bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Distributional patterns of Neotropical seasonally dry forest birds: a biogeographical regionalization
Authors: Prieto‐Torres David A. , Rojas‐Soto Octavio R. , Bonaccorso Elisa , Santiago‐Alarcon Diego , Navarro‐Sigüenza Adolfo G.
Published: December 2018

Neotropical seasonally dry forests (NSDFs) are widely distributed and possess high levels of species richness and endemism; however, their biogeography remains only partially understood. Using species distribution modelling and parsimony analysis of endemicity, we analysed the distributional patterns of the NSDF avifauna in order to identify their areas of endemism and provide a better understanding of the historical relationships among those areas. The strict consensus trees revealed 17 areas of endemism for NSDFs, which involve four large regions: Baja California, Caribbean–Antilles islands, Mesoamerica and South America. These well‐resolved clades are circumscribed by geographical and ecological barriers associated with the Gulf of California, the leading edge of the Caribbean plate, the Tehuantepec Isthmus, the Polochic–Motagua fault, the Nicaragua Depression, the Chocó forest, the Amazon basin and the Andean Cordillera. Relationships among groups of NSDFs found here suggest that evolution of their avifauna involved a mixture of vicariance and dispersal events. Our results support the idea of independent diversification patterns and biogeographical processes in each region, including those previously associated with the Pleistocene Arc Hypothesis for NSDFs of south‐eastern South America. This study provides a biogeographical framework to open new lines of research related to the biotic diversification of NSDFs.
Preconditioning of umbilical cord‐derived mesenchymal stem cells by rapamycin increases cell migration and ameliorates liver ischaemia/reperfusion injury in mice via the CXCR4/CXCL12 axis
Authors: Zheng Jun , Li Hui , He Liying , Huang Yiming , Cai Jianye , Chen Liang , Zhou Chaorong , Fu Hongyuan , Lu Tongyu , Zhang Yingcai , Yao Jia , Yang Yang
Published: December 2018

Objectives

Transfusion of umbilical cord‐derived mesenchymal stem cells (UC‐MSCs) is a novel strategy for treatment of various liver diseases. However, the therapeutic effect of UC‐MSCs is limited because only a few UC‐MSCs migrate towards the damaged regions. In this study, we observed the effects of autophagy on the migration of UC‐MSCs in vitro and in a model of liver ischaemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury.

Materials and Methods

We investigated the effects of autophagy on the status of the cell, release of anti‐inflammatory factors and migration of UC‐MSCs in vitro. The therapeutic effects and in vivo migration of rapamycin‐preconditioned UC‐MSCs were observed in a C57/B6 mouse model of liver I/R injury.

Results

Induction of autophagy by rapamycin enhanced the ability of UC‐MSCs to migrate and release anti‐inflammatory cytokines as well as increased expression of CXCR4 without affecting cell viability. Inhibition of CXCR4 activation markedly decreased migration of these cells. In a mouse model of liver I/R injury, we found significantly upregulated expression of CXCR12 in the damaged liver. More rapamycin‐preconditioned UC‐MSCs migrated towards the ischaemic regions than 3‐methyladenine‐preconditioned or non‐preconditioned UC‐MSCs, leading to improvement in hepatic performance, pathological changes and levels of inflammatory cytokines. These effects were abolished by AMD3100.

Conclusions

Preconditioning of UC‐MSCs by rapamycin afforded increased protection against liver I/R injury by enhancing immunosuppression and strengthening the homing and migratory capacity of these cells via the CXCR4/CXCL12 axis.
Nomenklatur der kutanen Vaskulitiden – deutschsprachige Definitionen des Dermatologischen Anhanges zur Chapel Hill Consensus Conference
Authors: Sunderkötter Cord , Lamprecht Peter , Mahr Alfred , Metze Dieter , Zelger Bernhard
Published: December 2018

Für die Nomenklatur der Vaskulitiden, also für die Bezeichnungen der einzelnen Formen der Vaskulitis und ihre Definitionen, hat sich das System der Chapel Hill Consensus Conference (CHCC) interdisziplinär und international durchgesetzt. Da das System keine Details der Gefäßentzündungen an der Haut beinhaltete, ist es kürzlich um einen Zusatz ergänzt worden, der die Nomenklatur der kutanen Vaskulitiden enthält.

Mit diesem Artikel legen wir eine deutsche Übersetzung der Begriffe und einzelne Erläuterungen vor. Auf diese Weise sollen die auf interdisziplinärem Konsensus beruhenden Definitionen von deutschsprachigem medizinischen Personal besser im klinischen Alltag angewendet und auf ihre Praktikabilität geprüft werden können.

Wenn sich ein Großteil der kutanen Vaskulitiden, die bei Patienten diagnostiziert werden, den Definitionen zuordnen lässt, kann als nächstes damit begonnen werden, unter Verwendung einschlägiger Methoden eine Klassifikation der kutanen Vaskulitiden und diagnostische Algorithmen zu entwickeln.
Complex elevational shifts in a tropical lowland moth community following a decade of climate change
Authors: Cheng Wenda , Kendrick Roger C. , Guo Fengyi , Xing Shuang , Tingley Morgan W. , Bonebrake Timothy C.
Published: December 2018

Aim

Climate change is driving many species towards higher latitudes and higher elevations. However, empirical studies documenting these changes have largely focused on presence/absence based range shifts in temperate regions. Studies in lowland tropical ecosystems that control for detection probabilities are especially lacking.

