bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Scrimer: designing primers from transcriptome data
Authors: Mořkovský Libor , Pačes Jan , Rídl Jakub , Reifová Radka
Published: March 2015

With the rise of next‐generation sequencing methods, it has become increasingly possible to obtain genomewide sequence data even for nonmodel species. Such data are often used for the development of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers, which can subsequently be screened in a larger population sample using a variety of genotyping techniques. Many of these techniques require appropriate locus‐specific PCR and genotyping primers. Currently, there is no publicly available software for the automated design of suitable PCR and genotyping primers from next‐generation sequence data. Here we present a pipeline called Scrimer that automates multiple steps, including adaptor removal, read mapping, selection of SNPs and multiple primer design from transcriptome data. The designed primers can be used in conjunction with several widely used genotyping methods such as SNaPshot or MALDI‐TOF genotyping. Scrimer is composed of several reusable modules and an interactive bash workflow that connects these modules. Even the basic steps are presented, so the workflow can be executed in a step‐by‐step manner. The use of standard formats throughout the pipeline allows data from various sources to be plugged in, as well as easy inspection of intermediate results with visualization tools of the user's choice.
Evaluation of Older Adult Patients With Falls in the Emergency Department: Discordance With National Guidelines
Authors: Tirrell Gregory , Sri‐on Jiraporn , Lipsitz Lewis A. , Camargo Carlos A. , Kabrhel Christopher , Liu Shan W.
Published: March 2015

Objectives

The objective was to examine whether the emergency department (ED) evaluation of older adult fallers is concordant with the Geriatric Emergency Department Guidelines.

Methods

This study was a chart review of randomly selected older adult ED fall patients from one urban academic teaching hospital. Patients 65 years and older who had ED fall visits in 2012 and who had primary care physicians within our hospital network during the past 3 years were included. Transferred patients were excluded. The data collection instrument was adapted from ED fall evaluation recommendations.

Results

There were 350 patients in this study. The mean (±SD) patient age was 80.1 (±8.8) years, 124 (35%) were male, 327 (93%) were white, and 298 (85%) were community dwelling. The range with which history and physical examination findings were concordant with fall guidelines was 1% to 85%. Cause and location of fall were the two most frequently reported history items (85 and 81%, respectively), while asking about baseline vision was only reported 1% of the time. Evaluating for sensory deficits and muscle strength were the two most frequently reported physical examinations (63 and 48%, respectively), while balance was evaluated with the lowest frequency (1%). Patients who received more guideline‐recommended evaluations were older with more comorbid conditions and were transferred to an observation unit or admitted to the hospital more frequently. Overall, more than half of these elderly patients (56%) were discharged from the ED to their place of preadmission residence.

Conclusions

The current ED evaluation of older adult fallers is discordant with general and ED‐specific fall guidelines. Future studies are warranted to investigate ways to successfully implement fall evaluation guidelines.
Toll‐interacting protein contributes to mortality following myocardial infarction through promoting inflammation and apoptosis
Authors: Wan Nian , Liu Xiaoxiong , Zhang Xiao‐Jing , Zhao Yichao , Hu Gangying , Wan Fengwei , Zhang Rui , Zhu Xueyong , Xia Hao , Li Hongliang
Published: March 2015

Background and Purpose

Toll‐interacting protein (Tollip) is an endogenous inhibitor of toll‐like receptors, a superfamily that plays a pivotal role in various pathological conditions, including myocardial infarction (MI). However, the exact role of Tollip in MI remains unknown.

Experimental Approach

MI models were established in Tollip knockout (KO) mice, mice with cardiac‐specific overexpression of human Tollip gene and in their Tollip+/+ and non‐transgenic controls respectively. The effects of Tollip on MI were evaluated by mortality, infarct size and cardiac function. Hypoxia‐induced cardiomyocyte damage was investigated in vitro to confirm the role of Tollip in heart damage.

Key Results

Tollip expression was dramatically up‐regulated in human ischaemic hearts and infarcted mice hearts. MI‐induced mortality, infarct size and cardiac dysfunction were decreased in Tollip‐KO mice compared with Tollip+/+ controls. Ischaemic hearts from Tollip‐KO mice exhibited decreased inflammatory cell infiltration and reduced NF‐κB activation. Tollip depletion also alleviated myocardial apoptosis by down‐regulating pro‐apoptotic protein levels and up‐regulating anti‐apoptotic protein expressions in infarct border zone. Conversely, MI effects were exacerbated in mice with cardiac‐specific Tollip overexpression. This aggravated MI injury by Tollip in vivo was confirmed with in vitro assays. Inhibition of Akt signalling was associated with the detrimental effects of Tollip on MI injury; activation of Akt largely reversed the deleterious effects of Tollip on MI‐induced cardiomyocyte death.

