bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Real‐time Responsiveness for Ethics Oversight During Disaster Research
Authors: Eckenwiler Lisa , Pringle John , Boulanger Renaud , Hunt Matthew
Published: October 2015

Disaster research has grown in scope and frequency. Research in the wake of disasters and during humanitarian crises – particularly in resource‐poor settings – is likely to raise profound and unique ethical challenges for local communities, crisis responders, researchers, and research ethics committees (RECs). Given the ethical challenges, many have questioned how best to provide research ethics review and oversight. We contribute to the conversation concerning how best to ensure appropriate ethical oversight in disaster research and argue that ethical disaster research requires of researchers and RECs a particular sort of ongoing, critical engagement which may not be warranted in less exceptional research. We present two cases that typify the concerns disaster researchers and RECs may confront, and elaborate upon what this ongoing engagement might look like – how it might be conceptualized and utilized – using the concept of real‐time responsiveness (RTR). The central aim of RTR, understood here as both an ethical ideal and practice, is to lessen the potential for research conducted in the wake of disasters to create, perpetuate, or exacerbate vulnerabilities and contribute to injustices suffered by disaster‐affected populations. Well cultivated and deployed, we believe that RTR may enhance the moral capacities of researchers and REC members, and RECs as institutions where moral agency is nurtured and sustained.
Changes in Japanese eyes after laser peripheral iridotomy: an anterior segment optical coherence tomography study
Authors: Ang Bryan CH , Nongpiur Monisha E , Aung Tin , Mizoguchi Takanori , Ozaki Mineo
Published: October 2015

Background

The aim was to investigate the changes in anterior segment parameters, as assessed by anterior segment optical coherence tomography in Japanese subjects after laser peripheral iridotomy (LPI).

Design

This was a prospective observational study.

Participants

The participants include 72 subjects with angle closure including primary angle closure suspect (PACS), primary angle closure (PAC), and primary angle closure glaucoma (PACG).

Methods

Anterior segment optical coherence tomography parameters was measured by customized software. Complete data of 51 subjects were available for final analysis.

Main Outcome Measures

These were the following parameters: angle opening distance, trabecular‐iris space area, anterior chamber depth, width, area and volume (iris thickness, curvature, and area, and lens vault (LV).

Results

A total of 25 PACS, 17 PAC and 9 PACG were included. Mean age was 74.7 ± 6.7 years, and majority were women (80.4%). Following LPI, there was a significant increase in mean gonioscopic angle width (1.16 vs. 1.93, P < 0.001) and a corresponding increase in angle opening distance, trabecular‐iris space area, and angle recess area (all P < 0.001). The anterior chamber area (P < 0.001), anterior chamber volume (P < 0.001) and anterior chamber depth (P = 0.003) increased significantly; and iris curvature (P < 0.001) was significantly reduced. There were no significant changes in anterior chamber width, LV, iris thickness and area. Age‐adjusted and gender‐adjusted analysis for predictors of percentage change in angle opening distance 750 showed significant association with greater baseline LV (β = 0.32, P = 0.03). No significant differences were noted in the mean percentage change in parameters between the PACS and PAC‐PACG.

Conclusions

An increase in anterior chamber dimensions, angle widening and iris flattening; with a constant LV, iris thickness and iris area after LPI was demonstrated in Japanese eyes with angle closure.
Follow‐Up of the Sinus Membrane Elevation Technique for Maxillary Sinus Implants without the Use of Graft Material
Authors: Riben Christopher , Thor Andreas
Published: October 2015

Background

There is a limited amount of studies evaluating long‐term results of the sinus membrane elevation technique for bone formation around implants in the maxillary sinus floor without the use of bone graft material.

Purpose

To investigate the long‐term results of this technique with regard to implant survival and bone gain in the maxillary sinus floor.

Materials and Methods

A retrospective study was conducted on patients who had undergone the surgical procedure from November 2001 to August 2008. Thirty‐six patients with a total of 87 implants (ASTRA TECH Implant System™) in 53 sinuses were examined. After a submerged healing period of 6 months and at least 12 months of loading, the patients were examined clinically and radiologically. Implant stability was measured using resonance frequency analysis (RFA).

Results

The mean follow‐up time was 4.6 years (range 1.5–7 years). Five implants were lost giving a survival rate of 94.3%.Subantral preoperative vertical bone levels were in the range of 1 to 10 mm. The average bone gain at the sinus floor was 6 mm. The 55 fixtures eligible for RFA displayed a mean implant stability quotient of 77 (range 56–85.5).

