bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Inflammatory hypothesis as a link between Alzheimer's disease and diabetes mellitus
Authors: Bozluolcay Melda , Andican Gülnur , Fırtına Sinem , Erkol Gökhan , Konukoglu Dildar
Published: September 2015

Aims

The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether there was an inflammation‐mediated link between Alzheimer's disease (AD) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) status.

Methods

An age‐matched control group and patient groups designated as AD without treatment (AD); AD under cholinesterase inhibitors (AD‐CEI); DM without treatment (DM); DM under oral antidiabetic agents (DM‐OAD); AD under treatment, who had newly diagnosed DM (AD‐CEI+DM); and DM under treatment, who had newly diagnosed probable AD (DM‐OAD+AD) were studied. Serum inflammation status was evaluated by the determination of serum C‐reactive protein (CRP), tumor necrosis factor‐alpha, interleukin (IL)‐1β and IL‐6 levels. CRP levels were determined by an immunonephelometric method. The others were assayed by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay methods.

Results

IL‐1β levels were found to be significantly lower in the DM group than in the control group (P < 0.01). The AD group had significantly higher serum IL‐1β levels than the DM group (P < 0.01). IL‐6 levels were significantly higher in the AD and DM groups than in controls (P < 0.01 and P < 0.01). Serum tumor necrosis factor‐alpha and CRP levels in the AD (P < 0.05 and P < 0.001, respectively) and DM groups (P < 0.05 and P < 0.001, respectively) were significantly higher when compared with the controls. The presence of AD or DM or therapies of the diseases did not significantly change in serum tumor necrosis factor‐alpha levels. The AD‐CEI + DM and DM‐OAD+AD groups had significantly higher CRP levels than the AD‐CEI group (P < 0.05) and DM‐OAD groups (P < 0.001), respectively. Serum CRP levels showed a positive correlation with Mini‐Mental State Examination scores (r = 0.339, P < 0.01).

Conclusion

Our findings support the presence of a low‐grade systemic inflammation link between AD and DM. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2016; 16: 1161–1166.
A Study of Permeability Changes Due to Cold Fluid Circulation in Fractured Geothermal Reservoirs
Authors: Gholizadeh Doonechaly Nima , Abdel Azim Reda R. , Rahman Sheik S.
Published: September 2015

Reservoir behavior due to injection and circulation of cold fluid is studied with a shear displacement model based on the distributed dislocation technique, in a poro‐thermoelastic environment. The approach is applied to a selected volume of Soultz geothermal reservoir at a depth range of 3600 to 3700 m. Permeability enhancement and geothermal potential of Soultz geothermal reservoir are assessed over a stimulation period of 3 months and a fluid circulation period of 14 years. This study—by shedding light onto another source of uncertainty—points toward a special role for the fracture surface asperities in predicting the shear dilation of fractures. It was also observed that thermal stress has a significant impact on changing the reservoir stress field. The effect of thermal stresses on reservoir behavior is more evident over longer circulation term as the rock matrix temperature is significantly lowered. Change in the fracture permeability due to the thermal stresses can also lead to the short circuiting between the injection and production wells which in turn decreases the produced fluid temperature significantly. The effect of thermal stress persists during the whole circulation period as it has significant impact on the continuous increase in the flow rate due to improved permeability over the circulation period. In the current study, taking into account the thermal stress resulted in a decrease of about 7 °C in predicted produced fluid temperature after 14 years of cold fluid circulation; a difference which notably influences the potential prediction of an enhanced geothermal system.
Hyper‐responsive Toll‐like receptor 7 and 9 activation in NADPH oxidase‐deficient B lymphoblasts
Authors: McLetchie Shawna , Volpp Bryan D. , Dinauer Mary C. , Blum Janice S.
Published: September 2015

Chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) is an inherited immunodeficiency linked with mutations in the multi‐subunit leucocyte NADPH oxidase. Myeloid‐derived phagocytic cells deficient in NADPH oxidase fail to produce sufficient levels of reactive oxygen species to clear engulfed pathogens. In this study we show that oxidase also influences B‐cell functions, including responses to single‐stranded RNA or unmethylated DNA by endosomal Toll‐like receptors (TLRs) 7 and 9. In response to TLR7/9 ligands, B‐cell lines derived from patients with CGD with mutations in either the NADPH oxidase p40phox or p47phox subunits produced only low levels of reactive oxygen species. Remarkably, cytokine secretion and p38 mitogen‐activated protein kinase activation by these oxidase‐deficient B cells was significantly increased upon TLR7/9 activation when compared with oxidase‐sufficient B cells. Increased TLR responsiveness was also detected in B cells from oxidase‐deficient mice. NADPH oxidase‐deficient patient‐derived B cells also expressed enhanced levels of TLR7 and TLR9 mRNA and protein compared with the same cells reconstituted to restore oxidase activity. These data demonstrate that the loss of oxidase function associated with CGD can significantly impact B‐cell TLR signalling in response to nucleic acids with potential repercussions for auto‐reactivity in patients.
The experiences of support persons of people newly diagnosed with multiple sclerosis: an interpretative phenomenological study
Authors: Strickland Karen , Worth Allison , Kennedy Catriona
Published: September 2015

Aim

This study explores the experience of the diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis for the support person and identifies the impact on their lives.

