bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Chronic Ethanol Exposure Selectively Inhibits the Influenza‐Specific CD8 T Cell Response During Influenza A Virus Infection
Authors: Hemann Emily A. , McGill Jodi L. , Legge Kevin L.
Published: August 2014

Background

It is well established that chronic ethanol (EtOH) consumption is associated with increased incidence and disease severity of respiratory infections. Our recent work demonstrates this increase in disease severity to influenza A virus (IAV) infections is due, in part, to a failure to mount a robust IAV‐specific CD8 T cell response along with a specific impairment in the ability of these T cells to produce interferon γ (IFNγ). However, the full extent of the lesion in the effector CD8 T cell compartment during chronic EtOH consumption remains unknown.

Methods

Utilizing the Meadows–Cook murine model of chronic alcohol consumption, mice received EtOH in their drinking water for 8 or 12 weeks. Mice were challenged intranasally with IAV, and the activation and effector functions of IAV‐specific CD8 T cells were determined in both the lung‐draining lymph nodes (dLN) and lungs.

Results

Our results confirm the defect in IFNγ production; however, the ability of IAV‐specific T cells to produce tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) and interleukin‐2 (IL‐2) in EtOH‐consuming mice remains unaltered. In contrast, EtOH consumption significantly reduces the ability of CD8 T cells to degranulate and kill IAV‐specific targets. Finally, our findings suggest the lesion begins during the initial activation of CD8 T cells, as we observe early defects in proliferation in the dLN of IAV‐infected, EtOH‐consuming mice.

Conclusions

These findings highlight the previously unrecognized depth of the lesion in the IAV‐specific CD8 T cell response during chronic EtOH consumption. Given the important role CD8 T cell immunity plays in control of IAV, these findings may aid in the development of vaccination and/or therapeutic strategies to reverse these defects in the CD8 T cell response and reduce serious disease outcomes associated with IAV infections in alcoholics.
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in the Veterans Administration population: development and validation of an algorithm for NAFLD using automated data
Authors: Husain N. , Blais P. , Kramer J. , Kowalkowski M. , Richardson P. , El‐Serag H. B. , Kanwal F.
Published: August 2014

Background

In practice, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is diagnosed based on elevated liver enzymes and confirmatory liver biopsy or abdominal imaging. Neither method is feasible in identifying individuals with NAFLD in a large‐scale healthcare system.

Aim

To develop and validate an algorithm to identify patients with NAFLD using automated data.

Methods

Using the Veterans Administration Corporate Data Warehouse, we identified patients who had persistent ALT elevation (≥2 values ≥40 IU/mL ≥6 months apart) and did not have evidence of hepatitis B, hepatitis C or excessive alcohol use. We conducted a structured chart review of 450 patients classified as NAFLD and 150 patients who were classified as non‐NAFLD by the database algorithm, and subsequently refined the database algorithm.

Results

The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV) for the initial database definition of NAFLD were 78.4% (95% CI: 70.0–86.8%), 74.5% (95% CI: 68.1–80.9%), 64.1% (95% CI: 56.4–71.7%) and 85.6% (95% CI: 79.4–91.8%), respectively. Reclassifying patients as having NAFLD if they had two elevated ALTs that were at least 6 months apart but within 2 years of each other, increased the specificity and PPV of the algorithm to 92.4% (95% CI: 88.8–96.0%) and 80.8% (95% CI: 72.5–89.0%), respectively. However, the sensitivity and NPV decreased to 55.0% (95% CI: 46.1–63.9%) and 78.0% (95% CI: 72.1–83.8%), respectively.

Conclusions

Predictive algorithms using automated data can be used to identify patients with NAFLD, determine prevalence of NAFLD at the system‐wide level, and may help select a target population for future clinical studies in veterans with NAFLD.
The performance of contemporary cystatin C‐based GFR equations in predicting gentamicin clearance
Authors: Chin Paul K. L. , Chew‐Harris Janice S. C. , Florkowski Christopher M. , Begg Evan J.
Published: August 2014

Aims

We aimed to compare the performances of contemporary cystatin C (Cys)‐based GFR equations, and the creatinine only Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD‐EPI) equation for predicting gentamicin clearance.

Methods

The bias and imprecision of the CKD‐EPI, CKD‐EPI_Cys and creatinine‐cystatin C CKD‐EPI (CKD‐EPI_CrCys) equations for predicting gentamicin clearances, were assessed in 260 patients treated with gentamicin during 2012–2013. The creatinine‐cystatin C Berlin Initiative Study equation (BIS_CrCys) was examined in the ≥70 year subgroup. The reference gentamicin clearance was calculated using post‐dose plasma concentrations.

Results

The CKD‐EPI_CrCys equation had the highest percentage of estimates within 30% of the reference gentamicin clearance (70%, P = 0.003) and lowest root mean square error (95% CI) of 29 (25, 23) ml min−1 of the three equations for the entire cohort. There was no significant improvement in the performances of the equations with the exclusion of 41 patients with abnormal thyroid function tests or steroid co‐prescription at the time of the index gentamicin dose. Of the remaining 219 patients, adjustment for individual BSA improved the performances of all GFR equations (P ≤ 0.003) in those with body mass indices (BMI) <18.5 or ≥30 kg m−2, but not those with BMI 18.5–29.9 kg m−2. There was no advantage of the BIS_CrCys over the CKD‐EPI_CrCys equation in the ≥70 year subgroup.

