bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development of Blue-Yellow and Red-Green Discriminations in Infants during the First Year of Life
Authors: Leushina L I , Bondarko V M , Nevskaya A A
Published: December 2015

Colour discrimination was investigated in infants aged 4 – 14 months. 250 healthy subjects and 80 subjects with slight defects in basic visual functions (the risk group) participated. A coloured toy was moved in front of the subject and disappeared behind a screen, reappearing after 2 – 3 s at the other side. Sometimes when the toy was hidden, the experimenter replaced it with another one that differed only in colour: yellow was replaced by blue or vice versa (Y/B switch), or red by green or vice versa (R/G switch). The form and size of the toy remained constant. The emotional reaction of surprise showed whether the infant discriminated these colour pairs. The brightness of the stimuli was slightly varied make sure that the infant reacted to the change in colour rather than brightness. About 75% of healthy 4 – 5-month-olds showed good expressive reactions to the Y/B switch, and practically all children did so at 7 – 8 months. The discrimination of red and green develops more slowly: only at 12 months did practically all children show good reactions to the R/G switch. In all children, Y/B discrimination preceded R/G discrimination. The mean difference between the numbers of children discriminating these two pairs was 7.6%. The infants of the risk group were as good as their healthy age-mates in Y/B discrimination, but performed significantly less well on R/G: the mean difference between the numbers discriminating the former but not the latter was 17.0%. Possible reasons for the retardation of chromatic discrimination in the risk group are discussed.
Recognition Model with Extension Fields
Authors: Kalocsai P , Biederman W I
Published: December 2015

A recognition model which defines a measure of shape similarity on the direct output of multiscale and multiorientation Gabor filters does not manifest qualitative aspects of human object recognition of contour-deleted images in that: (a) it recognises recoverable and nonrecoverable contour-deleted images equally well, whereas humans recognise recoverable images much better; (b) it distinguishes complementary feature-deleted images whereas humans do not.

Adding some of the known connectivity patterns of the primary visual cortex to the model in the form of extension fields (connections between collinear and curvilinear units) among filters (a) increased the overall recognition performance of the model, (b) boosted the recognition rate of the recoverable images far more than of the nonrecoverable ones, (c) increased the similarity of complementary feature-deleted images, but not part-deleted ones. These correspond more closely to human psychophysical results. Interestingly, performance was approximately equivalent for narrow (±15 deg) and broad (±90 deg) extension fields.
Vection with Degraded Real-World Stimuli
Authors: Ohmi M
Published: December 2015

Psychophysical studies have revealed that the retinal periphery plays a dominant role in inducing vection, ie the visually induced sensation of self-motion. This suggests that the quality of the visual stimulus is not an important factor for vection. However, since abstract stimuli were used in these studies, it is not clear whether the quality of real-world visual stimuli could still play a critical role in inducing vection. We investigated how vection induced by real-world visual stimuli was affected when the stimuli were spatially or temporally degraded.

Stereoscopic video clips were taken through the windshield of a car driven on a sharply curved and hilly road. These clips were degraded spatially by using a mosaic effect, or temporally by using a strobe effect on a video editing system. The perceived direction and strength of vection were measured while subjects were viewing these visual stimuli presented on a 63 deg wide and 38 deg high video projection monitor. Degradation of the visual stimuli was found to have little effect on the assessment of direction in horizontal vection. Assessment of the direction of vertical vection, however, was significantly disturbed by both spatial and temporal degradation of the stimuli. Temporal degradation reduced the strength of vection significantly for both horizontal and vertical motion. In contrast, although spatial degradation of visual stimuli reduced the strength of vection in both dimensions slightly, the effect was not statistically significant. We conclude that the spatial quality of real-world visual stimuli does not play a significant role in inducing vection.
Apparent Motion of a Wallpaper Illusion with Lateral Head Movement
Authors: Nakamizo S , Kondo M
Published: December 2015

We measured the magnitude and direction of apparent motion of the wallpaper illusion produced by a lateral head movement. The wallpaper illusion was produced by converging on a grating stimulus located between a far and a near grating stimuli placed, respectively, higher and lower than the fixated middle stimulus. The proximal size of the stimuli was held constant. Observers were asked to move their head laterally on a sliding chinrest and to report the magnitude and direction of the apparent motion of each stimulus. The independent variable was the extent (2.5, 5.0, and 7.5 cm) of the head movement. The results for five observers showed that: (a) the larger mean magnitude of apparent motion was associated with larger extent of head movement, and (b) the direction of apparent motion for the far stimulus was the same as that of the head movement, and that for the near stimulus was opposite to that of the head movement. These results are consistent with Gogel's hypothesis of an apparent concomitant motion of the object with head movement when the egocentric distance of the object is misperceived.
Flicker Sensitivity as a Function of Eccentricity
Authors: Raninen A N , Rovamo J
Published: December 2015