Location

Hong Kong SAR, China.

Methods

By analysing a 15‐year trapping dataset of geometrid moths along a lowland elevation gradient (0–600 m) in Hong Kong, we used multiple metrics and approaches to estimate occurrence shifts with elevation, changes to range limits, and community‐wide shifts in elevation. Our approaches used Bayesian occupancy models to account for false absences, which may bias naïve measures of range shifts over time.

Results

Over the study period, we detected only subtle changes in forest cover but a notable increase in maximum temperatures (~0.5°C per decade) and extreme weather events. Of geometrid moths, one out of the 123 examined species exhibited increased occurrence probabilities across all elevations after accounting for uncertainty in detection; all other species exhibited no significant change in occupancy with elevation. However, at least two species became newly established in Hong Kong over the decade, and 32 species showed significant elevational shifts in lower or upper range limits. At the community level, geometrid moths showed a noticeable upslope shift at all but one of the examined sites.

Main conclusions

The complex patterns observed highlight the difficulties and limitations in detecting climate change impacts on diverse tropical communities. Our conservative results indicate early responses of tropical species over a relatively short timespan to a decade of environmental change, and the necessity of long‐term monitoring for providing insights into the management and conservation of vulnerable species.
Spatial conservation prioritization for the East Asian islands: A balanced representation of multitaxon biogeography in a protected area network
Authors: Lehtomäki Joona , Kusumoto Buntarou , Shiono Takayuki , Tanaka Takayuki , Kubota Yasuhiro , Moilanen Atte
Published: December 2018

Aim

On the basis of multitaxon biogeographical processes related to region‐specific geohistory and palaeoclimate, we identified a balanced and area‐effective protected area network (PAN) expansion in the East Asian islands, a global biodiversity hotspot.

Location

Japanese archipelago, Ryukyu archipelago and Izu‐Bonin oceanic islands.

Methods

We modelled the distributions of 6,325 species (amphibians, birds, freshwater fish, mammals, plants and reptiles) using 4,389,489 occurrence data points. We then applied the Zonation software for spatial conservation prioritization. First, we identified environmental drivers underpinning taxon‐specific biodiversity patterns. Second, we analysed each taxon individually to understand baseline priority patterns. Third, we combined all taxa into an inclusive analysis to identify the most important PAN expansions.

Results

Biodiversity patterns were well explained by geographical factors (climate, habitat stability, isolation and area), but their explanatory power differed between the taxa. There was remarkably little overlap between priority areas for the individual higher taxa. The inclusive prioritization analysis across all taxa identified priority regions, in particular in southern subtropical and mountainous areas. Expanding the PAN up to 17% would cover most of the ranges for rare and/or restricted‐range species. On average, approximately 30% of the ranges of all species could be covered by the 17% expansion identified here.

Main conclusions

Our analyses identified top candidates for the expansion of Japan's protected area network. Taxon‐specific prioritization was informative for understanding the conservation priority patterns of different taxa associated with unique biogeographical processes. For the basis of PAN expansion, we recommend multi‐taxon prioritization as an area‐efficient compromise that reflects taxon‐specific priority patterns. Spatial prioritization across multiple taxa provides a promising start for the development of conservation plans with the aim of long‐term persistence of biodiversity on the East Asian islands.
Cardiac metabolic modulation upon low‐carbohydrate low‐protein ketogenic diet in diabetic rats studied in vivo using hyperpolarized 13C pyruvate, butyrate and acetoacetate probes
Authors: Abdurrachim Desiree , Teo Xing Qi , Woo Chern Chiuh , Ong Sing Yee , Salleh Nurul Farhana , Lalic Janise , Tan Ru‐San , Lee Philip Teck Hock
Published: December 2018

Aim

To investigate the effects of long‐term low‐carbohydrate low‐protein ketogenic diet (KD) on cardiac metabolism and diabetic cardiomyopathy status in lean diabetic Goto‐Kakizaki (GK) rats.

Materials and Methods

Diabetic GK rats were fed with KD for 62 weeks. Cardiac function and metabolism were assessed using magnetic resonance imaging and 13C magnetic resonance spectroscopy (13C‐MRS), at rest and under dobutamine stress. 13C‐MRS was performed following injection of hyperpolarized [3‐13C]acetoacetate, [1‐13C]butyrate or [1‐13C]pyruvate to assess ketone body, short‐chain fatty acid or glucose utilization, respectively. Protein expression and cardiomyocyte structure were determined via Western blotting and histology, respectively.

Results

KD lowered blood glucose, triglyceride and insulin levels while increasing blood ketone body levels. In KD‐fed diabetic rats, myocardial ketone body and glucose oxidation were lower than in chow‐fed diabetic rats, while myocardial glycolysis and short‐chain fatty acid oxidation were unaltered. Dobutamine stress revealed an increased cardiac preload and reduced cardiac compliance in KD‐fed diabetic rats. Dobutamine‐induced stimulation of myocardial glycolysis was more enhanced in KD‐fed diabetic rats than in chow‐fed diabetic rats, which was potentially facilitated via an upregulation in basal expression of proteins involved in glucose transport and glycolysis in the hearts of KD‐fed rats. The metabolic profile induced by KD was accompanied by cardiac hypertrophy, a trend for increased myocardial lipid and collagen content, and an increased marker of oxidative stress.