Background

At the time of diagnosis, the support person may not be readily identified in a traditional caring role; however, the diagnosis itself brings with it the possibility of changes to the roles in the relationship and possible consequences for biographical construction.

Design

A hermeneutic phenomenological study.

Methods

A convenience sample of nine support persons was interviewed between December 2008 ‐ March 2010. The data were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis.

Findings

The participants in this study were often not readily identifiable as ‘carers’; however, the diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis implied a shift towards a caring role at some point in the future. The uncertainty surrounding the nature and progression of the condition left this identity hanging, incomplete and as such contributed to a liminal way of being.

Conclusions

This paper reveals that biographical disruption is not limited to the person diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis but that the support person also undergoes a transition to their sense of self to that of ‘anticipatory carer’. The findings provide insight into the biographical and emotional impact of Multiple Sclerosis on the support persons early in the development of the condition.
Impact of Remote Monitoring on Clinical Outcomes
Authors: VARMA NIRAJ , RICCI RENATO PIETRO
Published: September 2015

Impact of RM on Clinical Outcomes

Follow‐up of patients with cardiac implantable electronic devices is challenging due to both their increasing volume and technical complexity coupled to increasing clinical complexity of recipient patients. Remote monitoring (RM) offers an opportunity to resolve some of these difficulties by improving clinic efficiencies and providing a mechanism for device monitoring and patient management. Several recent randomized clinical trials and registries have demonstrated that RM may reduce in‐hospital visit numbers, time required for patient follow‐up, physician and nurse time, and hospital and social costs. Furthermore, patient retention and adherence to follow‐up schedule are significantly improved by RM. Continuous wireless monitoring of data stored in the device memory with automatic alerts allows early detection of device malfunctions and of events, such as atrial fibrillation, ventricular arrhythmias, and heart failure suitable for clinical intervention. Early reaction may improve patient outcome. RM is easy to use and patients showed a high level of acceptance and satisfaction. Implementing RM in daily practice may require changes in clinic workflow. New organizational models promote significant efficiencies regarding physician and nursing time. Data management techniques are under development. Despite these demonstrable advantages of RM, adoption still remains modest, even in health care systems incentivized to use this follow‐up method.
Temperature‐ and sex‐related effects of serine protease alleles on larval development in the Glanville fritillary butterfly
Authors: Ahola V. , Koskinen P. , Wong S. C. , Kvist J. , Paulin L. , Auvinen P. , Saastamoinen M. , Frilander M. J. , Lehtonen R. , Hanski I.
Published: September 2015

The body reserves of adult Lepidoptera are accumulated during larval development. In the Glanville fritillary butterfly, larger body size increases female fecundity, but in males fast larval development and early eclosion, rather than large body size, increase mating success and hence fitness. Larval growth rate is highly heritable, but genetic variation associated with larval development is largely unknown. By comparing the Glanville fritillary population living in the Åland Islands in northern Europe with a population in Nantaizi in China, within the source of the post‐glacial range expansion, we identified candidate genes with reduced variation in Åland, potentially affected by selection under cooler climatic conditions than in Nantaizi. We conducted an association study of larval growth traits by genotyping the extremes of phenotypic trait distributions for 23SNPs in 10 genes. Three genes in clip‐domain serine protease family were associated with larval growth rate, development time and pupal weight. Additive effects of twoSNPs in the prophenoloxidase‐activating proteinase‐3 (ProPO3) gene, related to melanization, showed elevated growth rate in high temperature but reduced growth rate in moderate temperature. The allelic effects of the vitellin‐degrading protease precursor gene on development time were opposite in the two sexes, one genotype being associated with long development time and heavy larvae in females but short development time in males. Sexually antagonistic selection is here evident in spite of sexual size dimorphism.
Different susceptibility of indigenous populations of Lymantria dispar to the exotic entomopathogen Entomophaga maimaiga
Authors: Contarini M. , Ruiu L. , Pilarska D. , Luciano P.
Published: September 2015

The recovery of the host‐specific entomopathogen Entomophaga maimaiga is still limited to certain world areas, although it is recently spreading to Eastern Europe. This study evaluated the effectiveness and fitness of an E. maimaiga isolate from Balkans against Lymantria dispar populations collected along the Italian peninsula and main islands, where the fungus has never been reported. As a result of different bioassays, the pathogenicity against gypsy moth larvae was generally confirmed, although significant differences among insects feeding upon diverse forest plant species were observed. The lack of significant susceptibility of other lepidopteran species from the same areas is also reported.
DO MOTIVATED INSTITUTIONAL INVESTORS MONITOR FIRM PAYOUT AND PERFORMANCE?
Authors: Nagel Gregory L. , Qayyum M. Arif , Roskelley Kenneth D.
Published: September 2015

