bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Functional and genomic insights into the pathogenesis of Burkholderia species to rice
Authors: Naughton Lynn M. , An Shi‐qi , Hwang Ingyu , Chou Shan‐Ho , He Yong‐Qiang , Tang Ji‐Liang , Ryan Robert P. , Dow J. Maxwell
Published: December 2015

A number of species of bacteria from the genus Burkholderia have been shown to be causal agents of diseases of rice. These diseases, caused by Burkholderia glumae, B. gladioli and B. plantarii, are becoming increasingly common across the globe. This is particularly so for B. glumae, whose ability to grow at elevated temperatures suggests that it may become a prevalent problem in an era of global warming. Despite the increasing threat to rice, relatively little is known about the virulence mechanisms employed by these pathogens. Work over the last 5 years has provided an increasing insight into these factors and their control by environmental and other cues. In addition, the determination of a number of genome sequences has allowed bioinformatic predictions of further possible mechanisms, which can now be investigated experimentally. Here, we review recent advances in the understanding of virulence of Burkholderia to rice, to include discussion of the roles of toxins, type II secreted enzymes, type III secreted effectors and motility as well as their regulation by quorum sensing, two‐component systems and cyclic di‐GMP signalling. Finally, we consider a number of approaches for the control of bacterial virulence through the modulation of quorum sensing and toxin degradation.
The Value of Participation: Exploring the Role of Public Consultations from the Vantage Point of Interest Groups
Authors: Lundberg Erik , Hysing Erik
Published: December 2015

Consulting interest groups is commonplace in the preparation of policies by democratic governments. It is often assumed that interest groups participate in consultations primarily for the purpose of influencing policy. This article goes beyond this simplified claim and empirically explores the role of consultations from the vantage point of interest groups. Drawing on the Swedish formalized referral process known as the ‘remiss procedure’ the article shows that interest groups not only participate in consultations in order to effectively change the policy proposal under consideration, but they also use the output of the process in other venues for policy influence, such as direct political contacts and opinion making, and to establish themselves, or maintain their status as legitimate actors in the eyes of the government. In addition, the remiss procedure appears to be intertwined with the groups’ own ‘internal life’, promoting the development and anchorage of policy positions within the organizations. These insights are important for further understanding the promises, as well as the perils, of public consultation.
Association of placental weight with cerebral palsy: population‐based cohort study in Norway
Authors: Strand KM , Andersen GL , Haavaldsen C , Vik T , Eskild A
Published: December 2015

Objective

To study the risk of cerebral palsy (CP) associated with placental weight, and also with placental weight/birthweight ratio and placental weight/birth length ratio.

Design

Population‐based cohort study.

Setting

Perinatal data in the Medical Birth Registry of Norway were linked with clinical data in the CP Register of Norway.

Population

A total of 533 743 singleton liveborn children in Norway during 1999–2008. Of these, 779 children were diagnosed with CP.

Methods

Placental weight, placental weight/birthweight ratio, and placental weight/birth length ratio were grouped into gestational age‐specific quartiles. Odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) for CP were calculated for children with exposure variables in the lowest or in the highest quartile, using the second to third quartile as the reference.

Main outcome measures

CP and CP subtypes.

Results

Overall, children with low placental weight had increased risk for CP (OR 1.5, 95% CI 1.2–1.7). Low placental weight/birthweight ratio (OR 1.2, 95% CI 1.0–1.4) and low placental weight/birth length ratio (OR 1.5, 95% CI 1.2–1.8) were also associated with increased risk for CP. In children born at term, low placental weight was associated with a twofold increase in risk for spastic bilateral CP (including both quadriplegia and diplegia) (OR 2.1, 95% CI 1.5–2.9). In children born preterm, high placental ratios were associated with increased risk for spastic quadriplegia.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that placental dysfunction may be involved in causal pathways leading to the more severe subtypes of CP.

Tweetable abstract

Low placental weight increases the risk for cerebral palsy, especially for the spastic bilateral subtype.
Evidence of Premeditation in Skin Messages in Suicide
Authors: Byard Roger W.
Published: December 2015

A 34‐year‐old man with manic‐depressive disorder was found dead sitting in a vehicle with a hose running from the exhaust pipe to the cabin. Numerous suicide notes were found inside his house. At autopsy, the decedent was wearing jeans and a long‐sleeved windcheater. Upon removal of his clothes, a series of messages were also found written on the legs and forearm. Death was due to carbon monoxide toxicity with a blood level of carboxyhemoglobin of 84%. Skin messages represent a rare form of suicide note that may suggest that a suicide has not been planned, as the decedent may have used the nearest surface to write on. This case demonstrates, however, that skin messages may be more organized, being written prior to dressing and setting up the fatal episode. They also may compliment other notes and messages.
An Appraisal of Decomposition Cases Received at the Johannesburg Forensic Pathology Service Medico‐legal Mortuary During 2010–2011
Authors: Keyes Craig A. , Hill Lawrence , Gordon Guinevere M.
Published: December 2015