Conclusions and Implications

Tollip promotes inflammatory and apoptotic responses after MI, leading to increased mortality and aggravated cardiac dysfunction. These findings suggest that Tollip may serve as a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of MI.
3‐Iodothyroacetic acid lacks thermoregulatory and cardiovascular effects in vivo
Authors: Hoefig Carolin S , Jacobi Simon F , Warner Amy , Harder Lisbeth , Schanze Nancy , Vennström Björn , Mittag Jens
Published: March 2015

Background and Purpose

3‐Iodothyronamine (3‐T1AM) is an endogenous thyroid hormone derivative reported to induce strong hypothermia and bradycardia within minutes upon injection in rodents. Although 3‐T1AM is rapidly converted to several other metabolites in vivo, these strong pharmacological responses were solely attributed to 3‐T1AM, leaving potential contributions of downstream products untested. We therefore examined the cardiometabolic effects of 3‐iodothyroacetic acid (TA1), the main degradation product of 3‐T1AM.

Experimental Approach

We used a sensitive implantable radiotelemetry system in C57/Bl6J mice to study the effects of TA1 on body temperature and heart rate, as well as other metabolic parameters.

Key Results

Interestingly, despite using pharmacological TA1 doses, we observed no effects on heart rate or body temperature after a single TA1 injection (50 mg·kg−1, i.p.) compared to sham‐injected controls. Repeated administration of TA1 (5 mg·kg−1, i.p. for 7 days) likewise did not alter body weight, food and water intake, heart rate, blood pressure, brown adipose tissue (BAT) thermogenesis or body temperature. Moreover, mRNA expression of tissue specific genes in heart, kidney, liver, BAT and lung was also not altered by TA1 compared to sham‐injected controls.

Conclusions and Implications

Our data therefore conclusively demonstrate that TA1 does not contribute to the cardiovascular or thermoregulatory effects observed after 3‐T1AM administration in mice, suggesting that the oxidative deamination constitutes an important deactivation mechanism for 3‐T1AM with possible implications for cardiovascular and thermoregulatory functions.
Mechanisms of allergic disease – environmental and genetic determinants for the development of allergy
Authors: Campbell D. E. , Boyle R. J. , Thornton C. A. , Prescott S. L.
Published: March 2015

Allergic disease can be viewed as an early manifestation of immune dysregulation. Environmental exposures including maternal inflammation, diet, nutrient balance, microbial colonization and toxin exposures can directly and indirectly influence immune programming in both pregnancy and the postnatal period. The intrauterine microclimate is critical for maternal and fetal immunological tolerance to sustain viable pregnancy, but appears susceptible to environmental conditions. Targeting aspects of the modern environment that promote aberrant patterns of immune response is logical for interventions aimed at primary prevention of allergic disease. Defining the mechanisms that underpin both natural and therapeutic acquisition of immunological tolerance in childhood will provide insights into the drivers of persistent immune dysregulation. In this review, we summarize evidence that allergy is a consequence of intrauterine and early life immune dysregulation, with specific focus on contributing environmental risk factors occurring preconception, in utero and in the early postnatal period. We explore the immunological mechanisms which underpin tolerance and persistence of allergic disease during childhood. It is likely that future investigations within these two domains will ultimately provide a road map for the primary prevention of allergic disease.
The mitogen‐activated protein kinase CgHog1 is required for iron homeostasis, adherence and virulence in Candida glabrata
Authors: Srivastava Vivek K. , Suneetha Korivi J. , Kaur Rupinder
Published: March 2015

Candida glabrata has emerged as a major fungal pathogen over the last two decades, although our understanding of its survival strategies inside the mammalian host remains rudimentary. An important requirement for survival in vivo is the ability to acquire critical nutrients such as iron from host niches of varied iron content. In the present study, we demonstrate for the first time that C. glabrata cells respond to high external iron levels via activation of two stress‐responsive mitogen‐activated protein kinases, CgHog1 and CgSlt2, and lack of either kinase results in sensitivity to the high‐iron medium. Furthermore, we show that CgHOG1 deletion led to perturbed iron homeostasis (elevated intracellular iron content and high mitochondrial aconitase activity), reduced survival in macrophages and attenuated virulence in the murine model of disseminated candidiasis. Consistently, several genes implicated in iron acquisition and storage displayed deregulated expression in the Cghog1∆ mutant. Genome‐wide transcriptional profiling analysis revealed upregulation of genes implicated in DNA repair, RNA processing and autophagy, and downregulation of genes related to cellular respiration and organonitrogen compound metabolism under iron‐limiting conditions. In contrast, genes involved in the respiratory electron transport chain were induced under iron‐replete conditions. Gene expression microarrays also identified a set of iron‐responsive regulon in C. glabrata. Lastly, we present evidence for the iron‐regulated expression of the major adhesin‐encoding EPA1 gene, decreased histone deacetylase activity in a high‐iron environment and increased adherence of iron‐surplus‐medium‐grown C. glabrata cells to epithelial cells. Together, our findings yield novel insights into iron abundance‐based regulation of transcriptional and mitogen‐activated protein kinase signaling pathways in C. glabrata.
Methanogenesis produces strong 13C enrichment in stromatolites of Lagoa Salgada, Brazil: a modern analogue for Palaeo‐/Neoproterozoic stromatolites?
Authors: Birgel D. , Meister P. , Lundberg R. , Horath T. D. , Bontognali T. R. R. , Bahniuk A. M. , de Rezende C. E. , Vasconcelos C. , McKenzie J. A.
Published: March 2015

