bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Operation Thumbs Down
Authors: Ratcliffe Jerry H. , Perenzin Amber , Sorg Evan T.
Published: March 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the violence-reduction effects following an FBI-led gang takedown in South Central Los Angeles.

Design/methodology/approach

The time series impact of the intervention was estimated using a Bayesian diffusion-regression state-space model designed to infer a causal effect of an intervention using data from a similar (non-targeted) gang area as a control.

Findings

A statistically significant 22 percent reduction in violent crime was observed, a reduction that lasted at least nine months after the interdiction.

Research limitations/implications

The research method does make assumptions about the equivalency of the control area, though statistical checks are employed to confirm the control area crime rate trended similarly to the target area prior to the intervention.

Practical implications

The paper demonstrates a minimum nine-month benefit to a gang takedown in the target area, suggesting that relatively long-term benefits from focused law enforcement activity are possible.

Social implications

Longer-term crime reduction beyond just the day of the intervention can aid communities struggling with high crime and rampant gang activity.

Originality/value

Few FBI-led gang task force interventions have been studied for their crime reduction benefit at the neighborhood level. This study adds to that limited literature. It also introduces a methodology that can incorporate crime rates from a control area into the analysis, and overcome some limitations imposed by ARIMA modeling.
The relationship between feedback environment, feedback orientation, psychological empowerment and burnout among police in China
Authors: Gong Zhenxing , Zhang Jian , Zhao Yujia , Yin Lei
Published: March 2017

Purpose

Burnout among first-line police in China is high. The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between feedback environment, feedback orientation, psychological empowerment, and burnout as related to the police work.

Design/methodology/approach

An empirical study was conducted with a sample of 437 basic-level policemen and policewomen in the Shandong province of China. Participants completed a series of questionnaires including the supervisor feedback environment scale, feedback orientation scale, psychological empowerment scale, and the Maslach Burnout Inventory.

Findings

The results indicate that police supervisor feedback environment is negatively related to burnout. The relationship between the supervisor feedback environment and burnout is perfectly mediated by psychological empowerment and significantly moderated by feedback orientation. The mediation effect of psychological empowerment is significantly influenced by feedback orientation.

Originality/value

The findings have contributed to answering several recent questions in the feedback-burnout literature. The authors stress that leaders should strive to build a supportive feedback environment for employees.
The impact of geocoding method on the positional accuracy of residential burglaries reported to police
Authors: Mazeika David , Summerton David
Published: March 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to better understand the variability in burglary geocoding positional accuracy between United States Census Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing (TIGER)-based street geocoding and results produced using reference data made publicly available by Google.

Design/methodology/approach

This research compares the Euclidian distance between ground-truthed burglaries and results produced using two different geocoding reference data sets: TIGER-based street geocoding and publicly available data within Google Earth. T-tests and z-tests are used to discern whether positional errors are statistically significant.

Findings

Both within suburban and urban jurisdictions, Google outperformed street geocoding in terms of positional accuracy. Positional errors on average were 1/4th as large for Google in a suburban setting and 1/5th as large in an urban setting compared to street geocoding.

Practical implications

Police departments that are relying on street geocoding techniques may achieve improved spatial precision by using Google’s reference data if they contain parcel-level information. Moreover, relying on less precise spatial referencing methods may place burglaries in locations where the events do not actually occur or cluster.

Originality/value

This is the first analysis of law enforcement data to examine the positional accuracy of geocoded offense data using Google Earth compared to the commonly used street geocoding method of interpolation.
Police officer understandings of human trafficking and awareness of anti-trafficking measures
Authors: Irwin Nathan
Published: March 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the police officer understandings of human trafficking and their awareness of relevant anti-trafficking policy and legislation, and identify whether this awareness was confined to particular officer demographics.

Design/methodology/approach

The study utilised a mixed-methods design, drawing on data from an online survey of 87 police officers from an Australian state police agency.

Findings

Thematic analysis identified that, while the majority of participants held broad understandings of human trafficking consistent with the United Nations definition, a substantial number conflated the phenomenon with people smuggling. The majority of participants were also unaware of national anti-trafficking legislation and agency anti-trafficking policy, with constables significantly the least likely to be aware of these measures. Most of these officers, however, indicated they would take some form of case referral action in relation to a suspected case of trafficking, albeit across the sample these responses were inconsistent.

Practical implications

The findings underline the need for relevant training and concrete anti-trafficking policy within frontline agencies, which can facilitate the identification, investigation and referral of human trafficking cases.

Originality/value

While the Australian Federal Government’s response to human trafficking has been subject to ample critique, less attention has been paid to the supporting role played by state-level agencies and their frontline personnel. This paper demonstrates the practical barriers present within such agencies, identifying means to build a more effective response which may bolster the national anti-trafficking measures.
Entrepreneurial activity in community health promotion organisations
Authors: Zasada Magdalena
Published: March 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the suitability of a social enterprise model for community health promotion organisations working in disadvantaged neighbourhoods. It focuses on organisational culture, social resources and capacity as pre-requisites for entrepreneurial activities.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is based on ethnographic case studies in England, including semi-structured interviews with the organisations’ staff, trustees and external stakeholders; participant observation; creative method workshops with staff; and feedback meetings with staff and trustees.

