bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Isolation of Microtubule-Based Motor Proteins by ATP Release from Paclitaxel-Stabilized Microtubules
Authors: Sloboda Roger D.
Published: February 2015

The α–β-tubulin heterodimer is asymmetric, and when asymmetric subunits assemble in a head-to-tail fashion, they produce a polymer that is itself asymmetric. Microtubules are therefore polar polymers having a head (or plus) end and a tail (or minus) end. Both ends can be distinguished kinetically because they add and lose subunits at different rates. Because of this inherent asymmetry, translocation of a particle along a microtubule from the head to the tail is a different molecular event than is translocation from the minus to the plus end. Currently, two classes of microtubule-dependent motor proteins are recognized: Those that are plus-end-directed (i.e., kinesin-like) and those that are minus-end-directed (dynein-like). The kinesin family of proteins in humans contains at least 14 classes of kinesins, a grouping based on tertiary and quaternary structure considerations, as well as on enzymatic activity. The dyneins are organized into two groups: Axonemal dyneins and cytoplasmic dyneins. This protocol provides methods for the enrichment of kinesin or cytoplasmic dynein, based on the differential interactions of each type of motor protein with microtubules in the presence of different nucleotides. For a cleaner preparation of motor proteins, the protocol includes steps for the further separation of kinesin and dynein from one another by sucrose gradient centrifugation.
Observation of Microtubule-Based Motor Protein Activity
Authors: Sloboda Roger D.
Published: February 2015

It is possible to detect the presence of motor proteins that have the ability to translocate particles along microtubules. The two procedures described here were developed to detect microtubule-dependent motor protein activity in cell lysates or of purified proteins. In the first procedure, latex beads bound to the putative motor protein are assayed for their ability to translocate along microtubules in an ATP-dependent fashion. If motor protein activity is present, it will bind to the beads and translocate them unidirectionally along the microtubules. In the second procedure, motor proteins induce microtubule gliding over a glass coverslip surface that is coated with active motor protein. Because the mass of a microtubule is negligible compared to that of a coverslip or slide, the microtubule glides over the glass surface when the surface is coated with active motor protein. Also included here are descriptions of assays designed to determine the directionality of movement of microtubule-based motor proteins.
Alpha societies and requisite variety: a projected framework for governance, education, and work in the 21st century
Authors: Kubik George H.
Published: February 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this article is to define a framework for projecting future leading-edge alpha societies based on the principle of requisite variety. Alpha societies are advanced as a platform for creating future forms of work and workforce preparation premised on continuous creativity, invention, design and innovation.

Design/methodology/approach

– The principle of requisite variety is presented as the basis for a structured schema that incorporates trends and developments in anticipatory behaviors, systems thinking, creativity, design and innovation to produce a strategy for continuous leading-edge learning and performance.

Findings

– Growing global hypercompetition requires real-time ability to create and deliver world-class ideas and value-adding products and services in the shortest possible timeframes. This challenge requires societies, enterprises and individuals that are capable of continuously expanding and expressing their internal variety and complexity while rapidly decreasing the gaps between learning and doing.

Research limitations/implications

– The principle of requisite variety has been well known to cybernetics and systems communities since 1956. However, literature linking the principle of requisite variety to the future of learning and work is not well developed.

Practical implications

– This article establishes requisite variety generation as a valuable resource for twenty-first century societies and economies engaged in producing leading-edge outcomes.

Social implications

– The requisite variety framework developed in this article is intended to enhance the ability of leading-edge societies to continuously leapfrog existing educational, social and economic trajectories.

Originality/value

– The author defines the future of education and work in terms of enhancing individual, enterprise and societal abilities to absorb, generate and exploit variety, complexity and ambiguity.
A tectonic shift
Authors: Abeles Tom P.
Published: February 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to present a brief review and analysis of “The Breakthrough Challenge: 10 Ways to Connect Today’s Profits With Tomorrow’s Bottom Line”.

Design/methodology/approach

– This article consists of a literature review of a recently published book.

Findings

– The volume puts forth the idea that the corporate world is in the process of adopting a new measure of bottom-line profitability around environmental, social and economic responsibilities. It proposes that for change needed in the rising anthropocene, the private sector must lead.

Originality/value

– The review analyzes the argument and raises substantive issues around the authors’ value proposition.
The future of the American campus
Authors: Haggans Michael
Published: February 2015

Purpose

– This article aims to present a review of the American campus in 2015 as the physical and facilities implications of the digital transformation of higher education begin to appear. Business conditions and technological changes are beginning to require changes in the traditional physical campus.

Design/methodology/approach

– The author provides observations and recommendations of a former university architect and campus planner on the physical adaptation of the American campus.

Findings

– Predictions of the demise of traditional colleges and universities will prove accurate for some as they shrivel or merge out of existence. The survivors will adapt their business models and modify their physical campuses to better match student and faculty needs.

