bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Understanding the role of parasites in food webs using the group model
Authors: Michalska‐Smith Matthew J. , Sander Elizabeth L. , Pascual Mercedes , Allesina Stefano
Published: November 2017

Parasites are ubiquitous and have been shown to influence macroscopic measures of ecological network structure, such as connectance and robustness, as well as local structure, such as subgraph frequencies. Nevertheless, they are often under‐represented in ecological studies due to their small size and often complex life cycles.

We consider whether or not parasites play structurally unique roles in ecological networks; that is, can we distinguish parasites from other species using network structure alone?

We partition the species in a community statistically using the group model, and we test whether or not parasites tend to cluster in their own groups, using a measure of “imbalance.”

We find that parasites form highly imbalanced groups, and that concomitant predation, in which a predator consumes a prey and its parasites, but not the number of interactions, improves the group model's ability to distinguish parasites from non‐parasites.

This work demonstrates that parasites and non‐parasites interact in networks in statistically distinct ways, and that these differences are partly, but not entirely, due to the existence of concomitant predation.
Constructing Trustworthy Historical Narratives: Criteria, Principles and Techniques
Authors: Gill Michael J. , Gill David James , Roulet Thomas J.
Published: November 2017

Organizational scholars increasingly recognize the value of employing historical research. Yet the fields of history and organization studies struggle to reconcile. In this paper, the authors contend that a closer connection between these two fields is possible if organizational historians bring their role in the construction of historical narratives to the fore and open up their research decisions for discussion. They provide guidelines to support this endeavor, drawing on four criteria that are prevalent within interpretive organization studies for developing the trustworthiness of research: credibility; confirmability; dependability; and transferability. In contrast to the traditional use of trustworthiness criteria to evaluate the quality of research, the authors advance the criteria to encourage historians to generate more transparent narratives. Such transparency allows others to comprehend and comment on the construction of narratives, thereby building trust and understanding. Each criterion is converted into a set of guiding principles to enhance the trustworthiness of historical research, pairing each principle with a practical technique gleaned from a range of disciplines within the social sciences to provide practical guidance.
Respectful care during childbirth in health facilities globally: a qualitative evidence synthesis
Authors: Shakibazadeh E , Namadian M , Bohren MA , Vogel JP , Rashidian A , Nogueira Pileggi V , Madeira S , Leathersich S , Tunçalp Ӧ , Oladapo OT , Souza JP , Gülmezoglu AM
Published: November 2017

Background

What constitutes respectful maternity care (RMC) operationally in research and programme implementation is often variable.

Objectives

To develop a conceptualisation ofRMC.

Search strategy

Key databases, including PubMed,CINAHL,EMBASE, Global Health Library, grey literature, and reference lists of relevant studies.

Selection criteria

Primary qualitative studies focusing on care occurring during labour, childbirth, and/or immediately postpartum in health facilities, without any restrictions on locations or publication date.

Data collection and analysis

A combined inductive and deductive approach was used to synthesise the data; theGRADE CERQual approach was used to assess the level of confidence in review findings.

Main results

Sixty‐seven studies from 32 countries met our inclusion criteria. Twelve domains ofRMCwere synthesised: being free from harm and mistreatment; maintaining privacy and confidentiality; preserving women's dignity; prospective provision of information and seeking of informed consent; ensuring continuous access to family and community support; enhancing quality of physical environment and resources; providing equitable maternity care; engaging with effective communication; respecting women's choices that strengthen their capabilities to give birth; availability of competent and motivated human resources; provision of efficient and effective care; and continuity of care. Globally, women's perspectives of what constitutesRMCare quite consistent.

Conclusions

This review presents an evidence‐based typology ofRMCin health facilities globally, and demonstrates that the concept is broader than a reduction of disrespectful care or mistreatment of women during childbirth. Innovative approaches should be developed and tested to integrateRMCas a routine component of quality maternal and newborn care programmes.

Tweetable abstract

Understanding respectful maternity care – synthesis of evidence from 67 qualitative studies.
Carcinogenic Etheno DNA Adducts in Alcoholic Liver Disease: Correlation with Cytochrome P‐4502E1 and Fibrosis
Authors: Mueller Sebastian , Peccerella Teresa , Qin Hua , Glassen Katharina , Waldherr Rüdiger , Flechtenmacher Christa , Straub Beate K. , Millonig Gunda , Stickel Felix , Bruckner Thomas , Bartsch Helmut , Seitz Helmut Karl
Published: November 2017

Background

One mechanism by which alcoholic liver disease (ALD) progresses is oxidative stress and the generation of reactive oxygen species, among others due to the induction of cytochrome P‐4502E1 (CYP2E1). Experimental data underline the key role of CYP2E1 because ALD could be partially prevented in rats by the administration of the specific CYP2E1 inhibitor chlormethiazole. As CYP2E1 is linked to the formation of carcinogenic etheno DNA adducts in ALD patients, a causal role of alcohol‐induced CYP2E1 in hepatocarcinogenesis is implicated. The purpose of this study was to investigate CYP2E1 induction in ALD, and its correlation with oxidative DNA lesions and with hepatic histology.