Findings

The paper provides empirical insights into the potential for, and the consequences of, introducing entrepreneurial ways of working to community health promotion organisations. It suggests that pre-existing capacity, competencies and skills, as well as the ability to manage cultural hybridity, are key factors.

Research limitations/implications

Studying three organisations allowed comparative analysis, but time constraints limited access to some stakeholders and meant that the researcher could not be continuously present. Fieldwork generated a series of “snapshots” of each organisation at several time points.

Practical/implications

Community health promotion organisations should be mindful of the social and cultural implications of following the entrepreneurial route to income generation. Policymakers need to be more aware of the challenges community health promotion organisations face in taking on entrepreneurial ways of working.

Originality/value

This paper contributes new empirical insights into the process of community health promotion organisations adopting entrepreneurial ways of working. This is underpinned by Bourdieu’s concept of habitus, which provides a new theoretical lens for examining the social and cultural aspects of this transition.
Introduction: towards an ethnography of meeting
Authors: Brown Hannah , Reed Adam , Yarrow Thomas
Published: March 2017

This introductory essay describes a novel approach to meetings in relation to broader literatures within and beyond anthropology. We suggest that notwithstanding many accounts in which meetings figure, little attention has been given to the mundane forms through which these work. Seeking to develop a distinctively ethnographic focus to these quotidian and ubiquitous procedures, we outline an approach that moves attention beyond a narrow concern with just their meaning and content. We highlight some of the innovative strands that develop from this approach, describing how the negotiation of relationships ‘within’ meetings is germane to the organization of ‘external’ contexts, including in relation to time, space, organizational structure, and society. The essay offers a set of provocations for rethinking approaches to bureaucracy, organizational process, and ethos through the ethnographic lens of meeting.
The meeting as subjunctive form: public/private IT projects in British and Turkish state bureaucracies
Authors: Alexander Catherine
Published: March 2017

Drawing on meetings within structured project environments in Turkey and Britain, this essay explores how and if this kind of highly rational, instrumental meeting travels and why so much frustration is typically expressed by British participants in such meetings. Meetings held in the Turkish senior government bureaucracy did not conform to expectation: they embraced formal and informal relations and were spectacles and tournaments of skill. I suggest that expectations of what constitutes a proper meeting are shaped by a specific British genealogy of common sense and technologies of fact creation, neither of which necessarily have purchase elsewhere. Nor is their applicability ‘at home’ straightforward, despite the fact that ‘common sense’ is often treated as simply commensurate with cultural systems as practical action: how one gets things done. Rather, the meeting, as shaped by this tradition, appears as a subjunctive form, a fiction of selective relationality where the meeting and project are treated as if they were set‐aside spaces, participants act as if they had single formal roles cut from a web of internal and external relations, and highly summarized information allows discussion towards a shared goal.
Assessment of seasonal variations of carbon dioxide concentration in Iran using GOSAT data
Authors: Mousavi Seyed Mohsen , Falahatkar Samereh , Farajzadeh Manouchehr
Published: March 2017

Global warming and climate change have been identified as the most important challenges of the 21st century. Greenhouse Gases Observation Satellite (GOSAT) measures the concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO
2) and methane (CH
4) in the atmosphere column from the earth's surface to the upper atmosphere. In this research, GOSAT Thermal And Near Infrared Sensor for Carbon Observation – Fourier Transform Spectrometer (TANSO‐FTS) level 2 data and meteorological parameters were used in the assessment of changes in CO
2 concentration (XCO
2) from 2009 to 2015. We investigated the relationship between XCO
2 and meteorological parameters (temperature and precipitation) obtained from weather stations and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) in the year 2013 in Iran. The results reveal a steady increase in the mean atmospheric CO
2 concentration, from 384.89 to 400.39 ppm. It was observed that the XCO
2 varied significantly depending on the month, with the highest concentration of CO
2 in April/May and the lowest concentration in August/September. The correlation between XCO
2 and average monthly air temperature is negative, which means that a reduction in XCO
2 with an increase in temperature is dependent on photosynthetic activities in the growing seasons. The highest and lowest correlation coefficient between the NDVI and XCO
2 was obtained in the spring and in the fall, respectively. These findings are useful for recognizing factors that affect CO
2 concentration in different seasons in arid and semi‐arid regions, and as an initial step toward sustainable management.
How accurate are medical oncologists’ impressions of management of metastatic colorectal cancer in Australia?
Authors: Au Lewis , Turner Natalie , Wong Hui‐Li , Field Kathryn , Lee Belinda , Boadle David , Cooray Prasad , Karikios Deme , Kosmider Suzanne , Lipton Lara , Nott Louise , Parente Phillip , Tie Jeanne , Tran Ben , Wong Rachel , Yip Desmond , Shapiro Jeremy , Gibbs Peter
Published: March 2017

Aim

Current efforts to understand patient management in clinical practice are largely based on clinician surveys with uncertain reliability. The TRACC (Treatment of Recurrent and Advanced Colorectal Cancer) database is a multisite registry collecting comprehensive treatment and outcome data on consecutive metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients at multiple sites across Australia. This study aims to determine the accuracy of oncologists’ impressions of real‐word practice by comparing clinicians’ estimates to data captured by TRACC.

