bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The University of California at Los Angeles Alzheimer's and Dementia Care Program for Comprehensive, Coordinated, Patient‐Centered Care: Preliminary Data
Authors: Reuben David B. , Evertson Leslie C. , Wenger Neil S. , Serrano Katherine , Chodosh Joshua , Ercoli Linda , Tan Zaldy S.
Published: December 2013

Dementia is a chronic disease that requires medical and social services to provide high‐quality care and prevent complications. As a result of time constraints in practice, lack of systems‐based approaches, and poor integration of community‐based organizations (CBOs), the quality of care for dementia is poorer than that for other diseases that affect older persons. The University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) Alzheimer's and Dementia Care (UCLA ADC) program partners with CBOs to provide comprehensive, coordinated, patient‐centered care for individuals with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias. The goals of the program are to maximize function, independence, and dignity; minimize caregiver strain and burnout; and reduce unnecessary costs. The UCLA ADC program consists of five core components: recruitment and a dementia registry, structured needs assessments of individuals in the registry and their caregivers, creation and implementation of individualized dementia care plans based on needs assessments and input from the primary care physicians, monitoring and revising care plans as needed, and around‐the‐clock access for assistance and advice. The program uses a comanagement model with a nurse practitioner Dementia Care Manager working with primary care physicians and CBOs. Based on the first 150 individuals served, the most common recommendations in the initial care plans were referrals to support groups (73%) and Alzheimer's Association Safe Return (73%), caregiver training (45%), and medication adjustment (41%). The program will be evaluated on its ability to achieve the triple aim of better care for individuals, better health for populations, and lower costs.
Vestibular development in marsupials and monotremes
Authors: Ashwell Ken W. S. , Shulruf Boaz
Published: December 2013

The young of marsupials and monotremes are all born in an immature state, followed by prolonged nurturing by maternal lactation in either a pouch or nest. Nevertheless, the level of locomotor ability required for newborn marsupials and monotremes to reach the safety of the pouch or nest varies considerably: some are transferred to the pouch or nest in an egg (monotremes); others are transferred passively by gravity (e.g. dasyurid marsupials); some have only a horizontal wriggle to make (e.g. peramelid and didelphid marsupials); and others must climb vertically for a long distance to reach the maternal pouch (e.g. diprotodontid marsupials). In the present study, archived sections of the inner ear and hindbrain held in the Bolk, Hill and Hubrecht collections at the Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin, were used to test the relationship between structural maturity of the vestibular apparatus and the locomotor challenges that face the young of these different mammalian groups. A system for staging different levels of structural maturity of the vestibular apparatus was applied to the embryos, pouch young and hatchlings, and correlated with somatic size as indicated by greatest body length. Dasyurids are born at the most immature state, with the vestibular apparatus at little more than the otocyst stage. Peramelids are born with the vestibular apparatus at a more mature state (fully developed semicircular ducts and a ductus reuniens forming between the cochlear duct and saccule, but no semicircular canals). Diprotodontids and monotremes are born with the vestibular apparatus at the most mature state for the non‐eutherians (semicircular canals formed, maculae present, but vestibular nuclei in the brainstem not yet differentiated). Monotremes and marsupials reach the later stages of vestibular apparatus development at mean body lengths that lie within the range of those found for laboratory rodents (mouse and rat) reaching the same vestibular stage.
Personality, Relationships, and Health
Authors: Markey Charlotte N. , Markey Patrick M.
Published: December 2013

This special issue of the Journal of Personality focuses on the importance of considering both personality and relationship forces when examining physical and psychological health. The nine articles presented in this issue employed a variety of research designs, theoretical rationales, health outcomes, and advanced statistical methodologies in order to better understand how both individual differences and social factors are relevant to our health. These articles embody several prominent themes: Conscientiousness is a robust predictor of health; traits beyond the Five‐Factor Model should be considered in attempts to understand personality, relationships, and health; links among personality, relationships, and health begin early in life; and relationship transitions are consequential to health. It is hoped that these studies inspire personality researchers to consider the relationship context of health and relationship researchers to consider individual differences when attempting to understand health behaviors and outcomes.
Fig Viruses in Mainland Spain
Authors: Alfaro‐Fernández Ana , Hernández‐Llopis Desamparados , Font María Isabel
Published: December 2013

A survey of fig viruses was conducted from 2010 to 2012 on individual fig trees from outdoor gardens showing different symptoms associated with fig mosaic disease. A total of 30 fig leaf samples were collected from eight different provinces of mainland Spain and tested by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) to assess the presence of fig mosaic virus (FMV), fig leaf mottle‐associated virus 1 (FLMaV‐1), fig leaf mottle‐associated virus 2 (FLMaV‐2), fig mild mottle‐associated virus (FMMaV), fig latent virus 1 (FLV‐1) and Fig fleck‐associated virus (FFkaV). The 96.7% (29 samples of 30) of the analysed samples were infected with FMV, 16.7% (5 of 30) with FLMaV‐1 and 26.7% (8 of 30) with FMMaV, whereas all samples were negative for FLMaV‐2, FLV‐1 and FFkaV. Mixed infection was observed in 13 samples. Sequencing analyses results showed that FMV, FMMaV and FLMaV‐1 Spanish isolates shared 89–93% nt identity with other Mediterranean isolates of the same viruses. Phylogenetic analyses of the amplified RdRp fragment from the FMV grouped the Spanish isolates into a subgroup together with Japanese, Canadian and some Serbian and Turkish isolates. To our knowledge, this is the first report of FMV, FMMaV and FLMaV‐1 occurring in mainland Spain.
Infection of Vitis vinifera (cv Chardonnay) Inflorescences by Colletotrichum acutatum and Greeneria uvicola
Authors: Greer Lindsay A. , Harper John D. I. , Steel Christopher C.
Published: December 2013