We determined DeLange curves with and without external temporal noise at eccentricities of 0 – 70 deg by measuring flicker sensitivity at 1 – 45 Hz for sharp-edged M-scaled spots with an equiluminous surround. Without noise, flicker sensitivity at high frequencies increased with eccentricity but remained unchanged at low frequencies. In strong noise, flicker sensitivity was independent of eccentricity. The only exception was 70 deg where sensitivity was reduced at 1 – 3 Hz with and without noise. The data at each eccentricity are well described by our flicker-sensitivity model (Rovamo et al, 1996 Vision Research36 3767 – 3774) comprising (i) low-pass filtering by the modulation transfer function (MTF) of the retina, (ii) filtering in direct proportion to temporal frequency by the high-pass MTF of the retina and subsequent neural visual pathways, (iii) addition of white internal neural noise, and (iv) detection by a temporal matched filter. When interpreted in the context of the model, our results mean that while the high-pass filter and the magnitude of internal noise remained unchanged across eccentricities, the bandwith of the low-pass filter increased with eccentricity and at 70 deg eccentricity the efficiency of the detecting mechanism in the brain was reduced at 1 – 3 Hz. The increase in the bandwidth of the low-pass filter is in agreement with the eccentricity-dependent changes in the retinal function as revealed by the electroretinogram (ERG).
Active Visual Examination of Static and Dynamic Autostereograms: Effects of Performance in a Visuomotor Task
Authors: Sergeichev O P , Levashov O V
Published: December 2015

The purpose of our experiments was to investigate whether visual perception could be influenced by extended presence ‘inside’ a 3-D virtual reality of computer-generated autostereograms (AST). In addition to usual ASTs (with stationary hidden figures, words, and 3-D surfaces) we used novel, dynamic autostereograms (DASTs), generated in a 3-D studio as a short film, where consecutive frames were ASTs with small modifications of the disparity values. The percept resembled textured ‘mushrooms’ rising towards the observer from the main frontal plane. When the disparity rose to some limiting value, the growth stopped and was inverted: a convexity was gradually transformed into a concavity and vice versa. The maximum range of local disparity change was ±0.6 deg. Our ASTs and DASTs were arranged in a sequence of increasing complexity. During a ‘training’ session (3 – 15 min), the subject had to actively examine the sequence and recognise all hidden forms.

Performance in threading a needle with one (the right) hand was recorded before and after ‘training’. The needle was set at a 50 cm distance from the subject, turned so that the eye of the needle was not visible. The total time of five successful trials was measured for each of five right-handed subjects with normal or corrected vision. In two sets of experiments, this visuomotor task was carried out under binocular and monocular viewing, respectively.

In both conditions, performance improved significantly (Fisher's criterion) after the ‘training’ session. The total time decreased from 50 – 55 s to 35 – 40 s in the binocular condition and from 70 – 75 s to 47 – 55 s in the monocular condition. The results are discussed in terms of ‘tuning’ of vergence eye movements during autostereogram examination.
Il Tirantea Venezia
Authors: Bognolo Anna
Published: December 2015

The first edition of Tirante in Italian was published in Venice by the printer Pietro Nicolini da Sabbio at the expense of the bookseller Federico Torresano d’Asola in 1538, dedicated to the Duke of Mantua Federico Gonzaga. This essay investigates these protagonists in the context of the production of Spanish printed books in the Thirties in Italy, when Castilian became the imperial language and a lot of Spanish books were published in Venice. It also analyses the historical and cultural framework in which the book was printed, reconstructing the differences with the background in which it had been translated by Lelio Manfredi, at the beginning of the Sixteenth Century, in the court of Mantua, dedicated to the young Isabella d’Este, together with the translations of the Cárcel de amor and Grisel y Mirabella.
Ancora sulla fortuna del Tirantin Italia
Authors: Concina Chiara
Published: December 2015

The fortune of Martorell’s Tirant lo Blanch in Italy is characterized by the early interest for this novel expressed since the beginning of the sixteenth century. The documentation on this subject, consisting mainly of letters, shows in particular the early attention of Isabella d’Este for the novel, as witnessed by the letters of the Marquise mentioning the Catalan Tirant, and by the presence of two copies of this text in the inventory drawn up after her death. Furthermore, the first Italian translation of Tirant, written by Lelio Manfredi between 1515 and 1519 (and printed posthumously in Venice in 1538), was made for Federico II Gonzaga. Once provided a summary on the genesis of this translation (as it can be reconstructed on the basis of the information provided by Manfredi’s correspondence with the court of Mantua), the paper focuses on some specific aspects of the text, studied in relation to its Catalan source. The analysis confirms once again what has been observed by previous scholarship, i.e. the extreme stylistic care paid by the author in transferring Martorell’s text into Italian.
The cell biology of aging
Authors: DiLoreto Race , Murphy Coleen T.
Published: December 2015

