bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Using hidden Markov models with raw, triaxial wrist accelerometry data to determine sleep stages
Authors: Trevenen Michelle L. , Turlach Berwin A. , Eastwood Peter R. , Straker Leon M. , Murray Kevin
Published: August 2019

Accelerometry is a low‐cost and noninvasive method that has been used to discriminate sleep from wake, however, its utility to detect sleep stages is unclear. We detail the development and comparison of methods which utilise raw, triaxial accelerometry data to classify varying stages of sleep, ranging from sleep/wake detection to discriminating rapid eye movement sleep, stage one sleep, stage two sleep, deep sleep and wake. First‐ and second‐order hidden Markov models (HMMs) with time‐homogeneous and time‐varying transition probability matrices, along with continuous acceleration observations in the form of a Gaussian‐observation HMM and K‐means classified acceleration in a discrete‐observation HMM were explored. In addition, generalised linear mixed models (GLMMs) with binary and multinomial responses and logit link functions were considered as was whether incorporating adjoining acceleration information into the models improved prediction. Model predictions were compared to the reference‐standard in sleep detection (polysomnography) and outcome accuracies were calculated. Consistently, HMMs yielded greater sleep stage detection than GLMMs but there was little difference between first‐ and second‐order HMMs. Varying degrees of difference were observed when comparing Gaussian‐observation HMMs to discrete‐observation HMMs, and time‐varying HMMs yielded greater discrimination than time‐homogeneous HMMs, as did models which considered adjoining acceleration information. These results suggest that wrist‐worn accelerometry data may be able to detect sleep stages but that further investigation is required to optimise classification accuracy.
Paediatric palliative care in practice: Perspectives between acute and long‐term healthcare teams
Authors: Côté Anne‐Josée , Payot Antoine , Gaucher Nathalie
Published: August 2019

Aim

To explore and compare acute and long‐term care professionals' perspectives about paediatric palliative care.

Methods

Focus group interviews were conducted in 2016‐2017 with professionals from acute (Emergency Department, Intensive Care Unit) and long‐term care (Complex Care Service, Palliative Care) teams.

Results

Fifty‐eight participants were enrolled. Palliative care definitions were similar throughout groups: to provide active care early in the illness, focusing on the child as a whole and supporting families. Each group perceived a different role in the patient's illness trajectory, reflecting their own culture of care. They demonstrated important differences in their approach to palliative care. Disagreements regarding when or how to discuss goals of care were expressed. Acute care professionals reported discomfort when having to introduce these discussions for the first time, while long‐term care professionals perceived negative judgements about their patients' quality of life by acute care teams during health events. Personalised care, communication with families and continuity of care were thought to be key elements to improve care.

Conclusion

Paediatric palliative care is well recognised throughout specialties, yet continuity of care is challenged by groups' roles and interventions in a patient's illness. A reflective and mutual clinical approach is needed to improve quality of care and professionals' satisfaction.
Degree outcomes and national calibration: Debating academic standards in UK Geography
Authors: Wyse Stephanie , Page Ben , Walkington Helen , Hill Jennifer L.
Published: August 2019

In this short intervention we report on work in progress by Advance HE (formerly the Higher Education Academy) in collaboration with professional bodies such as the RGS‐IBG, which seeks to respond to public concerns about “grade inflation” in relation to degree outcomes. We present an updated analysis of degree outcomes in UK geography for 2010–2016 showing a strong correlation between average A‐level points score on entry and the proportion of good degrees awarded by UK geography departments. We then go on to report on the results of pilot training activities within the discipline to increase the use of social calibration techniques as a means of providing transparent assurance about the high quality of assessment practices. We conclude that there is good reason to engage positively and actively with the public debate about academic standards and we make the case for regular social calibration exercises to share marking practices across multiple institutions as a potential means of ensuring consistency, reliability and clarity in academic standards.
The hydro‐logic of genocide: Remaking land, water, and bodies in democratic Kampuchea, 1975–1979
Authors: Rice Stian , Tyner James , Munro‐Stasiuk Mandy , Kimsroy Sokvisal , Coakley Corrine
Published: August 2019

Recent scholarship in hydropolitics and the hydrosocial cycle has emphasised the ways that water and society are co‐constitutive, acknowledging the productive entanglement of hydraulic and social actors and processes. In this paper, we apply a hydrosocial framework to understand an infamous waterscape of mass violence. Between 1975 and 1979, the Khmer Rouge planned and partially implemented an extensive irrigation system to increase rice production in the Cambodian countryside. The programmes of rationing, forced labour, and execution imposed by the government during construction killed up to two million people. We find that these infrastructural projects helped the Khmer Rouge remake water into a technology of capital accumulation and social control. The production of these systems enrolled water as an active agent into new relations of power, providing the state with classification and control over not only water but also the physical bodies of Cambodian men, women, and children. Furthermore, we find the Khmer Rouge's infrastructural violence was predicated on the production of new subjectivities – ones that emerged from a narrow imagination of idealised rice plants and labouring bodies. This case illustrates how a pervasive materialist logic, combined with the imperative of capital accumulation, may evolve into justification for mass murder.
Integrative factorization of bidimensionally linked matrices
Authors: Park Jun Young , Lock Eric F.
Published: August 2019