Methods

Hepatic biopsies from 97 patients diagnosed with ALD were histologically scored for steatosis, inflammation, and fibrosis. CYP2E1 and the exocyclic etheno DNA adduct 1,N6‐etheno‐2′deoxyadenosine (εdA) were determined immunohistochemically. In addition, in 42 patients, 8‐hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8‐OHdG) was also evaluated using immunohistochemistry.

Results

A significant positive correlation was found between CYP2E1 and εdA (p < 0.0001) as well as between CYP2E1 and 8‐OHdG (p = 0.039). Both CYP2E1 (p = 0.0094) and ɛdA (p < 0.0001) also correlated significantly with the stage of hepatic fibrosis. Furthermore, a significant correlation between the fibrosis stage and the grade of lobular inflammation (p < 0.0001) was observed. However, the amount of alcohol consumed did not correlate with any of the parameters determined.

Conclusions

These data suggest an important role of CYP2E1 in the generation of εdA, in the fibrotic progression of ALD, and thus in alcohol‐mediated hepatocarcinogenesis. CYP2E1 may be a target in the treatment of ALD and a potential prognostic marker for disease progression.
Incorporating Functional Genomic Information to Enhance Polygenic Signal and Identify Variants Involved in Gene‐by‐Environment Interaction for Young Adult Alcohol Problems
Authors: Salvatore Jessica E. , Savage Jeanne E. , Barr Peter , Wolen Aaron R. , Aliev Fazil , Vuoksimaa Eero , Latvala Antti , Pulkkinen Lea , Rose Richard J. , Kaprio Jaakko , Dick Danielle M.
Published: November 2017

Background

Characterizing aggregate genetic risk for alcohol misuse and identifying variants involved in gene‐by‐environment (G × E) interaction effects has so far been a major challenge. We hypothesized that functional genomic information could be used to enhance detection of polygenic signal underlying alcohol misuse and to prioritize identification of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) most likely to exhibit G × E effects.

Methods

We examined these questions in the young adult FinnTwin12 sample (n = 1,170). We used genomewide association estimates from an independent sample to derive 2 types of polygenic scores for alcohol problems in FinnTwin12. Genomewide polygenic scores included all SNPs surpassing a designated p‐value threshold. DNase polygenic scores were a subset of the genomewide polygenic scores including only variants in DNase I hypersensitive sites (DHSs), which are open chromatin marks likely to index regions with a regulatory function. We conducted parallel analyses using height as a nonpsychiatric model phenotype to evaluate the consistency of effects. For the G × E analyses, we examined whether SNPs in DHSs were overrepresented among SNPs demonstrating significant G × E effects in an interaction between romantic relationship status and intoxication frequency.

Results

Contrary to our expectations, we found that DNase polygenic scores were not more strongly predictive of alcohol problems than conventional polygenic scores. However, variants in DNase polygenic scores had per‐SNP effects that were up to 1.4 times larger than variants in conventional polygenic scores. This same pattern of effects was also observed in supplementary analyses with height. In G × E models, SNPs in DHSs were modestly overrepresented among SNPs with significant interaction effects for intoxication frequency.

Conclusions

These findings highlight the potential utility of integrating functional genomic annotation information to increase the signal‐to‐noise ratio in polygenic scores and identify genetic variants that may be most susceptible to environmental modification.
CIRCUMVALLATE PLACENTA AND INTRAUTERINE GROWTH RETARDATION
Authors: Rolschau John
Published: November 2017

A study has been made of a prospectively selected material of circumvallate placentae; the latter being defined as an elevated edge of more than 50% of the circumference. The material consists of 447 placentae from liveborn singleton infants, where 287 were from exemplary pregnancies, and 160 from births with a gestational age (GA) of less than 266 days and/or a birth weight of less than 2 750 g. The material was prospectively randomized. It was divided into clinical groups according to the GA and under‐weight. Nineteen circumvallate placentae were found. Among these were more multigravidae and more with pre‐gestational menstrual irregularity than expected. The number of antepartum haemorrhages was as expected. There were more premature infants, premature under‐weight infants and under‐ weight infants than expected. Nine of the 20 premature under‐weight infants in the material had circumvallate placenta. In relation to a previously published basic material, it was found that the birth weight, and placental content of RNA and DNA were significantly reduced. It is concluded that placentae with more than 50% circumvallation are associated with prematurity and under‐weight, as well as a placenta with fewer cells than normal. The genesis of the anomaly is discussed.
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SOME DISORDERS OF THE UMBILICAL CORD AND INTRAUTERINE GROWTH RETARDATION
Authors: Rolschau John
Published: November 2017

Some disorders of the umbilical cord—Single umbilical artery, oedema of the cord, battledore insertion and velamentous insertion—have been examined in a prospectively randomized material. The material consists of 447 placentae from liveborn, singleton infants, where 287 were from exemplary pregnancies, and 160 from births with a gestational age of less than 266 days and/or a birth weight of less than 2750 g.

The placentae were examined macroscopically and microscopically, and the total amount of protein, RNA, and DNA were determined in a randomized sample.

