bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Livelihoods, leadership, linkages and locality: The Simbo for Change project
Authors: Suti Esther , Hoatson Lesley , Tafunai Adimaimalaga , Cox John
Published: February 2020

This paper analyses the ‘Simbo for Change’ project in the Western Province of Solomon Islands, a collaboration between Simbo leaders and a Samoan non‐governmental organisation (NGO), with funding provided by the Australian aid programme. We explore the role of local leadership in catalysing an island‐wide community development project that has generated new livelihoods opportunities and led to greater community cohesion and more proactive governance. By mobilising around a ‘collective subject’ (Simbo as an island community), the project allowed existing skills and practices to be revalued and extended, particularly in relation to chiefly governance and the standing of women in the community. While mobilising the island scale was important in building social cohesion and support for livelihoods activities, this was not a parochial identity but was redefined by stronger connections to off‐island markets, organic accreditation for Simbo, renewed interest from provincial and national government authorities and by the enduring trans‐Pacific friendships established with the Samoan NGO and its trainers. The case study provides an example of the constructive potential of the island scale in Melanesia, whereas other recent studies of similar scale‐making processes have focused on violent conflict generated by industrial scale mining.
The Whole Tooth and Nothing but the Tooth: Or why Temporal Resolution of Bone Collagen May Be Unreliable
Authors: Beaumont Julia
Published: February 2020

The carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotope ratios of human bone collagen have been used extensively over the last 40 years to investigate the diet of past populations. It has become apparent that bone collagen can give an unreliable temporal dietary signature especially in juveniles. With higher temporal resolution sampling of collagen from tooth dentine, it is possible to identify short‐term changes in diet previously invisible in bone. This paper discusses the inherent problems of using bone collagen for dietary studies and suggests better sample choices, which can make our interpretations more robust, using breastfeeding and weaning as an example.
Influence of SLCO1B1 polymorphisms on lopinavir Ctrough in Serbian HIV/AIDS patients
Authors: Dragović Gordana , Dimitrijević Božana , Kušić Jovana , Soldatović Ivan , Jevtović Djordje , Olagunju Adeniyi , Owen Andrew
Published: February 2020

Aims

Lopinavir (LPV) is not a first‐line regimen. According to recent WHO data, LPV usage in low‐ and middle‐income countries accounted for approximately 52% of the adult and 23% of the paediatric protease inhibitor market in 2017. Since LPV is a substrate for the SLCO1B1 (OATP1B1) transporter, the aim of this study was to assess the impact of SLCO1B1 polymorphisms (rs11045819, rs4149032 and rs4149056) on LPV trough plasma concentrations (Ctrough) in Serbian patients.

Methods

Plasma samples from 104 HIV/AIDS Caucasians were collected. LPV Ctrough was quantified using liquid‐chromatography‐mass spectrometry. Genotyping was carried out using real‐time‐PCR‐based allelic discrimination. One‐way analysis of variance, t test and linear regression were used for data analysis.

Results

The overall mean (SD) LPV Ctrough was 5885 ± 2755 ng/mL. Significant differences were between patients with different rs11045819 genotypes: CC (LPV median Ctrough = 6072 ng/mL, interquartile range (IQR) = 4318–7617 ng/mL), CA (LPV median Ctrough = 4987 ng/mL, IQR = 4300–6295 ng/mL) and AA (LPV median Ctrough = 3648 ng/mL, IQR = 1949–4072 ng/mL) (P = .005). Significant differences were also observed according to rs4149032 genotype: CC (LPV median Ctrough = 6027 ng/mL, IQR =4548–8250 ng/mL), CT (LPV median Ctrough = 5553 ng/mL, IQR = 4300–6888 ng/mL) and TT (LPV median Ctrough = 4408 ng/mL, IQR = 3361–5233 ng/mL) (P = .007). For rs4149056 a statistically significant difference between T‐homozygotes (LPV median Ctrough = 5434 ng/mL, IQR = 3855–6830 ng/mL), heterozygotes (LPV median Ctrough = 6707 ng/mL, IQR = 5088–8063 ng/mL) and C‐homozygotes (LPV median Ctrough = 13906 ng/mL, IQR = 12946–14866 ng/mL) was observed (P = .002). In multivariate regression analysis, only the SLCO1B1 rs4149056 polymorphism was independently associated with higher LPV Ctrough (β = 2834.5 [1442–4226.9] ng/mL [P = .001]).

Conclusions

Our results demonstrate a statistically significant influence of the SLCO1B1 rs4149056 polymorphism on higher LPV Ctrough in Caucasian HIV/AIDS patients.
Relapse or reinfection: Classification of malaria infection using transition likelihoods
Authors: Lin Feng‐Chang , Li Quefeng , Lin Jessica T.
Published: February 2020

