bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
BIPM comparison BIPM.RI(II)-K1.Th-228 of activity measurements of the radionuclide 228Th
Authors: Michotte C , Ratel G , Courte S , Lucas L , Kossert K , Nähle O , Ott O
Published: July 2016

Since 1986, two national metrology institutes (NMI) have submitted two samples of known activity of 228Th to the International Reference System (SIR) for activity comparison at the Bureau International des Poids et Mesures (BIPM), with comparison identifier BIPM.RI(II)-K1.Th-228. The values of the activity submitted were about 300 kBq and 2 MBq. A key comparison reference value (KCRV) has been evaluated for the first time for 228Th. There is only one result remaining in the BIPM.RI(II)-K1.Th-228 comparison, the 1986 NIST result being outdated. The degrees of equivalence between each equivalent activity measured in the SIR and the KCRV have been calculated and the results are given in the form of a table. A graphical presentation is also given.

Main text

To reach the main text of this paper, click on Final Report. Note that this text is that which appears in Appendix B of the BIPM key comparison database kcdb.bipm.org/.

The final report has been peer-reviewed and approved for publication by the CCRI, according to the provisions of the CIPM Mutual Recognition Arrangement (CIPM MRA).
Extreme distribution of deleterious variation in a historically small and isolated population - insights from the Greenlandic Inuit
Authors: Pedersen Casper-Emil T. , Lohmueller Kirk E. , Grarup Niels , Bjerregaard Peter , Hansen Torben , Siegismund Hans R. , Moltke Ida , Albrechtsen Anders
Published: July 2016

The genetic consequences of a severe bottleneck on genetic load in humans are widely disputed. Based on exome sequencing of 18 Greenlandic Inuit we show that the Inuit have undergone a severe ~20,000 yearlong bottleneck. This has led to a markedly more extreme distribution of deleterious alleles than seen for any other human population. Compared to populations with much larger population sizes, we see an overall reduction in the number of variable sites, increased numbers of fixed sites, a lower heterozygosity, and increased mean allele frequency as well as more homozygous deleterious genotypes. This means, that the Inuit population is the perfect population to examine the effect of a bottleneck on genetic load. Compared to the European, Asian and African populations, we do not observe a difference in the overall number of derived alleles. In contrast, using proxies for genetic load we find that selection has acted less efficiently in the Inuit, under a recessive model. This fits with our simulations that predict a similar number of derived alleles but a true higher genetic load for the Inuit regardless of the genetic model. Finally, we find that the Inuit population has a great potential for mapping of disease-causing variants that are rare in large populations. In fact, we show that these alleles are more likely to be common, and thus easy to map, in the Inuit than in the Finnish and Latino populations; populations considered highly valuable for mapping studies due to recent bottleneck events.
Suite2p: beyond 10,000 neurons with standard two-photon microscopy
Authors: Pachitariu Marius , Stringer Carsen , Dipoppa Mario , Schröder Sylvia , Rossi L. Federico , Dalgleish Henry , Carandini Matteo , Harris Kenneth D.
Published: July 2016

Two-photon microscopy of calcium-dependent sensors has enabled unprecedented recordings from vast populations of neurons. While the sensors and microscopes have matured over several generations of development, computational methods to process the resulting movies remain inefficient and can give results that are hard to interpret. Here we introduce Suite2p: a fast, accurate and complete pipeline that registers raw movies, detects active cells, extracts their calcium traces and infers their spike times. Suite2p runs on standard workstations, operates faster than real time, and recovers ~2 times more cells than the previous state-of-the-art method. Its low computational load allows routine detection of ~10,000 cells simultaneously with standard two-photon resonant-scanning microscopes. Recordings at this scale promise to reveal the fine structure of activity in large populations of neurons or large populations of subcellular structures such as synaptic boutons.
Detection of statistically significant network changes in complex biological networks
Authors: Mall Raghvendra , Cerulo Luigi , Bensmail Halima , Iavarone Antonio , Ceccarelli Michele
Published: July 2016

1

Motivation

Biological networks contribute effectively to unveil the complex structure of molecular interactions and to discover driver genes especially in cancer context. It can happen that due to gene mutations, as for example when cancer progresses, the gene expression network undergoes some amount of localised re-wiring. The ability to detect statistical relevant changes in the interaction patterns induced by the progression of the disease can lead to discovery of novel relevant signatures.

2

Results

Several procedures have been recently proposed to detect sub-network differences in pairwise labeled weighted networks. In this paper, we propose an improvement over the state-of-the-art based on the Generalized Hamming Distance adopted for evaluating the topological difference between two networks and estimating its statistical significance. The proposed procedure exploits a more effective model selection criteria to generate p-values for statistical significance and is more efficient in terms of computational time and prediction accuracy than literature methods. Moreover, the structure of the proposed algorithm allows for a faster parallelized implementation. In the case of dense random geometric networks the proposed approach is 10−15x faster and achieves 5-10% higher AUC, Precision/Recall, and Kappa value than the state-of-the-art. We also report the application of the method to dissect the difference between the regulatory networks of IDH-mutant versus IDH-wild-type glioma cancer. In such a case our method is able to identify some recently reported master regulators as well as novel important candidates.