Conclusion

KD seems to exacerbate diabetic cardiomyopathy in GK rats, which may be associated with maladaptive cardiac metabolic modulation and lipotoxicity.
The use of data mining to classify Carménère and Merlot wines from Chile
Authors: da Costa Nattane Luíza , Llobodanin Laura Andrea García , Castro Inar Alves , Barbosa Rommel
Published: December 2018

The identity of the Carménère variety was lost in Chile and regarded as a Merlot grape. This grape disappeared in Bordeaux, France, the country of origin of the grape, because of the phylloxera plague. In the present paper, a study on the classification of Chilean Carménère and Merlot wine samples based on chemical parameters was carried out. A total of 64 samples were analysed, and 20 chemical parameters were determined. Forty‐five samples were labelled as “Carménère” and 19 samples as “Merlot” according to the wine label. The samples were preprocessed with sampling algorithms to double the number of Merlot samples to 38 and reduce the Carménère samples to 38. The dataset was analysed with the data mining techniques support vector machines and correlation‐based feature selection. The capability of classifying the samples with all 20 chemical parameters was 86.8% accurate, and when using only the variables a*, total anthocyanins, cyan‐3‐glu, malv‐3‐acetylglu, peon‐3‐acetylglu, and vitisin A, which were selected through correlation‐based feature selection, accuracy increased to 93.4%. Therefore, wine anthocyanins and the parameter a* of wine colour proved useful to discriminate the wines.
Diurnal variation in freshwater ecoacoustics: Implications for site‐level sampling design
Authors: Linke Simon , Decker Emilia , Gifford Toby , Desjonquères Camille
Published: December 2018

Ecoacoustic methods are increasingly used to monitor the state of populations and ecosystems. In freshwater environments, they present the clear advantages of being non‐invasive, reducing bias, and providing continuous observations instead of only limited sampling snapshots in time. However, similar to standard bioassessment methods, temporal variation and choice of indicators can greatly influence ecoacoustic assessments, highlighting the importance of sampling and analysis design.

In this study, we quantified diurnal variation in underwater sound and its effect on sampling regimes for two waterholes in the Einasleigh River, Northern Australia. Recording continuously for 6 days, and subsampling 5 s every 10 min, we found 22 distinct sounds that were emitted by fish, Hemiptera and Coleoptera as well as another 22 of abiotic or unknown origin.

Through rarefaction analyses, we found that subsampling the data to 60% of the recorded sound events resulted in capture of most of the 44 identified sound types. Temporal heterogeneity—patchy sound events through time—needs to be considered when maximising detected sound events. Reducing the sampling interval from every 10 min to half‐hourly or hourly had a much greater effect on capturing all sound types compared to the number of days recorded or the length of the recording. Overall, only 10–20% of the sound events need to be annotated for most sound types to be described; for example, restricting analysis of the days recorded to only three and the recording interval to 0.5–1 s. Acoustic indices were dominated by three main event types—a diurnally flowing creek, a nocturnal chorus of Hemiptera, as well as a dawn chorus of terapontid fishes.

We conclude with two key messages: First, a select group of informative signals can be monitored using very simple methods—namely, converting an audio stream into indices using freely available software. Second, however, to detect less acoustically dominant sound events, manual annotation or single call processing will still be needed. While these findings are encouraging, similar analysis will need to be conducted within other freshwater ecosystems before general conclusions about optimal sampling regimes can be drawn.
Accelerated pseudogenization of trace amine‐associated receptor genes in primates
Authors: Eyun Seong‐il
Published: December 2018

Trace amines (TAs) in the mammalian brain have been investigated for four decades. Trace amine‐associated receptors (TAARs) were discovered during the search for receptors activated by TAs. TAARs are considered a second class of vertebrate olfactory receptors and successfully proliferated in conjunction with adaptation to living on the ground to detect carnivore odors. Thus, therian mammals have a high number of TAAR genes due to rapid species‐specific gene duplications. In primate lineages, however, their genomes have significantly smaller numbers of TAAR genes than do other mammals. To elucidate the evolutionary force driving these patterns, exhaustive data mining of TAAR genes was performed for 13 primate genomes (covering all four infraorders) and two nonprimate euarchontan genomes. This study identified a large number of pseudogenes in many of these primate genomes and thus investigated the pseudogenization event process for the TAAR repertoires. The degeneration of TAARs is likely associated with arboreal inhabitants reducing their exposure to carnivores, and this was accelerated by the change in the nose shape of haplorhines after their divergence from strepsirrhines. Arboreal life may have decreased the reliance on the chemosensing of predators, suggestive of leading to the depauperation of TAAR subfamilies. The evolutionary deterioration of TAARs in primates has been reestablished in recently derived primates due to high selection pressure and probably functional diversity.
THE COMPOSITOR'S REVERSAL: TYPOGRAPHY, SCIENCE, AND CREATION IN POE'S NARRATIVE OF ARTHUR GORDON PYM
Authors: TRESCH JOHN
Published: December 2018