Methods

Nineteen medical oncologists from nine hospitals contributing data to TRACC completed a 34‐question survey regarding their impression of the management and outcomes of mCRC at their own practice and other hospitals contributing to the database. Responses were then compared with TRACC data to determine how closely their impressions reflected actual practice.

Results

Data on 1300 patients with mCRC were available. Median clinician estimated frequency of KRAS testing within 6 months of diagnosis was 80% (range: 20–100%); the TRACC documented rate was 43%. Clinicians generally overestimated the rates of first‐line treatment, particularly in patients over 75 years. Estimate for bevacizumab in first line was 60% (35–80%) versus 49% in TRACC. Estimated rate for liver resection varied substantially (5–35%), and the estimated median (27%) was inconsistent with the TRACC rate (12%). Oncologists generally felt their practice was similar to other hospitals.

Conclusions

Oncologists’ estimates of current clinical practice varied and were discordant with the TRACC database, often with a tendency to overestimate interventions. Clinician surveys alone do not reliably capture contemporary clinical practices in mCRC.
Development of a Robust Mammalian Cell‐based Assay for Studying Recombinant α4β1/3δ GABAA Receptor Subtypes
Authors: Falk‐Petersen Christina B. , Søgaard Rikke , Madsen Kenneth L. , Klein Anders B. , Frølund Bente , Wellendorph Petrine
Published: March 2017

δ‐Containing GABAA receptors are located extrasynaptically and mediate tonic inhibition. Their involvement in brain physiology positions them as interesting drug targets. There is thus a continued interest in establishing reliable recombinant expression systems for δ‐containing GABAA receptors. Inconveniently, the recombinant expression of especially α4β1/3δ receptors has been found to be notoriously difficult, resulting in mixed receptor populations and/or stoichiometries and differential pharmacology depending on the expression system used. With the aim of developing a facile and robust 96‐well format cell‐based assay for extrasynaptic α4β1/3δ receptors, we have engineered and validated a HEK293 Flp‐In™ cell line stably expressing the human GABAA δ‐subunit. Upon co‐transfection of α4 and β1/3 subunits, at optimized ratios, we have established a well‐defined system for expressing α4β1/3δ receptors and used the fluorescence‐based FLIPR Membrane Potential (FMP) assay to evaluate their pharmacology. Using the known reference compounds GABA and THIP, ternary α4β1/3δ and binary α4β1/3 receptors could be distinguished based on potency and kinetic profiles but not efficacy. As expected, DS2 was able to potentiate only δ‐containing receptors, whereas Zn2+ had an inhibitory effect only at binary receptors. By contrast, the hitherto reported δ‐selective compounds, AA29504 and 3‐OH‐2'MeO6MF, were non‐selective. The expression system was further validated using patch clamp electrophysiology, in which the superagonism of THIP was confirmed. The established FMP assay set‐up, based on transient expression of human α4 and β1/3 subunits into a δ‐subunit stable HEK293 Flp‐In™ cell line, portrays a simple 96‐well format assay as a useful supplement to electrophysiological recordings on δ‐containing GABAA receptors.
Stability of Attachment Style in Adolescence: An Empirical Test of Alternative Developmental Processes
Authors: Jones Jason D. , Fraley R. Chris , Ehrlich Katherine B. , Stern Jessica A. , Lejuez C. W. , Shaver Phillip R. , Cassidy Jude
Published: March 2017

Few studies have examined stability and change in attachment during adolescence. This 5‐year longitudinal study (a) examined whether prototype or revisionist developmental dynamics better characterized patterns of stability and change in adolescent attachment (at T1, N = 176; Mage = 14.0 years, SD = 0.9), (b) tested potential moderators of prototype‐like attachment stability, and (c) compared attachment stability in adolescence to stability in adulthood. The results supported the prototype model, which assumes that there is a stable, enduring factor underlying stability and change in attachment. Exploratory moderation analyses revealed that family conflict, parental separation or divorce, minority status, and male sex might undermine the prototype‐like stability of adolescent attachment. Stability of attachment was lower in adolescence relative to adulthood.
“They tippy toe around the race issue”: The impact of a Title IV‐E program on culturally informed practice for child welfare students
Authors: Greeno Elizabeth J. , Fedina Lisa , Rushovich Berenice , Moore Jessica E. , Linsenmeyer Debra , Wirt Christopher
Published: March 2017

This study examines changes in MSW students' perceived cultural competence across 11 child welfare practice skills before and after participation in a University's Title IV‐E program and explores students' perceptions of cultural competency and cultural humility. The findings indicate modest gains across all 11 practice skills; however, focus group interviews revealed that students do not necessarily feel prepared to conduct culturally competent practice with children and families. A culturally informed practice in public child welfare is discussed and includes training implications for Title IV‐E programs.
The investigation of genetic and clinical features in Chinese patients with juvenile amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Authors: Liu Z.‐J. , Lin H.‐X. , Liu G.‐L. , Tao Q.‐Q. , Ni W. , Xiao B.‐G. , Wu Z.‐Y.
Published: March 2017