We document a positive relation between shareholder monitoring and total payout to shareholders using two monitoring proxies that jointly consider an investor's ability and incentive to monitor. We find that this relation is even stronger for firms with poor growth options and with greater potential for agency problems. Unlike traditional proxies, our two proxies do not exhibit any endogeneity with payout policy. We further show that monitoring is positively associated with future improvements in payout and operating performance. These findings are consistent with the prediction that shareholder monitoring leads to higher payout through increased efficiency and reduced agency costs.
Main path and byways: non‐vesicular glutamate release by system xc− as an important modifier of glutamatergic neurotransmission
Authors: Massie Ann , Boillée Séverine , Hewett Sandra , Knackstedt Lori , Lewerenz Jan
Published: September 2015

System xc− is a cystine/glutamate antiporter that exchanges extracellular cystine for intracellular glutamate. Cystine is intracellularly reduced to cysteine, a building block of GSH. As such, system xc− can regulate the antioxidant capacity of cells. Moreover, in several brain regions, system xc− is the major source of extracellular glutamate. As such this antiporter is able to fulfill key physiological functions in the CNS, while evidence indicates it also plays a role in certain brain pathologies. Since the transcription of xCT, the specific subunit of system xc−, is enhanced by the presence of reactive oxygen species and inflammatory cytokines, system xc− could be involved in toxic extracellular glutamate release in neurological disorders that are associated with increased oxidative stress and neuroinflammation. System xc− has also been reported to contribute to the invasiveness of brain tumors and, as a source of extracellular glutamate, could participate in the induction of peritumoral seizures.

Two independent reviews (Pharmacol. Rev. 64, 2012, 780; Antioxid. Redox Signal. 18, 2013, 522), approached from a different perspective, have recently been published on the functions of system xc− in the CNS. In this review, we highlight novel achievements and insights covering the regulation of system xc− as well as its involvement in emotional behavior, cognition, addiction, neurological disorders and glioblastomas, acquired in the past few years.

image

System xc− constitutes an important source of extrasynaptic glutamate in the brain. By modulating the tone of extrasynaptic metabotropic or ionotropic glutamate receptors, it affects excitatory neurotransmission, the threshold for overexcitation and excitotoxicity and, as a consequence, behavior. This review describes the current knowledge of how system xc− is regulated and involved in physiological as well as pathophysiological brain functioning.
A new role for AMP‐activated protein kinase in the circadian regulation of L‐type voltage‐gated calcium channels in late‐stage embryonic retinal photoreceptors
Authors: Huang Cathy C.Y. , Shi Liheng , Lin Chia‐Hung , Kim Andy Jeesu , Ko Michael L. , Ko Gladys Y.‐P.
Published: September 2015

AMP‐activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a cellular energy sensor, which is activated when the intracellular ATP production decreases. The activities of AMPK display circadian rhythms in various organs and tissues, indicating that AMPK is involved in the circadian regulation of cellular metabolism. In vertebrate retina, the circadian clocks regulate many aspects of retinal function and physiology, including light/dark adaption, but whether and how AMPK was involved in the retinal circadian rhythm was not known. We hypothesized that the activation of AMPK (measured as phosphorylated AMPK) in the retina was under circadian control, and AMPK might interact with other intracellular signaling molecules to regulate photoreceptor physiology. We combined ATP assays, western blots, immunostaining, patch‐clamp recordings, and pharmacological treatments to decipher the role of AMPK in the circadian regulation of photoreceptor physiology. We found that the overall retinal ATP content displayed a diurnal rhythm that peaked at early night, which was nearly anti‐phase to the diurnal and circadian rhythms of AMPK phosphorylation. AMPK was also involved in the circadian phase‐dependent regulation of photoreceptor L‐type voltage‐gated calcium channels (L‐VGCCs), the ion channel essential for sustained neurotransmitter release. The activation of AMPK dampened the L‐VGCC currents at night with a corresponding decrease in protein expression of the L‐VGCCα1 pore‐forming subunit, while inhibition of AMPK increased the L‐VGCC current during the day. AMPK appeared to be upstream of extracellular‐signal‐regulated kinase and mammalian/mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) but downstream of adenylyl cyclase in regulating the circadian rhythm of L‐VGCCs. Hence, as a cellular energy sensor, AMPK integrates into the cell signaling network to regulate the circadian rhythm of photoreceptor physiology.

image

We found that in chicken embryonic retina, the activation of AMP‐activated protein kinase (AMPK) is under circadian control and anti‐phase to the retinal ATP rhythm. While ATP content is higher at night, phosphorylated AMPK (pAMPK) is higher during the day. AMPK appears to be upstream of extracellular signal‐regulated kinase (ERK), protein kinase B (AKT), and mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) but downstream of adenylyl cyclase in regulating the circadian rhythm of L‐VGCCs. Therefore, as a cellular energy sensor, AMPK integrates into the cell signaling network to regulate the circadian rhythm of photoreceptor physiology.
Is Historical Cost Accounting a Panacea? Market Stress, Incentive Distortions, and Gains Trading
Authors: ELLUL ANDREW , JOTIKASTHIRA CHOTIBHAK , LUNDBLAD CHRISTIAN T. , WANG YIHUI
Published: September 2015