Known for his tales of mystery and horror, Edgar Allan Poe (1809–49) was a meticulous, self‐conscious literary craftsman. He was also skilled in the methods of science, engineering, and typesetting. Poe's writing reflected on printed letters’ aesthetic effects, their ability to direct and divert meaning, and their power to build and alter worlds. In the printer's office, a limited set of material elements was manipulated to assemble infinite combinations; lining up letters in the composing stick in reverse, compositors had to arrange and read type backwards. The mirrors, doubles, and “weird symmetry” that structure Poe's plots and his theory of the universe can be traced back to these central facts of nineteenth‐century typography. In his only completed novel, The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket—a broad canvas on which he worked out strategies later deployed in more concentrated works—typography was a crucial site for the conversions and exchanges between spirit and matter. Forging connections between the material and imaginative practice of “composition” and the cosmological uncertainties of the antebellum US, Poe's meditations on the transmutations effected by type linked literary invention, technical construction, and divine creation.
REFLECTIONS ON TEMPORAL PERSPECTIVE: THE USE AND ABUSE OF HINDSIGHT
Authors: CARR DAVID
Published: December 2018

In this article I focus on the temporal aspects of the historian's situation: being in the present and representing the past. Writing is a time‐bound process. It is in this context that the notion of temporal perspective arises. What follows is a series of reflections, variations on the theme, perhaps, of temporal perspective as it figures in historical writing. The concept of hindsight figures prominently in these reflections. I also deal with examples of superimposed chronology that sometimes result from temporal perspective. My reflections avoid grand conclusions about time and history. I hope they may instead cast some modest light on the issues.
SHADOW AND IMPRESS: ETHNOGRAPHY, FILM, AND THE TASK OF WRITING HISTORY IN THE SPACE OF SOUTH AFRICA'S DEINDUSTRIALIZATION
Authors: MORRIS ROSALIND C.
Published: December 2018

The historiography of natural‐resource extraction, especially in colonial contexts, is often torn between two temptations: to represent these histories in narratives commencing with discovery, and thus rupture; or to render them in tales of continuity and thus an identity that transcends history. In the increasingly common scenarios of deindustrialization, these twin temptations are sutured together via the figure of return. Thus, accounts of postindustrial life often construe it as a return to forms of life that preceded capital‐intensive industrial practice, and are written in the idiom of the “artisanal.” In doing so, they mistake a mere form of appearance, which is to say an image of the past, for its repetition, effacing the degree to which the materialities of industrialization shape, as both shadow and impress, the corporeal gestures and unconscious habits of those who inhabit its ruins. At the same time, and in an era of memory studies, truth commissions, and heritage projects, people who inhabit the spaces of deindustrialization often believe that they can survive the destruction of their life‐worlds only by giving themselves to be seen in the form of an image that resembles the past, and in a museological register. In this essay, based on two decades of field research in the areas of deep‐level mining in South Africa, and an ongoing documentary film project with informal migrant miners called zama‐zamas, I attempt to find another form and method for producing a historical and dialectical anthropological understanding of postindustrial life. The essay is an experiment in narrative that attempts to redeem a photographic and cinematographic tradition that is often culpable of reproducing the above‐named temptations. The essay thus weaves together forms of the close‐up—a gesture that seeks to get hold of history by means of an image—with contemplative reflections based in the temporally extended accounts of those who inhabit the ruins of deep‐level gold mines. In so doing, I propose a means of rethinking historiographical practice in the context of an always already vanishing present.
Climatic niche of the Saker FalconFalco cherrug: predicted new areas to direct population surveys in Central Asia
Authors: Sutton Luke J. , Puschendorf Robert
Published: December 2018

Accurate species distribution data across remote and extensive geographical areas are difficult to obtain. Here, we use bioclimatic envelope models to determine climatic constraints on the distribution of the migratory Saker FalconFalco cherrugto identify areas in data‐deficient regions that may contain unidentified populations. Sakers live at low densities across large ranges in remote regions, making distribution status difficult to assess. Using presence‐background data and eight bioclimatic variables within a species distribution modelling framework, we applied MaxEnt to construct models for both breeding and wintering ranges. Occurrence data were spatially filtered and climatic variables tested for multicollinearity before selecting best fit models using the Akaike information criterion by tuning MaxEnt parameters. Model predictive performance tested using the continuous Boyce index (B) was high for both breeding (BTEST = 0.921) and wintering models (BTEST = 0.735), with low omission rates and minimal overfitting. The Saker climatic niche was defined by precipitation in the warmest quarter in the breeding range model, and mean temperature in the wettest quarter in the wintering range model. Our models accurately predicted areas of highest climate suitability and defined the climatic constraints on a wide‐ranging rare species, suggesting that climate is a key determinant of Saker distribution across macro‐scales. We recommend targeted population surveys for the Saker based on model predictions to areas of highest climatic suitability in key regions with distribution knowledge gaps, in particular the Qinghai‐Tibet plateau in western China. Further applications of our models could identify protected areas and reintroduction sites, inform development conflicts, and assess the impact of climate change on distributions.
Initial evidence for hypothalamic gliosis in children with obesity by quantitative T2 MRI and implications for blood oxygen‐level dependent response to glucose ingestion
Authors: Sewaybricker Leticia E. , Schur Ellen A. , Melhorn Susan J. , Campos Brunno M. , Askren Mary K. , Nogueira Guilherme A. S. , Zambon Mariana P. , Antonio Maria Angela R. G. M. , Cendes Fernando , Velloso Licio A. , Guerra‐Junior Gil
Published: December 2018

Objective

In adults, hypothalamic gliosis has been documented using quantitative T2 neuroimaging, whereas functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has shown a defective hypothalamic response to nutrients. No studies have yet evaluated these hypothalamic abnormalities in children with obesity.