In patients withPlasmodium vivaxmalaria treated with effective blood‐stage therapy, the recurrent illness may occur due to relapse from latent liver‐stage infection or reinfection from a new mosquito bite. Classification of the recurrent infection as either relapse or reinfection is critical when evaluating the efficacy of an anti‐relapse treatment. Although one can use whether a shared genetic variant exists between baseline and recurrence genotypes to classify the outcome, little has been suggested to use both sharing and nonsharing variants to improve the classification accuracy. In this paper, we develop a novel classification criterion that utilizes transition likelihoods to distinguish relapse from reinfection. When tested in extensive simulation experiments with known outcomes, our classifier has superior operating characteristics. A real data set from 78 CambodianP. vivaxmalaria patients was analyzed to demonstrate the practical use of our proposed method.
Identifying mechanisms of genetic differentiation among populations in vagile species: historical factors dominate genetic differentiation in seabirds
Authors: Lombal Anicee J. , O'dwyer James E. , Friesen Vicki , Woehler Eric J. , Burridge Christopher P.
Published: February 2020

Elucidating the factors underlying the origin and maintenance of genetic variation among populations is crucial for our understanding of their ecology and evolution, and also to help identify conservation priorities. While intrinsic movement has been hypothesized as the major determinant of population genetic structuring in abundant vagile species, growing evidence indicates that vagility does not always predict genetic differentiation. However, identifying the determinants of genetic structuring can be challenging, and these are largely unknown for most vagile species. Although, in principle, levels of gene flow can be inferred from neutral allele frequency divergence among populations, underlying assumptions may be unrealistic. Moreover, molecular studies have suggested that contemporary gene flow has often not overridden historical influences on population genetic structure, which indicates potential inadequacies of any interpretations that fail to consider the influence of history in shaping that structure. This exhaustive review of the theoretical and empirical literature investigates the determinants of population genetic differentiation using seabirds as a model system for vagile taxa. Seabirds provide a tractable group within which to identify the determinants of genetic differentiation, given their widespread distribution in marine habitats and an abundance of ecological and genetic studies conducted on this group. Herein we evaluate mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variation in 73 seabird species. Lack of mutation–drift equilibrium observed in 19% of species coincided with lower estimates of genetic differentiation, suggesting that dynamic demographic histories can often lead to erroneous interpretations of contemporary gene flow, even in vagile species. Presence of land across the species sampling range, or sampling of breeding colonies representing ice‐free Pleistocene refuge zones, appear to be associated with genetic differentiation in Tropical and Southern Temperate species, respectively, indicating that long‐term barriers and persistence of populations are important for their genetic structuring. Conversely, biotic factors commonly considered to influence population genetic structure, such as spatial segregation during foraging, were inconsistently associated with population genetic differentiation. In light of these results, we recommend that genetic studies should consider potential historical events when identifying determinants of genetic differentiation among populations to avoid overestimating the role of contemporary factors, even for highly vagile taxa.
Naming Your Child in a Same‐Sex Parenting Situation: Identity of the Child, Parental Status, and Kinship Ties
Authors: Charton Laurence , Lemieux Denise
Published: February 2020

In Quebec, since the adoption in 2002 of the Act instituting civil unions and establishing new rules of filiation, same sex partners can be officially recognized as the parents of a child. They are invested with all the rights and obligations related to parentage and parental authority, including naming. From a qualitative analysis of interviews realized in 2014 in Quebec with 18 mothers and fathers in lesbian and gay couple relationships, this article examines the nomination processes of children born from gay or lesbian couples in terms of the modalities of entry into parenthood (biological, social, adoptive). Beyond innovations and specificities related to means of family formation where filiation is only partially or not at all rooted in biology and their categorization as same‐sex families, the name passed to the child is often considered by those parents as a means to consolidate “social” parental statuses and fraternal links.
Effect of l‐thyroxine administration before breakfast vs at bedtime on hypothyroidism: A meta‐analysis
Authors: Pang Xiao , Pu Tao , Xu Li , Sun Ru
Published: February 2020

Purpose

To compare the effects of l‐thyroxine (L‐T4) administration before breakfast and administration at bedtime on hypothyroidism.

Methods

The PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and Wanfang databases were searched to identify relevant articles. All prospective or randomized controlled studies (RCTs) comparing L‐T4 administration before breakfast to the administration at bedtime in patients with hypothyroidism were included in the analysis.

Results

Initially, 2884 articles were retrieved from the databases, and 10 articles were included in the quantitative analysis. The effect of L‐T4 administration before breakfast compared with administration at bedtime had no statistically significant association with hormone thyrotropin (TSH) (Standardized mean differences [SMD] = 0.09, 95% confidence intervals (CI): −0.12, 0.30; P = .39), or free triiodothyronine (FT3) (SMD=−0.19, 95% CI: −0.53, 0.15; P = .28) in patients with hypothyroidism. However, the result of FT4 level was favourable for L‐T4 bedtime administration group (SMD=−0.27, 95% CI: −0.52, −0.02; P = .03).

