bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Identification of autoimmune type 1 diabetes and multiple organ‐specific autoantibodies in adult‐onset non‐insulin‐requiring diabetes in China: A population‐based multicentre nationwide survey
Authors: Xiang Yufei , Huang Gan , Zhu Yaxi , Zuo Xuan , Liu Xinyuan , Feng Qiong , Li Xia , Yang Tubao , Lu Juming , Shan Zhongyan , Liu Jie , Tian Haoming , Ji Qiuhe , Zhu Dalong , Ge Jiapu , Lin Lixiang , Chen Li , Guo Xiaohui , Zhao Zhigang , Li Qiang , Weng Jianping , Jia Weiping , Liu Zhenqi , Ji Linong , Yang Wenying , Leslie Richard D. , Zhou Zhiguang ,   On Behalf of the China National Diabetes and Metabolic Disorders Study Group
Published: November 2018

Aims

To investigate the prevalence of adult‐onset autoimmune diabetes (ADM) and predisposition to autoimmune diseases by quantifying serum organ‐specific autoantibodies in people with phenotype of type 2 diabetes (T2D).

Materials and methods

We included a nationally representative sample of 46 239 adults aged ≥20 years from 14 provinces, of whom 4671 had diabetes, plus 1000 control subjects with normal glucose tolerance (NGT). Participants were screened centrally for autoantibodies to glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD), islet antigen 2 (IA2) and zinc transporter isoform‐8 (Znt8) and were defined as having ADM where positive for these antibodies. We then assayed thyroid peroxidase (TPO), tissue transglutaminase (tTG) and 21‐hydroxylase (21‐OH) autoantibodies in randomly selected participants with ADM and in age‐matched, sex‐matched and non‐ADM controls with T2D plus controls with NGT.

Results

Post‐normalization, the standardized prevalence rate of ADM was 6.0% (95% confidence interval [CI] 5.3‐6.8) in initially non‐insulin‐requiring participants with ADM, corresponding to six million adults in China, in whom adjusted antibody positivity was: TPO autoantibodies 16.3% (95% CI 10.8‐21.8), tTG autoantibodies 2.1% (95% CI 0.0‐4.2), and 21‐OH autoantibodies 1.8% (95% CI ‐0.2 to 3.8). Those participants with ADM who were GAD autoantibody‐positive had high risk of TPO autoantibody positivity (odds ratio [OR] 2.39, P = 0.0031) and tTG autoantibody positivity (OR 6.98, P = 0.027), while those positive for IA2 autoantibodies had a high risk of tTG autoantibody positivity (OR 19.05, P = 0.001).

Conclusions

A proportion of people with phenotype of T2D in China have ADM, with diabetes‐associated autoantibodies, and may be at risk of developing other organ‐specific autoimmune diseases; therefore, it may be clinically relevant to consider screening such Chinese populations.
Financial gain‐ and loss‐related BOLD signals in the human ventral tegmental area and substantia nigra pars compacta
Authors: Limbrick‐Oldfield Eve H. , Leech Robert , Wise Richard J. S. , Ungless Mark A.
Published: November 2018

Neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and substantia nigra pars compacta (SNC) play central roles in reward‐related behaviours. Nonhuman animal studies suggest that these neurons also process aversive events. However, our understanding of how the human VTA and SNC responds to such events is limited and has been hindered by the technical challenge of using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate a small structure where the signal is particularly vulnerable to physiological noise. Here we show, using methods optimized specifically for the midbrain (including high‐resolution imaging, a novel registration protocol, and physiological noise modelling), a BOLD (blood‐oxygen‐level dependent) signal to both financial gain and loss in the VTA and SNC, along with a response to nil outcomes that are better or worse than expected in the VTA. Taken together, these findings suggest that the human VTA and SNC are involved in the processing of both appetitive and aversive financial outcomes in humans.
Stroke‐like events after brain radiotherapy: a large series with long‐term follow‐up
Authors: Di Stefano A. L. , Berzero G. , Ducray F. , Eoli M. , Pichiecchio A. , Farina L. M. , Cuccarini V. , Brunelli M. C. , Diamanti L. , Condette Auliac S. , Salmaggi A. , Silvani A. , Giometto B. , Pace A. , Vidiri A. , Bourdain F. , Bastianello S. , Ceroni M. , Marchioni E.
Published: November 2018

Background and purpose

Patients with a history of brain radiotherapy can experience acute stroke‐like syndromes related to the delayed effects of brain radiation, including stroke‐like migraine attacks after radiation therapy syndrome, peri‐ictal pseudoprogression and acute late‐onset encephalopathy after radiation therapy syndrome. The aim of this study was to collect evidence on the long‐term outcome and treatment of these conditions, whose knowledge is undermined by their rarity and fragmented description.

Methods

Cases were collected, both prospectively and retrospectively, amongst six neuro‐oncology departments. Inclusion criteria were as follows: (i) history of brain radiotherapy (completed at least 6 months before the acute episode); (ii) new onset of acute/subacute neurological symptoms; (iii) exclusion of all etiologies unrelated to brain irradiation. A review of current literature on stroke‐like syndromes was performed to corroborate our findings.

Results

Thirty‐two patients with acute neurological conditions attributed to the delayed effects of radiation were identified, including 26 patients with stroke‐like syndromes. Patients with stroke‐like syndromes commonly presented with a mosaic of symptoms, including focal deficits (77%), encephalopathy (50%), seizures (35%) and headache (35%). Seventy‐three percent of them had acute consistent magnetic resonance imaging alterations. Treatment included high‐dose steroids in 65% of cases. Twenty‐two patients recovered completely (85%). Sixteen patients (62%) experienced relapses (median follow‐up 3.5 years). A literature review identified 87 additional stroke‐like cases with similar characteristics.