Detached Vitis vinifera (cv Chardonnay) inflorescences were inoculated with spore suspensions of either Colletotrichum acutatum or Greeneria uvicola at 25°C, and a combination of light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and plating out of inoculated flowers on to dichloran rose bengal chloramphenicol agar was used to investigate the time frame for infection. Colletotrichum acutatum infection commenced within 2 h of inoculation, while infection by G. uvicola commenced between 12 and 18 h postinoculation. All parts of the flowers were infected by both fungi.
Analysis of hospital‐based emergency department visits for dental caries in the United States in 2008
Authors: Walker Andre , Probst Janice C. , Martin Amy B. , Bellinger Jessica D. , Merchant Anwar
Published: December 2013

Objectives

Using nationally representative data, we examined differences in dental care utilization in emergency departments (EDs) among working age adults associated with rural residence and lack of health insurance.

Methods

We used data from the 2008 Nationwide Emergency Department Sample, restricted to working age adults (ages 19‐64; 16,928,424 observations). The dependent variable was a principal diagnosis of dental caries. The primary independent variable was patient's area of residence, rural versus urban. The control variables were payer, age, gender, median income, region, and admission timing. Logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the association with residence, payer, and other covariates. Multivariate logistic regression models were estimated.

Results

In 2008, there were an estimated 74 million ED visits among working adults ages 19‐64 in the United States. Dental caries accounted for between 0.2 percent and 1.0 percent of all visits, depending on patient characteristics. Rural patients were significantly more likely than urban patients to have dental visits. Dental visits were more prevalent among patient with government insurance or self ‐pay relative to the privately insured.

Conclusions

The Affordable Care Act may reduce the proportion of self‐pay visits for dental care. Medicaid expansion may not result in improved dental use among Medicaid patients unless dental services are covered and dental practitioners appropriately engaged.
Intron evolution in a phylogenetic perspective: Divergent trends in the two copies of the duplicated def gene in Impatiens L. (Balsaminaceae)
Authors: VOLKMAR Ute , SMETS Erik F. , LENZ Henning , JANSSENS Steven B.
Published: December 2013

The history of MADS box genes is well‐known in angiosperms. While duplication events and gene losses occur frequently, gene structure and intron positions are very conserved. We investigated all six introns in a duplicated MADS box gene (deficiens, def) in selected Impatiens taxa, thereby assessing intron features. For the first time, our study provides a comparison of molecular changes in all introns of a gene from a phylogenetic perspective. Interestingly, a uniform pattern of molecular evolution in the introns of each copy was not observed, but intron length increases, decreases, and size retention can be found in each copy. A tendency to accumulate long autapomorphic indels is also present, thus, a longer intron length does not reflect a higher number of parsimony‐informative characters. Substitution rates vary between introns of each gene copy. While four of the six introns of def1 exhibit a change in their substitution rate, five of the six def2 introns maintain their rates throughout the genus albeit at different levels. In MADS box genes several regulatory sequences are found residing in introns. Thus, presence of putative regulatory motifs was investigated. Most of them are not conserved in position and usually present in only one of the gene copies. In addition, the potential for phylogenetic reconstruction of introns in both def copies is shortly discussed.
Clitoral Vascularization and Sexual Behavior in Young Patients Treated with Drospirenone–Ethinyl Estradiol or Contraceptive Vaginal Ring: A Prospective, Randomized, Pilot Study
Authors: Battaglia Cesare , Morotti Elena , Persico Nicola , Battaglia Bruno , Busacchi Paolo , Casadio Paolo , Paradisi Roberto , Venturoli Stefano
Published: December 2013

Introduction

Oral contraceptives (OC) are effective for birth control and have good cycle control and tolerability. However, the hormonal components could modify mood and libido.

Aim

The aim of this study is to evaluate the genital vascular effects and sexual behavior of an OC containing 30 μg ethinyl estradiol and 3 mg drospirenone in comparison with a flexible combined contraceptive vaginal ring.

Methods

Forty women underwent a sonographic assessment of the clitoral anatomy and vascularization and were administered the McCoy Female Sexuality Questionnaire (MFSQ) and the Beck's Depression Inventory questionnaire (BDI). Estradiol, androstenedione, testosterone, and SHBG were assayed. Free Androgen Index (FAI) and Free Estrogen Index (FEI) were calculated. The patients were randomly submitted to OC (group I; n = 21) or vaginal ring (group II; n = 19).