Conclusions

The CKD‐EPI_CrCys equation provided the best estimate of gentamicin clearance. If used for guiding gentamicin dosing, the results from GFR equations should be adjusted for individual BSA at the extremes of body size.
Deconstructing the binaries of spatial data production: Towards hybridity
Authors: Cinnamon Jonathan
Published: August 2014

Binaries, the most reductive form of categorization, can be usefully invoked to characterize emerging phenomena; yet, they are widely critiqued for oversimplifying a complex world and for their use as tools of social and political influence. Through a literature review and content analysis this article traces the emergence of volunteered geographic information (VGI), and identifies the recurrent use of several related binaries to contrast this phenomenon with the conventional spatial data production activities of states and corporations. Using several key examples, these binaries are deconstructed by identifying a mismatch in how VGI is conceptualized (bottom‐up, amateur, asserted) in the literature and the reality of existing VGI projects. As an alternative to a binary conceptualization of spatial data production, a different representation is put forward that more accurately depicts what is in actuality a vast, shifting, and heterogeneous landscape of spatial data production approaches. Thinking about contemporary spatial data production not as a binary but as a continuum could encourage the development of hybridities that harness the benefits of different approaches—including the oversight and quality control of conventional methods, with the speed, low cost, and distributed nature of citizen‐based spatial data production.
An exploration of Indigenous‐settler relations in the Port Alberni Valley, British Columbia regarding implementation of the 2011 Maa‐nulth Treaty
Authors: Morgan Vanessa Sloan , Castleden Heather
Published: August 2014

On April 1, 2011, the Maa‐nulth Treaty went into effect; this treaty involves signatories from five First Nations, the Province of British Columbia, and Canada. Encompassing territories never before ceded—largely in the Port Alberni region of Vancouver Island—these First Nations have reclaimed a degree of self‐determination through the Treaty. Using it as a platform for analysis, this study sought to examine local Indigenous‐settler relations within a modern treaty context. During the week of Treaty celebrations and formal implementation, face‐to‐face semi‐structured surveys were administered to local residents of Port Alberni, asking their perspectives on the Treaty to determine the breadth and depth of comprehension—and tensions surrounding it. Our hypothesis was that in the heart of the region where impacts would be felt the strongest, there would be diverse (likely heated) opinions revealed through the data; to our surprise, however, over 40 percent were unaware of the Treaty's existence, let alone its implications. This resulted in some challenges in the extent to which our data could be interpreted but provided proof‐of‐concept for further exploration into why residents remain unaware of their own implication in modern treaty negotiations and their associated historical complexities.
Navigating jurisdiction: local and regional strategies to access economic benefits from mineral development
Authors: Heisler Karen G. , Markey Sean
Published: August 2014

This article examines how concepts of territory and scale are used to create places of benefit from resource activities in remote rural regions. Our case study of mineral development in northwest British Columbia compares the experiences of First Nation, municipal and regional governments in accessing economic benefits from mineral development. Territorial land claims are changing the multi‐scalar jurisdictional hierarchy and the socio‐spatial relations between senior levels of government, resource companies, and local communities. The territorial rights of First Nation governments provide the political leverage to negotiate with companies seeking to “earn a social license” to operate within their territories. Municipal and regional governments, however, are restricted by their role in the multi‐scalar jurisdictional hierarchy. In response, municipal and regional governments are devising strategies to capture economic benefits. We discuss three economic development strategies used to access benefits from mineral development activities: negotiating commitments during the environmental assessment process, investment attraction strategies, and lobbying the provincial government for a share of the resource revenues generated from mining. These strategies reflect the political and economic context for local government in remote resource‐dependent regions and the changing socio‐spatial relations between senior levels of government, resource companies, and First Nation, municipal and regional governments.
Inhibition of metastasis of rhabdomyosarcoma by a novel neutralizing antibody to CXC chemokine receptor‐4
Authors: Kashima Kenji , Watanabe Miho , Sato Yasuko , Hata Junichi , Ishii Nobuya , Aoki Yuko
Published: August 2014

Rhabdomyosarcoma is the most common soft tissue sarcoma affecting children, and the overall cure rate of children with metastatic disease remains below 30%. The CXC chemokine receptor‐4 (CXCR4)/stromal cell‐derived factor‐1 (SDF1) axis has been implicated in the promotion of metastatic potential in several tumors. In this study, we developed a novel anti‐CXCR4 mAb, CF172, and investigated its antimetastatic activity against rhabdomyosarcoma cells in vitro and in vivo, to evaluate its potential as a therapeutic antibody to treat rhabdomyosarcoma. The CF172 molecule showed a specific binding reactivity against human CXCR4, as well as a specific neutralizing activity against CXCR4/SDF1 signal transduction. Using CF172, we determined that SJCRH30 rhabdomyosarcoma cells expressed high levels of CXCR4. In addition, CF172 was found to inhibit the SDF1‐induced migration activity of SJCRH30 cells in vitro. Using xenograft models of SJCRH30 cells, we carried out in vivo efficacy studies for peritoneal and lymph node metastasis, which were clinically observed in rhabdomyosarcoma. These studies indicated that CF172 significantly decreased both types of metastasis of SJCRH30. In conclusion, we found that a novel anti‐CXCR4 mAb, CF172, with specific reactivity against human CXCR4, prevented peritoneal metastasis and lymph node metastasis of rhabdomyosarcoma in animal models. These results suggest that CF172 is a potential antimetastasis therapeutic antibody for rhabdomyosarcoma treatment.
Relation between outcomes and expression of estrogen receptor‐α phosphorylated at Ser167 in endometrioid endometrial cancer
Authors: Kato Eiichi , Orisaka Makoto , Kurokawa Tetsuji , Chino Yoko , Fujita Yuko , Shinagawa Akiko , Yoshida Yoshio
Published: August 2014

