bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Predicting Freshman Grade‐Point Average from Test Scores: Effects of Variation Within and Between High Schools
Authors: Koretz D. , Langi M.
Published: October 2017

Most studies predicting college performance from high‐school grade point average (HSGPA) and college admissions test scores use single‐level regression models that conflate relationships within and between high schools. Because grading standards vary among high schools, these relationships are likely to differ within and between schools. We used two‐level regression models to predict freshman grade point average from HSGPA and scores on both college admissions and state tests. When HSGPA and scores are considered together, HSGPA predicts more strongly within high schools than between, as expected in the light of variations in grading standards. In contrast, test scores, particularly mathematics scores, predict more strongly between schools than within. Within‐school variation in mathematics scores has no net predictive value, but between‐school variation is substantially predictive. Whereas other studies have shown that adding test scores to HSGPA yields only a minor improvement in aggregate prediction, our findings suggest that a potentially more important effect of admissions tests is statistical moderation, that is, partially offsetting differences in grading standards across high schools.
The risk of ischaemic stroke in primary antiphospholipid syndrome patients: a prospective study
Authors: Radin M. , Schreiber K. , Cecchi I. , Roccatello D. , Cuadrado M. J. , Sciascia S.
Published: October 2017

Background and purpose

The most common neurological manifestation of antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is ischaemic stroke. Identifying patients with APS at high risk for developing any thrombotic event remains a major challenge. In this study, the aim was to identify predictive factors of ischaemic stroke in a cohort of primary APS (PAPS) patients who presented with new onset symptoms suggestive of acute stroke.

Methods

This prospective multicentre study included 36 consecutive PAPS patients who presented with new onset symptoms suggestive of an acute stroke. Patients were prospectively followed up for 12 months.

Results

In 10 (28%) out of 36 PAPS patients [mean age 41 years (SD 13.4), 70% female], the suspicion of an acute stroke was confirmed by brain magnetic resonance imaging. Sixty per cent of these patients were <50 years old. Eight of the 10 patients had a history of previous venous thrombosis and were receiving vitamin K antagonist (VKA), with international normalized ratio target 2–3; one patient had a history of a previous arterial event receiving treatment with VKA target international normalized ratio 2–3 plus low dose aspirin; and one patient had a history of previous pregnancy morbidity receiving only low dose aspirin. Time in the therapeutic range for patients receiving VKA was 77.7% (SD 6.6%). Hypercholesterolaemia was significantly higher in patients with confirmed stroke compared to those without (P < 0.05). Similarly, a significantly higher rate of anti‐β2 glycoprotein‐I (β2GPI) antibodies (immunoglobulin G/immunoglobulin M; P < 0.05) and higher adjusted global APS score (aGAPSS) values were found in patients with a confirmed stroke [mean aGAPSS 8.9 (SD 4.7) vs. mean aGAPSS 6.4 (SD 2.5); P < 0.05].

Conclusions

Patients with PAPS, including young patients, have a high risk of recurrent thrombosis despite anticoagulation treatment. A careful risk assessment is mandatory to identify patients at risk for recurrence.
Constipation is not associated with dopamine transporter pathology in early drug‐naïve patients with Parkinson's disease
Authors: Pagano G. , Yousaf T. , Wilson H. , Niccolini F. , Polychronis S. , Chaudhuri K. R. , Politis M.
Published: October 2017

Background and purpose

Constipation is a common non‐motor symptom of Parkinson's disease (PD). Deposition of α‐synuclein inclusions that spread from the gut to the substantia nigra through the vagus nerve has recently been speculated to be a pre‐motor and early stage of PD. The aim of the study was to investigate whether constipation is associated with dopaminergic pathology on dopamine transporter (DAT) single‐photon emission computed tomography in early drug‐naïve patients with PD. Our hypothesis was that constipation is associated with other signs of pre‐motor PD and is independent of DAT pathology. We then investigated for associations with motor and non‐motor symptoms, and with cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers of PD pathology.

Methods

Using the Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative database, we investigated the prevalence of constipation and the association between constipation and clinical features, striatal [123I]Ioflupane uptake and non‐imaging (cerebrospinal fluid and serum) biomarkers. Constipation was evaluated using Movement Disorder Society‐Sponsored Revision of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDS‐UPDRS) Part I item 1.11.

Results

One third (132/398) of de‐novo patients with PD had constipation. Higher severity of constipation correlated with older age (r = 0.728, P < 0.001), higher MDS‐UPDRS total score (r = 0.285, P < 0.001), worse postural instability (r = 0.190, P = 0.012), rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder (r = 0.228, P < 0.0001) and depression (r = 0.187, P = 0.024). No correlation was found with cerebrospinal fluid, serum and imaging markers of PD pathology.