3

Availability

The scripts implementing the proposed algorithms are available in R athttps://sites.google.com/site/raghvendramallmlresearcher/codes.

4

Contact

rmall@qf.org.qa
A systematic comparison reveals substantial differences in chromosomal versus episomal encoding of enhancer activity
Authors: Inoue Fumitaka , Kircher Martin , Martin Beth , Cooper Gregory M. , Witten Daniela M. , McManus Michael T. , Ahituv Nadav , Shendure Jay
Published: July 2016

Candidate enhancers can be identified on the basis of chromatin modifications, the binding of chromatin modifiers and transcription factors and cofactors, or chromatin accessibility. However, validating such candidates as bona fide enhancers requires functional characterization, typically achieved through reporter assays that test whether a sequence can drive expression of a transcriptional reporter via a minimal promoter. A longstanding concern is that reporter assays are mainly implemented on episomes, which are thought to lack physiological chromatin. However, the magnitude and determinants of differences incis-regulation for regulatory sequences residing in episomes versus chromosomes remain almost completely unknown. To address this question in a systematic manner, we developed and applied a novel lentivirus-based massively parallel reporter assay (lentiMPRA) to directly compare the functional activities of 2,236 candidate liver enhancers in an episomal versus a chromosomally integrated context. We find that the activities of chromosomally integrated sequences are substantially different from the activities of the identical sequences assayed on episomes, and furthermore are correlated with different subsets of ENCODE annotations. The results of chromosomally-based reporter assays are also more reproducible and more strongly predictable by both ENCODE annotations and sequence-based models. With a linear model that combines chromatin annotations and sequence information, we achieve a Pearson’s R2of 0.347 for predicting the results of chromosomally integrated reporter assays. This level of prediction is better than with either chromatin annotations or sequence information alone and also outperforms predictive models of episomal assays. Our results have broad implications for howcis-regulatory elements are identified, prioritized and functionally validated.
Recording Hyperpolarization-Activated Cyclic Nucleotide-Gated Channel Currents (Ih) in Neurons
Authors: Shah Mala M.
Published: July 2016

Hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide–gated (HCN) channels are voltage-gated ion channels that play a crucial role in many physiological processes such as memory formation and spatial navigation. Alterations in expression and function of HCN channels have also been associated with multiple disorders including epilepsy, neuropathic pain, and anxiety/depression. Interestingly, neuronal HCN currents (Ih) have diverse biophysical properties in different neurons. This is likely to be in part caused by the heterogeneity of the HCN subunits expressed in neurons. This variation in biophysical characteristics is likely to influence how Ih affects neuronal activity. Thus, it is important to record Ih directly from individual neurons. This protocol describes voltage-clamp methods that can be used to record neuronal Ih under whole-cell voltage-clamp conditions, in cell-attached mode, or with outside-out patches. The information obtained using this approach can be used in combination with other techniques such as computational modeling to determine the significance of Ih for neuronal function.
Apprenticeships should work for women too!
Authors: Simon Linda , Clarke Kira
Published: July 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore some of the issues affecting successful employment outcomes for young women in male-dominated careers, focusing on those generally accessed via a traditional Australian apprenticeship model. Current patterns of participation in trades-based fields of education and training reinforce the highly gender segregated nature of the Australian Labour Force. Women are particularly under-represented in the large industries of construction, mining and utilities, where female employees account for only around 12, 15 and 23 per cent of employees, respectively, an issue of concern both in terms of increased economic participation of women and girls, and gender equality more broadly. The foundations for transition from education and training to employment are established during school. It is during these formative years that young men and women have notions of what is possible for them, and what is not possible, reinforced. Unfortunately, gendered stereotypes and perceptions around certain career options for young women are still reinforced within schools and create barriers to widening young women’s participation in a range of careers, particularly in fields traditionally dominated by males. The paper discusses strategies supporting initial apprenticeship opportunities for young women, and supportive structures to help women and girls build careers in these industries.

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper draws from a mixed method study, involving a national electronic survey of educators, industry and community groups, and a range of semi-structured interviews. Whilst the major study focused primarily on career exploration in relation to young women taking on careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics and non-traditional industries, this paper focuses on one aspect of this study, young women taking up an apprenticeship in a male-dominated career. The research around career exploration was undertaken in 2014, and this paper has placed it in the current context of falling apprenticeships and increasing pressures to increase the number of women and girls employed in a wider range of careers.

Findings

– The findings of this particular study consider the barriers to young women taking on apprenticeships and identify strategies that hopefully will produce more successful pathways. This paper can be seen as adding to the public discourse to address the Australian Government’s stated reform objective in vocational education and training (VET), that trade apprenticeships are appropriately valued and used as career pathways.