Both ligand‐dependent and ligand‐independent activation of estrogen receptor (ER)α is modulated by receptor phosphorylation and results in activation of the ERα‐dependent pathways that are involved in endometrioid endometrial cancer (EEC) pathogenesis. It is also known that the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR)/p70 S6 kinase 1 (S6K1) and MAPK/p90 ribosomal S6 kinase (RSK) signaling pathways coordinately regulate phosphorylated‐ERα at Ser167 (p‐Ser167‐ERα). However, the expression of p‐Ser167‐ERα in EEC and its prognostic role in ECC is largely unexplored. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the expression of p‐Ser167‐ERα in ECC and its relationship with prognosis. Immunohistochemical staining of primary EEC surgical specimens (n = 103) was carried out using antibodies specific for p‐Ser167‐ERα and for p‐mTOR/p‐S6K1 and p‐MAPK/p‐RSK. The correlation of p‐Ser167‐ERα expression with clinicopathological features and survival of ECC was studied. Patients that were positive for nuclear p‐Ser167‐ERα had significantly shorter relapse‐free survival, and although the result was not significant, levels of nuclear p‐Ser167‐ERα tended to be higher in advanced‐stage ECC patients. Nuclear p‐Ser167‐ERα was significantly positively correlated with p‐MAPK and p‐S6K1, and with significantly shorter relapse‐free survival in EEC.
Clinical significance of serum thymus and activation‐regulated chemokine in gastric cancer: Potential as a serum biomarker
Authors: Lim Jong‐Baeck , Kim Do‐Kyun , Chung Hye Won
Published: August 2014

Thymus and activation‐regulated chemokine (TARC) can stimulate cancer cell proliferation and migration. The present study evaluated the clinical significance of serum TARC in gastric cancer (GC). We measured serum TARC, macrophage‐derived chemokine, monocyte chemotactic protein‐1 and stem cell factor (SCF) levels using a chemiluminescent immunoassay along the GC carcinogenesis (normal, high‐risk, early GC [EGC] and advanced GC [AGC]) in both training (N = 25 per group) and independent validation datasets (90 normal, 30 high‐risk, 50 EGC and 50 AGC). Serum levels were compared among groups using one‐way analysis of variance. To evaluate the diagnostic potential of serum TARC for GC, receiver operating characteristic curve and logistic regression analyses were performed. Correlations between serum TARC and GC clinicopathological features were analyzed using Spearman's correlation. In the training dataset, serum TARC correlated with serum MDC, MCP‐1 and SCF. However, only serum TARC and SCF were significantly higher in cancer groups than non‐cancer groups (P < 0.001). In the validation dataset, serum TARC also increased along the GC carcinogenesis; the AGC group (167.2 ± 111.1 ng/mL) had significantly higher levels than the EGC (109.1 ± 67.7 ng/mL), the high‐risk (66.2 ± 47.7 ng/mL) and the normal (67.5 ± 36.2 ng/mL) groups (Bonferroni, all P < 0.001). Receiver operating characteristic curves and logistic regression demonstrated the remarkable diagnostic potential of serum TARC as a single marker (72.0% sensitivity and 71.1% specificity; cutoff point, 0.37; logistic regression) and in a multiple‐marker panel (72.6% sensitivity and 88.2% specificity; cutoff point, 0.54). Spearman's correlation showed that serum TARC was closely correlated with tumor size (γs = 0.227, P = 0.028), T‐stage (γs = 0.340, P = 0.001), N‐stage (γs = 0.318, P = 0.002) and M‐stage (γs = 0.346, P = 0.001). Serum TARC is a promising serum biomarker for GC.
BRCA1 promoter methylation of normal breast epithelial cells as a possible precursor for BRCA1‐methylated breast cancer
Authors: Otani Yoko , Miyake Tomohiro , Kagara Naofumi , Shimoda Masafumi , Naoi Yasuto , Maruyama Naomi , Shimomura Atsuhi , Shimazu Kenzo , Kim Seung Jin , Noguchi Shinzaburo
Published: August 2014