Single umbilical artery was found to coincide with circumvallate placenta, suggesting a common fault in the placentation. Oedema of the umbilical cord was found to have no significance for the infant, but their placentae were significantly heavier, without signs of generalized oedema. The birth weight and placental weight were slightly and equally reduced in battledore insertion of the cord. The RNA/DNA ratio was increased, indicating tissue stress. This anomaly contrasted to the placentae, in which the cords were inserted velamentously. These had significantly reduced birth weights, and the weights of the placentae were slightly reduced. The incidences of complications during labour and congenital anomalies were increased.
A PROSPECTIVE STUDY OF THE PLACENTAL WEIGHT AND CONTENT OF PROTEIN, RNA AND DNA
Authors: Rolschau John
Published: November 2017

An investigation was carried out of the placental weight and content of protein, RNA and DNA on 253 placentae. The material was prospectively selected from among mothers with a presumed optimal obstetric outcome, and randomized from 96.7% of the births in the County of Odense. After trimming, freezing and homogenization of the placentae, the content of protein, RNA and DNA were determined spectrophotometrically. It was found that the placental weight rose slightly, approximately 50 g from the 36th to 42nd week. This is not a statistically significant rise. The RNA and DNA ran a parallel course to that of the placental weight during this interval. It is concluded that there is probably no growth of the placenta after the 34th to 36th week, but continued connective tissue formation. The protein content increases throughout the whole pregnancy. After division of the material into primi‐ and multigravidae, it was found that the latter gave birth to 6% heavier infants, while the placental weight and nucleic acid content were increased by 7–10%. This would suggest that a “parity effect” is present in the mother and not in the placenta. A similar division according to the mother's pre‐pregnant weight of more or less than 54 kg, showed that the heavier mothers gave birth to 5% heavier infants, but the difference with regard to the placental weight and content of RNA and DNA was less and non‐significant. This would suggest that the heavy mothers deliver heavier infants for genetical reasons. The material was divided up according to the sex of the infants, and it was found that girls were 1% heavier (NS), while the placental weight of the girls was approximately 5% greater and the DNA content approximately 9% greater. This sex difference which only applies to the placenta is discussed. It was found, following division of the material into 12 parts according to the month of delivery, that the infant weight, placental weight and DNA content were lowest in May–June and highest in August–September. Arguments are put forward that the significant difference in the DNA content of approximately 29% could result from a deficiency of folic acid.
PROPHYLACTIC USE OF 15(S)15 METHYL PGF2α BY INTRAMUSCULAR ROUTE FOR CONTROL OF POSTPARTUM BLEEDING — A COMPARATIVE TRIAL WITH METHYLERGOMETRINE
Authors: Bhattacharya P , PK Devi , Jain S , CR Kanthamani , KS Raghavan
Published: November 2017

In a multicentre trial (3 centres) the safety and efficacy of an intramuscular injection of 125 µg of 15(S)15 methyl PGF2α (Prostin 15M, Upjohn) was compared with methylergometrine for prophylactic control of bleeding during the third stage of labour. Three hundred patients were recruited for the study — 150 to each treatment group. The duration of the third stage was shorter in the patients (4.4 minutes) treated with Prostin 15M compared to the methylergometrine group (8.6 minutes). Similarly the blood loss during the third stage was reduced by 50% of that observed in the methylergometrine group (72 ml vs 145 ml). Prostin 15M, when used prophylactically was better than methylergometrine in controlling the blood loss during the third stage of labour.
STUDIES ON 15(S)15 METHYL PGF2α BY INTRAMUSCULAR ROUTE FOR SECOND TRIMESTER ABORTION (THREE HOURLY SCHEDULE)
Authors: Anjaneylu R , PK Devi , Kanthamani CR , Padma Rao A , KS Raghavan
Published: November 2017

A multicentre study was undertaken to study the intramuscular 15(S)‐5 methyl PGF2α (Prostin 15M, Upjohn) for induction of second trimester abortion. The patients were premedicated with Imodium and Perinorm for control of gastrointestinal side effects. Prostin 15M was given 250 µg every three hours and the progress was assessed before each injection. If there was no progress at the end of 10 injections the case was classified as a failure. Sixty‐two patients were recruited for the study, 24 were primigravidae and 38 multigravidae. Twenty‐three out of 24 primigravidae and 34 out of 38 multigravidae aborted with the treatment. The mean induction abortion interval in the primigravidae was 23.5 hours while it was 18.0 hours in the multigravidae. The mean number of vomitings was 2.9 and that of diarrhoea 5.0. The overall incidence of incomplete abortion was only 10.5%.
ADJUNCTIVE USE OF LAMINARIA TENT WITH INTRAMUSCULAR 15(S)15 METHYL PGF2α FOR INDUCTION OF SECOND TRIMESTER ABORTION
Authors: Bhatt R , PK Devi , Dhar G , SF Jalnawalla , Kochbar M , BG Katwani , Kutty D , Rajan R , NN Roychowdhary , Raghavan S
Published: November 2017