Conclusion

The present study illustrates the long‐term reliability of the technique.
Perception of Sentence Stress in Speech Correlates With the Temporal Unpredictability of Prosodic Features
Authors: Kakouros Sofoklis , Räsänen Okko
Published: October 2015

Numerous studies have examined the acoustic correlates of sentential stress and its underlying linguistic functionality. However, the mechanism that connects stress cues to the listener's attentional processing has remained unclear. Also, the learnability versus innateness of stress perception has not been widely discussed. In this work, we introduce a novel perspective to the study of sentential stress and put forward the hypothesis that perceived sentence stress in speech is related to the unpredictability of prosodic features, thereby capturing the attention of the listener. As predictability is based on the statistical structure of the speech input, the hypothesis also suggests that stress perception is a result of general statistical learning mechanisms. To study this idea, computational simulations are performed where temporal prosodic trajectories are modeled with an n‐gram model. Probabilities of the feature trajectories are subsequently evaluated on a set of novel utterances and compared to human perception of stress. The results show that the low‐probability regions of F0 and energy trajectories are strongly correlated with stress perception, giving support to the idea that attention and unpredictability of sensory stimulus are mutually connected.
Exploring culturally competent primary care diabetes services: a single‐city survey
Authors: Zeh P. , Sandhu H. K. , Cannaby A. M. , Warwick J. , Sturt J. A.
Published: October 2015

Aims

To determine the cultural competence of diabetes services delivered to minority ethnic groups in a multicultural UK city with a diabetes prevalence of 4.3%.

Methods

A semi‐structured survey comprising 35 questions was carried out across all 66 general practices in Coventry between November 2011 and January 2012. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics. The cultural competence of diabetes services reported in the survey was assessed using a culturally competent assessment tool (CCAT).

Results

Thirty‐four general practices (52%) responded and six important findings emerged across those practices. (1) Ninety‐four per cent of general practices reported the ethnicity of their populations. (2) One in three people with diabetes was from a minority ethnic group. (3) Nine (26.5%) practices reported a diabetes prevalence of between 55% and 96% in minority ethnic groups. (4) The cultural competences of diabetes services were assessed using CCAT; 56% of practices were found to be highly culturally competent and 26% were found to be moderately culturally competent. (5) Ten practices (29%) reported higher proportionate attendance at diabetes annual checks in the majority white British population compared with minority ethnic groups. (6) Cultural diversity in relation to language and strong cultural traditions around food were most commonly reported as barriers to culturally competent service delivery.

Conclusions

Seven of the eight cultural barriers identified in the global evidence were present in the city. Use of the CCAT to assess existing service provision and the good baseline recording of ethnicity provide a sound basis for commissioning culturally competent interventions in the future.
Reimagining Critical Race Theory in Education: Mental Health, Healing, and the Pathway to Liberatory Praxis
Authors: McGee Ebony O. , Stovall David
Published: October 2015

Long‐standing theoretical education frameworks and methodologies have failed to provide space for the role mental health can play in mediating educational consequences. To illustrate the need for such space, Ebony McGee and David Stovall highlight the voices of black undergraduates they have served in the capacities of teacher, researcher, and mentor. Building from the theoretical contributions of intellectual giants like Frantz Fanon and W. E. B. Du Bois, the authors attempt to connect oppressive social systems to the psyche of the oppressed in a way that is relevant to black students. McGee and Stovall pose a challenge to the current research trend of attributing the survival of black students at traditionally white institutions primarily to grit, perseverance, and mental toughness, noting that research on the aforementioned qualities often fails to properly acknowledge multiple forms of suffering. Utilizing the lens of Critical Race Theory (CRT), the authors also challenge the construct of grit to consider the extent to which the mental health concerns of black students go undetected. Although critical race theorists have unmasked and attacked the racial trauma experienced at all levels of the educational system, the connection of CRT to mental health and wellness research is in its embryonic stages. For these reasons, McGee and Stovall argue that CRT scholars need to incorporate praxis to address mental health and wellness in order to address a fuller spectrum of black students' racialized worlds. Ultimately, they seek interdisciplinary perspectives that can help identify and foster strategies to support black students in the project and process of healing from multiple forms of racialized trauma they experience within and beyond their educational encounters.
Pedagogy of the Impossible: Žižek in the Classroom
Authors: McMillan Chris
Published: October 2015

If knowledge is socially constructed, then students' discursive attachments should be eminently malleable. Students' radical openness to change, however, is not the defining characteristic of a university classroom. Instead, learners appear to desire coherence of knowledge over revelations of contingency, and pedagogical acts that disrupt existing formations are as likely to produce reactionary responses as revolutionary reorganizations of the self. In this article Chris McMillan argues that neither the constructivist nor the social constructionist readings of critical pedagogy are able to account for this fixity of knowledge. In response he contends that Slavoj Žižek's Lacanian‐inspired theory of subjectivity and of the Real can effectively respond to the limitations of these approaches by insisting upon the pedagogical value of the lack within subjectivity. A Žižekian conception of subjectivity is able to respond to this lacuna by positing the negativity of the subject as the agent of transformation and to produce a “pedagogy of the impossible” that evokes the moments of impossibility within discourse embodied by the subject qua the Lacanian Real.
Foreign dangers: activities, responsibilities and the problem of women abroad
Authors: La Rocca Cristina
Published: October 2015

This paper deals with the construction of the foreign woman as a category that could explain, in the sixth century, the agency or the dangers of wives in different narrative contexts. The diffusion of foreign women in the sixth and seventh centuries as brides of kings and aristocrats is compared to contemporary archaeological funerary evidence. The very important role of Theoderic as wife‐giver king and the context of his power – Italy – developed the concept of a new foreign subject, identifiable in particular among peregrini both from and within Italy. This development heightened the possibility of creating networks and exporting foreign models.
Erectile dysfunction and cardiovascular risk factors in a Mediterranean diet cohort
Authors: Ramírez R. , Pedro‐Botet J. , García M. , Corbella E. , Merino J. , Zambón D. , Corbella X. , Pintó X. ,   the Xarxa de Unitats de Lípids i Arteriosclerosi (XULA) Investigators Group
Published: October 2015

Background

Erectile dysfunction affects more than 100 million men worldwide, with a wide variability in prevalence. An overall association of cardiovascular risk factors, lifestyle and diet in the context of ED in a Mediterranean population is lacking.