Decomposed bodies pose many questions for researchers regarding environmental effects, cause of death, and patterns. This study aimed to observe the factors associated with decomposed bodies autopsied at the Johannesburg Forensic Pathology Service Medico‐legal Mortuary. A total of 4876 autopsies were conducted from 2010 to 2011, of which 109 were decomposed. Black individuals made up the largest proportion (67%) followed by White (26%). Males comprised 86.2%, while 12.8% were female. The mean age was 42.78 years. Most cases were in the early stages of decomposition (49.5%), with 32.1% bloated, 11.9% in active decay, 2.8% in advanced decay, and 3.7% were skeletal. Insect activity was identified in 25.7% of decomposition cases. Cause of death was determined in 48.6% of cases. Of all the cases, 64% were found indoors and 23% outdoors, while 23% had insufficient information regarding the location. Of considerable interest was the number of cases from hospitals and clinics.
Dutch diabetes prevalence estimates (DUDE‐1)
Authors: Kleefstra Nanne , Landman Gijs W.D. , Van Hateren Kornelis J.J. , Meulepas Marianne , Romeijnders Arnold , Rutten Guy E.H. , Klomp Maarten , Houweling Sebastiaan T. , Bilo Henk J.G.
Published: December 2015

Background

Recent decades have seen a constant upward projection in the prevalence of diabetes. Attempts to estimate diabetes prevalence rates based on relatively small population samples quite often result in underestimation. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether the Dutch diabetes prevalence estimate of 930 000 for 2013, based on a relatively small sample, still holds true when a larger population is studied using actual prevalence data.

Methods

Data were collected from 92 primary care groups, including the total number of people with and without diabetes in 2013. Patients with diabetes were identified using the International Classification of Primary Care codes T90.02 (diabetes mellitus type 2; T2DM), T90.01 (diabetes mellitus type 1) and T90 (diabetes mellitus). Prevalence data were compared with previous estimates made in 2009. Diabetes prevalence was estimated using linear extrapolation.

Results

Complete data were available from 67 (73%) care groups, which together provided care for 7 922 403 subjects; 431 396 patients were coded as having diabetes, of whom 406 183 were coded as having T2DM. Based on these results, the extrapolated Dutch diabetes prevalence was 914 387 (5.45%).

Conclusions

The results show that the previous estimate (reported in 2009), which was based on data collected in 2007, resulted in a <2% (~16 000) overestimation in diabetes prevalence in 2013 compared with the analysis presented. These results indicate that no upward adjustment in Dutch diabetes prevalence estimates is necessary. Repeated large‐scale monitoring can help develop more accurate prevalence estimates and improve future prevalence predictions.
Risk of incident atrial fibrillation in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Ungprasert Patompong , Srivali Narat , Kittanamongkolchai Wonngarm
Published: December 2015

Aims

Patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) might be at an increased risk of developing atrial fibrillation (AF) as a result of deleterious effects of inflammatory cytokines on cardiomyocytes. This study aimed to comprehensively review all available evidence to further characterize this possible association.

Methods

We conducted a systematic review and meta‐analysis of cohort studies that reported relative risk, hazard ratio, incidence ratio or standardized incidence ratio with 95% confidence intervals comparing the risk of incidence of AF in patients with RA versus non‐RA participants. Pooled risk ratio and 95% confidence interval were calculated using random‐effect, generic inverse‐variance methods of DerSimonian and Laird.

Results

Three retrospective cohort studies with 39 912 cases of RA and 4 269 161 non‐RA controls were included in the data analysis. The pooled risk ratio of subsequent development of AF in patients with RA versus controls was 1.29 (95% CI, 1.05–1.59). The statistical heterogeneity was moderate with an I2 of 71%.

Conclusion

Our meta‐analysis demonstrated a statistically significant increased risk of subsequent development of AF among patients with RA.
Are Barroom and Neighborhood Characteristics Independently Related to Local‐Area Assaults?
Authors: Morrison Christopher , Mair Christina F. , Lee Juliet P. , Gruenewald Paul J.
Published: December 2015

Background

Two separate but complementary literatures examine bar‐related violence: one has focused on barroom features, and the other has focused on features of neighborhoods near bars. This study unifies these 2 perspectives using a microenvironmental approach.

Methods

In a purposive sample of 65 bars in 4 California cities, we used premise assessments to characterize the physical, social, and economic environments of barrooms (e.g., patron count, average pace of drinking, and restaurant service); and a combination of systematic social observation, census, and alcohol license data to characterize the neighborhoods in which they were located (e.g., physical disorder, alcohol outlet density, and median household income). Hierarchical Poisson models then assessed relationships between these features and counts of police‐reported assaults within buffer areas around bars.

Results

Aspects of both barroom environments (more patrons, more dancing, and louder music) and neighborhood environments (greater bar density, greater physical disorder, lower population density, and lower income) were independently related to increased incidence of assaults.