Juvenile amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (JALS) occurs at an age of onset below 25 years with a heterogeneous disease onset location, variable progression and survival time. To investigate whether an ALS gene profile could resolve any aspects of clinical symptom heterogeneity, we have used targeted sequencing technology in a cohort of 12 JALS patients of Chinese descent. We detected 5 likely pathogenic mutations, 2 in familial probands and 3 in sporadic patients. One was a known TARDBP mutation (p.G348V) and 4 were FUS frameshift mutations including a known p.Gln519Ilefs*9 mutation and 3 novel mutations, p.Gly515Valfs*14, p.Gly486Profs*30, and p.Arg498Alafs*32. Of the 4 FUS mutations, 2 were able to be confirmed as de novo mutations. The TARDBP mutation carrier showed a classic ALS phenotype. All patients with FUS mutations experienced limb weakness at an early age and developed bulbar symptoms during the disease course. FUS mutations have previously been associated with increased JALS disease progression, however, we found a large range 12 to 84 months in disease survival (mean 58.2 months). Our results justify future screening for variants in FUS as it remains the most frequent genetic determinant of early onset, JALS (found in 30% of our patients).
Pilot cohort study on the potential role of TCF7L2 rs7903146 on ischemic heart disease among non‐diabetic kidney transplant recipients
Authors: Quaglia Marco , Musetti Claudio , Merlotti Guido , Genazzani Armando A. , Cargnin Sarah , Cena Tiziana , Cantaluppi Vincenzo , Terrazzino Salvatore
Published: March 2017

Background

TCF7L2 rs7903146 C>T polymorphism is associated with diabetes in the general population but its independent impact on cardiovascular disease is debated. On this basis, we investigated its association with major adverse cardiac events (MACE) in a single‐center cohort of non‐diabetic kidney transplant recipients (KTRs).

Methods

Patients with pretransplant diabetes were excluded and patients who developed post‐transplant diabetes were censored at time of diagnosis.

Results

rs7903146 C>T polymorphism appeared to modulate the risk of MACE: 5‐year prevalence was 0.8% in CC patients, 7.2% in CT patients and 9.7% in TT patients (P<.001). TCF7L2 rs7903146 was an independent predictor of MACE in a multivariate Cox regression model (for each T allele, HR: 2.99, 95%CI: 1.62‐5.52, P<.001), together with history of cardiac ischemic events (HR: 8.69, 95%CI: 3.57‐21.16, P<.001), DGF (HR: 2.42, 95%CI: 0.98‐5.95, P=.056) and HLA‐mismatches (for each mismatch: HR: 1.55, 95%CI: 1.00‐2.43, P=.053). Introduction of rs7903146 C>T polymorphism into a model based on these clinical variables significantly increased predictive power for MACE (P=.003).

Conclusions

TCF7L2 rs7903146 T allele may be strongly and independently associated with MACE in non‐diabetic KTRs.

These findings suggest the possibility of employing this SNP to more accurately stratify cardiological risk in KTRs.
University Students' Entrepreneurial Intentions: A Comparative Analysis of Hong Kong and Guangzhou
Authors: Bickenbach Frank , Dohse Dirk , Liu Wan‐Hsin
Published: March 2017

Based on original survey data, this paper analyses and compares the role of personal traits and networks in determining entrepreneurial intentions of students in Hong Kong and in Guangzhou. The two cities are culturally closely related but differ strongly with respect to their labor market conditions and the maturity of their legal and business environments. We find that the determinants of students' entrepreneurial intentions differ substantially between Hong Kong and Guangzhou, with the findings for Hong Kong showing much similarity with previous findings for Western economies. This suggests that differences in labor market prospects and in the maturity of their legal and business environments might be more important than cultural (dis‐)similarities in identifying key factors forming students' entrepreneurial intentions.
Analysis of Impact of Urbanization on Environmental Quality in China
Authors: Wei Houkai , Zhang Yan
Published: March 2017

As a developing country with great regional disparities, China's rapid urbanization has had important impacts on environmental quality. In this study, the drivers‐mechanisms‐effects (DME) model is built, which shows how element agglomeration, scale growth, knowledge accumulation and industry evolution drive the environmental system to change during the urbanization process. An econometric regression model using provincial panel data is further constructed to empirically analyze the impacts of urbanization on environmental quality. It is shown that during the process of urbanization in China, element agglomeration and knowledge accumulation help to improve environmental quality but with weak positive effect, while growing urban scale and industrial structure have obvious negative effects on environmental quality. The “inverted‐U shape” (up first and then down) change in the environmental quality during China's urbanization process is obvious. It is critical that China concentrates on the transformations of both city development paths and urbanization models to reduce resource and environmental costs as much as possible.
When to use femoral vein injection for diagnosis of patent foramen ovale—Effect of a persistent eustachian valve on right atrial flow patterns during contrast transesophageal echocardiography
Authors: Koh Tat W.
Published: March 2017