Advances in molecular “omics” technologies have motivated new methodologies for the integration of multiple sources of high‐content biomedical data. However, most statistical methods for integrating multiple data matrices only consider data shared vertically (one cohort on multiple platforms) or horizontally (different cohorts on a single platform). This is limiting for data that take the form of bidimensionally linked matrices (eg, multiple cohorts measured on multiple platforms), which are increasingly common in large‐scale biomedical studies. In this paper, we propose bidimensional integrative factorization (BIDIFAC) for integrative dimension reduction and signal approximation of bidimensionally linked data matrices. Our method factorizes data into (a) globally shared, (b) row‐shared, (c) column‐shared, and (d) single‐matrix structural components, facilitating the investigation of shared and unique patterns of variability. For estimation, we use a penalized objective function that extends the nuclear norm penalization for a single matrix. As an alternative to the complicated rank selection problem, we use results from the random matrix theory to choose tuning parameters. We apply our method to integrate two genomics platforms (messenger RNA and microRNA expression) across two sample cohorts (tumor samples and normal tissue samples) using the breast cancer data from the Cancer Genome Atlas. We provide R code for fitting BIDIFAC, imputing missing values, and generating simulated data.
Evidence for central antispastic effect of botulinum toxin type A
Authors: Matak Ivica
Published: August 2019

Background and Purpose

Botulinum toxin type A (BoNT/A) injections into hyperactive muscles provide effective treatment for spasticity and dystonias, presumably due to its local effects on extrafusal and intrafusal motor fibres. A recent discovery of toxin's retrograde axonal transport to CNS might suggest additional action sites. However, in comparison to cholinergic peripheral terminals, functional consequences of BoNT/A direct central action on abnormally increased muscle tone are presently unknown. To address this question, the central effects of BoNT/A were assessed in experimental local spastic paralysis.

Experimental Approach

Local spastic paralysis was induced by injection of tetanus toxin (1.5 ng) into rat gastrocnemius. Subsequently, BoNT/A (5 U·kg−1) was applied i.m. into the spastic muscle or intraneurally (i.n.) into the sciatic nerve to mimic the action of axonally transported toxin. Functional role of BoNT/A transcytosis in spinal cord was evaluated by lumbar i.t. application of BoNT/A‐neutralizing antitoxin. BoNT/A effects were studied by behavioural motor assessment and cleaved synaptosomal‐associated protein 25 (SNAP‐25) immunohistochemistry.

Key Results

Tetanus toxin evoked muscular spasm (sustained rigid hind paw extension and resistance to passive ankle flexion). Subsequent injections of BoNT/A, i.m. or i.n, reduced tetanus toxin‐evoked spastic paralysis. Beneficial effects of i.n. BoNT/A and occurrence of cleaved SNAP‐25 in ventral horn were prevented by i.t. antitoxin.

Conclusions and Implications

Axonally transported BoNT/A relieves muscle hypertonia induced by tetanus toxin, following the trans‐synaptic movement of BoNT/A in the CNS. These results suggest that such direct, centrally mediated reduction of abnormal muscle tone might contribute to the effectiveness of BoNT/A in spasticity and hyperkinetic movement disorders.
Indoleamine 2,3‐dioxygenase 2 depletion suppresses tumor growth in a mouse model of Lewis lung carcinoma
Authors: Yamasuge Wakana , Yamamoto Yasuko , Fujigaki Hidetsugu , Hoshi Masato , Nakamoto Kentaro , Kunisawa Kazuo , Mouri Akihiro , Nabeshima Toshitaka , Saito Kuniaki
Published: August 2019

Tryptophan metabolism is important to induce immune tolerance in tumors. To date, 3 types of tryptophan‐metabolizing enzymes have been identified: indoleamine 2,3‐dioxygenase 1 and 2 (IDO1 and IDO2) and tryptophan 2,3‐dioxygenase 2. Numerous studies have focused on IDO1 as its expression is enhanced in various cancers. Recently, IDO2 has been identified as a tryptophan‐metabolizing enzyme that is involved in several immune functions and expressed in cancers such as pancreatic cancer. However, the biological role of IDO2 in the induction of immune tolerance in tumors has not yet been reported. In the present study, we examined the effects of Ido2 depletion on tumor growth in a mouse model of Lewis lung carcinoma by using Ido2‐knockout mice. Ido2‐knockout mice had reduced tumor volumes compared to WT mice. Furthermore, Ido2 depletion altered the tumor microenvironment, such as tryptophan accumulation and kynurenine reduction, leading to enhancement of immune cell invasion. Finally, enzyme‐linked immunospot assay revealed that Ido2 depletion enhanced γ‐interferon secretion in the tumor. In conclusion, Ido2 is an important immune regulator in the tumor microenvironment. Our data indicate that IDO2 is a potential target for cancer treatment and drug development.
Indoor dust acts as an adjuvant to promote sensitization to peanut through the airway
Authors: Smeekens Johanna M. , Immormino Robert M. , Balogh Peter A. , Randell Scott H. , Kulis Michael D. , Moran Timothy P.
Published: August 2019

Background

There is growing evidence that environmental peanut exposure through non‐oral routes, including the skin and respiratory tract, can result in peanut sensitization. Environmental adjuvants in indoor dust can promote sensitization to inhaled antigens, but whether they contribute to peanut allergy development is unclear.

