. Hard tissue modifications, including defect depths and volume, caused by sodium bicarbonate or calcium carbonate powders were significantly greater compared to powders consisting of glycine. The soft tissue modifications using different modes of instrumentation were assessed in four publications. The data demonstrate less potential of harm to the gingiva after spraying with glycine powder compared to sodium bicarbonate powder or instrumentation with curettes.

Conclusion

Glycine powder air polishing may be safely applied to human root surfaces and gingivae.
Use of Atypical Antipsychotics in Nursing Homes and Pharmaceutical Marketing
Authors: Pimentel Camilla B. , Donovan Jennifer L. , Field Terry S. , Gurwitz Jerry H. , Harrold Leslie R. , Kanaan Abir O. , Lemay Celeste A. , Mazor Kathleen M. , Tjia Jennifer , Briesacher Becky A.
Published: February 2015

Objectives

To describe the current extent and type of pharmaceutical marketing in nursing homes (NHs) in one state and to provide preliminary evidence for the potential influence of pharmaceutical marketing on the use of atypical antipsychotics in NHs.

Design

Nested mixed‐methods, cross‐sectional study of NHs in a cluster randomized trial.

Setting

Forty‐one NHs in Connecticut.

Participants

NH administrators, directors of nursing, and medical directors (n = 93, response rate 75.6%).

Measurements

Quantitative data, including prescription drug dispensing data (September 2009–August 2010) linked with Nursing Home Compare data (April 2011), were used to determine facility‐level prevalence of atypical antipsychotic use, facility‐level characteristics, NH staffing, and NH quality. Qualitative data, including semistructured interviews and surveys of NH leaders conducted in the first quarter of 2011, were used to determine encounters with pharmaceutical marketing.

Results

Leadership at 46.3% of NHs (n = 19) reported pharmaceutical marketing encounters, consisting of educational training, written and Internet‐based materials, and sponsored training. No association was detected between level of atypical antipsychotic prescribing and reports of any pharmaceutical marketing by at least one NH leader.

Conclusion

NH leaders frequently encounter pharmaceutical marketing through a variety of ways, although the impact on atypical antipsychotic prescribing is unclear.
Apolipoprotein E, Carbon Dioxide Vasoreactivity, and Cognition in Older Adults: Effect of Hypertension
Authors: Hajjar Ihab , Sorond Farzaneh , Lipsitz Lewis A.
Published: February 2015

Objectives

To investigate the associations between the apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 allele, carbon dioxide (CO2) vasoreactivity, and cognitive performance and to explore the effect of CO2 vasoreactivity and hypertension on the associations between APOE and cognition.

Design

Observational.

Setting

Community.

Participants

Older adults (N = 625) enrolled in the Maintenance of Balance, Independent Living, Intellect and Zest in the Elderly of Boston Study.

Measurements

Change in cerebral blood flow velocity in response to CO2 challenge (CO2), measured using transcranial Doppler ultrasonography, Trail‐Making Test Part B – A (TMT), Hopkins Verbal Learning Test delayed recall (HVLT).

Results

APOE‐ε4 was associated with lower CO2 vasoreactivity (P = .009) and poorer performance on the TMT (P < .001) and HVLT (P < .001). Having hypertension and APOE‐ε4 was associated with worse cognitive and CO2 vasoreactivity measures than having neither or either alone (P < .001 for TMT and HVLT, P = .01 for CO2 vasoreactivity). The association between APOE‐ε4 and cognition was only significant if it was present concurrent with low CO2 vasoreactivity, defined as below the median of the sample (APOE by CO2 vasoreactivity interaction: P = .04 for TMT, P = .04 for HVLT). In hypertension, the association between APOE‐ε4 and executive function was also only significant in participants with lower CO2 vasoreactivity (P = .005 for APOE by CO2 vasoreactivity).

