bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Histone deacetylase inhibitors correct the cholesterol storage defect in most NPC1 mutant cells
Authors: Pipalia Nina H. , Subramanian Kanagaraj , Mao Shu , Balch William E. , Maxfield Frederick R.
Published: September 2016

Niemann Pick C disease (NPC) is an autosomal recessive disorder that leads to excessive storage of cholesterol and other lipids in late endosomes and lysosomes. The large majority of NPC disease is caused by mutations in NPC1, a large polytopic membrane protein that functions in late endosomes. There are many disease-associated mutations in NPC1, and most patients are compound heterozygotes. The most common mutation NPC1I1061Thas been shown to cause endoplasmic reticulum associated degradation of the NPC1 protein. Treatment of patient derived NPC1I1061Tfibroblasts with histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) Vorinostat or Panobinostat increases expression of the mutant NPC1 protein and leads to correction of the cholesterol storage. Herein we show that several other human NPC1 mutant fibroblast cell lines can also be corrected by Vorinostat or Panobinostat and that treatment with Vorinostat extends the lifetime of the NPC1I1061Tprotein. To test effects of HDACi on a large number ofNPC1mutants, we engineered a U2OS cell line to suppress NPC1 expression by shRNA and then transiently transfected these cells with 81 different NPC1 mutant constructs. The mutant NPC1 did not significantly reduce cholesterol accumulation, but approximately 80% of the mutants showed reduced cholesterol accumulation when treated with Vorinostat or Panobinostat.
Laurdan and Di-4-ANEPPDHQ probe different properties of the membrane
Authors: Amaro Mariana , Reina Francesco , Hof Martin , Eggeling Christian , Sezgin Erdinc
Published: September 2016

Lipid packing is a crucial feature of cellular membranes. Quantitative analysis of membrane lipid packing can be achieved using polarity sensitive probes whose emission spectrum depends on the lipid packing. However, detailed insight into the exact mechanism that causes the spectral shift is essential to interpret the data correctly. Here, we analysed frequently used polarity sensitive probes, Laurdan and di-4-ANEPPDHQ, to test whether the underlying physical mechanisms of their spectral shift is the same, thus whether they report on the same physico-chemical properties of the cell membrane. Their steady-state spectra as well as time-resolved emission spectra in solvents and model membranes showed that they probe different properties of the lipid membrane. Our findings are important for the application of these dyes in cell biology.
dbOTU3: A new implementation of distribution-based OTU calling
Authors: Olesen Scott , Duvallet Claire , Alm Eric
Published: September 2016

1

Distribution-based operational taxonomic unit-calling (dbOTU) improves on other approaches by incorporating information about the input sequences’ distribution across samples. Previous implementations of dbOTU presented challenges for users. Here we introduce and evaluate a new implementation of dbOTU that is faster and more user-friendly. We show that this new implementation has theoretical and practical improvements over previous implementations of dbOTU, making the algorithm more accessible to microbial ecology and biomedical researchers.
Superenhancer reprogramming drives a B-cell–epithelial transition and high-risk leukemia
Authors: Hu Yeguang , Zhang Zhihong , Kashiwagi Mariko , Yoshida Toshimi , Joshi Ila , Jena Nilamani , Somasundaram Rajesh , Emmanuel Akinola Olumide , Sigvardsson Mikael , Fitamant Julien , El-Bardeesy Nabeel , Gounari Fotini , Van Etten Richard A. , Georgopoulos Katia
Published: September 2016

IKAROS is required for the differentiation of highly proliferative pre-B-cell precursors, and loss of IKAROS function indicates poor prognosis in precursor B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL). Here we show that IKAROS regulates this developmental stage by positive and negative regulation of superenhancers with distinct lineage affiliations. IKAROS defines superenhancers at pre-B-cell differentiation genes together with B-cell master regulators such as PAX5, EBF1, and IRF4 but is required for a highly permissive chromatin environment, a function that cannot be compensated for by the other transcription factors. IKAROS is also highly enriched at inactive enhancers of genes normally expressed in stem–epithelial cells. Upon IKAROS loss, expression of pre-B-cell differentiation genes is attenuated, while a group of extralineage transcription factors that are directly repressed by IKAROS and depend on EBF1 relocalization at their enhancers for expression is induced. LHX2, LMO2, and TEAD–YAP1, normally kept separate from native B-cell transcription regulators by IKAROS, now cooperate directly with them in a de novo superenhancer network with its own feed-forward transcriptional reinforcement. Induction of de novo superenhancers antagonizes Polycomb repression and superimposes aberrant stem–epithelial cell properties in a B-cell precursor. This dual mechanism of IKAROS regulation promotes differentiation while safeguarding against a hybrid stem–epithelial–B-cell phenotype that underlies high-risk B-ALL.
Cap-independent translation by DAP5 controls cell fate decisions in human embryonic stem cells
Authors: Yoffe Yael , David Maya , Kalaora Rinat , Povodovski Lital , Friedlander Gilgi , Feldmesser Ester , Ainbinder Elena , Saada Ann , Bialik Shani , Kimchi Adi
Published: September 2016