The adjunctive use of laminaria tent along with intramuscular 15(S)15 methyl PGF2α (Prostin 15M, Upjohn) was studied for induction of second trimester abortion. Three hundred and two patients from eight centres were recruited for the study. Ninety‐two were primigravidae and 210 were multigravidae. One to three laminaria tents were inserted overnight and they were removed before the start of treatment with 250 µg Prostin 15M administered intramuscularly every two hours till abortion. Of primigravida 81.5% and of the multigravidae 79.5% aborted within 24 hours of treatment. The induction abortion interval in the primigravida was 11.2 hours and in multigravidae it was 12.0 hours. The overall incomplete abortion rate was 31.0%. The pimigravidae had higher mean number of episodes of vomiting (2.5) and diarrhea (2.9) than the multigravidae (1.7 and 1.5, respectively). No other complications or injuries to genital tract were reported.
INTRAMUSCULAR 15(S)15 METHYL PGF2α IN THE TREATMENT OF MISSED ABORTION
Authors: Banerjee SK , Das Gupta S , Dawn CS , Mehta AC , Kanthamani CR , Krishna Usha R , Raghavan KS
Published: November 2017

Intramuscular 15(S)15 methyl PGF2α (Prostin 15M, Upjohn) was used for induction of labour in cases of missed abortion and intra‐uterine fetal death. The patients received premedication to control the gastrointestinal side effects. Prostin 15M was given at a dose of 250 µg every three hours and escalated whenever required. The trial was interrupted in two out of 83 patients. Altogether 75 patients (92.6%) expelled the fetus with the treatment. The mean induction abortion interval was 14.7 hours. The primigravidae had a longer (18.2 hrs) interval than the multigravidae (13.8 hrs). The mean number of episodes of vomiting was 2.9 and of diarrhoea 3.5 per patient and treatment.
PROPHYLACTIC USE OF 15(S)15 METHYL PGF2α FOR CONTROL OF POSTPARTUM BLEEDING
Authors: PK Devi , UD Sutaria , KS Raghavan
Published: November 2017

The efficacy of 15(S)15 methyl PGF2α (Prostin 15M, Upjohn) was tested in controlling the bleeding during third stage of labour in women delivered at term. Prostin 15M was given in a dose of 125 µg by intramuscular route at the delivery of the anterior shoulder of the fetus. Prostin 15M significantly reduced the duration of third stage and blood loss to about a third of those who did not receive any oxytocic. The blood loss during 2 hours following delivery was also markedly reduced with Prostin 15M treatment.
Phototherapy is commonly used for neonatal jaundice but greater control is needed to avoid toxicity in the most vulnerable infants
Authors: Mreihil Khalaf , Benth Jūratė Šaltytė , Stensvold Hans Jørgen , Nakstad Britt , Hansen Thor Willy Ruud ,   the Norwegian NICU Phototherapy Study Group,   the Norwegian Neonatal Network
Published: November 2017

Aim

Limited information is available about how guidelines on phototherapy for neonatal jaundice are applied in practice and toxicity is a concern. We studied the use of phototherapy in relation to birthweight and gestational age (GA) in Norwegian neonatal intensive care units (NICUs).

Methods

The study population was all 5382 infants admitted to the 21 NICUs in Norway between September 1, 2013 and August 31, 2014. Data were recorded daily in the Norwegian Neonatal Network database and anonymised data on patient characteristics, diagnoses, duration, the ages at the start and discontinuation of phototherapy were analysed.

Results

More than a quarter (26.6%) of all infants admitted to Norwegian NICUs during the study period received phototherapy. The use of phototherapy was inversely related to GA and birthweight. More than 80% of the preterm infants under 28 weeks of GA received phototherapy. The duration was significantly longer in the lowest birthweight and GA groups and decreased with increasing birthweight and GA.

Conclusion

Phototherapy is proved to be a strong candidate for the most common therapeutic modality in NICU infants. However, in the light of reported toxicity in the smallest, most vulnerable infants, we recommend increased emphasis on quality control.
Effect of follistatin on pre‐implantational development of pig parthenogenetic embryos
Authors: Li Yunsheng , Liu Xing , Chen Zhen , Song Dandan , Yang Jie , Zuo Xiaoyuan , Cao Zubing , Liu Ya , Zhang Yunhai
Published: November 2017

The present study was designed to explore effects of follistatin (FST) on pre‐implantational development of parthenogenetically activated embryos (PAEs) in pigs. First, we investigated the FST messenger RNA expression level and dynamic FST protein expression patterns in porcine oocytes and PAEs. Then, PAEs were placed in embryo culture medium supplemented with 10 ng/mL of FST‐288, FST‐300, and FST‐315. Next, PAEs were cultured with 0, 1, 10 and 100 ng/mL of FST‐315 protein throughout the in vitro culture (IVC) duration. Further, 10 ng/mL of FST‐300 was added from the start of IVC in which PAEs were treated for 30, 48 and 60 h. The results showed that 1 ng/mL FST‐315 could significantly increase the total cell numbers of blastocyst and trophectoderm cell number in PAEs. Exogenous FST‐300 supplementation could significantly promote the early cleavage divisions and improve the blastocyst formation rate of porcine embryos. FST‐300 appeared to affect early embryonic development before activation of the embryonic genome. In all, the study confirmed for the first time that FST plays a role in promoting early embryonic development in pigs, which differed with different FST subtypes. FST‐300 could facilitate the initial cleavage time and improve the blastocyst formation rate, and FST‐315 could improve the blastocyst quality.
Testing for Gene–Environment Interaction under Exposure Misspecification
Authors: Sun Ryan , Carroll Raymond J. , Christiani David C. , Lin Xihong
Published: November 2017