Accounting rules, through their interactions with capital regulations, affect financial institutions’ trading behavior. The insurance industry provides a laboratory to explore these interactions: life insurers have greater flexibility than property and casualty insurers to hold speculative‐grade assets at historical cost, and the degree to which life insurers recognize market values differs across U.S. states. During the financial crisis, insurers facing a lesser degree of market value recognition are less likely to sell downgraded asset‐backed securities. To improve their capital positions, these insurers disproportionately resort to gains trading, selectively selling otherwise unrelated bonds with high unrealized gains, transmitting shocks across markets.
Beyond Prototypes: Drivers of Market Categorization in Functional Foods and Nanotechnology
Authors: Granqvist Nina , Ritvala Tiina
Published: September 2015

We develop a nuanced understanding of what drives producers’ and audiences’ categorization activities throughout market category development. Prior research on market categories assumes prototypical similarity to be the main or even only driver of categorization. Drawing on a comparative, longitudinal case study of the market categories ‘functional foods’ and ‘nanotechnology’ in Finland, we find that evolving perceptions, knowledge, and goals also impact categorization. Furthermore, our analysis uncovers that goal‐based categorization is characteristic for vital market categories, and the lack thereof may mark a waning interest and category decline. Overall, while previous research stresses the role of clear boundaries and knowledge bases for a viable category, we find that overly strict boundaries may constrain category vitality and renewal.
Association between dental pain and depression in Korean adults using the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey
Authors: Yang S. E. , Park Y. G. , Han K. , Min J.A. , Kim S.Y.
Published: September 2015

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationships between the prevalence of depression and dental pain using a well characterised, nationally representative, population‐based study. This study analysed data from the 2012 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (n = 4886). Oral health status was assessed using the oral health questionnaire, and oral examination was performed by trained dentists. Depression was defined as the participant having been diagnosed as depression during the previous year. Logistic regression was applied to estimate adjusted odds ratios (AOR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI), controlling for a range of covariates. Results demonstrated that participants included in ‘root canal treatment is necessary’ showed higher prevalence of self‐reported dental pain; in particular, participants with depression presented more dental pain than those without depression. After adjusting for sociodemographic factors, self‐reported dental pain increased in participants with depression. The AOR (95% CI) for having self‐reported dental pain was 1·58 (1·08–2·33) in dentists' diagnosis of no dental pain/depression group, 1·62 (1·32–1·98) in dentists' diagnosis of dental pain/no depression group and 2·84 (1·10–7·37) in dentists' diagnosis of dental pain/depression group. It was concluded that depression was associated with dental pain after adjustment for potential confounders in Korean adults. Thus, dentists should consider the possible presence of psychopathology when treating patients with dental pain.
Supporting recovery from hoarding and squalor: insights from a community case study
Authors: Raeburn T. , Hungerford C. , Escott P. , Cleary M.
Published: September 2015

Accessible summary

Hoarding and squalor are more common among people with chronic mental disorders and can compromise a person's health and safety, be a public health issue and present substantial challenges to family, carers, social service agencies and clinical mental health services.

This paper provides a case study outlining the complex challenges experienced by a person exhibiting hoarding and squalor behaviours, and explores the role of a mental health nurse in supporting the person towards recovery.

The journey towards mental health recovery for a person with hoarding and squalor behaviours is multidynamic and requires more than clinical expertise or discreet psychotherapeutic modalities.

People with hoarding behaviours acquire a large number of possessions that are often of limited or no monetary value and which they are unable or unwilling to discard. Such behaviours can substantially impair a person's ability to attend to their normal daily activities, cause substantial distress and lead to squalid living conditions. Living in squalor can compromise a person's health and safety, be a public health issue and present substantial challenges to family, carers, social service agencies and clinical mental health services. Hoarding and squalor behaviours are more common among people with co‐morbid organic and mental illness, such as developmental delay, schizophrenia, alcohol dependence and/or obsessive–compulsive disorder. This paper provides a narrative that explores the role of one Australian mental health nurse practitioner in the recovery of a person with hoarding behaviours.
William Blake and the Emergence of Romantic Media Studies
Authors: Burkett Andrew
Published: September 2015