Methods

Children with obesity and lean controls underwent quantitative MRI measuring T2 relaxation time, along with continuous hypothalamic fMRI acquisition to evaluate early response to glucose ingestion.

Results

Children with obesity (N = 11) had longer T2 relaxation times, consistent with gliosis, in the mediobasal hypothalamus (MBH) compared to controls (N = 9; P = 0.004). Moreover, there was a highly significant group*region interaction (P = 0.002), demonstrating that signs of gliosis were specific to MBH and not to reference regions. Longer T2 relaxation times correlated with measures of higher adiposity, including visceral fat percentage (P = 0.01). Mean glucose‐induced hypothalamic blood oxygen‐level dependent signal change did not differ between groups (P = 0.11). However, mean left MBH T2 relaxation time negatively correlated with glucose‐induced hypothalamic signal change (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

Imaging signs of hypothalamic gliosis were present in children with obesity and positively associated with more severe adiposity. Children with the strongest evidence for gliosis showed the least activation after glucose ingestion. These initial findings suggest that the hypothalamus is both structurally and functionally affected in childhood obesity.
Communicating the validity of structured job interviews with graphical visual aids
Authors: Zhang Don C. , Highhouse Scott , Brooks Margaret E. , Zhang Yuyan
Published: December 2018

The structured job interview is often resisted by human resource (HR) professionals despite its superior predictive validity compared to the traditional unstructured interview. However, HR professionals may underestimate the utility of structured interviews because of how validity information is presented. Three online experiments with MTurk samples were conducted to examine the effect of statistical visual aids (Binomial effect size display; expectancy chart; icon array) on people's perceived usefulness of validity information and intentions toward using the structured interview. Results showed that graphical visual aids (expectancy chart and icon array) were perceived as more useful for communicating validity evidence than a nongraphical effect size display. People also judged the structured interview as more useful and were more willing to use it when validity evidence was presented graphically. Individual differences in graph literacy and nationality were also examined.
An Ideal Student Factor and the validity of noncognitive measures of student potential
Authors: Schmitt Neal , Bradburn Jacob C.
Published: December 2018

The presence of a general factor has been found in previous research on the utilization of personality tests in selection contexts. Termed the Ideal Employee Factor (IEF), this factor is thought to represent an effort to present oneself as an ideal employee to some degree on all items in the test. Examining the responses to biodata and situational judgment items, we provide evidence for the existence of a factor similar to the IEF within the college admissions context, termed the Ideal Student Factor (ISF), but the magnitude of this factor relative to specific factors was small. Mixed support was found for the hypothesized differences in the factor loadings on the ISF for different constructs included in the model. The presence of the ISF was not found to substantially impact the validity of other predictors within this study. The overall conclusion is that this general factor would not impact the use of these biodata and situational judgment items in college admissions.
Enhanced dielectric and microwave absorption properties of LiCoO2 powders by magnesium doping in the X‐band
Authors: Yang Minghao , Zhou Wancheng , Luo Fa , Zhu Dongmei
Published: December 2018

The solid‐state reaction was adopted to prepare a series of LiCo1−xMgxO2 powders doped with different amount of Mg2+. The XRD patterns reveal single phase for all the prepared materials. The shift of the electronic structure of LiCo1−xMgxO2 has been investigated by X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy to confirm the single phase for material. Influence of dopant amount on the electromagnetic properties of LiCoO2 powders was analyzed. The dielectric and the microwave absorption properties were evaluated. Results showed that with the increase in Mg the complex permittivity decreased after increasing. Maximum values of both real part (ε′ = 16.2 at 8.2 GHz) and imaginary part (ε″ = 4.1 at 8.2 GHz) were obtained for x = 0.06. Monolayer absorbent containing 75 wt% LiCo0.94Mg0.06O2 had the peak microwave absorption properties in a thickness of 2.1 mm. The available bandwidth (<−10 dB) was obtained in 8.4‐10.2 GHz and the minimum reflection loss was −50.4 dB, which indicated that LiCo1−xMgxO2 powders would be potential materials as microwave absorption.
Psychosocial interventions for pain management in older adults with dementia: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Pu Lihui , Moyle Wendy , Jones Cindy , Todorovic Michael
Published: December 2018

Aim

To assess the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions on pain in older adults living with dementia.

Design

A systematic review with meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Data sources

Scopus, ProQuest, EBSCO (CINAHL and MEDLINE), PubMed, OVID (PsycINFO), Web of Science, and Cochrane Library were searched from their inception up to 2 May 2018.

Review Methods

Risk of bias assessment and meta‐analysis were conducted according to the Cochrane methods using RevMan 5.3 and findings were generated using the GRADE profiler software.

Results

Eight studies met the inclusion criteria, but the quality of the current evidence was low to moderate. Results showed that psychosocial interventions significantly reduced the observational pain score and pain medication. Subgroup analyses indicated that sensory stimulation and individual interventions showed a reduction in observational pain in people with dementia.