Originality/value

– A physical adaptation of the American campus will result from digital transformation of higher education, as there is less need for synchronous place and time.
Functional differences between dominant grasses drive divergent responses to large herbivore loss in mesic savanna grasslands of North America and South Africa
Authors: Forrestel Elisabeth J. , Donoghue Michael J. , Smith Melinda D.
Published: January 2015

Grazing and fire are disturbances integral to the evolution and maintenance of savanna grasslands. Humans are altering or completely eliminating these disturbance regimes at a global scale, with important consequences for savanna ecosystem structure and function. It is unknown whether the alteration of these disturbance regimes will have similar effects on grass communities of savanna grasslands in different geographic regions that vary in their biogeographic and evolutionary histories, as well as in the diversity of extant grazers.

Here, we examined the effects of large herbivore loss on different aspects of grass community structure – taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional – across a range of fire frequencies in C4‐dominated mesic savanna grassland sites of North America (Konza Prairie Biological Station, Kansas,USA) and South Africa (Kruger National Park). The goal of the study was to determine whether the loss of large herbivores exerted a consistent effect on the grass communities of two physiognomically similar grasslands with different biogeographic and grazing histories.

The removal of large herbivores resulted in divergent responses in the grass communities at Konza and Kruger that was consistent across fire treatments. At Konza, there was a rapid and significant response to grazing exclusion while the response was muted and transient at Kruger. Functional syndromes associated with grazing resistance were generally conserved across sites, and it was the functional strategies of the dominant species at each site that drove the divergent responses. Further, our study supports the hypothesis that grazing and aridity may be selective forces that act in parallel as those species that were grazing resistant also occupied drier niches.

Synthesis. Our study demonstrates that savanna grassland communities with different biogeographic and grazing histories respond differently to the removal of large herbivores and that climate, fire and grazing are interactive forces in maintaining savanna grassland diversity and function. We show that the functional attributes of the dominant grasses, which are in part driven by the biogeographic and grazing history experienced, are the most relevant in predicting the response of savanna ecosystems to the loss of large herbivores.
Tropical trees in a wind‐exposed island ecosystem: height‐diameter allometry and size at onset of maturity
Authors: Thomas Sean C. , Martin Adam R. , Mycroft Erin E.
Published: January 2015

Tropical tree species adapted to high wind environments might be expected to differ systematically in terms of stem allometry and life‐history patterns, as compared with species found in less windy forests. We quantified height‐diameter (H‐D) allometries and relative size at onset of maturity (RSOM) for rain forest tree and tree fern species native to Dominica, West Indies, an island that experiences some of the highest average wind speeds pantropically.

H‐D allometries for 17 Dominican angiosperm tree species were strongly concave on a log–log scale with asymptotic heights ranging from 9 to 32 m among species, averaging 25 m for canopy trees. H‐D allometries for species‐pooled data deviated strongly from recorded patterns for other tropical forest trees: asymptotic heights for trees in Dominica were 30–116% lower than those recorded for continental rain forest trees in Australia, South America, Africa and South‐East Asia. In a subset of canopy trees sampled in steep, sheltered valleys, heights were 12–26% larger at a given diameter and approached those observed in other tropical regions, suggesting large phenotypic responses of H‐D allometries to wind conditions.

RSOM(quantified as the ratio of height at onset of reproduction to asymptotic maximum height) for Dominican angiosperm species was highly variable, ranging from 0.23 to 0.89 (mean 0.54), similar to patterns observed in Malaysia and Panama; very lowRSOMvalues were estimated for two tree fern species. Pooling data from Dominica with published values from other tropical forests, we observed a significant negative correlation betweenRSOMand wood density.

Synthesis. Our data suggest that wind regimes are a critical determinant of height‐diameter (H‐D) allometries of tropical trees at both the local and global scale. Although we found no evidence for a systematic differences in reproductive onset related to wind regime,RSOMwas negatively correlated with species’ wood density, suggesting that more shade‐tolerant tree species show a longer period of gradually increasing reproductive allocation through ontogeny.
An observational study of the success and complications of 2546 external cephalic versions in low‐risk pregnant women performed by trained midwives
Authors: Beuckens A , Rijnders M , Verburgt‐Doeleman GHM , Rijninks‐van Driel GC , Thorpe J , Hutton EK
Published: February 2015

Objective

To evaluate the success of an external cephalic version (ECV) training programme, and to determine the rates of successful ECV, complications, and caesarean birth in a low‐risk population.

Design

Prospective observational study.

Setting

Primary health care and hospital settings throughout the Netherlands (January 2008–September 2011).

Population

Low‐risk women with a singleton fetus in breech presentation, without contraindications to ECV, were offered ECV at approximately 36 weeks of gestation.

Methods

Data were collected for all ECVs performed by midwives, and were entered into a national online database.

Main measures

Successful ECV was defined as the fetus having a cephalic presentation immediately following the procedure and at birth. Complications were observed at ≤30 minutes and between 30 minutes and 48 hours after the ECV procedure. All serious pregnancy outcomes that occurred after the ECV procedure until birth were reported.