Aim

To assess ED prevalence and associated factors in a Mediterranean cohort of non‐diabetic patients with cardiovascular risk factors.

Methods

Observational, cross‐sectional study of patients aged over 40 treated at cardiovascular risk units in Catalonia. Anthropometric data, risk factors, lifestyle and diet habits were recorded. ED was assessed using the International Index of Erectile Function.

Results

Four hundred and forty patients included, 186 (42.3%) with ED (24.8% mild, 6.8% moderate and 10.7% severe). ED presence and severity were associated with age, obesity, waist circumference, hypertension, antihypertensive treatment and ischaemic disease. Patients with ED were more frequently smokers, sedentary and consumed more alcohol. In multivariate analysis, consumption of nuts (> twice a week) (OR 0.41 (95% CI 0.25 to 0.67) and vegetables (≥ once a day) (OR 0.47 (95% CI 0.28–0,77)), were inversely related to ED. Obesity (as BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2) (OR 2.49 (95% CI 1.48–4.17)), ischaemic disease (OR 2.30 (95% CI 1.22 to 4.33), alcohol consumption (alcohol‐units a day) (OR 1.14 (95% CI 1.04 to 1.26), and age (year) (OR = 1.07 (95% CI 1.04–1.10) were directly related to ED.

Conclusion

Erectile dysfunction is a common disorder in patients treated in lipid units in Catalonia for cardiovascular risk factors. This condition is associated with age, obesity, ischaemic disease and unhealthy lifestyle habits.
Effects of an intervention with drinking chamomile tea on sleep quality and depression in sleep disturbed postnatal women: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Chang Shao‐Min , Chen Chung‐Hey
Published: October 2015

Aim

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of chamomile tea on sleep quality, fatigue and depression in postpartum women.

Background

Sleep quality is a significant issue for postnatal women. Chamomile is widely used as a folk remedy for its presumed sedative‐hypnotic effects.

Design

A pretest–post‐test randomized controlled trial was used.

Methods

A total of 80 Taiwanese postnatal women with poor sleep quality (Postpartum Sleep Quality Scale; PSQS score ≧16) were recruited from November 2012‐August 2013. They were systematically assigned, with a random start, to either the experimental group (n = 40) or the control group (n = 40). The participants in the experimental group were instructed to drink chamomile tea for a period of 2 weeks. The participants in the control group received regular postpartum care only. The PSQS, Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, and Postpartum Fatigue Scale were used to assess outcomes. Two‐sample t‐tests were used to examine the mean differences in outcome variables between the two groups.

Results

Compared with the control group, the experimental group demonstrated significantly lower scores of physical‐symptoms‐related sleep inefficiency (t = −2·482, P = 0·015) and the symptoms of depression (t = −2·372, P = 0·020). However, the scores for all three instruments were similar for both groups at 4‐week post‐test, suggesting that the positive effects of chamomile tea were limited to the immediate term.

Conclusion

Chamomile tea may be recommended to postpartum women as a supplementary approach to alleviating depression and sleep quality problems.
Lateral Flow Assay–Based Rapid Detection of Cephalexin in Milk
Authors: Lata Kiran , Sharma Rajan , Naik Laxmana , Rajput Yudhishthir Singh , Mann Bimlesh
Published: October 2015

A rapid and semiquantitative lateral flow assay has been developed for detection of cephalexin (CFX) in milk. The assay is based on a competitive format using polyclonal antibodies. Antibodies were raised in rabbits against CFX‐keyhole limpet hemocyanin. The specificity of antibodies was ascertained by direct enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. The laboratory prepared gold nanoparticles coupled to anti‐CFX antibodies, which competed for free CFX in sample and CFX–bovine serum albumin conjugate on the test line of a lateral flow strip. The control line of the lateral flow strip consisted of species‐specific antibody. The assay was validated with spiked milk samples and involved application of skim milk to the adsorbent pad followed by visualization of red color on test and control lines within 8 min. The lower detection limit of CFX was 30 ppb in milk, which is lower than the Codex prescribed maximum residue limit. The storage stability of the prepared strip was also established.

Practical Applications

A simple method for the detection of cephalexin in milk using lateral flow assay has been described. The applicability of polyclonal antibodies in the development of lateral flow assay has been demonstrated. The method is sensitive to detect 30 ppb cephalexin in milk, which is lower than the Codex prescribed maximum residue limit of 100 ppb. This method can be used for preliminary screening of milk samples for the presence of cephalexin residues in milk.
In vivo imaging of porcine gastric enteric nervous system using confocal laser endomicroscopy &molecular neuronal probe
Authors: Samarasena Jason B. , Ahluwalia Amrita , Shinoura Susumu , Choi Kee Don , Lee John G. , Chang Kenneth J. , Tarnawski Andrzej S.
Published: October 2015

Background and Aim:

The gastric enteric nervous system (GENS) is organized into the submucosal plexus and the myenteric plexus that regulate muscle activity and mucosal functions, respectively. A non‐invasive, in vivo visualization of GENS was not possible until recent introduction of needle‐based confocal laser endomicroscopy (nCLE). Our aim was to determine the feasibility of in vivo visualization of GENS in the porcine stomach using endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) guided nCLE and local injection of molecular neuronal probe NeuroTrace.

