bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Spontaneous and assisted restoration of vegetation on the bottom of a former water reservoir, the Elwha River, Olympic National Park, WA, U.S.A.
Authors: Prach Karel , Chenoweth Joshua , del Moral Roger
Published: December 2018

Early seral vegetation was studied on a former lake bottom after the removal of the 64‐m‐tall Glines Canyon Dam on the Elwha River. In 2015, vegetation cover of all vascular plant species was determined in 63 plots located on sites that emerged in 2011–2012. The sites had been planted and/or seeded, or were permitted to revegetate spontaneously. The plots were further classified by substrate texture: coarse sediments on the valley bottom and fine ones on the valley slopes. Plots were located randomly along random transects perpendicular to the former lake shore that extended into coarse sediment terraces perched above the floodplain. Additionally, 32 plots were sampled in surrounding native forests near these transects. Data were analyzed by detrended correspondence analysis and by canonical correspondence analysis. Substrate texture, that is whether fine or coarse, appeared to explain most of the variability in vegetation. The distance to forest and successional age, that is time since the site had been drained, were also significant explanatory variables, while assisted restoration by planting and seeding appeared to be insignificant to date. Spontaneous succession on fine sediments led to a species composition approaching that of adjacent natural forests. Invasive species were much less abundant than expected. Spontaneous restoration of vegetation on fine sediments in drained lake bottoms can rapidly produce a desirable vegetation composition and structure. On coarse sediments, active restoration may be useful to accelerate the development of native vegetation communities.
Optimizing return‐on‐effort for coral nursery and outplanting practices to aid restoration of the Great Barrier Reef
Authors: Suggett David J. , Camp Emma F. , Edmondson John , Boström‐Einarsson Lisa , Ramler Vanessa , Lohr Kathryn , Patterson Joshua T.
Published: December 2018

Coral nursery and outplanting practices have grown in popularity worldwide for targeted restoration of degraded “high value” reef sites, and recovery of threatened taxa. Success of these practices is commonly gauged from coral propagule growth and survival, which fundamentally determines the return‐on‐effort (RRE) critical to the cost‐effectiveness and viability of restoration programs. In many cases, RRE has been optimized from past successes and failures, which therefore presents a major challenge for locations such as the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) where no local history of restoration exists to guide best practice. In establishing the first multi‐taxa coral nursery on the GBR (Opal Reef, February 2018), we constructed a novel scoring criterion from concurrent measurements of growth and survivorship to guide our relative RRE, including nursery propagule numbers (stock density). We initially retrieved RRE scores from a database of global restoration efforts to date (n = 246; 52 studies) to evaluate whether and how success commonly varied among coral taxa. We then retrieved RRE scores for Opal Reef using initial growth and survivorship data for six key coral taxa, to demonstrate that RRE scores were high for all taxa predominantly via high survivorship over winter. Repeated RRE scoring in summer is therefore needed to capture the full dynamic range of success where seasonal factors regulating growth versus survivorship differ. We discuss how RRE scoring can be easily adopted across restoration practices globally to standardize and benchmark success, but also as a tool to aid decision‐making in optimizing future propagation (and outplanting) efforts.
ECONOMIC LIBERALIZATION, THE INFORMAL SECTOR, AND URBAN UNEMPLOYMENT: A THEORETICAL ANALYSIS
Authors: Ghosh Sujata , Mandal Biswajit , Gupta Kausik
Published: December 2018

In this paper, we construct a three‐sector general equilibrium model of a small open economy with an informal sector and examine the impact of a less protectionist policy on output levels, factor prices, and the level of urban employment. We show that the urban unemployment rate has reduced with the contraction of an import‐competing manufacturing sector consequent upon tariff reductions. The informal intermediate sector has contracted as well. A possibility to expand the exportable agricultural sector exists, with an increased wage rate. Our analysis is then extended to introduce foreign capital inflow and examine the output effects and the level of unemployment. Interestingly, in the extended model, urban unemployment is aggravated as a result of an inflow of foreign capital.
LGBTQ competence wanted: LGBTQ parents’ experiences of reproductive health care in Sweden
Authors: Klittmark Sofia , Garzón Matias , Andersson Ewa , Wells Michael B.
Published: December 2018

Background

It is the responsibility of reproductive healthcare professionals to support all lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) parents in their transition to parenthood. LGBTQ parents may not be fully supported within the reproductive health sector, because of heteronormativity and healthcare professionals’ attitudes and practices. Beyond same‐sex mothers, no research has been conducted in Sweden on the broader group of LGTBQ parents.

Aim

To explore LGBTQ expectant and new parents’ experiences of reproductive health care in Sweden when becoming parents.

Method

The current study consisted of cross‐sectional qualitative interviews and was conducted using a semi‐structured interview guide. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using systematic text condensation according to Malterud.

Results

The convenience sample consisted of 12 LGBTQ expectant or new parents. Four themes emerged from the analysis: (i) Inadequacies and mistreatment in reproductive health care, (ii) Consequences of heteronormativity, (iii) Satisfaction with reproductive health care despite heteronormativity and (iv) Wishing for LGBTQ competent reproductive health care. The first two themes concerned different heteronormative barriers in reproductive health care and the consequences for LGBTQ parents, which also included intersecting forms of judgment and mistreatment. The third theme highlighted the participants’ satisfaction with LGBTQ competent care and aspects of high‐quality care, despite lacking support. The last theme described the participants’ wishes for inclusive and LGBTQ competent care and what reproductive healthcare professionals can do to achieve LGBTQ competence.