Conclusion

Our meta‐analysis revealed that L‐T4 administration at bedtime is as effective as administration before breakfast for patients with hypothyroidism. Taking L‐T4 at bedtime may be an attractive option for patients with hypothyroidism.
Evaluating SafeCare® in Israel: Benefits for the families
Authors: Oppenheim‐Weller Shani , Zeira Anat , Mazursky Nofar
Published: February 2020

SafeCare® is a home‐based intervention programme targeting parents of children up to 5 years old and is designed to reduce and even prevent child abuse and neglect. Here, we present an evaluation of a pilot trial of SafeCare® in Israel, examining family's outcomes. We examined parents' behavioural changes resulting from the three main modules of SafeCare®: the Health, Safety, and Parent‐Child/Infant Interaction. We also studied the unplanned effects of SafeCare® by examining maternal depressive symptoms. Participants were 46 mothers with children identified as being at risk of neglect by the local Department of Social Services who completed the programme. The mothers filled out questionnaires at the beginning and at the end of their participation. After completing the programme, mothers' self‐reports showed changes in how they would treat a sick child, an increase in feelings of competency, and a decline in symptoms of depression. We thus conclude that SafeCare® helped the participating mothers, enhancing their feelings of competency and changing several of their behaviours.
LEF1 haploinsufficiency causes ectodermal dysplasia
Authors: Lévy Jonathan , Capri Yline , Rachid Myriam , Dupont Céline , Vermeesch Joris R. , Devriendt Koen , Verloes Alain , Tabet Anne‐Claude , Bailleul‐Forestier Isabelle
Published: February 2020

Ectodermal dysplasias are a family of genodermatoses commonly associated with variants in the ectodysplasin/NF‐κB or the Wnt/β‐catenin pathways. Both pathways are involved in signal transduction from ectoderm to mesenchyme during the development of ectoderm‐derived structures. Wnt/β‐catenin pathway requires the lymphoid enhancer‐binding factor 1 (LEF1), a nuclear mediator, to activate target gene expression. In mice, targeted inactivation of the LEF1 gene results in a complete block of development of multiple ectodermal appendages. We report two unrelated patients with 4q25 de novo deletion encompassing LEF1, associated with severe oligodontia of primary and permanent dentition, hypotrichosis and hypohidrosis compatible with hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia. Taurodontism and a particular alveolar bone defect were also observed in both patients. So far, no pathogenic variants or variations involving the LEF1 gene have been reported in human. We provide further evidence for LEF1 haploinsufficiency role in ectodermal dysplasia and delineate its clinical phenotype.
Association of traditional and novel measures of central obesity with cognitive performance in older multi‐ethnic Asians with type 2 diabetes
Authors: Moh Mei Chung , Low Serena , Ng Tze Pin , Wang Jiexun , Ang Su Fen , Tan Clara , Ang Keven , Tavintharan Subramaniam , Sum Chee Fang , Kwan Pek Yee , Lee Simon Biing Ming , Tang Wern Ee , Lim Su Chi
Published: February 2020

Literature evaluating the relationship between central obesity and cognitive deficits in type 2 diabetes (T2DM) remains scarce. This cross‐sectional analysis explored the association of novel and traditional central obesity measures with cognitive performance in older (aged ≥60 years) non‐demented multi‐ethnic Asians with T2DM, including a stratified analysis by body mass index (BMI). Cognitive function was assessed using the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status. Central obesity measures including visceral fat area (VFA), waist circumference, waist:hip ratio, waist:height ratio, abdominal volume index, body roundness index and conicity index were measured and/or computed. In our cohort (N = 677; mean age = 67 ± 5 years, 51.7% men), VFA emerged as an associate of overall cognitive performance after covariate adjustment and Bonferroni correction (β = −.10, 95% CI = −0.18, −0.03), outperforming the other adiposity indices. Specifically, VFA was inversely associated with delayed memory and language scores. Additionally, compared with normal‐weight individuals, excess visceral obesity (VFA ≥100 cm2) was independently associated with lower cognitive scores to a greater extent in normal BMI (<23 kg/m2) adults than in those with high BMI (≥23 kg/m2). Assessment and management of visceral adiposity may help to prevent cognitive decline in older people with T2DM, and reduce the global burden of dementia in ageing populations.
Resveratrol protects the integrity of alveolar epithelial barrier via SIRT1/PTEN/p‐Akt pathway in methamphetamine‐induced chronic lung injury
Authors: Wang Xin , Liu Ming , Zhu Mei‐Jia , Shi Lin , Liu Lian , Zhao Yuan‐Ling , Cheng Lin , Gu Ying‐Jian , Zhou Ming‐Yuan , Chen Lei , Kumar Ashok , Wang Yun
Published: February 2020

Objectives

SIRT1 is an antioxidative factor, but its mechanism in methamphetamine (MA)‐induced lung injury remains unclear. The purpose of this study is to determine whether MA can disrupt the integrity of alveolar epithelial barrier, whether SIRT1 is involved in MA‐induced chronic lung injury and whether Resveratrol (Res) can protect the integrity of alveolar epithelial cells by regulating ROS to activate SIRT1/PTEN/p‐Akt pathway.

Materials and methods

The rats were randomly divided into control group and MA group. Extracted lungs were detected by Western blot, HE staining and immunohistochemistry. The alveolar epithelial cells were treated with MA or/and Res, following by Western blot, LDH leakage assay and flow cytometry. MOE is used for bio‐informatics prediction.

Results

Chronic exposure to MA can cause slower growth ratio of weight, increased RVI and induced lung injury including the reduced number of alveolar sacs and the thickened alveolar walls. MA‐induced apoptosis was associated with SIRT1‐related oxidative stress. Res suppressed ROS levels, activated SIRT1, negatively regulated PTEN, phosphorylated Akt, reduced LDH leakage, increased the expression of ZO‐1 and E‐cadherin and inhibited the apoptosis of alveolar epithelial cells to attenuate MA‐induced higher permeability of alveolar epithelium.