Contrast echocardiography using agitated saline injected into the antecubital vein is the most common method used for the diagnosis of patent foramen ovale. We describe a case whereby the presence of a persistent eustachian valve and a “negative contrast sign” during contrast transesophageal echocardiography raised suspicion of a false‐negative result. Femoral vein injection of contrast successfully demonstrated a patent foramen ovale. Femoral vein injection should be considered if this scenario is recognized because the eustachian valve directs blood preferentially from the inferior vena cava toward the interatrial septum and this route may prove to be more reliable.
Age–area scaling of extinction debt within isolated terrestrial vertebrate assemblages
Authors: Hugueny Bernard
Published: March 2017

A new model of delayed species loss (extinction debt) within isolated communities is applied to a large data set of terrestrial vertebrate assemblages (n = 188) occupying habitat fragments or islands varying greatly in size and age. The model encapsulates previous approaches based on diversity‐dependent (DD) extinction rates while allowing for a more flexible treatment of temporal dynamics. Three important results emerge. First, species loss rate slows down with the age of the isolate, a strong and general pattern largely unnoticed so far. Secondly, while being good candidates in the light of previous works, DD models fail to account for this pattern, a result that necessitates a search for other mechanisms. Thirdly, a simple diversity‐independent model based on area (converted into population size) and age explains 97% of the variability in species loss rate and appears to be a promising predictive tool to handle extinction debt following habitat loss.
Natural enemies of the invasive mealybug Phenacoccus peruvianus (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae): first report of some parasitoids in Italy
Authors: Suma P. , Longo S.
Published: March 2017

The bougainvillea mealybug, Phenacoccus peruvianus Granara de Willink (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), was first detected in Sicily in 2002 at high population levels on Bougainvillea glabra Choisy (Nyctaginaceae). In 2016, during a recent monitoring activity, natural enemies of this pest were detected for the first time. This report represents the first identification of P. peruvianus parasitoids in Italy and some information on the recovered entomophagous species is provided.
How important are terrestrial organic carbon inputs for secondary production in freshwater ecosystems?
Authors: Brett Michael T. , Bunn Stuart E. , Chandra Sudeep , Galloway Aaron W. E. , Guo Fen , Kainz Martin J. , Kankaala Paula , Lau Danny C. P. , Moulton Timothy P. , Power Mary E. , Rasmussen Joseph B. , Taipale Sami J. , Thorp James H. , Wehr John D.
Published: March 2017

Many freshwater systems receive substantial inputs of terrestrial organic matter. Terrestrially derived dissolved organic carbon (t‐DOC) inputs can modify light availability, the spatial distribution of primary production, heat, and oxygen in aquatic systems, as well as inorganic nutrient bioavailability. It is also well‐established that some terrestrial inputs (such as invertebrates and fruits) provide high‐quality food resources for consumers in some systems.

In small to moderate‐sized streams, leaf litter inputs average approximately three times greater than the autochthonous production. Conversely, in oligo/mesotrophic lakes algal production is typically five times greater than the available flux of allochthonous basal resources.

Terrestrial particulate organic carbon (t‐POC) inputs to lakes and rivers are comprised of 80%–90% biochemically recalcitrant lignocellulose, which is highly resistant to enzymatic breakdown by animal consumers. Further, t‐POC and heterotrophic bacteria lack essential biochemical compounds that are critical for rapid growth and reproduction in aquatic invertebrates and fishes. Several studies have directly shown that these resources have very low food quality for herbivorous zooplankton and benthic invertebrates.

Much of the nitrogen assimilated by stream consumers is probably of algal origin, even in systems where there appears to be a significant terrestrial carbon contribution. Amino acid stable isotope analyses for large river food webs indicate that most upper trophic level essential amino acids are derived from algae. Similarly, profiles of essential fatty acids in consumers show a strong dependence on the algal food resources.

Primary production to respiration ratios are not a meaningful index to assess consumer allochthony because respiration represents an oxidised carbon flux that cannot be utilised by animal consumers. Rather, the relative importance of allochthonous subsidies for upper trophic level production should be addressed by considering the rates at which terrestrial and autochthonous resources are consumed and the growth efficiency supported by this food.

Ultimately, the biochemical composition of a particular basal resource, and not just its quantity or origin, determines how readily this material is incorporated into upper trophic level consumers. Because of its highly favourable biochemical composition and greater availability, we conclude that microalgal production supports most animal production in freshwater ecosystems.
Thyroid function in end stage renal disease and effects of frequent hemodialysis
Authors: Lo Joan C. , Beck Gerald J. , Kaysen George A. , Chan Christopher T. , Kliger Alan S. , Rocco Michael V. , Li Minwei , Chertow Glenn M. ,   for the FHN Study
Published: March 2017

Introduction: End‐stage renal disease (ESRD) is associated with perturbations in thyroid hormone concentrations and an increased prevalence of hypothyroidism. Few studies have examined the effects of hemodialysis dose or frequency on endogenous thyroid function.