Originality/value

– This paper can be seen as adding to the public discourse to address the Australian Government’s stated VET reform objective, that trade apprenticeships are appropriately valued and used as career pathways.
Vietnamese teachers’ self-efficacy in teaching English as a Foreign Language
Authors: Phan Nga Thi Tuyet , Locke Terry
Published: July 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the influence of culture on the sense of self-efficacy in teaching English as a Foreign Language of a group of university teachers in Vietnam. Research exploring the relationship between culture and self-efficacy is extremely rare despite the acknowledged importance of culture in the formation of self-efficacy beliefs.

Design/methodology/approach

This study took the form of qualitative research with diverse, data collection instruments: individual interviews, focus group discussions, observations and journaling.

Findings

Findings indicate that certain features of the Vietnamese cultural context impacted on the way the study teachers constructed their sense of self-efficacy. Specifically, under the influence of a Vietnamese sense of belonging, the study teachers tended to rely more on efficacy-building information from other people rather than from themselves. The perception of inequality in power may have heightened negative emotional arousal, thus contributing to a negative sense of self-efficacy among the teachers. The Vietnamese concept of face and the high status of teachers in the social hierarchy in part mediated teachers’ sense of self-efficacy.

Social implications

The perceived burden of performing both parenting and teaching roles and responsibilities may have diminished the self-efficacy in teaching of female teachers.

Originality/value

The contribution and implications of the study are discussed.
Contested territories
Authors: O’Sullivan Kerry-Ann
Published: July 2016

Purpose

Increasing government regulation of educational practice with public accountability through a national curriculum and external testing, the establishment of professional teaching standards and associated teacher accreditation requirements are strong forces in contemporary Australian education. This paper aims to identify and examine some of the current governmental policies and the associated institutionalised requirements for initial teacher education within this particular context.

Design/methodology/approach

It focuses particularly on preservice English teachers, and in addressing these issues, there is an exploration of the contested territory of the subject English, the key factors affecting initial teacher education students and the effects of professional standards on educators.

Findings

It is argued that there is a need for a much broader vision of educational purpose, a richer construction of subject English than is defined by the testing of traditional literacy skills and productivity outcomes, with a greater empowerment of teachers whose achievements are increasingly limited by narrow accountability measures.

Originality/value

Formal accreditation demands appear to constrain the various multimodal practices and creative, collaborative pedagogies that enhance educational experiences in the twenty-first century. The challenge ahead for educators is to find a balance between the contemporary pressures of a global society, external expectations, professional aspirations and personal values.
Peter Medway: of his time?
Authors: Sawyer Wayne
Published: July 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the important work of Peter Medway in seeking to define English as a school subject in the period from the 1980s to the early years of this century.

Design/methodology/approach

The author reviews the work of Peter Medway.

Findings

The paper addresses the issue of how his work reflected – or not – the curriculum thinking of his time and the complexity of ideas he brought to this endeavour.

Originality/value

This paper is an original look at the work of Peter Medway in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries.
Misuse through short-term rentals on the Berlin housing market
Authors: Schäfer Philipp , Braun Nicole
Published: July 2016

Purpose

Short-term rentals are mainly of small flats, which are offered to tourists. Currently, the providers of short-term rentals, in particular Airbnb (ABB), are being criticized in several German cities, on the grounds that shares of residential flats are being removed from the housing market, due to illegitimate misuse as tourist accommodation. Thus, the conventional urban housing markets are contending with a decline in housing supply and increasing rents. This paper aims to support these findings empirically.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper opted first for a spatial analysis with ArcGIS for ABB in Berlin. Second, different online data requests of periods of up to two months were used to analyze the extent of misuse with regard to the Zweckentfremdungsverbot (misuse prohibition law). Third, analysis of variance was used to analyze rental growth on the ABB markets. The data were collected in different approaches from the website of airbnb.com.

Findings

The paper provides evidence that 5,555 residential flats are presently being misused by ABB (0.30 per cent of the total housing stock in Berlin) and that many providers of entire flats have more than one offer simultaneously. Moreover, the paper provides the first entire-market overview of ABB in Berlin. It is evident that the ABB market is mainly located centrally and that only a few neighborhoods have large ABB markets. Rental growth is higher in the ABB markets which have a significant share of misused flats, than in the ABB markets which have insignificant shares of misused flats.

Originality/value

To the authors’ best knowledge, the paper provides the first empirical approach regarding misuse through short-term rentals on a housing market with an innovative design and first-hand data.
What makes a high performer share knowledge?
Authors: Endres Megan Lee , Rhoad Kyle T.
Published: July 2016

Purpose

Knowledge sharing is an important individual behavior that benefits teams and organizations. However, little is known about environments with both team and individual rewards. The purpose of this study is to investigate high-ability team members’ knowledge sharing in an environment with both team and individual rewards. The motivation, opportunity and ability framework was specifically applied to a work situation with face-to-face interaction and objective performance measures.