Conclusions

Heteronormativity in the reproductive health sector is widespread and leads to lacking support in the transition to parenthood for LGBTQ people. Swedish reproductive health professionals may benefit from interventions aimed at developing LGBTQ competence. Reproductive healthcare professionals need to develop professional interventions to support and facilitate LGBTQ parents’ transition to parenthood.
Effect of aging on muscle and tendon properties in highly functioning elderly people
Authors: Pötzelsberger Birgit , Kösters Alexander , Finkenzeller Thomas , Müller Erich
Published: December 2018

This study analyzes long‐term changes in muscle strength, muscle architecture, and patellar tendon mechanical properties in a specific sample of physically active elderly people. Twenty‐two participants were re‐examined from a former 12‐week‐long skiing intervention study: 11 from the intervention group (IG: 7 ♀, 4 ♂; 67 ± 3 years) and 11 from the control group (CG: 6 ♀, 5 ♂; 66 ± 4 years). Muscle architecture, strength endurance, maximum torque, and tendon properties were analyzed three times within 6 months, and again 6 years later in a follow‐up test. No changes in either group could be observed between June 2009 and April 2015 in any parameter. This can be interpreted positively because no age‐related decreases were found. Although our participants were physically active from the very beginning (>150 min/wk), it must be noted that the intensity of the physical activity was too low to provoke physiological improvements in leg strength or muscle/tendon morphology.
Interaction between adoptive mothers’ and fathers’ depressive symptoms in risk for children’s emerging problem behavior
Authors: Hails Katherine A. , Shaw Daniel S. , Leve Leslie D. , Ganiban Jody M. , Reiss David , Natsuaki Misaki N. , Neiderhiser Jenae M.
Published: December 2018

The effect of parental depression on children's adjustment has been well documented, with exposure during early childhood particularly detrimental. Most studies that examine links between parental depression and child behavior are confounded methodologically because they focus on parents raising children who are genetically related to them. Another limitation of most prior research is a tendency to focus only on the effects of maternal depression while ignoring the influence of fathers’ depression. The purpose of this study was to examine whether infants’ exposure to both parents’ depressive symptoms, and inherited risk from birth mother internalizing symptoms, was related to school age children's externalizing and internalizing problems. Study data come from a longitudinal adoption study of 561 adoptive parents, biological mothers, and adopted children. Adoptive fathers’ depressive symptoms during infancy contributed independent variance to the prediction of children's internalizing symptoms and also moderated associations between adoptive mothers’ depressive symptoms and child externalizing symptoms.
Clinical characteristics of Campylobacter enteritis after pediatric renal transplantation: A retrospective analysis from single center
Authors: Ban Hideki , Miura Kenichiro , Ishizuka Kiyonobu , Kaneko Naoto , Taniguchi Yohei , Nagasawa Takeshi , Shirai Yoko , Yabuuchi Tomoo , Takagi Yoko , Goto Aeko , Hattori Motoshi
Published: December 2018

Background

There are few reports of patients with Campylobacter enteritis after renal transplantation, and only a few case reports of bacteremia have been published. Although antibiotic therapy for 3‐5 days has been recommended for immunocompromised patients, the optimal treatment for Campylobacter enteritis after renal transplantation has not been established. This study aimed to clarify the clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes of Campylobacter enteritis after pediatric renal transplantation.

Methods

This retrospective study included patients who underwent pediatric renal transplantation and were found to have Campylobacter species in stool cultures between January 2014 and May 2017.

Results

This study included eight patients who underwent pediatric renal transplantation. The median age at the time of renal transplantation was 14 years, and the median period between transplantation and disease occurrence was 4.6 years. Clinical symptoms were abdominal pain for eight patients, diarrhea for eight patients, fever for seven patients, vomiting for three patients, and headache for three patients. Campylobacter jejuni was isolated from the stool cultures of all patients. The median administration period of antibiotics as initial therapy was 7 days (range, 4‐11 days). However, clinical relapse was observed in four patients after completing antibiotic therapy. Patients who experienced clinical relapse required a second course of antibiotic therapy for a median duration of 7 days (range, 5‐10 days).

Conclusions

Patients with Campylobacter enteritis after pediatric renal transplantation are at high risk for clinical relapse and may require a longer duration of antibiotic therapy than that generally described.
Extreme variation in rates of evolution in the plastid Clp protease complex
Authors: Williams Alissa M. , Friso Giulia , van Wijk Klaas J. , Sloan Daniel B.
Published: December 2018