Conclusion

Findings suggest that psychosocial interventions may be potentially effective alternatives for pain management in people with dementia. However, caution is needed in interpreting these results due to limited studies, risk of bias and heterogeneity across studies. Furthermore, well‐designed research is needed on psychosocial interventions to strengthen quality of pain management in people with dementia.

Impact

This review synthesized current evidence using psychosocial interventions to manage pain in people with dementia. Findings suggest that psychosocial interventions may lead to a potential reduction in pain and pain medication in people with dementia. Healthcare providers may wish to integrate psychosocial interventions as part of the multimodal approach to the management of pain in people living with dementia.
Ipragliflozin, a sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitor, reduces bodyweight and fat mass, but not muscle mass, in Japanese type 2 diabetes patients treated with insulin: A randomized clinical trial
Authors: Inoue Hideka , Morino Katsutaro , Ugi Satoshi , Tanaka‐Mizuno Sachiko , Fuse Keiko , Miyazawa Itsuko , Kondo Keiko , Sato Daisuke , Ohashi Natsuko , Ida Shogo , Sekine Osamu , Yoshimura Masahiro , Murata Kiyoshi , Miura Katsuyuki , Arima Hisatomi , Maegawa Hiroshi ,   the SUMS‐ADDIT‐1 Research group
Published: December 2018

Aims/Introduction

Sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors reduce bodyweight (BW) by creating a negative energy balance. Previous reports have suggested that this BW reduction is mainly loss of body fat and that ~20% of the reduction is lean mass. However, the effects of sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors on BW and body composition remain unclear. We examined these effects in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus treated with insulin.

Materials and Methods

In this open‐label, randomized controlled trial, 49 overweight patients (body mass index ≥23 kg/m2) with inadequate glycemic control (hemoglobin A1c >7.0%) receiving insulin treatment were randomly assigned to receive add‐on ipragliflozin or no additional treatment (control group). Patients were followed for 24 weeks. The goal for all patients was to achieve glycated hemoglobin <7.0% without hypoglycemia. The primary end‐point was a change in BW from baseline to week 24. Body composition was assessed with dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry and bioelectrical impedance analysis.

Results

BW change was significantly larger in the ipragliflozin group than in the control group (−2.78 vs −0.22 kg, P < 0.0001). Total fat mass was reduced evenly in the arms, lower limbs and trunk in the ipragliflozin group. Total muscle mass and bone mineral content were maintained, but muscle mass in the arms might have been affected by ipragliflozin treatment.

Conclusions

Ipragliflozin treatment for 24 weeks resulted in reduced BW, mainly from fat mass loss. Muscle mass and bone mineral content were maintained. Further study is necessary to elucidate the long‐term effects of ipragliflozin.
The Evolution, Status, and Research Agenda for the Future of Research in NPD Cycle Time
Authors: Griffin Abbie , Langerak Fred , Eling Katrin
Published: December 2018

See virtual issue: NPD Cycle Time
Laboratory captivity can affect scores of metabolic rates and activity in wild brown trout
Authors: Závorka L. , Brijs J. , Wengström N. , Wallerius M. L. , Näslund J. , Koeck B. , Aldvén D. , Lassus R. , Höjesjö J. , Johnsson J. I. , Cucherousset J.
Published: December 2018

Phenotypic scoring of wild animals under standardized laboratory conditions is important as it allows field ecologists and evolutionary biologists to understand the development and maintenance of interindividual differences in plastic traits (e.g. behaviour and physiology). However, captivity is associated with a shift from a natural familiar environment to an unfamiliar and artificial environment, which may affect estimates of plastic phenotypic traits. In this study, we tested how previous experience with laboratory environments and time spent in captivity affects behavioural (i.e. activity) and metabolic (i.e. standard and maximum metabolic rates) scoring of our model species, wild brown trout Salmo trutta. We found that individuals with previous experience of laboratory captivity (10.5 months earlier) showed higher activity in an open field test than individuals with no prior experience of laboratory captivity. Previous experience with captivity had no significant effect on metabolic rates. However, metabolic rates seemed to increase with increasing time spent in captivity prior to the collection of measurements. Although there are benefits of keeping wild animals in captivity prior to scoring, our results suggest that while allowing for sufficient acclimatization researchers should aim at minimizing time in captivity of wild animals to increase accuracy and ecological relevance of the scoring of plastic phenotypic traits.
The Prevalence of Educational Neuromyths Among Pre‐Service Special Education Teachers
Authors: Ruhaak Amy E. , Cook Bryan G.
Published: December 2018

Educational neuromyths are commonly accepted, erroneous beliefs based on misunderstandings of neuroscience that contribute to pseudoscientific practice within education. We examined the beliefs and perspectives of special education pre‐service teachers related to educational neuromyths and corresponding instructional practices using a mixed‐methods design. Data from survey (n = 129) and interview participants (n = 6) indicate misperceptions of neuromyths and gaps in general knowledge of the brain, learning, and behavior. Participants who accurately identified neuromyths indicated they were more likely to implement effective instructional practices, and findings indicated a small, positive correlation between education coursework and accurate identification of neuromyths. Qualitative findings suggest participants are confused by the terminology surrounding educational neuromyths and do not know how to identify pseudoscientific neuromyth‐based practices. Recommendations for addressing the proliferation of neuromyths are provided.
Zernike‐moment measurement of thin‐crack width in images enabled by dual‐scale deep learning
Authors: Ni FuTao , Zhang Jian , Chen ZhiQiang
Published: December 2018

