bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Social network fatigue affecting continuance intention of social networking services
Authors: Zong Wen , Yang Jing , Bao Zheshi
Published: March 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore how social network fatigue affects continuance intention of social networking services (SNSs) from a more comprehensive perspective.

Design/methodology/approach

A research model was proposed by integrating uses and gratification theory (UGT), social network fatigue and continuance intention. The relationships between the three dimensions of UGT and continuance intention were examined, as well as the direct and moderating effects of social network fatigue. To collect data, an online survey was adopted, and 227 valid responses were analyzed by structural equation modeling.

Findings

The empirical findings demonstrate that utilitarian gratification (information seeking), social gratification (social interaction) and hedonic gratification (perceived enjoyment) are positively associated with SNS users’ continuance intention. Meanwhile, social network fatigue can directly and negatively affect continuance intention. Furthermore, the relationships between the two dimensions of UGT (information seeking, perceived enjoyment) and continuance intention are also negatively moderated by social network fatigue.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the understanding about the relationship between continuance intention and social network fatigue. The authors indicate that social network fatigue will not only directly weaken SNS users’ continuance intention, but also negatively influence the formation process of the continuance intention. Some other theoretical and practical implications are also provided.
Asking the right questions
Authors: Blackmore Karen
Published: March 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore whether aspects of co-coaching could support primary science teacher education in a university–school initial teacher education (ITE) partnership program in England.

Design/methodology/approach

A mixed methodological approach was taken, comprising of student teachers responding to a coaching questionnaire blended with a qualitative exploration of audio-recorded student teacher co-coaching conversations. Informal student teacher discussion groups were used as a means to discern their attitudes and beliefs pertaining to co-coaching within taught university sessions.

Findings

Analysis and subsequent integration of data showed that many aspects of co-coaching supported student teacher pedagogical knowledge acquisition and professional development. Additionally, questionnaire responses and small-group discussions revealed that student teachers developed positive attitudes to this mode of learning.

Originality/value

This study evaluates the innovative use of co-coaching techniques during primary teacher science education, and the outcomes have clear implications for the design of ITE programs in England and potentially further afield.
Taboos, morality and marketing: towards a conceptual model and illustration
Authors: Michelson Grant , Miller Rohan
Published: March 2019

Purpose

Drawing on the anthropological literature, this paper aims to develop a model of taboos (morality) that applies to the marketing, consumer behaviour and consumption contexts.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is mainly conceptual but illustrates the general premises of the model with a case study of “dark” tourism and the contemporary marketing of the Auschwitz concentration camp.

Findings

The paper shows that even extreme taboos can be commodified and traded-off, and that not even the horrific deaths and large-scale suffering that occurred at Auschwitz are “sacred”. This can occur through reframing and seeing the same taboo through different national lens.

Research limitations/implications

Questions pertaining to consumer morality are relative rather than universalistic, and even the most extreme cases of taboo can still be successfully marketed.

Originality/value

The paper is among the first to attempt to conceptually design a model and then explain the taboo process as it applies to a marketing and consumption context.
My mother or father: person, metaperson, and transcendence in ethnographic theory
Authors: de Pina‐Cabral João
Published: March 2019

How do humans, who are materially composed biological constructs, come to transcend – that is, to see themselves as present in – the world? This article sustains that, in order to understand transcendence in personhood, we have to see the latter as a product of dividual not individual participation, as initially proposed by Lévy‐Bruhl and recently developed by a number of phenomenologically inspired cognitive scientists. This being the case, it becomes necessary to account for the relation between essence and existence in the case of metapersons (ghosts, deities, ancestors, some animals, etc.). In this essay, I suggest that this, too, must be explained by reference to the ontogeny of persons‐who‐wakingly‐live‐in‐the‐world. In order to explore this issue, I discuss an occurrence that took place in my presence without my noticing it at the time when I was visiting an Afro‐Brazilian temple compound in coastal Bahia (Northeast Brazil) in July 2011.
Be our guest/worker: reciprocal dependency and expressions of hospitality in Ni‐Vanuatu overseas labour migration
Authors: Smith Rachel E.
Published: March 2019

Whilst there has been renewed interest in the development potential of temporary migration programmes, such schemes have long been criticized for creating conditions for exploitation and fostering dependence. In this article, which is based on a case study of Ni‐Vanuatu seasonal workers employed in New Zealand's horticultural industry, I show how workers and employers alike actively cultivate and maintain relations of reciprocal dependence and often describe their relation in familial terms of kinship and hospitality. Nevertheless, workers often feel estranged both in the Marxian sense of being subordinated to a regime of time‐discipline, and in the intersubjective sense of feeling disrespected or treated unkindly. I show how attention to the ‘non‐contractual element’ in the work contract, including expressions of hospitality, can contribute to anthropological debates surrounding work, migration, and dependence, and to interdisciplinary understandings of the justice of labour migration.
Extraction of DNA from Skeletonized Postcranial Remains: A Discussion of Protocols and Testing Modalities
Authors: Edson Suni M.
Published: March 2019