Complex interplay between genetic and environmental factors characterizes the etiology of many diseases. Modeling gene–environment (GxE) interactions is often challenged by the unknown functional form of the environment term in the true data-generating mechanism. We study the impact of misspecification of the environmental exposure effect on inference for the GxE interaction term in linear and logistic regression models. We first examine the asymptotic bias of the GxE interaction regression coefficient, allowing for confounders as well as arbitrary misspecification of the exposure and confounder effects. For linear regression, we show that under gene–environment independence and some confounder-dependent conditions, when the environment effect is misspecified, the regression coefficient of the GxE interaction can be unbiased. However, inference on the GxE interaction is still often incorrect. In logistic regression, we show that the regression coefficient is generally biased if the genetic factor is associated with the outcome directly or indirectly. Further, we show that the standard robust sandwich variance estimator for the GxE interaction does not perform well in practical GxE studies, and we provide an alternative testing procedure that has better finite sample properties.
Bringing the Revolution to the Countryside: Rural Health Programmes as State‐Building in Post‐1952 Bolivia
Authors: PACINO NICOLE
Published: November 2017

Bolivia's Movimiento Nacionalista Revolucionario (Revolutionary Nationalist Movement, MNR) took power in April 1952 via a popular social revolution. After 1952, the party implemented state‐sponsored modernisation projects, including extending rural public health programmes. The MNR used health programmes to change rural practices, cultivate political loyalty, and expand the state's political power. Yet rural indigenous communities were hardly passive recipients of these programmes. These communities often requested government services, and they borrowed the MNR's own political rhetoric to position themselves as worthy of state attention. Public health programmes increased access to rural health care, but they also allowed state officials and rural communities to negotiate the MNR's authority.
Using ‘Public Health Crossings’ to Create Community‐Based Rural Healthcare in Mexico: The Case of Two Health Centres in Xochimilco
Authors: OPPERMAN STEPHANIE BAKER
Published: November 2017

Health centres established in Xochimilco, Mexico during the 1930s and 1940s represent a larger shift in the national health agenda from training medical students in rural health to addressing the specific health challenges of rural communities. While the 1935 centre offered urban students practical experience in rural environments, it did not adequately address the area's health problems. In contrast, the 1947 centre utilised improved community exchanges to enhance the region's health and sanitation. This decade of transformation resulted from a network of politicians, international organisations, and health professionals who helped to establish broader community‐based public health programmes in rural Mexico.
‘A Sick, Weak, and Ignorant People’: Public Health Education and Prevention in Rural Colombia, 1930–1940
Authors: JALIL HANNI
Published: November 2017

This article analyses Salud y Sanidad (Health and Sanitation), a government journal edited in 1930s Colombia. It examines the state's model of public health, which proposed education and prevention as strategies to guarantee the success of its programmes. It argues that despite the journal's more progressive approaches, editors and contributors reproduced stereotypes about Colombia's rural inhabitants that contradicted state rhetoric and showed the limits of public health models that do not address the underlying social inequities that drive the propagation of poverty and disease in rural areas, and that ultimately continued to blame victims for their illness and misfortune
Tick attachment cement – reviewing the mysteries of a biological skin plug system
Authors: Suppan Johannes , Engel Benedikt , Marchetti‐Deschmann Martina , Nürnberger Sylvia
Published: November 2017

The majority of ticks in the family Ixodidae secrete a substance anchoring their mouthparts to the host skin. This substance is termed cement. It has adhesive properties and seals the lesion during feeding. The particular chemical composition and the curing process of the cement are unclear. This review summarizes the literature, starting with a historical overview, briefly introducing the different hypotheses on the origin of the adhesive and how the tick salivary glands have been identified as its source. Details on the sequence of cement deposition, the curing process and detachment are provided. Other possible functions of the cement, such as protection from the host immune system and antimicrobial properties, are presented. Histochemical and ultrastructural data of the intracellular granules in the salivary gland cells, as well as the secreted cement, suggest that proteins constitute the main material, with biochemical data revealing glycine to be the dominant amino acid. Applied methods and their restrictions are discussed. Tick cement is compared with adhesives of other animals such as barnacles, mussels and sea urchins. Finally, we address the potential of tick cement for the field of biomaterial research and in particular for medical applications in future.
An Essay on the Intrinsic Relationship between Social Facts and Moral Questions
Authors: Rawls Anne Warfield
Published: November 2017

Value neutrality and science are often equated. This paper argues that the work of doing science and engaging in scientific practices with meaningful objects depend on social facts which have moral prerequisites and are not value neutral.
From Sinks to Webs: Critical Social Science after the Fact‐Value Distinction
Authors: Gorski Philip S.
Published: November 2017