Objective

We investigated whether indoor dust promotes airway sensitization to peanut and peanut allergy development in mice.

Methods

Female and male C57BL/6J mice were exposed via the airways to peanut, indoor dust extract, or both for 2 weeks. Mice were then challenged with peanut and assessed for anaphylaxis. Peanut‐specific immunoglobulins, peanut uptake by lung conventional dendritic cells (cDCs), lung innate cytokines, and T cell differentiation in lung‐draining lymph nodes were quantified. Innate cytokine production by primary human bronchial epithelial cells exposed to indoor dust was also determined.

Results

Inhalational exposure to low levels of peanut in combination with indoor dust, but neither alone, resulted in production of peanut‐specific IgE and development of anaphylaxis upon peanut challenge. Indoor dust triggered production of innate cytokines in murine lungs and in primary human bronchial epithelial cells. Additionally, inhaled indoor dust stimulated maturation and migration of peanut‐laden lung type 1 cDCs to draining lymph nodes. Inhalational exposure to peanut and indoor dust induced peanut‐specific T helper 2 cell differentiation and accumulation of T follicular helper cells in draining lymph nodes, which were associated with increased B cell numbers and peanut‐specific immunoglobulin production.

Conclusions & clinical relevance

Indoor dust promotes airway sensitization to peanut and development of peanut allergy in mice. Our findings suggest that environmental adjuvants in indoor dust may be determinants of peanut allergy development in children.
Tumor necrosis factor receptor 2: A potential target for antidepressant drug development
Authors: Seymour Natasha , Gibbons Andrew , Dean Brian
Published: August 2019

A large body of work implicates cytokines and their related pathways in the pathophysiologies of mood disorders. Much of the data on the role of cytokines in major depression and bipolar disorder suggest that pathways regulated by tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐α make a significant contribution to their pathophysiologies. In the present review, we contrast the well‐established role of TNF‐related pathways acting to mediate classic pro‐inflammatory cytokine activity with growing evidence that such pathways have more diverse functions in the human central nervous system. Here, it will be argued that changes in levels of the TNF receptor type 2 in mood disorders would be consistent with a neuroprotective role for the receptor against the pathophysiologies of mood disorders. This hypothesis is of significance when considering how interventions that act to modulate TNF‐regulated pathways can be used to treat the symptoms of mood disorders.
Relationships Between Allopurinol Dose, Oxypurinol Concentration and Urate‐Lowering Response—In Search of a Minimum Effective Oxypurinol Concentration
Authors: Stamp Lisa K. , Chapman Peter T. , Barclay Murray , Horne Anne , Frampton Christopher , Merriman Tony R. , Wright Daniel F. B. , Drake Jill , Dalbeth Nicola
Published: August 2019

The aims of this study were to determine factors that predict serum urate (SU) lowering response to allopurinol and the conversion of allopurinol to oxypurinol, and to determine a minimum therapeutic oxypurinol concentration. Data from 129 participants in a 24‐month open, randomized, controlled, parallel‐group, comparative clinical trial were analyzed. Allopurinol dose, SU, and plasma oxypurinol concentrations were available at multiple time points. The slope for the association between allopurinol dose and SU was calculated as a measure of sensitivity to allopurinol. The slope for the association between allopurinol dose and oxypurinol was calculated as a measure of allopurinol metabolism. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to identify a minimum oxypurinol concentration predictive of SU < 6 mg/dL. There was a wide range of SU concentrations for each allopurinol dose. The relationship between sensitivity to allopurinol and allopurinol metabolism for each 100 mg allopurinol dose increase varied between individuals. Body mass index (P = 0.023), creatinine clearance (CrCL; P = 0.037), ABCG2 Q141K (P = 0.019), and SU (P = 0.004) were associated with sensitivity to allopurinol. The minimum oxypurinol concentration for achieving the urate target was found to be about 104 μmol/L, but predictive accuracy was poor (ROC curve area under the curve (AUC) 0.65). The minimum therapeutic oxypurinol concentration was found to increase with decreasing renal function. Although there is a positive relationship between change in oxypurinol and change in SU concentration, a minimum therapeutic oxypurinol is dependent on CrCL and cannot reliably predict SU target. Other variables, including ABCG2 Q141K genotype, impact on sensitivity to allopurinol (ACTRN12611000845932).
Profile and costs associated with the use of osteosynthesis materials in victims of traffic accidents
Authors: Aires Carolina Chaves Gama , Vasconcelos Belmiro Cavalcanti Do Egito , Da Silva Igor Chaves Gama
Published: August 2019

Background/Aims

Facial trauma arising from traffic accidents is one of the most prevalent injuries in urban trauma centers. The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency, types, and costs associated with osteosynthesis material used in facial fractures of traffic accident victims seen at the Hospital da Restauração, Recife/PE, Brazil, from January to December 2014.

Materials and methods

Data were collected from the medical records of hospitalized patients submitted to surgery under general anesthesia for the treatment of facial fractures during the period. The data were analyzed descriptively by calculating absolute frequencies, percentages, and means. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS v.21.0.