Methods:

In anesthetized pigs during endoscopy, NeuroTrace was injected into the submucosa and muscularis propria of distal, and proximal stomach under EUS guidance and nCLE imaging was performed using the Cellvizio AQ Flex probe. After euthanasia, transmural gastric specimens from the areas of NeuroTrace injection were obtained for histology. We performed quantitative analysis of nCLE images recorded during in vivo studies: histologic evaluation of unstained specimens under fluorescence microscope for NeuroTrace localization. We also performed immunostaining of these specimens for nerve growth factor (NGF). In in vitro studies, we examined the uptake of NeuroTrace by glial cells.

Results:

The nCLE imaging successfully visualized neuronal cells and nerve fibers in distinctive image patterns. Fluorescence microscopy of mucosal sections showed that in vivo‐injected NeuroTrace was retained in GENS components. NGF was strongly expressed in neural and glial cells, and the pattern of NGF staining was similar to that of NeuroTrace staining.

Conclusions:

This study demonstrates for the first time that combined use of EUS‐guided nCLE and NeuroTrace is capable to visualize GENS.
Self‐Reported Hearing Loss, Hearing Aids, and Cognitive Decline in Elderly Adults: A 25‐Year Study
Authors: Amieva Hélène , Ouvrard Camille , Giulioli Caroline , Meillon Céline , Rullier Laetitia , Dartigues Jean‐François
Published: October 2015

Objectives

To investigate the association between hearing loss, hearing aid use, and cognitive decline.

Design

Prospective population‐based study.

Setting

Data gathered from the Personnes Agées QUID study, a cohort study begun in 1989–90.

Participants

Individuals aged 65 and older (N = 3,670).

Measurements

At baseline, hearing loss was determined using a questionnaire assessing self‐perceived hearing loss; 137 subjects reported major hearing loss, 1,139 reported moderate problems (difficulty following the conversation when several persons talk at the same time or in a noisy background), and 2,394 reported no hearing trouble. Cognitive decline was measured using the Mini‐Mental State Examination (MMSE), administered at follow‐up visits over 25 years.

Results

Self‐reported hearing loss was significantly associated with lower baseline MMSE score (β = −0.69, P < .001) and greater decline during the 25‐year follow‐up period (β = −0.04, P = .01) independent of age, sex, and education. A difference in the rate of change in MMSE score over the 25‐year follow‐up was observed between participants with hearing loss not using hearing aids and controls (β = −0.06, P < .001). In contrast, subjects with hearing loss using a hearing aid had no difference in cognitive decline (β = 0.07, P = .08) from controls.

Conclusion

Self‐reported hearing loss is associated with accelerated cognitive decline in older adults; hearing aid use attenuates such decline.
Industrial Symbiosis Centered on a Regional Cogeneration Power Plant Utilizing Available Local Resources: A Case Study of Tanegashima
Authors: Kikuchi Yasunori , Kanematsu Yuichiro , Ugo Masamichi , Hamada Yosuke , Okubo Tatsuya
Published: October 2015

Plant‐derived renewable resources have the potential to enable the simultaneous generation of high‐value‐added products, such as foods, with energy, such as electricity and thermal power. Much of the heat cogenerated from renewables in power plants has been discarded because of the geographical and temporal gaps in heat supply and demand. In this study, we aim to devise an effective industrial symbiosis (IS) for a regional combined heating and power (CHP) plant utilizing local renewable resources. For the actual region of IS, the island of Tanegashima in Japan was adopted, where sugarcane is planted as a base industry. Through a thermodynamic analysis of the energy flows in a sugar mill, it was demonstrated that large amounts of heat were discarded from the sugar mill, even though the quality of heat was high enough for power generation or other energy demand. This is partly because some of the renewables have been regarded as wastes in the production of foods or other high‐value‐added products. At the same time, scenarios were defined and analyzed on the integrated use of locally available lignocellulosic biomass to increase the operation ratio of an existing bagasse‐based CHP system. Through both periods with and without sugar production, additional heat and power can be made available by decreasing the energy loss and through IS.
Economic Integration in Tanzania (1970–2011): A Biophysical Assessment
Authors: Frame Mariko L.
Published: October 2015

This article assesses the impact of economic integration on Tanzania's sociometabolic profile for the years 1970–2011, which witnessed an opening and further integration of Tanzania's economy through increased trade and foreign investment, through a time‐series economy‐wide material flows analysis (EW‐MFA). The EW‐MFA results show that contrary to the trade patterns of many developing countries, increased economic integration has resulted in Tanzania becoming a net importer of resources across all material categories when measured by the physical trade balance indicator. Additionally, the article discusses the conceptual and empirical challenges of measuring ecologically unequal exchange with EW‐MFAs for developing countries whose export profiles are dominated by lightweight, high‐value precious stones and metals. It also assesses the degree to which the Tanzanian economy has undergone dematerialization over the past 40 years of economic integration.
Modulation of GABA release from the thalamic reticular nucleus by cocaine and caffeine: role of serotonin receptors
Authors: Goitia Belén , Rivero‐Echeto María Celeste , Weisstaub Noelia V. , Gingrich Jay A. , Garcia‐Rill Edgar , Bisagno Verónica , Urbano Francisco J.
Published: October 2015