Methods: Within the Frequent Hemodialysis Network (FHN) trials, we examined the prevalence of hypothyroidism in patients with ESRD. Among those with endogenous thyroid function (without overt hyper/hypothyroidism or thyroid hormone supplementation), we examined the association of thyroid hormone concentration with multiple parameters of self‐reported health status, and physical and cognitive performance, and the effects of hemodialysis frequency on serum thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), free thyroxine (FT4), and free tri‐iodothyronine (FT3) levels. Conventional thrice‐weekly hemodialysis was compared to in‐center (6 d/wk) hemodialysis (Daily Trial) and Nocturnal (6 nights/wk) home hemodialysis (Nocturnal Trial) over 12 months.

Findings: Among 226 FHN Trial participants, the prevalence of hypothyroidism was 11% based on thyroid hormone treatment and/or serum TSH ≥8 mIU/mL. Among the remaining 195 participants (147 Daily, 48 Nocturnal) with endogenous thyroid function, TSH concentrations were modestly (directly) correlated with age (r = 0.16, P = 0.03) but not dialysis vintage. Circulating thyroid hormone levels were not associated with parameters of health status or physical and cognitive performance. Furthermore, frequent in‐center and nocturnal hemodialysis did not significantly change (baseline to month 12) TSH, FT4, or FT3 concentrations in patients with endogenous thyroid function.

Discussion: Among patients receiving hemodialysis without overt hyper/hypothyroidism or thyroid hormone treatment, thyroid indices were not associated with multiple measures of health status and were not significantly altered with increased dialysis frequency.
Helicobacter pylori infection is associated with reduced prevalence of colonic diverticular disease
Authors: Bartels Lars Erik , Jepsen Peter , Tøttrup Anders , Vilstrup Hendrik , Dahlerup Jens Frederik
Published: March 2017

Background

Colonic diverticular disease is a common disorder with increasing incidence in Western societies. The intestinal microbiome may be among etiological factors. Helicobacter pylori may protect against some intestinal diseases, and incidence of H. pylori is decreasing in Western societies. Thus, we aimed to determine whether H. pylori is associated to decreased prevalence of registered colonic diverticular disease.

Materials and Methods

In a historical cohort study, patients were enrolled from primary health care centers after urea breath test for H. pylori and then followed for a median of 6 years. The patient's diagnostic codes and country of birth were acquired from nationwide Danish administrative registries. We used logistic regression to compare prevalence and Cox regression to compare incidence of diverticular disease between H. pylori‐positive and H. pylori‐negative patients, adjusting for confounding variables.

Results

Patients infected with H. pylori had lower prevalence of colonic diverticular disease (0.87% vs 1.14%, OR=0.62, 95% CI: 0.50‐0.78). This phenomenon was observed whether we studied all registered diagnoses or only cases registered as primary diagnoses at discharge. After urea breath test, we observed no statistical difference in incidence rates of diverticular disease.

Conclusion

H. pylori is associated with reduced prevalence of colonic diverticular disease. The inverse association was absent after the urea breath test. Thus, we speculate that H. pylori may provide protection from colonic diverticular disease. Alternatively, H. pylori is a marker for other factors affecting disease development.
Macroporous mullite materials prepared by novel shaping strategies based on starch thermogelation for thermal insulation
Authors: Talou Mariano , Miranzo Pilar , Camerucci María Andrea
Published: March 2017

A rigorous microstructural analysis of porous mullite materials developed using novel shaping strategies based on the starch consolidation casting, and their thermal properties in relation to the processing and starch type were accomplished in view of their use as thermal insulators. In order to characterize the size and morphology of pore, basic size and 2D shape factors, and global 3D stereological parameters were determined using microscopy techniques. Results indicated that the porosity volume, pore connectivity degree, and mean free path were the determining factors of the lowest heat transfer by conduction registered in materials prepared with cassava starch. This material is the best candidate to be used in thermal insulation.
Phase formation and spectral evolution of (Sr,Ba)2Si(O,N)4:Eu2+ phosphors
Authors: Park Jaehan , Jung Woohyun , Kim Young Jin
Published: March 2017

Sr2‐xBaxSi(O,N)4:Eu2+ (SBxSON:Eu2+) oxynitridosilicate phosphors were prepared via incorporation of N3−, Eu2+, and Ba2+ ions into Sr2SiO4 (SSO) lattices. X‐ray diffraction patterns of the prepared powders revealed that SBxSON:Eu2+ was a solid‐solution form of SSO. An increase in x values caused a phase transition and an expansion of the unit cell. The photoluminescence excitation (PLE) spectra of SBxSON:Eu2+ were broad, covering the ultraviolet range to the visible range. Corresponding PL emission spectra strongly depended on the excitation wavelengths and consisted of two emission bands, one in the green‐blue region (A‐band) and the other in the red region (B‐band), which were assigned to Eu(I) and Eu(II), respectively. The B‐band resulted from a dramatic red‐shift of the green emission band assigned to Eu(II) of SSO:Eu2+, revealing that the nitridation process preferentially affected the Eu(II) sites. This behavior was explained by crystal field splitting, the fluorescence decay time, and thermal quenching. The Ba2+ substitution caused evolution of the PL spectra, and its effects on the spectra were discussed under consideration of ionic size and covalence.
Isolation of infectious microalga Prototheca wickerhamii from a carp (Cyprinus carpio) – a first confirmed case report of protothecosis in a fish
Authors: Jagielski T , Dyląg M , Roesler U , Murugaiyan J
Published: March 2017