Results

Among the patients, 73.1% were victims of motorcycle accidents that led to higher costs as they were the most prevalent injuries. Mandibular fractures were the most prevalent injury (53.5%). A total of 477 osteosynthesis materials were used, of which 76.51% were a 2.0‐mm plate system, 15.51% were a 1.5‐mm plate system, 3.14% were a 2.4‐mm plate system, 3.77% titanium meshes, 0.83% lag screws, and 0.2% steel wires. The use of these materials for the treatment of facial fractures resulted in a cost of US $51.285,00 for the Brazilian public health system.

Conclusion

The increase in the number of traffic accidents implies significant numbers of victims with facial fractures, as well as considerable costs associated with the use of osteosynthesis materials for public health services.
Forest complexity drives dung beetle assemblages along an edge‐interior gradient in the southwest Amazon rainforest
Authors: Bitencourt Bruna S. , Dimas Tiffany M. , Da Silva Pedro G. , Morato Elder F.
Published: August 2019

1. The habitat heterogeneity hypothesis predicts that heterogeneous habitats may provide more niches and diverse ways of exploiting environmental resources, thereby allowing more species to coexist, persist and diversify.

2. We aimed to investigate how an edge‐interior gradient related to forest complexity influences species composition, abundance and richness of dung beetles in the western Amazon rainforest. We expected dung beetle abundance and richness to increase along the forest edge‐interior gradient, in accordance with the habitat heterogeneity hypothesis. We also expected strong changes in species composition driven by species turnover in the forest interior and nestedness along the forest edges. We sampled dung beetles using baited pitfall traps across an edge‐interior gradient. We also assessed the variation in forest features along the edge‐interior gradient to identify changes in forest complexity.

3. Both species richness and abundance of dung beetles increased along the forest edge‐interior, following the gradient of forest complexity. The Sorensen dissimilarity of dung beetle assemblages was higher among sampling units placed near the forest edge, although neither turnover, nor nestedness was different between the extremes of the forest edge‐interior gradient. There was a clear compositional change along the edge‐interior gradient mostly driven by species turnover. Individual indicator value analysis revealed that species were strongly associated with the forest interior conditions.

4. The simplification of the Amazon rainforest near clearings causes compositional changes in dung beetle assemblages. These changes are characterised by species‐poor and low‐abundance assemblages and may impair dung beetle ecological functions and therefore forest recovery.
Treadmill training in patients affected by Charcot–Marie–Tooth neuropathy: results of a multicenter, prospective, randomized, single‐blind, controlled study
Authors: Mori L. , Signori A. , Prada V. , Pareyson D. , Piscosquito G. , Padua L. , Pazzaglia C. , Fabrizi G. M. , Picelli A. , Schenone A. ,   TreSPE study group
Published: August 2019

Background and purpose

Muscle‐strengthening, stretching or proprioceptive treatments may slow symptom progression in Charcot—Marie–Tooth (CMT) neuropathy. The aim of the study was to evaluate safety and efficacy of treadmill training in CMT1A.

Methods

We planned a multicenter, prospective, randomized, single‐blind, controlled study. We recruited 53 outpatients affected by CMT1A and randomized them into two treatment groups: one underwent stretching and proprioceptive exercise, whereas the other was additionally treated with treadmill training (TreSPE). Primary outcome measures (OMs) were the walking evaluations and secondary OM was the balance assessment. All participants were assessed at baseline and after 3 and 6 months of treatment.

Results

Most patients showed an improvement in at least one OM after 3 months [42/47 (89.4%)] and 6 months [38/40 (95%)] of treatment. No adverse events were reported in either group.

Conclusions

The most important finding was that both stretching and proprioceptive exercise and treadmill training had an objective benefit on patients affected by CMT disease, without causing overwork weakness. We had a low rate of drop out and did not find deterioration in motor performance. Our results also confirm that applying evidence‐based medicine methods to rehabilitative research is the correct way to test the efficacy of a treatment.
Activation of human vascular endothelium in melanoma metastases induces ICAM‐1 and E‐selectin expression and results in increased infiltration with effector lymphocytes
Authors: Weishaupt Carsten , Steinert Meike , Brunner Georg , Schulze Hans‐Joachim , Fuhlbrigge Robert C. , Goerge Tobias , Loser Karin
Published: August 2019

Lymphocytic infiltration into melanoma tissue is an important prerequisite for effective antitumoral immunity. However, analysis of human metastatic melanoma has shown that leucocyte adhesion receptor expression on melanoma blood vessels is very low or absent, thereby impairing the entry of cytotoxic lymphocytes into tumor tissue. We hypothesized that adhesion molecules can be induced on melanoma vasculature allowing better infiltration of cytotoxic lymphocytes. Quantitative real‐time PCR and immunofluorescence staining indicated that the adhesion molecules ICAM‐1 (CD54) and E‐selectin (CD62E) can be significantly induced by intralesional application of TNF alpha in tissue from human melanoma metastases either in vitro or in vivo when grafted onto immunodeficient NSG (NOD.Cg‐PrkdcscidIl2rgtm1Wjl/SzJ) mice that preserved human vessels. Furthermore, activated human autologous CD3+ lymphocytes were injected intravenously into mice bearing melanoma xenografts treated with TNF‐α or PBS in addition to the leucocyte chemoattractant TARC (CCL17). Significantly increased numbers of CD8+ cells were detected in TNF‐α–treated melanoma metastases compared with PBS‐treated controls. In addition, tumor cell apoptosis was enhanced and melanoma cell proliferation reduced as shown by TUNEL assay and KI‐67 staining. We conclude that adhesion molecules can be induced on human melanoma vasculature resulting in significantly improved homing of activated autologous cytotoxic T cells to melanoma tissue and inhibition of melanoma cell proliferation. These observations should be considered when designing protocols for immunotherapy of malignant melanoma.
Temperature effect on the deformation and optical quality of moulded glass lenses in precision glass moulding
Authors: Li Kangsen , Xu Gang , Huang Xinfang , Xie Zhiwen , Gong Feng
Published: August 2019