Conclusions

Stroke‐like events related to brain irradiation may be associated with permanent sequelae. Steroids are often administered on empirical grounds, as they are thought to accelerate recovery. Relapses are common, highlighting the need to elaborate adequate prevention strategies.
Can larvae of a marine fish adapt to ocean acidification? Evaluating the evolutionary potential of California Grunion (Leuresthes tenuis)
Authors: Tasoff Alexander J. , Johnson Darren W.
Published: November 2018

Ocean acidification can reduce the growth and survival of marine species during their larval stages. However, if populations have the genetic capacity to adapt and increase their tolerance of low pH and high pCO2 levels, this may offset the harmful effects of ocean acidification. By combining controlled breeding experiments with laboratory manipulations of seawater chemistry, we evaluated genetic variation in tolerance of ocean acidification conditions for a nearshore marine fish, the California Grunion (Leuresthes tenuis). Our results indicated that acidification conditions increased overall mortality rates of grunion larvae, but did not have a significant effect on growth. Groups of larvae varied widely with respect to mortality and growth rates in both ambient and acidified conditions. We demonstrate that the potential to evolve in response to ocean acidification is best described by considering additive genetic variation in fitness‐related traits under both ambient and acidified conditions and by evaluating the genetic correlation between traits expressed in these environments. We used a multivariate animal model to estimate additive genetic (co)variance in larval growth and mortality rates under both ambient and acidified conditions (low pH/high pCO2). Our results suggest appreciable genetic variation in larval mortality rates (h2Ambient = 0.120; h2Acidified = 0.183; rG = 0.460), but less genetic variation in growth (h2Ambient = 0.092; h2Acidified = 0.101; rG = 0.135). Maternal effects on larval mortality rates accounted for 26%–36% of the variation in phenotypes, but maternal effects accounted for only 8% of the variation in growth. Collectively, our estimates of genetic variation and covariation suggest that populations of California Grunion have the capacity to adapt relatively quickly to long‐term changes in ocean chemistry.
A nanoparticle‐coupled T2 peptide induces immune tolerance and ameliorates chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) in mice model
Authors: Cao Yanfang , Cheng Yijie , Ihsan Awais Ullah , Khan Farhan Ullah , Xie Dianyou , Cui Xingxing , Wang Wenlu , Zhou Xiaohui
Published: November 2018

Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) is a complex disease of unclear etiology. Precise treatment of CP/CPPS is not available due to lack of specific cause; however, autoimmunity is the most valid theory. We develop a new treatment strategy that involves synthesis and coupling of biodegradable nanoparticles to antigenic T2 peptide to induce immune tolerance in CP/CPPS mice models. A total of 50 male C57BL/6 mice were randomized into five groups, that is, naïve, Model, PLGA‐PEMA, PLGA‐PEMA‐OVA323‐339, and PLGA‐PEMA‐T2 group. All groups except naïve were injected subcutaneously on day 0 with 0.2 mL of T2 peptide with CFA to generate valid CP/CPPS models. After successful induction of CP/CPPS, Model group, PLGA‐PEMA, PLGA‐PEMA‐OVA, and PLGA‐PEMA‐T2 groups were treated with 0.15 mL of normal saline, 0.2 mg of PLGA‐PEMA and PLG‐PEMA‐T2 and 0.3 mg PLGA‐PEMA‐OVA nanoparticles, respectively, on day 28. Hematoxylin and eosin staining, and ELISA were used to evaluate the variation in CP/CPPS manifestations and seral level of IL‐10 in each group. Pain threshold and voiding behavior were also recorded for every group. Mice treated with PLGA‐PEMA‐T2 exhibited enhanced pain threshold, reduced urine frequency, and prostate pathology. Furthermore, serum level of inflammatory mediators (TNF‐α and CRP) were reduced and anti‐inflammatory IL‐10 was enhanced in PLGA‐PEMA‐T2 group as compared to other groups. Our results demonstrate that PLGA‐PEMA‐T2 nanoparticle ameliorates disease manifestations in CP/CPPS mice models and upregulates IL‐10 which is essential for tolerance induction. This strategy highlights the new therapeutic approach utilizing biodegradable nanoparticles for the treatment of CP/CPPS.
Misdecoding of rare CGA codon by translation termination factors, eRF1/eRF3, suggests novel class of ribosome rescue pathway in S. cerevisiae
Authors: Wada Miki , Ito Koichi
Published: November 2018

The CGA arginine codon is a rare codon in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Thus, full‐length mature protein synthesis from reporter genes with internal CGA codon repeats are markedly reduced, and the reporters, instead, produce short‐sized polypeptides via an unknown mechanism. Considering the product size and similar properties between CGA sense and UGA stop codons, we hypothesized that eukaryote polypeptide‐chain release factor complex eRF1/eRF3 catalyses polypeptide release at CGA repeats. Herein, we performed a series of analyses and report that the CGA codon can be, to a certain extent, decoded as a stop codon in yeast. This also raises an intriguing possibility that translation termination factors eRF1/eRF3 rescue ribosomes stalled at CGA codons, releasing premature polypeptides, and competing with canonical tRNAICG to the CGA codon. Our results suggest an alternative ribosomal rescue pathway in eukaryotes. The present results suggest that misdecoding of low efficient codons may play a novel role in global translation regulation in S. cerevisiae.
Efficiency of acoustic radiation force impulse imaging for the staging of graft fibrosis after liver transplantation
Authors: Yoshino Kenji , Taura Kojiro , Okuda Yukihiro , Ikeno Yoshinobu , Uemoto Yusuke , Nishio Takahiro , Yamamoto Gen , Tanabe Kazutaka , Koyama Yukinori , Seo Satoru , Kaido Toshimi , Okajima Hideaki , Imai Takumi , Tanaka Shiro , Uemoto Shinji
Published: November 2018