Main Outcome Measures

Ultrasonographic clitoral volume, pulsatility index (PI) of dorsal clitoral arteries, MFSQ, BDI, and hormonal and biochemical assays were analyzed.

Results

After therapy, the testosterone levels were reduced in both groups, whereas estradiol decreased only in group I women. The SHBG increased in all the subjects, and both FAI and FEI decreased. The clitoral volume decreased in all the women. The PI of the dorsal clitoral artery increased only in patients on OC. The hormonal contraception was associated, in both studied groups, with a significant decrease of the two-factor Italian MFSQ score, which was more marked in OC users. In group I subjects, there was a reduction of the number of intercourse/week and a reduction of orgasm frequency during intercourse. The pain during intercourse worsened after OC use. The vaginal ring users reported a vaginal wetness.

Conclusions

Six-month treatment with hormonal contraception is associated with a diminished MFSQ score. However, the frequency of sexual intercourse and orgasm was reduced only by the use of OC. The OC use was associated with increased pain during intercourse.
Barriers and facilitators for assessment and treatment of hepatitis C virus infection in the opioid substitution treatment setting: insights from the ETHOS study
Authors: Treloar C. , Rance J. , Dore G. J. , Grebely J.
Published: December 2013

Provision of hepatitis C virus (HCV) assessment and treatment via opioid substitution treatment (OST) clinics has been posed as an effective means of engaging populations with high HCV prevalence. This study explores OST client and health professional reports concerning barriers and facilitators affecting the delivery and uptake of HCV care and treatment within OST settings. In‐depth interviews were conducted with 57 clients, 16 staff from four NSW clinics participating in the Australian ETHOS study and three peer workers. Client participants included those who had not had HCV assessment; those who had HCV assessment only; and those who were awaiting or undertaking HCV treatment. A clear difference in decisions about HCV treatment emerged between participant groups. For those who have not been assessed, barriers to engaging with HCV care included the perception that they were physically well, were not experiencing HCV symptoms, had other life priorities and were concerned about the side effects and tolerability of treatment. Those who had engaged with care expressed motivations stemming from seeing friends becoming unwell, wanting to live longer and hearing positive stories of treatment. For those interested in HCV treatment, issues related to both provider and setting were important, such as presence of an engaged clinician, an accessible treatment pathway and availability of support. In this integrated care model, some barriers to HCV care and treatment (particularly those relating to health provider and the system) are minimized. In this setting, HCV treatment remained an unattractive option for a significant number of clients. Providing ways for those without HCV symptoms to be assessed for liver damage may be important to open up alternative conversations about HCV care. Further, the importance of a changing discourse of treatment is apparent from these data and could be enhanced by peer communication that provides information about successful treatment experiences.
Teaching Medieval Studies in the Religiously Pluralistic Classroom
Authors: Ambler Ben
Published: December 2013

This piece serves as an introduction to give short essays by contributors originally assembled for a roundtable session at the 46th International Congress on Medieval Studies, sponsored by the Consortium for the Teaching of the Middle Ages (TEAMS). The goal of that session, which we hope will be further advanced by this compilation of short pieces, was to introduce ideas and generate discussion on the pedagogy of familiarizing students with the idiosyncrasies of medieval Christianity when they are separated from them by hundreds of years and, in the case of non‐European students, usually thousands of miles.
Make‐Over or Tune‐Up: Every Student Needs Religious Instruction
Authors: Ansgar Kelly Henry
Published: December 2013

The assumption of our roundtable is that an increasing number of students are in need of religious instruction because they come from a secularized society, meaning a society no longer imbued with Judeo‐Christian values. I respond by acknowledging that there is a great need for providing information about the way Christianity (and Judaism and Islam) functioned in the Middle Ages, while emphasizing that every student needs it: not only just secularized Jews and Christians but also the large number of non‐Western students (particularly those from Asia) who have other religious traditions, and also those students who have had a thorough religious upbringing, because their ideas can seriously lead them astray when applied to medieval societies.
Building Bridges to the Past: Personal Reflections on Understanding Audience, Welcoming Inquiry, and Establishing Contexts
Authors: Black John
Published: December 2013

Some contemporary teachers of medieval studies have observed that, given the changing role of religious belief in our increasingly secular Western society, any widely shared body of knowledge among undergraduate students about Christian ethos and history is becoming less and less of a given and that, furthermore, this lack of familiarity with Christian tradition poses significant challenges to our work in the classroom to promote curiosity about and exploration of a medieval past deeply rooted in that tradition. The comments here, from a participant in a roundtable discussion entitled, “Teaching Medieval Studies in the Increasingly Secular Classroom,” that featured educators from range of types of institutions in the U.S., first offer his perspective on and assessment of these challenges, as professor in an English Department at a small liberal arts college, then note the possibilities for building new interest in the field, and lastly suggest approaches to these challenges based on pedagogy, practices, and teaching strategies that will enhance our understanding of the new audiences in our classrooms, welcome inquiry from them as new learners and curious ‘outsiders,’ and help them establish the rich contexts and matrices that will be of benefit as they delve more deeply into some of the more unfamiliar aspects of medieval studies.
ON VALUING STOCHASTIC PERPETUITIES USING NEW LONG HORIZON STOCK PRICE MODELS DISTINGUISHING BOOMS, BUSTS, AND BALANCED MARKETS
Authors: Madan Dilip B. , Yor Marc
Published: December 2013