Eukaryotic cells represent an intricate collaboration between multiple genomes, even down to the level of multi‐subunit complexes in mitochondria and plastids. One such complex in plants is the caseinolytic protease (Clp), which plays an essential role in plastid protein turnover. The proteolytic core of Clp comprises subunits from one plastid‐encoded gene (clpP1) and multiple nuclear genes. TheclpP1 gene is highly conserved across most green plants, but it is by far the fastest evolving plastid‐encoded gene in some angiosperms. To better understand these extreme and mysterious patterns of divergence, we investigated the history ofclpP1 molecular evolution across green plants by extracting sequences from 988 published plastid genomes. We find thatclpP1 has undergone remarkably frequent bouts of accelerated sequence evolution and architectural changes (e.g. a loss of introns andRNA‐editing sites) within seed plants. AlthoughclpP1 is often assumed to be a pseudogene in such cases, multiple lines of evidence suggest that this is rarely true. We applied comparative native gel electrophoresis of chloroplast protein complexes followed by protein mass spectrometry in two species within the angiosperm genusSilene, which has highly elevated and heterogeneous rates ofclpP1 evolution. We confirmed thatclpP1 is expressed as a stable protein and forms oligomeric complexes with the nuclear‐encoded Clp subunits, even in one of the most divergentSilene species. Additionally, there is a tight correlation between amino acid substitution rates inclpP1 and the nuclear‐encoded Clp subunits across a broad sampling of angiosperms, suggesting continuing selection on interactions within this complex.
Ionotropic and metabotropic kainate receptor signalling regulates Cl− homeostasis and GABAergic inhibition
Authors: Garand Danielle , Mahadevan Vivek , Woodin Melanie A.
Published: December 2018

Key points

Potassium‐chloride co‐transporter 2 (KCC2) plays a critical role in regulating chloride homeostasis, which is essential for hyperpolarizing inhibition in the mature nervous system.

KCC2 interacts with many proteins involved in excitatory neurotransmission, including the GluK2 subunit of the kainate receptor (KAR).

We show that activation of KARs hyperpolarizes the reversal potential for GABA (EGABA) via both ionotropic and metabotropic signalling mechanisms.

KCC2 is required for the metabotropic KAR‐mediated regulation of EGABA, although ionotropic KAR signalling can hyperpolarize EGABA independent of KCC2 transporter function.

The KAR‐mediated hyperpolarization of EGABA is absent in the GluK1/2−/− mouse and is independent of zinc release from mossy fibre terminals.

The ability of KARs to regulate KCC2 function may have implications in diseases with disrupted excitation: inhibition balance, such as epilepsy, neuropathic pain, autism spectrum disorders and Down's syndrome.

Potassium‐chloride co‐transporter 2 (KCC2) plays a critical role in the regulation of chloride (Cl−) homeostasis within mature neurons. KCC2 is a secondarily active transporter that extrudes Cl− from the neuron, which maintains a low intracellular Cl− concentration [Cl−]. This results in a hyperpolarized reversal potential of GABA (EGABA), which is required for fast synaptic inhibition in the mature central nervous system. KCC2 also plays a structural role in dendritic spines and at excitatory synapses, and interacts with ‘excitatory’ proteins, including the GluK2 subunit of kainate receptors (KARs). KARs are glutamate receptors that display both ionotropic and metabotropic signalling. We show that activating KARs in the hippocampus hyperpolarizes EGABA, thus strengthening inhibition. This hyperpolarization occurs via both ionotropic and metabotropic KAR signalling in the CA3 region, whereas it is absent in the GluK1/2−/− mouse, and is independent of zinc release from mossy fibre terminals. The metabotropic signalling mechanism is dependent on KCC2, although the ionotropic signalling mechanism produces a hyperpolarization of EGABA even in the absence of KCC2 transporter function. These results demonstrate a novel functional interaction between a glutamate receptor and KCC2, a transporter critical for maintaining inhibition, suggesting that the KAR:KCC2 complex may play an important role in excitatory:inhibitory balance in the hippocampus. Additionally, the ability of KARs to regulate chloride homeostasis independently of KCC2 suggests that KAR signalling can regulate inhibition via multiple mechanisms. Activation of kainate‐type glutamate receptors could serve as an important mechanism for increasing the strength of inhibition during periods of strong glutamatergic activity.
Active Resource Allocation for Reliability Analysis With Model Bias Correction
Authors: Li Mingyang , Wang Zequn
Published: December 2018

To account for the model bias in reliability analysis, various methods have been developed to validate simulation models using precise experimental data. However, it still lacks a strategy to actively seek critical information from both sources for effective uncertainty reduction. This paper presents an active resource allocation approach (ARA) to improve the accuracy of reliability approximations while reducing the computational, and more importantly, experimental costs. In ARA, the Gaussian process (GP) modeling technique is employed to fuse both simulation and experimental data for capturing the model bias, and further predicting actual system responses. To manage the uncertainty due to the lack of data, a two-phase updating strategy is developed to improve the fidelity of GP models by actively collecting the most valuable simulation and experimental data. With the high-fidelity predictive models, sampling-based methods such as Monte Carlo simulation are used to calculate the reliability accurately while the overall costs of conducting simulations and experiments can be significantly reduced. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is demonstrated through four case studies.
Exploiting the Kinematic Redundancy of a (6 + 3) Degrees-of-Freedom Parallel Mechanism
Authors: Schreiber Louis-Thomas , Gosselin Clément
Published: December 2018

This paper presents methods to exploit the redundancy of a kinematically redundant spatial parallel mechanism with three redundant DOFs. The architecture of the mechanism is similar to the well-known Gough–Stewart (GS) platform and it retains its advantages, i.e., the members connecting the base to the moving platform are only subjected to tensile/compressive loads. The kinematic redundancy is exploited to avoid singularities and extend the rotational workspace. The architecture is described and the associated kinematic relationships are presented. Solutions for the inverse kinematics are given, as well as strategies to take into account the limitations of the mechanism such as mechanical interferences and velocity limits of the actuators while controlling the redundant degrees-of-freedom.
Mixed Convection in an Inclined Nanofluid Filled-Cavity Saturated With a Partially Layered Porous Medium
Authors: Aly Abdelraheem M. , Raizah Z. A. S.
Published: December 2018