Multiple transcriptional and epigenetic changes drive differentiation of embryonic stem cells (ESCs). This study unveils an additional level of gene expression regulation involving noncanonical, cap-independent translation of a select group of mRNAs. This is driven by death-associated protein 5 (DAP5/eIF4G2/NAT1), a translation initiation factor mediating IRES-dependent translation. We found that the DAP5 knockdown from human ESCs (hESCs) resulted in persistence of pluripotent gene expression, delayed induction of differentiation-associated genes in different cell lineages, and defective embryoid body formation. The latter involved improper cellular organization, lack of cavitation, and enhanced mislocalized apoptosis. RNA sequencing of polysome-associated mRNAs identified candidates with reduced translation efficiency in DAP5-depleted hESCs. These were enriched in mitochondrial proteins involved in oxidative respiration, a pathway essential for differentiation, the significance of which was confirmed by the aberrant mitochondrial morphology and decreased oxidative respiratory activity in DAP5 knockdown cells. Further analysis identified the chromatin modifier HMGN3 as a cap-independent DAP5 translation target whose knockdown resulted in defective differentiation. Thus, DAP5-mediated translation of a specific set of proteins is critical for the transition from pluripotency to differentiation, highlighting the importance of cap-independent translation in stem cell fate decisions.
Pancreatic fibroblasts smoothen their activities via AKT–GLI2–TGFα
Authors: Rustgi Anil K.
Published: September 2016

Pancreatic stromal fibroblasts provide structural support. Activated fibroblasts are critical in the tumor microenvironment. In this issue of Genes & Development, Liu and colleagues (pp. 1943–1955) unravel the finding that depletion of Smoothened (Smo) in pancreatic stromal fibroblasts results in AKT activation and noncanonical GLI2 activation with subsequent TGFα secretion, activation of EGFR in pancreatic epithelial cells, and augmentation of acinar–ductal metaplasia. Additionally, Smo-mediated signaling has proproliferative effects on pancreatic tumor cells.
Pore shape and sorption behaviour in mesoporous ordered silica films
Authors: Fritz-Popovski Gerhard , Morak Roland , Sharifi Parvin , Amenitsch Heinz , Paris Oskar
Published: September 2016

Mesoporous silica films templated by pluronic P123 were prepared using spin and dip coating. The ordered cylindrical structure within the films deforms due to shrinkage during calcination. Grazing-incidence small-angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS) measurements reveal that both the unit cell and the cross section of the pores decrease in size, mainly normal to the surface of the substrate, leading to elliptical cross sections of the pores with axis ratios of about 1:2. Water take-up by the pores upon changing the relative humidity can be monitored quantitatively by the shift in the critical angle of X-ray reflection as seen by the Yoneda peak.
The antitumour drug 7-ethyl-10-hydroxycamptothecin monohydrate and its solid-state hydrolysis mechanism on heating
Authors: Ali Md. Ashraf , Noguchi Shuji , Watanabe Miteki , Iwao Yasunori , Itai Shigeru
Published: September 2016

7-Ethyl-10-hydroxycamptothecin [systematic name: (4S)-4,11-diethyl-4,9-dihydroxy-1H-pyrano[3′,4′:6,7]indolizino[1,2-b]quinoline-3,14(4H,12H)-dione, SN-38] is an antitumour drug which exerts activity through the inhibition of topoisomerase I. The crystal structure of SN-38 as the monohydrate, C22H20N2O5·H2O, reveals that it is a monoclinic crystal, with one SN-38 molecule and one water molecule in the asymmetric unit. When the crystal is heated to 473 K, approximately 30% of SN-38 is hydrolyzed at its lactone ring, resulting in the formation of the inactive carboxylate form. The molecular arrangement around the water molecule and the lactone ring of SN-38 in the crystal structure suggests that SN-38 is hydrolyzed by the water molecule at (x,y,z) nucleophilically attacking the carbonyl C atom of the lactone ring at (x − 1,y,z − 1). Hydrogen bonding around the water molecules and the lactone ring appears to promote this hydrolysis reaction: two carbonyl O atoms, which are hydrogen bonded as hydrogen-bond acceptors to the water molecule at (x,y,z), might enhance the nucleophilicity of this water molecule, while the water molecule at (−x,y + {1\over 2}, −z), which is hydrogen bonded as a hydrogen-bond donor to the carbonyl O atom at (x − 1,y,z − 1), might enhance the electrophilicity of the carbonyl C atom.
Crystal and solution structural studies of mouse phospholipid hydroperoxide glutathione peroxidase 4
Authors: Janowski Robert , Scanu Sandra , Niessing Dierk , Madl Tobias
Published: September 2016

The mammalian glutathione peroxidase (GPx) family is a key component of the cellular antioxidative defence system. Within this family, GPx4 has unique features as it accepts a large class of hydroperoxy lipid substrates and has a plethora of biological functions, including sperm maturation, regulation of apoptosis and cerebral embryogenesis. In this paper, the structure of the cytoplasmic isoform of mouse phospholipid hydroperoxide glutathione peroxidase (O70325-2 GPx4) with selenocysteine 46 mutated to cysteine is reported solved at 1.8 Å resolution using X-ray crystallography. Furthermore, solution data of an isotope-labelled GPx protein are presented.
Hydrogen bonding, π–π stacking and van der Waals forces-dominated layered regions in the crystal structure of 4-aminopyridinium hydrogen (9-phosphonononyl)phosphonate
Authors: Megen Martin van , Reiss Guido J. , Frank Walter
Published: September 2016