Design/methodology/approach

Survey data were gathered from college baseball players in varied regions of the USA.

Findings

Unexpectedly, individual ability was negatively related to individual knowledge sharing. However, as pro-sharing norms increased, all players reported higher knowledge sharing, especially the highest-ability players.

Research limitations/implications

Limitations include that the sample is small and team members were not from the same teams, prohibiting aggregation to a higher level of analysis. The study is cross-sectional and self-reported, as well. The sample was homogeneous and young.

Practical implications

In work environments where rewards are both individual- and team-based, the high performers may ignore team knowledge sharing because they are more successful working as individuals.

Social implications

In work environments where rewards are both individual- and team-based, the high performers may ignore team knowledge sharing because they are more successful working as individuals. Development of pro-sharing norms can be critical for encouraging these team members with the potential to have a strong impact on the lower-performing team members, as well as to inspire further knowledge sharing.

Originality/value

The baseball team member sample is unique because of the team and individual performance aspects that include objective ability measures.
How children make purchase decisions: behaviour of the cued processors
Authors: Mau Gunnar , Schuhen Michael , Steinmann Sascha , Schramm-Klein Hanna
Published: July 2016

Purpose

This paper aims to analyse how children behave during a purchasing process in a simulated shop and how they put their goals into effect at the Point of Sale (POS). The focus of this research is children in Germany aged between 8 and 10 years. The results reveal answers to the following questions: which criteria do the children consider important when buying groceries? How efficiently and effectively do children pursue the goals demanded of them at the POS? This knowledge can support parents, teachers and educational organisations in teaching children consumer literacy.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected through interviews and a subsequent observation of the behaviour in a purchase simulation. A total of 436 school children aged 8 to 10 years answered a questionnaire about their behaviour at the POS and perceived demands during the purchasing process as well as their understanding of purchase-relevant concepts. Subsequently, purchase behaviour and decisions in a digitally simulated shopping environment of a supermarket were analysed for a subsample (n = 170). This combination of methods enables the collection of observable decision-making behaviour as well as of the declarative knowledge and the purchasing habits of the children.

Findings

Children often act differently from the way they themselves intended and expected during the purchase decision at the POS. Only a small number of children behaved purposefully, whereas the vast majority was distracted by the great amount of stimuli in the simulated supermarket. The results reveal factors that helped children cope with the shopping task and shielded them against purchase impulses from the stimuli at the POS.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to combine questionnaires about children’s declarative knowledge of the shopping process with observation of the real decision behaviour in a supermarket simulation task.
Naphthoquinone glycosides for bioelectroanalytical enumeration of the faecal indicator Escherichia coli
Authors: Hinks Jamie , Han Evelina J. Y. , Wang Victor B. , Seviour Thomas W. , Marsili Enrico , Loo Joachim S. C. , Wuertz Stefan
Published: July 2016

Microbial water quality monitoring for the presence of faecal indicator bacteria (FIB) is a mandatory activity in many countries and is key in public health protection. Despite technological advances and a need for methodological improvements, chromogenic and fluorogenic enzymatic techniques remain the mainstays of water quality monitoring for both public health agencies and regulated utilities. We demonstrated that bioelectroanalytical approaches to FIB enumeration are possible and can be achieved using commercially available enzyme‐specific resorufin glycosides, although these are expensive, not widely available or designed for purpose. Following this, we designed two naphthoquinone glycosides which performed better, achieving Escherichia coli detection in the range 5.0 × 102 to 5.0 × 105 CFU ml−1 22–54% quicker than commercially available resorufin glycosides. The molecular design of the naphthoquinone glycosides requires fewer synthetic steps allowing them to be produced for as little as US$50 per kg. Tests with environmental samples demonstrated the low tendency for abiotic interference and that, despite specificity being maintained between β‐glucuronidase and β‐galactosidase, accurate enumeration of E. coli in environmental samples necessitates development of a selective medium. In comparison to a commercially available detection method, which has U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approval, our approach performed better at high organism concentrations, detecting 500 organisms in 9 h compared with 13.5 h for the commercial method. Bioelectroanalytical detection is comparable to current approved methods and with further development could result in improved detection times. A recent trend for low‐cost open‐source hardware means that automated, potentiostatically controlled E. coli detection systems could be constructed for less than US$100 per channel.
Community pharmacist knowledge, attitudes and confidence regarding naloxone for overdose reversal
Authors: Nielsen Suzanne , Menon Nadia , Larney Sarah , Farrell Michael , Degenhardt Louisa
Published: July 2016

Aim

Given the potential to expand naloxone supply through community pharmacy, the aim of this study was to estimate Australian pharmacists': (1) level of support for overdose prevention, (2) barriers and facilitators for naloxone supply and (3) knowledge about naloxone administration.

Design

Online survey from nationally representative sample of community pharmacies.