The aim of this study was to thoroughly investigate the effect of temperature on the deformation behavior and optical performance of moulded glass in a nonuniform temperature field. Experiments and numerical simulations were used to analyze how different temperature gradients distributed across a glass cylinder affected the deformation behavior of the moulded glass. Additionally, the imaging quality of the moulded glass lens was detected using the optical measurement system. The results show that the overall shape of the moulded glass cylinder was mainly determined by the value of the temperature gradient. The larger temperature gradient led to smaller deformation angle θ in the moulded glass cylinder. Temperature difference inside the glass dominantly affected the deformation behavior and surface morphology in the nonuniform temperature field, which greatly determines the imaging quality of glass lenses. The results of this study are significant for glass lens fabrication.
Benthic ctenophore (Order Platyctenida) reproduction, recruitment, and seasonality in south Florida
Authors: Glynn Peter W. , Coffman Brian , Primov Karim , Renegar D. Abigail , Gross Julie , Blackwelder Patricia , Martinez Nicolas , Dominguez Joshua , Vanderwoude Jeongran , Riegl Bernhard M.
Published: August 2019

Reproductive structures, modes, and seasonal patterns of size–class abundances are examined in two benthic platyctene (Family Coeloplanidae) ctenophore species present in dissimilar shallow marine environments in subtropical southeast Florida. Coeloplana waltoni, a minute (1–3 mm body length) epizoic associate of octocorals, occurs in exposed environments often under turbulent conditions, and Vallicula multiformis (2–10 mm) commonly occurs epiphytically on macroalgae in protected, calm‐water environments. Reproductive activity in C. waltoni is most active during the warm‐water summer season (June–October); gonadal development in V. multiformis occurs year‐round, and is most pronounced during sea‐warming periods in late spring (May) and late summer to early autumn (August–October), with release of cydippid larvae. Both species are hermaphroditic brooders, exhibiting paedogenesis (early gonadal development) at body lengths approximately one‐third (Coeloplana) to one‐sixth (Vallicula) of maximum adult size. Juvenile individuals (<0.6 mm) increased in abundance in C. waltoni during the summer reproductive period, and large (≥1 mm) pink‐colored individuals comprised 50% or more of samples from July through September. Seasonal abundance of gravid individuals and the timing of cydippid larval release in V. multiformis did not correspond closely with juvenile or adult population densities. Asexual fragmentation occurred in both ctenophore species, but was observed more frequently in individuals of V. multiformis. This asexual mode of reproduction probably accounted in part for the discordance between ctenophore abundances and larval recruitment events by sexual means. Morphological structures and behaviors associated with reproduction are described in this study. Uncommon images of reproductive products (gametes, embryos, larvae), spawning events, brooding, and asexual fragmentation are included, some for the first time in the published literature.
Flux‐mediated synthesis and photocatalytic activity of NaNbO3 particles
Authors: Hamilton Adam M. , O'Donnell Shaun , Zoellner Brandon , Sullivan Ian , Maggard Paul A.
Published: August 2019

Using molten‐salt synthetic techniques, NaNbO3 (Space group Pbcm; No. 57) was prepared in high purity at a reaction time of 12 hours and a temperature of 900°C. All NaNbO3 products were prepared from stoichiometric ratios of Nb2O5 and Na2CO3 together with the addition of a salt flux introduced at a 10:1 molar ratio of salt to NaNbO3, that is, using the Na2SO4, NaF, NaCl, and NaBr salts. A solid‐state synthesis was performed in the absence of a molten salt to serve as a control. The reaction products were all found to be phase pure through powder X‐ray diffraction, for example, with refined lattice constants of a = 5.512(5) Å, b = 5.567(3) Å, and c = 15.516(8) Å from the Na2SO4 salt reaction. The products were characterized using UV‐Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy to have a bandgap size of ~3.5 eV. The particles sizes were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and found to be dependent upon the flux type used, from ~<1 μm to >10 μm in length, with overall surface areas that could be varied from 0.66 m2/g (for NaF) to 1.55 m2/g (for NaBr). Cubic‐shaped particle morphologies were observed for the metal halide salts with the set of exposed (100)/(010)/(001) crystal facets, while a truncated octahedral morphology formed in the sodium sulfate salt reaction with predominantly the set of (110)/(101)/(011) crystal facets. The products were found to be photocatalytically active for hydrogen production under UV‐Vis irradiation, with the aid of a 1 wt% Pt surface cocatalyst. The platinized NaNbO3 particles were suspended in an aqueous 20% methanol solution and irradiated by UV‐Vis light (λ > 230 nm). After 6 hours of irradiation, the average total hydrogen production varied with the particle morphologies and sizes, with 753 µmol for Na2SO4, 334 µmol for NaF, 290 µmol for NaCl, 81 µmol for NaBr, and 249 µmol for the solid‐state synthesized NaNbO3. These trends show a clear relationship to particle sizes, with smaller particles showing higher photocatalytic activity in the order of NaF > NaCl > NaBr. Furthermore, the particle morphologies obtained from the Na2SO4 flux showed even higher photocatalytic activity, though having a relatively similar overall surface area, owing to the higher activity of the (110) crystal facets. The apparent quantum yield (100 mW/cm2, λ = 230 to 350 nm, pH = 7) was measured to be 3.7% for NaNbO3 prepared using the NaF flux, but this was doubled to 6.8% when prepared using the Na2SO4 flux. Thus, these results demonstrate the powerful utility of flux synthetic techniques to control particle sizes and to expose higher‐activity crystal facets to boost their photocatalytic activities for molecular hydrogen production.
Extracellular vesicles with ubiquitinated adenosine A2A receptor in plasma of patients with coronary artery disease
Authors: Ruf Jean , Vairo Donato , Paganelli Franck , Guieu Régis
Published: August 2019