One of the original hypotheses of organismal longevity posits that aging is the natural result of entropy on the cells, tissues, and organs of the animal—a slow, inexorable slide into nonfunctionality caused by stochastic degradation of its parts. We now have evidence that aging is instead at least in part genetically regulated. Many mutations have been discovered to extend lifespan in organisms of all complexities, from yeast to mammals. The study of metazoan model organisms, such as Caenorhabditis elegans, has been instrumental in understanding the role of genetics in the cell biology of aging. Longevity mutants across the spectrum of model organisms demonstrate that rates of aging are regulated through genetic control of cellular processes. The regulation and subsequent breakdown of cellular processes represent a programmatic decision by the cell to either continue or abandon maintenance procedures with age. Our understanding of cell biological processes involved in regulating aging have been particularly informed by longevity mutants and treatments, such as reduced insulin/IGF-1 signaling and dietary restriction, which are critical in determining the distinction between causes of and responses to aging and have revealed a set of downstream targets that participate in a range of cell biological activities. Here we briefly review some of these important cellular processes.
Grass Hosts Harbor More Diverse Isolates ofPuccinia striiformisThan Cereal Crops
Authors: Cheng P. , Chen X. M. , See D. R.
Published: December 2015

Puccinia striiformis causes stripe rust on cereal crops and many grass species. However, it is not clear whether the stripe rust populations on grasses are able to infect cereal crops and how closely they are related to each other. In this study, 103 isolates collected from wheat, barley, triticale, rye, and grasses in the United States were characterized by virulence tests and simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. Of 69 pathotypes identified, 41 were virulent on some differentials of wheat only, 10 were virulent on some differentials of barley only, and 18 were virulent on some differentials of both wheat and barley. These pathotypes were clustered into three groups: group one containing isolates from wheat, triticale, rye, and grasses; group two isolates were from barley and grasses; and group three isolates were from grasses and wheat. SSR markers identified 44 multilocus genotypes (MLGs) and clustered them into three major molecular groups (MG) with MLGs in MG3 further classified into three subgroups. Isolates from cereal crops were present in one or more of the major or subgroups, but not all, whereas grass isolates were present in all of the major and subgroups. The results indicate that grasses harbor more diverse isolates of P. striiformis than the cereals.
Detection of Goss’s Wilt PathogenClavibacter michiganensissubsp.nebraskensisin Maize by Loop-Mediated Amplification
Authors: Yasuhara-Bell Jarred , de Silva Asoka , Heuchelin Scott A. , Chaky Jennifer L. , Alvarez Anne M.
Published: December 2015

The Goss’s wilt pathogen, Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. nebraskensis, can cause considerable losses in maize (Zea mays) production. Diagnosis of Goss’s wilt currently is based on symptomology and identification of C. michiganensis subsp. nebraskensis, following isolation on a semiselective medium and/or serological testing. In an effort to provide a more efficient identification method, a loop-mediated amplification (LAMP) assay was developed to detect the tripartite ATP-independent periplasmic (TRAP)-type C4-dicarboxylate transport system large permease component and tested using strains of C. michiganensis subsp. nebraskensis, all other C. michiganensis subspecies and several genera of nontarget bacteria. Only strains of C. michiganensis subsp. nebraskensis reacted positively with the LAMP assay. The LAMP assay was then used to identify bacterial isolates from diseased maize. 16S rDNA and dnaA sequence analyses were used to confirm the identity of the maize isolates and validate assay specificity. The Cmm ImmunoStrip assay was included as a presumptive identification test of C. michiganensis subsp. nebraskensis at the species level. The Cmn-LAMP assay was further tested using symptomatic leaf tissue. The Cmn-LAMP assay was run in a hand-held real-time monitoring device (SMART-DART) and performed equally to in-lab quantitative polymerase chain reaction equipment. The Cmn-LAMP assay accurately identified C. michiganensis subsp. nebraskensis and has potential as a field test. The targeted sequence also has potential application in other molecular detection platforms.
In silicoidentification of metabolic enzyme drug targets inBurkholderia pseudomallei
Authors: Challacombe Jean F.
Published: December 2015

The intracellular pathogenBurkholderia pseudomallei,which is endemic to parts of southeast Asia and northern Australia, causes the disease melioidosis. Although acute infections can be treated with antibiotics, melioidosis is difficult to cure, and some patients develop chronic infections or a recrudescence of the disease months or years after treatment of the initial infection.B. pseudomalleistrains have a high level of natural resistance to a variety of antibiotics, and with limited options for new antibiotics on the horizon, new alternatives are needed. The aim of the present study was to characterize the metabolic capabilities ofB. pseudomallei, identify metabolites crucial for pathogen survival, understand the metabolic interactions that occur between pathogen and host cells, and determine if metabolic enzymes produced by the pathogen might be potential antibacterial targets. This aim was accomplished through genome scale metabolic modeling under different external conditions: 1) including all nutrients that could be consumed by the model, and 2) providing only the nutrients available in culture media. Using this approach, candidate chokepoint enzymes were identified, then knocked outin silicounder the different nutrient conditions. The effect of each knockout on the metabolic network was examined. When five of the candidate chokepoints were knocked outin silico, the flux through theB. pseudomalleinetwork was decreased, depending on the nutrient conditions. These results demonstrate the utility of genome-scale metabolic modeling methods for drug target identification inB. pseudomallei.
Predicting intentions to purchase organic food: the moderating effects of organic food prices
Authors: Liang Rong-Da
Published: December 2015

Purpose

– Organic food represents the fastest growing sector in the food market, with outstanding performance in both production and sales. However, existing studies on organic food have lacked a strong theoretical foundation. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationships among purchase intention and the properties, certification mechanisms, retail channels, and prices of organic food from multiple theoretical perspectives.