This paper provides a retrospective of the DNA analysis performed by the Armed Forces Medical Examiner–Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory between 1990 and 2018. Over 13,000 postcranial osseous materials, comprised of wartime losses from World War II, the Korean War, and South‐East Asia, were examined by the following: mitochondrial DNA sequencing, a modified AmpFlSTR® Yfiler™, AmpFlSTR® MiniFiler™, PowerPlex® Fusion, or NGS. Four different DNA extraction protocols were used: incomplete demineralization coupled with an organic purification; complete demineralization with an organic purification; complete demineralization with an inorganic purification using QIAquick PCR Purification Kit; and a protocol designed specifically for use with next‐generation sequencing. In general, complete demineralization coupled with an organic purification was the optimal extraction protocol for sequencing of mitochondrial DNA, regardless of the osseous element tested. For STR testing, demineralization paired with an inorganic purification provided optimum results, regardless of kit used or osseous element tested.
Can pre‐hospital administration reduce time to initial antibiotic therapy in septic patients?
Authors: Cudini Daniel , Smith Karen , Bernard Stephen , Stephenson Michael , Andrew Emily , Cameron Peter , Lum Mark , Udy Andrew ,   on behalf of the ARISE Investigators
Published: March 2019

Objective

To quantify the potential time saved with pre‐hospital antibiotic therapy in sepsis.

Methods

Study data for adult patients transported by Ambulance Victoria (AV), and enrolled into the Australasian Resuscitation In Sepsis Evaluation (ARISE), were linked with pre‐hospital electronic records.

Results

An AV record was identified for 240 of 341 ARISE patients. The pre‐hospital case notes referred to potential infection in 165 patients. The median time to first antibiotic administration from loading the patient into the ambulance was 107 (74–160) min.

Conclusions

ARISE patients in Victoria were frequently identified pre‐hospital. An opportunity exists to study the feasibility of pre‐hospital antibiotic therapy.
A BRILL idea? The benefits, risks, insights, learning and limitations of an emergency airway registry in pre‐hospital and retrieval medicine
Authors: Glasheen John , Wall Brigid , Keogh Sean
Published: March 2019

Airway management is a cornerstone of emergency care. Development of a robust evidence base to support the practice of pre‐hospital emergency anaesthesia is key to the safety and evolution of this common but high‐risk procedure. This paper discusses the benefits, risks, insights, learning and limitations of the use of an airway registry in pre‐hospital and retrieval medicine, for both research and quality improvement purposes.
Patient‐centred care through a broader lens: Supporting patient autonomy alongside moral deliberation
Authors: Gill Stephen D , Fuscaldo Giuliana , Page Richard S
Published: March 2019

Patient‐centred care (PCC) is an essential component of high‐quality healthcare and shared decision‐making is its cornerstone. Yet, integrating the principles of PCC into healthcare practice is not always straightforward and shared decision‐making can be complicated and ethically demanding. While ethicists and academics routinely debate moral aspects of clinical care, such discussion among clinicians is less overt. In this paper, we use Emmanuel et al.’s deliberative model to provide a practical framework for considering ethical aspects of PCC and shared decision‐making. The model encourages us to appreciate PCC through a broader lens and consider patient autonomy alongside other moral obligations such as justice and the equitable distribution of finite resources. The model can be used by healthcare providers, patients and caregivers to facilitate dialogue and moral deliberation regarding the merit of their preferences and values; in this way, individualised care can be delivered without compromising other important ethical obligations.
Exploring the interpersonal determinants of job embeddedness and voluntary turnover: A conservation of resources perspective
Authors: Zhang Long , Fan Chuanhao , Deng Yulin , Lam Chak Fu , Hu Enhua , Wang Lingyun
Published: March 2019

This paper draws on a conservation of resources perspective to understand employee voluntary turnover. We conceptualise voluntary turnover as an outcome of resource loss, and we view job embeddedness as an indication of resource levels. On the basis of this conceptualisation, we propose that workplace ostracism and leader–member exchange (LMX) affect voluntary turnover via job embeddedness. We also propose an interaction effect of workplace ostracism and LMX: Workplace ostracism increases voluntary turnover by depleting job embeddedness only when people experience high‐quality LMX. Data from 352 employees in a Chinese software company obtained through a three‐wave survey support our model. Our findings illuminate the resource consequences of interpersonal interactions on job embeddedness and voluntary turnover, and we offer practical implications for employee retention.
Association of cardiac magnetic resonance‐detected myocardial abnormalities with disease characteristics and brain natriuretic peptide levels in systemic sclerosis without cardiac symptoms
Authors: Sugiyama Kaita , Kobayashi Hitomi , Kobayashi Yasuyuki , Yokoe Isamu , Takei Masami , Kitamura Noboru
Published: March 2019

Aim

This study aimed to evaluate the association between myocardial abnormalities and left ventricular (LV) geometry as assessed using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI) in systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients without cardiac symptoms.

Methods

SSc patients without cardiac symptoms or cardiovascular risk factors underwent contrast CMRI. CMRI were assessed for structural and functional LV parameters and myocardial fibrosis based on myocardial late gadolinium enhancement (LGE). The correlation between brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels and LGE status was evaluated.