Extracellular vesicles (EV) can transfer cellular molecules for specific intercellular communication with potential relevance in pathological conditions. We searched for the presence in plasma from coronary artery disease (CAD) patients of EV containing the adenosine A2A receptor (A2AR), a signalling receptor associated with myocardial ischaemia and whose expression is related to homocysteine (HCy) metabolism. Using protein organic solvent precipitation for plasma EV preparation and Western blotting for protein identification, we found that plasma from CAD patients contained various amounts of EV with ubiquitin bound to A2AR. Interestingly, the presence of ubiquitinated A2AR in EV from patients was dependent on hyperhomocysteinemia, the amount being inversely proportional to A2AR expression in peripheral mononuclear cells in patients with the highest levels of HCy. CEM, a human T cell line, was also found to released EV containing various amounts of ubiquitinated A2AR in stimulated conditions depending on the hypoxic status and HCy level of culture medium. Together, these data show that ubiquitinated A2AR‐containing EV circulate in the plasma of CAD patients and that this presence is related to hyperhomocysteinemia. A2AR in plasma EV could be a useful tool for diagnosis and a promising drug for the treatment of CAD.
Cholinergic signalling mechanisms and early implant healing phases in healthy versus generalized aggressive periodontitis patients: A prospective, case–control study
Authors: Meriç Pınar , Buduneli Nurcan , Kanmaz Burcu , Gürlek Önder , Çömlekoğlu Erhan , Calvert Gareth , Lappin David F. , Nile Christopher
Published: August 2019

Aims

Periodontal diseases negatively affect implant osseointegration. Perturbations in non‐neuronal cholinergic signalling mechanisms are associated with periodontitis; however, their role in generalized aggressive periodontitis (GAgP) is unknown. The aim of this prospective case–control study was to determine the relationship between non‐neuronal cholinergic signalling mechanisms, secreted Ly‐6/uPAR‐related protein‐1 (SLURP‐1), interleukin‐17 (IL‐17) family cytokines and healing of dental implants in health and GAgP.

Material and Methods

Thirteen GAgP patients and seven periodontally healthy individuals (PH) were recruited. Peri‐implant crevicular fluid (PICF) was obtained at baseline and 1 month post‐placement. Acetylcholine (ACh) levels and cholinesterase activity were determined biochemically. SLURP‐1, IL‐17A and IL‐17E levels were determined by ELISA. Marginal bone loss (MBL) at 1 and 6 months post‐placement was determined radiographically.

Results

The concentration of ACh, cholinesterase activity and IL‐17A levels was elevated in PICF of patients with GAgP compared to PH individuals at baseline and 1 month post‐placement. The concentration of ACh and cholinesterase activity levels in PICF correlated with levels of IL‐17A and MBL around implants 1 month post‐placement in patients with GAgP.

Conclusions

Non‐neuronal cholinergic mechanisms may play a role in the aetiopathogenesis of GAgP and may directly or indirectly, through modulation of IL‐17A, influence early implant osseointegration and potential long‐term implant survival.
Midlife Cardiovascular Status and Old Age Physical Functioning Trajectories in Older Businessmen
Authors: von Bonsdorff Mikaela B. , Haapanen Markus J. , Törmäkangas Timo , Pitkälä Kaisu H. , Stenholm Sari , Strandberg Timo E.
Published: August 2019

OBJECTIVES

The associations between cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk and later physical functioning have been observed, but only a few studies with follow‐up into old age are available. We investigated the association between cardiovascular status in midlife and physical functioning trajectories in old age.

DESIGN

Prospective cohort study.

SETTING

Helsinki Businessmen Study.

PARTICIPANTS

We studied white men born between 1919 and 1934 in the Helsinki Businessmen Study (HBS, initial n = 3490).