Design/methodology/approach

– Using a rigorous sampling design, 507 valid questionnaires collected from consumers at four well-known organic food markets, and the hypotheses were tested based on a linear structural equation model.

Findings

– The results of the structural equation model analysis showed the following: consumer attitudes toward organic food labeling/certification institutions had a positive impact on the trust in food labeling; channel dependence positively influenced the relational embeddedness in a channel; the effect of the nutritional value of organic food on environmental protection also had a positive impact on attitudes toward organic foods; attitudes toward trust in the organic label, relational embeddedness in a channel, and attitudes toward organic foods had a positive impact on consumer purchase intentions; and in relation to low-price scenarios, consumers required more confidence to purchase higher-priced goods, meaning that the relational embeddedness in a channel exerted more influence on purchase intentions. By contrast, compared to the high-price scenarios, consumers tended to choose lower priced goods based on personal preferences, e.g., making the purchase decision based on trust in the organic label and attitudes toward organic food.

Originality/value

– The contributions of this study include the following: the relationships among the variables were investigated comprehensively from multiple theoretical perspectives; and the results can help the government and the organic food industry to understand their respective responsibilities in promoting organic food to reduce the waste of resources, in which the government can provide basic information on organic food, e.g., a certification mechanism and related definitions, while the organic food industry provides specific knowledge about organic foods, e.g., product features.
Creative leadership for workplace innovation: an applied SAP-LAP framework
Authors: Ghosh Koustab
Published: December 2015

Purpose

– The main focus of this paper is to apply the SAP-LAP model for developing creative leadership.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper was developed by drawing inputs from the previous scholarly works and applying the SAP-LAP model by the author in the context of creative leadership development.

Findings

– The paper offers a workable solution that can be suitably adopted by the organizations to transform the performing managers or executives to creative leaders in their respective domains.

Originality/value

– This paper suggests that the SAP-LAP model is underrepresented in previous studies conducted in the area.
Reflection and the object of learning
Authors: Olteanu Constanta
Published: December 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to present a model for supporting and increasing teachers’ reflection process.

Design/methodology/approach

– The model is grounded in two concepts from variation theory: critical aspects and dimensions of variation. Those concepts are related to the concepts of reflection in-, on- and for-action. Analysis of data allows for determination of what kind of reflection is used in teachers’ professional development (PD) and the teachers’ perceptions of the relevance and usefulness of the PD.

Findings

– The results show that, using the concepts of critical aspects and dimensions of variation, teachers practiced reflection in-, on- and for-action in a non-dualistic way.

Practical implications

– The preliminary results confirm that the teachers change their behaviours, through reflection processes, if they have the opportunity to focus on the object of learning and to use research results found in mathematics education in order to open up dimensions of variation in the identified critical aspects.

Social implications

– The design of algebra modules, according to concepts from variation theory and the reflection process, is the main result of this study. The model used in creating the modules has the potential for supporting and increasing teachers’ reflection process.

Originality/value

– A conceptual model of work practice evolution is proposed. The model is conceived as an intermediary between models of reflection, action at work and models of organisational teaching in the classroom. It considers work practices as evolving through confrontations between critical aspects, action in context, reflections in-, on- and for-action. The author advocate that the use of the presented methodology is not only inevitable but also vital to improve teachers’ PD.
A participatory approach to Lesson Study in higher education
Authors: Wood Phil , Cajkler Wasyl
Published: December 2015

Purpose

– This Higher Education Academy funded study explored learning challenges faced by international students early in their post-graduate courses through the use of Participatory Lesson Study (PLS). The paper aims to discuss this issue.

Design/methodology/approach

– Two approaches to PLS were explored. Students were interviewed after “research lesson seminars” about their learning experiences; before two seminars, groups of students participated in planning meetings to inform preparation of seminar content and activities.

Findings

– Results suggest that PLS encourages a deep consideration of pedagogy by lecturers. Observation of student learning and post-seminar interviews highlighted the complex nature of the learning that unfolds during seminars. In some cases, student explanation of learning was dissonant with observations.

Research limitations/implications

– This was a small-scale project which cannot offer generalised implications for practice. However, it should act as a starting point to develop PLS on a larger scale and in other pedagogic contexts.

Practical implications

– This project led to reassessment of lecturers’ pedagogic assumptions and to development of new approaches. Thematic analysis of pre- and post-seminar student responses highlighted several important issues: variation in approaches to participation in seminars, variable use of technologies to support learning, importance of differentiation for learning and task-types preferred by learners.

Originality/value

– Results suggest that PLS facilitates the study of learning in higher education and the development of pedagogy, informed by and responsive to the needs of international students. As such, it has the potential to support any tutors working in higher education, whilst having wider, general utility to other groups approaching the development of pedagogy through Lesson Study.
Potentials and limitations of peer-learning in small groups with respect to the homogenisation of heterogeneous learning collectives
Authors: Pranger Florian
Published: December 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to test peer-learning in small groups as a didactic method with respect to its effectiveness in homogenising initially heterogeneous learning collectives.