The asymmetric unit of the title molecular salt, [C5H7N2
+][(HO)2OP(CH2)9PO2(OH)−], consists of one 4-aminopyridinium cation and one hydrogen (9-phosphonononyl)phosphonate anion, both in general positions. As expected, the 4-aminopyridinium moieties are protonated exclusively at their endocyclic nitrogen atom due to a mesomeric stabilization by the imine form which would not be given in the corresponding double-protonated dicationic species. In the crystal, the phosphonyl (–PO3H2) and hydrogen phosphonate (–PO3H) groups of the anions form two-dimensional O—H...O hydrogen-bonded networks in the ab plane built from 24-membered hydrogen-bonded ring motifs with the graph-set descriptor R
6
6(24). These networks are pairwise linked by the anions' alkylene chains. The 4-aminopyridinium cations are stacked in parallel displaced face-to-face arrangements and connect neighboring anionic substructures via medium–strong charge-supported N—H...O hydrogen bonds along the c axis. The resulting three-dimensional hydrogen-bonded network shows clearly separated hydrophilic and hydrophobic structural domains.
N,N,N-Triethylethanaminium 5,11,17,23-tetra-tert-butyl-25-[(ethoxycarbonyl)methoxy]-26,28-dihydroxy-27-oxido-2,8,14,20-tetrathiacalix[4]arene: a molecular salt
Authors: Mague Joel T. , Akkurt Mehmet , Mohamed Shaaban K. , Omran Omran A. , Albayati Mustafa R.
Published: September 2016

In the title molecular salt, C8H20N+·C44H53O6S4−, the conformation of the anionic tetrathiacalix[4]arene, which is cone-shaped, is primarily determined by intramolecular O—H...O hydrogen bonds. There are also short intramolecular C— H...O contacts present. The guest species do not sit within the bowl of the calixarene. One of thet-butyl groups in the anion is disordered over two sets of sites with refined occupancies of 0.706 (6) and 0.294 (6). Atoms of both cations are equally disordered over centers of symmetry. In the crystal, extensive O—H...O and C—H...O hydrogen bonds and weak O—H...S interactions link the thiacalixarene anions and tetraethylammonium cations, forming a three-dimensional network.
Social media based value creation and business models
Authors: Ketonen-Oksi Sanna , Jussila Jari J. , Kärkkäinen Hannu
Published: September 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to create an organized picture of the current understanding of social media-based value creation and business models.

Design/methodology/approach

Following the process model presented by Fink (2005), a systematic literature review of academic journal articles published between 2005 and 2014 was conducted. The research was grounded on the theoretical foundations of service-dominant logic.

Findings

This study offers detailed descriptions and analyses of the major social media mechanisms affecting how value is created in social media-based value networks and the kinds of impact social media can have on present and future business models.

Research limitations/implications

The study is limited to academic research literature on business organizations, excluding all studies related to public and non-profit organizations.

Practical implications

Attention is given to developing an in-depth understanding of the functions and concrete value creation mechanisms of social media-based co-creation within the different organizational processes (e.g. in product and service development and customer services) and to updating the related practices and knowledge.

Originality/value

This study provides new insight into the challenges related to research models and frameworks commonly used for observing value creation, thus highlighting the need for further studies and updates.
Does ingredient advertising work? Some evidence on its impact
Authors: Giakoumaki Christina , Avlonitis George J. , Baltas George
Published: September 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the effectiveness of ingredient advertising. Specifically, the authors consider the question as to whether ingredient advertising can increase derived demand and favorably influence purchase intentions and attitudes toward the host product that incorporates the advertised B2B ingredient.

Design/methodology/approach

They conduct experiments in two host product categories using a three-group, between-subjects experimental design.

Findings

The findings of the study are revealing about the impact of ingredient advertising on the demand for host products, in which the advertised ingredients are incorporated. It is demonstrated that consumer advertising positively affects the attitude and purchase intention toward the host brand that incorporates the advertised industrial product. It is also found that the higher the importance of the advertised ingredient as an attribute of the host product, the greater the advertising effects on the consumer brand.

Practical implications

The findings imply that ingredient advertising can help marketers to stimulate derived demand in the sense that it makes consumer brands incorporating the advertised industrial product more attractive to consumers. The positive influence of ingredient advertisements is greater for industrial products that are perceived by consumers as very important ingredients of the final product as consumers are more prone to search for and process ingredient-related information and are also more likely to respond to it.

Originality/value

Despite the implementation of ingredient advertising campaigns by many B2B brands and the vast literature on conventional B2C advertising, there has been no previous attempt to investigate this issue in the empirical literature. This empirical study shows how ingredient advertising works and how it can benefit both buyers and suppliers of the advertised B2B products.
Working with adolescents who display sexually harmful behaviour
Authors: Russell Helena , Harvey Joel
Published: September 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the psychosocial experience of staff in a UK youth offending team (YOT) who work with adolescents displaying sexually harmful behaviour (SHB).