The following article is structured in two parts: the first half of the essay investigates the now‐emerging Romantic media studies paradigm, a vital sub‐field within contemporary Romanticist scholarship, and historicizes this critical paradigm while contextualizing its emergence and development in relation to competing historical and theoretical accounts of “media,” “medium,” “mediation,” and other terms most crucial to scholars working in this area. The essay's second half situates the role of the art and poetry of William Blake, often cited as the Romantic age's greatest multimedia artist, within Romantic media studies and does so by reviewing the general lack of critical and theoretical attention given to Blake within the nascent sub‐field. While Blake's poetry, painting, and printmaking have proven to be extremely generative of digital scholarly projects, Romantic media studies' implicit investment in his work (and especially the nature and function of his illuminated manuscripts) requires further investigation.
Antarctic krill population genomics: apparent panmixia, but genome complexity and large population size muddy the water
Authors: Deagle Bruce E. , Faux Cassandra , Kawaguchi So , Meyer Bettina , Jarman Simon N.
Published: September 2015

Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba; hereafter krill) are an incredibly abundant pelagic crustacean which has a wide, but patchy, distribution in the Southern Ocean. Several studies have examined the potential for population genetic structuring in krill, but DNA‐based analyses have focused on a limited number of markers and have covered only part of their circum‐Antarctic range. We used mitochondrial DNA and restriction site‐associated DNA sequencing (RAD‐seq) to investigate genetic differences between krill from five sites, including two from East Antarctica. Our mtDNA results show no discernible genetic structuring between sites separated by thousands of kilometres, which is consistent with previous studies. Using standard RAD‐seq methodology, we obtained over a billion sequences from >140 krill, and thousands of variable nucleotides were identified at hundreds of loci. However, downstream analysis found that markers with sufficient coverage were primarily from multicopy genomic regions. Careful examination of these data highlights the complexity of the RAD‐seq approach in organisms with very large genomes. To characterize the multicopy markers, we recorded sequence counts from variable nucleotide sites rather than the derived genotypes; we also examined a small number of manually curated genotypes. Although these analyses effectively fingerprinted individuals, and uncovered a minor laboratory batch effect, no population structuring was observed. Overall, our results are consistent with panmixia of krill throughout their distribution. This result may indicate ongoing gene flow. However, krill's enormous population size creates substantial panmictic inertia, so genetic differentiation may not occur on an ecologically relevant timescale even if demographically separate populations exist.
Population genetic structure of Oryza rufipogon and Oryza nivara: implications for the origin of O. nivara
Authors: Liu Rong , Zheng Xiao‐Ming , Zhou Lian , Zhou Hai‐Fei , Ge Song
Published: September 2015

Ecological speciation plays a primary role in driving species divergence and adaptation. Oryza rufipogon and Oryza nivara are two incipient species at the early stage of speciation with distinct differences in morphology, life history traits and habitat preference, and therefore provide a unique model for the study of ecological speciation. However, the population genetic structure of the ancestral O. rufipogon has been controversial despite substantial study, and the origin of the derivative O. nivara remains unclear. Here, based on sequences of 10 nuclear and two chloroplast loci from 26 wild populations across the entire geographic ranges of the two species, we conducted comprehensive analyses using population genetics, phylogeography and species distribution modelling (SDM) approaches. In addition to supporting the two previously reported major subdivisions, we detected four genetically distinct groups within O. rufipogon and found no correlation between the genetic groups and either species identity or geographical regions. The SDM clearly showed substantial change in the distribution range of O. rufipogon in history, demonstrating that the repeated extinction and colonization of local populations due to multiple glacial–interglacial cycles during the Quaternary was most likely the main factor shaping the confounding population genetic structure of O. rufipogon. Moreover, we found significant differences between the two species in climate preferences, suggestive of an important role for climatic factors in the adaptation, persistence and expansion of O. nivara. Finally, based on the genetic pattern and dynamics of the O. nivara populations, we hypothesize that O. nivara might have independently originated multiple times from different O. rufipogon populations.
Recovery rates of bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) carcasses estimated from stranding and survival rate data
Authors: Carretta James V. , Danil Kerri , Chivers Susan J. , Weller David W. , Janiger David S. , Berman‐Kowalewski Michelle , Hernandez Keith M. , Harvey James T. , Dunkin Robin C. , Casper David R. , Stoudt Shelbi , Flannery Maureen , Wilkinson Kristin , Huggins Jessie , Lambourn Dyanna M.
Published: September 2015

Recovery of cetacean carcasses provides data on levels of human‐caused mortality, but represents only a minimum count of impacts. Counts of stranded carcasses are negatively biased by factors that include at‐sea scavenging, sinking, drift away from land, stranding in locations where detection is unlikely, and natural removal from beaches due to wave and tidal action prior to detection. We estimate the fraction of carcasses recovered for a population of coastal bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), using abundance and survival rate data to estimate annual deaths in the population. Observed stranding numbers are compared to expected deaths to estimate the fraction of carcasses recovered. For the California coastal population of bottlenose dolphins, we estimate the fraction of carcasses recovered to be 0.25 (95% CI = 0.20–0.33). During a 12 yr period, 327 animals (95% CI = 253–413) were expected to have died and been available for recovery, but only 83 carcasses attributed to this population were documented. Given the coastal habits of California coastal bottlenose dolphins, it is likely that carcass recovery rates of this population greatly exceed recovery rates of more pelagic dolphin species in the region.
Autistic children and anesthesia: is their perioperative experience different?
Authors: Arnold Brook , Elliott Anila , Laohamroonvorapongse Dean , Hanna John , Norvell Daniel , Koh Jeffrey
Published: September 2015

Background

Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are an increasingly common patient population in the perioperative setting. Children with ASD present with abnormal development in social interaction, communication, and stereotyped patterns of behavior and may be more prone to elevated perioperative anxiety. The perioperative experience for these patients is complex and presents a unique challenge for clinicians.