Aim

Liver biopsy is the gold standard for assessing liver fibrosis (LF) after liver transplantation (LT), but its invasiveness limits its utility. This study aimed to evaluate the usefulness of liver stiffness measurement (LSM) using acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) imaging to assess LF after LT.

Methods

Between September 2013 and January 2017, 278 patients who underwent liver biopsy after LT in Kyoto University Hospital (Kyoto, Japan) were prospectively enrolled. Liver stiffness measurement was carried out using ARFI imaging; its value was expressed as shear wave velocity (Vs) [m/s]. The LF was evaluated according to METAVIR score (F0–F4). The diagnostic performance of Vs for F2≤ and F3≤ was assessed and compared with that of laboratory tests using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis.

Results

The median Vs values increased according to the progression of LF (F0, 1.18 (0.78–1.92); F1, 1.35 (0.72–3.54); F2, 1.55 (1.05–3.37); F3, 1.84 (1.41–2.97)). The Vs had the highest area under the ROC curve (AUROC) for the prediction of both F2 ≤ and F3 ≤ fibrosis (F2, 0.77; and F3, 0.85). With the cut‐off value of Vs >1.31, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were 89.4%, 53.3%, 37.3%, and 94.2% in predicting F2≤, respectively. Shear wave velocity diagnosed LF better than any laboratory tests regardless of the type of primary disease.

Conclusions

Acoustic radiation force impulse helps to assess graft LF after LT. The high sensitivity suggested that ARFI might reduce the frequency of liver biopsies by detecting patients who are unlikely to have significant fibrosis after LT. (Unique trial no. UMIN R000028296.)
Effect of light, pH, metal ions and antioxidants on the colour stability of norbixin in aqueous solution
Authors: Møller Anders Hauer , Jahangiri Amita , Madsen Bjoern , Joernsgaard Bjarne , Vaerbak Signe , Hammershøj Marianne , Dalsgaard Trine Kastrup
Published: November 2018

Norbixin, a carotenoid extracted from the seeds of the annatto (Bixa orellana) plant, can be used in aqueous food applications, where other carotenoids are too hydrophobic to solubilise in a water environment. The aim of this work was to investigate the effect of pH, antioxidants and transition metal ions with and without hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) on the stability of norbixin in aqueous solutions as well as determining the interaction between these factors and light. The stability of norbixin in buffered aqueous solution stored in light or in the dark was evaluated using absorbance spectrophotometry. Light, reduced pH and metal ions both with and without H2O2 increased the bleaching of norbixin, whereas chelators and the natural antioxidants, ascorbic acid and tocopherol, reduced the bleaching of norbixin. Light significantly increased the loss of norbixin alone and in combination with the other factors.
LmCDA1 organizes the cuticle by chitin deacetylation in Locusta migratoria
Authors: Yu R.‐R. , Liu W.‐M. , Zhao X.‐M. , Zhang M. , Li D.‐Q. , Zuber R.‐ , Ma E.‐B. , Zhu K.Y. , Moussian B. , Zhang J.‐Z.
Published: November 2018

Cells produce an extracellular matrix (ECM) with a stereotypic organization that is important for tissue function. The insect cuticle is a layered ECM that mainly consists of the polysaccharide chitin and associated proteins adopting a quasi‐crystalline structure. Our understanding of the molecular mechanisms deployed during construction of the highly ordered protein–chitin ECM so far is limited. In this study, we report on the role of the chitin deacetylase 1 (LmCDA1) in the organization of the protein–chitin ECM in the migratory locust Locusta migratoria, and LmCDA1 localizes predominantly to the apical tier of the protein–chitin ECM, but it is also found in lower regions. Reduction of LmCDA1 function correlates with lower amounts of chitin and impedes conversion of chitin to chitosan by deacetylation. Establishment of the quasi‐crystalline architecture of the protein–chitin ECM is, however, independent of LmCDA1 activity, but it is dependent on another chitin deacetylase, LmCDA2, which has no detectable effects on chitin deacetylation and, as shown previously, no influence on chitin content. Our data reveal that LmCDA1 and LmCDA2 act in parallel and independently from each other in defining the dimensions of the cuticle. Both enzymes are non‐uniformly distributed within the protein–chitin matrix, suggesting a site‐autonomous function.
B‐cell‐specific‐peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor γ deficiency augments contact hypersensitivity with impaired regulatory B cells
Authors: Su Jianbing , Wang Keng , Zhou Xuan , Wang Yiyuan , Xu Jialan , Tao Lei , Zeng Xiangzhou , Chen Nana , Bai Xiaochun , Li Xiaojuan
Published: November 2018