Design/methodology/approach

– The study is based on two sets of data collection (before and after the application of the tested method). The data collection tools were student self-assessment and student observation by a third person.

Findings

– Peer-learning and group work foster the establishment of self-confidence and activity among students (in particular among initially less active and less qualified students). Consequently, the teaching and learning atmosphere improves. In the long run, this effect fosters a homogenisation of initially inhomogeneous levels of qualification/competence at a high level.

Research limitations/implications

– There was no control group, hence the results are to be understood as tendencies rather than robust scientific findings. Nevertheless, the tendencies are clear and unambiguous.

Practical implications

– Peer-learning can be used as a simple didactic method in order to prevent frustration by mental over or underload in strongly heterogeneous learning collectives.

Originality/value

– This case study is the first work of its kind to assess the effectiveness of peer-learning with respect to the homogenisation of initially heterogeneous learning collectives.
First-generation immigrants feel socially excluded and have greater pro-violence attitudes than the native population in England and Wales
Authors: Bui Laura , Farrington David P
Published: December 2015

Purpose

– Studies examining immigrant generational status and violence have supported differences in the prevalence of violence between these groups. The purpose of this paper is to measure relevant risk factors for violence to focus on whether negative perceptions may contribute to understanding the between-generations differences in violence. Based on the literature, it is theorised that pro-violence attitudes would be related to and be higher in second-generation immigrants than first-generation immigrants, and that negative perceptions would mediate the relationship between pro-violence attitudes and violence.

Design/methodology/approach

– Data to answer the study’s key questions were taken from the 2010-2011 UK citizenship survey, where only the main sample was analysed.

Findings

– The findings reveal that first-generation immigrants have a higher prevalence of pro-violence attitudes than the native population.

Originality/value

– This suggests that there is an intergenerational transmission in violent attitudes, and this is a risk factor for actual violence in second-generation immigrants.
Budgeting in Times of Economic Crisis
Authors: Becker Sebastian D. , Mahlendorf Matthias D. , Schäffer Utz , Thaten Mario
Published: December 2015

This article examines how corporate reliance on budgets is affected by major changes in the economic environment. We combine survey and archival data from the economic crisis that began in 2008. The results indicate that budgeting became more important for planning and resource allocation but less important for performance evaluation in companies affected more strongly by the 2008 economic crisis. Additional evidence from interviews and data gathered in a focus group further illustrate these results and show the changes organizations have introduced to respond to the economic crisis. Taken together, and contrary to more general conclusions from the literature such as an overall increase or decrease in the importance of budgeting, we find that companies emphasize certain budgeting functions over others during economic crises.
Hepatic artery embolization in advanced neuroendocrine tumors: Efficacy and long‐term outcomes
Authors: Pericleous Marinos , Caplin Martyn E , Tsochatzis Emmanuel , Yu Dominic , Morgan‐Rowe Luke , Toumpanakis Christos
Published: December 2015

Introduction

Transarterial embolization (TAE) and transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) are established treatments for symptom control in patients with advanced neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) with significant hepatic tumor burden.

Aim

To assess efficacy, toxicity and survival parameters in NET patients undergoing TAE and TACE.

Materials and Methods

A retrospective analysis was carried out of 50 patients with NETs, who underwent a total of 67 embolization procedures in a period of 9 years. All patients had symptomatic and/or radiological progression, despite previous treatments.

Results

Symptomatic improvement was observed in 75% of patients who underwent TAE and 57% of patients who had TACE (P = 0.36). Radiological response was observed following 73% of embolization treatments delivered and specifically in 82% of all TAE and 62% of all TACE procedures (P = 0.46). Plasma Chromogranin A (CgA) levels were reduced in 65% of the patients following embolization. Patients with increasing serum CgA levels after treatment had reduced median overall survival (OS) and progression‐free survival (PFS) (P = 0.0001). Patients on somatostatin analogs (SSAs) at the time of treatment had improved OS (P = 0.013), but not PFS (P = 0.216). Overall, the differences in OS (P = 0.21) and PFS (P = 0.19) between one mode of treatment over the other were not found to be statistically significant. One‐ and 5‐year OS were 65% and 41% for TACE and 90% and 57% for TAE, respectively. The commonest complication was postembolization syndrome and mortality was 4%. Overall, the complication (P = 0.18) and mortality rates (P = 0.22) were not significantly different between TAE and TACE.