Although crack inspection is a routine practice in civil infrastructure management (especially for highway bridge structures), it is time‐consuming and safety‐concerning to trained engineers and costly to the stakeholders. To automate this in the near future, the algorithmic challenge at the onset is to detect and localize cracks in imagery data with complex scenes. The rise of deep learning (DL) sheds light on overcoming this challenge through learning from imagery big data. However, how to exploit DL techniques is yet to be fully explored. One primary component of practical crack inspection is that it is not merely detection via visual recognition. To evaluate the potential risk of structural failure, it entails quantitative characterization, which usually includes crack width measurement. To further facilitate the automation of machine‐vision‐based concrete crack inspection, this article proposes a DL‐enabled quantitative crack width measurement method. In the detection and mapping phase, dual‐scale convolutional neural networks are designed to detect cracks in complex scene images with validated high accuracy. Subsequently, a novel crack width estimation method based on the use of Zernike moment operator is further developed for thin cracks. The experimental results based on a laboratory loading test agree well with the direct measurements, which substantiates the effectiveness of the proposed method for quantitative crack detection.
Allocation of deceased donor kidneys: A review of international practices
Authors: Lee Darren , Kanellis John , Mulley William R
Published: December 2018

The demand for kidney transplantation continues to exceed the availability of deceased donor kidneys. Balancing the overarching principles of the optimal use of (utility) and equal access to (equity) this scarce resource requires a sophisticated allocation system. This review will examine how various factors are addressed in allocation systems around the world to strike a balance between utility and equity.
Same day versus next day antroduodenal manometry results in children with upper gastrointestinal symptoms: A prospective study
Authors: Arbizu Ricardo A. , Nurko Samuel , Heinz Nicole , Amicangelo Maureen , Rodriguez Leonel
Published: December 2018

Background

We evaluated the changes in antroduodenal manometry (ADM) parameters and interpretation when the test is performed the day of catheter placement and the following day.

Methods

Catheter was placed endoscopically under anesthesia and recorded on day 1 and repeated on day 2. Study parameters including antrum and small bowel motility index (MI) during fasting, meal, postprandial, erythromycin (EES), and octreotide (OCT) challenge phases, the presence of the phase III of the migrating motor complex (MMC), visual postprandial response, and study interpretation were compared between both days.

Key Results

Twenty patients were studied. Antrum and small bowel MI during fasting, postprandial, and EES challenge phases were significantly higher on day 2 than on day 1 (P < 0.05). The proportion of patients having a phase III of the MMC was significantly higher on day 2 compared to day 1 (65% vs 15%;P = 0.006). Study interpretation changed from day 1 to day 2. On day 1, 70% of the patients had a normal study and 30% had an abnormal study. On day 2, 67% of the patients with an abnormal study on day 1 changed to normal and 33% remained abnormal. All patients with a normal study on day 1 remained normal on day 2.

Conclusions and Inferences

ADM parameters are affected the day of catheter placement. The MI and presence of the phase III of the MMC were significantly higher on day 2 compared to day 1. Overall, ADM study interpretation changed from day 1 to day 2 in 20% of the patients.
Acute Toxoplasma gondii infection alters the number of neurons and the proportion of enteric glial cells in the duodenum in Wistar rats
Authors: Trevizan Aline Rosa , Schneider Larissa Carla Lauer , Araújo Eduardo José de Almeida , Garcia João Luis , Buttow Nilza C. , Nogueira‐Melo Gessilda de Alcântara , Sant'Ana Débora de Mello Gonçales
Published: December 2018

Background

Toxoplasma gondii infection can occur through the ingestion of raw meat that contains tissue cysts or food that contains oocysts. Through the ingestion of oocysts, the parasite crosses the intestinal barrier, where the enteric nervous system is located. The objective was to investigate the kinetics of neuronal and glial responses during acute T. gondii infection.

Methods

We used 45 Wistar rats that were divided into a control group and infected groups that were evaluated at 6, 12, 24, 48, 72 hours, 7 days, 10 days, and 15 days after infection. The rats received 5000 sporulated oocysts of the parasite orally. To detect neurons and enteric glia cells, the myenteric and submucosal plexuses of the duodenum underwent double‐labeling immunohistochemical techniques to evaluate HuC/HuD and S100, HuC/HuD and ChAT, and HuC/HuD and nNOS.

Key Results

We observed a reduction of the total neuron population in the submucosal plexus 72 hours after infection. Cholinergic neurons decreased in the submucosal plexus 15 days after infection, and nitrergic neurons decreased in the myenteric plexus 72 hours after infection. A decrease in the number of glial cells was observed 7 days after infection in the submucosal plexus, and an increase in the enteric glial cell (EGC)/neuron ratio was found in both plexuses 48 hours after infection.

Conclusions and Inferences

We found decrease of neurons and increase in the EGC/neuron ratio in both plexuses caused by acute T. gondii infection, with major alterations 72 hours after oral infection.

The number of cholinergic neurons decreased in the submucosal plexus, and the number of nitrergic neurons decreased in the myenteric plexus.