The contribution of the current study is to investigate the mixed convection in an inclined nanofluid filled cavity saturated with a partially layered non-Darcy porous medium. Moreover, due to the advantage of the particle-based methods, we presented the improved version of an incompressible smoothed particle hydrodynamics (ISPH) method. The current ISPH method was improved in boundary conditions treatment using renormalization kernel function. In the current investigation, we assumed that the inclined cavity is filled with a Cu-water nanofluid. The upper half of the cavity is saturated with a non-Darcy porous medium. Here, one domain approach is used for coupling the nanofluid and the porous medium layer. The cooled top wall of the cavity is carrying a tangential unit velocity and the bottom wall is heated. The other two wall sides are adiabatic at zero velocity. Here, we investigated the effects of the Richardson parameter Ri0.0001–100, Darcy parameter Da 10−5–10−2, an inclination angle α0–90deg and a various solid volume fraction ϕ0–0.05 on the heat transfer of a Cu-water nanofluid. The obtained results showed that the average Nusselt number decreases as the Richardson number increases. An addition of 1–5% Cu nanoparticles slightly increased the overall heat transfer rate.
Discussion: “Slip Effects on Peristaltic Flow of Magnetohydrodynamics Second Grade Fluid Through a Flexible Channel With Heat/Mass Transfer” (Hina, S., and Yasin, M., 2018, ASME J. Therm. Sci. Eng. Appl., 10(5), p. 051002)
Authors: Pantokratoras Asterios
Published: December 2018

The present discussion concerns some doubtful results included in the above paper.
Laminar Natural Convection Heat Transfer From Vertical 7 × 7 Rod Bundles in Liquid Sodium
Authors: Hata Koichi , Fukuda Katsuya , Mizuuchi Tohru
Published: December 2018

Laminar natural convection heat transfer from vertical 7 × 7 rod bundle in liquid sodium was numerically analyzed to optimize the thermal–hydraulic design for the bundle geometry with equilateral square array (ESA). The unsteady laminar three-dimensional basic equations for natural convection heat transfer caused by a step heat flux were numerically solved until the solution reaches a steady-state. The code of the parabolic hyperbolic or elliptic numerical integration code series (PHOENICS) was used for the calculation considering the temperature dependence of thermophysical properties concerned. The 7 × 7 heated rods for diameter (D = 0.0076 m), length (L = 0.2 m) and L/D (=26.32) were used in this work. The surface heat fluxes for each cylinder, which was uniformly heated along the length, were equally given for a modified Rayleigh number, (Raf,L)ij and (Raf,L)Nx×Ny,S/D, ranging from 3.08 × 104 to 4.28 × 107 (q = 1 × 104∼7 × 106 W/m2) in liquid temperature (TL = 673.15 K). The values of ratio of the diagonal center-line distance between rods for bundle geometry to the rod diameter (S/D) for vertical 7 × 7 rod bundle were ranged from 1.8 to 6 on the bundle geometry with ESA. The spatial distribution of average Nusselt numbers for a vertical single cylinder of a rod bundle, (Nuav)ij, and average Nusselt numbers for a vertical rod bundle, (Nuav,B)Nx×Ny,S/D, were clarified. The average values of Nusselt number, (Nuav)ij and (Nuav,B)Nx×Ny,S/D, for the bundle geometry with various values of S/D were calculated to examine the effect of array size, bundle geometry, S/D, (Raf,L)ij and (Raf,L)Nx×Ny,S/D on heat transfer. The bundle geometry for the higher (Nuav,B)Nx×Ny,S/D value under the condition of S/D = constant was examined. The general correlations for natural convection heat transfer from a vertical Nx×Ny rod bundle with the ESA and equilateral triangle array (ETA), including the effects of array size, (Raf,L)Nx×Ny,S/D and S/D were derived. The correlations for vertical Nx×Ny rod bundles can describe the theoretical values of (Nuav,B)Nx×Ny,S/D for each bundle geometry in the wide analytical range of S/D (=1.8–6) and the modified Rayleigh number ((Raf,L)Nx×Ny,S/D = 3.08 × 104 to 4.28 × 107) within −9.49 to 10.6% differences.
Game Activity and Physiological Responses of Young Tennis Players in a Competition With 2 Consecutive Matches in a Day
Authors: Gallo-Salazar Cesar , Del Coso Juan , Sanz-Rivas David , Fernandez-Fernandez Jaime
Published: December 2018

Purpose: To determine whether the game activity and physiological responses of young tennis players differed depending on the session of play (eg, morning [MOR] vs afternoon [AFT]) and the final match outcome (eg, winners vs losers) during a simulated competition with 2 matches on the same day. Methods: A total of 12 well-trained male tennis players (age 14.5 [0.8] y) took part in a simulated competition of two 3-set matches separated by 3 h. All the matches were video recorded, and the participants were monitored using 10-Hz global positioning system units including a heart-rate monitor. Effect-size (ES) statistics were used to investigate the magnitudes of the differences. Results: During the AFT matches, in absolute terms, players covered longer total distance (ES = moderate) and ran more distance between 0 and ≤4 m·s−1 (ES = small to large) than in MOR matches. Total duration was also longer (ES = large) in the AFT, where the rest time between rallies was also longer (ES = very large). Heart rate was similar during AFT and MOR matches, but higher rates of perceived exertion (ES = moderate) were reported in the AFT. Only peak running velocity was observed to be likely higher for losers than for winners (ES = small). Conclusions: Game activity and physiological responses of young tennis players differ when 2 consecutive matches are played on the same day. These data might help elucidate the need for specific precompetition training loads and/or between-matches/sessions recovery strategies when facing overloaded competitions.
No Effect of Caffeine Supplementation on Dribbling Speed in Elite Basketball Players
Authors: Scanlan Aaron T. , Dalbo Vincent J. , Conte Daniele , Stojanović Emilija , Stojiljković Nenad , Stanković Ratko , Antić Vladimir , Milanović Zoran
Published: December 2018