Conclusions

MA disrupted the integrity of alveolar epithelial barrier. Res inhibited oxidative stress and reversed MA‐induced higher permeability and apoptosis of alveolar epithelium by the activation of SIRT1/PTEN/p‐Akt pathway.
Understanding the co‐occurrence of tree loss and modern slavery to improve efficacy of conservation actions and policies
Authors: Jackson Bethany , Decker Sparks Jessica L. , Brown Chloe , Boyd Doreen S.
Published: February 2020

Locations where populations are most reliant on forests and their ecosystem services for subsistence and development are also areas where modern slavery persists. These issues are noted within the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), both target 15.2 and 8.7 respectively. Often activities using slavery perpetuate deforestation, bolstering a slavery‐environment nexus; which has been examined by comparing modern slavery estimates against environmental protection levels. This study assesses the relationship between tree loss and modern slavery focusing on four countries: Brazil, Ghana, Indonesia, and Mozambique. Previously mapped levels of tree loss and predicted future levels of loss have been compared against modern slavery estimates from the Global Slavery Index 2016 and illegal logging analyses to determine an estimate of the risk for slavery related tree loss. These results provide an insight in to the co‐occurrence between modern slavery and tree loss due to a number of activities that are highlighted, including mining, illegal logging, and agricultural practices. The co‐occurrence is both complex, and yet, beyond coincidental. Implications for both national and global policy are noted assessing the benefits that could be achieved by limiting tree loss and ending modern slavery; of benefit to both the conservation and antislavery communities.
Assessing Conservative Populism: A New Double Movement or Neoliberal Populism?
Authors: Kiely Ray
Published: February 2020

This article examines the populist turn through the lens of changing social policy by relating this to the question of whether or not conservative and far‐right populism represent a break from, or a new mutation of, neoliberalism. Does this shift represent a conservative Polanyian double movement, or a mutation and extension of neoliberalism? This question is examined through a brief account of neoliberalism's failures, both before and after 2008, and how conservative populism challenged it, particularly around the question of liberal social policy. In then defining and discussing neoliberalism, the article shows how conservative populism in some respects challenges it, through its focus on re‐politicization in the face of technocratic and economistic de‐politicization and disenchantment. But the article then demonstrates important similarities and continuities in both neoliberal theory and populist practice.
EUS‐guided ethanol ablation for small pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasm
Authors: Ashida Reiko
Published: February 2020

This Editorial refers to the article by Matsumoto et al., p 425–430 of this issue.
New approaches to basic population ecology studies: Revealing more complex patterns of a small Characidae that inhabit streams
Authors: Corrêa Alves Diego , Paula Vasconcelos Lilian , Rossi Robson Marcelo , Lima‐Junior Sidnei E. , R. Súarez Yzel
Published: February 2020

Bayesian inference was used to estimate the main population parameters (sex ratio, L50, LWR and somatic growth) and to evaluate sexual dimorphism and growth patterns (isometric/allometric and monophasic/biphasic growth) of Astyanax paranae of the Upper Paraná River. This study brings three statistical differentials: (a) the reparametrisation of the logistic model as a function of L50; (b) the reparameterisations of the LWR models based on the exponential of a piecewise linear regression to evaluate the hypotheses of polyphase growth; and (c) the first application of the recently proposed somatic growth models based only on length data to real data, as well as its expansion and generalisation. The models estimated L50 of females at 37.75 mm and sex ratio at 1.4 females per male. LWR models showed that both sexes presented biphasic growth with a lower increase in weight for males in first stanza. In second stanza, both sexes presented a greater increase in weight. Growth models showed that the growth rates were low, equal for both sexes in early life and slightly higher for females after the eighteenth months old. The studied population inhabits streams, therefore being exposed to constraining conditions that can limit the expression of their whole growth potential since they prioritise energy allocation for reproduction and survival, including reducing L50 in order to ensure the maintenance of the population. Finally, the complex biological patterns that arose from the proposed LWR and growth models demonstrated high potential and applicability for population studies.
Wittgenstein and the unity of good
Authors: Kuusela Oskari
Published: February 2020

This paper discusses the problem of the unity of moral good, concerning the kind of unity that moral good or the concept thereof constitutes. In particular, I am concerned with how Wittgenstein's identification of various complex modes of conceptual unity, and his introduction of a methodology of clarification for dealing with such complex concepts, can help with the problem of unity, as it rises from the moral philosophical tradition. Relating to this I also address the disputed question, whether Wittgenstein regards good as a family‐resemblance concept, and make an attempt to characterize family‐resemblance concepts generally by way of their similarities and differences from certain other complex modes of conceptual unity. I argue that whilst Wittgenstein does regard good as a family‐resemblance concept, in the Philosophical Investigations he seeks to make a more general methodological point. I conclude with a suggestion of how Wittgenstein's methodological points can help us to put into a broader perspective famous criticisms of the moral philosophical tradition by Michael Stocker and Bernard Williams, and how Wittgenstein's methods more generally can help to address the problem of the unity of good. This illustrates one way in which Wittgensteinian methods can help resolve disputes in moral philosophy, where the main approaches, Aristotelian, Kantian and utilitarian theories, seem to be locked in a stalemate. As I argue, this situation has to do with their assumptions about the unity of moral good. The response isn't to reject those theories, however, but to re‐interpret them in a way consistent with the Wittgensteinian methodology.
Seven‐tesla susceptibility‐weighted analysis of hippocampal venous structures: Application to magnetic‐resonance–normal focal epilepsy
Authors: Feldman Rebecca Emily , Marcuse Lara Vanessa , Verma Gaurav , Brown Stephanie Sian Gabriella , Rus Alexandru , Rutland John Watson , Delman Bradley Neil , Balchandani Priti , Fields Madeline Cara
Published: February 2020