A decrease in the number of enteric glial cells was observed in the submucosal plexus, and an increase in the enteric glial cell/neuron ratio was observed in both ganglionate plexuses of the duodenum.
A small cysteine‐rich protein from two kingdoms of microbes is recognized as a novel pathogen‐associated molecular pattern
Authors: Nie Jiajun , Yin Zhiyuan , Li Zhengpeng , Wu Yuxing , Huang Lili
Published: December 2018

Pathogen‐associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) are conserved molecules that are crucial for normal life cycle of microorganisms. However, the diversity of microbial PAMPs is little known. During screening of cell‐death‐inducing factors from the necrotrophic fungus Valsa mali, we identified a novel PAMP VmE02 that is widely spread in oomycetes and fungi.

Agrobacterium tumefaciens‐mediated transient expression or infiltration of recombinant protein produced by Escherichia coli was performed to assay elicitor activity of the proteins tested. Virus‐induced gene silencing in Nicotiana benthamiana was used to determine the components involved in VmE02‐triggered cell death. The role of VmE02 in virulence and conidiation of V. mali were characterized by gene deletion and complementation.

We found that VmE02, together with some of its homologues from both oomycete and fungal species, exhibited cell‐death‐inducing activity in N. benthamiana. VmE02‐triggered cell death was shown to be dependent on BRI1‐ASSOCIATED KINASE‐1, SUPPRESSOR OF BIR1‐1, HSP90 and SGT1 in N. benthamiana. Deletion of VmE02 in V. mali greatly attenuated pathogen conidiation but not virulence, and treatment of N. benthamiana with VmE02 enhances plant resistance to Sclerotinia sclerotiorum and Phytophthora capsici.

We conclude that VmE02 is a novel cross‐kingdom PAMP produced by several fungi and oomycetes.
Global Succulent Biome phylogenetic conservatism across the pantropical Caesalpinia Group (Leguminosae)
Authors: Gagnon Edeline , Ringelberg Jens J. , Bruneau Anne , Lewis Gwilym P. , Hughes Colin E.
Published: December 2018

The extent to which phylogenetic biome conservatism vs biome shifting determines global patterns of biodiversity remains poorly understood. To address this question, we investigated the biogeography and trajectories of biome and growth form evolution across the Caesalpinia Group (Leguminosae), a clade of 225 species of trees, shrubs and lianas distributed across the Rainforest, Succulent, Temperate and Savanna Biomes. We focused especially on the little‐known Succulent Biome, an assemblage of succulent‐rich, grass‐poor, seasonally dry tropical vegetation distributed disjunctly across the Neotropics, Africa, Arabia and Madagascar.

We reconstructed a time‐calibrated phylogeny, assembled species occurrence data and assigned species to areas, biomes and growth forms. These data are used to estimate the frequency of transcontinental disjunctions, biome shifts and evolutionary transitions between growth forms and test for phylogenetic biome conservatism and correlated evolution of growth forms and biome shifts.

We uncovered a pattern of strong phylogenetic Succulent Biome conservatism. We showed that transcontinental disjunctions confined within the Succulent Biome are frequent and that biome shifts to the Savanna, Rainforest and Temperate Biomes are infrequent and closely associated with shifts in plant growth forms.

Our results suggest that the Succulent Biome comprises an ecologically constrained evolutionary arena spanning large geographical disjunctions across the tropics.
Grey matter alterations in obesity: A meta‐analysis of whole‐brain studies
Authors: Herrmann Martin J. , Tesar Ann‐Katrin , Beier Jennifer , Berg Max , Warrings Bodo
Published: December 2018

Obesity is a major problem in the modern world causing a higher risk for various cerebrovascular diseases causing a profound individual and societal burden. The neurobiological foundation bears potential to understand the complex interaction of individual differences in brain structure and function and ingestive behaviour. This systematic review was performed on the current evidence of structural abnormalities in grey matter volume (GMV) in patients with obesity based on studies published until December 2017, which were selected through search in PubMed, CENTER (Cochrane Library), PsycINFO, Web of Science, and Ovid MEDLINE. Ten studies were included; all of them included patients with obesity and provided a whole‐brain analysis of grey matter (GM) distribution. Our findings confirmed the most consistent GM reductions in patients with obesity in the left, middle, and right inferior frontal gyrus (including the insula), the left middle temporal cortex, the left precentral gyrus, and the cerebellum. On the other hand, increased GMV in patients with obesity were found in the left cuneus, left middle frontal gyrus, left inferior occipital gyrus, and corpus callosum.
Fetal Iodine Deficiency and Schooling: A Replication of Field, Robles, and Torero (2009)*
Authors: Bengtsson Niklas , Sävje Fredrik , Swartling Peterson Stefan
Published: December 2018

Scholars have theorized that congenital health endowment is an important determinant of economic outcomes later in a person's life. Field, Robles, and Torero (2009, American Economic Journal: Applied Economics 1, 140–169) find large increases in educational attainment caused by a reduction of fetal iodine deficiency following a set of iodine supplementation programs in Tanzania. We revisit the Tanzanian iodine programs with a narrow and wide replication of the study by Field et al. We are able to exactly replicate the original results. We find, however, that the findings are sensitive to alternative specification choices and sample restrictions. We try to address some of these concerns in the wide replication; we increase the sample size fourfold, and we improve the precision of the treatment variable by incorporating new institutional and medical insights. Despite the improvements, no effect is found. We conclude that the available data do not provide sufficient power to detect a possible effect, as treatment assignment cannot be measured with sufficient precision.