Results

A total of 47% had a successful ECv and a cephalic at the time of birth: 34% of nulliparous and 66% of multiparous women. After ECV, 57% of women gave birth vaginally: 45% of nulliparous women and 76% of multiparous women. Within 30 minutes after ECV, and between 30 minutes and 48 hours after ECV, the proportion of women experiencing a complication or serious pregnancy outcome was 0.9% and 1.8%, respectively. Serious pregnancy outcome at any time following ECV until birth was experienced by 58 (2.5%) of the women.

Conclusions

The success rate of ECVs performed by trained midwives in primary health care or hospital settings is comparable with that of other providers, and the procedure is safe for low‐risk women.
Membrane progesterone receptors in human regulatory T cells: a reality in pregnancy
Authors: Areia A , Vale‐Pereira S , Alves V , Rodrigues‐Santos P , Moura P , Mota‐Pinto A
Published: February 2015

Objective

To provide evidence of the existence of membrane progesterone receptor alpha (mPRα) on regulatory T cells (Treg) in peripheral blood during pregnancy, postulating a possible explanation for the effect of progesterone on preterm birth.

Design

Cross‐sectional study.

Setting

Tertiary Obstetric Department in a University Hospital.

Population

Healthy pregnant women.

Methods

Treg cells from peripheral blood samples were studied by flow cytometry using multiple monoclonal antibody expression.

Main outcome measures

Evaluate the number and percentage of CD4+CD25highCD127low, the number and percentage of Treg cells among the total CD4+ T cells, and the percentage and mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) of mPRα in that population, using several gating strategies.

Results

43 peripheral blood samples were collected from healthy women during pregnancy, whose median gestational age was 28.7 ± 7.1 (16–40) weeks. The percentage of CD4+ in the total lymphocytes was 43% (32–51) and the percentage of CD4+CD25highCD127low was 4.8% (1.6–5.9), with only 45% (16–72) of those cells expressing the intracellular marker FoxP3 (Treg cell pool). We confirmed the existence of mPRα in that specific population because 8.0% (2.02–33) of the Treg cells were marked with the specific monoclonal antibody, with an mPRα+ MFI of 719 (590–1471).

Conclusions

This research shows that Treg cells express mPRα during pregnancy, which might play an important role in immune modulation by progesterone.
Fatal consequences: an analysis of the failed employee voice system at the Bundaberg Hospital
Authors: Wilkinson Adrian , Townsend Keith , Graham Tina , Muurlink Olav
Published: February 2015

In this paper we discuss the failure of the employee voice system at the Bundaberg Base Hospital (BBH) in Australia. Surgeon Jayant Patel was arrested over the deaths of patients on whom he operated when he was the director of surgery at the hospital. Our interest is in the reasons the established employee voice mechanisms failed when employees attempted to bring serious issues to the attention of managers. Our data is based on an analysis of the sworn testimonies of participants who participated in two inquiries concerning these events. An analysis of the events with a particular focus on the failings of the voice system is presented. We ask the following: how and why did the voice systems in the case of the BBH fail?
Risk Tells Us Who, But Not What or How
Authors: Taxman Faye S. , Caudy Michael S.
Published: February 2015

Research Summary

The current study used latent class analysis (LCA) to identify profiles of criminogenic needs in a sample of 17,252 community‐supervised individuals from one state's probation system. The purpose of this research was to illustrate the complexity of offender need profiles to inform the development and implementation of correctional interventions. The LCA analyses revealed four classes of dynamic needs. Conditional item probabilities were examined to label the four classes based on their likelihood of presenting with static risk, criminogenic needs, and destabilizing factors (i.e., factors that indirectly relate to recidivism). The four classes were characterized by the following: a low probability of both risks and destabilizers (LN‐LD), a moderate probability of risk and criminogenic needs with a high probability of multiple destabilizers (MN‐HD), a high probability of risk and needs with moderate probabilities of destabilizers (HN‐MD), and a high probability of static and criminogenic needs and destabilizers (HN‐HD). Finally, the relationship between latent class membership and three separate recidivism outcomes was assessed. Consistent with study hypotheses, individuals in latent classes characterized by a greater probability of criminogenic needs and lifestyle destabilizers were more likely to experience subsequent criminal justice involvement, regardless of risk level.

Policy Implications

Simplifying the complexity of offender risk and need profiles through empirical classification has direct implications for policy and practice. First, it clarifies whether dynamic needs and/or risk should drive decision making. Second, the integration of dynamic risk factors into the case management process can inform strategies to mitigate static risk and inform the development of new and improved interventions. The current study findings provide insight into the clustering of dynamic risk factors within individuals. This classification structure has the potential to increase the precision of case management decisions by identifying targets for programming that are likely to co‐occur for many offenders. Specifically, programs can be developed to tailor components to specific static risk and need profiles.
Mortality among individuals accessing pharmacological treatment for opioid dependence in California, 2006–10
Authors: Evans Elizabeth , Li Libo , Min Jeong , Huang David , Urada Darren , Liu Lei , Hser Yih‐Ing , Nosyk Bohdan
Published: February 2015

Aims

To estimate mortality rates among treated opioid‐dependent individuals by cause and in relation to the general population, and to estimate the instantaneous effects of opioid detoxification and maintenance treatment (MMT) on the hazard of all‐cause and cause‐specific mortality.