The breast cancer susceptibility gene 1 (BRCA1) and glutathione S‐transferase P1 (GSTP1) promoters are reportedly often methylated in breast cancer tissues. Their methylation status in surrounding normal breast tissues has not been examined thoroughly although this may well be important for a better understanding of breast carcinogenesis. In this study, BRCA1 and GSTP1 promoter methylation was examined by methylation‐specific PCR assay. Patients with BRCA1‐methylated (n = 15) or BRCA1‐unmethylated (n = 15) tumors and those with GSTP1‐methylated (n = 9) or GSTP1‐unmethylated (n = 11) tumors were included in the present study. Methylation status of manually micro‐dissected normal epithelial cells from the formalin‐fixed paraffin‐embedded sections of normal breast tissues adjacent to and distant from the tumors was examined at multiple sites (n = 1–5). Of the 15 patients with BRCA1‐methylated tumors, 9 harbored BRCA1 promoter methylation in at least one site of the normal breast tissues. However, no BRCA1 promoter methylation was observed at any site of the normal tissues of the 15 patients with BRCA1‐unmethylated tumors. No GSTP1 promoter methylation was observed in the normal tissues regardless of the methylation status of the tumors. The presence of BRCA1 promoter methylation in the normal tissues was confirmed in the epithelial cells enriched with the magnetic‐activated cell sorting method. Our findings suggest that a small proportion of normal breast epithelial cells with BRCA1 promoter methylation can be precursor cells from which BRCA1‐methylated breast tumors may originate. This does not apply to GSTP1 promoter methylation.
Ileocaecal junction carcinoma: a clinicopathological study of 199 cases
Authors: Lee L. H. , MacLean A. R. , Falck V. G. , Gui X.
Published: August 2014

Aim

The ileocaecal junction (ICJ) region is an epithelial transition zone in which carcinomas are frequently diagnosed. However, it is currently unknown whether ICJ carcinomas (ICJ‐CAs) have distinctive features. This study aimed to characterize the clinicopathological features of ICJ‐CAs.

Method

All ileal and colorectal resections for carcinoma, performed in Calgary, Canada between January 2009 and June 2012, were reviewed. Carcinomas in which the epicentre was within 5 cm of the ileocaecal valve (ICV) were defined as ICJ‐CAs. Of 1003 carcinomas studied, 199 (19.8%) were ICJ‐CAs, including 93 (9.3%) that crossed the ICV. Comparison of clinicopathological features with carcinomas of the other ileo‐colorectal regions was made. Survival was also assessed.

Results

Clinically, ICJ‐CAs were more common in female than male patients (56.3% female) compared with left‐colonic (42.9% female) and rectal (37.9% female) carcinomas, and were more common in older age‐groups of patients (71.8 ± 12.7 years) compared with appendiceal (62.6 ± 11.3 years), left‐colonic (69.4 ± 12.3 years) and rectal (67.1 ± 11.9 years) carcinomas. Macroscopically, ICJ‐CAs were similar to other colorectal carcinomas and were mostly described as ulcerated (63.3%). Histologically, ICJ‐CAs had more mucinous, signet‐ring cell and/or neuroendocrine features (39.7%, 8.0% and 7.5%, respectively) than did carcinomas of the left colon (16.8%, 1.6% and 1.1%, respectively) and the rectum (14.1%, 1.0% and 0.0%, respectively). They were higher grade (20.1% were high grade) than those of the left‐colon (10.3%) and the rectum (9.8%). ICJ‐CAs presented at a higher T‐stage (25.6% were T4) compared with rectal carcinomas (11.6%). Most significantly, ICJ‐CAs presented at a higher N‐stage (25.6% were N2) than did right‐colonic (14.1%) and rectal (16.2%) carcinomas. Although survival of patients with ICJ‐CAs did not differ from those with right‐colonic carcinomas, those with carcinomas directly involving the ICV did show a significantly decreased survival.

Conclusion

ICJ‐CAs display several distinct clinicopathological features that may require special diagnostic, prognostic and management attention.
The Role of Family Involvement on CEO Turnover: Evidence from Colombian Family Firms
Authors: González Maximiliano , Guzmán Alexander , Pombo Carlos , Trujillo María‐Andrea
Published: August 2014

Manuscript Type

Empirical

Research Question/Issue

We analyze CEO turnover in closely held firms with some level of ownership dispersion in a context of low investor protection. In particular, we examine the impact of family involvement on CEO turnover and CEO turnover/performance sensitivity. We argue that family involvement in management, ownership, and control has both a direct effect on CEO turnover from the family presence itself, and a moderating effect over CEO turnover/performance sensitivity attributable to the agency tensions between majority and minority shareholders (whether other family blocks or non‐family shareholders).

Research Findings/Insights

Using data from 1996–2006 for 523 Colombian firms, we find direct and moderating effects, depending on the type of family involvement. Family involvement in management and boards reduces CEO turnover, but family involvement in ownership increases it. Regarding moderating effects, family involvement in ownership reduces CEO turnover/performance sensitivity, while the opposite occurs with family directors.

Theoretical/Academic Implications

Our results show that closely held firms in emerging markets exhibit a strong negative CEO turnover/performance sensitivity, which is a somewhat counterintuitive result, and also contribute to a better understanding of agency conflicts within family firms by highlighting the different ways families affect CEO turnover.

Practitioner/Policy Implications

Our findings suggest that even benevolently entrenched family CEOs are not immune to poor financial performance. Families that are majority or controlling shareholders may support CEOs even when the firm performs poorly because of potential benefits from control. Family boards are very sensitive to financial performance even when the CEO is a family member.
Which Executive Characteristics Create Value in Banking? Evidence from Appointment Announcements
Authors: Nguyen Duc Duy (Louis) , Hagendorff Jens , Eshraghi Arman
Published: August 2014

Manuscript Type

Empirical

Research Question/Issue

This study seeks to understand how the characteristics of executive directors affect the market performance of US banks. To explore the expected performance effects linked to executive characteristics, we measure any changes in the market valuation of banks linked to announcements of executive appointments.