Nuclear receptor peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor γ (PPAR‐γ) activation can prevent immunoinflammatory disorders and diabetes. B cells play protective roles during inflammation as well. However, the roles of endogenous PPAR‐γ in the regulatory properties of B cells to relieve inflammation remain unknown. Here, we developed B‐cell‐specific PPAR‐γ knockout (B‐PPAR‐γ−/−) mice and found that the conditional deletion of PPAR‐γ in B cells resulted in exaggerated contact hypersensitivity (CHS). Meanwhile, interferon‐γ (IFN‐γ) of CD4+ CD8+ T cells was up‐regulated in B‐PPAR‐γ−/− mice in CHS. This showed that the regulatory function of B cells in B‐PPAR‐γ−/− mice declined in vivo. Whereas splenic CD5+ CD1dhi regulatory B‐cell numbers and peripheral regulatory T‐cell numbers were not changed in naive B‐PPAR‐γ−/− mice. Loss of PPAR‐γ in B cells also did not affect either CD86 or FasL expression in splenic CD5+ CD1dhi regulatory B cells after activation. Notably, interleukin‐10 (IL‐10) production in CD5+ CD1dhi regulatory B cells reduced in B‐PPAR‐γ‐deficient mice. In addition, functional IL‐10‐producing CD5+ CD1dhi regulatory B cells decreased in B‐PPAR‐γ−/− mice in the CHS model. These findings were in accordance with augmented CHS. The current work indicated the involvement of endogenous PPAR‐γ in the regulatory function of B cells by disturbing the expansion of IL‐10‐positive regulatory B cells.
Influence of Ba2+ consumption and intermediate dwelling during processing of YBa2Cu3O7 nanocomposite films
Authors: Rijckaert Hannes , Hänisch Jens , Pollefeyt Glenn , Bäcker Michael , Van Driessche Isabel
Published: November 2018

Achieving high‐critical current densities (Jc) with small artificial pinning centers is a crucial challenge for YBa2Cu3O7−δ (YBCO) nanocomposite thin films fabricated using chemical solution deposition methods. In this work, the YBCO texture, structure purity, and its Jc properties were improved by understanding the influence of preformed ZrO2 nanocrystals (Ba2+ consumption) during the nucleation and growth mechanism. This comprehensive study leads to an additional intermediate dwelling step during thermal process to increase the YBCO nuclei density before the YBCO growth, resulting to a self‐field Jc of 5‐6 MA/cm2 at 77 K for undoped and ZrO2‐doped YBCO films. Counter‐intuitively, the space and size distribution of the ZrO2 nanocrystals in the YBCO matrix are independent of this intermediate dwelling step.
Global meta‐analysis reveals different patterns of root tip adjustments by angiosperm and gymnosperm trees in response to environmental gradients
Authors: Wang Cunguo , McCormack M. Luke , Guo Dali , Li Jiandong
Published: November 2018

Aim

Rising air temperature and changing precipitation patterns already strongly influence forest ecosystems, yet large‐scale patterns of belowground root trait variation and their underlying drivers are poorly understood. Here, we investigated general patterns of root tip adjustments within fine‐root systems and the potential ecological implications of these patterns.

Location

Global.

Methods

We synthesize key fine‐root traits related to resource acquisition and determined their responses along climate and edaphic gradients. We specifically identified patterns of root tip abundance (number of root tips per dry biomass of fine roots ≤2 mm in diameter), and root tip density (number of root tips per soil volume) among angiosperm and gymnosperm trees to climate, edaphic gradients and stand properties.

Results

We found that angiosperm trees, which were more common in warmer, sometimes drier climates with more fertile soil, formed more root tips (higher root tip abundance, root tip density and higher slope of root tip density vs. fine‐root biomass) than gymnosperm trees, which lived in cooler, wetter climates with poor soil. Angiosperm and gymnosperm trees exhibited opposing trends in response to gradients in climate as gymnosperm trees tended to decrease root tip abundance and root tip density but alternatively increase mycorrhizal mycelial biomass with increasing MAT/MAP (ratio of mean annual temperature to mean annual precipitation), while angiosperm trees tended to increase root tip abundance and root tip density with increasing MAT/MAP. However, the individual trends of root tip abundance and root tip density for angiosperm and gymnosperm trees to MAT or MAP were more similar and often non‐significant.

Main conclusions

These results suggest disparate carbon or biomass adjustment strategies within gymnosperm and angiosperm tree fine‐root systems along climate gradients. Differences in angiosperm and gymnosperm tree adjustments in their fine‐root systems to changing environments have implications for how these plant groups are likely to perform in different environments and how their responses to future climate change should be modelled.
Deep sequencing of small RNAs from 11 tissues of grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idella and discovery of sex‐related microRNAs
Authors: Chen Liangming , Huang Rong , Zhu Denghui , Yang Cheng , He Libo , Li Yongming , Liao Lanjie , Zhu Zuoyan , Wang Yaping
Published: November 2018