Conclusions

TAE/TACE are beneficial treatments for control of symptoms as well as tumor growth, with acceptable morbidity and mortality rates. No significant efficacy and survival differences were shown between TAE and TACE. Posttreatment CgA levels and the concurrent use of SSAs were independently associated with survival.
Comparison between alcohol‐ and hepatitis C virus‐related hepatocellular carcinoma: clinical presentation, treatment and outcome
Authors: Bucci L. , Garuti F. , Camelli V. , Lenzi B. , Farinati F. , Giannini E. G. , Ciccarese F. , Piscaglia F. , Rapaccini G. L. , Di Marco M. , Caturelli E. , Zoli M. , Borzio F. , Sacco R. , Maida M. , Felder M. , Morisco F. , Gasbarrini A. , Gemini S. , Foschi F. G. , Missale G. , Masotto A. , Affronti A. , Bernardi M. , Trevisani F. ,   the Italian Liver Cancer (ITA.LI.CA) Group
Published: December 2015

Background

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) and alcohol abuse are the main risk factors for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in Western countries.

Aim

To investigate the role of alcoholic aetiology on clinical presentation, treatment and outcome of HCC as well as on each Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer (BCLC) stage, as compared to HCV‐related HCCs.

Methods

A total of 1642 HCV and 573 alcoholic patients from the Italian Liver Cancer (ITA.LI.CA) database, diagnosed with HCC between January 2000 and December 2012 were compared for age, gender, type of diagnosis, tumour burden, portal vein thrombosis (PVT), oesophageal varices, liver function tests, alpha‐fetoprotein, BCLC, treatment and survival. Aetiology was tested as predictor of survival in multivariate Cox regression models and according to HCC stages.

Results

Cirrhosis was present in 96% of cases in both groups. Alcoholic patients were younger, more likely male, with HCC diagnosed outside surveillance, in intermediate/terminal BCLC stage and had worse liver function. After adjustment for the lead‐time, median (95% CI) overall survival (OS) was 27.4 months (21.5–33.2) in alcoholic and 33.6 months (30.7–36.5) in HCV patients (P = 0.021). The prognostic role of aetiology disappeared when survival was assessed in each BCLC stage and in the Cox regression multivariate models.

Conclusions

Alcoholic aetiology affects survival of HCC patients through its negative effects on secondary prevention and cancer presentation but not through a greater cancer aggressiveness or worse treatment result. In fact, survival adjusted for confounding factors was similar in alcoholic and HCV patients.
Personal, relational and intimate geographies of austerity: ethical and empirical considerations
Authors: Hall Sarah Marie
Published: December 2015

The impacts of austerity have permeated many aspects of everyday life in the UK, making this an important context in which to carry out social research. In this paper I consider some of the challenges that austerity poses to how we carry out research into everyday austerities and the ethical implications of researching in austere conditions. Drawing on debates from feminist and moral geographies on ethics, care and responsibility, and on first‐hand experiences of researching families in the current economic climate, I argue that the everyday mechanics of research – such as recompensing participants, and the place of the researcher – acquire particular resonance in austerity. In doing so, I also reflect on the significance of social proximity and personal biography, and the ways in which researchers may become enveloped in participants' personal narratives in addition to providing support and care. In the conclusion I identify contributions made to understandings of care and responsibility in fieldwork, the ethics of researching in and about austerity, and the relational space of the field.
The Impact of Social Influence Pressure on the Ethical Decision Making of Professional Accountants: Australian and New Zealand Evidence
Authors: Clayton Bruce M. , van Staden Chris J.
Published: December 2015

This paper reports the results of an online survey examining whether inappropriate social influence pressure, in the form of obedience and conformity pressure generated by superiors and colleagues, influences the ethical decision making of members of four professional accounting institutes in two countries, namely Australia and New Zealand. We also evaluate the effects of organisational and professional commitment and what role, if any, such commitment plays in mitigating inappropriate social influence pressure. The results indicate that despite the members of the professional bodies displaying a high level of ethical judgement, obedience and conformity pressure do influence their ethical decision making. Furthermore, high levels of organisational and/or professional commitment were found to mitigate inappropriate social influence pressure, in that respondents who exhibit high levels of organisational and/or professional commitment are less likely to succumb to inappropriate social influence pressure. Our findings contribute to an understanding of the influences on ethical decision making by professional accountants, which could make workplace environments more conducive for ethical decision making by focusing on reducing inappropriate social influence pressure by taking steps to increase organisational and/or professional commitment.
Alveolar ridge dimensional changes following ridge preservation procedure usingSocketKAP™: exploratory study of serial cone‐beam computed tomography and histologic analysis in canine model
Authors: Ryu Kyung‐Ho , Min Seiko , You Hyung‐Keun , Sin Yeon‐Woo , Lee Wan , Lee Jun , Kiss Alex , Almohaimeed Mohammad , Zadeh Homayoun H.
Published: December 2015

Introduction

The aim of this pilot study was to examine the kinetics of alterations in alveolar ridge width and height following tooth extraction with and without ridge preservation, using anorganic bovine bone mineral (ABBM) and a novel device (SocketKAP™) designed for obturation of socket orifice.

Materials and methods

Maxillary left and rightPM1 and mandibular rightPM2 andPM4 were extracted on six beagle dogs and treated as follows:

Group A: negative control;

Group B:SocketKAP™alone;

Group C:ABBM + SocketKAP™.