Conclusions

Constipation was not associated with DAT pathology but with rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder and depression, which are speculated to be pre‐motor symptoms of PD. This confirms the hypothesis that constipation may be a pre‐motor sign of PD due to an impairment of non‐dopaminergic pathways.
The JAK2/STAT3 pathway is involved in the anti‐melanoma effects of atractylenolide I
Authors: Fu Xiu‐Qiong , Chou Ji‐Yao , Li Ting , Zhu Pei‐Li , Li Jun‐Kui , Yin Cheng‐Le , Su Tao , Guo Hui , Lee Kin‐Wah , Hossen Muhammad Jahangir , Chou Gui‐Xin , Yu Zhi‐Ling
Published: October 2017

In this study, we aimed to investigate the anti‐melanoma effects and the JAK2/STAT3 pathway‐related mechanism of action of atractylenolide I in human melanoma cells. Our results showed that atractylenolide I effectively reduced viability, induced apoptosis and inhibited migration of melanoma cells. Meanwhile, atractylenolide I decreased the protein expression levels of phospho‐JAK2 and phospho‐STAT3, and in turn downregulated the mRNA levels of STAT3‐targeted genes, including Bcl‐xL, MMP‐2 and MMP‐9. Furthermore, the cytotoxic effect of atractylenolide I was attenuated in STAT3‐overactivated A375 cells. These findings indicate that inhibition of JAK2/STAT3 signalling contributes to the anti‐melanoma effects of atractylenolide I.
Insufficient generation of Th17 cells in IL‐23p19‐deficient BALB/c mice protects against progressive cutaneous leishmaniasis
Authors: Dietze‐Schwonberg Kirsten , Lorenz Beate , Kostka Susanna Lopez , Schumak Beatrix , Gessner André , von Stebut Esther
Published: October 2017

Healing of leishmaniasis—a parasitic skin disease—is associated with high levels of secreted interferon (IFN)γ and IL‐12 in resistant C57BL/6 mice and humans. Susceptible BALB/c mice predominantly react with a Th17/Th2/Treg‐related immune response and finally succumb to infection. Previously, we showed that BALB/c IL‐17A−/− mice are protected against Leishmania (L.) major infections, indicating that IL‐17A—predominantly produced by Th17 cells—plays an important role for disease outcome. We now investigated DC‐derived cytokines and finally identified IL‐23p19 as key cytokine responsible for induction of Leishmania‐specific Th17 cells that play an important role for progressive disease in susceptible BALB/c mice.
A divide‐and‐conquer strategy using feature relevance and expert knowledge for enhancing a data mining approach to bank telemarketing
Authors: Moro Sérgio , Cortez Paulo , Rita Paulo
Published: October 2017

The discovery of knowledge through data mining provides a valuable asset for addressing decision making problems. Although a list of features may characterize a problem, it is often the case that a subset of those features may influence more a certain group of events constituting a sub‐problem within the original problem. We propose a divide‐and‐conquer strategy for data mining using both the data‐based sensitivity analysis for extracting feature relevance and expert evaluation for splitting the problem of characterizing telemarketing contacts to sell bank deposits. As a result, the call direction (inbound/outbound) was considered the most suitable candidate feature. The inbound telemarketing sub‐problem re‐evaluation led to a large increase in targeting performance, confirming the benefits of such approach and considering the importance of telemarketing for business, in particular in bank marketing.
The climate change‐related disclosures and accountability practices of NGOs: Evidence from Australia
Authors: Haque Shamima , Irvine Helen
Published: October 2017

This paper focusses on non‐governmental organisations’ (NGOs) broader social accountability, investigating their public disclosures on climate change commitment and performance. Using a synthesised disclosure index, we analyse the annual reports of 30 NGOs, all signatories to the Australian Council for International Development's Code of Conduct. Overall disclosure rates from 2008 to 2013 were higher for commitment than performance, but were very low overall. However, the number of NGOs disclosing information rose markedly over the period. Although it is not directly possible to attribute the change in disclosure levels to the implementation of the Code, the enactment of the new Code could be one of the motivating factors for NGOs’ disclosure practices and their demonstrations of greater social accountability.
On Tanaka‐Mura's fatigue crack nucleation model and validation
Authors: Wu Xijia
Published: October 2017