Results

Among 49 patients, 27 (55%) showed LGE positivity. The most common identified LGE pattern was a linear pattern. LGE was not consistent with coronary artery distribution. There was no difference in ejection fraction between those with and without LGE. LV morphological changes were observed in 29% of SSc patients. An abnormal LV structure was detected in 44% and 14% of patients in the LGE+ and LGE− groups, respectively. The BNP levels were higher by 57% in the LGE+ group than in the LGE−group. Receiver operating characteristic analysis showed that BNP levels reliably detected myocardial abnormalities (area under the curve, 0.72; 95% confidence interval 0.58‐0.88).

Conclusions

Myocardial abnormalities were common in SSc patients without cardiac symptoms. We suggest that LV morphological changes may have resulted from myocardial abnormalities. BNP may be useful as a screening tool for the detection of myocardial abnormalities in SSc patients.
How Informality Can Address Emerging Issues: Making the Most of the G7
Authors: Morin Jean‐Frédéric , Dobson Hugo , Peacock Claire , Prys‐Hansen Miriam , Anne Abdoulaye , Bélanger Louis , Dietsch Peter , Fabian Judit , Kirton John , Marchetti Raffaele , Romano Simone , Schreurs Miranda , Silve Arthur , Vallet Elisabeth
Published: March 2019

The G7 should address new, unprecedented and highly disruptive issues that characterise our complex world, rather than well‐understood international problems that fit into existing categories. We argue that the G7 can do this by playing to its strengths – informality and like‐mindedness in particular – in addressing emerging and transversal issues such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and cryptocurrencies.
What have we learned from Linxian esophageal cancer etiological studies?
Authors: Wang Shao‐Ming , Abnet Christian C. , Qiao You‐Lin
Published: March 2019

Esophageal cancer is the sixth leading cause of cancer death in the world. Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) accounts for 90% of esophageal cancer cases, over half of which occur in China. Linxian, a county located in the North Central Taihang Mountain range, has the highest ESCC mortality rate, which may be the leading cause of death in this area. In a decades‐long research program in Linxian, Chinese and international scientists have exerted great efforts to describe the epidemiological characteristics and elucidate the etiology of ESCC. A systematic review and summary of the current knowledge gained from previous research is informative for future ESCC prevention and control in similar populations, and may be translated to other high‐incidence countries, such as Brazil, Iran, Malawi, and South Africa. As ESCC is a major cause of cancer death, more research is required in China and in other high‐incidence countries to deepen our understanding of the etiology of ESCC and develop preventative strategies.
mTORC1 underlies age‐related muscle fiber damage and loss by inducing oxidative stress and catabolism
Authors: Tang Huibin , Inoki Ken , Brooks Susan V. , Okazawa Hideki , Lee Myung , Wang Junying , Kim Michael , Kennedy Catherine L. , Macpherson Peter C. D. , Ji Xuhuai , Van Roekel Sabrina , Fraga Danielle A. , Wang Kun , Zhu Jinguo , Wang Yoyo , Sharp Zelton D. , Miller Richard A. , Rando Thomas A. , Goldman Daniel , Guan Kun‐Liang , Shrager Joseph B.
Published: March 2019

Aging leads to skeletal muscle atrophy (i.e., sarcopenia), and muscle fiber loss is a critical component of this process. The mechanisms underlying these age‐related changes, however, remain unclear. We show here that mTORC1 signaling is activated in a subset of skeletal muscle fibers in aging mouse and human, colocalized with fiber damage. Activation of mTORC1 in TSC1 knockout mouse muscle fibers increases the content of morphologically abnormal mitochondria and causes progressive oxidative stress, fiber damage, and fiber loss over the lifespan. Transcriptomic profiling reveals that mTORC1's activation increases the expression of growth differentiation factors (GDF3, 5, and 15), and of genes involved in mitochondrial oxidative stress and catabolism. We show that increased GDF15 is sufficient to induce oxidative stress and catabolic changes, and that mTORC1 increases the expression of GDF15 via phosphorylation of STAT3. Inhibition of mTORC1 in aging mouse decreases the expression of GDFs and STAT3's phosphorylation in skeletal muscle, reducing oxidative stress and muscle fiber damage and loss. Thus, chronically increased mTORC1 activity contributes to age‐related muscle atrophy, and GDF signaling is a proposed mechanism.
The Relationship Between Regional Cerebral Blood Flow Estimates and Alcohol Problems at 5‐Year Follow‐Up: The Role of Level of Response
Authors: Courtney Kelly E. , Infante Maria Alejandra , Brown Gregory G. , Tapert Susan F. , Simmons Alan N. , Smith Tom L. , Schuckit Marc A.
Published: March 2019

Background

Acute alcohol consumption is associated with temporarily increased regional cerebral blood flow (CBF). The extent of this increase appears to be moderated by individual differences in the level of response (LR) to alcohol's subjective effects. The low LR phenotype is a known risk factor for the development of alcohol problems. This study investigates how the low LR phenotype relates to the relationship between alcohol‐related changes in CBF and alcohol problems 5 years later.