Serial cone‐beam computed tomography (CBCT) was taken at 0‐, 1‐, 2‐, 4‐, 8‐ and 12‐week intervals to calculate the rate of alveolar bone loss, followed by histologic and histomorphometric analyses at 12 weeks. Across group outcomes were compared.

Results

Without additional intervention, the crestal‐most 3 mm of alveolar bone width lost approximately 0.21–0.28 mm per week. The rate of alveolar buccal bone height loss was 0.19 mm per week. Comparatively, in group C, the alveolar bone was relatively stable, with loss of only 0.003–0.13 mm of width and 0.12 mm of height per week. These differences were statistically significant. The alveolar bone in sites treated bySocketKAP™alone was significantly different from control only at select time points and locations of the ridge, presumably due to small sample size.

Conclusion

Without additional intervention, tooth extraction was accompanied by rapid loss of alveolar ridge width and height. Applications ofSocketKAP™andABBMwere effective in reducing alveolar crestal width and height loss following tooth extraction.
Interventional therapy in sarcoidosis‐associated pulmonary arterial stenosis and pulmonary hypertension
Authors: Liu Lingli , Xu Jian , Zhang Yuhai , Fang Liying , Chai Yaqin , Niu Mengjie , Li Shengqing
Published: December 2015

Backgrounds

Pulmonary sarcoidosis is often complicated by pulmonary hypertension, a complication that is associated with increased disability and mortality. To this point, however, little progress has been made in the treatment of sarcoidosis associated with pulmonary hypertension (SAPH).

Methods

A prospective study was performed on 72 consecutive Chinese sarcoidosis patients followed at an outpatient clinic. The patients were evaluated by Doppler echocardiography and computed tomography pulmonary angiography. SAPH was confirmed by right heart catheterisation. The clinical parameters were compared before and 2 months after treatment with oral glucocorticoids. Eight stage III and IV patients with moderate to severe proximal pulmonary arterial stenosis (PAS) and SAPH underwent interventional therapy (IT) after prednisone treatment and were followed up at 3‐month intervals.

Results

After 2 months of prednisone treatment, 32 stage III and IV patients continued to display varying degrees of PAS and SAPH. Eight patients underwent IT without severe complications and made improvements in pulmonary arterial pressure, pulmonary vascular resistance, arterial oxygen saturation and WHO functional classification, with the improvements lasting more than 3 months.

Conclusions

PAS caused by external compression in sarcoidosis is a significant reason for SAPH. IT is effective and safe in the treatment of PAS and SAPH.
Antioxidant nutrients in plasma of Japanese patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma‐COPD overlap syndrome and bronchial asthma
Authors: Kodama Yuzo , Kishimoto Yuki , Muramatsu Yoko , Tatebe Junko , Yamamoto Yu , Hirota Nao , Itoigawa Yukinari , Atsuta Ryo , Koike Kengo , Sato Tadashi , Aizawa Koich , Takahashi Kazuhisa , Morita Toshisuke , Homma Sakae , Seyama Kuniaki , Ishigami Akihito
Published: December 2015

Background

Few studies to date have investigated the antioxidant nutrients such as vitamin C (ascorbic acid), vitamin E (α‐tocopherol), retinol and carotenoids in plasma from patients with pulmonary disease in Japan. To clarify the role of antioxidant nutrients such as vitamin C, vitamin E, retinol and various carotenoids in plasma of Japanese patients with chronic obstructive lung diseases (COPD), asthma‐COPD overlap syndrome (ACOS) and/or bronchial asthma (BA), we compared to healthy elderly controls.

Methods

Ascorbic acid (AA), carotenoids (lutein, zeaxanthin, β‐cryptoxanthin, α‐carotene, β‐carotene and lycopene), retinol and α‐tocopherol levels in plasma were determined by using a high performance liquid chromatography. Reduced glutathione (GSH), oxidised glutathione (GSSG) in whole blood and urinary 8‐OHdG were also determined.

Results

Plasma AA level of COPD subjects was significantly lower than that of healthy elderly people. Conversely, ACOS and BA subjects showed no significant difference from healthy elderly people. Moreover, plasma lycopene and total carotenoid levels and GSH content in blood were significantly lower in COPD subjects than these in healthy elderly people. However, other redox markers such as GSSG, GSH/GSSG ratio and urinary 8‐OHdG found no significant differences between COPD, ACOS and BA compared to healthy elderly people.

Conclusions

These results suggested that COPD of Japanese patients may develop partly because of oxidative stress derived from a shortage of antioxidant nutrients, especially of AA and lycopene, as well as GSH while this may not be the case in both ACOS and BA.
Incorporating Informatics for Integrating Biology and the Bedside (i2b2) into Predoctoral Trainee Curriculum to Evaluate Student‐Generated Hypotheses
Authors: Schieffer Kathleen M. , Peters Douglas G. , Richter Chesney K. , Loc Welley S. , Pawelczyk James A.
Published: December 2015