Setting

Australia, September–November 2015.

Participants

A total of 1317 community pharmacists were invited to participate with 595 responses (45.1%).

Measurements

We assessed attitudes towards harm reduction, support for overdose prevention, attitudes and knowledge about naloxone. We tested the association between attitudes towards harm reduction and different aspects of naloxone supply.

Findings

Pharmacists were willing to receive training about naloxone (n = 479, 80.5%) and provide naloxone with a prescription (n = 537, 90.3%). Fewer (n = 234, 40.8%) were willing to supply naloxone over‐the‐counter. Positive attitudes towards harm reduction were associated with greater willingness to supply naloxone with a prescription [odds ratio (OR) = 1.15, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.11–1.19] and over‐the‐counter (OR = 1.13, 95% CI = 1.09–1.17). Few pharmacists were confident they could identify appropriate patients (n = 203, 34.1%) and educate them on overdose and naloxone use (n = 190, 31.9%). Mean naloxone knowledge scores were 1.8 (standard deviation 1.7) out of 5. More than half the sample identified lack of time, training, knowledge and reimbursement as potential barriers for naloxone provision.

Conclusion

Community pharmacists in Australia appear to be willing to supply naloxone. Low levels of knowledge about naloxone pharmacology and administration highlight the importance of training pharmacists about overdose prevention.
Finding success in failure: using latent profile analysis to examine heterogeneity in psychosocial functioning among heavy drinkers following treatment
Authors: Wilson Adam D. , Bravo Adrian J. , Pearson Matthew R. , Witkiewitz Katie
Published: July 2016

Aims

To estimate differences in post‐treatment psychosocial functioning among treatment ‘failures’ (i.e. heavy drinkers, defined as 4+/5+ drinks for women/men) from two large multi‐site clinical trials and to compare these levels of functioning to those of the purported treatment ‘successes’ (i.e. non‐heavy drinkers).

Design

Separate latent profile analyses of data from two of the largest alcohol clinical trials conducted in the United States, COMBINE (Combined Pharmacotherapies and Behavioral Interventions) and Project MATCH (Matching Alcoholism Treatments to Client Heterogeneity), comparing psychosocial outcomes across derived classes of heterogeneous treatment responders.

Setting

Eleven US academic sites in COMBINE, 27 US treatment sites local to nine research sites in Project MATCH.

Participants

A total of 962 individuals in COMBINE (69% male, 77% white, mean age: 44 years) treated January 2001 to January 2004 and 1528 individuals in Project MATCH (75% male, 80% white, mean age: 40 years) treated April 1991 to September 1994.

Measurements

In COMBINE, we analyzed health, quality of life, mental health symptoms and alcohol consequences 12 months post‐baseline. In Project MATCH, we examined social functioning, mental health symptoms and alcohol consequences 15 months post‐baseline.

Findings

Latent profile analysis of measures of functioning in both samples supported a three‐profile solution for the group of treatment ‘failures’, characterized by high‐, average‐ and low‐functioning individuals. The high‐functioning treatment ‘failures’ generally performed better across measures of psychosocial functioning at follow‐up than participants designated treatment ‘successes’ by virtue of being abstainers or light drinkers.

Conclusions

Current United States Food and Drug Administration guidance to use heavy drinking as indicative of treatment ‘failure’ fails to take into account substantial psychosocial improvements made by individuals who continue occasionally to drink heavily post‐treatment.
Estimations and predictors of non‐compliance in switchers to reduced nicotine content cigarettes
Authors: Nardone Natalie , Donny Eric C. , Hatsukami Dorothy K. , Koopmeiners Joseph S. , Murphy Sharon E. , Strasser Andrew A. , Tidey Jennifer W. , Vandrey Ryan , Benowitz Neal L.
Published: July 2016

Background and Aims

Clinical trials on the impact and safety of reduced nicotine content cigarettes (RNCs) are ongoing, and an important methodological concern is participant compliance with smoking only RNCs. Our aims were to measure non‐compliance biochemically with urine cotinine (COT) and total nicotine equivalents (TNEs), compare with self‐reported non‐compliance and identify associated covariates.

Design

Secondary analysis of a double‐blind, parallel, randomized clinical trial.

Setting

Research centers from the United States, enrolling participants from June 2013 to July 2014.

Participants

Volunteer sample of 242 participants (55% Caucasian), average age of 41.2 years, smoking at least five cigarettes per day (CPD).

Intervention

Smoking very low nicotine cigarettes (VLNCs; 0.4 mg nicotine/g tobacco) for 6 weeks.

Measurements

The primary outcome was biochemically verified non‐compliance, measured as thresholds of COT/CPD and TNE/CPD ratios, considering changes in nicotine content from conventional levels to VLNCs, and as an absolute threshold of week 6 TNEs. Self‐reported non‐compliance was measured via daily phone calls. Key predictors included age, sex, race, menthol preference, nicotine metabolite ratio, time to first cigarette, dependence, CPD, TNEs, tar level and cigarette evaluation.