Purpose: To examine the effect of caffeine supplementation on dribbling speed in elite female and male basketball players. Methods: A double-blind, counterbalanced, randomized, crossover design was used. Elite basketball players (N = 21; 10 female, 11 male; age 18.3 [3.3] y) completed placebo (3 mg·kg−1 of body mass of dextrose) and caffeine (3 mg·kg−1 of body mass) trials 1 wk apart during the in-season phase. During each trial, players completed 20-m linear sprints with and without dribbling a basketball. Performance times were recorded at 5-, 10-, and 20-m splits. Dribbling speed was measured using traditional (total performance time) and novel (dribble deficit) methods. Dribble deficit isolates the added time taken to complete a task when dribbling compared with a nondribbling version of the same task. Comparisons between placebo and caffeine conditions were conducted at group and individual levels. Results: Nonsignificant (P > .05), trivial to small (effect size = 0.04–0.42) differences in dribbling speed were observed between conditions. The majority (20 out of 21) of players were classified as nonresponders to caffeine, with 1 player identified as a negative responder using dribble-deficit measures. Conclusions: Results indicate that caffeine offers no ergogenic benefit to dribbling speed in elite basketball players. The negative response to caffeine in 1 player indicates that caffeine supplementation may be detrimental to dribbling speed in specific cases and emphasizes the need for individualized analyses in nutrition-based sport-science research.
Swimming bacteria power microspin cycles
Authors: Hamby Alex E. , Vig Dhruv K. , Safonova Sasha , Wolgemuth Charles W.
Published: December 2018

Physics reveals how swimming bacteria can mimic washing machine spin cycles.
Morphogenesis in robot swarms
Authors: Slavkov I. , Carrillo-Zapata D. , Carranza N. , Diego X. , Jansson F. , Kaandorp J. , Hauert S. , Sharpe J.
Published: December 2018

Endowing robot swarm systems with biological morphogenetic behavior makes swarm shape formation emergent, adaptive, and robust.
Gut microbiota composition and functional changes in inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome
Authors: Vich Vila Arnau , Imhann Floris , Collij Valerie , Jankipersadsing Soesma A. , Gurry Thomas , Mujagic Zlatan , Kurilshikov Alexander , Bonder Marc Jan , Jiang Xiaofang , Tigchelaar Ettje F. , Dekens Jackie , Peters Vera , Voskuil Michiel D. , Visschedijk Marijn C. , van Dullemen Hendrik M. , Keszthelyi Daniel , Swertz Morris A. , Franke Lude , Alberts Rudi , Festen Eleonora A. M. , Dijkstra Gerard , Masclee Ad A. M. , Hofker Marten H. , Xavier Ramnik J. , Alm Eric J. , Fu Jingyuan , Wijmenga Cisca , Jonkers Daisy M. A. E. , Zhernakova Alexandra , Weersma Rinse K.
Published: December 2018

Differences in gut microbiota composition and function were observed between patients with inflammatory bowel disease or irritable bowel syndrome.
Response to Comment on “The impact of past vaccination coverage and immunity on pertussis resurgence”
Authors: Domenech de Cellès Matthieu , King Aaron A. , Rohani Pejman
Published: December 2018

We present new evidence that the immunity conferred against pertussis by the DTaP acellular vaccine wanes more slowly than widely believed.
Early-life host-microbial cross-talk in the lung
Authors: Segal Leopoldo N.
Published: December 2018

Early-life bacterial colonization patterns of the lower airways are an important determinant of the priming of the immune system.
Evolution of Rifampin Resistance in Escherichia coli and Mycobacterium smegmatis Due to Substandard Drugs
Authors: Weinstein Zohar B. , Zaman Muhammad H.
Published: December 2018

Poor-quality medicines undermine the treatment of infectious diseases, such as tuberculosis, which require months of treatment with rifampin and other drugs. Rifampin resistance is a critical concern for tuberculosis treatment.
Interferon-Induced Transmembrane Protein 1 Restricts Replication of Viruses That Enter Cells via the Plasma Membrane
Authors: Smith S. E. , Busse D. C. , Binter S. , Weston S. , Diaz Soria C. , Laksono B. M. , Clare S. , Van Nieuwkoop S. , Van den Hoogen B. G. , Clement M. , Marsden M. , Humphreys I. R. , Marsh M. , de Swart R. L. , Wash R. S. , Tregoning J. S. , Kellam P.
Published: December 2018