Conclusion

Individuals at risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD) because they have APOE‐ε4 may have lower CO2 vasoreactivity, which in turn may be contributing to the observed lower cognitive performance associated with this allele. The cognitive effect of APOE‐ε4 is magnified in hypertension and low CO2 vasoreactivity. This study offers evidence that APOE‐ε4 may be associated with microvascular brain injury even in the absence of clinical AD.
Global Human Appropriation of Net Primary Production for Biomass Consumption in the European Union, 1986–2007
Authors: Kastner Thomas , Erb Karl‐Heinz , Haberl Helmut
Published: February 2015

The ongoing globalization process strengthens the connections between different geographic regions through trade. Biomass products, such as food, fiber, or bioenergy, are increasingly traded globally, thereby leading to telecouplings between distant, seemingly unrelated regions. For example, restrictions for agricultural production or changes in bioenergy demand in Europe or the United States might contribute to deforestation in Latin America or Sub‐Saharan Africa. One approach to analyze trade‐related land‐use effects of the global socioeconomic biomass metabolism is the “embodied human appropriation of net primary production” or eHANPP. eHANPP accounts allocate to any product the entire amount of the human appropriation of net primary production (HANPP) that emerges throughout its supply chain. This allows consumption‐based accounts to move beyond simple area‐demand approaches by taking differences in natural productivity as well as in land‐use intensity into account, both across land‐use types as well as across world regions. In this article, we discuss the eHANPP related to the European Union's (EU) consumption of biomass products in the period 1986–2007, based on a consistent global trade data set derived from bilateral data. We find a considerable dependency of the EU on the appropriation of biological productivity outside its own boundaries, with increasing reliance on Latin America as a main supplier. By using the EU as an illustrative example, we demonstrate the usefulness of eHANPP for assessing land‐use impacts caused by nations’ socioeconomic activities and conclude that the eHANPP approach can provide useful information to better manage ecosystems globally in the face of an increasingly interconnected world.
Dynamic increases in AMPA receptor phosphorylation in the rat hippocampus in response to amphetamine
Authors: Mao Li‐Min , Xue Bing , Jin Dao‐Zhong , Wang John Q.
Published: February 2015

Increasing evidence supports the critical role of α‐amino‐3‐hydroxy‐5‐methyl‐4‐isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) glutamate receptors in psychostimulant action. These receptors are regulated via a phosphorylation‐dependent mechanism in their trafficking, distribution, and function. The hippocampus is a brain structure important for learning and memory and is emerging as a critical site for processing psychostimulant effects. To determine whether the hippocampal pool of AMPA receptors is regulated by stimulants, we investigated and characterized the impact of amphetamine (AMPH) on phosphorylation of AMPA receptors in the adult rat hippocampus in vivo. We found that AMPH markedly increased phosphorylation of AMPA receptor GluA1 subunits at serine 845 (S845) in the hippocampus. The effect of AMPH was dose dependent. A single dose of AMPH induced a rapid and transient increase in S845 phosphorylation. Among different hippocampal subfields, AMPH primarily elevated S845 phosphorylation in the Cornu Ammonis area 1 and dentate gyrus. In contrast to S845, serine 831 phosphorylation of GluA1 and serine 880 phosphorylation of GluA2 were not altered by AMPH. In addition, surface expression of hippocampal GluA1 was up‐regulated, while the amount of intracellular GluA1 fraction was concurrently reduced in response to AMPH. GluA2 protein levels in either the surface or intracellular pool were insensitive to AMPH. These data demonstrate that the AMPA receptor in the hippocampus is sensitive to dopamine stimulation. Acute AMPH administration induces dose‐, time‐, site‐, and subunit‐dependent phosphorylation of AMPA receptors and facilitates surface trafficking of GluA1 AMPA receptors in hippocampal neurons in vivo.

image

Acute injection of amphetamine increased phosphorylation of α‐Amino‐3‐hydroxy‐5‐methyl‐4‐isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptor GluA1 subunits at a protein kinase A (PKA)‐sensitive site (S845) in the rat hippocampus. This increase was dose‐ and time‐dependent and correlated with an increase in surface GluA1 expression. Thus, amphetamine can upregulate GluA1 phosphorylation and surface trafficking of GluA1 in hippocampal neurons in vivo.
Targeting cyclin D3/CDK6 activity for treatment of Parkinson's disease
Authors: Alquézar Carolina , Barrio Estíbaliz , Esteras Noemí , de la Encarnación Ana , Bartolomé Fernando , Molina José A. , Martín‐Requero Ángeles
Published: February 2015