For longer horizons, assuming no dividend distributions, models for discounted stock prices in balanced markets are formulated as conditional expectations of nontrivial terminal random variables defined at infinity. Observing that extant models fail to have this property, new models are proposed. The new concept of a balanced market proposed here permits a distinction between such markets and unduly optimistic or pessimistic ones. A tractable example is developed and termed the discounted variance gamma model. Calibrations to market data provide empirical support. Additionally, procedures are presented for the valuation of path dependent stochastic perpetuities. Evidence is provided for long dated equity linked claims paying coupon for time spent by equity above a lower barrier, being underpriced by extant models relative to the new discounted ones. Given the popularity of such claims, the resulting mispricing could possibly take some corrections. Furthermore for these new discounted models, implied volatility curves do not flatten out at the larger maturities.
THE INCENTIVES OF HEDGE FUND FEES AND HIGH‐WATER MARKS
Authors: Guasoni Paolo , Obłój Jan
Published: December 2013

Hedge fund managers receive a large fraction of their funds' profits, paid when funds exceed their high‐water marks. We study the incentives of such performance fees. A manager with long‐horizon, constant investment opportunities and relative risk aversion, chooses a constant Merton portfolio. However, the effective risk aversion shrinks toward one in proportion to performance fees. Risk shifting implications are ambiguous and depend on the manager's own risk aversion. Managers with equal investment opportunities but different performance fees and risk aversions may coexist in a competitive equilibrium. The resulting leverage increases with performance fees—a prediction that we confirm empirically.
MODEL‐INDEPENDENT NO‐ARBITRAGE CONDITIONS ON AMERICAN PUT OPTIONS
Authors: Cox Alexander M. G. , Hoeggerl Christoph
Published: December 2013

We consider the pricing of American put options in a model‐independent setting: that is, we do not assume that asset prices behave according to a given model, but aim to draw conclusions that hold in any model. We incorporate market information by supposing that the prices of European options are known.

In this setting, we are able to provide conditions on the American put prices which are necessary for the absence of arbitrage. Moreover, if we further assume that there are finitely many European and American options traded, then we are able to show that these conditions are also sufficient. To show sufficiency, we construct a model under which both American and European options are correctly priced at all strikes simultaneously. In particular, we need to carefully consider the optimal stopping strategy in the construction of our process.
Population divergences despite long pelagic larval stages: lessons from crocodile icefishes (Channichthyidae)
Authors: Damerau M. , Matschiner M. , Salzburger W. , Hanel R.
Published: December 2013

Dispersal via pelagic larval stages plays a key role in population connectivity of many marine species. The degree of connectivity is often correlated with the time that larvae spend in the water column. The Antarctic notothenioid fishes develop through an unusually long pelagic larval phase often exceeding 1 year. Notothenioids thus represent a prime model system for studying the influence of prolonged larval phases on population structure in otherwise demersal species. Here, we compare the population genetic structure and demographic history of two sub‐Antarctic crocodile icefish species (Chaenocephalus aceratus and Champsocephalus gunnari) from the Scotia Arc and Bouvet Island in the Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean to delineate the relative importance of species‐specific, oceanographic and paleoclimatic factors to gene flow. Based on 7 (C. aceratus) and 8 (C. gunnari) microsatellites, as well as two mitochondrial DNA markers (cytochrome b, D‐loop), we detect pronounced population genetic structure in both species (amova FSTs range from 0.04 to 0.53). High genetic similarities were found concordantly in the populations sampled at the Southern Scotia Arc between Elephant Island and South Orkney Islands, whereas the populations from Bouvet Island, which is located far to the east of the Scotia Arc, are substantially differentiated from those of the Scotia Arc region. Nonetheless, haplotype genealogies and Bayesian cluster analyses suggest occasional gene flow over thousands of kilometres. Higher divergences between populations of C. gunnari as compared to C. aceratus are probably caused by lower dispersal capabilities and demographic effects. Bayesian skyline plots reveal population size reductions during past glacial events in both species with an estimated onset of population expansions about 25 000 years ago.
Structure and dynamics of hybrid zones at different stages of speciation in the common vole (Microtus arvalis)
Authors: Beysard Mathias , Heckel Gerald
Published: December 2013