Holocene stromatolites characterized by unusually positive inorganic δ13CPDB values (i.e. up to +16‰) are present in Lagoa Salgada, a seasonally brackish to hypersaline lagoon near Rio de Janeiro (Brazil). Such positive values cannot be explained by phototrophic fixation of CO2 alone, and they suggest that methanogenesis was a dominating process during the growth of the stromatolites. Indeed, up to 5 mm methane was measured in the porewater. The archaeal membrane lipid archaeol showing δ13C values between −15 and 0‰ suggests that archaea are present and producing methane in the modern lagoon sediment. Moreover, 13C‐depleted hopanoids diplopterol and 3β‐methylated C32 17β(H),21β(H)‐hopanoic acid (both −40‰) are preserved in lagoon sediments and are most likely derived from aerobic methanotrophic bacteria thriving in the methane‐enriched water column. Loss of isotopically light methane through the water column would explain the residual 13C‐enriched pool of dissolved inorganic carbon from where the carbonate constituting the stromatolites precipitated. The predominance of methanogenic archaea in the lagoon is most likely a result of sulphate limitation, suppressing the activity of sulphate‐reducing bacteria under brackish conditions in a seasonally humid tropical environment. Indeed, sulphate‐reduction activity is very low in the modern sediments. In absence of an efficient carbonate‐inducing metabolic process, we propose that stromatolite formation in Lagoa Salgada was abiotically induced, while the 13C‐enriched organic and inorganic carbon pools are due to methanogenesis. Unusually, 13C‐enriched stromatolitic deposits also appear in the geological record of prolonged periods in the Palaeo‐ and Neoproterozoic. Lagoa Salgada represents a possible modern analogue to conditions that may have been widespread in the Proterozoic, at times when low sulphate concentrations in sea water allowed methanogens to prevail over sulphate‐reducing bacteria.
Advances in non‐invasive techniques as aids to the diagnosis and monitoring of therapeutic response in plaque psoriasis: a review
Authors: Lacarrubba Francesco , Pellacani Giovanni , Gurgone Silvia , Verzì Anna Elisa , Micali Giuseppe
Published: March 2015

Plaque psoriasis is a common, chronic, inflammatory disease with a multifactorial etiopathogenesis. Although its diagnosis is often based on clinical features, in ambiguous cases a biopsy with histopathologic confirmation may be necessary. Advanced high‐definition imaging techniques may be useful in the study of skin properties in vivo and may facilitate therapeutic monitoring. Available imaging tools vary in their resolution, depth of penetration and visual representation (horizontal, vertical, three‐dimensional), and in the type of skin structures visualized. The purpose of this review is to analyze a variety of non‐invasive techniques that may assist in establishing definitive diagnoses, as well as in the therapeutic monitoring of psoriasis. These include dermoscopy, videocapillaroscopy (VC), high‐frequency ultrasound (HFUS), reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM), laser Doppler imaging (LDI), optical coherence tomography (OCT), optical microangiography (OMAG) and multiphoton tomography (MPT). Their characteristics, indications, advantages, and limits are reviewed and discussed. Dermoscopy may be useful for a first, rapid outpatient evaluation. Videocapillaroscopy and HFUS represent the imaging techniques with the longest history of use in psoriasis. However, whereas VC is useful in both diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring, the utility of HFUS appears to be limited to the monitoring of response to therapy only. Both devices are cost‐effective and easy to use in the office setting. Both RCM and OCT allow high‐resolution microscopic imaging of psoriatic plaque in a manner comparable with that of virtual histopathology and represent more promising techniques. The utility of LDI, OMAG, and MPT in psoriasis skin imaging requires further study and validation.
Formal, Justice‐Oriented Voice in the Nonunion Firm: Who Speaks Up and When?
Authors: Klaas Brian , Ward Anna‐Katherine
Published: March 2015

Employee willingness to exercise workplace voice has been the subject of much recent research. However, very different types of voice are observed within the workplace, with some forms of voice receiving limited scholarly attention. In particular, limited attention has been given to the determinants of formal, justice‐oriented voice within a nonunion context. Using a policy‐capturing design, we examine factors that affect decisions to use formal, justice‐oriented voice among 498 nonunion employees who had access to the same appeal procedure. The results suggest that this type of voice is affected by perceptions regarding immunity from negative managerial reactions to voice and also by factors associated with the utility of voice (e.g., the social power of those involved in the appeal and the evidence available to support the appeal). The results further suggest that perceived immunity moderates the impact of the social power of those involved in the appeal and the evidence available.
Do Train‐or‐Pay Schemes Really Increase Training Levels?
Authors: Dostie Benoit
Published: March 2015