Objective

Vascular structures may play a significant role in epileptic pathology. Although previous attempts to characterize vasculature relative to epileptogenic zones and hippocampal sclerosis have been inconsistent, an in vivo method of analysis would assist in resolving these inconsistencies and facilitate a comparison against healthy controls in a human model. Magnetic resonance imaging is a noninvasive technique that provides excellent soft tissue contrast, and the relatively recent development of susceptibility‐weighted imaging has dramatically improved the visibility of small veins.

Methods

We built and tested a Hessian‐based segmentation technique, which takes advantage of the increased signal and contrast available at 7 T to detect venous structures in vivo. We investigate the ability of this technique to quantify vessels in the brain and apply it to an asymmetry analysis of vessel density in the hippocampus in patients with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE) and neocortical epilepsy.

Results

Vessel density was highly symmetric in the hippocampus in controls (mean asymmetry = 0.080 ± 0.076, median = 0.05027), whereas average vessel density asymmetry was greater in neocortical (mean asymmetry = 0.23 ± 0.17, median = 0.14) and MTLE (mean asymmetry = 0.37 ± 0.46, median = 0.26) patients, with the decrease in vessel density ipsilateral to the suspected seizure onset zone. Post hoc testing with one‐way analysis of variance and Tukey post hoc test indicated significant differences in the group means (P < .02) between MTLE and the control group only.

Significance

Asymmetry in vessel density in the hippocampus is visible in patients with MTLE, even when qualitative and quantitative measures of hippocampal asymmetry show little volumetric difference between epilepsy patients and healthy controls.
Cross‐lagged Models of Marital Relationships and Intergenerational Conflicts during Transition to Parenthood: Effect of Patrilineal Coresidence
Authors: Lau Ying , Fang Lue , Kwong Ho Keung Dennis
Published: February 2020

The transition to parenthood is one of the most stressful intra‐ and interpersonal adjustment periods for new parents. Bidirectional associations among intergenerational relationships during the transition to parenthood have received limited attention, and the complexity of reciprocal relationships varies in accordance with living arrangements. The objectives of this study were to explore (1) the bidirectional associations between marital relationships and conflicts with in‐laws during the transition to parenthood and (2) the moderation of patrilineal coresidence on the aforementioned relationships. A three‐wave prospective longitudinal design was adopted for 359 married mothers. The Dyadic Adjustment Scale and Stryker Adjustment Checklist were used to assess marital relationships and conflicts with parents‐in‐law. Cross‐lagged panel analysis was applied to examine reciprocal relationships, and multigroup analyses were employed to determine whether these relationships exhibited different patterns in accordance with the individuals’ living arrangements. The two cross‐lagged models revealed the presence of a bidirectional relationship between marital distress and conflicts with parents‐in‐law during the mid‐ to late pregnancy stages. Meanwhile, the multigroup analyses suggested that conflicts with parents‐in‐law triggered marital distress during pregnancy in the coresidence group, whereas conflicts with fathers‐in‐law could intensify marital distress during late pregnancy to the postpartum period in the noncoresidence group. These findings shed light on cross‐lagged associations with intergenerational conflicts. Healthcare professionals need to ensure that intergenerational relationships are positive during the transition to parenthood. This study enriches our understanding of the effect of patrilineal coresidence and can guide the future development of interventions based on culturally specific multidimensional approaches.
NKT cells and the regulation of intestinal immunity: a two‐way street
Authors: Brailey Phillip M. , Lebrusant‐Fernandez Marta , Barral Patricia
Published: February 2020

The mammalian gastrointestinal compartment is colonised by millions of microorganisms that have a central influence on human health. Intestinal homeostasis requires a continuous dialogue between the commensal bacteria and intestinal immune cells. While interactions between host and commensal bacteria are normally beneficial, allowing training and functional tuning of immune cells, dysregulated immune system–microbiota crosstalk can favour the development of chronic inflammatory diseases, as it is the case for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Natural killer T (NKT) cells, which recognise CD1‐restricted microbial and self‐lipids, contribute to the regulation of mucosal immunity by controlling intestinal homeostasis and participating in the development of IBD. Here, we provide an overview of the recently identified pathways underlying the crosstalk between commensal bacteria and NKT cells and discuss the effect of these interactions in intestinal health and disease.
Longitudinal life course perspectives on housing inequality in young adulthood
Authors: Coulter Rory , Bayrakdar Sait , Berrington Ann
Published: February 2020