The fact‐value distinction is leaky.  The problem is not just that values can color facts.  The reverse is also true: facts are also entangled with values.  Nor is that the end of the matter. The concepts of fact and value are not epistemologically or ethically neutral either. It is time to abandon the quest for axiological neutrality in favor of systematic attention to the complex relationship between the descriptive and the normative. Instead of attempting to be neutral, social scientists should strive to combine engagement with open‐mindedness.
Observing Facts and Values: A Brief Theory and History
Authors: Fuchs Stephan
Published: November 2017

Not acknowledging the history and metaphysics of the fact/value distinction has led to confusion about the difference between the normative and the cognitive, and disputes on whether there are ways to move from one side, facts, to the other, values. One solution is to recognize values as more “objective” than facts, and thus blur the common way of drawing this distinction. The origin of the distinction between facts and values appears in the space between them, when and where it is uncertain whether an observation becomes fact or value. Once values turn into subjective beliefs, the entire distinction collapses, and modernity begins to end.
Investigating the hepatitis B virus life cycle using engineered reporter hepatitis B viruses
Authors: Nishitsuji Hironori , Harada Keisuke , Ujino Saneyuki , Zhang Jing , Kohara Michinori , Sugiyama Masaya , Mizokami Masashi , Shimotohno Kunitada
Published: November 2017

Chronic infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) increases the risk of developing fibrosis, cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma. Current therapies are limited to type‐I interferons and/or nucleos(t)ide analogues; however, these are only partially effective. The development of novel anti‐HBV agents for new treatment strategies has been hampered by the lack of a suitable system that allows the in vitro replication of HBV. Studies of virus infection/replication at the molecular level using wild‐type HBV are labor‐intensive and time‐consuming. To overcome these problems, we previously constructed a recombinant reporter HBV bearing the NanoLuc gene and showed its usefulness in identifying factors that affect HBV proliferation. Because this system mimics the early stage of the HBV life cycle faithfully, we conducted a quantitative analysis of HBV infectivity to several human hepatocyte cell lines as well as the effect of dimethyl sulfoxide and HBV protein X on the early stage of HBV proliferation using this system. Furthermore, we developed a system to produce a reporter HBV expressing a pol gene. These reporter HBV may provide an opportunity to enhance our understanding of the HBV life cycle and aid strategies for the development of new anti‐HBV agents.
Altered intracellular signaling by imatinib increases the anti‐cancer effects of tyrosine kinase inhibitors in chronic myelogenous leukemia cells
Authors: Hirao Takuya , Yamaguchi Masashi , Kikuya Megumi , Chibana Hiroji , Ito Kousei , Aoki Shigeki
Published: November 2017

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI), including imatinib (IM), improve the outcome of CML therapy. However, TKI treatment is long‐term and can induce resistance to TKI, which often leads to a poor clinical outcome in CML patients. Here, we examined the effect of continuous IM exposure on intracellular energy metabolism in K562 cells, a human Philadelphia chromosome‐positive CML cell line, and its subsequent sensitivity to anti‐cancer agents. Contrary to our expectations, we found that continuous IM exposure increased sensitivity to TKI. Cancer energy metabolism, characterized by abnormal glycolysis, is linked to cancer cell survival. Interestingly, glycolytic activity was suppressed by continuous exposure to IM, and autophagy increased to maintain cell viability by compensating for glycolytic suppression. Notably, increased sensitivity to TKI was not caused by glycolytic inhibition but by altered intracellular signaling, causing glycolytic suppression and increased autophagy, as evidenced by suppression of p70 S6 kinase 1 (S6K1) and activation of AMP‐activated protein kinase (AMPK). Using another human CML cell line (KCL22 cells) and BCR/ABL+ Ba/F3 cells (mimicking Philadelphia chromosome‐positive CML cells) confirmed that suppressing S6K1 and activating AMPK increased sensitivity to TKI. Furthermore, suppressing S6K1 and activating AMPK had a synergistic anti‐cancer effect by inhibiting autophagy in the presence of TKI. The present study provides new insight into the importance of signaling pathways that affect cellular energy metabolism, and suggests that co‐treatment with agents that disrupt energy metabolic signaling (using S6K1 suppressors and AMPK activators) plus blockade of autophagy may be strategies for TKI‐based CML therapy.
Biallelic mutations in mitochondrial tryptophanyl‐tRNA synthetase cause Levodopa‐responsive infantile‐onset Parkinsonism
Authors: Burke E.A. , Frucht S.J. , Thompson K. , Wolfe L.A. , Yokoyama T. , Bertoni M. , Huang Y. , Sincan M. , Adams D.R. , Taylor R.W. , Gahl W.A. , Toro C. , Malicdan M.C.V.
Published: November 2017