MEASUREMENTS

Three CVD status groups were formed based on clinical measurements carried out in 1974: signs of CVD (diagnosed clinically or with changes in ECG, chronic disease present or used medication, n = 563); healthy and low CVD risk (n = 593) and high CVD risk (n = 1222). Of them, 1560 men had data on physical functioning from at least one of four data collection waves between 2000‐2010. Ten questions from the RAND‐36 (SF‐36) survey were used to construct physical functioning trajectories with latent class growth mixture models. Mortality was accounted for in competing risk models.

RESULTS

A five‐class solution provided the optimal number of trajectories: “intact,” “high stable,” “high and declining,” “intermediate and declining,” and “consistently low” functioning. Compared with low CVD risk, high CVD risk in midlife decreased the risk of being classified into the intact (fully adjusted β = −3.98; standard error = 2.0; P = .046) relative to the consistently low physical functioning trajectory. Compared with low CVD risk, those with signs of CVD were less likely to follow the intact, high stable, or high and declining relative to the consistently low trajectory (all P < .018).

CONCLUSION

Among businessmen, a more favorable CVD profile in midlife was associated with better development of physical functioning in old age. J Am Geriatr Soc 67:2490–2496, 2019
Skin abnormalities in the Finnish National Gallery
Authors: Kluger Nicolas
Published: August 2019

The search for clinical signs suggestive of diseases and medical analysis in works of art and portraits is also known as iconodiagnosis. It raises discussions about underlying diseases and about whether the artist intended to represent them. We assessed the frequency of cutaneous signs in paintings on display in the permanent collections of the Ateneum and Sinebrychoff Art Museums, Finnish National Gallery in Helsinki. The most common feature was facial redness. Redness was mainly located on the cheeks with variable intensity according to paintings. Facial redness may be related to stylistic features, to make‐up of the sitter, or the painter intended to depict an individual in good health or a specific emotion. It may be also related to rosacea, a common feature in individuals with fair skin. Lupus was not evoked in any of the cases. Additional specific findings included mainly sun‐exposed skin lesions such as sun tan or chronic poikiloderma, skin aging (Milian's citrine skin), naevi, keratosis pilaris rubra, and ear piercing. We report here some specificities of the skin conditions displayed in the Finnish National Gallery. Examining from a dermatological point of view, works of art gives to a museum visit a twist.
Development of topical drug delivery system with Sphaeranthus indicus flower extract and its investigation on skin as a cosmeceutical product
Authors: Ahmad Hafiz Ibtesam , Khan Haji Muhammad Shoaib , Akhtar Naveed
Published: August 2019

Background

Cosmetics are the products used to beautify the skin. Emulsion is a fine dispersion of two or more immiscible liquids. Sphaeranthus indicus is claimed to be used for skin beautification in folk medicine. Multiple emulsion was formulated containing the extract of S indicus flowers.

Aims

This research study indicates that extract of S indicus flowers contains sufficient amount of polyphenols and also possess good antioxidant activity with mushroom tyrosinase inhibition activity.

Method

Further, stable multiple emulsion was developed and stability testing was performed for 180 days by keeping the multiple emulsion at 8°C ± 1, 25°C ± 1, 40°C ± 1, and 40°C ± 1 with 75% ± 1 RH. Parameters checked were color change, phase distribution, viscosity, droplet size and size distribution, pH determination, and electrical conductivity. Sun protection factor (SPF) was determined which also showed promising results. Skin testing on human volunteers was done for 3 months after biosafety profiling of the most stable multiple emulsion.

Results

This also showed remarkable effects. Skin erythema, melanin, and sebum were reduced. Skin hydration and elasticity were increased. There was also reduction in the number of skin large and small skin pores. Skin spot area was also reduced by the use of multiple emulsion loaded with S indicus flower extract. ANOVA test showed that all the effects produced on skin were significant, ie, P ≤ .05.

Conclusion

A stable multiple emulsion was developed which produced significant cosmetic effects on human skin.
A longitudinal investigation of trait‐goal concordance on goal progress: The mediating role of autonomous goal motivation
Authors: Moore Amanda , Holding Anne , Verner‐Filion Jeremie , Harvey Brenda , Koestner Richard
Published: August 2019

Objectives

The present study investigated the benefits of matching personality traits with goal type (i.e., agentic or communal) for goal progress. Autonomous motivation was examined as a mediator.

Methods

A multi‐wave prospective longitudinal design was employed to track the progress that 935 university students made in their personal goal pursuits over an academic year. Participants set three personal goals at baseline and completed measures of personality and goal motivation. Participants’ goals were coded as being either agentic or communal. Goal progress was assessed mid‐year (T2) and at the end of the academic year (T3). Goal motivation was reassessed mid‐year (T2).

Results

Conscientiousness was significantly related to making better progress on agentic, but not communal, goals. Conversely, Extraversion was related to making communal, but not agentic, goal progress. These trait‐goal matching effects on progress were partially mediated by goal‐specific motivation, suggesting that the selection of goals that matched one's traits resulted in higher autonomous motivation at the start of the academic year.