At present, treatment for Parkinson's disease (PD) is only symptomatic; therefore, it is important to identify new targets tackling the molecular causes of the disease. We previously found that lymphoblasts from sporadic PD patients display increased activity of the cyclin D3/CDK6/pRb pathway and higher proliferation than control cells. These features were considered systemic manifestations of the disease, as aberrant activation of the cell cycle is involved in neuronal apoptosis. The main goal of this work was to elucidate whether the inhibition of cyclin D3/CDK6‐associated kinase activity could be useful in PD treatment. For this purpose, we investigated the effects of two histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors, suberoylanilide hydroxamic (SAHA) acid and sodium butyrate (NaB), and the m‐TOR inhibitor rapamycin on cell viability and cyclin D3/CDK6 activity. Moreover, the potential neuroprotective action of these drugs was evaluated in 6‐hydroxy‐dopamine (6‐OHDA) treated dopaminergic SH‐SY5Y cells and primary rat mesencephalic cultures. Here, we report that both compounds normalized the proliferative activity of PD lymphoblasts and reduced the 6‐OHDA‐induced cell death in neuronal cells by preventing the over‐activation of the cyclin D3/CDK6/pRb cascade. Considering that these drugs are already used in clinic for treatment of other diseases with good tolerance, it is plausible that they may serve as novel therapeutic drugs for PD.

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We report here that peripheral cells from Parkinson's disease (PD) patients show an enhanced proliferative activity due to the activation of cyclin D3/CDK6‐mediated phosphorylation of retinoblastoma protein (pRb). Treatment of PD lymphoblasts with inhibitors of histone deacetylases like suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA) and sodium butyrate (NaB), or with rapamycin, inhibitor of mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) normalized the proliferation of PD lymphoblasts by preventing the over‐activation of the cyclin D3/CDK6/pRb cascade. These drugs were shown to have neuroprotective effects in both human neuroblastoma SH‐SY5Y cells and primary rat mid‐brain dopaminergic neuronal cultures toxicity induced by 6‐hidroxydopamine. Considering that these drugs are already used in clinic for treatment of other diseases with good tolerance, it seems reasonable to believe that the repositioning of these drugs toward PD holds promise as a novel therapeutic strategy.
Influence of Patent Policy in the South on the Research and Development of the North: Exploration of the Foreign Direct Investment Channel
Authors: Sharma Ruchi
Published: February 2015

Developing countries have harmonized and subsequently strengthened their patent regime to comply with the Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights agreement. Theory suggests that developing countries benefit from strong patent protection as such rights shift innovation in developed countries to meet the needs of the South. Empirical studies, however, do not support this hypothesis in its entirety. There is an inter‐link between research and development in the North, foreign direct investment flows, and patent rights in the South that remains unexplored in the empirical studies. As the South provides strong patent protection, innovating firms based in the North shift production to the South, releasing resources in the North for R&D. Consequently, FDI outflows to the South along with its patent protection determine R&D undertaken in the North. This study verifies this hypothesis by performing a two‐stage least square model on a panel of 78 developing countries from 1990–2010, to study the impact of their patent regimes on FDI inflows from developed countries and consequently on respective R&D expenditure. This empirical analysis shows a positive impact of the South's patent protection on innovation in the North.
Disruption of a CAROTENOID CLEAVAGE DIOXYGENASE 4 gene converts flower colour from white to yellow in Brassica species
Authors: Zhang Bao , Liu Chao , Wang Yaqin , Yao Xuan , Wang Fang , Wu Jiangsheng , King Graham J. , Liu Kede
Published: February 2015

In Brassica napus, yellow petals had a much higher content of carotenoids than white petals present in a small number of lines, with violaxanthin identified as the major carotenoid compound in yellow petals of rapeseed lines.

Using positional cloning we identified a carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase 4 gene, BnaC3.CCD4, responsible for the formation of flower colour, with preferential expression in petals of white‐flowered B. napus lines. Insertion of a CACTA‐like transposable element 1 (TE1) into the coding region of BnaC3.CCD4 had disrupted its expression in yellow‐flowered rapeseed lines.

α‐Ionone was identified as the major volatile apocarotenoid released from white petals but not from yellow petals. We speculate that BnaC3.CCD4 may use δ‐ and/or α‐carotene as substrates.