Design/methodology/approach

Eight participants were questioned by means of a semi-structured interview schedule about their experiences of working with adolescents displaying SHB. Subsequent data were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis.

Findings

Three superordinate themes were identified: client-focused; challenges within the role; and looking after the self. Staff appreciate the factors contributing to SHB and they experience challenges within their role, but are also aware of the importance of maintaining their own well-being. They demonstrate positive attitudes towards young people displaying SHB, whilst contending with the challenge of misconceptions within society. When addressing the self, YOT practitioners are able to adopt both individual and group methods of coping with the nature of the work.

Research limitations/implications

The participant group could have included a wider range of disciplines as the YOT is a multi-agency service. A further study exploring staff from different professional backgrounds would be of value.

Practical implications

The findings will be valuable for both practitioners and policy makers working in the field of youth justice as they offer a unique insight into the role of youth justice staff and the complexities within their role when working with a group of young people often vulnerable to poor outcomes. It is important for practitioners and managers to be able to reflect on the challenges in the role in order for clinical supervision to be emphasised when working with this client group.

Originality/value

To the authors’ knowledge this is the first study to provide an in-depth exploration of the experience of UK YOT officers working with adolescents who have displayed SHB.
Exploitative learning and entrepreneurial opportunity recognition of a family business in Hong Kong during and after the Second World War
Authors: Cheung Cherry Wun Mei
Published: September 2016

Purpose

This study aims to examine the role of exploitative learning in entrepreneurial opportunity recognition at the time of war and peace.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper utilises some unique longitudinal oral history narratives collected from informants from a family business.

Findings

At the time of war and conflict, risk and physical immobility restricted exploitation within a narrowly confined geographical and knowledge contexts.

Research limitations/implications

The author’s case illustrates that success under such condition is largely determined by whether one can efficiently exploit one’s existing capabilities under contextual and circumstantial constraints and to reconfigure one’s capabilities utilising local knowledge and resources. When peace returns, the findings indicate that whilst there is no obvious external barrier for radical exploration, exploitation success during war and conflict may result in competency trap, undermining an organisation’s transformation after war and conflict.

Originality/value

This is the first paper examining exploration and exploitation learning at the time of war and conflict.
Echo or organic: framing the 2014 Sochi Games
Authors: Frederick Evan , Pegoraro Ann , Burch Lauren
Published: September 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to perform a comparative analysis of how traditional media and social media framed the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympic Games.

Design/methodology/approach

The researchers examined newspaper articles pertaining to the Sochi Olympics and Tweets containing #SochiProblems to determine if differences or overlap existed in terms of themes and frames. A thematic analysis was conducted with the qualitative software Leximancer.

Findings

An analysis of 2,856 newspaper articles and 497,743 Tweets revealed three frames across the two media platforms including: the setting, the politics, and the games. There was both a divergence and convergence of content. While there was an echo chamber in terms of discussions regarding political controversies, organic content related to conditions and accommodations existed primarily on Twitter.

Originality/value

This study sought to investigate whether organic content on Twitter could withstand the transference of sentiments that emerge in traditional media. This study adds to the current body of the literature by examining whether there is a convergence or divergence of content across media platforms pertaining to an international sporting event.
Surface‐wave inversion for a P‐velocity profile with a constant depth gradient of the squared slowness
Authors: Ponomarenko A.V. , Kashtan B.M. , Troyan V.N. , Mulder W.A.
Published: September 2016

Surface waves are often used to estimate a near‐surface shear‐velocity profile. The inverse problem is solved for the locally one‐dimensional problem of a set of homogeneous horizontal elastic layers. The result is a set of shear velocities, one for each layer. To obtain a P‐wave velocity profile, the P‐guided waves should be included in the inversion scheme. As an alternative to a multi‐layered model, we consider a simple smooth acoustic constant‐density velocity model, which has a negative constant vertical depth gradient of the squared P‐wave slowness and is bounded by a free surface at the top and a homogeneous half‐space at the bottom. The exact solution involves Airy functions and provides an analytical expression for the dispersion equation. If the ratio is sufficiently small, the dispersion curves can be picked from the seismic data and inverted for the continuous P‐wave velocity profile. The potential advantages of our model are its low computational cost and the fact that the result can serve as a smooth starting model for full‐waveform inversion. For the latter, a smooth initial model is often preferred over a rough one. We test the inversion approach on synthetic elastic data computed for a single‐layer P‐wave model and on field data, both with a small ratio. We find that a single‐layer model can recover either the shallow or deeper part of the profile but not both, when compared with the result of a multi‐layer inversion that we use as a reference. An extension of our analytic model to two layers above a homogeneous half‐space, each with a constant vertical gradient of the squared P‐wave slowness and connected in a continuous manner, improves the fit of the picked dispersion curves. The resulting profile resembles a smooth approximation of the multi‐layered one but contains, of course, less detail. As it turns out, our method does not degrade as gracefully as, for instance, diving‐wave tomography, and we can only hope to fit a subset of the dispersion curves. Therefore, the applicability of the method is limited to cases where the ratio is small and the profile is sufficiently simple. A further extension of the two‐layer model to more layers, each with a constant depth gradient of the squared slowness, might improve the fit of the modal structure but at an increased cost.
Noise transfer in variable‐depth streamer deghosting
Authors: Ferber Ralf , van Manen Dirk‐Jan
Published: September 2016