Reacting to perceived market failures leading to under‐optimal levels of firm‐sponsored training, governments all over the world have stepped in with various policy instruments to alleviate this problem, using incentives such as regulation or co‐financed schemes directed at firms or at individuals. Despite the widespread use of these schemes, rigorous empirical evaluation of such policies is uncommon. In this paper, we provide a careful evaluation of a reform in a train‐or‐pay scheme used in Canada that exempted medium‐sized workplace from the training requirement. Our identification strategy involves comparing changes in training levels in medium‐sized workplaces, before and after the reform, to changes for both smaller and larger workplaces. We also compare relative changes in training intensities to those observed in a neighboring province in which no such changes took place. We find the policy had no impact on training levels but caused firms to change their human capital investments portfolio, substituting informal and formal training.
Heterogeneous tumor stromal microenvironments of oral squamous cell carcinoma cells in tongue and nodal metastatic lesions in a xenograft mouse model
Authors: Shirako Youichi , Taya Yuji , Sato Kaori , Chiba Tadashige , Imai Kazushi , Shimazu Yoshihito , Aoba Takaaki , Soeno Yuuichi
Published: March 2015

Background

Oral squamous cell carcinoma exhibits a poor prognosis, caused by aggressive progression and early‐stage metastasis to cervical lymph nodes. Here, we developed a xenograft mouse model to explore the heterogeneity of the tumor microenvironment that may govern local invasion and nodal metastasis of tumor cells.

Methods

We transplanted five oral carcinoma cell lines into the tongues of nude mice and determined tongue tumor growth and micrometastatic dissemination by serially sectioning the tongue and lymph node lesions in combination with immunohistochemistry and computer‐assisted image analysis. Our morphometric analysis enabled a quantitative assessment of blood and lymphatic endothelial densities in the intratumoral and host stromal regions.

Results

All cell lines tested were tumorigenic in mouse tongue. The metastatic lesion‐derived carcinoma cell lines (OSC19, OSC20, and HSC2) yielded a 100% nodal metastasis rate, whereas the primary tumor‐derived cell lines (KOSC2 and HO‐1‐u‐1) showed <40% metastatic potential. Immunohistochemistry showed that the individual cell lines gave rise to heterogeneous tumor architecture and phenotypes and that their micrometastatic lesions assimilated the immunophenotypic properties of the corresponding tongue tumors. Notably, OSC19 and OSC20 cells shared similar aggressive tumorigenicity in both the tongue and lymph node environments but displayed markedly diverse immunophenotypes and gene expression profiles.

Conclusions

Our model facilitated comparing the tumor microenvironments in tongue and lymph node lesions. The results support that tumorigenicity and tumor architecture in the host tongue environment depend on the origin and properties of the carcinoma cell lines and that metastatic progression may take place through heterogeneous tumor–host interactions.
Dissociating Indifferent, Directional, and Extreme Responding in Personality Data: Applying the Three‐Process Model to Self‐ and Observer Reports
Authors: Zettler Ingo , Lang Jonas W. B. , Hülsheger Ute R. , Hilbig Benjamin E.
Published: March 2015

Research suggests that respondents vary in their tendency to use the response scale of typical (Likert‐style) questionnaires. We study the nature of the response process by applying a recently introduced item response theory modeling procedure, the three‐process model, to data of self‐ and observer reports of personality traits. The three‐process model captures indifferent, directional, and extreme responding. Substantively, we hypothesize that, and test whether, trait Honesty‐Humility is negatively linked to extreme responding. We applied the three‐process model to personality data of 577 dyads (self‐ and observer reports of the HEXACO Personality Inventory‐Revised; Lee & Ashton, ) of Dutch and German undergraduate respondents. First, we provide evidence that indifferent, directional, and extreme responding can be separated from each other in personality data through the use of the three‐process model. Second, we show that the various response processes show a pattern of correlations across traits and rating sources which is in line with the idea that indifferent and extreme responding are person‐specific tendencies, whereas directional responding is content‐specific. Third, we report findings supporting the hypothesis that Honesty‐Humility is negatively linked to extreme responding. In Likert‐based personality data, applying the three‐process model can unveil individual differences in the response process.
Viewer Ethnicity Matters: Black Crime in TV News and Its Impact on Decisions Regarding Public Policy
Authors: Hurley Ryan J. , Jensen Jakob (Jake) , Weaver Andrew , Dixon Travis
Published: March 2015

Content analyses have consistently documented the disproportionate portrayal of Black Americans as criminals in the news. This experiment examines the impact of such portrayals on consumers by investigating the relationship between viewer ethnicity, viewing Black criminal suspects in the news, and beliefs related to public policy. Participants viewed a 30‐minute local newscast containing crime stories featuring a majority of Black suspects, White suspects, or no crime stories. Those exposed to crime stories featuring a majority of Black suspects were more likely to rate a nondescript inmate as personally culpable (i.e., unable to be rehabilitated). An interaction between participant ethnicity and treatment condition revealed that ethnic minority group members who view a majority of Black criminals demonstrated significantly lower police support than other participants. These data suggest a complex relationship between exposure to Black crime, racial/ethnic‐group membership, and crime‐related perceptions and have implications for priming and spreading activation.
Practitioner Explanations for the Increasing Use of Restraint Measures in the Care of People With Intellectual Disabilities in Norway 2000–11
Authors: Søndenaa Erik , Dragsten Frode , Whittington Richard
Published: March 2015