In many countries, there is growing public concern about the increasing difficulties that young people face in obtaining secure, affordable, high‐quality, and well‐located housing. Much of the analysis and discussion focuses on the ways in which intergenerational housing inequalities have deepened over time as young adults' fortunes have deteriorated, most obviously through declining access to homeownership. In this review, we showcase how researchers are harnessing life course theories and rich longitudinal data sets, exploiting longitudinal modelling techniques, and developing new geographical data linkages to enhance our knowledge of a broader range of housing inequalities in young adulthood. We argue that incorporating these longitudinal perspectives more fully into geographical research and teaching will foster an enriched pluralistic model of quantitative human geography that is characterised by collaboration, critical engagement with policy issues, and sensitivity to the strengths and challenges of working in an integrated fashion with varied forms of numerical data.
Not a Silk Road: trading networks between China and the Middle East as a dynamic interaction of competing Eurasian geographies
Authors: ANDERSON PAUL
Published: February 2020

This article offers a different theorization of the commercial geographies and economic networks that connect China to the Middle East from those associated with the metaphor of the ‘Silk Road’. Many accounts of the recent and ongoing internationalization of the Chinese trade in small commodities through the well‐known market city of Yiwu describe the increasingly significant flows of commerce between China and the Middle East in these terms. In this article, I propose an alternative theoretical frame, arguing that the commercial geographies fashioned by Arab traders in Yiwu are, rather, formed through a dynamic relation of competition and cooperation between a series of distinct but overlapping Eurasian political geographies which have been in process from the 1970s onwards. Analysts have also often highlighted the Muslim and Arab ethnic nature of the transnational economic networks that connect Yiwu to markets across the Middle East. But rather than adopting a network governance approach, which sees these networks as embedded in a shared culture or ethnicity that furnishes the possibility of trust, I adopt a structural analysis approach in which traders act as brokers, moving and mediating between different geographies. I argue that they act strategically to keep several contexts in play at once because they are faced with an unforeseeable future and marginal citizenship rights.
The linear imagination, stalled: changing temporal horizons in migrant journeys
Authors: AMRITH MEGHA
Published: February 2020

In this article, I engage with a growing interest in questions of time in the study of migration to consider how changing temporal horizons in migrant journeys play an important role in shaping multilocal migration imaginaries. I draw on two ethnographic cases with migrant care workers from the Philippines, of different generations and at different points of their migration journeys, to examine how initially held linear imaginaries of migration become confounded and stuck over time. Snapshots of migrant lives at these different points of the journey – ‘(pre)‐departures’, ‘stepping stones’, ‘settling’ – reveal how migrants’ temporal horizons shift as a consequence of changing state and political‐economic conditions, as well as migrants’ own dynamic subjective and affective engagements. New uncertainties, possibilities and dilemmas unfold and initial linear imaginaries give way instead to those that are open‐ended and asynchronous. A temporal perspective reveals that mobilities are not marked by a beginning and an end but rather involve ongoing, multiple and provisional journeys across locales and over time and the life course.
High serum angiopoietin‐2 level predicts non‐regression of liver stiffness measurement‐based liver fibrosis stage after direct‐acting antiviral therapy for hepatitis C
Authors: Kawagishi Naoki , Suda Goki , Kimura Megumi , Maehara Osamu , Shimazaki Tomoe , Yamada Ren , Kitagataya Takashi , Shigesawa Taku , Suzuki Kazuharu , Nakamura Akihisa , Ohara Masatsugu , Umemura Machiko , Nakai Masato , Sho Takuya , Natsuizaka Mitsuteru , Morikawa Kenichi , Ogawa Koji , Kudo Yusuke , Nishida Mutsumi , Sakamoto Naoya
Published: February 2020

Aim

Factors associated with improvement of liver fibrosis after successful hepatitis C virus (HCV) eradication by interferon (IFN)‐free direct‐acting antiviral agents (DAAs) have been not clarified well. Angiopoietin‐2 (Ang2) is reported to be associated with vascular leak and inflammation observed in patients with advanced liver fibrosis.

Methods

In this retrospective study, patients treated with IFN‐free DAAs who underwent transient elastography before and at 24‐weeks post‐treatment and achieved sustained viral response were enrolled. Baseline serum Ang2 was measured, and its relationship with other clinical factors was analyzed. Liver fibrosis stage was defined based on liver stiffness according to a previous report. Predictive factors for regression of liver fibrosis stage after DAA therapy were evaluated.

Results

Overall, 116 patients were analyzed. Baseline serum Ang2 levels were significantly associated with liver stiffness, spleen index, and liver stiffness‐based liver fibrosis stage. Moreover, 75% of patients experienced regression of liver fibrosis stage after DAA therapy. Multivariate analysis revealed that advanced liver fibrosis stage and Ang2 levels were significantly associated with regression of liver fibrosis stage after DAA therapy. In patients with advanced liver fibrosis (F3/4), baseline Ang2 level alone could predict regression of liver fibrosis stage. A baseline Ang2 cut‐off value (354 pg/ML) could predict regression of liver fibrosis stage after DAA therapy with high accuracy (sensitivity 0.882, specificity 0.733).

Conclusions

Evaluation of serum Ang2 levels before DAA therapy is important. Our results provide a novel mechanistic insight into non‐regression of liver stiffness after DAA therapy.