Aim

The aim of the current study was to provide a further understanding of the premedication patterns and perioperative experiences of children with ASD in comparison to children without ASD.

Methods

Using a retrospective cohort study design, medical records were evaluated for patients with and without ASD undergoing general anesthesia for dental rehabilitation from 2006–2011. The following objectives were measured and compared: (i) premedication patterns and (ii) complications, pain, anesthetic type, PACU time, and time to discharge. To compare categorical variables, the chi‐square test was used. Bivariate and multivariable analyses were performed to control for potential confounding as a result of baseline differences between the two groups.

Results

A total of 121 ASD patients and 881 non‐ASD patients were identified. When controlling for age, weight, and gender, children in the ASD group were more likely to have nonstandard premedication types (P < 0.0001), while children without ASD were more likely to have standard premedication types (P < 0.0001). No significant group differences were identified in regards to the other outcome measures.

Conclusions

Other than a significant difference in the premedication type and route, we found that children with ASD seemed to have similar perioperative experiences as non‐ASD subjects. It was especially interesting to find that their postoperative period did not pose any special challenges. There is much to be learned about this unique patient population, and a more in‐depth prospective evaluation is warranted to help better delineate the best approach to caring for these patients.
Serious Complications from Staphylococcal aureus in Atopic Dermatitis
Authors: Patel Devika , Jahnke Marla N.
Published: September 2015

Colonization with Staphylococcal aureus is markedly more frequent in individuals with atopic dermatitis (AD) than in unaffected individuals. Chronic scratching leads to worsening of an existing defect in the epidermal barrier, which can allow S. aureus invasion into the bloodstream and subsequent systemic infections. We report two unusual cases of systemic illness in individuals with AD. One developed infective endocarditis followed by a stroke and the other developed septic arthritis and osteomyelitis. We performed an extensive literature review of reported systemic complications caused by S. aureus in patients with AD. Although reports are rare, practitioners should be aware of these important, albeit unlikely, complications of staphylococcal superinfections in individuals with AD.
Spiny Papules in an Immunosuppressed Child
Authors: Nguyen Nicholas V. , Burgos Arelis , Prok Lori
Published: September 2015

Trichodysplasia spinulosa is a rare folliculocentric polyomavirus infection observed in the setting of immunosuppression. We report a 7‐year‐old boy with pre‐B‐cell lymphoblastic leukemia who presented with folliculocentric spiny papules on the face. Histologic evaluation revealed hypertrophic bulbs, an expanded inner root sheath, and numerous brightly eosinophilic trichohyalin granules. We present this case to raise awareness of this rare but recognizable entity and to highlight the availability of appropriate diagnostic and therapeutic modalities.
Maternal stress and perinatal features in autism and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder
Authors: Say Gökçe Nur , Karabekiroğlu Koray , Babadağı Zehra , Yüce Murat
Published: September 2015

Background

We investigated the shared and non‐shared perinatal risk factors for autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in a clinical sample. Additionally, we compared these groups regarding pre/postpartum maternal stress and the duration of breastfeeding.

Methods

Children aged 3–18 years old with ASD (n = 100) were compared with age‐ and gender‐matched children with ADHD (n = 100) and with age‐ and gender‐matched healthy controls (n = 80).

Results

Prematurity of the neonate and maternal stress/depressive mood in pregnancy were common risk factors shared by ASD and ADHD. Postpartum maternal depressive mood may be more specific to ASD, while shorter duration of breastfeeding may be related to ADHD.

Conclusions

ASD and ADHD may have some perinatal features in common. Identification of perinatal factors for ASD and ADHD carries clinical implications in terms of primary prevention.
Substantivalism vs Relationalism About Space in Classical Physics
Authors: Dasgupta Shamik
Published: September 2015

Substantivalism is the view that space exists in addition to any material bodies situated within it. Relationalism is the opposing view that there is no such thing as space; there are just material bodies, spatially related to one another. This paper assesses this issue in the context of classical physics. It starts by describing the bucket argument for substantivalism. It then turns to anti‐substantivalist arguments, including Leibniz's classic arguments and their contemporary reincarnation under the guise of ‘symmetry’. It argues that these anti‐substantivalist arguments are stronger than is often acknowledged.
Frege on the Normativity and Constitutivity of Logic for Thought II
Authors: Mezzadri Daniele
Published: September 2015