Single‐component towed‐streamer marine data acquisition records the pressure variations of the upgoing compressional waves followed by the polarity‐reversed pressure variations of downgoing waves, creating sea‐surface ghost events in the data. The sea‐surface ghost for constant‐depth towed‐streamer marine data acquisition is usually characterised by a ghost operator acting on the upgoing waves, which can be formulated as a filtering process in the frequency–wavenumber domain. The deghosting operation, usually via the application of the inverse Wiener filter related to the ghost operator, acts on the signal as well as the noise. The noise power transfer into the deghosted data is proportional to the power spectrum of the inverse Wiener filter and is amplifying the noise strongly at the notch wavenumbers and frequencies of the ghost operator. For variable‐depth streamer acquisition, the sea‐surface ghost cannot be described any longer as a wavenumber–frequency operator but as a linear relationship between the wavenumber–frequency representation of the upgoing waves at the sea surface and the data in the space–frequency domain. In this article, we investigate how the application of the inverse process acts on noise. It turns out that the noise magnification is less severe with variable‐depth streamer data, as opposed to constant depth, and is inversely proportional to the local slant of the streamer. We support this statement via application of the deghosting process to real and numerical random noise. We also propose a more general concept of a wavenumber–frequency ghost power transfer function, applicable for variable‐depth streamer acquisition, and demonstrate that the inverse of the proposed variable‐depth ghost power transfer function can be used to approximately quantify the action of the variable‐depth streamer deghosting process on noise.
Fiscal Consolidation and Australia's Public Debt
Authors: Makin Anthony J. , Pearce Julian
Published: September 2016

Australia has experienced one of the fastest growing public debt levels in the world post‐Global Financial Crisis due to a series of large federal budget deficits driven by high government spending. In this paper we examine the balance sheet implications of this escalating public debt, before proposing some macro‐fiscal objectives for determining its sustainable level. These objectives are to (i) restore the federal government's solvency; (ii) eliminate foreign public debt; and (iii) achieve budgetary balance over the business cycle. Empirically, we first examine how much fiscal consolidation is required for debt stabilisation at current levels, before considering what sized budget balances are needed to achieve the target debt to GDP ratios consistent with the proposed objectives. The results show that no target debt to GDP level consistent with the optimal levels will be met on current fiscal settings in the medium term. This implies significantly greater fiscal consolidation is required to minimise future fiscal risk.
‘Why single me out?’ Peer mentoring, autism and inclusion in mainstream secondary schools
Authors: Bradley Ryan
Published: September 2016

The past decade has seen an increase in the number of students with autism attending mainstream educational provision. Improving outcomes for this group is a complex issue given the deficit of evidence‐based practice. A new peer mentoring programme developed for students with autism in mainstream secondary schools was evaluated using a combination of quantitative and qualitative measures. Twelve students with autism and 36 students without autism participated in the programme across five schools in the south‐east of England. Students with autism were assessed using the Harter Self‐Esteem Questionnaire, Loneliness and Social Dissatisfaction Scale and the Anti‐Bullying Alliance survey. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted to record their views and experiences of the programme. Significant gains in self‐esteem, social satisfaction and a reduction in bullying were seen over the course of the programme. These findings have wider implications for the ways in which educational approaches, strategies and interventions are developed and delivered in schools.
The Earliest Norman Sheriffs
Authors: SHARPE RICHARD
Published: September 2016

Before the Norman Conquest the Latin word used for sheriff is usually praepositus, and after the Conquest it is uicecomes. The article focuses on two Latin diplomas from the beginning of William I's reign in which minister is used for sheriff, a word which was otherwise in transition from signifying thegn before the Conquest to reeve or bailiff after. This crossover in the words used in royal charters reflects Norman thought as to the character of the shrieval office, at first seeing it as a service role but quickly reframing it as an officer substituting for the earl. The men described as minister in these documents are the earliest recorded Norman sheriffs, and the documents provide an insight into the rapid replacement of English sheriffs by Normans.
Development and Comparison of Multiple Regression Models to Predict Bankfull Channel Dimensions for Use in Hydrologic Models
Authors: Bieger Katrin , Rathjens Hendrik , Arnold Jeffrey G. , Chaubey Indrajeet , Allen Peter M.
Published: September 2016

Channel dimensions are important input variables for many hydrologic models. As measurements of channel geometry are not available in most watersheds, they are often predicted using bankfull hydraulic geometry relationships. This study aims at improving existing equations that relate bankfull width, depth, and cross‐sectional area to drainage area (DA) without limiting their use to well‐gauged watersheds. We included seven additional variables in the equations that can be derived from data that are generally required by hydrologic models anyway and conducted several multiple regression analyses to identify the ideal combination of additional variables for nationwide and regional models for each Physiographic Division of the United States (U.S.). Results indicate that including the additional variables in the regression equations generally improves predictions considerably. The selection of relevant variables varies by Physiographic Division, but average annual precipitation (PCP) and temperature (TMP) were generally found to improve the models the most. Therefore, we recommend using regression equations with three independent variables (DA, PCP, and TMP) to predict bankfull channel dimensions for hydrologic models. Furthermore, we recommend using the regional equations for watersheds within regions from which data were used for model development, whereas in all other parts of the U.S. and the rest of the world, the nationwide equations should be given preference.
Audit report lag: the role of auditor type and increased competition in the audit market
Authors: MohammadRezaei Fakhroddin , Mohd‐Saleh Norman
Published: September 2016