Tanaka‐Mura's fatigue crack nucleation model is revisited. A dimensional problem is found in their cyclic plastic strain formulation obtained by integration of the displacement function, and hence, it is rederived based on the true strain definition. Using the corrected strain formulation, a new fatigue crack nucleation life expression is obtained, and for the first time, low cycle fatigue lives of several metals and alloys are predicted without resorting to experiments. With such theoretical life as the baseline, other factors such as surface roughness, environment, and even high‐temperature damage mechanisms can be delineated in further studies.
Flow velocity–ecology thresholds in Canadian rivers: A comparison of trait and taxonomy‐based approaches
Authors: Monk Wendy A. , Compson Zacchaeus G. , Armanini David G. , Orlofske Jessica M. , Curry Colin J. , Peters Daniel L. , Crocker Jeffrey B. , Baird Donald J.
Published: October 2017

Understanding the physical and biological mechanisms contributing to flow velocity–ecology relationships is crucial for successful river management. The application of an ecological traits‐based approach offers the potential to explore mechanistic linkages between aquatic communities and a hydrological gradient. To date, however, studies focused on identifying these relationships have been limited by a lack of large‐scale, long‐term biological data.

To address this gap at a scale relevant for water policy management, we employed data from a large‐scale standardised benthic monitoring program—the Canadian Aquatic Biomonitoring Network—obtained from wadeable river sites across Canada. We applied the Threshold Indicator TaxaANalysis method to quantify the response of the macroinvertebrate community, expressed as traditional taxonomic information and also as ecological traits, along a flow velocity gradient in reference and potential reference sites.

Five key findings emerged: (1) using taxa and trait modalities revealed different flow velocity thresholds, (2) trait flow velocity indicators were less variable than taxon indicators, especially for positively responding trait modalities, (3) labile and non‐labile trait modalities demonstrated highly similar patterns along the flow velocity gradient, (4) taxa from 12 different orders responded negatively to flow velocity, while onlyEPTtaxa and some dipterans responded positively to flow velocity, and (5) traits related to mobility and ecology (e.g. climber and swimmer habits, preference of cold‐cool eurythermal water and ability to survive desiccation) tended to respond positively to flow velocity, while traits related to morphology, life history and ecology (e.g. sprawler and burrower habits, preference for warm eurythermal water and inability to survive desiccation) tended to respond negatively to flow velocity.

Providing ecologically based flow management targets can improve management plans, anticipate ecosystem consequences of anthropogenic change and support the development of policies to mitigate anthropogenic flow alteration.

While our taxon and trait modality flow indicators were developed for Canadian watersheds, our methods to develop flow indicators and thresholds are transferrable to other systems where long‐term biomonitoring programs are being developed, underscoring the need for long‐term biomonitoring programs to support better ecosystem management.
Uncertain recovery of the North Atlantic right whale in a changing ocean
Authors: Meyer‐Gutbrod Erin L. , Greene Charles H.
Published: October 2017

Human activities have placed populations of many endangered species at risk and mitigation efforts typically focus on reducing anthropogenic sources of mortality. However, failing to recognize the additional role of environmental factors in regulating birth and mortality rates can lead to erroneous demographic analyses and conclusions. The North Atlantic right whale population is currently the focus of conservation efforts aimed at reducing mortality rates associated with ship strikes and entanglement in fishing gear. Consistent monitoring of the population since 1980 has revealed evidence that climate‐associated changes in prey availability have played an important role in the population's recovery. The considerable interdecadal differences observed in population growth coincide with remote Arctic and North Atlantic oceanographic processes that link to the Gulf of Maine ecosystem. Here, we build capture‐recapture models to quantify the role of prey availability on right whale demographic transitional probabilities and use a corresponding demographic model to project population growth rates into the next century. Contrary to previous predictions, the right whale population is projected to recover in the future as long as prey availability and mortality rates remain within the ranges observed during 1980–2012. However, recent events indicate a northward range shift in right whale prey, potentially resulting in decreased prey availability and/or an expansion of right whale habitat into unprotected waters. An annual increase in the number of whale deaths comparable to that observed during the summer 2017 mass mortality event may cause a decline to extinction even under conditions of normal prey availability. This study highlights the importance of understanding the oceanographic context for observed population changes when evaluating the efficacy of conservation management plans for endangered marine species.
Do all leaf photosynthesis parameters of rice acclimate to elevated CO2, elevated temperature, and their combination, in FACE environments?
Authors: Cai Chuang , Li Gang , Yang Hailong , Yang Jiaheng , Liu Hong , Struik Paul C. , Luo Weihong , Yin Xinyou , Di Lijun , Guo Xuanhe , Jiang Wenyu , Si Chuanfei , Pan Genxing , Zhu Jianguo
Published: October 2017