As part of the Clinical and Translational Science Institute predoctoral TL1 training program at the Pennsylvania State University, a multidisciplinary team of predoctoral trainees representing the Chemistry, Neurosurgery, Nutritional Sciences, and Public Health Sciences departments were introduced to the NIH‐sponsored Informatics for Integrating Biology and the Bedside (i2b2) database to test the following student‐generated hypothesis: children with iron deficiency anemia (IDA) are at increased risk of attention deficit‐hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Children aged 4–12 and 4–17 years were categorized into IDA and control groups. De‐identified medical records from the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center (HMC) and the Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center (VCUMC) were used for the analysis. Overall, ADHD prevalence at each institution was lower than 2011 state estimates. There was a significant association between IDA and ADHD in the 4–17‐year‐old age group for all children (OR: 1.902 [95% CI: 1.363–2.656]), Caucasian children (OR: 1.802 [95% CI: 1.133–2.864]), and African American children (OR: 1.865 [95% CI: 1.152–3.021]). Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) infrastructure is particularly useful for trainees to answer de novo scientific questions with minimal additional training and technical expertise. Moreover, projects can be expanded by collaborating within the CTSA network.
Peripheral neuropathy and levodopa therapy in Parkinson disease: novel insights
Authors: Kimber T. , Antonini A.
Published: December 2015

Click here to view the accompanying paper in this issue.
Entrepreneurship and Financial Incentives of Return, Risk, and Skew
Authors: Berkhout Peter , Hartog Joop , van Praag Mirjam
Published: December 2015

We focus on the role of the opportunity cost in the choice for entrepreneurship in favor of wage employment, that is, the wages given up as an employee. We argue that just like outside observers, potential entrepreneurs will face great difficulty to predict their earnings from entrepreneurship. The focus on earnings forgone may help to solve the lack of robust empirical support for the effect of financial incentives on the decision to become an entrepreneur. We find, consistent with standard theory, that a higher mean, lower variance, and higher skew in the relevant wage distribution reduce the likelihood of entrepreneurship.
Dimethylfumarate effectively inhibits lymphangiogenesis via p21 induction and G1 cell cycle arrest
Authors: Valesky Eva Maria , Hrgovic Igor , Doll Monika , Wang Xiao‐Fan , Pinter Andreas , Kleemann Johannes , Kaufmann Roland , Kippenberger Stefan , Meissner Markus
Published: December 2015

Different pathologies, such as lymphoedema, cancer or psoriasis, are associated with abnormal lymphatic vessel formation. Therefore, influencing lymphangiogenesis is an interesting target. Recent evidence suggests that dimethylfumarate (DMF), an antipsoriatic agent, might have antitumorigenic and antilymphangiogenic properties. To prove this assumption, we performed proliferation and functional assays with primary human dermal lymphendothelial cells (DLEC). We could demonstrated that DMF suppresses DLEC proliferation and formation of capillary‐like structures. Underlying apoptotic mechanisms could be ruled out. Cell cycle analysis demonstrated a pronounced G1‐arrest. Further evaluations revealed increases in p21 expression. In addition, DMF suppressed Cyclin D1 and Cyclin A expression in a concentration‐dependent manner. p21 knockdown experiments demonstrated a p21‐dependent mechanism of regulation. Further analysis showed an increased p21 mRNA expression after DMF treatment. This transcriptional regulation was enforced by post‐transcriptional and post‐translational mechanisms. In addition, we could demonstrate that the combination of a proteasomal inhibitor and DMF superinduced the p21 expression. Hence, DMF is a new antilymphangiogenic compound and might be used in various illnesses associated with increased lymphangiogenesis.
Induction of T regulatory cells by the superagonistic anti‐CD28 antibody D665 leads to decreased pathogenic IgG autoantibodies against desmoglein 3 in a HLA‐transgenic mouse model of pemphigus vulgaris
Authors: Schmidt Thomas , Willenborg Sebastian , Hünig Thomas , Deeg Cornelia A. , Sonderstrup Grete , Hertl Michael , Eming Rüdiger
Published: December 2015

Pemphigus vulgaris (PV) is a potentially life‐threatening autoimmune disease of the skin and mucous membranes. Its pathogenesis is based on IgG autoantibodies that target the desmosomal cadherins, desmoglein 3 (Dsg3) and desmoglein 1 (Dsg1) and induce intra‐epidermal loss of adhesion. Although the PV pathogenesis is well‐understood, therapeutic options are still limited to immunosuppressive drugs, particularly corticosteroids, which are associated with significant side effects. Dsg3‐reactive T regulatory cells (Treg) have been previously identified in PV and healthy carriers of PV‐associated HLA class II alleles. Ex vivo, Dsg3‐specific Treg cells down‐regulated the activation of pathogenic Dsg3‐specific T‐helper (Th) 2 cells. In this study, in a HLA‐DRB1*04:02 transgenic mouse model of PV, peripheral Treg cells were modulated by the use of Treg‐depleting or expanding monoclonal antibodies, respectively. Our findings show that, in vivo, although not statistically significant, Treg cells exert a clear down‐regulatory effect on the Dsg3‐driven T‐cell response and, accordingly, the formation of Dsg3‐specific IgG antibodies. These observations confirm the powerful immune regulatory functions of Treg cells and identify Treg cells as potential therapeutic modulators in PV.