This study investigates the effect of auditor type (private vs. state) and increased competition in an audit market on audit report lag (ARL). This is the first study to provide evidence regarding the effect of audit market competition on ARL. Utilising structure–conduct–performance theory, we predict that competition pressures private auditors to be more efficient and to have less reporting lag than state auditors. We also predict that competition among auditors after a liberalisation period forces auditors to be more efficient and to record less ARL than before. We use a unique data set in Iran, whereby the audit market liberalisation (an audit market where services were previously provided primarily by a state entity) has resulted in both state and private auditors simultaneously providing audit services. The findings are consistent with the following hypothesis, that is ARL is shorter for private auditors than it is for state auditors, and ARL decreases as competition increases in the Iranian audit market. Consistent with the structure–conduct–performance theory, the findings suggest that increased competition in the audit market results in higher efficiency, as reflected by a shorter ARL.
Improvement in verbal memory performance in depressed in‐patients after treatment with electroconvulsive therapy
Authors: Biedermann S. V. , Bumb J. M. , Demirakca T. , Ende G. , Sartorius A.
Published: September 2016

Objective

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a highly effective and well‐tolerated therapy for severe and treatment‐resistant depression. Cognitive side‐effects are still feared by some patients and clinicians. Importantly, cognitive impairments are among the most disabling symptoms of depression itself.

Methods

Patients suffering from a severe episode of depression were treated with either ECT or treatment as usual (TAU) in an in‐patient setting. Matched healthy participants served as controls (HC). Verbal memory was tested with the California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT) before the specific treatment started (ECT = 15, TAU = 16, HC = 31) and 2 months after the last ECT session or 2 months after discharge respectively.

Results

Before the specific treatment started, depressed patients performed substantially worse compared with HC in total, short‐ and long‐delay recall in the CVLT, while the ECT group showed the worst performance. More severely depressed patients showed worse performances in these measures. Intriguingly, verbal memory showed a significant improvement in ECT‐treated patients, but not in the other groups. No differences between the groups were found at follow‐up.

Conclusion

Contrary to the widely feared assumption that ECT has long‐term impact on memory functions, we found evidence that ECT is superior to TAU in improving verbal memory in depressed patients.
A hypo‐status in drug‐dependent brain revealed by multi‐modal MRI
Authors: Wang Ze , Suh Jesse , Duan Dingna , Darnley Stefanie , Jing Ying , Zhang Jian , O'Brien Charles , Childress Anna Rose
Published: September 2016

Drug addiction is a chronic brain disorder with no proven effective cure. Assessing both structural and functional brain alterations by using multi‐modal, rather than purely unimodal imaging techniques, may provide a more comprehensive understanding of the brain mechanisms underlying addiction, which in turn may facilitate future treatment strategies. However, this type of research remains scarce in the literature. We acquired multi‐modal magnetic resonance imaging from 20 cocaine‐addicted individuals and 19 age‐matched controls. Compared with controls, cocaine addicts showed a multi‐modal hypo‐status with (1) decreased brain tissue volume in the medial and lateral orbitofrontal cortex (OFC); (2) hypo‐perfusion in the prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, insula, right temporal cortex and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and (3) reduced irregularity of resting state activity in the OFC and limbic areas, as well as the cingulate, visual and parietal cortices. In the cocaine‐addicted brain, larger tissue volume in the medial OFC, anterior cingulate cortex and ventral striatum and smaller insular tissue volume were associated with higher cocaine dependence levels. Decreased perfusion in the amygdala and insula was also correlated with higher cocaine dependence levels. Tissue volume, perfusion, and brain entropy in the insula and prefrontal cortex, all showed a trend of negative correlation with drug craving scores. The three modalities showed voxel‐wise correlation in various brain regions, and combining them improved patient versus control brain classification accuracy. These results, for the first time, demonstrate a comprehensive cocaine‐dependence and craving‐related hypo‐status regarding the tissue volume, perfusion and resting brain irregularity in the cocaine‐addicted brain.
The effect of liquor licensing restrictions on assault: a quasi‐experimental study in Sydney, Australia
Authors: Menéndez Patricia , Kypri Kypros , Weatherburn Don
Published: September 2016

Aims

To determine whether restrictions on the availability of alcohol in two inner‐city entertainment areas in Sydney, Australia (1) reduced the incidence of assault in those areas, (2) increased the incidence of assault in nearby areas (where the restrictions did not apply), (3) resulted in a net reduction in overall levels of assault (4) and/or whether the reductions in assault were most pronounced during the daily time‐periods when liquor trading restrictions were in operation.

Design

Structural time–series modelling was used to estimate and compare trends in assault in areas/times affected by the new restrictions on alcohol availability with trends in assault in areas unaffected by the new restrictions.