Conclusions

Preventive intervention to reduce bar‐area violence may be directed at both bar environments (e.g., limiting the number of patrons) and neighborhood environments (e.g., limiting outlet density).
The Disappearing State and the Quasi‐Event of Immigration Control
Authors: Coleman Mat , Stuesse Angela
Published: December 2015

Immigration enforcement by sheriffs and police can be characterized as a proliferation of quasi‐events which never quite rise to the status of an event. This poses distinct challenges for feminist‐inspired scholarship on the state which seeks to document, ethnographically, how the state goes about its business on the ground. In this article we draw on our fieldwork experience in North Carolina and Georgia on sheriffs’ and police departments’ use of traffic enforcement and policing roadblocks to scrutinize drivers for their legal status, and ask how our ethnographic approach to the problem of state power inevitably stumbles in relation to the ordinariness of these practices. We conclude that feminist scholarship committed to an ethnography of the state could do much more to think through the potentially aporetic quality of that which is our common object of research—the state in practice.
Conceptualising European Privatisation Processes After the Great Recession
Authors: Mercille Julien , Murphy Enda
Published: December 2015

A wave of privatisation is unfolding in Europe in the wake of the financial crisis, but it has yet to receive serious scholarly attention. This paper examines the case of Ireland, where an austerity strategy and European Union International Monetary Fund bailout conditionality have given impetus to the transfer of public assets to the private sector. Theoretically, the paper explains the roots of the phenomenon with reference to a reformulated concept of “accumulation by dispossession” whose usefulness lies in emphasising the politico‐economic drivers of privatisation, which have been neglected in the mainstream literature. A typology is presented that argues that accumulation by dispossession manifests itself, in practice, through four main processes: (1) private repossession of assets nationalised during the financial crisis; (2) restructuring of state‐owned enterprises; (3) commodification of assets and services hitherto located outside the market; and (4) privatised stimulus through public–private partnerships. The paper's framework should be useful to conceptualise ongoing privatisation processes in other European countries.
Requirement for nuclear autoantigenic sperm protein mRNA expression in bovine preimplantation development
Authors: Nagatomo Hiroaki , Kohri Nanami , Akizawa Hiroki , Hoshino Yumi , Yamauchi Nobuhiko , Kono Tomohiro , Takahashi Masashi , Kawahara Manabu
Published: December 2015

Nuclear autoantigenic sperm protein (NASP) is associated with DNA replication, cell proliferation, and cell cycle progression through its specific binding to histones. The aim of this study was to examine the roles of NASP in bovine preimplantation embryonic development. Using NASP gene knockdown (KD), we confirmed the reduction of NASP messenger RNA (mRNA) expression during preimplantation development. NASP KD did not affect cleavage but significantly decreased development of embryos into the blastocyst stage. Furthermore, blastocyst hatching was significantly decreased in NASP KD embryos. Cell numbers in the inner cell mass of NASP KD blastocysts were also decreased compared to those of controls. These results suggest that NASP mRNA expression is required for preimplantation development into the blastocyst stage in cattle.
Alternative routes: Intergovernmental relations in Canada and Australia
Authors: Collins Emmet
Published: December 2015

Canada and Australia bear many similarities, but historical developments have affected the way each country practices federalism. This article seeks to answer the following question: Why have institutionalized horizontal relations been present in Canadian intergovernmental relations (IGR), while they have generally not in Australia? Developments in each country have produced different dynamics in intergovernmental relations which serve to favour vertical relations in Australia and open up space for horizontal relations in Canada. These dynamics become especially apparent when the histories of the institutions for facilitating intergovernmental relations in each country, notably the Canadian Council of the Federation and the Council of Australian Governments, are considered.
Sparse GPU Voxelization of Yarn‐Level Cloth
Authors: Lopez‐Moreno Jorge , Miraut David , Cirio Gabriel , Otaduy Miguel A.
Published: December 2015

Most popular methods in cloth rendering rely on volumetric data in order to model complex optical phenomena such as sub‐surface scattering. These approaches are able to produce very realistic illumination results, but their volumetric representations are costly to compute and render, forfeiting any interactive feedback. In this paper, we introduce a method based on the Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) for voxelization and visualization, suitable for both interactive and offline rendering. Recent features in the OpenGL model, like the ability to dynamically address arbitrary buffers and allocate bindless textures, are combined into our pipeline to interactively voxelize millions of polygons into a set of large three‐dimensional (3D) textures (>109 elements), generating a volume with sub‐voxel accuracy, which is suitable even for high‐density woven cloth such as linen.
Moving closer to understanding the risks of living kidney donation
Authors: Steiner Robert W.
Published: December 2015