This two‐part paper reviews a scholarly debate on an alleged tension in Frege's philosophy of logic. In Section 1 of Part I, I discuss Frege's view that logic is concerned with establishing norms for correct thinking and is therefore a normative science. In Section 2, I explore a different understanding of the role of logic that Frege seems to advance: logic is constitutive of the very possibility of thought, because it sets forth necessary conditions for thought. Hence, the tension the view according to which logic is normative for thought seems to be incompatible with the idea that abiding by the laws of logic forms a precondition for thought. In Section 1 of Part II, I survey a number of interpretations of Frege's conception of logic that deal with this question. I show that they are for the most part either normative readings (emphasising the former understanding of the nature of logic) or constitutive readings (emphasising the latter). Finally, in Section 2, I adjudicate the debate and aim at reconciling the normative and the constitutive strands in Frege's conception of logic.
Improvisation in the Arts
Authors: Bresnahan Aili
Published: September 2015

This article focuses primarily on improvisation in the arts as discussed in philosophical aesthetics, supplemented with accounts of improvisational practice by arts theorists and educators. It begins with an overview of the term improvisation, first as it is used in general and then as it is used to describe particular products and practices in the individual arts. From here, questions and challenges that improvisation raises for the traditional work‐of‐art concept, the type‐token distinction, and the appreciation and evaluation of the arts will be explored. This article concludes with the suggestion that further research and discussion on improvisation in the arts is needed, particularly in the areas of non‐jazz improvisation.
American Indians’ Family Health Concern on a Northern Plains Reservation: “Diabetes Runs Rampant Here”
Authors: Martin Donna , Yurkovich Eleanor , Anderson Kara
Published: September 2015

Objectives

The objective was to identify significant family health concerns from the perspective of adult tribal members residing in a reservation setting on the Northern Plains of the United States. Findings were used to cocreate culturally appropriate strategies to address the most significant family health concern.

Design and Sample

A focused ethnography within a participatory framework was employed. An advisory council, comprised of seven tribal members, guided the research team. A purposive sampling technique with a snowball process was used. Twenty‐one adult tribal members volunteered to participate.

Measures

Face‐to‐face, audio‐recorded, semi‐structured interviews were conducted and transcribed verbatim. Other data sources included field notes of approximately 100 hours of field work, windshield surveys, and a focus group. Data were analyzed using Spradley's guidelines.

Results

The significant family health concern was “diabetes runs rampant here” with inter‐related cognitive, emotional, and behavioral responses. These responses were compounded by accumulated emotional trauma from witnessing premature deaths and severe comorbidities associated with diabetes. Contextual factors shaping “diabetes runs rampant here” were identified.

Conclusion

Holistic approaches are urgently needed in diabetes prevention and management programs. Implications for public health nurses are discussed and recommendations are provided for future research.
NADPH from the oxidative pentose phosphate pathway drives the operation of cyclic electron flow around photosystem I in high‐intertidal macroalgae under severe salt stress
Authors: Lu Xiaoping , Huan Li , Gao Shan , He Linwen , Wang Guangce
Published: September 2015

Pyropia yezoensis (Bangiales, Rhodophyta) is a representative species of high‐intertidal macroalgae, whose blades can tolerate extreme stresses, such as salt stress and desiccation. In this study, the photosystem (PS) responses of P. yezoensis blades under salt stress were studied. Our results showed that when the effective photochemical quantum yield of PS (Y) II decreased to almost zero under high salt stress, YI still had a relatively high activity rate. PSII was therefore more sensitive to salt stress than PSI. Furthermore, in the presence of 3‐(3′, 4′‐dichlorophenyl)‐1,1‐dimethylurea (DCMU), YI rose as salinity increased. The YI values for DCMU‐treated thalli decreased in the presence of glucose‐6‐phosphate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.49, G6PDH) inhibitor (glucosamine, Glucm). The YI values were ∼0.09 in the presence of methyl viologen (MV) and almost zero in the presence of dibromothymoquinone (DBMIB). These results demonstrated that under severe salt stress (120‰ salinity) PSI activity was driven from a source other than PSII, and that stromal reductants probably supported the operation of PSI. Under salt stress, the starch content decreased and soluble sugar levels increased. The G6PDH and 6‐phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.44) activities increased, but cytosolic glyceraldehyde 3‐phosphate dehydrogenase (EC 1.2.1.12) activity decreased. Furthermore, the NADPH content increased, but NADH decreased, which suggested that soluble sugar entered the oxidative pentose phosphate pathway (OPPP). All these results suggested that NADPH from OPPP increases the cyclic electron flow around PSI in high‐intertidal macroalgae under severe salt stress.
You see what you have learned. Evidence for an interrelation of associative learning and visual selective attention
Authors: Feldmann‐Wüstefeld Tobias , Uengoer Metin , Schubö Anna
Published: September 2015