Methods

Young adults (ages 18 to 25) were selected based on their LR to alcohol and underwent a neuroimaging protocol including arterial spin labeling and functional scans. These participants were recontacted ~5 years later and assessed on alcohol outcomes. A final sample of 107 subjects (54 low and 53 high LR subjects) was included in the analyses. Whole‐brain analysis revealed 5 clusters of significant alcohol‐induced, versus placebo‐induced, CBF changes that were consistent with a previous report. Peak alcohol–placebo CBF response was extracted from these regions and, along with the LR group, submitted to a hierarchical linear regression predicting alcohol problems. Analyses controlled for age, sex, and baseline alcohol problems.

Results

In the regression analysis, greater alcohol–placebo CBF difference in the right middle/superior/inferior frontal gyri and bilateral anterior cingulate gyri clusters predicted greater future alcohol problems for the low LR group, whereas this relationship was not found to be significant in the high LR group.

Conclusions

This study demonstrates a clinically important relationship between CBF and future alcohol problems, particularly in individuals with a low LR phenotype. These initial results help to elucidate the neurobiological pathways involved in the development of alcohol use disorders for individuals with low LR.
Emergent freeze and fire disturbance dynamics in temperate rainforests
Authors: Buma Brian , Batllori Enric , Bisbing Sarah , Holz Andres , Saunders Sari C. , Bidlack Allison L. , Creutzburg Megan K. , DellaSala Dominick A. , Gregovich Dave , Hennon Paul , Krapek John , Moritz Max A. , Zaret Kyla
Published: March 2019

The coastal temperate rainforests of South and North America are part of the most biomass dense forest biome on the planet. They are also subject to rapid climatic shifts and, subsequently, new disturbance processes – snow loss‐driven mortality and the emergence of fire in historically non‐fire‐exposed areas. Here, we compare and contrast Southern and Northern Hemisphere coastal temperate rainforests of the Americas, two of the largest examples of the biome, via synthesis of current literature, future climate expectations and new downscaling of a global fire model. In terms of snow loss, a rapid decline in winter snow is leading to mass mortality of certain conifer species in the Northern Hemisphere rainforests. High‐elevation Southern Hemisphere forests, which are beginning to see similar declines in snow, may be vulnerable in the future, especially bogs and high‐water content soils. Southern Hemisphere forests are seeing the invasion of fire as an ecological force at mid‐to‐high latitudes, a shift not yet observed in the north but which may become more prominent with ongoing climate change. We suggest that research should focus on the flammability of seral vegetation and bogs under future climate scenarios in both regions. By comparing these two drivers of change across similar gradients in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, this work points to the potential for emerging change in unexpected places in both regions. There is a clear benefit to conceptualising the coastal temperate rainforests of the Americas as two examples of the biome which can inform the other, as change is proceeding in similar directions but at different rates in each region.
Phacotrabeculectomy using collagen matrix implant (Ologen®) versus mitomycin C: a prospective randomized controlled trial
Authors: Wlaź Aleksandra , Wilkos‐Kuc Agnieszka , Rozegnał‐Madej Agnieszka , Żarnowski Tomasz
Published: March 2019

Purpose

To compare the efficacy and safety of collagen matrix implant (Ologen®; OLO) with mitomycin C (MMC) in phacotrabeculectomy.

Methods

Prospective, single‐centre, nonblinded, randomized controlled trial. A total of 53 eyes of 45 patients were enrolled in the study protocol with 27 eyes randomly assigned to OLO and 26 to MMC. The follow‐up was 12 months. The primary outcome measure was mean change from baseline intraocular pressure (IOP) in both groups after 12 months. The secondary outcome measures were cumulative success rates at 12 months with Kaplan–Meier analysis, change in number of medications, change in best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), and bleb morphology assessed using Moorfields Bleb Grading System and anterior segment swept‐source optical coherence tomography.

Results

The mean IOP decreased from 26.4 ± 6.1 mmHg to 13.7 ± 3.8 in the OLO group and from 23.4 ± 3.6 mmHg to 13.3 ± 2.8 in the MMC group at 1 year without significant intergroup differences. At 1 year, the overall success rates were 92.6% and 92.3% in the OLO and MMC groups, respectively. There were no significant differences in the overall success rates, BCVA, number of medications, morphology of the filtering blebs and rate of complications at the end of the follow‐up.

Conclusion

Ologen (OLO) provides similar surgical outcomes in phacotrabeculectomy compared with adjunctive MMC. It may be a new, safe and effective alternative to MMC for combined phacoemulsification and trabeculectomy surgery.
Where is the community in geoparks? A systematic literature review and call for attention to the societal embedding of geoparks
Authors: Stoffelen Arie
Published: March 2019

Geoparks are territorial landscape protection and promotion organisations with aims of geoheritage conservation, geo‐education, and sustainable regional development using geotourism products. Building on an analytical literature review, using the Scopus database, this paper shows that geopark studies remain solidly positioned in the domain of the geosciences and have objectified, expert‐based interpretations of landscape. This situation has resulted in a research gap concerning the role of communities, and their landscape values, in geoparks. The paper makes three claims that form a starting point for advancing our knowledge of geoparks: (1) (geo)heritage cannot be decoupled from people's activities and interpretations, (2) geoparks are not community‐free environments, and (3) increased attention to communities is needed to assess sustainable regional development in geoparks. In the final analysis, there is a need to move beyond the realm of the geosciences to advance our understanding of the societal value of geoparks, and of their sustainable development potential.
Our Democracy: Czech Adolescents Talk About the Meaning of Democracy and Attitudes Toward Immigrants
Authors: Scott Zuzana , Šmahelová Martina , Macek Petr
Published: March 2019