The genetic structure and dynamics of hybrid zones provide crucial information for understanding the processes and mechanisms of evolutionary divergence and speciation. In general, higher levels of evolutionary divergence between taxa are more likely to be associated with reproductive isolation and may result in suppressed or strongly restricted hybridization. In this study, we examined two secondary contact zones between three deep evolutionary lineages in the common vole (Microtus arvalis). Differences in divergence times between the lineages can shed light on different stages of reproductive isolation and thus provide information on the ongoing speciation process inM. arvalis. We examined more than 800 individuals for mitochondrial (mtDNA),Y‐chromosome and autosomal markers and used assignment and cline analysis methods to characterize the extent and direction of gene flow in the contact zones. Introgression of both autosomal and mtDNAmarkers in a relatively broad area of admixture indicates selectively neutral hybridization between the least‐divergent lineages (Central andEastern) without evidence for partial reproductive isolation. In contrast, a very narrow area of hybridization, shifts in marker clines and the quasi‐absence ofY‐chromosome introgression support a moving hybrid zone and unidirectional selection against male hybrids between the lineages with older divergence (Central andWestern). Data from a replicate transect further support non‐neutral processes in this hybrid zone and also suggest a role for landscape history in the movement and shaping of geneflow profiles.
Postglacial northward expansion and genetic differentiation between migratory and sedentary populations of the broad‐tailed hummingbird (Selasphorus platycercus)
Authors: Malpica Andreia , Ornelas Juan Francisco
Published: December 2013

Unlike other migratory hummingbirds in North America, the broad‐tailed hummingbird (Selasphorus platycercus) exhibits both long‐distance migratory behaviour in the USA and sedentary behaviour in Mexico and Guatemala. We examined the evolution of migration linked to its northward expansion using a multiperspective approach. We analysed variation in morphology, mitochondrial and nuclear DNA, estimated migration rates between migratory and sedentary populations, compared divergence times with the occurrence of Quaternary climate events and constructed species distribution models to predict where migratory and sedentary populations resided during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and Last Interglacial (LIG) events. Our results are consistent with a recent northward population expansion driven by migration from southern sedentary populations. Phylogeographical analyses and population genetics methods revealed that migratory populations in the USA and sedentary populations in Mexico of the platycercus subspecies form one admixed population, and that sedentary populations from southern Mexico and Guatemala (guatemalae) undertook independent evolutionary trajectories. Species distribution modelling revealed that the species is a niche tracker and that the climate conditions associated with modern obligate migrants in the USA were not present during the LIG, which provides indirect evidence for recent migratory behaviour in broad‐tailed hummingbirds on the temporal scale of glacial cycles. The finding that platycercus hummingbirds form one genetic population and that suitable habitat for migratory populations was observed in eastern Mexico during the LIG also suggests that the conservation of overwintering sites is crucial for obligate migratory populations currently facing climate change effects.
FgFim, a key protein regulating resistance to the fungicide JS399‐19, asexual and sexual development, stress responses and virulence in Fusarium graminearum
Authors: Zheng Zhitian , Gao Tao , Zhang Yu , Hou Yiping , Wang Jianxin , Zhou Mingguo
Published: December 2013

Fimbrin is an actin‐bundling protein found in intestinal microvilli, hair cell stereocilia and fibroblast filopodia. Its homologue Sac6p has been shown to play a critical role in endocytosis and diverse cellular processes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. FgFim from the wheat scab pathogenic fungus Fusarium graminearum strain Y2021A, which is highly resistant to the fungicide JS399‐19, was identified by screening a mutant library generated by HPH‐HSV‐tk cassette‐mediated integration. The functions of FgFim were evaluated by constructing a deletion mutant of FgFim, designated ΔFgFim‐15. The deletion mutant exhibited a reduced rate of mycelial growth, reduced conidiation, delayed conidium germination, irregularly shaped hyphae, a lack of sexual reproduction on autoclaved wheat kernels and a dramatic decrease in resistance to JS399‐19. ΔFgFim‐15 also exhibited increased sensitivity to diverse metal cations, to agents that induce osmotic stress and oxidative stress, and to agents that damage the cell membrane and cell wall. Pathogenicity assays showed that the virulence of the FgFim deletion mutant on flowering wheat heads was impaired, which was consistent with its reduced production of the toxin deoxynivalenol in host tissue. All of these defects were restored by genetic complementation of the mutant with the parental FgFim gene. Quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays showed that the basal expression of three Cyp51 genes, which encode sterol 14α‐demethylase, was significantly lower in the mutant than in the parental strain. The results of this study indicate that FgFim plays a critical role in the regulation of resistance to JS399‐19 and in various cellular processes in F. graminearum.
Review: Environmental enrichment and brain repair: harnessing the therapeutic effects of cognitive stimulation and physical activity to enhance experience‐dependent plasticity
Authors: Hannan A. J.
Published: December 2013

Environmental enrichment (EE) increases levels of novelty and complexity, inducing enhanced sensory, cognitive and motor stimulation. In wild‐type rodents, EE has been found to have a range of effects, such as enhancing experience‐dependent cellular plasticity and cognitive performance, relative to standard‐housed controls. Whilst environmental enrichment is of course a relative term, dependent on the nature of control environmental conditions, epidemiological studies suggest that EE has direct clinical relevance to a range of neurological and psychiatric disorders. EE has been demonstrated to induce beneficial effects in animal models of a wide variety of brain disorders. The first evidence of beneficial effects of EE in a genetically targeted animal model was generated using Huntington's disease transgenic mice. Subsequent studies found that EE was also therapeutic in mouse models of Alzheimer's disease, consistent with epidemiological studies of relevant environmental modifiers. EE has also been found to ameliorate behavioural, cellular and molecular deficits in animal models of various neurological and psychiatric disorders, including Parkinson's disease, stroke, traumatic brain injury, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, depression, schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorders. This review will focus on the effects of EE observed in animal models of neurodegenerative brain diseases, at molecular, cellular and behavioural levels. The proposal that EE may act synergistically with other approaches, such as drug and cell therapies, to facilitate brain repair will be discussed. I will also discuss the therapeutic potential of ‘enviromimetics’, drugs which mimic or enhance the therapeutic effects of cognitive activity and physical exercise, for both neuroprotection and brain repair.
Real‐Time Nowcasting of GDP: A Factor Model vs. Professional Forecasters
Authors: Liebermann Joelle
Published: December 2013