Findings

Estimates of non‐compliance with smoking the VLNCs exclusively include: the biochemical ratios (both 78%), the week 6 TNE threshold (76%) and self‐report (39%). Of the key covariates, age, dependence and cigarette evaluations of satisfaction were significant; for age, younger participants more likely to be non‐compliant [P = 0.01; odds ratio (OR) = 0.98, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.96–0.99]. Dependence was associated significantly with self‐reported non‐compliance (P = 0.01; OR = 1.28, 95% CI = 1.06–1.55). Cigarette evaluations of satisfaction were associated significantly with non‐compliance (P = 0.001; OR = 0.71, 95% CI = 0.61–0.82).

Conclusions

Among smokers volunteering to smoke only very low nicotine cigarettes for 6 weeks, non‐compliance was common and biochemical assessments detected more cases of non‐compliance than self‐report. Despite high levels of non‐compliance, smokers reduced their intake of nicotine by an average of 60%.
Differences in aqueous concentrations of cytokines in paediatric and adult patients with Coats' disease
Authors: Feng Jing , Zheng Xiaoxue , Li Bing , Jiang Yanrong
Published: July 2016

Purpose

To investigate the differential aqueous concentrations of vascular endothelia growth factor (VEGF) and inflammatory cytokines in paediatric and adult patients with Coats' disease.

Methods

A total of 20 eyes of 20 patients with Coats' disease, 12 eyes of 12 paediatric patients, and eight eyes of eight adult patients, six patients (six eyes) with congenital cataract as the paediatric control group and 10 patients (10 eyes) with senile cataract as the adult control group were examined. Aqueous humour samples were assessed for interleukin‐6, ‐8, ‐1β (IL‐6, IL‐8, IL‐1β, respectively), basic fibroblast growth factor, monocyte chemo‐attractant protein 1, tumour necrosis factor alpha and VEGF by multiplex bead assay.

Results

Significantly, higher concentrations of VEGF, IL‐6 and IL‐1β were found in the paediatric patients with Coats' disease (p = 0.001, p = 0.004 and p = 0.006). Concentration of VEGF in the paediatric patients with Stage 3B of Coats' disease was significantly higher than that of Stage 3A (p = 0.010). In the adult patients with Coats' disease, the aqueous levels of IL‐6 and IL‐1β were significantly higher than that of the controls (p = 0.012, and p = 0.005). The concentration of IL‐6 was significantly linearly associated with the extent of exudative retinal detachment (p = 0.003, R = 0.892).

Conclusions

Increasing severity of Coats' disease is significantly associated with intraocular VEGF concentration in the paediatric patients. And IL‐6 may be involved with the inflammatory process in the adult patients with Coats' disease.
Hypometabolism as the ultimate defence in stress response: how the comparative approach helps understanding of medically relevant questions
Authors: Gorr T. A.
Published: July 2016

First conceptualized from breath‐hold diving mammals, later recognized as the ultimate cell autonomous survival strategy in anoxia‐tolerant vertebrates and burrowing or hibernating rodents, hypometabolism is typically recruited by resilient organisms to withstand and recover from otherwise life‐threatening hazards. Through the coordinated down‐regulation of biosynthetic, proliferative and electrogenic expenditures at times when littleATPcan be generated, a metabolism turned ‘down to the pilot light’ allows the re‐balancing of energy demand with supply at a greatly suppressed level in response to noxious exogenous stimuli or seasonal endogenous cues. A unifying hallmark of stress‐tolerant organisms, the adaptation effectively prevents lethal depletion ofATP, thus delineating a marked contrast with susceptible species. Along with disengaged macromolecular syntheses, attenuated transmembrane ion shuttling andPO2‐conforming respiration rates, the metabolic slowdown in tolerant species usually culminates in a non‐cycling, quiescent phenotype. However, such a reprogramming also occurs in leading human pathophysiologies. Ranging from microbial infections through ischaemia‐driven infarcts to solid malignancies, cells involved in these disorders may again invoke hypometabolism to endure conditions non‐permissive for growth. At the same time, their reduced activities underlie the frequent development of a general resistance to therapeutic interventions. On the other hand, a controlled induction of hypometabolic and/or hypothermic states by pharmacological means has recently stimulated intense research aimed at improved organ preservation and patient survival in situations requiring acutely administered critical care. The current review article therefore presents an up‐to‐date survey of concepts and applications of a coordinated and reversibly down‐regulated metabolic rate as the ultimate defence in stress responses.
Hypoxic inactivation of glycogen synthase kinase‐3β promotes gastric tumor growth and angiogenesis by facilitating hypoxia‐inducible factor‐1 signaling
Authors: Ko Young San , Cho Sung Jin , Park Jinju , Choi Yiseul , Lee Jae‐Seon , Youn Hong‐Duk , Kim Woo Ho , Kim Min A , Park Jong‐Wan , Lee Byung Lan
Published: July 2016