Recent studies from the United States and Norway have suggested an unexpected 8‐ to 11‐fold relative risk of ESRD after kidney donation, but a low long‐term absolute risk. Abundant renal epidemiologic data predict that these studies have underestimated long‐term risk. The 1% lifetime post‐donation risk in the US study requires medical screening to predict ESRD in 96 of 100 candidates. This is particularly unlikely in the 30–35% of candidates under age 35, half of whose lifetime ESRD will occur after age 64. Many experts have attributed the increased relative risks in these studies to loss of GFR at donation, which ultimately means that high–normal pre‐donation GFRs will reduce absolute post‐donation risks. The 8‐ to 11‐fold relative risks predict implausible risks of uninephrectomy in the general population, but lower estimates still result in very high risks for black donors. Young vs. older age, low vs. high–normal pre‐donation GFRs, black race, and an increased relative risk of donation all predict highly variable individual risks, not a single “low” or “1%” risk as these studies suggest. A uniform, ethically defensible donor selection protocol would accept older donors with many minor medical abnormalities but protect from donation many currently acceptable younger, black, and/or low GFR candidates.
Pea3 determines the isthmus region at the downstream of Fgf8‐Ras‐ERK signaling pathway
Authors: Harada Hidekiyo , Omi Minoru , Sato Tatsuya , Nakamura Harukazu
Published: December 2015

It has been shown that strong Fgf8 signal activates Ras‐ERK signaling pathway to determine metencephalon, which consists of rhombomere 1 (r1), where the cerebellum differentiates, and isthmus (r0). The present study was undertaken to check if Ets type transcription factor Pea3 functions downstream of Ras‐ERK signaling to determine metencephalon. Pea3 misexpression resulted in repression of Otx2 expression in the mesencephalon, induction of Gbx2 and Fgf8 expression in the mesencephalon, and differentiation of the trochlear neurons in the posterior mesencephalon. Fate change of the tectum to the cerebellum did not occur. Repression of Pea3 function by misexpressing the chimeric molecule of Engrailed repressor domain EH1 and Pea3 (eh1‐Pea3) resulted in induction of Otx2 expression in the metencephalon, repression of Gbx2 and Fgf8 expression in the metencephalon, and differentiation of the oculomotor neurons in the isthmus. It was concluded that Pea3 plays a pivotal role in determination of the isthmus (r0) property downstream of Fgf8‐Ras‐ERK signaling.
Local contagion and regional compression: habitat selection drives spatially explicit, multiscale dynamics of colonisation in experimental metacommunities
Authors: Resetarits William J. , Silberbush Alon
Published: December 2015

Habitat selection, including oviposition site choice, is an important driver of community assembly in freshwater systems. Factors determining patch quality are assessed by many colonising organisms and affect colonisation rates, spatial distribution and community structure. For many species, the presence/absence of predators is the most important factor affecting female oviposition decisions. However, individual habitat patches exist in complex landscapes linked by processes of dispersal and colonisation, and spatial distribution of factors such as predators has potential effects beyond individual patches. Perceived patch quality and resulting colonisation rates depend both on risk conditions within a given patch and on spatial context. Here we experimentally confirm the role of one context‐dependent processes, spatial contagion, functioning at the local scale, and provide the first example of another context‐dependent process, habitat compression, functioning at the regional scale. Both processes affect colonisation rates and patterns of spatial distribution in naturally colonised experimental metacommunities.
Blood–brain barrier leakage after status epilepticus in rapamycin‐treated rats I: Magnetic resonance imaging
Authors: van Vliet Erwin A. , Otte Willem M. , Wadman Wytse J. , Aronica Eleonora , Kooij Gijs , de Vries Helga E. , Dijkhuizen Rick M. , Gorter Jan A.
Published: December 2015

Objective

The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway has received increasing attention as a potential antiepileptogenic target. Treatment with the mTOR inhibitor rapamycin after status epilepticus reduces the development of epilepsy in a rat model. To study whether rapamycin mediates this effect via restoration of blood–brain barrier (BBB) dysfunction, contrast‐enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (CE‐MRI) was used to determine BBB permeability throughout epileptogenesis.

Methods

Imaging was repeatedly performed until 6 weeks after kainic acid–induced status epilepticus in rapamycin (6 mg/kg for 6 weeks starting 4 h after SE) and vehicle‐treated rats, using gadobutrol as contrast agent. Seizures were detected using video monitoring in the week following the last imaging session.

Results

Gadobutrol leakage was widespread and extensive in both rapamycin and vehicle‐treated epileptic rats during the acute phase, with the piriform cortex and amygdala as the most affected regions. Gadobutrol leakage was higher in rapamycin‐treated rats 4 and 8 days after status epilepticus compared to vehicle‐treated rats. However, during the chronic epileptic phase, gadobutrol leakage was lower in rapamycin‐treated epileptic rats along with a decreased seizure frequency. This was confirmed by local fluorescein staining in the brains of the same rats. Total brain volume was reduced by this rapamycin treatment regimen.