Setting

Sydney, Australia.

Participants/measurements

The primary outcome measure was the police‐recorded monthly incidence of non‐domestic assault in the 78 months between January 2009 and June 2015.

Findings

Following the reforms, we found reductions in assaults of 45% [beta = −0.599, 95% confidence interval (CI) = −1.107, –0.091] and 22% (beta =0.260, 95% CI = −0.397, –0.123), respectively, in the Kings Cross and Sydney CBD Entertainment Precincts. In the Kings Cross Entertainment Precinct, reductions in assault were observed in all three daily time‐periods. In the Sydney CBD Entertainment Precinct reductions in assault were observed only in the second and third daily time‐periods. Assaults did not increase in entertainment areas adjacent to or within easy reach of the target areas.

Conclusion

Restrictions on the availability of alcohol appear to reduce the incidence of assault.
High incidence and persistence of airborne allergen sensitization up to age 19 years
Authors: Rönmark E. , Warm K. , Bjerg A. , Backman H. , Hedman L. , Lundbäck B.
Published: September 2016

Background

Longitudinal population‐based studies about the natural history of allergic sensitization are rare. The aim was to study incidence and persistence of airborne allergen sensitization up to young adulthood and risk factors for early and late onset of sensitization.

Methods

All children aged 7–8 years in two municipalities in Northern Sweden were invited to a parental questionnaire and skin prick tests (SPTs) to ten airborne allergens, and 2148 (88%) participated. The protocol was repeated at age 11–12 and 19 years, and 1516 participated in all three examinations.

Results

Prevalence of any positive SPT increased from 20.6% at age 7–8 years to 30.6% at 11–12 years, and 42.1% at 19 years. Animals were the primary sensitizers at age 7–8 years, 16.3%, followed by pollen, 12.4%. Mite and mold sensitization was low. Mean annual incidence of any positive SPT varied between 2.8 and 3.4/100 per year, decreased by age for animal, and was stable for pollen. Sensitization before age 7–8 years was independently associated with family history of allergy, OR 2.1 (95% CI 1.6–2.8), urban living, OR 1.9 (95% CI 1.2–2.9), and male sex, OR 1.3 (95% CI 1.0–1.7), and negatively associated with birth order, OR 0.8 (95% CI 0.7–1.0), and furry animals at home, OR 0.7 (95% CI 0.7–0.9). Incidence after age 11–12 years was associated only with family history of allergy. Multisensitization at age 19 years was significantly associated with early age at sensitization. Remission of sensitization was uncommon.

Conclusion

The increasing prevalence of allergic sensitization by age was explained by high incidence and persistence. After age 11–12 years, the factors urban living, number of siblings, and male sex lost their importance.
Discrimination of sleep states using continuous cerebral bedside monitoring (amplitude‐integrated electroencephalography) compared to polysomnography in infants
Authors: Bennet Laura , Fyfe Karinna L. , Yiallourou Stephanie R. , Merk Henriette , Wong Flora Y. , Horne Rosemary S. C.
Published: September 2016

Aim

Limited two‐channel electroencephalography (EEG) and amplitude‐integrated EEG (aEEG) monitorings are being increasingly used; however, these measurements have not been compared with polysomnographic monitoring, the gold standard for determining infant sleep states. We aimed to determine the accuracy of two‐channel EEG and aEEG recordings in defining sleep states and wakefulness in term infants compared to polysomnographic monitoring.

Methods

Sleep was assessed in eight healthy term born infants (mean: 34 ± 3 days), using simultaneous polysomnography (Compumedics S‐Series) and a two‐channel EEG monitor (Brainz BRM2). EEG intensity, 90% spectral edge frequency (SEF), aEEG amplitude frequency bands were analysed in 30‐second epochs during quiet sleep, active sleep and awake as determined by polysomnography.

Results

BRM2‐recorded EEG accurately identified quiet sleep from active sleep for EEG intensity (p = 0.003), SEF (p = 0.001) and aEEG amplitude (p = 0.003) and quiet sleep from awake, but not active sleep from awake. Frequency band analysis showed that wake could be identified by changes in absolute power (p = 0.015) and frequency as a percentage of total power (p = 0.03).

Conclusion

We demonstrate that limited two‐channel EEG monitoring can distinguish quiet sleep from active sleep and may be suitable for investigating the development of sleep in infants in the neonatal intensive care setting.
Performance and safety of collagenated xenogeneic bone block for lateral alveolar ridge augmentation and staged implant placement. A monocenter, prospective single‐arm clinical study
Authors: Schwarz Frank , Mihatovic Ilja , Ghanaati Shahram , Becker Jürgen
Published: September 2016

Objectives

To assess the clinical safety and performance of collagenated xenogeneic bone block (CXBB) for lateral alveolar ridge augmentation and two‐stage implant placement.

Material & Methods

In ten patients exhibiting a single‐tooth gap, the surgical procedure included the preparation of mucoperiosteal flaps, a rigid fixation of CXBB (Geistlich Bio‐Graft®) using an osteosynthesis screw, and contour augmentation. After 24 weeks of submerged healing, the primary endpoint was defined as the final ridge width sufficient to place an adequately dimensioned titanium implant at the respective sites. Secondary outcomes included, for example, the gain in ridge width (mm). Clinical parameters (e.g., bleeding on probing – BOP, probing depth – PD, mucosal recession – MR) were assessed immediately after the cementation of the crown and at the final visit.