Mitochondrial aminoacyl‐tRNA synthetases (mtARSs) are essential, ubiquitously expressed enzymes that covalently attach amino acids to their corresponding tRNA molecules during translation of mitochondrial genes. Deleterious variants in the mtARS genes cause a diverse array of phenotypes, many of which involve the nervous system. Moreover, distinct mutations in mtARSs often cause different clinical manifestations. Recently, the gene encoding mitochondrial tryptophanyl tRNA synthetase (WARS2) was reported to cause 2 different neurological phenotypes, a form of autosomal recessive intellectual disability and a syndrome of severe infantile‐onset leukoencephalopathy. Here, we report the case of a 17‐year‐old boy with compound heterozygous mutations in WARS2 (p.Trp13Gly, p.Ser228Trp) who presented with infantile‐onset, Levodopa‐responsive Parkinsonism at the age of 2 years. Analysis of patient‐derived dermal fibroblasts revealed decreased steady‐state WARS2 protein and normal OXPHOS content. Muscle mitochondrial studies suggested mitochondrial proliferation without obvious respiratory chain deficiencies at the age of 9 years. This case expands the phenotypic spectrum of WARS2 deficiency and emphasizes the importance of mitochondrial protein synthesis in the pathogenesis of Parkinsonism.
Review of patient decision‐making factors and attitudes regarding preimplantation genetic diagnosis
Authors: Genoff Garzon M.C. , Rubin L.R. , Lobel M. , Stelling J. , Pastore L.M.
Published: November 2017

The increasing technical complexity and evolving options for repro‐genetic testing have direct implications for information processing and decision making, yet the research among patients considering preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) is narrowly focused. This review synthesizes the literature regarding patient PGD decision‐making factors, and illuminates gaps for future research and clinical translation. Twenty‐five articles met the inclusion criteria for evaluating experiences and attitudes of patients directly involved in PGD as an intervention or considering using PGD. Thirteen reports were focused exclusively on a specific disease or condition. Five themes emerged: (1) patients motivated by prospects of a healthy, genetic‐variant‐free child, (2) PGD requires a commitment of time, money, energy and emotions, (3) patients concerned about logistics and ethics of discarding embryos, (4) some patients feel sense of responsibility to use available technologies, and (5) PGD decisions are complex for individuals and couples. Patient research on PGD decision‐making processes has very infrequently used validated instruments, and the data collected through both quantitative and qualitative designs have been inconsistent. Future research for improving clinical counseling is needed to fill many gaps remaining in the literature regarding this decision‐making process, and suggestions are offered.
Noise‐induced hearing loss — An examination of the methods of assessment in a cross‐sectional study of 87 industrial workers
Authors: Das S. , Mulheran M. , Brewster M. , Banerjee A.R.
Published: November 2017

Objectives

The surveillance of noise‐induced hearing loss (NIHL) according to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) differs from the medico‐legal criteria used to assess NIHL. Our study compares the two systems and proposes a novel method of simplifying the medico‐legal criteria and applying it to ascertain noise‐induced hearing loss.

Design

The anonymised audiograms of a group of 87 industrial workers from a single site were analysed with both methods.

Results

The comparison showed approximately one‐third of the workers assessed in this study had their noise‐induced hearing loss underestimated by the HSE criteria. The majority of these individuals were over 40 years of age.

Conclusions

The HSE criteria for noise‐induced hearing loss need review and re‐alignment with the medico‐legal criteria to address the discrepancy between the two systems.
Renal transplant outcomes in primary FSGS compared with other recipients and risk factors for recurrence: A national review of the Irish Transplant Registry
Authors: Cormican Sarah , Kennedy Claire , O'Kelly Patrick , Doyle Brendan , Dorman Anthony , Awan Atif , Conlon Peter
Published: November 2017

Introduction

Primary focal segmental glomerular sclerosis (p‐FSGS) is commonly complicated by recurrence (r‐FSGS) post‐transplantation. Our objective was to describe Irish outcomes for transplantation after end‐stage renal disease (ESRD) due to p‐FSGS, specifically rates of, and treatments for, r‐FSGS.

Patients and Methods

Irish patients with biopsy‐proven FSGS were identified from the Irish National Kidney Transplant database (1982‐2015). Medical record review was performed to identify predictors of r‐FSGS and treatments for r‐FSGS. Transplant outcomes were compared to outcomes in all renal transplants performed during the same time period using registry data. Demographic and clinical predictors of r‐FSGS were identified. Statistical analysis was performed using Stata (version 13, College Station, TX, USA).

Results

Thirty‐eight transplant recipients had biopsy‐proven p‐FSGS, 16 received a second transplant. A total of 3846 transplants formed the comparator group. r‐FSGS complicated 60.5% (23/38) of first transplants. Eighty‐six percent (10/12) of patients with previous r‐FSGS developed recurrent disease after further transplantation.

Patients with p‐FSGS receiving a first renal transplant had higher rate of graft failure than those with another cause of ESRD (HR 1.9, 95% CI 1.152‐3.139).

Sixteen patients received immunotherapy for r‐FSGS; 12 (86%) had at least partial response, but two (14%) developed significant complications.