Significance

The initial slow recovery of BBB function in rapamycin‐treated epileptic rats indicates that rapamycin does not reduce seizure activity by a gradual recovery of BBB integrity. The reduced BBB leakage during the chronic phase, however, could contribute to the decreased seizure frequency in post–status epilepticus rats treated with rapamycin. Furthermore, the data show that CE‐MRI (using step‐down infusion with gadobutrol) can be used as biomarker for monitoring the effect of drug therapy in rats.
Characterizing environmental and spatial variables associated with the incidental catch of olive ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea) in the Eastern Tropical Pacific purse‐seine fishery
Authors: Montero Jose T. , Martinez‐Rincon Raul O. , Heppell Selina S. , Hall Martin , Ewal Michael
Published: December 2015

In the Eastern Tropical Pacific (ETP), a region of high fishing activity, olive ridley (Lepidochelis olivacea) and other sea turtles are accidentally caught in fishing nets with tuna and other animals. To date, the interaction between fishing activity, ocean conditions and sea turtle incidental catch in the ETP has been described and quantified, but the factors leading to the interaction of olive ridleys and fishing activity are not well understood. This information is essential for the development of future management strategies that avoid bycatch and incidental captures of sea turtles. We used Generalized additive models (GAM) to analyze the relationship between olive ridley incidental catch per unit effort (iCPUE) in the ETP purse‐seine fisheries and environmental conditions, geographic extent and fishing set type (associated with dolphins, floating objects or in free‐swimming tuna schools). Our results suggest that water temperature, set type and geographic location (latitude, longitude and distance to nesting beaches) are the most important predictor variables to describe the probability of a capture event, with the highest iCPUE observed in sets made over floating objects. With the environmental predictors used, sea surface temperatures (SST) of 26–30°C and chlorophyll‐a (chl‐a) concentrations <0.36 mg m−3 were associated with the highest probability of an incidental catch. Temporally, the highest probability of an incidental catch was observed in the second half of the year (June to December). Four regions were observed as high incidental catch hotspots: North and south of the equator between 0–10°N; 0–10°S and from 120 to 140°W; and along the Colombian coast and surrounding regions.
Spatial association between northern fur seal (Callorhinus ursinus) and potential prey distribution during the wintering period in the northern Sea of Japan
Authors: Horimoto Takanori , Mitani Yoko , Sakurai Yasunori
Published: December 2015

Elucidating the response of marine predators to oceanographic features helps in understanding their foraging strategies and the cause of their spatial overlap and interference with fishery activities. Northern fur seal is a highly pelagic species during the wintering period. In recent years, fur seals have consistently been found distributed near the coast of southwest Hokkaido, Japan. Because interference by fur seals with coastal fishery activities has become a serious concern, an understanding is sought as to why fur seals come ashore in this area. We conducted ship‐based observations and estimated fur seal density. To elucidate the spatial and seasonal association of fur seal distribution and ocean environments, we constructed statistical models to describe how potential prey distribution and oceanographic features influenced the fur seal spatial distribution during the wintering period. Fur seal distribution corresponded markedly to potential prey distribution, and they tended to aggregate along the narrow continental shelf that is the main geographic feature of this area, which is 2000 m deep and approximately 10 km from the coast. Walleye pollock [Gadus chαlcogrαmmα(Theragra chαlcogrαmmα)] and arabesque greenling (Pleurogrammus azonus), which are one of the main prey for fur seals, move to the shallow area to spawn on the continental shelf seasonally, so potential prey abundance could be higher in coastal areas than offshore. Moreover, the absence of a mesopelagic biotic community may be one of the main factors in the coastal distribution of the fur seal.
North by north‐west: climate change and directions of density shifts in birds
Authors: Lehikoinen Aleksi , Virkkala Raimo
Published: December 2015

There is increasing evidence that climate change shifts species distributions towards poles and mountain tops. However, most studies are based on presence–absence data, and either abundance or the observation effort has rarely been measured. In addition, hardly any studies have investigated the direction of shifts and factors affecting them. Here, we show using count data on a 1000 km south–north gradient in Finland, that between 1970–1989 and 2000–2012, 128 bird species shifted their densities, on average, 37 km towards the north north‐east. The species‐specific directions of the shifts in density were significantly explained by migration behaviour and habitat type. Although the temperatures have also moved on average towards the north north‐east (186 km), the species‐specific directions of the shifts in density and temperature did not correlate due to high variation in density shifts. Findings highlight that climate change is unlikely the only driver of the direction of species density shifts, but species‐specific characteristics and human land‐use practices are also influencing the direction. Furthermore, the alarming results show that former climatic conditions in the north‐west corner of Finland have already moved out of the country. This highlights the need for an international approach in research and conservation actions to mitigate the impacts of climate change.
Impact of branched‐chain amino acid supplementation on survival in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma treated with sorafenib: A multicenter retrospective cohort study
Authors: Imanaka Kazuho , Ohkawa Kazuyoshi , Tatsumi Tomohide , Katayama Kazuhiro , Inoue Atsuo , Imai Yasuharu , Oshita Masahide , Iio Sadaharu , Mita Eiji , Fukui Hiroyuki , Yamada Akira , Nakanishi Fumihiko , Inada Masami , Doi Yoshinori , Suzuki Kunio , Kaneko Akira , Marubashi Shigeru , Ito Yuri , Fukui Keisuke , Sakamori Ryotaro , Yakushijin Takayuki , Hiramatsu Naoki , Hayashi Norio , Takehara Tetsuo ,   the Osaka Liver Forum
Published: December 2015

Aim

The therapeutic efficacy of branched‐chain amino acid (BCAA) when added to sorafenib has not been fully assessed in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This multicenter study investigated whether BCAA supplementation improves prognosis in patients with advanced HCC who underwent sorafenib treatment.