Results

At 24 weeks, implant placement could be achieved in 8 of 10 patients exhibiting a mean gain in ridge width (mean ± SD) of 3.88 ± 1.75 mm. Histological analysis has pointed to a homogeneous osseous organization of CXBB. The changes of mean BOP, PD, and MR values at the final visit amounted to 16.62 ± 32.02%, 0.04 ± 0.21 mm, and −0.04 ± 0.12 mm, respectively.

Conclusions

CXBB may be successfully used to support lateral alveolar ridge augmentation and two‐stage implant placement.
Endoscopic ultrasound‐guided fine needle aspiration biopsy of pancreatic lesions. An 8‐year analysis of single institution material focusing on efficacy and learning progress
Authors: Dušková J. , Krechler T. , Dvořák M.
Published: September 2016

Objective

To evaluate the efficacy and the learning curve of the endoscopic ultrasound‐guided fine needle aspiration biopsy (EUS‐FNAB) diagnostics of pancreatic lesions over 8 years (2007–2014).

Material and methods

EUS‐FNAB using a Linear Echoendoscope Olympus was performed in 531 patients, mostly without rapid on‐site evaluation (ROSE). Smears plus cytoblock sections were used routinely. Immunocytochemistry was utilised as indicated.

Results

The average, satisfactory sampling rate increased from the 61.2% in the first 3‐year period to 72.9% in the last 3‐year period (P = 0.008). The availability of the material for cytoblocks increased from 36.4% in the first period to 75.3% in the last period (P = 0.017). The efficacy of cytoblocks increased from 39.6% to 46.2% (P = 0.086). Comparing the first and last 3‐year periods, the indication for immunocytochemistry did not rise substantially (5.2% and 8.5% respectively), but the predictive value of immunocytochemistry rose from 56.3% to 100.0% (P = 0.001). The most frequent diagnostic result was malignancy confirmation – both primary (41.2%) and metastatic (2.1%). In cases with representative samples and follow‐up information, the specificity, sensitivity, positive predictive value and accuracy were high from the beginning. The negative predictive value decreased slightly in the last 3‐year period.

Conclusion

The pancreatic EUS‐FNAB without ROSE represents a suboptimal arrangement conditioned with our staff/time/location reality. Nevertheless, within the last 3 years of our activity, nearly three‐quarters of patients profit from the diagnostic contribution of this procedure.
Difficulties in auditory organization as a cause of reading backwardness? An auditory neuroscience perspective
Authors: Leong Victoria , Goswami Usha
Published: September 2016

Over 30 years ago, it was suggested that difficulties in the ‘auditory organization’ of word forms in the mental lexicon might cause reading difficulties. It was proposed that children used parameters such as rhyme and alliteration to organize word forms in the mental lexicon by acoustic similarity, and that such organization was impaired in developmental dyslexia. This literature was based on an ‘oddity’ measure of children's sensitivity to rhyme (e.g. wood,book, good) and alliteration (e.g. sun, sock,rag). The ‘oddity’ task revealed that children with dyslexia were significantly poorer at identifying the ‘odd word out’ than younger children without reading difficulties. Here we apply a novel modelling approach drawn from auditory neuroscience to study the possible sensory basis of the auditory organization of rhyming and non‐rhyming words by children. We utilize a novel Spectral‐Amplitude Modulation Phase Hierarchy (S‐AMPH) approach to analysing the spectro‐temporal structure of rhyming and non‐rhyming words, aiming to illuminate the potential acoustic cues used by children as a basis for phonological organization. The S‐AMPHmodel assumes that speech encoding depends on neuronal oscillatory entrainment to the amplitude modulation (AM) hierarchy in speech. Our results suggest that phonological similarity between rhyming words in the oddity task depends crucially on slow (delta band) modulations in the speech envelope. Contrary to linguistic assumptions, therefore, auditory organization by children may not depend on phonemic information for this task. Linguistically, it is assumed that ‘book’ does not rhyme with ‘wood’ and ‘good’ because the final phoneme differs. However, our auditory analysis suggests that the acoustic cues to this phonological dissimilarity depend primarily on the slower amplitude modulations in the speech envelope, thought to carry prosodic information. Therefore, the oddity task may help in detecting reading difficulties because phonological similarity judgements about rhyme reflect sensitivity to slow amplitude modulation patterns. Slower amplitude modulations are known to be detected less efficiently by children with dyslexia.
Where Will the ‘Silver Money’ Go?
Authors: Park Na Young
Published: September 2016

Using international country‐level data, this paper shows that demographic ageing is likely to significantly expand the insurance industry. This expansion is driven by the increased need to secure earnings for post‐retirement consumption, the desire to hedge against risks associated with increasing age, and the older generations risk aversion increasing the demand for safer assets such as insurance and pension products. Moreover, such an expansion of the insurance industry is particularly apparent in financially liberalised countries. This is because risk and asset management associated with insurance and pension products could be facilitated and more effective in liberalised financial markets.