Long‐term and larger studies are required.
Acute intense exercise improves sleep and decreases next morning consumption of energy‐dense food in adolescent girls with obesity and evening chronotype
Authors: Saidi Oussama , Rochette Emmanuelle , Bovet Mathieu , Merlin Etienne , Duché Pascale
Published: February 2020

Background

Although adolescence and obesity are related to impaired sleep duration and quality, exercise was admitted as a nonpharmacological treatment for sleep and better control of energy balance.

Objectives

To investigate the acute effects of intense exercise on sleep and subsequent dietary intake.

Methods

Sixteen adolescent girls with obesity (age 13.7 ± 1.1 years, weight 82.7 ± 10.2 kg, body mass index (BMI) 30.5 ± 3.4 kg/m2, fat mass (FM) 39.2 ± 3.1%, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) 8.6 ± 2.8, paediatric daytime sleepiness scale (PDSS) 19.6 ± 5.9) took part in two experimental sessions in a random order: Control (CTL) and Exercise (EX). The two sessions were identical except for a continuous ergocycle exercise bout lasting 40 minutes and performed at 70% VO2max at the end of the morning of EX. Energy expenditure and sleep were measured by accelerometry and next‐morning dietary intake in an ad libitum meal.

Results

Higher sleep duration (P < 0.03) and quality (decreased WASO: P < 0.02; increased SE%: P < 0.02) were observed in EX compared with CTL. This was associated with a nonsignificant decrease in caloric intake (−78 kcal) and a significant decrease in food energy density (P < 0.04), fat, and sugar consumption (respectively, P < 0.02 and P < 0.05) the following morning.

Conclusions

Acute exercise efficaciously increased sleep duration and quality, resulting in a decrease in subsequent energy‐dense food consumption in adolescent girls with obesity.
Reducing online application redundancy: Effects on applicant attrition and quality
Authors: Hartwell Christopher J. , Orr Tyler E. , Edwards John M.
Published: February 2020

Job applications have long been a staple of the hiring process and online applications have rapidly become the new norm. The ability to examine applicant attrition—those who start the application but do not finish—and applicant quality are the two benefits of online applications. This study evaluates the effect of reducing application redundancy (not making applicants re‐enter information contained on their resumes) on applicant attrition and quality, with hypotheses derived from signaling theory and economics (cost/benefits). Results demonstrate that reducing redundancy leads to a reduction in applicant attrition across jobs, with the largest magnitude of change found in computer‐related jobs. This reduced attrition does not reduce applicant quality and some evidence suggests that applicant quality may even increase.
Control of regulatory T‐cell differentiation and function by T‐cell receptor signalling and Foxp3 transcription factor complexes
Authors: Ono Masahiro
Published: February 2020

The transcription factor Foxp3 controls the differentiation and function of regulatory T‐cells (Treg). Studies in the past decades identified numerous Foxp3‐interacting protein partners. However, it is still not clear how Foxp3 produces the Treg‐type transcriptomic landscape through cooperating with its partners. Here I show the current understanding of how Foxp3 transcription factor complexes regulate the differentiation, maintenance and functional maturation of Treg. Importantly, T‐cell receptor (TCR) signalling plays central roles in Treg differentiation and Foxp3‐mediated gene regulation. Differentiating Treg will have recognized their cognate antigens and received TCR signals before initiating Foxp3 transcription, which is triggered by TCR‐induced transcription factors including NFAT, AP‐1 and NF‐κB. Once expressed, Foxp3 seizes TCR signal‐induced transcriptional and epigenetic mechanisms through interacting with AML1/Runx1 and NFAT. Thus, Foxp3 modifies gene expression dynamics of TCR‐induced genes, which constitute cardinal mechanisms for Treg‐mediated immune suppression. Next, I discuss the following key topics, proposing new mechanistic models for Foxp3‐mediated gene regulation: (i) how Foxp3 transcription is induced and maintained by the Foxp3‐inducing enhanceosome and the Foxp3 autoregulatory transcription factor complex; (ii) molecular mechanisms for effector Treg differentiation (i.e. Treg maturation); (iii) how Foxp3 activates or represses its target genes through recruiting coactivators and corepressors; (iv) the ‘decision‐making’ Foxp3‐containing transcription factor complex for Th17 and Treg differentiation; and (v) the roles of post‐translational modification in Foxp3 regulation. Thus, this article provides cutting‐edge understanding of molecular biology of Foxp3 and Treg, integrating findings by biochemical and genomic studies.
How 15‐month‐old infants process morphologically complex forms in an agglutinative language?
Authors: Ladányi Enikő , Kovács Ágnes M. , Gervain Judit
Published: February 2020

While phonological development is well‐studied in infants, we know less about morphological development. Previous studies suggest that infants around one year of age can process words analytically (i.e., they can decompose complex forms to a word stem and its affixes) in morphologically simpler languages such as English and French. The current study explored whether 15‐month‐old infants learning Hungarian, a morphologically complex, agglutinative language with vowel harmony, are able to decompose words into a word stem and a suffix. Potential differences between analytical processing of complex forms with back versus front vowels were also studied. The results of Experiment 1 indicate that Hungarian infants process morphologically complex words analytically when they contain a frequent suffix. Analytic processing is present both in the case of complex forms with back and front vowels according to the results of Experiment 2. In light of the results, we argue for the potential relevance of the early development of analytic processing for language development.
Characteristics of hospitalizations with an influenza diagnosis, France, 2012‐2013 to 2016‐2017 influenza seasons
Authors: Pivette Mathilde , Nicolay Nathalie , de Lauzun Virginie , Hubert Bruno
Published: February 2020

Background

Estimating the global burden of influenza hospitalizations is required to allocate resources and assess interventions that aim to prevent severe influenza. In France, the current routine influenza surveillance system does not fully measure the burden of severe influenza cases. The objective was to describe the characteristics and severity of influenza hospitalizations by age‐group and by season between 2012 and 2017.