This research identified 169 known microRNAs (miRNAs), 380 novel miRNAs, and 30,538 targets in 11 tissues (blood, brain, derma, gill, heart, intestine, kidney, liver, muscle, pronephros, and spleen) from grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idella with high‐throughput sequencing (HTS). Transcripts per million (TPM) expression analysis detected 41 brain‐enriched miRNAs (accounting for 61.19% of all tissue‐enriched miRNAs). Real‐time quantitative PCR (RT‐qPCR) confirmed that 21 of 24 randomly selected tissue‐enriched miRNAs from the TPM analysis were indeed tissue‐enriched (P < 0.05), suggesting the HTS and TPM analyses were reliable. Nine of the 41 brain‐enriched miRNAs are complementary to members of the double‐sex and mab‐3 related transcription factor family (dmrt) involved in sex differentiation. RT‐qPCR revealed that cid‐miR‐138 was more highly expressed in testis than in ovary (P < 0.01), while the reverse was true for target gene dmrt4a (P < 0.01). This opposite expression pattern suggested the direct participation of cid‐miR‐138–dmrt4a in neuroendocrine mechanisms related to brain‐pituitary networks during sex development. The discovery of miRNAs from 11 C. idella tissues expands the available fish miRNA database, and enhances our understanding of the role of sex‐related miRNAs in tissue differentiation and maintenance of specific tissue functions in fishes.
Multimorbidity and Mental Health‐Related Quality of Life and Risk of Completed Suicide
Authors: Wei Melissa Y. , Mukamal Kenneth J.
Published: November 2018

Background

Physical functioning indexed multimorbidity is strongly associated with long‐term mortality, but its role in poor mental health has not been quantified.

Methods

A total of 252 002 community‐dwelling adults in the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS), NHS II, and Health Professionals Follow‐up Study (HPFS) prospective cohorts reported physician‐diagnosed diseases and the Short Form‐36 over 8 years and had 24‐year follow‐up for suicide mortality. We quantified multimorbidity using a multimorbidity‐weighted index (MWI). We used multivariable‐adjusted proportional hazards models with competing risks for suicide mortality and mixed‐effects models to estimate mental health‐related quality of life (HRQOL).

Results

Multimorbidity was associated with an increased risk of suicide mortality in an approximately linear manner, with roughly two‐ to threefold higher risk in adults with the highest vs lowest quartile MWI in adjusted models: NHS hazard ratio (HR) = 3.01 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.48‐6.11); NHS II HR = 3.04 (95% CI = 1.82‐5.09); HPFS HR = 1.74 (95% CI = 1.08‐2.81). Greater MWI was associated with worse mental HRQOL 8 years later across all scales and the mental component summary (MCS) in a dose‐response manner. This association was attenuated but persisted after adjustment for baseline mental HRQOL and other covariates. Adults with the highest quartile MWI had lower MCS in adjusted models compared with those with the lowest quartile MWI: NHS ß = −0.61 (95% CI = −0.78 to −0.44); NHS II ß = −1.25 (95% CI = −1.44 to −1.06).

Conclusion

Multimorbidity is associated with substantially higher suicide mortality risk and worse mental HRQOL across all available scales, even when indexed to physical functioning. These results highlight the substantial mental health burden imposed by multimorbidity at all ages and sexes. J Am Geriatr Soc 67:511–519, 2019.
The Impact of Social Support Networks on Family Resilience in an Australian Intensive Care Unit: A Constructivist Grounded Theory
Authors: Wong Pauline , Liamputtong Pranee , Koch Susan , Rawson Helen
Published: November 2018

Purpose

This article discusses the findings of a grounded theory of family resilience in an Australian intensive care unit (ICU) with a specific focus on families’ experiences of their interactions with other members within their own family, and the families of other patients in the ICU.

Design

A constructivist grounded theory methodology was adopted. Data were collected using in‐depth interviews with 25 family members of 21 critically ill patients admitted to a tertiary‐level ICU in Australia.

Findings

The core category regaining control represents the families’ journey toward resilience when in ICU. The major categories represent facilitators for, and barriers to, regaining control. One of the main facilitators is drawing strength, and it explains the manner with which families receive social support from their own and other family members to help them cope.

Conclusions

This study offers a framework to improve patient‐ and family‐centered care in the ICU by facilitating families’ ability to manage their situation more effectively. Social support offered by family members facilitates the families’ ability to regain control. An ICU family resilience theoretical framework, situated within the context of the Australian healthcare system, adds to what is currently known about the families’ experiences in the ICU.

Clinical Relevance

The relationships that develop between families in the ICU may provide a source of social support; however, not all families welcome interactions with other ICU families, and it may cause further emotional distress. Further research is warranted to determine whether families suffer a secondary stress reaction from incidental interactions with other patients’ families in the ICU. Furthermore, when family members pull together and offer social support to each other, they are better able to regain control. This process contributes to an ICU family resilience framework.
How Does Consumers' Financial Vulnerability Relate to Positive and Negative Financial Outcomes? The Mediating Role of Individual Psychological Characteristics
Authors: Hoffmann Arvid O. I. , McNair Simon J.
Published: November 2018

Vulnerable consumers are at particular risk of financial detriment due to, for example, low financial literacy or numeracy, high debt, low income, or impactful changes in personal circumstances. We introduce a comprehensive and formative measure of financial vulnerability that integrates these risk factors and is grounded in definitions of vulnerability from financial regulation bodies and government agencies such as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Across three studies of US individuals, we assess the nomological validity of this measure of financial vulnerability through its relationship with positive and negative financial outcomes (e.g., savings levels, paying credit card balances in full each month, being in arrears) as well as relevant psychological characteristics (e.g., personal savings orientation [PSO], money management skills, financial self‐efficacy). Moreover, we examine whether and how these psychological characteristics mediate the relationship between financial vulnerability and financial outcomes. We conclude with an overview of implications for policy makers and business practitioners.
The mediating role of sleep in the relationship between Indigenous status and body mass index in Australian school‐aged children
Authors: Deacon‐Crouch Melissa , Begg Stephen , Tucci Joseph , Skinner Isabelle , Skinner Timothy
Published: November 2018

Aim

Associations between sleep duration and obesity and between obesity and chronic illness are established. Current rates of obesity for all Australian people are rising. Recent reports indicate that high body mass index (BMI) is a leading contributor to overall burden of disease for Indigenous Australians. Understanding the factors that contribute to higher rates of obesity in Indigenous people is critical to developing effective interventions for reducing morbidity and premature mortality in this population. To explore the effect of sleep duration on the relationship between Indigenous status and BMI in Australian children.