Protothecosis is a rare infection caused by environmentally ubiquitous achlorophyllic microalgae of the genus Prototheca. Here, we describe a first case of protothecosis in a carp (Cyprinus carpio), which is at the same time the first case of protothecosis in a fish, confirmed by phenotype‐ and molecular‐based methods, including PCR sequencing of the rDNA cluster and protein profiling using matrix‐assisted laser desorption ionization time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry.
Improvement of liver stiffness in patients with hepatitis C virus infection who received direct‐acting antiviral therapy and achieved sustained virological response
Authors: Tada Toshifumi , Kumada Takashi , Toyoda Hidenori , Mizuno Kazuyuki , Sone Yasuhiro , Kataoka Saki , Hashinokuchi Shinichi
Published: March 2017

Background and Aim

There is insufficient research on whether direct‐acting antiviral (DAA) therapy can improve liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV). We evaluated sequential changes in liver stiffness using shear wave elastography in patients with HCV who received DAA therapy.

Methods

A total of 210 patients with HCV who received daclatasvir and asunaprevir therapy and achieved sustained virological response (SVR) were analyzed. Liver stiffness, as evaluated by shear wave elastography, and laboratory data were assessed before treatment (baseline), at end of treatment (EOT), and at 24 weeks after EOT (SVR24).

Results

Alanine aminotransferase levels (ALT) decreased over time, and there were significant differences between baseline and EOT and between EOT and SVR24. Although platelet counts did not significantly differ between baseline and EOT, they increased significantly from EOT to SVR24. The median (interquartile range) liver stiffness values at baseline, EOT, and SVR24 were 10.2 (7.7–14.7), 8.8 (7.1–12.1), and 7.6 (6.3–10.3) kPa, respectively (P < 0.001, baseline vs EOT; P < 0.001, EOT vs SVR24). Additionally, in patients with ALT ≤ 30 (indicating low necroinflammatory activity in the liver) and Fibrosis‐4 index > 2.0 (n = 75), the liver stiffness values at baseline, EOT, and SVR24 were 9.6 (7.7–15.2), 9.2 (7.3–12.1), and 7.7 (6.3–10.1) kPa, respectively (P < 0.001, baseline vs EOT; P < 0.001, EOT vs SVR24).

Conclusion

These results suggest that early improvement of liver stiffness starts during the administration of DAAs in patients who achieve SVR, and this effect is particularly pronounced in patients with progressive liver fibrosis.
Novel ketone body therapy for managing Alzheimer's disease
Authors: Puchowicz Michelle A. , Seyfried Thomas N.
Published: March 2017

Read the highlighted article ‘Effects of a dietary ketone ester on hippocampal glycolytic and tricarboxylic acid cycle intermediates and amino acids in a 3xTgAD mouse model of Alzheimer's disease’ on page 195.
Energy and protein requirements for growth of Holstein × Gyr heifers
Authors: Silva F. A. S. , Valadares Filho S. C. , Rennó L. N. , Zanetti D. , Costa e Silva L. F. , Godoi L. A. , Vieira J. M. P. , Menezes A. C. B. , Pucetti P. , Rotta P. P.
Published: March 2017

There is little information regarding the nutritional requirements for dairy heifers, leading the majority of nutrient requirement systems to consider dairy heifers to be similar to beef heifers. Therefore, we evaluated the muscle protein metabolism and physical and chemical body composition of growing Holstein × Gyr heifers and estimated the energy and protein requirements. We performed a comparative slaughter experiment with 20 Holstein × Gyr heifers at an initial body weight of 218 ± 36.5 kg and an average age of 12 ± 1.0 months. Four heifers were designated as the reference group, and the 16 remaining heifers were fed ad libitum. The 16 heifers were distributed using a completely randomized design in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement with two roughages (corn silage or sugarcane) and two concentrate levels (30 or 50%) for 112 days. Greater (p < 0.05) values for fractional rates of muscle protein synthesis, degradation and accretion were observed for heifers that were fed 50% concentrate. The following equations were obtained to estimate the net energy for gain (NEg) and net protein for gain (NPg): NEg (Mcal/day) = 0.0685 × EBW0.75 × EBWG1.095 and NPg (g/day) = 203.8 × EBWG − 14.80 × RE, respectively, in which EBW is the empty body weight, EBWG is the empty body weight gain and RE is the retained energy. We concluded that increased rates of protein turnover are achieved when a greater quality diet is provided. In the future, these results can be used to calculate the nutritional requirements for growth of Holstein × Gyr heifers after equation validation rather than using the recommendations provided by other systems, which use values developed from beef heifers, to determine the nutritional requirements of dairy cattle.
Poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate) fuels the tricarboxylic acid cycle and de novo lipid biosynthesis during Bacillus anthracis sporulation
Authors: Sadykov Marat R. , Ahn Jong‐Sam , Widhelm Todd J. , Eckrich Valerie M. , Endres Jennifer L. , Driks Adam , Rutkowski Gregory E. , Wingerd Kevin L. , Bayles Kenneth W.
Published: March 2017