Research Findings/Insights

Our study has two important findings. First, we show that age, education, and the prior work experience of executives create shareholder wealth while gender is not linked to measurable value effects. Second, these wealth effects are moderated by the level of influence of incoming executives, with their magnitude diminished under independent boards and higher if the incoming executive is also appointed as CEO. Our results are robust to the treatment of selection bias.

Theoretical/Academic Implications

By illustrating the wealth effects linked to executive appointments, our study contributes to the current debate on whether and how individual executives matter for firm performance and behavior. The findings also shed light on the value of human capital in the banking industry.

Practitioner/Policy Implications

This study offers important insights to policymakers charged with ensuring the competency of executives in banking. Our findings advocate policies that mandate banks to appoint highly qualified executives with relevant banking experience.
The development of race‐based perceptual categorization: skin color dominates early category judgments
Authors: Dunham Yarrow , Stepanova Elena V. , Dotsch Ron , Todorov Alexander
Published: August 2014

Prior research on the development of race‐based categorization has concluded that children understand the perceptual basis of race categories from as early as age 4 (e.g. Aboud, 1988). However, such work has rarely separated the influence of skin color from other physiognomic features considered by adults to be diagnostic of race categories. In two studies focusing on Black–White race categorization judgments in children between the ages of 4 and 9, as well as in adults, we find that categorization decisions in early childhood are determined almost entirely by attention to skin color, with attention to other physiognomic features exerting only a small influence on judgments as late as middle childhood. We further find that when skin color cues are largely eliminated from the stimuli, adults readily shift almost entirely to focus on other physiognomic features. However, 6‐ and 8‐year‐old children show only a limited ability to shift attention to facial physiognomy and so perform poorly on the task. These results demonstrate that attention to ‘race’ in younger children is better conceptualized as attention to skin color, inviting a reinterpretation of past work focusing on children's race‐related cognition.
PRODUCTIVITY EFFECTS OF PUBLIC CAPITAL MAINTENANCE: EVIDENCE FROM U.S. STATES
Authors: Kalyvitis Sarantis , Vella Eugenia
Published: August 2014

This article assesses the productivity effects of infrastructure operation and maintenance (O&M) spending by state and local governments in the 48 contiguous U.S. states over the period 1978–2000. We explicitly account for transboundary spillovers of capital and O&M spending and follow a semiparametric methodology that allows us to estimate state‐specific output elasticities. We find strong evidence that in all 48 states the cross‐state spillover effects of O&M outlays on productivity exceed their within‐state impacts and are substantially higher than the spillover effects of capital expenditure.(JELC14,E22,E62,H76,O11,O47,R11)
Does lethal control of top‐predators release mesopredators? A re‐evaluation of three Australian case studies
Authors: Allen Benjamin L. , Lundie‐Jenkins Geoff , Burrows Neil D. , Engeman Richard M. , Fleming Peter J.S. , Leung Luke K.‐P.
Published: August 2014

Top‐predators can sometimes be important for structuring fauna assemblages in terrestrial ecosystems. Through a complex trophic cascade, the lethal control of top‐predators has been predicted to elicit positive population responses from mesopredators that may in turn increase predation pressure on prey species of concern. In support of this hypothesis, many relevant research papers, opinion pieces and literature reviews identify three particular case studies as supporting evidence for top‐predator control‐induced release of mesopredators in Australia. However, many fundamental details essential for supporting this hypothesis are missing from these case studies, which were each designed to investigate alternative aims. Here, we re‐evaluate the strength of evidence for top‐predator control‐induced mesopredator release from these three studies after comprehensive analyses of associated unpublished correlative and experimental data. Circumstantial evidence alluded to mesopredator releases of either the European Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) or feral Cat (Felis catus) coinciding with Dingo (Canis lupus dingo) control in each case. Importantly, however, substantial limitations in predator population sampling techniques and/or experimental designs preclude strong assertions about the effect of lethal control on mesopredator populations from these studies. In all cases, multiple confounding factors and plausible alternative explanations for observed changes in predator populations exist. In accord with several critical reviews and a growing body of demonstrated experimental evidence on the subject, we conclude that there is an absence of reliable evidence for top‐predator control‐induced mesopredator release from these three case studies. Well‐designed and executed studies are critical for investigating potential top‐predator control‐induced mesopredator release.
Soil seed banks of fringing salt lake vegetation in arid Western Australia – density, composition and implications for postmine restoration using topsoil
Authors: van Etten Eddie J.B , Neasham Brett , Dalgleish Sarah
Published: August 2014

Although studies of seed banks in arid ecosystems are commonplace, they are lacking for the large arid zone of Western Australia. Across the six major plant communities fringing a large salt lake within this zone, topsoil (0–5 cm depth) was collected from 12 to 36 sites per community. Samples were dried, spread out on a bed of vermiculite in seedling trays and placed in a well‐watered glasshouse to determine the readily germinable component of the soil seed bank. Subsamples of topsoil were treated with smoke water, hot water or flooding to help determine seed bank of species with dormancy mechanisms. As with other studies of arid seed banks, large numbers of grasses and forbs emerged from the topsoil, with relatively small numbers of woody perennial species and hummock grasses (Triodia spp.) present, even in communities where such species were dominant. There were, however, a few exceptions where a reasonable density of dominant trees/shrub seed was present in topsoil. Soil treatment generally had limited effect on composition and density of emergent seedlings. Although floristic similarity between soil seed banks and corresponding above‐ground vegetation was modest, there were clear differences in soil seed bank composition between communities. The implications of the results for using topsoils to restore landforms of the study area after mining or other disturbance are discussed.
Ecological indicators for assessing management effectiveness: A case study of horse riding in an Alpine National Park
Authors: de Bie Kelly , Vesk Peter A.
Published: August 2014