Methods

This retrospective analysis included 256 patients with advanced HCC treated with sorafenib, including 55 who did and 201 who did not receive BCAA supplementation. Clinical characteristics and outcomes in relation to Child–Pugh classification were compared in the two groups. Statistical analyses of univariate, multivariate and propensity score‐based procedures were used for this study.

Results

Assessment of 216 Child–Pugh A patients showed that median overall survival was significantly longer in patients with BCAA supplementation than in those without it (440 vs 299 days, P = 0.023). Multivariate analysis showed that BCAA supplementation (P = 0.023), low α‐fetoprotein (<100 ng/mL) (P < 0.001), less progressive Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer stage (A and B) (P = 0.007) and male sex (P = 0.018) were significant independent contributors to better overall survival. The significantly longer overall survival by BCAA supplementation was verified in the analysis using the propensity score in combination with the inverse probability of treatment weighted adjustment (P = 0.026). Assessment of the 40 Child–Pugh B patients showed no significant differences in overall survival between patients with and without BCAA supplementation.

Conclusion

BCAA supplementation may be a valuable adjunctive therapy for improving prognosis in sorafenib‐treated Child–Pugh A patients with advanced HCC.
Ductal carcinoma in situ – update on risk assessment and management
Authors: Pang Jia‐Min B , Gorringe Kylie L , Fox Stephen B
Published: December 2015

Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) accounts for ~20–25% of breast cancers. While DCIS is not life‐threatening, it may progress to invasive carcinoma over time, and treatment intended to prevent invasive progression may itself cause significant morbidity. Accurate risk assessment is therefore necessary to avoid over‐ or undertreatment of an individual patient. In this review we will outline the evidence for current management of DCIS, discuss approaches to DCIS risk assessment and challenges facing identification of novel DCIS biomarkers.
E‐cadherin immunohistochemistry in breast pathology: uses and pitfalls
Authors: Canas‐Marques Rita , Schnitt Stuart J
Published: December 2015

E‐cadherin immunohistochemistry is used commonly in surgical pathology practice to help distinguish lobular carcinoma in situ from ductal carcinoma in situ and invasive lobular carcinoma from invasive ductal carcinoma in histologically problematic or indeterminate cases. However, the interpretation of E‐cadherin immunostains is not always straightforward. Failure to recognize the pitfalls and limitations of E‐cadherin immunostains can lead to an erroneous diagnosis which may result in inappropriate patient management, particularly for patients with in‐situ lesions. In this paper we review the uses and, particularly, the pitfalls in the interpretation of E‐cadherin immunostains in distinguishing lobular from ductal lesions of the breast.
Overcoming super‐knock down resistance (super‐kdr) mediated resistance: multi‐halogenated benzyl pyrethroids are more toxic to super‐kdr than kdr house flies
Authors: Sun H. , Tong K. P. , Kasai S. , Scott J. G.
Published: December 2015

Target site insensitivity because of mutations in the voltage‐sensitive sodium channel gene (Vssc) is a major mechanism of resistance to pyrethroid insecticides in the house fly, Musca domestica. There are three known Vssc alleles that confer resistance to pyrethroids in the house fly: knock down resistance (kdr; L1014F), super‐kdr (M918T + L1014F) and kdr‐his (L1014H), but there has been no side‐by‐side comparison of the resistance levels that they confer. We compared the levels of resistance conferred by the three Vssc alleles in congenic strains to 19 structurally diverse pyrethroids, and compared the full‐length Vssc cDNA sequences from each strain. Generally, the levels of resistance conferred were kdr‐his < kdr < super‐kdr. However, there was significant variation in this pattern, especially for super‐kdr, for which both high and low resistance ratios were observed for several pyrethroids. We also examined the levels of resistance in heterozygotes. Resistance in each of the hybrids was generally inherited as an incompletely recessive trait, except for the kdr‐his/kdr hybrids, which showed incompletely to completely dominant resistance (ie had resistance levels comparable to kdr homozygotes). The importance of these results to understanding the frequencies of these resistance alleles in natural populations, the evolution of insecticide resistance and resistance management strategies are discussed.
Beliefs about antidepressant medication and associated adherence among older Chinese patients with major depression: A cross‐sectional survey
Authors: Lu Yang , Arthur David , Hu Lili , Cheng Gen , An Fengrong , Li Zheng
Published: December 2015