Host susceptibility to viral infection is multifactorial, but early control of viruses not previously encountered is predominantly mediated by the interferon-stimulated gene (ISG) family. There are upwards of 300 of these genes, the majority of which do not have a clearly defined function or mechanism of action. The cellular location of these proteins may have an important effect on their function. One ISG located at the plasma membrane is interferon-inducible transmembrane protein 1 (IFITM1). Here we demonstrate that IFITM1 can inhibit infection with a range of viruses that enter via the plasma membrane. Mutant IFITM1 proteins that were unable to localize to the plasma membrane did not restrict viral infection. We also observed for the first time that IFITM1 plays a role
in vivo
, and

Ifitm1
−/−

mice were more susceptible to viral lung infection. These data contribute to our understanding of how ISGs prevent viral infections.
Peroxiredoxin 1, a Novel HBx-Interacting Protein, Interacts with Exosome Component 5 and Negatively Regulates Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) Propagation through Degradation of HBV RNA
Authors: Deng Lin , Gan Xiang , Ito Masahiko , Chen Ming , Aly Hussein H. , Matsui Chieko , Abe Takayuki , Watashi Koichi , Wakita Takaji , Suzuki Tetsuro , Okamoto Toru , Matsuura Yoshiharu , Mizokami Masashi , Shoji Ikuo , Hotta Hak
Published: December 2018

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major global health problem. HBx plays important roles in HBV replication and viral carcinogenesis through its interaction with host factors. In this study, we identified Prdx1 as a novel HBx-binding protein. We provide evidence suggesting that Prdx1 promotes HBV RNA decay through interaction with HBV RNA and Exosc5, leading to downregulation of HBV RNA. These results suggest that Prdx1 negatively regulates HBV propagation. Our findings may shed new light on the roles of Prdx1 and Exosc5 in host defense mechanisms in HBV infection.
The HPAfrica protocol: Assessment of health behaviour and population-based socioeconomic, hygiene behavioural factors - a standardised repeated cross-sectional study in multiple cohorts in sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: Pak Gi Deok , Haselbeck Andrea Haekyung , Seo Hyeong Won , Osei Isaac , Amuasi John , Breiman Robert F , Cruz Espinosa Ligia Maria , Holm Marianne , Im Justin , Jang Geun Hyeog , Jeon Hyon Jin , Luby Stephen P , Lunguya-Metila Octavie , MacWright William , Mogeni Ondari Daniel , Okeke Iruka N , Owusu-Dabo Ellis , Park Jin Kyung , Park Se Eun , Popoola Oluwafemi , Seo Hye Jin , Soura Abdramane Bassiahi , Teferi Mekonnen , Toy Trevor , Chon Yun , Rafindrakalia Mathilde , Rakotozandrindrainy Raphaël , Meyer Christian G , Marks Florian , Panzner Ursula
Published: December 2018

Introduction

The objective of the Health Population Africa (HPAfrica) study is to determine health behaviour and population-based factors, including socioeconomic, ethnographic, hygiene and sanitation factors, at sites of the Severe Typhoid Fever in Africa (SETA) programme. SETA aims to investigate healthcare facility-based fever surveillance in Burkina Faso, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Madagascar and Nigeria. Meaningful disease burden estimates require adjustment for health behaviour patterns, which are assumed to vary among a study population.

Methods and analysis

For the minimum sample size of household interviews required, the assumptions of an infinite population, a design effect and age-stratification and sex-stratification are considered. In the absence of a population sampling frame or household list, a spatial approach will be used to generate geographic random points with an Aeronautical Reconnaissance Coverage Geographic Information System tool. Printouts of Google Earth Pro satellite imagery visualise these points. Data of interest will be assessed in different seasons by applying population-weighted stratified sampling. An Android-based application and a web service will be developed for electronic data capturing and synchronisation with the database server in real time. Sampling weights will be computed to adjust for possible differences in selection probabilities. Descriptive data analyses will be performed in order to assess baseline information of each study population and age-stratified and sex-stratified health behaviour. This will allow adjusting disease burden estimates. In addition, multivariate analyses will be applied to look into associations between health behaviour, population-based factors and the disease burden as determined in the SETA study.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethic approvals for this protocol were obtained by the Institutional Review Board of the International Vaccine Institute (No. 2016–0003) and by all collaborating institutions of participating countries. It is anticipated to disseminate findings from this study through publication on a peer-reviewed journal.
Patterns of multiple lifestyle risk factors and their link to mental health in the German adult population: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Atzendorf Josefine , Apfelbacher Christian , Gomes de Matos Elena , Kraus Ludwig , Piontek Daniela
Published: December 2018

Objectives

Lifestyle risk factors, such as drinking or unhealthy diet, can expotentiate detrimental health effects. Therefore, it is important to investigate multiple lifestyle risk factors instead of single ones. The study aims at: (1) identifying patterns of lifestyle risk factors within the adult general population in Germany and (2) examining associations between the extracted patterns and external factors.

Design

Cross-sectional study.

Setting

General German adult population (aged 18–64 years).

Participants

Participants of the 2015 Epidemiological Survey of Substance Abuse (n=9204).

Primary outcome measures

Lifestyle risk factors (daily smoking, at-risk alcohol consumption, unhealthy diet, low physical activity, weekly use of pharmaceuticals, as well as consumption of cannabis and other illicit drugs).

Results

A latent class analysis was applied to identify patterns of lifestyle risk factors, and a multinomial logistic regression was carried out to examine associations between the extracted classes and external factors. A total of four classes were extracted which can be described as healthy lifestyle (58.5%), drinking lifestyle (24.4%), smoking lifestyle (15.4%) and a cumulate risk factors lifestyle (1.7%). Individuals who were male, at younger age and single as well as individuals with various mental health problems were more likely to show multiple lifestyle risk factors.