Methods

All hospitalizations with a diagnosis of influenza in metropolitan France between July 2012 and June 2017 were extracted from the French national hospital discharge database (PMSI). For each season, the total number of influenza hospitalizations, admissions to intensive care units (ICU), proportion of deaths, lengths of stay, and distribution in diagnosis‐related groups were described by age‐group.

Results

Over the five seasons, 91 255 hospitalizations with a diagnosis of influenza were identified. The average influenza hospitalization rate varied from 13/100 000 in 2013‐2014 to 46/100 000 in 2016‐2017. A high rate was observed in elderlies during the 2014‐2015 and 2016‐2017 seasons, dominated by A(H3N2) virus. The youngest were impacted in 2015‐2016, dominated by B/Victoria virus. The proportion of influenza hospitalizations with ICU admission was 10%, and was higher in age‐group 40‐79 years. The proportion of deaths and length of stay increased with age.

Conclusions

The description of influenza hospitalizations recorded in the PMSI give key information on the burden of severe influenza in France. Analyses of these data annually is valuable in order to document the severity of influenza hospitalizations by age‐group and according to the circulating influenza viruses.
Viscoelastic behaviors and drying kinetics of different aqueous gelcasting systems for large Nd: YAG laser ceramics rods
Authors: Yao Qing , Zhang Le , Gao Pan , Sun Bingheng , Shao Cen , Ma Yuelong , Zhou Tianyuan , Li Ming , Chen Hao , Wang Yun
Published: February 2020

Large and nondeforming Nd: YAG ceramic prepared by wet forming is of great importance as gain medium to obtain high‐power solid‐state lasers. However, it is difficult to achieve high‐quality laser ceramics due to insufficiency of the in‐depth understanding of transformation mechanism of gels viscoelasticity and effective control means during drying process. In this work, the rheological behaviors, viscoelastic characteristics, and mechanical strengths in classical acrylamide (AM) and novel Isobam (PIBM) gelcastings were systematically compared to explore the suitable route for the large‐sized 2% Nd: YAG transparent ceramics with high aspect ratio (>10). AM system exhibited a higher complex viscosity (1.82 × 105 Pa s), a shorter gel time (92.9 seconds), and a higher flexural strength (about 24.46 MPa) than PIBM system, and especially its ability to quickly gel was beneficial to the homogeneity of green body. In addition, the order of drying rates of wet gels in four drying media was observed as follows: 55℃ hot air> ethanol> solid desiccant> PEG‐11000 and the moisture diffusion coefficients were calculated and simulated to offer the deep consideration of drying kinetics. The “ethanol + 55℃ hot air” was regarded as an effective composite drying method to eliminate defect and to achieve φ8 mm × 160 mm Nd: YAG ceramic with the in‐line transmittance of 83% @1064 nm. Therefore, not only the cognition of gel process, but also the defects control strategy is proposed. More importantly, this work greatly promotes the application of wet forming and laser ceramics in high‐power lasers.
Self‐assembled patterned CoFe2O4‐SrRuO3 electrodes: Enhanced functional properties by polar nano‐regions reorientation
Authors: Tang Xiao , Gao Min , Luo Haosu , Li Jiefang , Viehland Dwight D.
Published: February 2020

Epitaxial CoFe2O4 (CFO) and SrRuO3 (SRO) nanopillar heterostructures were deposited on Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)0.70Ti0.30O3 (PMN‐30PT) single crystal substrates by switch pulsed laser deposition (SPLD). Since the CFO nanopillars are insulating, and the SRO matrix conductive, this self‐assembled nanopillar heterostructure served as a patterned electrode on PMN‐PT, which then enhances the dielectric and piezoelectric constant of the substrate. Cross‐sectional electron microscopy images revealed the formation of a nanopillar heterostructure layer with CFO nanopillars within a SRO matrix. AFM and XRD revealed good topography and epitaxy, indicating a high quality SRO‐CFO self‐assembled nanopillar structure. Using a SRO‐CFO thin film patterned electrode, PMN‐PT was found to have a notably higher (30%) dielectric constant with increasing electric field and enhanced transverse broadening in reciprocal spacing mapping (RSM) scans.
Is pulmonary vein isolation enough for persistent atrial fibrillation?
Authors: Terricabras Maria , Verma Atul
Published: February 2020

Pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) is a well‐established treatment for atrial fibrillation (AF); however, studies report suboptimal outcomes in persistent AF. Adjuvant ablation targeting the substrate outside the pulmonary veins has been proposed to improve the success rates of the procedure. In this review, we summarize the current evidence regarding additional ablation over PVI in persistent AF. We describe the different approaches for adjuvant ablation, outcomes, and future perspectives.