Methods

716 non‐Indigenous and 186 Indigenous children aged 5–12 years in the Australian Health Survey 2011–2013. Primary carers were interviewed regarding children's sleep times; BMI was derived from measurement.

Results

Analysis of covariance revealed that regardless of a number of demographic and socio‐economic status markers, sleep duration and Indigenous status were independent predictors of BMI. However when both predictors were considered together, only sleep duration remained predictive of BMI.

Conclusions

Sleep duration plays an important mediating role in the relationship between Indigenous status and BMI in this Australian sample. Modification of sleep duration for Indigenous children may lead to longer‐term positive health outcomes.
Identification and characteristics of Stagonosporopsis cucurbitacearum pathogenic factors influencing pumpkin seeding survival in north‐east China
Authors: Zhao Qian , Wu Jianzhong , Zhang Liyan , Xu Lizhen , Yan Chao , Gong Zhenping
Published: November 2018

The parasitic pathogenic fungus Stagonosporopsis cucurbitacearum (Sc.) is the main cause of pumpkin gummy stem blight (GSB), one of the most devastating pumpkin crop diseases in north‐east China. In the present study, transcriptome analyses of the GSB‐susceptible strain commonly grown in that region, zq‐1, were performed to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) relevant to GSB infection. Using RNA‐seq of six fungal samples, we obtained 44.62 Gb of clean sequence data with a Q30 base percentage of 92.38% or higher. We carried out functional annotation by comparing sequences against NR, Swiss‐Prot, KEGG, COG, KOG, GO, and Pfam databases and obtained annotation results for 38,110 unigenes. From these unigenes, a total of 341 DEGs were identified and subjected to GO functional annotation and KEGG pathway analysis. Subsequently, 52 genes possessed putative pathogenic functions, with 34 genes assigned to molecular function (including hydrolase, protein kinase, phosphatase, cellulase, etc.), 15 genes assigned to biological process, and 3 genes assigned to mitogen‐activated protein kinase pathways, ABC transport proteins and cellular endocytosis. Identification of DEGs should enhance our understanding of pathogenic genes involved in pumpkin infection by Sc. and should facilitate the systematic investigation of pathogenic gene expression patterns and host–pathogen interactions.
Phylogenetics of Annona cherimola (Annonaceae) and some of its closest relatives
Authors: Larranaga Nerea , Albertazzi Federico J. , Hormaza Jose I.
Published: November 2018

Annona cherimola is a woody perennial species in the Annonaceae family that produces edible fruits and has economic importance in several regions of the world with subtropical climates. Together with other 10‐12 species, A. cherimola belongs to the section Atta of the Annona genus with a center of origin in Central America and the Caribbean. Species of the section Atta produce soft skin ripe fruits with raised areoles bounded by recessed furrows. Annona cherimola is the only species of the section naturally found in the Andean region of South America. Currently, no information is available at the molecular level on the phylogenetic relationships of most of the species of Atta and closely related sections in Annona. In order to fill this gap, in this work a phylogenetic approach was performed using five coding and non‐coding plastid DNA regions, to determine the phylogenetic relationships between A. cherimola and other related species included in Atta and other sections of the genus. The results obtained support recent studies that demonstrated the likely Mesoamerican origin of A. cherimola based on biogeographical analysis with SSR markers, rather than the previously considered South American origin hypothesis. In addition, the species belonging to the Atta section did not show monophyly. Finally, A. cherimola and A. pruinosa seem to be phylogenetically close species and additional studies are needed to discern the relations between them.
Association of HLA‐DPA1 and HLA‐DPB1 polymorphisms with spontaneous HBsAg seroclearance in Caucasians
Authors: Koukoulioti Eleni , Fischer Janett , Schott Eckart , Fülöp Balazs , Heyne Renate , Berg Thomas , van Bömmel Florian
Published: November 2018

Background & Aims

Acute hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections may clear spontaneously or become chronic and run through different phases. The single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) rs3077, rs9277535 and rs9277534 within the human leucocyte antigen (HLA)‐DP gene have been found to be associated with HBV susceptibility and persistence in Asians. However, evidence for the influence of these variants in Caucasians has been limited so far. The aim of our study was to investigate the impact of these polymorphisms on the outcome of HBV infections in a large Caucasian population.

Methods

In this case‐control study, we retrospectively analysed 1111 Caucasian individuals, including 618 with chronic HBV infections (CHB), 239 with spontaneous HBsAg seroclearance (SC) and 254 healthy controls (HC). The rs3077, rs9277535 and rs9277534 SNPs were genotyped by a polymerase chain reaction from blood samples and melting curve analysis.

Results

A significant difference in the allele distributions was observed only for the rs3077 SNP between the HC and the CHB group as well as between the SC and CHB groups. The rs3077‐C allele was associated with a lower probability for spontaneous HBsAg seroclearance in comparison with the rs3077‐T allele (OR 0.704, 95% CI 0.509‐0.974; P = 0.033). No association of the three SNPs with the stages of chronic HBV infection was found.