We perform a fully real‐time nowcasting (forecasting) exercise of US GDP growth using Giannone et al.'s (2008) factor model framework. To this end, we have constructed a real‐time database of vintages from 1997 to 2010 for a panel of variables, enabling us to reproduce, for any given day in that range, the exact information that was available to a real‐time forecaster. We track the daily evolution of the model performance along the real‐time data flow and find that the precision of the nowcasts increases with information releases and the model fares well relative to the Survey of Professional Forecasters (SPF).
Preprocedural Imaging in Patients with Transposition of the Great Arteries Facilitates Placement of Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy Leads
Authors: RUCKDESCHEL EMILY SUE , QUAIFE ROBERT , LEWKOWIEZ LAURENT , KAY JOSEPH , SAUER WILLIAM H. , COLLINS KATHRYN K. , NGUYEN DUY THAI
Published: December 2013

Objective

The purpose of this study is to review a series of patients with complex congenital heart disease in whom preprocedural imaging was used to assist placement of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) leads.

Background

CRT may be beneficial in patients with a failing systemic ventricle and transposition of the great arteries (TGA). However, complex coronary venous anatomy can be challenging for placement of CRT leads.

Methods

Between October 2006 and June 2012, seven patients with either dextro‐TGA (d‐TGA) or levo‐TGA (l‐TGA) underwent preprocedural imaging prior to placement of CRT leads (three, d‐TGA and four, l‐TGA). Three patients underwent cardiac computed tomography (CT) and four underwent coronary angiography, which included levophase imaging of the coronary sinus (CS) or direct contrast injection of the CS. Where CS anatomy was appropriate with drainage into the systemic venous circulation, a transvenous approach was planned. In all other cases, the patient was referred for surgical placement of epicardial leads.

Results

Seven patients were identified with either d‐TGA or l‐TGA who had undergone preprocedural imaging prior to placement of CRT leads (three, d‐TGA and four, l‐TGA). Three patients underwent cardiac CT and four underwent coronary angiography, which included levophase imaging of the CS or direct contrast injection of the CS. All seven patients had successful CRT lead placement guided by preprocedure imaging. Three patients required surgical placement whereas four were able to undergo transvenous placement. There were no complications. The majority of patients (four of seven) had improvement in New York Heart Association class as well as subjective improvement in exercise tolerance and energy. The majority of patients also had subjective improvement in systemic right ventricular function by echocardiogram and objective improvement in fractional area change of the right ventricle. The follow‐up period ranged from 13 months to 55 months with a mean follow‐up of 39 months.

Conclusions

Placement of biventricular leads for CRT in patients with l‐TGA or d‐TGA is feasible. Preprocedural imaging of the CS allows for better assessment of its anatomy and helps determine procedural approach for CRT placement, thereby limiting unnecessary procedures. In the majority of patients, there was subjective improvement in functional status and right ventricular function; in addition, there was objective improvement in echocardiographic parameters of right ventricular function after CRT placement.
Early life IgE responses in children living in the tropics: A prospective analysis
Authors: Zakzuk Josefina , Acevedo Nathalie , Cifuentes Liliana , Bornacelly Adriana , Sánchez Jorge , Ahumada Velky , Ring Johannes , Ollert Markus , Caraballo Luis
Published: December 2013

Background

There are few birth cohort studies analyzing IgE sensitization in the tropics.

Objectives

We aimed to describe the evolution of total IgE and specific IgE responses to house‐dust mite (HDM) allergens and Ascaris in a birth cohort (Risk Factors for Asthma and Allergy in the Tropics, FRAAT), analyzing their relationships with wheezing.

Methods

Total and specific IgE were measured by ImmunoCap in mothers and children at four different time points (S1–S4) between 0 and 42 months. Parasite infection was evaluated by stool examination.

Results

Maternal total IgE (aOR: 2.43, 95% CI: 1.09–5.43; p = 0.03) and socio‐demographic factors were associated with high cord blood (CB) total IgE. High CB total IgE was positively associated with higher Blomia tropicalis and Ascaris‐specific IgE values during lifetime, but protected from recurrent wheezing (aOR: 0.26, 95% CI: 0.08–0.88, p = 0.03). Prevalence rates of IgE sensitization were high; at around 3 yr old, they were 33.3, 18.6, and 26.5% for B. tropicalis, Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, and Ascaris, respectively. Indicators of unhygienic conditions were risk factors for HDM and Ascaris sensitization in children. A weak statistical association between B. tropicalis‐specific IgE and ever wheezing was found (aOR: 1.47 95% CI: 1.00–2.28, p = 0.05).