Conclusions

Healthcare professionals should be aware of correlations between different lifestyle risk factors as well as between lifestyle risk groups and mental health. Health promotion strategies should further focus especially on younger and single men.
Randomised placebo-controlled trial of combination ACE inhibitor and beta-blocker therapy to prevent cardiomyopathy in children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy? (DMD Heart Protection Study): a protocol study
Authors: Bourke John P , Watson Gillian , Muntoni Francesco , Spinty Stefan , Roper Helen , Guglieri Michela , Speed Chris , McColl Elaine , Chikermane Ashish , Jayawant Sandeep , Adwani Satish , Willis Tracey , Wilkinson Jennifer , Bryant Andrew , Chadwick Thomas , Wood Ruth , Bushby Kate
Published: December 2018

Introduction

Although cardiologists were ‘late-comers’ to the multidisciplinary team—contributing to the complex care of patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), they now recognise the importance of systematic cardiac surveillance and timely therapy to prolonged survival in patients with DMD. Empirical deployment of cardioactive medications has already improved outcomes, but the evidence base for clinical decision making is weak. Fundamental questions remain as to whether prophylactic therapy is justified and convincingly superior to prompt deployment of the same therapies once left ventricular (LV) dysfunction is detected. Even if it were, at what age should therapy be introduced and with what specific drugs?

Methods and analysis

We are conducting a multicentre, parallel group, randomised, placebo-controlled study of combination therapy with an ACE inhibitor (perindopril) and a beta-blocker (bisoprolol) in boys with DMD aged 5–13 years, with normal LV function by echocardiographic criteria at the time of recruitment. Boys are being followed-up for a minimum of 3 years and a maximum of 5 years and undergo repeat assessments of LV function, heart rate and ECG, forced expiratory volume in the 1 s and forced vital capacity, adverse event reporting and quality of life at 6 monthly intervals.

The primary outcome is change in LV function between active and placebo-treated participants over the course of the study.

Ethics and dissemination

The study was approved by ‘NRES Committee East Midlands – Derby’. The results will be disseminated through manuscript publications, an international workshop and presentations to scientific meetings and parent forums.

Translational aspects

The study seeks to establish the evidence for prophylactic heart therapies for children with DMD, define the optimum age for their introduction and identify any safety concerns.

Article summary

The protocol describes the design of an ongoing multicentre, double-blind, randomised placebo-controlled study to establish the evidence for the use of prophylactic heart therapies in children with DMD, define the optimum age for their introduction and identify any safety concerns.

Trial registration numbers

EudraCT2007-005932-10 andISRCTN50395346; Pre-results.
Systematic literature review on which maternal alcohol behaviours are related to fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD)
Authors: Roozen Sylvia , Peters Gjalt-Jorn Ygram , Kok Gerjo , Townend David , Nijhuis Jan , Koek Ger , Curfs Leopold
Published: December 2018

Objectives

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) is a worldwide problem. Maternal alcohol consumption is an important risk factor for FASD. It remains unknown which alcohol consumption patterns most strongly predict FASD. The objective of this study was to identify these.

Design

Systematic literature review.

Methods

We searched in PubMed, PsychINFO, PsycARTICLES, ERIC, CINAHL, Embase and MEDLINE up to August 2018. The query consisted of keywords and their synonyms related to FASD, pregnancy and behaviour. Studies were excluded when not published in English, were reviews or involved non-human subjects. Substantial heterogeneity precluded aggregation or meta-analysis of the data. Instead, data were qualitatively inspected.

Results

In total, 21 studies were eligible for further data analysis. All studies that measured both maternal alcohol drinking behaviours and FASD reported retrospective data on maternal drinking patterns, employing both continuous and categorical measures and exhibiting substantial heterogeneity in measures of alcohol consumption (eg, timing of exposure, quantification of alcohol measure and definition of a standard drink). Study quality improved over time and appeared higher for studies based on active case ascertainment, especially when conducted in schools and when behaviour was assessed through interviews.

Conclusions

We aimed to identify specific maternal drinking behaviour(s) related to FASD. The state of the literature precludes such conclusions. Evidence-based preventive measures necessitate identifying which prenatal alcohol drinking behaviour(s) are most in need of intervention. Therefore, we formulate three recommendations for future research. First, future studies can optimise the value of the collected dataset through specifying measurements and reporting of maternal drinking behaviours and avoiding categorised measures (nominal or ordinal) whenever possible. Second, samples should not be selected based on FASD status, but instead, FASD status as well as maternal alcohol consumption should both be measured in a general population sample. Finally, we provide 10 reporting guidelines for FASD research.
Body composition and physical activity as mediators in the relationship between socioeconomic status and blood pressure in young South African women: a structural equation model analysis
Authors: Munthali Richard J , Manyema Mercy , Said-Mohamed Rihlat , Kagura Juliana , Tollman Stephen , Kahn Kathleen , Gómez-Olivé F Xavier , Micklesfield Lisa K , Dunger David , Norris Shane A
Published: December 2018

Objectives

Varying hypertension prevalence across different socioeconomic strata within a population has been well reported. However, the causal factors and pathways across different settings are less clear, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. Therefore, this study aimed to compare blood pressure (BP) levels and investigate the extent to which socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with BP, in rural and urban South Africa women.