Design

Population‐based treatment cohort study.

Setting

Linked mortality data on all individuals first enrolled in publicly funded pharmacological treatment for opioid dependence in California, USA from 2006 to 2010.

Participants

A total of 32 322 individuals, among whom there were 1031 deaths (3.2%) over a median follow‐up of 2.6 years (interquartile range = 1.4–3.7).

Measurements

The primary outcome was mortality, indicated by time to death, crude mortality rates (CMR) and standardized mortality ratios (SMR).

Findings

Individuals being treated for opioid dependence had a more than fourfold increase of mortality risk compared with the general population [SMR = 4.5, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 4.2, 4.8]. Mortality risk was higher (1) when individuals were out‐of‐treatment (SMR = 6.1, 95% CI = 5.7, 6.5) than in‐treatment (SMR = 1.8, 95% CI = 1.6, 2.1) and (2) during detoxification (SMR = 2.4, 95% CI = 1.5, 3.8) than during MMT (SMR = 1.8, 95% CI = 1.5, 2.1), especially in the 2 weeks post‐treatment entry (SMR = 5.5, 95% CI = 2.7, 9.8 versus SMR = 2.5, 95% CI = 1.7, 4.9). Detoxification and MMT both independently reduced the instantaneous hazard of all‐cause and drug‐related mortality. MMT preceded by detoxification was associated with lower all‐cause and other cause‐specific mortality than MMT alone.

Conclusions

In people with opiate dependence, detoxification and methadone maintenance treatment both independently reduce the instantaneous hazard of all‐cause and drug‐related mortality.
Effects of experimental negative affect manipulations on ad libitum smoking: a meta‐analysis
Authors: Heckman Bryan W. , Carpenter Matthew J. , Correa John B. , Wray Jennifer M. , Saladin Michael E. , Froeliger Brett , Drobes David J. , Brandon Thomas H.
Published: February 2015

Aims

To quantify the effect of negative affect (NA), when manipulated experimentally, upon smoking as measured within laboratory paradigms. Quantitative meta‐analyses tested the effects of NA versus neutral conditions on (1) latency to smoke and (2) number of puffs taken.

Methods

Twelve experimental studies tested the influence of NA induction, relative to a neutral control condition (n = 1190; range = 24–235). Those providing relevant data contributed to separate random‐effects meta‐analyses to examine the effects of NA on two primary smoking measures: (1) latency to smoke (nine studies) and (2) number of puffs taken during ad libitum smoking (11 studies). Hedge's g was calculated for all studies through the use of post‐NA cue responses relative to post‐neutral cue responses. This effect size estimate is similar to Cohen's d, but corrects for small sample size bias.

Results

NA reliably decreased latency to smoke (g = –0.14; CI = –0.23 to –0.04; P = 0.007) and increased number of puffs taken (g = 0.14; CI = 0.02 to 0.25; P = 0.02). There was considerable variability across studies for both outcomes (I2 = 51 and 65% for latency and consumption, respectively). Potential publication bias was indicated for both outcomes, and adjusted effect sizes were smaller and no longer statistically significant.

Conclusions

In experimental laboratory studies of smokers, negative affect appears to reduce latency to smoking and increase number of puffs taken, but this could be due to publication bias.
Multidisciplinary residential treatment can improve perceptual‐motor function in obese children
Authors: Gentier Ilse , D'Hondt Eva , Augustijn Mireille , Tanghe Ann , De Bourdeaudhuij Ilse , Deforche Benedicte , Lenoir Matthieu
Published: January 2015

Aim

This study evaluated the effects of a 10‐month multidisciplinary residential treatment programme on the perceptual‐motor function of obese children and compared them to children with a healthy weight.

Methods

We studied 26 obese Belgian children (10 girls and 16 boys) with a mean age of 10.1 years (±1.4 years), who followed a residential treatment programme consisting of moderate dietary restriction, psychological support and physical activity. The results were compared with 26 healthy weight children matched for age and gender. The anthropometrics and performance of both groups were assessed on two occasions, 10 months apart, based on simple and choice reaction time tasks and a tracking task using a stylus and tablet. Time by body mass index group interactions were investigated using repeated measure ANCOVAs, with age included as a covariate.

Results

No significant interaction effect occurred in either task. In contrast, the obese participants showed a significant improvement in tracking performance over time during the stylus and tablet tests, demonstrating mean deviation from the ideal curve. No difference in performance between baseline and follow‐up was observed in the healthy weight controls.

Conclusion

Taking part in a multidisciplinary residential treatment programme improved the perceptual‐motor function of obese children.
Children in family foster care have greater health risks and less involvement in Child Health Services
Authors: Köhler M , Emmelin M , Hjern A , Rosvall M
Published: January 2015

Aim

This study investigated the impact of being in family foster care on selected health determinants and participation in Child Health Services (CHS).