The use of restraint measures in the care of people with an intellectual disability (ID) and challenging behavior (CB) is recognized as problematic around the world and attempts have been made to reduce reliance upon this coercive approach. In Norway, legislation was enacted to restrict the use of restraint but paradoxically since it was implemented in 1999 there has been a very large increase in the use of one form of restraint: statutory or planned interventions. This study examined professionals' explanations for this unexpected increase. ID care staff (n = 178) and local government supervisors (n = 17) completed a semi‐structured questionnaire (total n = 195). All participants were involved directly or indirectly in implementing restraint. Comparisons were made between the different levels of care staff and the supervisors. The care staff interpreted the increase as due to greater awareness of the regulations and restraint interventions. Supervisors had low expectations of a decrease in restraint rates in the future. It was felt that the new regulations on the use of restraints in the care of people with ID and CB had raised awareness of ethical issues and improved education on this topic. Future research should address possible strategies for sustaining these improvements and at the same time stabilizing or reducing the number of people receiving restrictive care.
Cognitive plasticity in older adults: effects of cognitive training and physical exercise
Authors: Bherer Louis
Published: March 2015

Cognitive training, physical activity, and exercise have often been reported to improve cognitive performance in older adults. This paper reviews some seminal and recent studies using these approaches to improve cognition and physical functioning in healthy older adults and in patients suffering from non‐neurological chronic medical conditions. Results from cognitive training studies suggest that despite performance improvement in trained tasks, transfer effects appeared very limited. Surprisingly though, computerized dual‐task training has been shown to improve balance and postural control in tests of physical functioning, suggesting that broad transfer can sometimes be observed. Physical exercise intervention studies generally found significant and large improvements in physical capacity, in some cognitive domains, and in quality of life. The benefits seem to be equivalent between frail and nonfrail participants. Overall, results reviewed here support the notion that cognitive plasticity for attentional control, as induced by cognitive training or physical activity and exercise, is preserved in late adulthood. Moreover, results of studies with patients at risk of cognitive decline also suggest that cognitive training and exercise interventions are promising nonpharmaceutical tools to help improve cognition in older at‐risk individuals.
Multimodal imaging of temporal processing in typical and atypical language development
Authors: Kovelman Ioulia , Wagley Neelima , Hay Jessica S. F. , Ugolini Margaret , Bowyer Susan M. , Lajiness‐O'Neill Renee , Brennan Jonathan
Published: March 2015

New approaches to understanding language and reading acquisition propose that the human brain's ability to synchronize its neural firing rate to syllable‐length linguistic units may be important to children's ability to acquire human language. Yet, little evidence from brain imaging studies has been available to support this proposal. Here, we summarize three recent brain imaging (functional near‐infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), and magnetoencephalography (MEG)) studies from our laboratories with young English‐speaking children (aged 6–12 years). In the first study (fNIRS), we used an auditory beat perception task to show that, in children, the left superior temporal gyrus (STG) responds preferentially to rhythmic beats at 1.5 Hz. In the second study (fMRI), we found correlations between children's amplitude rise–time sensitivity, phonological awareness, and brain activation in the left STG. In the third study (MEG), typically developing children outperformed children with autism spectrum disorder in extracting words from rhythmically rich foreign speech and displayed different brain activation during the learning phase. The overall findings suggest that the efficiency with which left temporal regions process slow temporal (rhythmic) information may be important for gains in language and reading proficiency. These findings carry implications for better understanding of the brain's mechanisms that support language and reading acquisition during both typical and atypical development.
The effect of extracorporeal photopheresis alone or in combination therapy on circulatingCD4+Foxp3+CD25−T cells in patients with leukemic cutaneous T‐cell lymphoma
Authors: Shiue Lisa H. , Couturier Jacob , Lewis Dorothy E. , Wei Caimiao , Ni Xiao , Duvic Madeleine
Published: March 2015

Purpose

Extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP) alone or in combination therapy is effective for treatment of leukemic cutaneous T‐cell lymphoma (L‐CTCL), but its mechanism(s) of action remain unclear. This study was designed to investigate the effect ofECPon regulatory T cells and CD8+T cells inL‐CTCLpatients.

Experimental Design

Peripheral blood from 18 L‐CTCL patients at baseline, Day 2, 1 month, 3 month, and 6 month post‐ECP therapy was analyzed by flow cytometry for CD4+CD25+/high, CD4+Foxp3+CD25+/−, CD3+CD8+, CD3+CD8+CD69+, and CD3+CD8+IFN‐γ+T cells. Clinical responses were assessed and correlated with changes in these T‐cell subsets.

Results

Twelve of 18 patients achieved clinical responses. The average baseline number of CD4+CD25+/highT cells of PBMCs in L‐CTCL patients was normal (2.2%), but increased at 6‐month post‐therapy (4.3%,P < 0.01). The average baseline number of CD4+Foxp3+T cells out of CD4+T cells in nine evaluable patients was high (66.8 ± 13.7%), mostly CD25 negative. The levels of CD4+Foxp3+T cells in responders were higher (n = 6, 93.1 ± 5.7%) than nonresponders (n = 3, 14.2 ± 16.0%,P < 0.01), and they declined in parallel with malignant T cells. The numbers of CD3+CD8+CD69+and CD3+CD8+IFN‐γ+T cells increased at 3‐month post‐therapy in five of six patients studied.