Discussion

We demonstrate high rates of r‐FSGS and describe modest success from with treatments for r‐FSGS.
Development of the ability to combine visual and acoustic information in working memory
Authors: Cowan Nelson , Li Yu , Glass Bret A. , Scott Saults J.
Published: November 2017

Presentation of two kinds of materials in working memory (visual and acoustic), with the requirement to attend to one or both modalities, poses an interesting case for working memory development because competing predictions can be formulated. In two experiments, we assessed such predictions with children 7–13 years old and adults. With development, the ability to hold more information in the focus of attention could lead to an increase in the size of the trade‐off between modalities; if attention can hold A items during unimodal‐attention trials, then on average attention should hold A/2 of those same items during bimodal‐attention trials. If A increases with age, so would the dual‐task cost, A/2. The results clearly ruled out that possibility. It was the modality‐ or code‐specific components of working memory that improved with age and not the central component. We discuss various mechanisms that could have produced these results, including alternative attention‐based mechanisms. The findings point to a rich field for continued research.
Great walls over African rivers: Chinese engagement in African hydropower projects
Authors: Brautigam Deborah , Hwang Jyhjong
Published: November 2017

Recent acceleration of Chinese engagement in African hydropower is attracting increasing attention and concern. Yet there is scant research and little reliable data on this engagement. This article analyses Chinese hydropower engagement based on a new, verified dataset. We examined over 100 projects reported by the media and lists compiled by other organizations, amassing case studies for each project using desk research, interviews and field visits. We demonstrate that Chinese engagement in African hydropower is often overestimated in both numbers and value. Further, misunderstanding and myths abound regarding Chinese financing and construction practices. This evidence‐based understanding provides a firmer foundation for advocacy, research and efforts by other companies and funding agencies to co‐operate with Chinese actors in this controversial sector.
Land grabbing: A gendered understanding of perceptions and reactions from affected communities in Nguti Subdivision of South West Cameroon
Authors: Ndi Frankline A.
Published: November 2017

This article examines the political economic processes and gendered consequences involved in large‐scale land acquisition (LSLA) in rural South West Cameroon. The study adopts a gender‐disaggregated approach to data collection to understand local perceptions and reactions toLSLAin the region. It shows how traditional cultural prescriptions have combined with contemporary land laws to masculinize power over land to the detriment of women. It argues that although men and women are both affected byLSLAprojects, the impacts are much greater for women because what the state considers “empty land”is used by them to secure household food security. Second, it argues that amid societal discrimination over land‐ownership rights, perceived gender differences between men and women appear “rational” in the event ofLSLA—men follow their ascribed roles in overt reactions, women being more covert and much less vocal in land‐related contests. New policies that promote rural women's land rights will not only empower them during land struggles, they will also provide communities with greater security to sustain ecologically viable livelihoods.
The neural representation of social status in the extended face‐processing network
Authors: Koski Jessica E. , Collins Jessica A. , Olson Ingrid R.
Published: November 2017

Social status is a salient cue that shapes our perceptions of other people and ultimately guides our social interactions. Despite the pervasive influence of status on social behavior, how information about the status of others is represented in the brain remains unclear. Here, we tested the hypothesis that social status information is embedded in our neural representations of other individuals. Participants learned to associate faces with names, job titles that varied in associated status, and explicit markers of reputational status (star ratings). Trained stimuli were presented in an functional magnetic resonance imaging experiment where participants performed a target detection task orthogonal to the variable of interest. A network of face‐selective brain regions extending from the occipital lobe to the orbitofrontal cortex was localized and served as regions of interest. Using multivoxel pattern analysis, we found that face‐selective voxels in the lateral orbitofrontal cortex – a region involved in social and nonsocial valuation, could decode faces based on their status. Similar effects were observed with two different status manipulations – one based on stored semantic knowledge (e.g., different careers) and one based on learned reputation (e.g., star ranking). These data suggest that a face‐selective region of the lateral orbitofrontal cortex may contribute to the perception of social status, potentially underlying the preferential attention and favorable biases humans display toward high‐status individuals.
Impaired peripheral nerve regeneration in type‐2 diabetic mouse model
Authors: Pham Vuong M. , Tu Nguyen Huu , Katano Tayo , Matsumura Shinji , Saito Akira , Yamada Akihiro , Furue Hidemasa , Ito Seiji
Published: November 2017

Peripheral neuropathy is one of the most common and serious complications of type‐2 diabetes. Diabetic neuropathy is characterized by a distal symmetrical sensorimotor polyneuropathy, and its incidence increases in patients 40 years of age or older. In spite of extensive research over decades, there are few effective treatments for diabetic neuropathy besides glucose control and improved lifestyle. The earliest changes in diabetic neuropathy occur in sensory nerve fibers, with initial degeneration and regeneration resulting in pain. To seek its effective treatment, here we prepared a type‐2 diabetic mouse model by giving mice 2 injections of streptozotocin and nicotinamide and examining the ability for nerve regeneration by using a sciatic nerve transection‐regeneration model previously established by us. Seventeen weeks after the last injection, the mice exhibited symptoms of type‐2 diabetes, that is, impaired glucose tolerance, decreased insulin level, mechanical hyperalgesia, and impaired sensory nerve fibers in the plantar skin. These mice showed delayed functional recovery and nerve regeneration by 2 weeks compared with young healthy mice and by 1 week compared with age‐matched non‐diabetic mice after axotomy. Furthermore, type‐2 diabetic mice displayed increased expression of PTEN in their DRG neurons. Administration of a PTEN inhibitor at the cutting site of the nerve for 4 weeks promoted the axonal transport and functional recovery remarkably. This study demonstrates that peripheral nerve regeneration was impaired in type‐2 diabetic model and that its combination with sciatic nerve transection is suitable for the study of the pathogenesis and treatment of early diabetic neuropathy.