Serotonin receptors are targets of drug therapies for a variety of neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders. Cocaine inhibits the re‐uptake of serotonin (5‐HT), dopamine, and noradrenaline, whereas caffeine blocks adenosine receptors and opens ryanodine receptors in the endoplasmic reticulum. We studied how 5‐HT and adenosine affected spontaneous GABAergic transmission from thalamic reticular nucleus. We combined whole‐cell patch clamp recordings of miniature inhibitory post‐synaptic currents (mIPSCs) in ventrobasal thalamic neurons during local (puff) application of 5‐HT in wild type (WT) or knockout mice lacking 5‐HT2A receptors (5‐HT2A−/−). Inhibition of mIPSCs frequency by low (10 μM) and high (100 μM) 5‐HT concentrations was observed in ventrobasal neurons from 5‐HT2A−/− mice. In WT mice, only 100 μM 5‐HT significantly reduced mIPSCs frequency. In 5‐HT2A−/− mice, NAN‐190, a specific 5‐HT1A antagonist, prevented the 100 μM 5‐HT inhibition while blocking H‐currents that prolonged inhibition during post‐puff periods. The inhibitory effects of 100 μM 5‐HT were enhanced in cocaine binge‐treated 5‐HT2A−/− mice. Caffeine binge treatment did not affect 5‐HT‐mediated inhibition. Our findings suggest that both 5‐HT1A and 5‐HT2A receptors are present in pre‐synaptic thalamic reticular nucleus terminals. Serotonergic‐mediated inhibition of GABA release could underlie aberrant thalamocortical physiology described after repetitive consumption of cocaine.

image

Our findings suggest that both 5‐HT1A, 5‐HT2A and A1 receptors are present in pre‐synaptic TRN terminals. 5‐HT1A and A1 receptors would down‐regulate adenylate cyclase, whereas 5‐HT1A would also increase the probability of the opening of G‐protein‐activated inwardly rectifying K+ channels (GIRK). Sustained opening of GIRK channels would hyperpolarize pre‐synaptic terminals activating H‐currents, resulting in less GABA release. 5‐HT2A‐would activate PLC and IP3, increasing intracellular [Ca2+] and thus facilitating GABA release.
Glial fibrillar acidic protein in the cerebrospinal fluid of Alzheimer's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, and frontotemporal lobar degeneration
Authors: Ishiki Aiko , Kamada Maki , Kawamura Yuki , Terao Chiaki , Shimoda Fumiko , Tomita Naoki , Arai Hiroyuki , Furukawa Katsutoshi
Published: October 2015

Biomarkers in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) are currently regarded as indispensable indicators for accurate differential diagnosis of neurodegenerative disorders. Although high levels of astrocyte‐secreted glial fibrillar acidic protein (GFAP) in the CSF of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) have been reported, the levels of GFAP in the CSF have not been fully investigated in other neurological disorders that cause dementia, such as dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD). In this study, we determined the levels of GFAP in the CSF of healthy control subjects and AD, DLB, and FTLD patients to address two questions: (i) Do the levels of GFAP differ among these disorders? and (ii) Can GFAP be used as a biomarker for the differential diagnosis of these neurodegenerative disorders? The levels of GFAP in AD, DLB, and FTLD patients were significantly higher than those in the healthy control subjects. Although the levels of GFAP were not significantly different between AD and DLB patients, a higher level of GFAP was observed in FTLD patients than in AD and DLB patients. It is concluded that representative neurological disorders causing dementia were associated with higher levels of GFAP in the CSF.

image

We propose the following mechanism concerning the amount of glial fibrillar acidic protein (GFAP) in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in Alzheimer's disease (AD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD). The increase in the release of GFAP into CSF is considered to reflect the sum of degeneration of astrocytes and astrocytosis. The sum of degeneration and astrocytosis or the GFAP release could be in the order of FTLD > DLB > AD > normal condition.
Regulation of neuronal migration, an emerging topic in autism spectrum disorders
Authors: Reiner Orly , Karzbrun Eyal , Kshirsagar Aditya , Kaibuchi Kozo
Published: October 2015

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) encompass a group of neurodevelopmental diseases that demonstrate strong heritability, however, the inheritance is not simple and many genes have been associated with these disorders. ASD is regarded as a neurodevelopmental disorder, and abnormalities at different developmental stages are part of the disease etiology. This review provides a general background on neuronal migration during brain development and discusses recent advancements in the field connecting ASD and aberrant neuronal migration.

image

We propose that neuronal migration impairment may be an important common pathophysiology in autism spectrum disorders (ASD). This review provides a general background on neuronal migration during brain development and discusses recent advancements in the field connecting ASD and aberrant neuronal migration.
Impaired perception of sincerity after severe traumatic brain injury
Authors: McDonald Skye , Fisher Alana , Flanagan Sharon , Honan Cynthia A.
Published: October 2015

Background

People with a severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) often experience problems understanding non‐literal utterances such as sarcasm and lies in dyadic exchanges. This study aimed to investigate whether these problems extend to settings where speakers vary in their degree of sincerity and whether such problems are associated with deficits in social cognitive abilities (emotion perception, theory of mind, and self‐reported empathy) or cognitive abilities (abstract reasoning, working memory, processing speed, attentional switching).