Antidepressant non‐adherence among people with depressive disorder is a major, ongoing public health issue, yet few studies have focused on older adults and their medication adherence. Although treatment adherence is determined by multiple factors, one of the important and modifiable predictors are patients’ attitudes and beliefs about medication. We explored a sample of 135 older Chinese people with major depression, and the relationship between beliefs about antidepressants and medication adherence. Sociodemographic and illness variables were also examined. In all, high antidepressant adherence was reported in 37.8%, moderate adherence in 39.2%, and low adherence in 23%. Ordinal regression analysis showed perceived necessity (P < 0.01) and concern (P < 0.01) about antidepressants were significant influencing factors. Other variables with a positive association with higher adherence were lower average income (P < 0.05), fewer number of prior episodes of depression (P < 0.01), and comorbid anxiety (P < 0.05). The present study highlights low adherence in a sample of older depressed Chinese people, and highlights how beliefs about medication affect adherence. Therefore, more attention should be focused on non‐adherence in older patients, and there is a need to establish accessible and systematic education programmes to correct misconceptions to improve their adherence.
Revitalising young workers' union participation: a comparative analysis of two organisations in Quebec (Canada)
Authors: Dufour‐Poirier Mélanie , Laroche Mélanie
Published: December 2015

This paper examines how two trade union organisations in Quebec (Canada) manage to integrate issues of concern to young members (30 years old and under) and spur changes in their agenda, structures and practices. Between 2009 and 2014, 25 interviews were conducted in these two organisations, while 41 focus group discussions were held with more than 430 members. We contend that improving young members' feeling of belonging to the union, enhancing internal network density and implementing more participatory forms of democracy are key elements when it comes to increasing their participation. Our findings reveal that unions must dare to integrate young members, without seeking to mould them to fit with the values and practices they deem to be outdated. It means not only training young members to carry the necessary message to their peers but also allowing them to challenge the strategic orientations suggested therein.
Antecedents of concession bargaining in the Great Recession: evidence from Ireland
Authors: Roche William K. , Teague Paul
Published: December 2015

Concession or ‘give back’ bargaining involves firms seeking changes in pay and conditions of employment from trade unions in return for pledges of enhanced job security and sometimes other forms of reciprocation. Several distinct modes of concession bargaining are distinguishable in the literature, and three modes of concession bargaining have been identified in Ireland during the Great Recession: integrative, distributive and minimal engagement. Deploying qualitatively informed quantitative data on the conduct of collective bargaining during the Great Recession, this article examines a series of antecedent influences on the choices firms make in conducting concession bargaining with unions.
Access to multiple mates increases fecundity but does not affect per‐offspring maternal investment in a marine gastropod
Authors: Collin Rachel , Ochoa Isis
Published: December 2015

Females of many organisms mate more than once and with more than one male, suggesting that polyandry confers some advantage to the female or her offspring. However, variation in maternal investment in response to mate choice and mate number can confound efforts to determine if there are benefits of polyandry. Access to multiple mates could increase maternal investment in offspring via a number of different mechanisms. Few studies have determined if investment is influenced by mate choice and number, and data are particularly lacking for marine invertebrates. This study was designed to determine if maternal investment and offspring size increase with access to increasing numbers of mates in the protandrous intertidal slipper snail Crepidula cf. marginalis. Virgin female slipper limpets were exposed to one, three, or five potential mates and their fecundity, egg size, and hatchling size were measured for multiple clutches. Treatment had a significant effect on fecundity, with fecundity increasing with the number of potential mates. Treatment did not have an effect on the size of eggs or hatchlings, on the variation in egg size or hatchling size within broods, or on the frequency of oviposition. Treatment did alter the variation in average offspring size among females, but not in the way predicted by theory. The main result, that access to multiple mates does not have an effect on per offspring maternal investment, makes C. cf. marginalis an ideal candidate to study the effects of polyandry on offspring fitness without having to take into account confounding effects of variation in maternal investment.
Study on Reduction of MoO2 Powders with CO to Produce Mo2C
Authors: Dang Jie , Zhang Guohua , Wang Lu , Chou Kuochih , Pistorius Petrus Christiaan
Published: December 2015

Molybdenum hemicarbide (Mo2C), which is widely applied in steel and metal ceramics as well as catalysts, was successfully synthesized by using a simple method of reducing MoO2 powders by CO. It was found that the final reduction product was all Mo2C under both isothermal and nonisothermal conditions. However, the reduction mechanisms were significantly different at lower and higher temperatures: at lower temperatures (1070 to 1342 K), reduction of MoO2 to Mo2C followed a one‐step reaction (simultaneous reduction and carburization), while at higher temperatures (1423 to 1485 K), MoO2 was first reduced to metallic Mo, and then Mo was carburized to Mo2C. Mo2C particles obtained at higher temperatures contained micrometer‐sized surface features which formed during the MoO2 to Mo reduction step.
Effect of Sodium on Microstructures and Thermoelastic Properties of Calcium Aluminate Cement–Bonded Refractories
Authors: Alex Jennifer , Vandeperre Luc , Lee William E. , Touzo Bruno , Parr Chris
Published: December 2015