Conclusions

The selection of trait concordant personal goals is associated with autonomous goal motivation and greater goal progress. This research integrates Self‐Determination Theory with trait theories of personality to enhance our understanding of variations in goal success.
The Long and Winding Road: Building Legitimacy for Complex Social Innovation in Networks
Authors: Verleye Katrien , Perks Helen , Gruber Thorsten , Voets Joris
Published: August 2019

Social innovations, which increasingly take place in interorganizational networks, occur in environments characterized by resource scarcity. To secure access to resources, social innovators need to establish legitimacy for their initiatives. Yet, empirical work investigating the process of establishing legitimacy for social innovation—also known as legitimation—is absent. This research aims to uncover how legitimacy is established when social innovations are developed, over time, through interorganizational networks. To investigate this process, the research adopts a longitudinal case study of a network of five market‐leading organizations in the home care sector. A process‐based analysis of evidence from 33 meeting observations, 45 in‐depth interviews, and 249 documents reveals three novel findings. (1) The attainment of overall legitimacy depends on the establishment, over time, of three types of legitimacy targeted at different audiences. These are framed as building blocks oriented toward achieving interorganizational, multilevel, and external legitimacy. (2) The process of establishing legitimacy, across the building blocks, is underpinned by two dominant combinations of patterns—denoted as courting and demonstrating commitment. (3) Variation in two underlying mechanisms—conflicting tensions and role promotion—drives the enactment of these patterns across the different building blocks. The study's novelty lies in the extrication of critical types of legitimacy and dominant patterns and mechanisms which underpin the process of establishing legitimacy. It contributes to social innovation and innovation legitimation literature by providing a deep‐grained understanding of the process to establish legitimacy within social innovations carried out through interorganizational networks.
Plastid phylogenomics improve phylogenetic resolution in the Lauraceae
Authors: Song Yu , Yu Wen‐Bin , Tan Yun‐Hong , Jin Jian‐Jun , Wang Bo , Yang Jun‐Bo , Liu Bing , Corlett Richard T.
Published: August 2019

Abstract The family Lauraceae is a major component of tropical and subtropical forests worldwide, and includes some commercially important timber trees and medicinal plants. However, phylogenetic relationships within Lauraceae have long been problematic due to low sequence divergence in commonly used markers, even between morphologically distinct taxa within the family. Here we present phylogenetic analyses of 43 newly generated Lauraceae plastomes together with 77 plastomes obtained from GenBank, representing 24 genera of Lauraceae and 17 related families of angiosperms, plus nine barcodes from 19 additional species in 18 genera of Lauraceae, in order to reconstruct highly supported relationships for the Lauraceae. Our phylogeny supports the relationships: sisterhood of the Lauraceae and a clade containing Hernandiaceae and Monimiaceae, with Atherospermataceae and Gomortegaceae being the next sister groups, followed by Calycanthaceae. Our results highlight a monophyletic Lauraceae, with nine well‐supported clades as follows: Hypodaphnis clade, Beilschmiedia–Cryptocarya clade, Cassytha clade, Neocinnamomum clade, Caryodaphnopsis clade, Chlorocardium–Mezilaurus clade, Machilus–Persea clade, Cinnamomum–Ocotea clade, and Laurus–Neolitsea clade. The topology recovered here is consistent with the patterns of plastome structural evolution and morphological synapomorphies reported previously. More specifically, flower sex, living type, inflorescence type, ovary position, anther locus number, leaf arrangement, leaf venation, lateral vein number, tree height, and inflorescence location all represent morphological synapomorphies of different lineages. Our findings have taxonomic implications and two new tribes, Caryodaphnopsideae and Neocinnamomeae, are described, and the composition of four other tribes is updated. The phylogeny recovered here provides a robust phylogenetic framework through which to address the evolutionary history of the Magnoliids, the third‐largest group of Mesangiospermae.
How Referential Gestures Align With Speech: Evidence From Monolingual and Bilingual Speakers
Authors: Graziano Maria , Nicoladis Elena , Marentette Paula
Published: August 2019

When speaking, people often produce gestures that are closely timed with the speech with which they constitute a semantically coherent unit. Analyzing the temporal patterns between the two modalities may reveal insights about how speakers plan them. Using elicited narratives, we tested English/French monolinguals and bilinguals to check whether bilinguals, known to experience a higher degree of competition in lexical access, show a different pattern of gesture–speech alignment compared to that of monolinguals. Results revealed no difference in the temporal patterns between gestures and co‐semantic speech for the two language groups. Synchronous gestures were significantly more frequent than asynchronous ones; asynchronous gestures both preceded and followed the correlated speech, yet preceding gestures tended to occur more often. A qualitative analysis conducted for asynchronous gestures revealed that they may serve a rhetoric function. We argue that the variability in gesture–speech timing results from speakers’ strategic use of gesture.
A Better “Best Interests”: Immigration Policy in a Comparative Context
Authors: Statz Michele , Heidbrink Lauren
Published: August 2019

This conceptual article examines the role and limitations of the best interests standard in international and domestic policy, with a particular focus on how the standard is implicated in the treatment of unaccompanied minors in the United States. Motivated by emergent interdisciplinary scholarship on global youth and informed by a comparative consideration of best interests across other professions, we propose a new model of best interests. This model calls for a multidimensional recognition of youths’ family‐, community‐ and decision‐making contexts; acknowledgment of youths’ rights; and a commitment to speaking with, rather than for, young people. What results is a novel and dynamic understanding of best interests with relevance to scholars, practitioners, and policymakers.