The objective of the present study was to explore in depth how adolescents understand democracy and how they apply their ideas of democracy to attitudes toward immigrants. In order to research these topics, we conducted five focus groups at middle and high schools (9th and 10th grade) with a total number of 32 respondents. Utilizing thematic analysis, we identified the main themes related to definitions of democracy, such as emphasis on individual freedom, and democracy as rule by the people. Young people also discussed possible conflicts between democratic principles (e.g., majority rule vs. minority voice). Inclination toward majoritarian model was mostly present in adolescents’ attitudes toward immigrants, which were characterized mostly by endorsement of assimilation. We discuss these results in the light of the conflicting principles upon which democracy is built, such as equality versus freedom or majority rule versus minority rights.
Differences in preventing new‐onset cardiovascular events with statin therapy in seniors aged 75 years and over: A cohort study in the South Korean National Health Insurance Database
Authors: Kim Kyungim , Kwak Arim , Choi Cheol Ung , Kim Jae Hyun , Kim Myeong Gyu , Oh Jung Mi , Ji Eunhee
Published: March 2019

The aim of this cohort study was to compare the effectiveness of statin regimens for primary prevention among seniors aged ≥ 75 years. Seniors aged 75‐100 years for whom statin therapies for primary prevention were newly initiated between 1 January 2009 and 31 December 2011, and who continued the same statin regimen during the first year after the index date were identified using the claims data from the South Korean National Health Insurance Database. A propensity score matching and multivariable Cox proportional hazards model were developed to evaluate adjusted ischaemic cardiovascular‐cerebrovascular event (CCE) risk and all‐cause mortality risk for all patients, as well as for subgroups. A total of 5629 older patients aged 75‐100 years were included in the study population. Compared to moderate‐intensity statin therapy, low‐intensity statin therapy was significantly associated with increased risk of ischaemic CCEs, while high‐intensity statin therapy was associated with reduced risk of ischaemic CCEs; however, compared to moderate‐intensity statin therapy, both low‐intensity and high‐intensity statin therapies were associated with increased risk of all‐cause mortality. For the 4689 older patients who regularly received moderate‐intensity statin therapy including 10 mg atorvastatin, 20 mg atorvastatin, 10 mg rosuvastatin or 20 mg simvastatin for primary prevention, multivariable regression adjusting for potential covariates revealed no significant difference in ischaemic CCEs or all‐cause mortality between the moderate‐intensity statin users and 10 mg atorvastatin users both before and after propensity scoring matching. No significant heterogeneity was detected in the patient subgroups. The results of this study based on real‐world data can supply evidence‐based reasons for choice of statin regimen for the primary prevention of CCEs in older people aged ≥ 75 years.
Do facial first impressions reflect a shared social reality?
Authors: Sutherland Clare A. M. , Rhodes Gillian , Burton Nichola S. , Young Andrew W.
Published: March 2019

Influential facial impression models have repeatedly shown that trustworthiness, youthful–attractiveness, and dominance dimensions subserve a wide variety of first impressions formed from strangers’ faces, suggestive of a shared social reality. However, these models are built from impressions aggregated across observers. Critically, recent work has now shown substantial inter‐observer differences in facial impressions, raising the important question of whether these dimensional models based on aggregated group data are meaningful at the individual observer level. We addressed this question with a novel case series approach, using factor analyses of ratings of twelve different traits to build individual models of facial impressions for different observers. Strikingly, three dimensions of trustworthiness, youthful/attractiveness, and competence/dominance appeared across the majority of these individual observer models, demonstrating that the dimensional approach is indeed meaningful at the individual level. Nonetheless, we also found differences in the stability of the competence/dominance dimension across observers. Taken together, results suggest that individual differences in impressions arise in the context of a largely common structure that supports a shared social reality.
VU0810464, a non‐urea G protein‐gated inwardly rectifying K+ (Kir3/GIRK) channel activator, exhibits enhanced selectivity for neuronal Kir3 channels and reduces stress‐induced hyperthermia in mice
Authors: Vo Baovi N. , Abney Kristopher K. , Anderson Allison , Marron Fernandez de Velasco Ezequiel , Benneyworth Michael A. , Daniels John Scott , Morrison Ryan D. , Hopkins Corey R. , Weaver Charles David , Wickman Kevin
Published: March 2019

Background and Purpose

G protein‐gated inwardly rectifying K+ (Kir3) channels moderate the activity of excitable cells and have been implicated in neurological disorders and cardiac arrhythmias. Most neuronal Kir3 channels consist of Kir3.1 and Kir3.2 subtypes, while cardiac Kir3 channels consist of Kir3.1 and Kir3.4 subtypes. Previously, we identified a family of urea‐containing Kir3 channel activators, but these molecules exhibit suboptimal pharmacokinetic properties and modest selectivity for Kir3.1/3.2 relative to Kir3.1/3.4 channels. Here, we characterize a non‐urea activator, VU0810464, which displays nanomolar potency as a Kir3.1/3.2 activator, improved selectivity for neuronal Kir3 channels, and improved brain penetration.