The effect of sodium on refractory phase formation in a model Calcium Aluminate Cement–bonded refractory was investigated from 700°C to 1500°C. Sodium reacts with α‐alumina to form sodium β‐alumina (β‐Al2O3) via the intermediate NaAlO2. Formation of β‐Al2O3 disrupts the reaction path of calcia with alumina, delaying crystallization of calcium hexaluminate, CaO·6Al2O3, from 1350°C to 1500°C. β‐Al2O3 is also shown to reduce Young's modulus and delay sintering. The presence of NaAlO2 and β‐Al2O3 result in an increase in internal friction. Increased linear expansion of up to 47% is observed when 1 wt% Na is added. The expansion is shown to scale with the amount of dopant with only 0.3 wt% Na leading to an additional 31% linear expansion. On cooling, the presence of β‐Al2O3 can be demonstrated by a peak in internal friction between 1200°C and 1000°C which could be caused by Na+ ion hopping along the spinel‐like planes.
The influence of the starvation–predation trade‐off on the relationship between ambient temperature and body size among endotherms
Authors: McNamara John M. , Higginson Andrew D. , Verhulst Simon
Published: December 2015

Aim

The tendency for animals at higher latitudes to be larger (Bergmann's rule) is generally explained by recourse to latitudinal effects on ambient temperature and the food supply, but these receive only mixed support and do not explain observations of the inverse to Bergmann's rule. Our aim was to better understand how ecological variables might influence body size and thereby explain this mixed support.

Location

World‐wide.

Methods

Previous explanations do not allow for the selective pressure exerted by the trade‐off between predation and starvation, which we incorporate in a model of optimal body size and energy storage of a generalized homeotherm. In contrast to existing arguments, we concentrate on survival over winter when the food supply is poor and can be interrupted for short periods.

Results

We use our model to assess the logical validity of the heat conservation hypothesis and show that it must allow for the roles of both food availability and predation risk. We find that whether the effect of temperature on body size is positive or negative depends on temperature range, predator density, and the likelihood of long interruptions to foraging. Furthermore, changing day length explains differing effects of altitude and latitude on body size, leading to opposite predictions for nocturnal and diurnal endotherms. Food availability and ambient temperature can have counteracting selective pressures on body mass, and can lead to a non‐monotonic relationship between latitude and size, as observed in several studies.

Main conclusions

Our work provides a theoretical framework for understanding the relationships between the costs and benefits of large body size and eco‐geographical patterns among endotherms world‐wide.
Body Weight and Not Exercise Capacity Determines Central Systolic Blood Pressure, a Surrogate for Arterial Stiffness, in Children and Adolescents
Authors: Müller Jan , Meyer Joanna , Elmenhorst Julia , Oberhoffer Renate
Published: December 2015

Cardiopulmonary fitness benefits cardiovascular health. Various studies have shown a strong negative correlation between exercise capacity and arterial stiffness in adults. However, evidence for this connection in children and adolescents is scarce. About 320 healthy children and adolescents (252 male, 14.0±2.1 years) were evaluated with regard to their demographic, anthropometric and hemodynamic parameters, and their peak oxygen uptake. Peripheral and central systolic blood pressures were measured with patients in a supine position using an oscillometric device. Peak oxygen uptake was assessed by cardiopulmonary exercise testing. In multivariate regression, only peripheral systolic blood pressure (β=0.653, P<.001) and body weight (β=0.284, P<.001) emerged as independent determinants for central systolic blood pressure. Body weight therefore determines central systolic blood pressure in children and adolescents rather than measures of cardiorespiratory fitness. The prevention of overweight in childhood is necessary to reduce stiffening of the arteries and delay the onset of cardiovascular disease.
Performance of magnetic resonance elastography in primary sclerosing cholangitis
Authors: Eaton John E , Dzyubak Bogdan , Venkatesh Sudhakar K , Smyrk Thomas C , Gores Gregory J , Ehman Richard L , LaRusso Nicholas F , Gossard Andrea A , Lazaridis Konstantinos N
Published: December 2015

Background and Aim:

Liver stiffness (LS) measured by magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) is emerging as an important biomarker in chronic liver diseases. We examined the diagnostic performance of MRE, factors associated with an increased LS and the prognostic value of LS as measured by MRE among patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC).

Methods:

We performed a retrospective review of 266 patients with PSC to examine whether LS was associated with the primary endpoint of hepatic decompensation (ascites, variceal hemorrhage and hepatic encephalopathy). The ability of MRE to differentiate stages of fibrosis was examined in a subset of patients who underwent a liver biopsy (n = 20).

Results:

An LS of 4.93 kPa was the optimal point to detected F4 fibrosis (sensitivity, 1.00; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.40–1.00; specificity, 0.94; 95%CI, 0.68–1.00). While a serum alkaline phosphatase <1.5 times the upper limit of normal excluded the presence of advanced LS, it was not associated with the primary endpoint (hazard ratio, 0.26; 95%CI, 0.01–1.33). However, LS was associated with the development of decompensated liver disease (hazard ratio, 1.55; 95%CI, 1.41–1.70). The optimal LS thresholds that stratified patients at a low, medium and high risk for hepatic decompensation were <4.5, 4.5–6.0 and >6.0 kPa (respectively).

Conclusion:

Magnetic resonance elastography is able to detect cirrhosis with high specificity and an alkaline phosphatase <1.5 times the upper limit of normal makes the presence of advanced LS unlikely. Moreover, LS obtained by MRE is predictive of hepatic decompensation in PSC.