Methods

Two groups of 100 children, born between 1992 and 2008, were studied using data from Swedish Child Health Services for the preschool period up to the age of six. The first group had been in family foster care, and the controls, matched for age, sex and geographic location, had not. Descriptive statistics were used to describe differences in health determinants and participation in Child Health Services between the two groups.

Results

The foster care group had higher health risks, with lower rates of breastfeeding and higher levels of parental smoking. They were less likely to have received immunisations and attended key nurse or physician visits and speech and vision screening. Missing data for the phenylketonuria test were more common in children in family foster care.

Conclusion

Children in family foster care were exposed to more health risks than the control children and had lower participation in the universal child health programme during the preschool period. These results call for secure access to high‐quality preventive health care for this particularly vulnerable group of children.
Safe patient monitoring is challenging but still feasible in a neonatal intensive care unit with single family rooms
Authors: van Pul C. , v.d. Mortel H.P.M.E. , v.d. Bogaart J.J.L. , Mohns T. , Andriessen P.
Published: January 2015

Aim

Patient monitoring generates a large number of alarms. The aim of this study was to evaluate the rate, type and management of alarms and to determine the risks of a distributed alarm system in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) with single family rooms.

Methods

A risk analysis was performed before implementation. Alarms from patient monitors recorded for a year were identified, classified and counted. The first alarms, which went to the nurse responsible for the patient, were distinguished from the repeat alarms that were generated if the nurse failed to respond within 45 sec.

Results

The alarm handling protocol was changed as staff felt they needed a greater overview of the NICU alarms to avoid risks. In 1 year, 222 751 critical alarms including 12 309 repeat alarms were generated by patient monitors, equivalent to two alarms per patient per hour. Most of the alarms were oxygen desaturation alarms, followed by bradycardia alarms. About 3% of the desaturation alarms and 0.2% of the bradycardia alarms were repeated.

Conclusion

Safe patient monitoring was challenging in a NICU with single family rooms, but possible by employing a distributed alarm system. The low number of repeat alarms indicated quick response times.
Moderate and extended neonatal resuscitations occur in one in 10 births and require specialist cover 24 hours a day
Authors: Try Alyssa , Karam Oliver , Delcò Cristina , Kraemer Karin , Boulvain Michel , Pfister Riccardo E.
Published: January 2015

Aim

Neonatal resuscitation requires minimal equipment, but the immediate availability of expert staff accounts for the largest proportion of the costs. Despite this, staff requirements and timetables are currently planned without comprehensive epidemiologic data. The aim of this study was to evaluate the staffing required for neonatal resuscitations in the delivery room.

Methods

We measured attendance for each specific role in a tertiary university‐affiliated hospital and for four possible intervention levels: preparation time, basic paediatric care, moderate resuscitation and extended resuscitation.

Results

Between 2005 and 2012, resuscitation staff attended 11 561 of the 32 799 births: 27.2% for preparation time, 17.7% for basic paediatric care, 6.4% for moderate resuscitation and 3.5% for extended resuscitation. Moderate and extended resuscitations occurred in roughly 10% of births and evenly during 24‐h periods. Basic paediatric care levels were higher during weekday mornings, and extended resuscitations were uniformly distributed. However, there was a drop in all types of interventions around 7 a.m. to 8 a.m., when staff were changing shifts.

Conclusion

Moderate and extended resuscitations occurred evenly over 24 h in roughly 10% of births, stressing the importance of having a highly competent neonatal team constantly available. All activities associated with resuscitation were lower during morning shift changes.
Prematurity reduces the severity and need for treatment of neonatal abstinence syndrome
Authors: Ruwanpathirana Radhika , Abdel‐Latif Mohamed E. , Burns Lucy , Chen Julia , Craig Fiona , Lui Kei , Oei Ju Lee
Published: January 2015

Aim

This study determined the influence of prematurity on the manifestation and treatment of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS).

Methods

This was a medical record review of Australian infants exposed to opiates in 2004 and 2007. Finnegan scores were obtained for 215 of 361 (59%) preterm infants under 37‐week gestation and 694 of 1178 (59%) term infants.

Results

The mean and standard deviation (SD) gestational ages were 34 (3) and 38 (3) weeks for preterm and term infants, respectively. Maternal daily methadone doses were similar for the preterm and term infants with a mean (SD) of 79 mg (39) versus 72 mg (38) (p = 0.06). Maximum Finnegan scores were significantly lower in preterm infants (10 versus 11, p = 0.01), scores were positively correlated with gestation and fewer preterm infants were medicated for NAS (40% versus 48% p = 0.05). Maximum median daily and interquartile range morphine doses were lower for preterm than term infants (0.5 mg/kg/day (0.3–0.6) versus 0.5 mg/kg/day (0.4–0.7), p = 0.02).