Experimental Approach

We used whole‐cell electrophysiology to measure the efficacy and potency of VU0810464 in neurons and the selectivity of VU0810464 for neuronal and cardiac Kir3 channel subtypes. We tested VU0810464 in vivo in stress‐induced hyperthermia and elevated plus maze paradigms. Parallel studies with ML297, the prototypical activator of Kir3.1‐containing Kir3 channels, were performed to permit direct comparisons.

Key Results

VU0810464 and ML297 exhibited comparable efficacy and potency as neuronal Kir3 channel activators, but VU0810464 was more selective for neuronal Kir3 channels. VU0810464, like ML297, reduced stress‐induced hyperthermia in a Kir3‐dependent manner in mice. ML297, but not VU0810464, decreased anxiety‐related behaviour as assessed with the elevated plus maze test.

Conclusion and Implications

VU0810464 represents a new class of Kir3 channel activator with enhanced selectivity for Kir3.1/3.2 channels. VU0810464 may be useful for examining Kir3.1/3.2 channel contributions to complex behaviours and for probing the potential of Kir3 channel‐dependent manipulations to treat neurological disorders.
The phylogenetic origin and evolution of acellular bone in teleost fishes: insights into osteocyte function in bone metabolism
Authors: Davesne Donald , Meunier François J. , Schmitt Armin D. , Friedman Matt , Otero Olga , Benson Roger B. J.
Published: March 2019

Vertebrate bone is composed of three main cell types: osteoblasts, osteoclasts and osteocytes, the latter being by far the most numerous. Osteocytes are thought to play a fundamental role in bone physiology and homeostasis, however they are entirely absent in most extant species of teleosts, a group that comprises the vast majority of bony ‘fishes’, and approximately half of vertebrates. Understanding how this acellular (anosteocytic) bone appeared and was maintained in such an important vertebrate group has important implications for our understanding of the function and evolution of osteocytes. Nevertheless, although it is clear that cellular bone is ancestral for teleosts, it has not been clear in which specific subgroup the osteocytes were lost. This review aims to clarify the phylogenetic distribution of cellular and acellular bone in teleosts, to identify its precise origin, reversals to cellularity, and their implications. We surveyed the bone type for more than 600 fossil and extant ray‐finned fish species and optimised the results on recent large‐scale molecular phylogenetic trees, estimating ancestral states. We find that acellular bone is a probable synapomorphy of Euteleostei, a group uniting approximately two‐thirds of teleost species. We also confirm homoplasy in these traits: acellular bone occurs in some non‐euteleosts (although rarely), and cellular bone was reacquired several times independently within euteleosts, in salmons and relatives, tunas and the opah (Lampris sp.). The occurrence of peculiar ecological (e.g. anadromous migration) and physiological (e.g. red‐muscle endothermy) strategies in these lineages might explain the reacquisition of osteocytes. Our review supports that the main contribution of osteocytes in teleost bone is to mineral homeostasis (via osteocytic osteolysis) and not to strain detection or bone remodelling, helping to clarify their role in bone physiology.
Moral Spaces and Sexual Transgression: Understanding Rape in War and Post Conflict
Authors: Porter Holly
Published: March 2019

When it comes to rape in war, evocative language describing rape as a ‘weapon of war’ has become commonplace. Although politically important, overemphasis on strategic aspects of wartime sexual violence can be misleading. Alternative explanations tend to understand rape either as exceptional — a departure from ‘normal’ sexual relationships — or as part of a continuum of gendered violence. This article shows how, even in war, norms are not suspended; nor do they simply continue. War changes the moral landscape. Drawing on ethnographic research over 10 years in northern Uganda, this article argues for a re‐sexualization of understandings of rape. It posits that sexual mores are central to explaining sexual violence, and that sexual norms — and hence transgressions — vary depending on the moral spaces in which they occur. In Acholi, moral spaces have temporal dimensions (‘olden times’, the ‘time of fighting’ and ‘these days’) and associated spatial dimensions (home, camp, bush, village, town). The dynamics of each help to explain the occurrence of some forms of sexual violence and the rarity of others. By reflecting on sexual norms and transgressions in these moral spaces, the article sheds light on the relationship between ‘event’ and ‘ordinary’, rape and war.
Efficacy of low‐ and very‐low‐energy diets in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus: A systematic review and meta‐analysis of interventional studies
Authors: Kloecker David E. , Zaccardi Francesco , Baldry Emma , Davies Melanie J. , Khunti Kamlesh , Webb David R.
Published: March 2019

Aims

To review systematically and quantify the weight loss achieved through low‐ (LEDs) and very‐low‐energy diets (VLEDs) in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Materials and methods

Studies reporting the effects of diet‐only interventions of up to 1600 kcal/d in people with T2DM were searched in MEDLINE, EMBASE and CINAHL up to July 2018. Changes in the primary (body weight and body mass index [BMI]) and secondary outcomes (glycated haemoglobin, blood lipids) according to energy restriction and duration of diet were modelled using restricted cubic splines.