Setting

Rural and urban South Africa.

Design

Cross-sectional.

Participants

Cross-sectional data on SES, total moderate and vigorous physical activity (MVPA), anthropometric and BP were collected on rural (n=509) and urban (n=510) young black women (18–23 years age). Pregnant and mentally or physically disabled women were excluded from the study.

Results

The prevalence of combined overweight and obesity (46.5% vs 38.8%) and elevated BP (27.0% vs 9.3%) was higher in urban than rural women, respectively. Results from the structural equation modelling showed significant direct positive effects of body mass index (BMI) on systolic BP (SBP) in rural, urban and pooled datasets. Negative direct effects of SES on SBP and positive total effects of SES on SBP were observed in the rural and pooled datasets, respectively. In rural young women, SES had direct positive effects on BMI and was negatively associated with MVPA in urban and pooled analyses. BMI mediated the positive total effects association between SES and SBP in pooled analyses (ß 0.46; 95% CI 0.15 to 0.76).

Conclusions

Though South Africa is undergoing nutritional and epidemiological transitions, the prevalence of elevated BP still varies between rural and urban young women. The association between SES and SBP varies considerably in economically diverse populations with BMI being the most significant mediator. There is a need to tailor prevention strategies to take into account optimising BMI when designing strategies to reduce future risk of hypertension in young women.
Efficacy of bisphosphonates in specific knee osteoarthritis subpopulations: protocol for an OA Trial Bank systematic review and individual patient data meta-analysis
Authors: Deveza Leticia A , Bierma-Zeinstra Sita M A , van Spil Willem Evert , Oo Win Min , Saragiotto Bruno T , Neogi Tuhina , van Middelkoop Marienke , Hunter David J
Published: December 2018

Introduction

Randomised clinical trials to date investigating the efficacy of bisphosphonates in knee osteoarthritis (OA) have found divergent results, with a recent meta-analysis finding no superiority of these drugs over placebo. Whether particular patient subgroups are more likely to benefit from this therapy than others is still unclear. We aim to investigate the effects of bisphosphonates compared with a control group (placebo, no treatment, another active treatment) on clinical and structural outcomes in specific knee OA subpopulations with possible distinct rates of subchondral bone turnover.

Methods and analysis

Medline, Embase, Scopus, Web of Sciences and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials will be searched from inception to February 2018. Randomised clinical trials will be eligible if they reported at least one potential treatment effect modifier at baseline: gender, menopausal status, age, body mass index, radiographic stage, knee pain severity, presence of bone marrow lesions, levels of biochemical markers of bone turnover (serum and/or urinary) and systemic bone mineral density status. Authors of original trials will be contacted to obtain individual patient data from each study. Risk of bias will be assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration’s tool. The primary outcomes will include pain and radiographic joint space width loss. Studies using other MRI-based assessment of disease progression will also be eligible. Outcomes will be grouped into short-term (≤3 months), intermediate-term (>3 months; ≤12 months) and long-term (>12 months). Regression models will be used, adding an interaction term for each subgroup of interest to determine possible subgroup effects. There was no source of funding for this study.

Ethics and dissemination

Dissemination of our findings is planned to occur through conference presentations, publication in peer-reviewed journals and social media. No formal ethics approval is generally required as no new data collection will be undertaken.

PROSPERO registration number

CRD42018093327.
Smoking behaviours of Hong Kong Chinese hospitalised patients and predictors of smoking abstinence after discharge: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Ho Ka Yan , Li William Ho Cheung , Lam Katherine Ka Wai , Wang Man Ping , Xia Wei , Ho Lok Yin , Tan Kathryn Choon Beng , Sin Hubert Kit Man , Cheung Elaine , Mok Maisy Pik Hung , Lam Tai Hing
Published: December 2018

Objectives

Patients admitted to hospitals represent an excellent teachable moment for smoking cessation, as they are required to abstain from tobacco use during hospitalisation. Nevertheless, smoking behaviours of hospitalised patients, and factors that lead to smoking abstinence thereafter, remain relatively underexplored, particularly in a Hong Kong Chinese context. This study aimed to examine the smoking behaviours of hospitalised patients and explore factors leading to their abstaining from cigarette use after being hospitalised.

Design

A cross-sectional design was employed.

Setting

This study was conducted in three outpatient clinics in different regions in Hong Kong.

Participants

A total of 382 recruited Chinese patients.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

The patients were asked to complete a structured questionnaire that assessed their smoking behaviours before, during and after hospitalisation.

Results

The results indicated 23.6% of smokers smoked secretly during their hospital stay, and about 76.1% of smokers resumed smoking after discharge. Multivariate logistic regression analysis found that number of days of hospitalisation admission in the preceding year (OR 1.02; 95% CI 1.01 to 1.27; p=0.036), patients’ perceived correlation between smoking and their illness (OR 1.08; 95% CI 1.01 to 1.17; p=0.032), withdrawal symptoms experienced during hospitalisation (OR 0.75; 95% CI 0.58 to 0.97; p=0.027) and smoking cessation support from healthcare professionals (OR 1.18; 95% CI 1.07 to 1.36; p=0.014) were significant predictors of smoking abstinence after discharge.

Conclusions

The results of this study will aid development of appropriate and innovative smoking cessation interventions that can help patients achieve more successful smoking abstinence and less relapse.

Trial registration number

NCT02866760.