Methods

Thirty‐one adults with severe TBI (24 males) and 25 demographically matched controls (20 males) participated. They watched video vignettes depicting four actors volunteering for additional duties. Each speaker made a limited verbal response which literally suggested a willingness to be involved, but the sincerity with which the response was made was tempered by the actor's emotional demeanour. Participants rated each speaker in the vignettes for degree of sincerity (0–100%). Standardized measures of cognitive and social cognitive function were also taken.

Results

Control participants had excellent agreement (α = .90) in their rankings of actors according to sincerity. TBI participants were less consistent (α = .65). Overall, they were sensitive to decreasing sincerity but generally less accurate than control participants. They were poorer at differentiating between levels of sincerity and rated insincere expressions as more sincere, although they rated sincere expressions similarly. Poorer working memory and poorer social cognition were associated with poorer sincerity/sarcasm detection in the participants with TBI, but only social cognition was uniquely associated.

Conclusions

Some adults with TBI have difficulty assessing the level of sincerity of speakers. Moreover, poorer social cognition abilities are associated with this difficulty.
Effect of Different Surface Treatments on Porcelain‐Resin Bond Strength
Authors: Yavuz Tevfik , Özyılmaz Özgün Yusuf , Dilber Erhan , Tobi Elif Sümeyye , Kiliç Hamdi Şükür
Published: October 2015

Purpose

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of various surface treatments on the surface structure and shear bond strength (SBS) of different ceramics.

Materials and Methods

A total of 192 disk‐shaped cores were prepared using two all‐ceramic systems, of which 168 were submitted to SBS tests, and 24 were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The ceramics used were IPS Empress e.max (EX) lithium glass‐ceramic and Vita In‐Ceram Zirconia glass‐infiltrated zirconia (ICZ). The specimens were randomly divided into seven groups (n = 12) on the basis of the surface treatment used: control; SB—sandblasting with 50 μm Al2O3particles; CJ—chairside silica coating with 30 μm SiO2particles and silanization (Clearfil Porcelain Bond Activator); HF—etching in 5% hydrofluoric acid and silanization; ER—etching with an Er:YAG laser (10 W); ND—Nd:YAG laser etching (0.8 W); and FS—etching with a femtosecond laser (860 mW). A luting cement (Clearfil Esthetic) was photopolymerized on each treated ceramic disk. After subjecting the specimens to thermocycling (1000 cycles, 5°C to 55°C), SBS tests were performed using a universal testing machine. The data were analyzed with two‐way ANOVA and Tukey's tests using a significance limit of 5%.

Results

Among the EX ceramics, the CJ (29.10 MPa) and HF (26.07 MPa) specimens had statistically higher SBS values. For the ICZ ceramics, the highest value (28.08 MPa) was obtained for the CJ specimens.

Conclusions

Silanization after coating with silica improves the bond strengths of both EX and ICZ specimens, while HF etching is favorable only for the EX specimens.
Followership, deity and leadership
Authors: Popper Micha
Published: October 2015

Two questions are addressed in this article: 1. Why are people attracted to leaders? 2. How are leaders' images construed? The first question is analyzed by using the concept of “deity” as a frame of reference for an “ideal model” of leadership. God as a “screen of projections” can satisfy the believer's fundamental needs and desires, as well as serving as a reference for causal attributions and a provider of transcendental meaning.

Using Construal Level Theory (CLT) (Libermann & Trope, 1998), deity, as a frame of reference, also facilitates analysis of the second question. This analysis explains universal principles underlying the leadership construal, and the psychological principles and culture‐bound processes relevant to construing different images of leadership in different collectives.
Alkaline phosphatase predicts response in polycystic liver disease during somatostatin analogue therapy: a pooled analysis
Authors: Gevers Tom J.G. , Nevens Frederik , Torres Vicente E. , Hogan Marie C. , Drenth Joost P.H.
Published: October 2015

Background & Aims

Somatostatin analogues reduce liver volumes in polycystic liver disease. However, patients show considerable variability in treatment responses. Our aim was to identify specific patient, disease or treatment characteristics that predict response in polycystic liver disease during somatostatin analogue therapy.

Methods

We pooled the individual patient data of four trials that evaluated long‐acting somatostatin analogues (120 mg lanreotide or 40 mg octreotide) for 6–12 months in polycystic liver disease patients. We performed uni‐ and multivariate linear regression analysis with preselected patient, disease and drug variables to identify independent predictors of response, defined as per cent change in liver or kidney volume (in ADPKD subgroup). All analyses were adjusted for baseline liver volume and centre.