Results

Forty‐four studies (3817 participants) were included. The overall quality of the evidence was moderate and limited to short‐term interventions up to 4 months. Baseline mean weight and BMI were 92.1 kg and 36.6 kg/m2. VLEDs of 400 kcal/d led to 5.4% weight loss at 2 weeks, increasing to 17.9% at 3 months. More modest reductions of 7.3% were observed on LEDs of 1200 kcal/d and 2.0% on 1600 kcal/d after 3 months. No clear patterns emerged for secondary outcomes. Publication bias was significant for primary outcomes.

Conclusions

Through modelling, we were able to describe effective dietary deficit strategies to achieve weight reduction up to 4 months in people with T2DM. High‐quality studies are required to further support clinical practice with evidence‐based dietary interventions.
ADDRESSING SOCIAL DILEMMAS WITH MASCOTS, INFORMATION, AND GRAPHICS
Authors: Butler Julianna M. , Fooks Jacob R. , Messer Kent D. , Palm‐Forster Leah H.
Published: March 2019

Reducing nonpoint source pollution is a complex social dilemma involving externalities, information asymmetries, and coordination problems. Using a laboratory experiment, this research investigates how mascots, public information, and data visualization can improve collective group behavior to address a social dilemma. Results show that groups reduce pollution in the experiment when a community mascot expresses negative emotions in response to poor water quality outcomes. Additionally, groups pollute less when they are provided public information about water quality, and abatement is greater when feedback is negatively framed. This study demonstrates how novel nonmonetary incentives can be used to achieve a collective environmental goal. (JEL D79, Q25, Q52, Q53, D83)
Structured activity and multiple group memberships as mechanisms of increased depression amongst young people not in employment, education or training
Authors: Berry Clio , Easterbrook Matthew J. , Empson Liza , Fowler David
Published: March 2019

Aims

Young people Not in Employment, Education and Training (NEET) are at increased risk of depression, yet mechanisms of this association are poorly understood. We hypothesised that being NEET has both behavioural and social identity consequences and that reductions in structured activity and multiple group memberships underlie increased depression in this group. Our purpose was to assess first whether depression was greater for NEET compared to non‐NEET young people from the same geographical locality, and secondly, whether a loss of structured activity leading to a reduction in multiple group memberships explains the NEET‐depression association.

Methods

The present study was a cross‐sectional between‐groups design using convenience sampling. Measures of depression, structured activity and multiple group memberships were obtained from 45 NEET young people and 190 university students (non‐NEET).

Results

The NEET group reported significantly more depression symptoms compared to the non‐NEET student control group. A path model specifying NEET status as a predictor of depression, with this association mediated by a reduction in structured activity and fewer multiple group memberships (standardised indirect = 0.03, unstandardised indirect = 0.62, P = 0.052, 95% bias corrected confidence intervals [0.21,1.44]), provided excellent fit to our data: χ2(3) = 0.26, P = 0.968, comparative fit index (CFI) = 1.00, root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA)<0.01, standardized root mean square residual (SRMR) = 0.01).

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that depression is elevated amongst NEET young people compared to non‐NEET students from the same locality. The association between NEET status and depression was partially mediated by reduced structured activity and its association with reduced multiple group memberships. Although using cross‐sectional data, our findings suggest social interventions may be a key resource in ameliorating depression amongst NEET young people; through preserving engagement in structured activity and the wellbeing benefits derived from arising multiple group memberships.
Critique of the 2017 epileptic seizure and epilepsy classifications
Authors: Lüders Hans , Akamatsu Naoki , Amina Shahram , Baumgartner Christoph , Benbadis Selim , Bermeo‐Ovalle Adriana , Bleasel Andrew , Bozorgi Alireza , Carreño Mar , Devereaux Michael , Fernandez‐Baca Vaca Guadalupe , Francione Stefano , García Losarcos Naiara , Hamer Hajo , Holthausen Hans , Jamal Omidi Shirin , Kalamangalam Giridhar , Kanner Andrés , Knake Susanne , Lacuey Nuria , Lhatoo Samden , Lim Shih‐Hui , Mani Jayanthi , Matsumoto Riki , Miller Jonathan , Noachtar Soheyl , Palmini André , Park Jun , Rosenow Felix , Shahid Asim , Schuele Stephan , Steinhoff Bernhard , Szabo Charles Ákos , Tandon Nitin , Terada Kiyohito , Van Emde Boas Walter , Widdess‐Walsh Peter , Kahane Philippe
Published: March 2019

This article critiques the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) 2015‐2017 classifications of epilepsy, epileptic seizures, and status epilepticus. It points out the following shortcomings of the ILAE classifications: (1) they mix semiological terms with epileptogenic zone terminology; (2) simple and widely accepted terminology has been replaced by complex terminology containing less information; (3) seizure evolution cannot be described in any detail; (4) in the four‐level epilepsy classification, level two (epilepsy category) overlaps almost 100% with diagnostic level one (seizure type); and (5) the design of different classifications with distinct frameworks for newborns, adults, and patients in status epilepticus is confusing. The authors stress the importance of validating the new ILAE classifications and feel that the decision ofEpilepsiato accept only manuscripts that use the ILAE classifications is premature and regrettable.
Reoccurrence of a paranasal osteoma following surgical removal in a 6‐month‐old Warmblood filly
Authors: McGlinchey L. , Cole R. , Caldwell F. J.
Published: March 2019