Conclusion

Preterm infants were just as likely to be monitored for withdrawal as term infants, but their Finnegan scores were lower and fewer preterm infants were treated for NAS. Whether this indicates decreased NAS severity or physiological immaturity is uncertain. Other means of evaluating NAS in preterm infants are warranted, especially long‐term outcomes.
Extremely preterm birth affects boys more and socio‐economic and neonatal variables pose sex‐specific risks
Authors: Månsson Johanna , Fellman Vineta , Stjernqvist Karin ,   the EXPRESS Study Group (authors)
Published: January 2015

Aim

The early identification of at‐risk extremely preterm (EPT) children could improve long‐term outcomes. This study sought to investigate sex differences in developmental outcomes and to identify sex‐specific predictors at two and a half years of age.

Methods

We assessed 217 boys and 181 girls born before 27‐week gestation using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, third edition (Bayley‐III), as a part of the Extremely Preterm Infants in Sweden Study. Sex‐specific differences were calculated. Socio‐economic, birth and neonatal factors were calculated separately for boys and girls using regression models.

Results

Girls scored significantly higher than boys on all Bayley‐III indices. In both sexes, brain injury, long‐term ventilator treatment and foreign‐born mothers predicted lower scores. Receiving breast milk by hospital discharge predicted higher scores. Severe retinopathy of prematurity was the strongest predictor of cognitive and language deficits in boys. High parental education predicted higher cognitive and language scores in girls, whereas severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia was the strongest predictor of motor deficits.

Conclusion

Extreme prematurity seems to affect boys more than girls. Socio‐economic and neonatal factors confer similar risks or protections on both sexes, but some variables pose sex‐specific risks. An awareness of risk factors may provide the basis for treatment and follow‐up guidelines.
Role of biomarkers of nephrotoxic acute kidney injury in deliberate poisoning and envenomation in less developed countries
Authors: Mohamed Fahim , Endre Zoltan H. , Buckley Nicholas A.
Published: February 2015

Acute kidney injury (AKI) has diverse causes and is associated with increased mortality and morbidity. In less developed countries (LDC), nephrotoxic AKI (ToxAKI) is common and mainly due to deliberate ingestion of nephrotoxic pesticides, toxic plants or to snake envenomation. ToxAKI shares some pathophysiological pathways with the much more intensively studied ischaemic AKI, but in contrast to ischaemic AKI, most victims are young, previously healthy adults. Diagnosis of AKI is currently based on a rise in serum creatinine. However this may delay diagnosis because of the kinetics of creatinine. Baseline creatinine values are also rarely available in LDC. Novel renal injury biomarkers offer a way forward because they usually increase more rapidly in AKI and are normally regarded as absent or very low in concentration, thereby reducing the need for a baseline estimate. This should increase sensitivity and speed of diagnosis. Specificity should also be increased for urine biomarkers since many originate from the renal tubular epithelium. Earlier diagnosis of ToxAKI should allow earlier initiation of appropriate therapy. However, translation of novel biomarkers of ToxAKI into clinical practice requires better understanding of non‐renal factors in poisoning that alter biomarkers and the influence of dose of nephrotoxin on biomarker performance. Further issues are establishing LDC population‐based normal ranges and assessing sampling and analytical parameters for low resource settings. The potential role of renal biomarkers in exploring ToxAKI aetiologies for chronic kidney disease of unknown origin (CKDu) is a high research priority in LDC. Therefore, developing more sensitive biomarkers for early diagnosis of nephrotoxicity is a critical step to making progress against AKI and CKDu in the developing world.
Unraveling the Peruvian Phase of the Central Andes: stratigraphy, sedimentology and geochronology of the Salar de Atacama Basin (22°30–23°S), northern Chile
Authors: Bascuñán Sebastián , Arriagada César , Le Roux Jacobus , Deckart Katja
Published: January 2015

The Salar de Atacama Basin holds important information regarding the tectonic activity, sedimentary environments and their variations in northern Chile during Cretaceous times. About 4000 m of high‐resolution stratigraphic columns of the Tonel, Purilactis and Barros Arana Formations reveal braided fluvial and alluvial facies, typical of arid to semi‐arid environments, interrupted by scarce intervals with evaporitic, aeolian and lacustrine sedimentation, displaying an overall coarsening‐upward trend. Clast‐count and point‐count data evidence the progressive erosion from Mesozoic volcanic rocks to Palaeozoic basement granitoids and deposits located around the Cordillera de Domeyko area, which is indicative of an unroofing process. The palaeocurrent data show that the source area was located to the west. The U/Pb detrital zircon geochronological data give maximum depositional ages of 149 Ma for the base of the Tonel Formation (Agua Salada Member), and 107 Ma for its middle member (La Escalera Member); 79 Ma for the lower Purilactis Formation (Limón Verde Member), and 73 Ma for the Barros Arana Formation. The sources of these zircons were located mainly to the west, and comprised from the Coastal Cordillera to the Precordillera. The ages and pulses record the tectonic activity during the Peruvian Phase, which can be split into two large events; an early phase, around 107 Ma, showing uplift of the Coastal Cordillera area, and a late phase around 79 Ma indicating an eastward jump of the deformation front to the Cordillera de Domeyko area. The lack of internal deformation and the thicknesses measured suggest that deposition of the units occurred in the foredeep zone of an eastward‐verging basin. This sedimentation would have ended with the K‐T phase, recognized in most of northern Chile.
Tectonic activation, source area stratigraphy and provenance changes in a rift basin: the Early Cretaceous Tucano Basin (NE‐Brazil)
Authors: Figueiredo Felipe T. , Almeida Renato P. , Freitas Bernardo T. , Marconato Andre , Carrera Simone C. , Turra Bruno B.
Published: January 2015