Recreation activities and visitor use often have deleterious ecological impacts in protected areas. Management agencies then face the difficult task of providing recreation and tourism opportunities without compromising environmental values. This study assessed the success of efforts aimed at conserving alpine vegetation along the Mt Bogong Massif in Victoria, Australia, through controlling the use of horses. Vegetation condition was assessed in 2001 to coinciding with restrictions on the use of horse riding on trails and then resurveyed 10 years later. Sampling was undertaken in track plots that included the trail and surrounding vegetation, and control plots located away from the trail. There were significant differences in the amount of bare ground, the height of shrubs and ground layer vegetation, and shrub cover between track and control plots in 2001. Ten years later, track plots were recovering with reductions in bare ground and changes in vegetation, with improved ground layer vegetation height. Results show that vegetation condition has improved with restrictions of horse numbers. The indicators selected were sensitive to changes in vegetation condition and hence should be used for ongoing assessment of the effectiveness of this and similar management interventions.
Can increased glacial melting resulting from global change provide attached algae with transient protection against high irradiance?
Authors: Martyniuk Nicolás , Modenutti Beatriz , Balseiro Esteban G.
Published: August 2014

Climate change is altering temperatures and precipitation patterns all over the world. Melting glaciers increase surface run‐off, thereby increasing the transport of suspended solids through streams. The increased load of suspended solids affects turbidity, which decreases the availability of photosynthetically active radiation for primary producers.

We analysed how glacial loading of clays influences the light : nutrient ratio and photosynthetic parameters (measured with a pulse amplitude modulated fluorometer) and the carbon : phosphorus (C : P) elemental ratio of periphytic primary producers. A field study was conducted in two canopy‐free streams that receive water from the glaciers of Mount Tronador (Patagonia, Argentina), one with high glacial load and the other with clear water. In addition, we conducted an in situ colonisation experiment with three different light treatments.

We observed that periphytic biomass (chlorophyll a and carbon content) in the streams and in the experiment varied directly with turbidity. Moreover, photosynthetic parameters varied similarly because of an increase in the efficiency of electron transfer per open reactive centre in the more turbid stream and a chronic photoinhibition of photosystem II in the clearer stream.

Periphytic C : P also varied with turbidity as we observed a decrease in C : P with an increase in light in both streams and in the experiment.

Our main conclusion is that an increase in glacial melting with its associated increase in glacial clay load should protect primary producers against high irradiances (photosynthetic active radiation + ultraviolet radiation) in canopy‐free streams.
Influence of depression, anxiety and stress on cognitive performance in community‐dwelling older adults living in rural Ecuador: Results of the Atahualpa Project
Authors: Del Brutto Oscar H , Mera Robertino M , Del Brutto Victor J , Maestre Gladys E , Gardener Hannah , Zambrano Mauricio , Wright Clinton B
Published: August 2014

Aim

To assess the relationship between cognitive status and self‐reported symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress of older adults living in an underserved rural South American population.

Methods

Community‐dwelling Atahualpa residents aged ≥60 years were identified during a door‐to‐door census, and evaluated with the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale‐21 (DASS‐21) and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). We explored whether positivity in each of the DASS‐21 axes was related to total and domain‐specific MoCA performance after adjustment for age, sex and education.

Results

A total of 280 persons (59% women; mean age, mean age 70 ± 8 years) were included. Based on established cut‐offs for the DASS‐21, 12% persons had depression, 15% had anxiety and 5% had stress. Mean total MoCA scores were significantly lower for depressed than for not depressed individuals (15.9 ± 5.5 vs 18.9 ± 4.4, P < 0.0001). Depressed participants had significantly lower total and domain‐specific MoCA scores for abstraction, short‐term memory and orientation. Anxiety was related to significantly lower total MoCA scores (17 ± 4.7 vs 18.8 ± 4.5, P = 0.02), but not to differences in domain‐specific MoCA scores. Stress was not associated with significant differences in MoCA scores.

Conclusion

The present study suggests that depression and anxiety are associated with poorer cognitive performance in elderly residents living in rural areas of developing countries. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2015; 15: 508–514.
Development of the Thai version of Mini‐Cog, a brief cognitive screening test
Authors: Trongsakul Supaporn , Lambert Rod , Clark Allan , Wongpakaran Nahathai , Cross Jane
Published: August 2014

Aims

Cognitive impairment, such as dementia, has emerged as the leading public health problem among the elderly. Therefore, early detection of the disorder and providing appropriate healthcare and management is important, particularly, for the patients with comorbid diabetes who require long‐term treatment strategies. In Thailand, because of a large number of elderly patients with diabetes, and time constraints in primary care settings, a short and effective cognitive screening test is required. The Mini‐Cog is a short and valid cognitive screening test that was specifically designed for use in primary care settings. The present study translated the English language version into a Thai language version, and then measured the interrater reliability and concurrent validity.