Numerous bacteria accumulate poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) as an intracellular reservoir of carbon and energy in response to imbalanced nutritional conditions. In Bacillus spp., where PHB biosynthesis precedes the formation of the dormant cell type called the spore (sporulation), the direct link between PHB accumulation and efficiency of sporulation was observed in multiple studies. Although the idea of PHB as an intracellular carbon and energy source fueling sporulation was proposed several decades ago, the mechanisms underlying PHB contribution to sporulation have not been defined. Here, we demonstrate that PHB deficiency impairs Bacillus anthracis sporulation through diminishing the energy status of the cells and by reducing carbon flux into the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle and de novo lipid biosynthesis. Consequently, this metabolic imbalance decreased biosynthesis of the critical components required for spore integrity and resistance, such as dipicolinic acid (DPA) and the spore's inner membrane. Supplementation of the PHB deficient mutant with exogenous fatty acids overcame these sporulation defects, highlighting the importance of the TCA cycle and lipid biosynthesis during sporulation. Combined, the results of this work reveal the molecular mechanisms of PHB contribution to B. anthracis sporulation and provide valuable insight into the metabolic requirements for this developmental process in Bacillus species.
Psychological stress‐induced colonic barrier dysfunction: Role of immune‐mediated mechanisms
Authors: Hattay P. , Prusator D. K. , Tran L. , Greenwood‐Van Meerveld B.
Published: March 2017

Background

Evidence suggests that patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) exhibit increases in gut permeability and alterations in tight junction (TJ) protein expression. Although psychological stress worsens IBS symptoms, the mechanisms by which stress enhances gut permeability and affects TJ protein expression remain to be determined. Here, we test the hypothesis that chronic intermittent psychological stress activates the release of proinflammatory cytokines to alter TJ proteins and promotes increased gut permeability.

Methods

Male Fischer‐344 rats were subjected to 1 hour of water avoidance stress (WAS) or SHAM stress per day for 7 days. Following the stress protocol, colonic permeability was measured via transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) and macromolecular flux of horseradish peroxidase (HRP). In tissue isolated from rats exposed to the WAS or SHAM stress, TJ proteins claudin‐2, junctional adhesion molecule‐A (JAM‐A) and zonula occluden‐1 (ZO‐1) were measured via Western blotting, histological appearance of the colonic segments was assessed via hematoxylin and eosin staining, and an inflammatory cytokine panel was quantified via quantitative reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction.

Key Results

Repetitive daily exposure to WAS decreased the TEER, increased the macromolecular flux of HRP, and altered the expression of claudin‐2, JAM‐A and ZO‐1 proteins within colonic tissue compared to SHAM controls. In the absence of a histologically defined inflammation, the cytokine profiles of WAS‐treated animals revealed an increase in interleukin‐1β and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐α. Subsequent analysis revealed a significant positive correlation between TNF‐α and expression of TJ protein claudin‐2.

Conclusions & Inferences

Our findings suggest that chronic stress increases colonic permeability via sub‐inflammatory cytokine‐mediated remodeling of TJ protein expression.
Computer vision‐based diameter maps to study fluoroscopic recordings of small intestinal motility from conscious experimental animals
Authors: Ramírez I. , Pantrigo J. J. , Montemayor A. S. , López‐Pérez A. E. , Martín‐Fontelles M. I. , Brookes S. J. H. , Abalo R.
Published: March 2017

Background

When available, fluoroscopic recordings are a relatively cheap, non‐invasive and technically straightforward way to study gastrointestinal motility. Spatiotemporal maps have been used to characterize motility of intestinal preparations in vitro, or in anesthetized animals in vivo. Here, a new automated computer‐based method was used to construct spatiotemporal motility maps from fluoroscopic recordings obtained in conscious rats.

Methods

Conscious, non‐fasted, adult, male Wistar rats (n=8) received intragastric administration of barium contrast, and 1‐2 hours later, when several loops of the small intestine were well‐defined, a 2 minutes‐fluoroscopic recording was obtained. Spatiotemporal diameter maps (Dmaps) were automatically calculated from the recordings. Three recordings were also manually analyzed for comparison. Frequency analysis was performed in order to calculate relevant motility parameters.

Key Results

In each conscious rat, a stable recording (17‐20 seconds) was analyzed. The Dmaps manually and automatically obtained from the same recording were comparable, but the automated process was faster and provided higher resolution. Two frequencies of motor activity dominated; lower frequency contractions (15.2±0.9 cpm) had an amplitude approximately five times greater than higher frequency events (32.8±0.7 cpm).

Conclusions & Inferences

The automated method developed here needed little investigator input, provided high‐resolution results with short computing times, and automatically compensated for breathing and other small movements, allowing recordings to be made without anesthesia. Although slow and/or infrequent events could not be detected in the short recording periods analyzed to date (17‐20 seconds), this novel system enhances the analysis of in vivo motility in conscious animals.