Changes in sandstone and conglomerate maturity in tectonically active basins can be considered either as the product of climatic change or of tectonic restructuring of the feeder drainage system. Besides these regional controls, changes in the configuration of local sources can expressively affect basin fill composition. The Early Cretaceous fluvial successions of the Tucano Basin, a rift basin in northeastern Brazil related to the South Atlantic opening, contain one such case of abrupt change in maturity, marked by the passage from pebbly sandstone and conglomerate rich in quartz and quartzite fragments (Neocomian to Barremian São Sebastião Formation) to more feldspathic pebbly sandstone and conglomerate bearing pebbles of varied composition (Aptian Marizal Formation). Systematic analysis of stratigraphic and spatial variation in palaeocurrents and composition of pebbles and cobbles from both units, integrated with the recognition of fluvial and alluvial fan deposits distribution, revealed an abrupt decrease in maturity during the passage from the São Sebastião Formation to the Marizal Formation. This change is explained by exhumation of basement rocks and erosional removal of originally widespread Silurian to Jurassic sandstone and conglomerate units which were a major source of reworked vein quartz and quartzite pebbles to the São Sebastião Formation. Basin border faults activation during the deposition of the Marizal Formation caused adjacent basement uplift above the local erosional base level at the basin borders, whereas during the São Sebastião Formation deposition, the basin border fault scarps probably exposed mineralogically mature sedimentary units. The proposed model has important implications for interpreting changes in sediment maturity in rift basin successions, as similar results are expected where activation of basin border faults occurs after the erosional removal of older sedimentary or volcanic units that controlled syn‐rift successions composition.
Association between metabolic syndrome and mild cognitive impairment and its age difference in a chinese community elderly population
Authors: Liu Miao , He Yao , Jiang Bin , Wu Lei , Wang Jianghua , Yang Shanshan , Wang Yiyan
Published: February 2015

Objective

To examine associations between metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its individual components with risk of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) among community elderly and explore the age difference.

Design

Cross‐sectional study.

Subjects

About 2 102 aged 60 and older community residents in Beijing metropolitan area, China.

Measurements

Cognitive function was assessed by Mini‐Mental State Examination (MMSE). MetS was defined by the 2009 harmonizing definition. Overnight‐fasting blood samples were obtained to measure biochemistry indicators.

Results

The prevalence of MetS and MCI was 59·1% and 15·9%, respectively. After adjusting age, gender, other demographic factors, lifestyle variables and medication use, participants with MetS or its individual components are at significantly elevated risk for MCI. In terms of MMSE score, as the continuous dependent variable, the β (95% CI) of MetS was −0·68(−0·99, −0·37). For prevalence of MCI, as the dichotomy dependent variable, the odds ratio (OR) of Mets is 1·52 compared to control group (or baseline) with 95% confidence interval (CI) of 1·16 to 1·95. The multivariate association only showed significant results among participants aged less than 80 years old.

Conclusions

MetS is associated with worse cognitive function among younger elderly. Managing MetS, as well as its components, may contribute to control cognitive decline and reduce related disease and social burden.
Drivers of Economic Reform in Vietnam's Provinces
Authors: Schmitz Hubert , Tuan Dau Anh , Hang Pham Thi Thu , McCulloch Neil
Published: February 2015

Allowing provinces to find their own way forward was central to Vietnam's progress in institutional and economic development. This article examines who drives this process of economic reform and finds that, in those provinces making the most progress, the private sector played an important role, not against, but with government. Both national and foreign enterprises played a role, but small enterprises tended to be marginalised. Some of the best insights come from comparing provinces and observing how different alignments of interest influenced the reform process.
Cyclosporine A increases hair follicle growth by suppressing apoptosis‐inducing factor nuclear translocation: a new mechanism
Authors: Lan Shaowei , Liu Feilin , Zhao Guifang , Zhou Tong , Wu Chunling , Kou Junna , Fan Ruirui , Qi Xiaojuan , Li Yahui , Jiang Yixu , Bai Tingting , Li Pengdong , Liu Li , Hao Deshun , Zhang Lihong , Li Yulin , Liu Jin Yu
Published: January 2015