Methods

The processes of cross‐language translation were carried out to develop a Thai language version of the Mini‐Cog. A total of 21 Thai older adults with type 2 diabetes with a mean aged of 69 ± 7 years were recruited into a study investigating the interrater reliability and concurrent validity of the Mini‐Cog Thai version in one primary care center in Thailand.

Results

The Mini‐Cog Thai version showed a good interrater reliability (K = 0.80, P < 0.001, 95% CI 0.50–1.00) and a positive concurrent validity (r = 0.47, P = 0.007, 95% CI 0.37,0.55) with the Mini‐Mental State Examination Thai 2002.

Conclusions

The findings show that the Thai version of the Mini‐Cog is a reliable, performance‐based tool in the screening for cognitive function in primary care settings in Thailand. It is recommended that it could be used as a new cognitive screening test for the aging population in the Thai community. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2015; 15: 594–600.
Narratives about Work and Family Life among Portuguese Academics
Authors: Santos Gina Gaio
Published: August 2014

A qualitative study conducted with Portuguese academics of both genders was devised to better understand the interface between work and family life. The academics seemed to position themselves along two different narratives. The first pointed to work and family as complementary, while the second described the subordination of one dimension to the other. The family life cycle, particularly parenthood experiences, illustrates the different narratives. Gender differences were more visible in the case of academics who were parents of young children, with women presenting a diverse set of micro‐narratives on motherhood. The findings also showed the need to design less standardized career models.
Pilot study on the clinical and microbiological effect of subgingival glycine powder air polishing using a cannula‐like jet
Authors: Kargas K , Tsalikis L , Sakellari D , Menexes G , Konstantinidis A
Published: August 2014

Objectives

To assess the efficacy of subgingival glycine powder air polishing (GPAP) during supportive periodontal therapy (SPT).

Methods

Each quadrant of 25 subjects was randomly assigned to the following treatments: subgingival scaling with hand instruments (SRP), GPAP, subgingival ultrasonic debridement (UD) and no subgingival treatment (NT). Clinical recordings included the following: probing pocket depth (PPD), gingival recession (RE), clinical attachment level (CAL), Gingival and Plaque Index. Subgingival plaque samples were taken from two sites >4 mm per quadrant. Therapy, recordings and microbial sampling were performed at baseline, 3 and 6 months, while at 1 month only clinical recordings and sampling were performed. Subgingival samples were analysed using ‘checkerboard’ DNA‐DNA hybridization for Porphyromonas gingivalis, Tannerrella forsythia and Treponema denticola.

Results

All groups were homogeneous at baseline for the clinical parameters assessed. The GPAP group displayed statistically significant higher PPD compared to SRP and UD at 1, 3 and 6 months and no statistical differences with the ‘no treatment’ group at all time points. At 1 month, the GPAP group displayed statistically significantly higher levels of CAL compared to SRP, while at 3 and 6 months statistically significant differences were observed with groups assigned to SRP and UD. No differences were observed among groups for RE, PI, GI and numbers of the investigated bacteria at any time point.

Conclusions

On the basis of clinical and microbiological data, this study does not support the superiority of GPAP as sole treatment over SRP or subgingival ultrasonic scaling.
Likelihood of Myocardial Infarction during Stroke Rehabilitation Preceded by Cardiovascular Screening and an Exercise Tolerance Test: The Locomotor Experience Applied Post-Stroke (LEAPS) Trial
Authors: Nadeau Stephen E. , Rose Dorian Kay , Dobkin Bruce , Wu Samuel S. , Dai Yufeng E. , Schofield Richard , Duncan Pamela W. ,   for The LEAPS Investigative Team
Published: August 2014

Background

Coronary artery disease is highly prevalent in patients with stroke, but because revascularization does not improve major clinical outcomes in patients with stable coronary artery disease relative to intensive medical therapy, routine evaluation for this disease is not warranted in stroke patients. However, it might be warranted in patients destined to undergo vigorous physical therapy. The Locomotor Experience Applied Post-Stroke study, a randomized controlled trial of 408 participants that tested the relative efficacy of two rehabilitation techniques on functional walking level, provided the opportunity to address this question.

Aim

The study aims to test the efficacy of screening for cardiovascular disease and an exercise tolerance test in assuring safety among patients undergoing vigorous rehabilitation for gait impairment.

Methods

All participants were screened for serious cardiovascular and pulmonary conditions. At six-weeks poststroke, they also completed a cardiovascular screening inventory and underwent an exercise tolerance test involving bicycle ergometry. Participants received 36, 90-min sessions of a prescribed physical therapy (three per week), initiated at either two-months or six-months poststroke.

Results

Twenty-nine participants were excluded on the basis of the cardiac screening questionnaire, and 15 failed the exercise tolerance test for cardiovascular reasons. No participant experienced a cardiac event during a treatment session. Two participants experienced myocardial infarctions, but continued in the trial. In three additional participants, myocardial infarctions caused or contributed to death.