Conclusion

This is the first study demonstrating an association of the rs3077‐T allele with spontaneous HBsAg seroclearance in Caucasians. Further studies are needed to elucidate the role of HLA‐DP variants in disease pathogenesis and their potential role for individualized disease management.
The role of culture in language and cognition
Authors: Everett Daniel L.
Published: November 2018

This paper provides an overview of some recent research on how culture is causally implicated in the understanding of human cognition. In particular, I review studies on the influence of culture on short‐term memory, visual perception, grammar, numerical cognition, and language evolution. I also provide a list of desiderata for research methodologies on the connections between culture and cognition and a direction for future research.
Skeletal muscle performance in metabolic disease: Microvascular or mitochondrial limitation or both?
Authors: Frisbee Jefferson C. , Lewis Matthew T. , Wiseman Robert W.
Published: November 2018

One of the clearly established health outcomes associated with chronic metabolic diseases (eg, type II diabetes mellitus) is that the ability of skeletal muscle to maintain contractile performance during periods of elevated metabolic demand is compromised as compared to the fatigue‐resistance of muscle under normal, healthy conditions. While there has been extensive effort dedicated to determining the major factors that contribute to the compromised performance of skeletal muscle with chronic metabolic disease, the extent to which this poor outcome reflects a dysfunctional state of the microcirculation, where the delivery and distribution of metabolic substrates can be impaired, versus derangements to normal metabolic processes and mitochondrial function, versus a combination of the two, represents an area of considerable unknown. The purpose of this manuscript is to present some of the current concepts for dysfunction to both the microcirculation of skeletal muscle as well as to mitochondrial metabolism under these conditions, such that these diverse issues can be merged into an integrated framework for future investigation. Based on an interpretation of the current literature, it may be hypothesized that the primary site of dysfunction with earlier stages of metabolic disease may lie at the level of the vasculature, rather than at the level of the mitochondria.
Identification and characterization of the rice pre‐harvest sprouting mutants involved in molybdenum cofactor biosynthesis
Authors: Liu Xin , Wang Jing , Yu Yang , Kong Lina , Liu Yimei , Liu Zhiqi , Li Hongyu , Wei Piwei , Liu Minglong , Zhou Hai , Bu Qingyun , Fang Jun
Published: November 2018

In cereal crops, ABA deficiency during seed maturation phase causes pre‐harvest sprouting (PHS), and molybdenum cofactor (MoCo) is required for ABA biosynthesis.

Here, two rice PHS mutants F254 and F5‐1 were characterized. In addition to the PHS, these mutants showed pleiotropic phenotypes such as twisting and slender leaves, and then died when the seedling developed to four or five leaves. Map‐based cloning showed that OsCNX6 and OsCNX1 encoding homologs of MoaE and MoeA were responsible for F254 and F5‐1 mutants, respectively. Genetic complementation indicated that OsCNX6 not only rescued the PHS and seedling lethal phenotype of the cnx6 mutant, but also recovered the MoCo‐dependent enzyme activities such as xanthine dehydrogenase (XDH), aldehyde oxidase (AO), nitrate reductase (NR) and sulfite oxidase (SO).

Expression pattern showed that OsCNX6 was richly expressed in seed during embryo maturation by quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR and RNA in situ hybridization. Furthermore, the OsCNX6 overexpression plants can significantly enhance the MoCo‐dependent enzyme activities, and improved the osmotic and salt stress tolerance without unfavorable phenotypes.

Collectively, these data indicated that OsCNX6 participated in MoCo biosynthesis, and is essential for rice development, especially for seed dormancy and germination, and OsCNX6 could be an effective target for improving abiotic stress tolerance in rice.
Updating the Chemiluminescence Oxygen‐Aftereffect Method for Determining the Rate Constant of the Peroxy‐Radical Self‐Reaction: Oxidation of Cyclohexene
Authors: Fedorova Galina F. , Lapina Viktoryia A. , Menshov Valery A. , Naumov Vladimir V. , Trofimov Aleksei V. , Tsaplev Yury B. , Vasil'ev Rostislav F. , Yablonskaya Olga I.
Published: November 2018

Updating the facile chemiluminescence oxygen‐aftereffect method, most suitable for determining the rate constant (kt) of the peroxy‐radical self‐reaction (main chemiluminescence channel), pertained to considering the sensitivity of such a method toward a disturbing influence of the peroxy radicals of the initiator of the chain oxidation process. Such a disturbance may derive from the side chemiluminescent reaction, which involves peroxy radicals of both hydrocarbon and initiator. To examine the applicability and limitations of the chemiluminescence method under present scrutiny, cyclohexene was used as the model oxidizable hydrocarbon substrate. Computer simulations of the reaction and chemiluminescence kinetics have demonstrated the validity of the considered methodology at the value of the rate constant of the propagation of the overall chain process by peroxy radicals of the initiator higher than 1 m−1 s−1. Despite that the chemiluminescence time profile and the stationary level of the total chemiluminescence intensity depend on the kinetics of the side chemiluminescence channel and on the ratio of the excited‐state generation yields in the mentioned reaction channel and in the main chemiluminescence process, the value of kt assessed by the oxygen‐aftereffect method has been found independent of variation of these characteristics.
“Once Bitten, Twice Shy? Gender Differences in the Remarriage Decision after a Gray Divorce”
Authors: Crowley Jocelyn Elise
Published: November 2018