Conclusions

In a socioeconomically deprived community from the tropics, sensitization to HDM allergens was very frequent at early life, especially to B. tropicalis. In contrast to expected according to the hygiene hypothesis, unhygienic/poverty conditions were risk factors for allergen sensitization. High CB total IgE levels were a risk factor for allergen sensitization but protected from recurrent wheezing.
Modulation of mucosal/systemic antibody response after sublingual immunotherapy in mite‐allergic children
Authors: Queirós Meimei G. J. , Silva Deise A. O. , Siman Isabella L. , Ynoue Leandro H. , Araújo Núbia S. , Pereira Fernando L. , Almeida Karine C. , Miranda Juliana S. , Pena Janethe D. O. , Cunha‐Junior Jair P. , Taketomi Ernesto A.
Published: December 2013

Background

There have been no data on sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) in Brazilian patients sensitized to house dust mites. This study aimed to evaluate the mucosal/systemic antibody response changes and clinical efficacy after SLIT using Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Dpt) allergens with or without bacterial extracts in mite‐allergic Brazilian children.

Methods

Patients with allergic rhinitis and asthma were selected for a double‐blind, placebo‐controlled trial randomized to three groups: DPT (Dpt extract, n = 34), DPT+MRB (Dpt plus mixed respiratory bacterial extracts, n = 36), and Placebo (n = 32). Total symptom and medication scores for rhinitis/asthma, skin prick test (SPT) to Dpt, and measurements of Dpt‐, Der p 1‐, Der p 2‐specific serum IgE, IgG4, IgG1, and specific salivary IgA were evaluated at baseline and after 12 and 18 months of treatment.

Results

A significant long‐term decline in total symptom/medication scores was observed only in active groups (DTP and DPT+MRB). There was no significant change in SPT results in all groups. SLIT using Dpt allergen alone induced increased levels of serum IgG4 to Dpt, Der p 1, and Der p 2, serum IgG1 and salivary IgA to Dpt and Der p 1. SLIT with Dpt plus bacterial extracts was able to decrease IgE levels, particularly to Der p 2, to increase salivary IgA levels to Der p 1, but had no changes on specific IgG4 and IgG1 levels.

Conclusions

All children undergoing SLIT showed clinical improvement, but a long‐term reduction in symptom/medication scores with modulation of mucosal/systemic antibody responses were seen only in active groups (DPT and DPT+MRB).
Conceptual Ethics I
Authors: Burgess Alexis , Plunkett David
Published: December 2013

Which concepts should we use to think and talk about the world and to do all of the other things that mental and linguistic representation facilitates? This is the guiding question of the field that we call ‘conceptual ethics’. Conceptual ethics is not often discussed as its own systematic branch of normative theory. A case can nevertheless be made that the field is already quite active, with contributions coming in from areas as diverse as fundamental metaphysics and social/political philosophy. In this pair of papers, we try to unify the field, reflecting on its basic nature, structure, and methodology.
The impact of giving support to others on older adults' perceived health status
Authors: Abolfathi Momtaz Yadollah , Ibrahim Rahimah , Hamid Tengku A.
Published: December 2013

Background

Social support that may contribute to the physical and mental health of older adults is widely studied. However, much of the existing research has focused on the impact of receiving support; the effects of giving support have largely been neglected. Using the biopsychosocial perspective, this study aimed to examine the independent impact of giving support to others on older adults' perceived health status.

Methods

Data for this study were obtained from a nationwide community‐based cross‐sectional survey entitled ‘Determinants of Wellness among Older Malaysians: A Health Promotion Perspective’, which was conducted in 2010. To assess the unique effects of giving support on perceived health status, above and beyond other possible known factors, a four‐step hierarchical regression model using SPSS was used to test the hypothesis.

Results

The findings from the analysis revealed that giving support to others was a significant positive predictor of older adults' perceived health status after receiving support, demographic variables and chronic medical conditions were considered. Further results showed that giving support to others had almost twice the effect on perceived health status (β = 0.11, P < 0.001) as receiving support (β = 0.06, P < 0.05).

Conclusion

The findings from this study underscore the need to develop programmes that encourage older adults' participation in productive activities such as caring for and helping others and volunteering.
Modelling Heterogeneity and Uncertainty in Contingent Valuation: an Application to the Valuation of Informal Care
Authors: Mentzakis Emmanouil , Ryan Mandy , McNamee Paul
Published: December 2013

Both the lack of market data and the need to adopt a more holistic approach in the valuation of non‐market activities within health care have pointed towards the use of contingent valuation (CV) methods. However, to date, few studies have employed such techniques to value informal care, despite its provision being an important public policy question. We propose an analytical framework that through the use of random parameters models and respondents' certainty scales can incorporate both unobserved and observed heterogeneity in the CV modelling. This is the first CV study of informal care for Scotland (UK) and a £7.68 per hour value is estimated.
Independent Service Operators in ATM Markets
Authors: Wenzel Tobias
Published: December 2013