Cyclosporine A (CsA) enhances hair growth through caspase‐dependent pathways by retarding anagen‐to‐catagen phase transition in the hair follicle growth cycle. Whether apoptosis‐inducing factor (AIF), a protein that induces caspase‐independent apoptosis, can regulate the hair follicle cycle in response to CsA is currently unclear. Here, we show that the pro‐hair growth properties of CsA are in part due to blockage of AIF nuclear translocation. We first isolate hair follicles from murine dorsal skin. We then used Western blot, immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence to evaluate the expression and localization of AIF in hair follicles. We also determined whether modulation of AIF was responsible for the effects of CsA at the anagen‐to‐catagen transition. AIF was expressed in hair follicles during the anagen, catagen and telogen phases. There was significant nuclear translocation of AIF as hair follicles transitioned from anagen to late catagen phase; this was inhibited by CsA, likely due to reduced cyclophilin A expression and attenuated AIF release from mitochondria. However, we note that AIF translocation was not completely eliminated, which likely explains why the transition to catagen phase was severely retarded by CsA, rather than being completely inhibited. We speculate that blockade of the AIF signalling pathway is a critical event required for CsA‐dependent promotion of hair growth in mice. The study of AIF‐related signalling pathways may provide insight into hair diseases and suggest potential novel therapeutic strategies.
Are nilotinib‐associated vascular adverse events an under‐estimated problem?
Authors: Stève‐Dumont Marie , Baldin Bernadette , Legros Laurence , Thyss Antoine , Re Daniel , Rocher Fanny , Ajmia Florian , Spreux Anne , Drici Milou‐Daniel
Published: January 2015

Vascular adverse events have been reported with nilotinib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor prescribed for chronic myeloid leukaemia. However, few data specify their incidence, or whether they occur in predisposed patients. Hence, we prospectively studied 30 consecutive patients to assess the frequency of such adverse reactions and determine whether the patients presenting with these adverse events bear predisposing factors. From 3 to 73 months after nilotinib initiation, 10 of the 30 patients experienced vascular events. Three patients of these 10 were devoid of any patent cardiovascular risk factor, except for age. This study points out an occurrence more frequent than expected of vascular adverse events associated with nilotinib (> 30% vs. < 1% in summary of product characteristics), and particularly of vascular events of late onset in patients with no pre‐existing risk factors.
The ecological impact of city lighting scenarios: exploring gap crossing thresholds for urban bats
Authors: Hale James D. , Fairbrass Alison J. , Matthews Thomas J. , Davies Gemma , Sadler Jon P.
Published: February 2015

As the global population urbanizes, dramatic changes are expected in city lighting and the urban form, which may threaten the functioning of urban ecosystems and the services they deliver. However, little is known about the ecological impact of lighting in different urban contexts. Movement is an important ecological process that can be disrupted by artificial lighting. We explored the impact of lighting on gap crossing for Pipistrellus pipistrellus, a species of bat (Chiroptera) common within UK cities. We aimed to determine whether the probability of crossing gaps in tree cover varied with crossing distance and lighting level, through stratified field surveys. We then used the resulting data on barrier thresholds to model the landscape resistance due to lighting across an entire city and explored the potential impact of scenarios for future changes to street lighting. The level of illumination required to create a barrier effect reduced as crossing distance increased. For those gaps where crossing was recorded, bats selected the darker parts of gaps. Heavily built parts of the case study city were associated with large and brightly lit gaps, and spatial models indicate movement would be highly restricted in these areas. Under a scenario for brighter street lighting, the area of accessible land cover was further reduced in heavily built parts of the city. We believe that this is the first study to demonstrate how lighting may create resistance to species movement throughout an entire city. That connectivity in urban areas is being disrupted for a relatively common species raises questions about the impacts on less tolerant groups and the resilience of bat communities in urban centres. However, this mechanistic approach raises the possibility that some ecological function could be restored in these areas through the strategic dimming of lighting and narrowing of gaps.
On the form of species–area relationships in habitat islands and true islands
Authors: Matthews Thomas J. , Guilhaumon François , Triantis Kostas A. , Borregaard Michael K. , Whittaker Robert J.
Published: February 2015

Aim

We undertook the largest comparative study to date of the form of the island species–area relationship (ISAR) using 207 habitat island datasets and 601 true island datasets. We also undertook analyses of (a) the factors influencing z‐ and c‐values of the power (log–log) model and (b) how z and c vary between different island types.

Location

Global.

Methods

We used an information theoretic approach to compare the fit of 20 ISAR models to 207 habitat island datasets. Model performance was ranked according to pre‐set criteria, including metrics of generality and efficiency. We also fitted the power (log–log) model to each dataset and analysed variation in parameter estimates and model fits as a function of key dataset characteristics using linear models and constrained analysis of principal coordinates.

Results

The power (nonlinear) model provided the best fit to the most datasets, and was the highest ranked model overall. In general, the more complex models performed badly. Average z‐values were significantly lower for habitat island datasets than for true islands, and were higher for mountaintop and urban habitat islands than for other habitat island types. Average c‐values were significantly lower for oceanic islands, and significantly higher for inland water‐body islands, than for habitat islands. Values of z and c were related to dataset characteristics including the ratio of the largest to smallest island and the maximum and minimum richness values in a dataset.

Main conclusions

Our multimodel comparisons demonstrated the nonlinear implementation of the power model to be the best overall model and thus to be a sensible choice for general use. As the z‐value of the log–log power model varied in relation to ecological and geographical properties of the study systems, caution should be employed when using canonical values for applied purposes.