Conclusions

Extracorporeal photopheresis alone or in combination therapy might be effective inL‐CTCLpatients whose malignant T cells have a CD4+Foxp3+CD25−phenotype.
Fragment size does not matter when you are well connected: effects of fragmentation on fitness of coexisting gypsophiles
Authors: Matesanz S. , Gómez‐Fernández A. , Alcocer I. , Escudero A.
Published: March 2015

Most habitat fragmentation studies have focused on the effects of population size on reproductive success of single species, but studies assessing the effects of both fragment size and connectivity, and their interaction, on several coexisting species are rare. In this study, we selected 20 fragments along two continuous gradients of size and degree of isolation in a gypsum landscape in central Spain. In each fragment, we selected 15 individuals of each of three dominant gypsophiles (Centaurea hyssopifolia, Lepidium subulatum and Helianthemum squamatum, 300 plants per species, 900 plants in total) and measured several reproductive traits: inflorescence number, fruit set, seed set and seed mass. We hypothesised that plant fitness would be lower on small and isolated fragments due to an interaction between fragment size and connectivity, and that response patterns would be species‐specific. Overall, fragment size had very little effect on reproductive traits compared to that of connectivity. We observed a positive effect of fragment connectivity on C. hyssopifolia fitness, mediated by the increased seed predation in plants from isolated fragments, resulting in fewer viable seeds per capitulum and lower seed set. Furthermore, seed mass was lower in plants from isolated fragments for both C. hyssopifolia and L. subulatum. In contrast, few reproductive traits of H. squamatum were affected by habitat fragmentation. We discuss the implications of species‐specific responses to habitat fragmentation for the dynamics and conservation of gypsum plant communities. Our results highlight the complex interplay among plants and their mutualistic and antagonistic visitors, and reinforce the often‐neglected role of habitat connectivity as a key component of the fragmentation process.
Conservation genetics of two island endemic Ribes spp. (Grossulariaceae) of Sardinia: survival or extinction?
Authors: Gentili R. , Fenu G. , Mattana E. , Citterio S. , De Mattia F. , Bacchetta G.
Published: March 2015

Measuring levels of population genetic diversity is an important step for assessing the conservation status of rare or endangered plant species and implementing appropriate conservation strategies. Populations of Ribes multiflorum subsp. sandalioticum and R. sardoum, two endangered endemic species from Sardinia, representing the whole genus on the island, were investigated using ISSR and SSR markers to determine levels and structure of genetic variability in their natural populations. Results indicated medium to low genetic diversity at the population level: Nei's gene diversity for ISSR markers ranged from 0.0840 to 0.1316; the expected heterozygosity (HE) for SSR ranged from 0.4281 to 0.7012. In addition, only one remnant population of R. sardoum showed a high level of inbreeding, in accordance with its very small size. Regarding the structure of the six R. sandalioticum populations, both principal coordinates analysis (PCoA) and STRUCTURE analysis of ISSR and SSR data highlighted low population structure, although two populations appeared to be clearly distinct from the others. The genetic pattern of the two taxa associated with their different ecological positions indicated resilience of R. sandalioticum populations in fresh and humid habitats and uncertain future resistance for the residual R. sardoum population in xeric calcareous stands. Hence, this study highlights the importance of an integrated conservation approach (genetic plus in situ and ex situ conservation studies/measures) for activating management programmes in these endemic and threatened taxa that can be considered as crop wild relatives of cultivated Ribes species.
Why do experts contribute in cross‐industry innovation? A structural model of motivational factors, intention and behavior
Authors: Enkel Ellen , Bader Karoline
Published: March 2015

This empirical study combines distinct research streams related to personal motivation and open innovation theory to derive motivational factors for individual participation in cross‐industry innovation. We revisited the theory of planned behavior and, based on this, hypothesized that three predictors of behavioral intention, namely attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control, affect experts' participation in and contribution to cross‐industry innovation. We applied an integrated qualitative‐quantitative research design and collected qualitative data through a series of face‐to‐face cross‐industry innovation workshops arranged by a company in the chemical industry. This research design enabled us to build a structural model and statistically and hermeneutically test our research construct. The results exhibited that both attitude and perceived behavioral control have a positive influence on external experts' behavioral intention to participate in cross‐industry innovation. In addition, the results revealed the mediating role of behavioral intention between predictors and actual contribution in cross‐industry innovation. Managers who want to initiate cross‐industry innovation within their firms can gain valuable insights regarding which aspects of external experts to investigate when acquiring them for such activities.
Technology News and the US Economy: Time Variation and Structural Changes
Authors: Berg Tim Oliver
Published: March 2015