Since the molecular mechanism of hypoxic adaptation in cancer cells is cell‐type specific, we investigated whether glycogen synthase kinase‐3β (GSK‐3β) activation is involved in hypoxia‐induced gastric tumor promotion. Stable gastric cancer cell lines (SNU‐638, SNU‐484, MKN1, and MKN45) were cultured under hypoxic conditions. Cells overexpressing wild‐type GSK‐3β (WT‐GSK‐3β) or kinase‐dead mutant of GSK‐3β (KD‐GSK‐3β) were generated and used for cell culture and animal studies. In cell culture experiments, hypoxia decreased GSK‐3β activation in gastric cancer cells. Cell viability and the expressions of HIF‐1α protein and VEGF mRNA in gastric cancer cells were higher in KD‐GSK‐3β transfectants than in WT‐GSK‐3β transfectants under hypoxic conditions, but not under normoxic conditions. Gastric cancer xenografts showed that tumor growth, microvessel area, HIF‐1α activation, and VEGF expression were higher in KD‐GSK‐3β tumors than in WT‐GSK‐3β tumors in vivo. In addition, the expression of hypoxia‐induced HIF‐1α protein was regulated by GSK‐3β at the translational level. Our data suggest that GSK‐3β is involved in hypoxic adaptation of gastric cancer cells as an inhibitory upstream regulator of the HIF‐1α/VEGF signaling pathway.
Facilitation through altered resource availability in a mixed‐species rodent malaria infection
Authors: Ramiro Ricardo S. , Pollitt Laura C. , Mideo Nicole , Reece Sarah E.
Published: July 2016

A major challenge in disease ecology is to understand how co‐infecting parasite species interact. We manipulate in vivo resources and immunity to explain interactions between two rodent malaria parasites, Plasmodium chabaudi and P. yoelii. These species have analogous resource‐use strategies to the human parasites Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax: P. chabaudi and P. falciparum infect red blood cells (RBC) of all ages (RBC generalist); P. yoelii and P. vivax preferentially infect young RBCs (RBC specialist). We find that: (1) recent infection with the RBC generalist facilitates the RBC specialist (P. yoelii density is enhanced ~10 fold). This occurs because the RBC generalist increases availability of the RBC specialist's preferred resource; (2) co‐infections with the RBC generalist and RBC specialist are highly virulent; (3) and the presence of an RBC generalist in a host population can increase the prevalence of an RBC specialist. Thus, we show that resources shape how parasite species interact and have epidemiological consequences.
Post‐hibernation ovary development in queens of the Japanese giant hornet Vespa mandarinia (Hymenoptera: Vespidae)
Authors: Makino Shun'ichi
Published: July 2016

Ovary contents and insemination status were examined in overwintered queens of Vespa mandarinia that were collected using bait traps in Ibaraki Prefecture, eastern Japan. Catches in the traps occurred from late April to early July in 1999, though they were few or rather sporadic in and after June. Fertilization rates were 100% in 1999, and 93% in 1998 when a preliminary sampling was made. While the ovary index (number of eggs with size equal to or larger than adjacent nurse cells) of queens caught on the first few collection dates was small, it rapidly increased up to late May. Generalized linear model analyses showed that the ovary index depended both on collection date and the size (head width) of the queens. Mature eggs were almost absent in their ovaries before early May, whereas more than 70% of the queens had one or more mature eggs on and after May 10, suggesting the onset of nesting in early May.
Structural and functional characterization of the microtubule interacting and trafficking domains of two oomycete chitin synthases
Authors: Brown Christian , Szpryngiel Scarlett , Kuang Guanglin , Srivastava Vaibhav , Ye Weihua , McKee Lauren S. , Tu Yaoquan , Mäler Lena , Bulone Vincent
Published: July 2016

Chitin synthases (Chs) are responsible for the synthesis of chitin, a key structural cell wall polysaccharide in many organisms. They are essential for growth in certain oomycete species, some of which are pathogenic to diverse higher organisms. Recently, a microtubule interacting and trafficking (MIT) domain, which is not found in any fungal Chs, has been identified in some oomycete Chs proteins. Based on experimental data relating to the binding specificity of other eukaryotic MIT domains, there was speculation that this domain may be involved in the intracellular trafficking of Chs proteins. However, there is currently no evidence for this or any other function for the MIT domain in these enzymes. To attempt to elucidate their function, MIT domains from two Chs enzymes from the oomycete Saprolegnia monoica were cloned, expressed, and characterized. Both were shown to interact strongly with the plasma membrane component, phosphatidic acid, and to have additional putative interactions with proteins thought to be involved in protein transport and localization. Aiding our understanding of these data, the structure of the first MIT domain from a carbohydrate‐active enzyme (MIT1) was solved by NMR, and a model structure of a second MIT domain (MIT2) was built by homology modeling. Our results suggest a potential function for these MIT domains in the intracellular transport and/or regulation of Chs enzymes in the oomycetes.