Conclusions

The combination of a negative cardiac screen and the absence of exercise tolerance test failure appeared to have a high negative predictive value for cardiac events during treatment, despite the likelihood of a high prevalence of coronary artery disease in our population.
Part II: Predictors of Depression after Stroke and Impact of Depression on Stroke Outcome: An Updated Systematic Review of Observational Studies
Authors: Kutlubaev Mansur A. , Hackett Maree L.
Published: August 2014

Background

We previously published a systematic review in 2005 on factors associated with the development of depression in people with stroke.

Aim

To update and expand that review to include published data on the impact of depression on stroke outcome.

Methods

We included all published observational studies (to May 31, 2013) with prospective consecutive recruitment of people with a clinical diagnosis of stroke where an attempt was made to assess the variables associated with, or predictive of, the development of depression.

Results

We included data from 23 studies including 18 374 people. Depression after stroke was associated with prestroke depression, more severe neurological deficit and physical disability in the acute phase, and later after stroke. No consistent relationship between depression and demographic parameters or stroke features was identified. The review of the impact of depression on stroke outcome included data from 14 cohorts, including 4498 people, and found that depression was negatively associated with functional outcome in stroke survivors.

Conclusions

Early identification of patients at high risk of depression after stroke, those with a history of depression and physical disability after stroke, would enable the early implementation of effective management and prevention strategies for depression. The reciprocal relationship between depression and physical disability highlights the need for interventions that reduce disability after stroke, which may in turn improve mood and overall recovery for an increasingly large number of stroke survivors.
Microarray analysis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis‐infected monocytes reveals IL26 as a new candidate gene for tuberculosis susceptibility
Authors: Guerra‐Laso José M. , Raposo‐García Sara , García‐García Silvia , Diez‐Tascón Cristina , Rivero‐Lezcano Octavio M.
Published: August 2014

Differences in the activity of monocytes/macrophages, important target cells of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, might influence tuberculosis progression. With the purpose of identifying candidate genes for tuberculosis susceptibility we infected monocytes from both healthy elderly individuals (a tuberculosis susceptibility group) and elderly tuberculosis patients with M. tuberculosis, and performed a microarray experiment. We detected 78 differentially expressed transcripts and confirmed these results by quantitative PCR of selected genes. We found that monocytes from tuberculosis patients showed similar expression patterns for these genes, regardless of whether they were obtained from younger or older patients. Only one of the detected genes corresponded to a cytokine: IL26, a member of the interleukin‐10 (IL‐10) cytokine family which we found to be down‐regulated in infected monocytes from tuberculosis patients. Non‐infected monocytes secreted IL‐26 constitutively but they reacted strongly to M. tuberculosis infection by decreasing IL‐26 production. Furthermore, IL‐26 serum concentrations appeared to be lower in the tuberculosis patients. When whole blood was infected, IL‐26 inhibited the observed pathogen‐killing capability. Although lymphocytes expressed IL26R, the receptor mRNA was not detected in either monocytes or neutrophils, suggesting that the inhibition of anti‐mycobacterial activity may be mediated by lymphocytes. Additionally, IL‐2 concentrations in infected blood were lower in the presence of IL‐26. The negative influence of IL‐26 on the anti‐mycobacterial activity and its constitutive presence in both serum and monocyte supernatants prompt us to propose IL26 as a candidate gene for tuberculosis susceptibility.
Phosphatidylinositol‐3‐kinase and Akt are required for RIG‐I‐mediated anti‐viral signalling through cross‐talk with IPS‐1
Authors: Yeon Sang Hyeon , Song Moon Jung , Kang Hye‐Ri , Lee Joo Young
Published: August 2014

Retinoic acid‐inducible gene I (RIG‐I) is a cytosolic pattern‐recognition receptor that recognizes viruses and triggers anti‐viral immune responses. Activation of intracellular RIG‐I signalling is mediated through interferon‐β (IFN‐β) promoter stimulator‐1 (IPS‐1), an adaptor of RIG‐I, which induces IFN regulatory factor (IRF) 3 activation and type I IFN expression. The phosphatidylinositol‐3‐kinase (PI3K) and Akt pathway is activated in host immune cells upon viral infection. However, the mechanism as to how they work in RIG‐I signalling has not been fully elucidated. Therefore, we investigated the role of PI3K and Akt in the regulation of RIG‐I‐mediated IRF3 activation and type I IFN expression in macrophages. Our results show that Sendai virus infection, which is recognized by RIG‐I, led to IRF3 activation and IFN‐β expression and these responses were attenuated by the PI3K inhibitor (LY294002) and an Akt dominant‐negative mutant in the macrophage cell line(RAW264.7). IRF3 phosphorylation and dimerization as well as IFN‐β expression induced by a synthetic RIG‐I agonist, short poly(I:C), were suppressed by LY294002 or siRNA‐Akt in bone marrow‐derived macrophages. Suppression of PI3K and Akt using a dominant‐negative mutant and siRNA knockdown resulted in attenuation of IRF3 activation and IFN‐β expression induced by RIG‐I itself or its adaptor, IPS‐1. Association of Akt with IPS‐1 increased with short poly(I:C) stimulation and required the pleckstrin homology domain of Akt and caspase‐recruitment domain in IPS‐1. Collectively, our results show that PI3K and Akt are required downstream of IPS‐1 for RIG‐I‐mediated anti‐viral immune responses. The results describe a novel, interactive relationship between RIG‐I downstream signalling molecules resulting in efficient anti‐viral immunity.