This article examines the time‐varying impact of technology news shocks on the US economy during the Post‐World War II period using a time‐varying parameter vector autoregression. The identification restrictions on the sign of the contemporaneous responses of observable variables are derived from a dynamic stochastic general equilibrium model and robust to parameter uncertainty. I find that the variance of news shocks has decreased over time, contributing to the Great Moderation in real activity and inflation. The importance of news shocks is, however, modest compared to technology surprise and non‐technology shocks. Finally, I obtain evidence in favor of a substantial decline in wage rigidity, while the transmission to other variables has been stable.
Acute hyperhydration reduces athlete biological passport OFF‐hr score
Authors: Bejder J. , Hoffmann M. F. , Ashenden M. , Nordsborg N. B. , Karstoft K. , Mørkeberg J.
Published: March 2015

Anecdotal evidence suggests that athletes hyperhydrate to mask prohibited substances in urine and potentially counteract suspicious fluctuations in blood parameters in the athlete biological passport (ABP). It is examined if acute hyperhydration changes parameters included in the ABP. Twenty subjects received recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEPO) for 3 weeks. After 10 days of rhEPO washout, 10 subjects ingested normal amount of water (∼ 270 mL), whereas the remaining 10 ingested a 1000 mL bolus of water. Blood variables were measured 20, 40, 60, and 80 min after ingestion. Three days later, the subjects were crossed‐over with regard to water ingestion and the procedure was repeated. OFF‐hr was reduced by ∼ 4%, ∼ 3%, and ∼ 2% at 40, 60, and 80 min, respectively, after drinking 1000 mL of water, compared with normal water ingestion (P < 0.05). Forty percent of the subjects were identified with atypical blood profiles (99% specificity level) before drinking 1000 mL of water, whereas 11% (n = 18), 10% and 11% (n = 18) were identified 40, 60, and 80 min, respectively, after ingestion. This was different (P < 0.05) compared with normal water intake, where 45% of the subjects were identified before ingestion, and 54% (n = 19), 45%, and 47% (n = 19) were identified 40, 60, and 80 min, respectively, after ingestion. In conclusion, acute hyperhydration reduces ABP OFF‐hr and reduces ABP sensitivity.
Comparison of Munsell® color chart assessments with primary schoolchildren's self‐reported skin color
Authors: Wright C. Y. , Reeder A. I. , Gray A. R. , Hammond V. A.
Published: March 2015

Background

Skin color is related to human health outcomes, including the risks of skin cancer and vitamin D insufficiency. Self‐perceptions of skin color may influence health behaviours, including the adoption of practices protective against harmful solar ultraviolet radiation levels. Misperception of personal risk may have negative health implications. The aim of this study is to determine whether Munsell® color chart assessments align with child self‐reported skin color.

Methods

Two‐trained investigators, with assessed color acuity, visually classified student inner upper arm constitutive skin color. The Munsell® classifications obtained were converted to Individual Typology Angle (ITA) values and respective Del Bino skin color categories after spectrocolorimeter measurements based on published values/data. As part of a written questionnaire on sun protection knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours, self‐completed in class time, students classified their end of winter skin color. Student self‐reports were compared with the ITA‐based Del Bino classifications. A total of 477 New Zealand primary students attending 27 randomly selected schools from five geographic regions. The main measures were self‐reported skin color and visually observed skin color.

Results

A monotonic association was observed between the distribution of spectrophotometer ITA scores obtained for Munsell® tiles and child self‐reports of skin color, providing some evidence for the validity of self‐report among New Zealand primary school children, although the lighter colored ITA defined groups were most numerous in this study sample. Statistically significant differences in ITA scores were found by ethnicity, self‐reported skin color, and geographic residence (P < 0.001). Certain Munsell® color tiles were frequently selected as providing a best match to skin color.

Conclusion

Assessment using Munsell® color charts was simple, inexpensive, and practical for field use and acceptable to children. The results suggest that this method may prove useful for making comparisons with other studies using visual tools to assess skin color. Alignment between the ITA distribution derived from the Munsell® assessment and child skin color self‐reports could probably be improved, particularly with the addition of another ‘light’/’white’ color category in the self‐report instrument.
Near infrared and skin impedance spectroscopy – a possible support in the diagnostic process of skin tumours in primary health care
Authors: Hägerlind E. , Falk M. , Löfstedt T. , Lindholm‐Sethson B. , Bodén I.
Published: March 2015

Background/purpose

The global incidence of skin cancer has increased drastically in recent decades, especially in Australia and Northern Europe. Early detection is crucial for good prognosis and high survival rates. In general, primary care physicians have considerably lower sensitivity and specificity rates for detection of skin cancer, compared to dermatologists. A probable main reason for this is that current diagnostic tools are subjective in nature, and therefore diagnostic skills highly depend on experience. Illustratively, in Sweden, approximately 155 500 benign skin lesions are excised unnecessarily every year. An objective instrument, added to the clinical examination, might improve the diagnostic accuracy, and thus promote earlier detection of malignant skin tumours, as well as reduce medical costs associated with unnecessary biopsies and excisions. The general aim of this study was to investigate the usefulness of the combination of near infrared (NIR) and skin impedance spectroscopy as a supportive tool in the diagnosis and evaluation of skin tumours in primary health care.

Methods

Near infrared and skin impedance data were collected by performing measurements on suspect malignant, premalignant and benign tumours in the skin of patients seeking primary health care for skin tumour evaluation. The obtained data were analysed using multivariate analysis and compared with the diagnosis received by the conventional diagnostic process.