A 6‐month‐old Warmblood filly presented for evaluation of a left sided unilateral mucopurulent discharge of 5 weeks' duration. Upper airway endoscopy revealed a large, smooth mass in the region of the ethmoturbinates. Dorso‐ventral and lateral radiographs of the head revealed a large osseous mass in the left paranasal area. A biopsy was performed under general anaesthesia and an osteoma was diagnosed. A computed tomography (CT) examination was performed to guide surgical removal. Surgery was performed under general anaesthesia and a large mass was removed ~15 × 9 cm. A CT examination 3 months following surgery revealed three small areas of mineralisation. It was difficult to differentiate if these were areas of regrowth or portions of the original mass that were not entirely removed. A CT examination 8 months later revealed one of the areas had increased moderately in size. A second surgery was performed standing to remove the growth. A final CT 8 months later revealed no further evidence of a bone growth. This report describes the successful removal of an osteoma regrowth following initial surgical removal and, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, is the first to describe the reoccurrence of an osteoma after surgical intervention. It also describes a successful rhinotomy in the standing equine patient. This case highlights the importance of serial follow‐up imaging after surgical removal as osteoma regrowth occurred in this case.
Exosomes derived from human dermal papilla cells promote hair growth in cultured human hair follicles and augment the hair‐inductive capacity of cultured dermal papilla spheres
Authors: Kwack Mi H. , Seo Chang H. , Gangadaran Prakash , Ahn Byeong‐Cheol , Kim Moon K. , Kim Jung C. , Sung Young K.
Published: March 2019

Dermal papillae (DP) play key roles in hair growth and regeneration by regulating follicular cell activity. Owing to the established roles of exosomes (Exos) in the regulation of cell functions, we investigated whether DP‐derived Exos, especially those from three‐dimensional (3D)‐cultured DP cells, affect hair growth, cycling and regeneration. Exos derived from 3D DP (3D DP‐Exos) promoted the proliferation of DP cells and outer root sheath (ORS) cells and increased the expression of growth factors (IGF‐1, KGF and HGF) in DP cells. 3D DP‐Exo treatment also increased hair shaft elongation in cultured human hair follicles. In addition, local injections of 3D DP‐Exos induced anagen from telogen and also prolonged anagen in mice. Moreover, Exo treatment in human DP spheres augmented hair follicle neogenesis when the DP spheres were implanted with mouse epidermal cells. Similar results were obtained using Exos derived from 2D‐cultured DP cells (2D DP‐Exo). Collectively, our data strongly suggest that Exos derived from DP cells promote hair growth and hair regeneration by regulating the activity of follicular dermal and epidermal cells; accordingly, these findings have implications for the development of therapeutic strategies for hair loss.
Amylose resistant starch (HAM‐RS2) supplementation increases the proportion of Faecalibacterium bacteria in end‐stage renal disease patients: Microbial analysis from a randomized placebo‐controlled trial
Authors: Laffin Michael R. , Tayebi Khosroshahi Hamid , Park Heekuk , Laffin Luke J. , Madsen Karen , Kafil Hossein Samadi , Abedi Behzad , Shiralizadeh Somayeh , Vaziri Nosratola D.
Published: March 2019

Introduction: Many of the deleterious effects associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are secondary to the resultant systemic inflammation. The gut microbial changes caused by CKD are thought to perpetuate systemic inflammation. Therefore, strategies aimed at modulating the gut microbiota may be helpful in reducing complications associated with CKD. We hypothesized that supplementation with high‐amylose maize resistant starch type 2 (HAM‐RS2) would beneficially alter the gut microbiome and lead to lower levels of systemic inflammation.

Methods: A double‐blind, parallel, randomized, placebo‐controlled trial was performed comparing dietary supplementation of HAM‐RS2 with placebo in patients with end‐stage CKD. Fecal microbial data were obtained from a subset of patients after DNA extraction and 16s sequencing.

Findings: Supplementation of HAM‐RS2 led to a decrease in serum urea, IL‐6, TNFα, and malondialdehyde (P < 0.05). The Faecalibacterium genus was significantly increased in relative abundance following HAM‐RS2 supplementation (HAM‐RS2‐Day 0: 0.40 ± 0.50 vs. HAM‐RS2‐Day 56: 3.21 ± 4.97 P = 0.03) and was unchanged by placebo (Control‐Day 0: 0.72 ± 0.72 vs. Control‐Day 56: 0.83 ± 1.57 P = 0.5).

Discussion: Supplementation of amylose resistant starch, HAM‐RS2, in patients with CKD led to an elevation in Faecalibacterium and decrease in systemic inflammation. Microbial manipulation in CKD patients by using the prebiotic fiber may exert an anti‐inflammatory effect through an elevation in the bacterial genera Faecalibacterium.