Four variations, including two CACTA‐like TEs (alleles M1 and M4) and two insertion/deletions (INDELs, alleles M2 and M3), were identified in yellow‐flowered Brassica oleracea lines. The two CACTA‐like TEs were also identified in the coding region of BcaC3.CCD4 in Brassica carinata. However, the two INDELs were not detected in B. napus and B. carinata. We demonstrate that the insertions of TEs in BolC3.CCD4 predated the formation of the two allotetraploids.
Dissecting spatiotemporal biomass accumulation in barley under different water regimes using high‐throughput image analysis
Authors: Neumann Kerstin , Klukas Christian , Friedel Swetlana , Rischbeck Pablo , Chen Dijun , Entzian Alexander , Stein Nils , Graner Andreas , Kilian Benjamin
Published: February 2015

Phenotyping large numbers of genotypes still represents the rate‐limiting step in many plant genetic experiments and in breeding. To address this issue, novel automated phenotyping technologies have been developed. We investigated for a core set of barley cultivars if high‐throughput image analysis can help to dissect vegetative biomass accumulation in response to two different watering regimes under semi‐controlled greenhouse conditions. We found that experiments, treatments, genotypes and genotype by environment interaction (G × E) can be characterized at any time point by certain digital traits. Biomass accumulation under control and stress conditions was highly heritable. Growth model‐derived maximum vegetative biomass (Kmax), inflection point (I) and regrowth rate (k) were identified as promising candidate traits for genome‐wide association studies. Drought stress symptoms can be visualized, dissected and modelled. Especially the highly heritable regrowth rate, which had the biggest influence on biomass accumulation in stress treatment, seems promising for future studies to improve drought tolerance in different crop species. A proof of concept study revealed potential correlations between digital traits obtained from pot experiments under greenhouse conditions and agronomic traits from field experiments. Overall, non‐invasive, imaging‐based phenotyping platforms under greenhouse conditions offer excellent possibilities for trait discovery, trait development and industrial applications.
Contract Law as Fairness
Authors: Klijnsma Josse
Published: February 2015

This article examines the implications for contract law of Rawls' theory of justice as fairness. It argues that contract law as an institution is part of the basic structure of society and as such subject to the principles of justice. Discussing the basic structure in relation to contract law is particularly interesting because it is instructive for both contract law and Rawlsian theory. On the one hand, justice as fairness has clear normative implications for the institution of contract law. On the other hand, this discussion forces us to critically assess the meaning and appeal of the concept of a basic structure in justice as fairness.
Risk Perception and the Public Acceptance of Drones
Authors: Clothier Reece A. , Greer Dominique A. , Greer Duncan G. , Mehta Amisha M.
Published: February 2015

Unmanned aircraft, or drones, are a rapidly emerging sector of the aviation industry. There has been limited substantive research, however, into the public perception and acceptance of drones. This article presents the results from two surveys of the Australian public designed to investigate (1) whether the public perceive drones to be riskier than existing manned aviation, (2) whether the terminology used to describe the technology influences public perception, and (3) what the broader concerns are that may influence public acceptance of the technology. We find that the Australian public currently hold a relatively neutral attitude toward drones. Respondents did not consider the technology to be overly unsafe, risky, beneficial, or threatening. Drones are largely viewed as being of comparable risk to that of existing manned aviation. Furthermore, terminology had a minimal effect on the perception of the risks or acceptability of the technology. The neutral response is likely due to a lack of knowledge about the technology, which was also identified as the most prevalent public concern as opposed to the risks associated with its use. Privacy, military use, and misuse (e.g., terrorism) were also significant public concerns. The results suggest that society is yet to form an opinion of drones. As public knowledge increases, the current position is likely to change. Industry communication and media coverage will likely influence the ultimate position adopted by the public, which can be difficult to change once established.
Hydrodynamic Instability Mechanism for Rip Currents
Authors: Yu Jie , Chen Siyu
Published: February 2015

On reexamining the hydrodynamic instability, Yu [1] showed that when the fully dynamical interactions are duly accounted for, and proper mathematical analysis is carried out, the positive feedback between the wave and evolving current can initiate and sustain rip current circulations with scales comparable to field observations on alongshore uniform beaches. In this study, we extend that analysis to consider nonplanar beaches, and to include a new branch of unstable modes that correspond to alongshore propagating horizontal circulations with the magnitudes of the flow growing in time. The latter has not previously been studied. These propagating unstable modes have typical time periods of tens of minutes and alongshore propagation speeds of a few centimeters per second. The physical implications of their spatial and slow time oscillations are discussed, as of relevance to occurrence and recurrence of transient rips, alongshore migration of rip currents and very low frequency pulsations in surf zone eddy circulations.