Results

The observed sensitivity and specificity rates were both 100%, when discriminating malignant and premalignant skin tumours from benign skin tumours, and the observed sensitivity and specificity for separating malignant skin tumours from premalignant and benign skin tumours were also 100%, respectively.

Conclusion

The results of this study indicate that the NIR and skin impedance spectroscopy may be a useful supportive tool for the general practitioner in the diagnosis and evaluation of skin tumours in primary health care, as a complement to the visual assessment.
Deranged sodium to sudden death
Authors: Clancy Colleen E. , Chen‐Izu Ye , Bers Donald M. , Belardinelli Luiz , Boyden Penelope A. , Csernoch Laszlo , Despa Sanda , Fermini Bernard , Hool Livia C. , Izu Leighton , Kass Robert S. , Lederer W. Jonathan , Louch William E. , Maack Christoph , Matiazzi Alicia , Qu Zhilin , Rajamani Sridharan , Rippinger Crystal M. , Sejersted Ole M. , O'Rourke Brian , Weiss James N. , Varró András , Zaza Antonio
Published: March 2015

In February 2014, a group of scientists convened as part of the University of California Davis Cardiovascular Symposium to bring together experimental and mathematical modelling perspectives and discuss points of consensus and controversy on the topic of sodium in the heart. This paper summarizes the topics of presentation and discussion from the symposium, with a focus on the role of aberrant sodium channels and abnormal sodium homeostasis in cardiac arrhythmias and pharmacotherapy from the subcellular scale to the whole heart. Two following papers focus on Na+ channel structure, function and regulation, and Na+/Ca2+ exchange and Na+/K+ ATPase. The UC Davis Cardiovascular Symposium is a biannual event that aims to bring together leading experts in subfields of cardiovascular biomedicine to focus on topics of importance to the field. The focus on Na+ in the 2014 symposium stemmed from the multitude of recent studies that point to the importance of maintaining Na+ homeostasis in the heart, as disruption of homeostatic processes are increasingly identified in cardiac disease states. Understanding how disruption in cardiac Na+‐based processes leads to derangement in multiple cardiac components at the level of the cell and to then connect these perturbations to emergent behaviour in the heart to cause disease is a critical area of research. The ubiquity of disruption of Na+ channels and Na+ homeostasis in cardiac disorders of excitability and mechanics emphasizes the importance of a fundamental understanding of the associated mechanisms and disease processes to ultimately reveal new targets for human therapy.
Reporting from the 9th European Conference on Mathematical and Theoretical Biology, Gothenburg, Sweden
Authors: Rashkov Peter
Published: March 2015

The 9th European Conference on Mathematical and Theoretical Biology took place in the Swedish port city of Gothenburg between June 15th and 19th, 2014. The busy conference was hosted by the Chalmers University of Technology where biomathematicians, biologists, biophysisists and bioinformaticians gathered to exchange ideas, experience and build bridges between the different sciences.
Research Articles in Peer-Reviewed Journals from Past BIOMATH conferences
Authors: Ivanov Tihomir
Published: March 2015

The В  past biomathematical conferences in Sofia (Biomath-1995, Destobio-1997, MMSC-2009, Biomath-2011, Biomath-2012, Biomath-2013, Biomath-2014) resulted in a total number of 179 original research journal articles, as follows: 4 articles in J.UCS, 34 articles in Mathematical Biosciences, 59 articles in В Computers & Mathematics with Applications, 12 articles in Serdica Journal of Computing, В  14 articles in B&BE and 56 articles in journal BIOMATH. A list of titles of these articles follows.
Contact Mechanics Model of Lateral Resurfacing Elbow With Inclusion of Rough Surfaces
Authors: Hodaei Mohammad , Farhang Kambiz
Published: March 2015

The study of joint contact mechanics to better understanding of all processes leading to cartilage degradation is very necessary. Elbow replacement will be the only option if both inner and outer components of the elbow have severe arthritis, or usually rheumatoid arthritis. It may also be recommended if there is osteoarthritis which makes the elbow stiff and painful, or a severe fracture of the elbow. Recently the operation known as Lateral resurfacing elbow replacement has been developed and introduced in hospitals. This operation has been designed for those people whose disease in the elbow involves mainly the outer compartment of the joint. The components are made from the metal and polyethylene and are fixed to the bones. An improper design of implants can lead to toxicity for patients caused by excessive amount of metal debris.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of roughness in Lateral resurfacing elbow implants. This paper develops a contact model to treat the interaction of the new surfaces fixed to the top of radius and humeral. The contact model describes the interaction of implant rough surfaces including both elastic and plastic deformations. In the model, surfaces are investigated as macroscopically conforming semi-spheres containing micron-scale roughness. The derived equations relate contact force on the implant and the minimum mean surface separation of the rough surfaces. Based on the distribution of asperity heights, the force is expressed using statistical integral function of asperity heights over the possible region of interaction of the roughness of the implant surfaces. Closed-form approximate equation relating contact force and minimum separation is used to obtain energy loss per cycle in a load-unload sequence applied to the implant.