Results

We included 153 polycystic liver disease patients (86% female, median liver volume 4974 ml) from three international centres, all treated with octreotide (n = 70) or lanreotide (n = 83). Mean reduction in liver volume was 4.4% (range −31.6 to +9.4%). Multivariate linear regression revealed that elevated baseline alkaline phosphatase was associated with increased liver volume reduction during therapy (−2.7%, 95% CI −5.1 to −0.2%, P = 0.04), independently of baseline liver volume. Somatostatin analogue type, underlying diagnosis and eGFR did not affect response. In our ADPKD subpopulation (n = 100), elevated alkaline phosphatase predicted liver volume reduction (−3.2%, P = 0.03) but did not predict kidney volume reduction (+0.1%, P = 0.97). Total gastro‐intestinal symptom severity decreased with therapy in a subgroup analysis (n = 95; P < 0.001).

Conclusion

Alkaline phosphatase is a liver‐specific, independent predictor of response in polycystic liver disease during somatostatin analogue therapy.
Linguistics in a Science Museum: Integrating Research, Teaching, and Outreach at the Language Sciences Research Lab
Authors: Wagner Laura , Speer Shari R. , Moore Leslie C. , McCullough Elizabeth A. , Ito Kiwako , Clopper Cynthia G. , Campbell‐Kibler Kathryn
Published: October 2015

We describe the mission and practices of the Language Sciences Research Lab, a fully functional research lab embedded within a science museum. Within this environment, we integrate cutting‐edge research, formal instruction, informal learning, and outreach to the public so that our work in each domain interacts with and enriches the others. We are guided by core concepts from the field of informal science education, and we strive to inspire excitement and expand both scholarly and public knowledge about the language sciences.
Individual Differences in Language Processing: Electrophysiological Approaches
Authors: Boudewyn Megan A.
Published: October 2015

Language processing is a complex task that requires both specialized cognitive processes (e.g. speech decoding) and more general cognitive processes (e.g. working memory). Research on how individual differences in these processes influence language processing and comprehension has primarily relied on behavioral methods, such as reaction time measures, self‐paced reading, and eye‐tracking. However, a growing number of studies have used electrophysiological (EEG) techniques to study individual differences in language processing. EEG and event‐related potential (ERP) methods provide a unique link between neural activity and cognitive processing and can be used to draw specific inferences about the neural basis of language processing and its variability. The primary goal of this paper is to showcase EEG/ERP studies that have made significant contributions to the study of individual differences in how the brain processes language, over and above what would be possible using behavioral methods alone. A secondary goal of this paper is to highlight several methodological issues specific to research on individual differences in language processing and identify ways in which EEG/ERP studies can take advantage of what has been learned from previous research to minimize these issues.
The salt‐sensitive structure and zinc inhibition of Borrelia burgdorferi protease BbHtrA
Authors: Russell Theresa M. , Tang Xiaoling , Goldstein Jason M. , Bagarozzi Dennis , Johnson Barbara J. B.
Published: October 2015

HtrA serine proteases are highly conserved and essential ATP‐independent proteases with chaperone activity. Bacteria express a variable number of HtrA homologues that contribute to the virulence and pathogenicity of bacterial pathogens. Lyme disease spirochetes possess a single HtrA protease homologue, Borrelia burgdorferi HtrA (BbHtrA). Previous studies established that, like the human orthologue HtrA1, BbHtrA is proteolytically active against numerous extracellular proteins in vitro. In this study, we utilized size exclusion chromatography and blue native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (BN‐PAGE) to demonstrate BbHtrA oligomeric structures that were substrate independent and salt sensitive. Examination of the influence of transition metals on the activity of BbHtrA revealed that this protease is inhibited by Zn2+ > Cu2+ > Mn2+. Extending this analysis to two other HtrA proteases, E. coli DegP and HtrA1, revealed that all three HtrA proteases were reversibly inhibited by ZnCl2 at all micro molar concentrations examined. Commercial inhibitors for HtrA proteases are not available and physiologic HtrA inhibitors are unknown. Our observation of conserved zinc inhibition of HtrA proteases will facilitate structural and functional studies of additional members of this important class of proteases.
Direct and Contextual Influence of Team Conflict on Team Resources, Team Work Engagement, and Team Performance
Authors: Costa Patrícia L. , Passos Ana M. , Bakker Arnold B.
Published: October 2015

This article focuses on team conflict's direct influence on both team work engagement and team performance, as well as on its moderator role in the relationship between team resources and team work engagement and in the relationship between team work engagement and team performance. Data were collected from 82 research teams and team leaders, using electronic questionnaires; data on these teams’ objective performance was also obtained. We found a direct influence of only task conflict on team work engagement. Moderation analysis revealed that relationship conflict weakens the relationship between team resources and team work engagement, whereas task conflict strengthens the relationship between team work engagement and team performance. Therefore, relationship conflict has a detrimental effect for the development of a positive emergent state of work engagement; on the contrary, discussing ideas positively influences the transformation of the team's level of engagement into objective performance.
The effects of high‐intensity interval training on glucose regulation and insulin resistance: a meta‐analysis
Authors: Jelleyman C. , Yates T. , O'Donovan G. , Gray L. J. , King J. A. , Khunti K. , Davies M. J.
Published: October 2015