This paper studies the impact of entry of non‐banks (termed Independent Service Operators, ISOs) into ATM markets. We compare two different regimes by which the ISO may generate income: (1) The ISO receives interchange fees and (2) the ISO charges consumers directly. We find that due to the entry of an ISO, the size of the total ATM network increases independent of the way the ISO is financed. Account fees increase if the ISO receives interchange fees and decrease if the ISO charges consumers directly. Consumers may not benefit from the entry of the ISO. If a regulator can control the interchange fee, entry by an ISO financed through interchange fees increases consumer surplus, while the entry of a surcharging ISO decreases consumer surplus.
Monopolistic Competition and Different Wage Setting Systems
Authors: García José Ramón , Sorolla Valeri
Published: December 2013

In this paper, we present a disequilibrium unemployment model without labor market frictions and monopolistic competition in the goods market within an infinite horizon model of growth. We consider different wage setting systems and compare wages, the unemployment rate, and income per capita in the long‐run at firm, sector, and national (centralized) levels. The aim of this paper is to determine under which conditions, the inverted‐U hypothesis between unemployment and the degree of centralization of wage bargaining, reported by Calmfors and Driffill [Economic Policy, 6, 14–61, 1988], is confirmed. Our analysis shows that a high degree of market power normally produces the inverted‐U shape for unemployment. Moreover, we also illustrate that this inverted‐U shape can be reversed when the ability of trade unions to internalize the provision of social services is great enough at sector level.
Time‐Varying Spot and Futures Oil Price Dynamics
Authors: Caporale Guglielmo Maria , Ciferri Davide , Girardi Alessandro
Published: December 2013

In this paper, we investigate the role of crude oil spot and futures prices in the process of price discovery by using daily data over the period from January 1992 to September 2012. We provide evidence that futures markets play a more important role than spot markets, but their relative contributions turn out to be highly unstable, especially for the most deferred contracts. Furthermore, considering the time‐varying dynamics provides evidence of a smaller role for futures markets and a greater role for fundamental factors in driving oil prices during the global financial turmoil of 2007–2008. The implications of the main results for hedging and forecasting crude oil spot prices are also discussed.
Histological and molecular characterization of the femoral attachment of the human ligamentum capitis femoris
Authors: Shinohara Y. , Kumai T. , Higashiyama I. , Hayashi K. , Matsuda T. , Tanaka Y. , Takakura Y.
Published: December 2013

The ligamentum capitis femoris (LCF) has increased in clinical significance through the development of hip arthroscopy. The histological pathologies and molecular composition of the femoral attachment of the LCF and the degeneration caused by LCF disruption were investigated in the human hip joint. Twenty‐four LCFs were retrieved at surgery for femoral neck fracture (age range: 63–87 years). In the “intact” (i.e., intact throughout its length, n = 12) group, the attachment consisted of rich fibrocartilage. Fibrocartilage cells were present in the midsubstance. In contrast, the construction of the attachment in the “disrupted” (i.e., ligament no longer attached to the femoral head, n = 12) group had disappeared. The attachment in the disrupted group was not labeled for type II collagen or aggrecan, while that in the intact group was labeled for types I, II and III collagen, chondroitin 4‐sulfate, chondroitin 6‐sulfate, aggrecan, and versican. The percentage of single‐stranded DNA‐positive chondrocytes was significantly higher in the disrupted group than in the intact group. We conclude that the femoral attachment of the LCF has a characteristic fibrocartilaginous structure that is likely to adjust to the mechanical load, and suggest that its degeneration is advanced by disruption and should be regarded as a clinical pathology.
Goal Adjustment Capacities, Subjective Well‐being, and Physical Health
Authors: Wrosch Carsten , Scheier Michael F. , Miller Gregory E.
Published: December 2013

This article addresses how individuals can adjust to the experience of unattainable goals and protect their subjective well‐being and physical health. We discuss theoretical aspects involved in the self‐regulation of unattainable goals and point to the importance of general individual differences in goal disengagement and goal reengagement capacities. In addition, we review the extant literature, suggesting that goal disengagement capacities can reduce psychological distress and ameliorate patterns of biological dysregulation and physical health problems if individuals experience unattainable goals. Goal reengagement capacities, by contrast, are shown to be associated with positive indicators of subjective well‐being (e.g., positive affect or purpose in life) but rarely predict psychological distress or physical health outcomes. We finally address several remaining issues that have become apparent in the extant literature and may deserve more attention in future research.
Why Does It Feel Good To Act Like an Extravert?
Authors: Smillie Luke D.
Published: December 2013

Research into enacted personality provides a novel perspective on the tendency for extraverted individuals to experience high levels of positive affect. Several studies now show that behaving in an extraverted way – thereby enacting an extraverted ‘personality state’ – is sufficient for elevating levels of positive affect. A question that remains, however, is why extraverted behavior has this robust impact on affective experience. In this paper, I consider several potential explanatory mechanisms for this phenomenon, including reward‐ and goal‐related processes, as well as physical/bodily processes underpinning affective experience. Future research addressing these explanations may facilitate greater understanding of this intriguing phenomenon, along with its potential theoretical and practical implications.