Besides visual salience and observers’ current intention, prior learning experience may influence deployment of visual attention. Associative learning models postulate that observers pay more attention to stimuli previously experienced as reliable predictors of specific outcomes. To investigate the impact of learning experience on deployment of attention, we combined an associative learning task with a visual search task and measured event‐related potentials of the EEG as neural markers of attention deployment. In the learning task, participants categorized stimuli varying in color/shape with only one dimension being predictive of category membership. In the search task, participants searched a shape target while disregarding irrelevant color distractors. Behavioral results showed that color distractors impaired performance to a greater degree when color rather than shape was predictive in the learning task. Neurophysiological results show that the amplified distraction was due to differential attention deployment (N2pc). Experiment 2 showed that when color was predictive for learning, color distractors captured more attention in the search task (ND component) and more suppression of color distractor was required (PD component). The present results thus demonstrate that priority in visual attention is biased toward predictive stimuli, which allows learning experience to shape selection. We also show that learning experience can overrule strong top‐down control (blocked tasks, Experiment 3) and that learning experience has a longer‐term effect on attention deployment (tasks on two successive days, Experiment 4).
Sympathetic pain? A role of poor parasympathetic nervous system engagement in vicarious pain states
Authors: Nazarewicz Julia , Verdejo‐Garcia Antonio , Giummarra Melita J.
Published: September 2015

This study investigated the psychophysiological correlates of the subjective experience of vicarious pain; that is, a spontaneous experience of pain when seeing another in pain. Forty‐nine healthy, otherwise pain‐free individuals aged 18–55 years completed empathy and anxiety questionnaires and were classified into three groups: vicarious responders with high anxiety (n = 11), vicarious responders with low anxiety (n = 22), and nonresponders (n = 16). Electrophysiological recordings of heart rate variability (HRV) during paced breathing and cognitive stress (serial sevens task) were completed before participants viewed short videos of athletes in states of pain or happiness, taken from Australian League Football matches. Change in beats per minute, relative to neutral scenes, were analyzed for the first 4 s after onset of the painful or happy event. Anxious responders had lower HF‐HRV than both other groups, implicating poor parasympathetic regulation specific to states of stress. Both vicarious responder groups had elevated HR at the event onset, regardless of valence. After viewing painful injuries, nonanxious vicarious responders showed sustained HR over time, anxious responders showed HR acceleration with a peak at 3 s after the injury onset, and nonresponders showed a pattern of marked HR deceleration. These findings suggest that vicarious pain in anxious responders is associated with poorly regulated sympathetic arousal via insufficient inhibitory parasympathetic activity, whereas nonanxious persons show sustained arousal. Clearly, multiple mechanisms in the central and peripheral nervous system must play a role in vicarious pain states, and the different manifestations are likely to lead to very different behavioral consequences.
The facilitation of motor actions by acoustic and electric stimulation
Authors: Marinovic Welber , Milford Magdalene , Carroll Timothy , Riek Stephan
Published: September 2015

The presentation of a loud acoustic stimulus during the preparation of motor actions can both speed movement initiation and increase response vigor. Several recent studies have explored this phenomenon as a means to investigate the mechanisms and neural correlates of movement preparation. Here, we sought to determine the generality of this effect across sensory modalities, and in particular whether unexpected somatosensory stimulation can facilitate movements in a manner similar to loud sounds. We show that electric and acoustic stimuli can be similarly effective in inducing the early release of motor actions, in both reaction time and anticipatory timing tasks. Consistent with recent response activation models of motor preparation, we also demonstrate that increasing the intensity of electric stimuli induces both progressive decreases in reaction time and increases in response vigor. Additionally, we show that the early release of motor actions can be induced by electric stimuli targeting predominantly either muscle afferents or skin afferents. Finally, we show that simultaneous acoustic and electric stimulation leads to earlier releases of anticipatory actions than either unimodal stimulus. These findings may lead to new avenues for experimental and clinical exploitation of the effects of accessory sensory information on movement preparation and initiation.
Gender differences in the impact of daily sadness on 24‐h heart rate variability
Authors: Verkuil Bart , Brosschot Jos F. , Marques Andrea H. , Kampschroer Kevin , Sternberg Esther M. , Thayer Julian F.
Published: September 2015

Reduced heart rate variability (HRV) is proposed to mediate the relation between depressive symptoms and cardiovascular health problems. Yet, several studies have found that in women depression is associated with higher HRV levels, whereas in men depression is associated with lower HRV levels. So far, these studies have only examined gender differences in HRV levels using a single assessment. This study aimed to test the interactive effects of gender and sadness on ambulatory‐assessed HRV levels. A sample of 60 (41 women) employees participated in an ambulatory study. HRV levels (mean of successive differences; MSD) were continuously measured for 24 h. During the daytime, hourly assessments of sadness and other mood states were taken, while depressive symptoms were assessed with the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale (CES‐D). Gender differences were observed when examining the impact of average daily sadness on MSD. In women, but not in men, the total amount of sadness experienced during the day was associated with higher circadian MSD levels. These findings suggest that researchers need to take gender differences into account when examining the relation between sadness, HRV, and cardiovascular problems.