The aim of this meta‐analysis was to quantify the effects of high‐intensity interval training (HIIT) on markers of glucose regulation and insulin resistance compared with control conditions (CON) or continuous training (CT). Databases were searched for HIIT interventions based upon the inclusion criteria: training ≥2 weeks, adult participants and outcome measurements that included insulin resistance, fasting glucose, HbA1c or fasting insulin. Dual interventions and participants with type 1 diabetes were excluded. Fifty studies were included. There was a reduction in insulin resistance following HIIT compared with both CON and CT (HIIT vs. CON: standardized mean difference [SMD] = −0.49, confidence intervals [CIs] −0.87 to −0.12, P = 0.009; CT: SMD = −0.35, −0.68 to −0.02, P = 0.036). Compared with CON, HbA1c decreased by 0.19% (−0.36 to −0.03, P = 0.021) and body weight decreased by 1.3 kg (−1.9 to −0.7, P < 0.001). There were no statistically significant differences between groups in other outcomes overall. However, participants at risk of or with type 2 diabetes experienced reductions in fasting glucose (−0.92 mmol L−1, −1.22 to −0.62, P < 0.001) compared with CON. HIIT appears effective at improving metabolic health, particularly in those at risk of or with type 2 diabetes. Larger randomized controlled trials of longer duration than those included in this meta‐analysis are required to confirm these results.
Suberythemal Sun Exposures at Swedish Schools Depend on Sky Views of the Outdoor Environments – Possible Implications for Pupils’ Health
Authors: Pagels Peter , Wester Ulf , Söderström Margareta , Lindelöf Bernt , Boldemann Cecilia
Published: October 2015

More scheduled outdoor stay is increasingly advocated for school children. This study measured 2nd, 5th and 8th graders’ erythemal UV‐exposure in September, March and May at four Swedish schools. We related those exposures, as fractions of total available ambient radiation, to the schools outdoor environments differing in amount of shade, vegetation, and peripheral city‐scape quantified as percentage of free sky view calculated from fish‐eye photographs. Exposures correlated with the sky views (with exceptions in May) and were suberythemal. The exposures were also below the threshold limit of the International Commission on Non‐Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) for hazard evaluation of UVR but were potentially enough for adequate vitamin D formation according to a cited model calculation – as illustrated in the results and discussed. The school environments, typical in southern and middle Sweden, offer enough shade to protect children from overexposure during seasons with potentially harmful solar UV radiation. Pupils’ outdoor stay may be extended during September and March. In May extended outdoor stay of the youngest pupils requires a more UVR‐protective environment.
Childhood Respiratory Morbidity after Late Preterm and Early Term Delivery: a Study of Medicaid Patients in South Carolina
Authors: Odibo Imelda N. , Bird T. Mac , McKelvey Samantha S. , Sandlin Adam , Lowery Curtis , Magann E. F.
Published: October 2015

Background

There is a growing body of research documenting an increased risk of neonatal morbidity for late preterm infants (LPI, 340/7 weeks to 366/7 weeks) and early term infants (ETI, 370/7 weeks to 386/7 weeks) compared with term infants (TI, 390/7 to 416/7); however, there has been little research on outcomes beyond the first year of life. In this study, we examined respiratory outcomes of LPI and ETI in early childhood.

Methods

South Carolina Medicaid claims data for maternal delivery and infant birth hospitalisations were linked to vital records data for the years 2000 through 2003. Medicaid claims for all infants were then followed until their fifth birthday or until a break in their eligibility. Infants born between 340/7 and 416/7 weeks were eligible. Infants with congenital anomaly, birthweight below 500 g or above 6000 g, and multiple births were excluded. We fit Cox proportional hazard models from which adjusted hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were derived.

Results

A total of 3476 LPI, 12 398 ETI, and 25 975 term infants were included. Both LPI and ETI were associated with an increased risk for asthma (LPI: HR 1.24, 95% CI 1.10, 1.40; ETI: HR 1.12, 95% CI 1.06, 1.19), and bronchitis (LPI: HR 1.15, 95% CI 1.00, 1.34; ETI: HR 1.13, 95% CI 1.05, 1.2) at 3 to 5 years of age.

Conclusions

Late preterm infants and early term infants are at increased risk for asthma and bronchitis.
Curvilinear shapes and the snake detection hypothesis: An ERP study
Authors: Van Strien Jan W. , Christiaans Gerwin , Franken Ingmar H. A. , Huijding Jorg
Published: October 2015

Consistent with the snake detection hypothesis, previous ERP studies have established a larger early posterior negativity (EPN) in response to pictures depicting snakes than to pictures depicting other creatures. Here, we examined to what extent the curvilinear shape of the snake's body drives the larger EPN. To this end, we employed pictures of threatening and nonthreatening species with or without typical curvature. Participants watched a random rapid serial visual presentation of snake, worm, spider, and beetle pictures. The EPN was scored as the mean activity (225–300 ms after picture onset) at occipital and parieto‐occipital electrodes. Across electrodes, the EPN was significantly larger for snake pictures than for spider, worm, and beetle pictures, and for spider and worm pictures than for beetle pictures. The results suggest that curvilinear body shapes may partly drive the enhanced EPN. However, the unique cortical response to snakes is not fully explained by this mechanism, and is most probably also determined by other threat‐relevant cues.