Database

Structural data are available in the Biological Magnetic Resonance Bank (BMRB) database under the accession number 19987 and the PDB database under the accession number 2MPK.
“Animal History after Its Triumph: Unexpected Animals, Evolutionary Approaches, and the Animal Lens”
Authors: Specht Joshua
Published: July 2016

Part of a broad animal turn in the humanities, animal history is now a large, mature field. Taking the triumph of animal history as a starting point, this essay draws from scholarship on a diversity of places and time periods to provide a state of the field. The discussion opens with an account of a central theme in animal history: the “animal lens.” This lens uses animals to explore broad historical phenomena, from industrialization to ideas about gender. Next is a discussion of two recent trends in animal history: (1) scholarship on “unexpected animals” and (2) evolutionary history, which examines how humans have shaped animal bodies over time. The overview closes with a discussion of agency, suggesting that the field abandons this paradigm.
Simone de Beauvoir and Confucian Role Ethics: Role‐Relational Ambiguity and Confucian Mystification
Authors: Sullivan Ian M.
Published: July 2016

This article argues that there has been a general misunderstanding of the nature of role relations in Confucian role ethics. Recasting constitutive role relations in light of Beauvoir's ethics of ambiguity will aid in developing Confucian role ethics as a contemporary vision of human flourishing that can internally accommodate the need for a feminist transformation.
Preventive aerobic training exerts a cardioprotective effect on rats treated with monocrotaline
Authors: Pacagnelli Francis Lopes , de Almeida Sabela Ana Karênina Dias , Okoshi Katashi , Mariano Thaoan Bruno , Campos Dijon Henrique Salomé , Carvalho Robson Francisco , Cicogna Antônio Carlos , Vanderlei Luiz Carlo Marques
Published: July 2016

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a chronic disease which causes overload to the right ventricle. The effect of preventive training on cardiac remodelling in this condition is still unknown. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of preventive training on hypertrophy, heart function and gene expression of calcium transport proteins in rats with monocrotaline‐induced PAH. Thirty‐two male Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups: S, sedentary control; T, trained control; SM, sedentary monocrotaline; and TM, trained monocrotaline. The preventive training protocol was performed on a treadmill for 13 weeks, five times/week. The first two weeks were adopted for adaptation to training with gradual increases in speed/time. The speed of the physical training from the third to tenth weeks was gradually increased from 0.9 to 1.1 km/h for 60 min. Next, monocrotaline was applied (60 mg/kg) to induce PAH and lactate threshold analysis performed to determine the training speeds. The training speed of the TM group in the following two weeks was 0.8 km/h for 60 min and the T = 0.9 km/h for 60 min; in the final two weeks, both groups trained at the same speed and duration 0.9 km/h, 60 min. Cardiac function was assessed through echocardiography, ventricular hypertrophy through histomorphometric analysis and gene expression through RT‐qPCR. Right cardiac function assessed through the peak flow velocity was SM = 75.5 cm/s vs. TM = 92.0 cm/s (P = 0.001), and ventricular hypertrophy was SM = 106.4 μm² vs. TM = 77.7 μm² (P = 0.004). There was a decrease in the gene expression of ryanodine S = 1.12 au vs. SM = 0.60 au (P = 0.02) without alterations due to training. Thus, we conclude that prior physical training exerts a cardioprotective effect on the right ventricle in the monocrotaline rat model.
Divergence of gastropod life history in contrasting thermal environments in a geothermal lake
Authors: Johansson M. P. , Ermold F. , Kristjánsson B. K. , Laurila A.
Published: July 2016

Experiments using natural populations have provided mixed support for thermal adaptation models, probably because the conditions are often confounded with additional environmental factors like seasonality. The contrasting geothermal environments within Lake Mývatn, northern Iceland, provide a unique opportunity to evaluate thermal adaptation models using closely located natural populations. We conducted laboratory common garden and field reciprocal transplant experiments to investigate how thermal origin influences the life history of Radix balthica snails originating from stable cold (6 °C), stable warm (23 °C) thermal environments or from areas with seasonal temperature variation. Supporting thermal optimality models, warm‐origin snails survived poorly at 6 °C in the common garden experiment and better than cold‐origin and seasonal‐origin snails in the warm habitat in the reciprocal transplant experiment. Contrary to thermal adaptation models, growth rate in both experiments was highest in the warm populations irrespective of temperature, indicating cogradient variation. The optimal temperatures for growth and reproduction were similar irrespective of origin, but cold‐origin snails always had the lowest performance, and seasonal‐origin snails often performed at an intermediate level compared to snails originating in either stable environment. Our results indicate that central life‐history traits can differ in their mode of evolution, with survival following the predictions of thermal optimality models, whereas ecological constraints have shaped the evolution of growth rates in local populations.