Gray divorces, or divorces at and over the age of 50, are increasing in the United States. This article explores this population's interest in remarrying after a divorce by sex within the context of a prospective, role exit theoretical framework. In‐depth, qualitative interviews with 40 women and 39 men who have experienced a gray divorce were analyzed using grounded theory methodology. There were significant gender differences with respect to receptivity to remarriage among those who had undergone a gray divorce. More specifically, the most common theme expressed by women involved firmly rejecting remarriage as a part of their futures. The remaining themes articulated by women were conditional pro‐remarriage views and then even less commonly, unconditional pro‐remarriage views. In contrast, the most common theme among men was that they remained very open to remarriage, either unconditionally or under specified conditions; only a small number rejected the prospect entirely. These findings highlight the differences in the remarriage decision from both the female and male perspectives for this population.
Language Testing: Current Practices and Future Developments
Authors: Tschirner Erwin
Published: November 2018

Concepts of second language proficiency and how proficiency may be assessed have changed considerably over the last 20 years. New notions of validity with respect to the interpretation and uses of test scores have begun to shape discussions about test validity and quality assurance in college world language departments, in government, and in business, obliging us to revisit established methods of proficiency assessment. This article first discusses the evolution of the term proficiency, particularly in its use within the U.S. government starting in the 1950s and by ACTFL starting in the 1980s. It will then examine how test theory, especially the notion of validity, has changed in the last 30 years in the field of educational measurement, and it will argue that Evidence‐Centered Design (ECD) (Mislevy, Steinberg, & Almond, ), a model that grew out of task‐based language assessment (TBLA), may help us better conceptualize language proficiency assessment. After a discussion of what is currently known about proficiency levels of German students in U.S. colleges, some promising developments in proficiency assessment, which have the potential to considerably increase student proficiency levels, will be identified.
Assessing Humanities Learning in an Integrated Undergraduate German Curriculum
Authors: Cunningham D. Joseph , Pfeiffer Peter C. , Ryshina‐Pankova Marianna
Published: November 2018

The article reports on a project to assess what kind of complex humanities learning occurs in students in the first two years of a German curriculum. It characterizes a possible way to conceptualize humanities learning and how to find ways to collect reliable data that form the basis of an analysis and feed back into curricular and pedagogical decisions to improve learning outcomes.
Sleep disordered breathing in children disrupts the maturation of autonomic control of heart rate and its association with cerebral oxygenation
Authors: Walter Lisa M , Tamanyan Knarik , Weichard Aidan J , Davey Margot J , Nixon Gillian M , Horne Rosemary S. C.
Published: November 2018

Key points

Sleep disordered breathing (SDB) affects 4–11% of children and is associated with adverse neurocognitive, behavioural and cardiovascular outcomes, including reduced autonomic control.

The relationship between heart rate variability (HRV; a measure of autonomic control) and age found in non‐snoring control children was absent during sleep in children with SDB.

Age significantly predicted increasing cerebral oxygenation during wake in non‐snoring control children, whereas during sleep, HRV significantly predicted decreasing cerebral oxygenation.

Cerebral oxygenation was not associated with either age or HRV in children with SDB during both wake and sleep.

SDB significantly disrupts the normal maturation of autonomic control and the positive association between autonomic control and cerebral oxygenation found in non‐snoring children, and we speculate that the dampened autonomic control exhibited by children with SDB may have an attenuating effect on cerebral autoregulation via the moderating influence of HRV on cerebral blood flow.

The repetitive episodes of hypoxia that are features of sleep disordered breathing (SDB) in children are associated with alterations in autonomic control of heart rate in an age‐dependent manner. We aimed to relate heart rate variability (HRV) parameters to age and measures of cerebral oxygenation in children (3–12 years old) with SDB and non‐snoring controls. Children (SDB, n = 117; controls, n = 42; 3–12 years) underwent overnight polysomnography. Total (TP), low‐ (LF) and high‐frequency (HF) power, tissue oxygenation index (TOI) and fractional tissue oxygen extraction (FTOE) were analysed during wake and sleep. Pearson's correlations determined the association between age and HRV parameters, and multiple linear regressions between HRV, age and cerebral oxygenation parameters. During wake, age had a positive association with LF power, reflecting increased parasympathetic and sympathetic activity with increasing age for both control and SDB groups. This association was also evident during sleep in controls, but was absent in children with SDB. In controls, during wake TOI had a positive, and FTOE a negative association with age. During sleep, TP, LF and HF power were significant, negative determinants of TOI and positive determinants of FTOE. These associations were not seen in children with SDB during wake or sleep. SDB disrupts the normal maturation of the autonomic control of heart rate and the association between HRV and cerebral oxygenation exhibited by non‐snoring control children of primary school age. These results highlight the impact SDB has on cardiovascular control and the potential impact on adverse cardiovascular outcomes.
Stretchable organic optoelectronic sensorimotor synapse
Authors: Lee Yeongjun , Oh Jin Young , Xu Wentao , Kim Onnuri , Kim Taeho Roy , Kang Jiheong , Kim Yeongin , Son Donghee , Tok Jeffery B.-H. , Park Moon Jeong , Bao Zhenan , Lee Tae-Woo
Published: November 2018

We developed a stretchable organic optoelectronic sensorimotor synapse to mimic a biological optical sensory nervous system.
Mosaics of topological defects in micropatterned liquid crystal textures
Authors: Kim Dae Seok , Čopar Simon , Tkalec Uroš , Yoon Dong Ki
Published: November 2018

Temperature-driven formation of kaleidoscopic mosaics of topological defects is achieved in micropatterned liquid crystals.