Leaf photosynthesis of crops acclimates to elevated CO2 and temperature, but studies quantifying responses of leaf photosynthetic parameters to combined CO2 and temperature increases under field conditions are scarce. We measured leaf photosynthesis of rice cultivars Changyou 5 and Nanjing 9108 grown in two free‐air CO2 enrichment (FACE) systems, respectively, installed in paddy fields. Each FACE system had four combinations of two levels of CO2 (ambient and enriched) and two levels of canopy temperature (no warming and warmed by 1.0–2.0°C). Parameters of the C3 photosynthesis model of Farquhar, von Caemmerer and Berry (the FvCB model), and of a stomatal conductance (gs) model were estimated for the four conditions. Most photosynthetic parameters acclimated to elevated CO2, elevated temperature, and their combination. The combination of elevated CO2 and temperature changed the functional relationships between biochemical parameters and leaf nitrogen content for Changyou 5. The gs model significantly underestimated gs under the combination of elevated CO2 and temperature by 19% for Changyou 5 and by 10% for Nanjing 9108 if no acclimation was assumed. However, our further analysis applying the coupled gs–FvCB model to an independent, previously published FACE experiment showed that including such an acclimation response of gs hardly improved prediction of leaf photosynthesis under the four combinations of CO2 and temperature. Therefore, the typical procedure that crop models using the FvCB and gs models are parameterized from plants grown under current ambient conditions may not result in critical errors in projecting productivity of paddy rice under future global change.
Bleaching events regulate shifts from corals to excavating sponges in algae‐dominated reefs
Authors: Chaves‐Fonnegra Andia , Riegl Bernhard , Zea Sven , Lopez Jose V. , Smith Tyler , Brandt Marilyn , Gilliam David S.
Published: October 2017

Changes in coral–sponge interactions can alter reef accretion/erosion balance and are important to predict trends on current algal‐dominated Caribbean reefs. Although sponge abundance is increasing on some coral reefs, we lack information on how shifts from corals to bioeroding sponges occur, and how environmental factors such as anomalous seawater temperatures and consequent coral bleaching and mortality influence these shifts. A state transition model (Markov chain) was developed to evaluate the response of coral‐excavating sponges (Cliona delitrix Pang 1973) after coral bleaching events. To understand possible outcomes of the sponge–coral interaction and build the descriptive model, sponge–corals were monitored in San Andres Island, Colombia (2004–2011) and Fort Lauderdale, Florida (2012–2013). To run the model and determine possible shifts from corals to excavating sponges, 217 coral colonies were monitored over 10 years (2000–2010) in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and validated with data from 2011 to 2015. To compare and test its scalability, the model was also run with 271 coral colonies monitored in St. Croix, US Virgin Islands over 7 years (2004–2011), and validated with data from 2012 to 2015. Projections and sensitivity analyses confirmed coral recruitment to be key for coral persistence. Excavating sponge abundance increased in both Fort Lauderdale and St. Croix reefs after a regional mass bleaching event in 2005. The increase was more drastic in St. Croix than in Fort Lauderdale, where 25% of the healthy corals that deteriorated were overtaken by excavating sponges. Projections over 100 years suggested successive events of coral bleaching could shift algae–coral dominated reefs into algae–sponge dominated. The success of excavating sponges depended on the intensity of coral bleaching and consequent coral mortality. Thus, the proportion of C. delitrix excavating sponges is a sensitive indicator for the intensity and frequency of recent disturbance on Caribbean coral reefs.
A meta‐analysis of nestedness and turnover components of beta diversity across organisms and ecosystems
Authors: Soininen Janne , Heino Jani , Wang Jianjun
Published: October 2017

Aim

The number of studies investigating the nestedness and turnover components of beta diversity has increased substantially, but our general understanding of the drivers of turnover and nestedness remains elusive. Here, we examined the effects of species traits, spatial extent, latitude and ecosystem type on the nestedness and turnover components of beta diversity.

Location

Global.

Time period

1968–2017.

Major taxa studied

From bacteria to mammals.

Methods

From the 99 studies that partition total beta diversity into its turnover and nestedness components, we assembled 269 and 259 data points for the pairwise and multiple site beta‐diversity metrics, respectively. Our data covered a broad variation in species dispersal type, body size and trophic position. The data were from freshwater, marine and terrestrial realms, and encompassed geographical areas from the tropics to near polar regions. We used linear modelling as a meta‐regression tool to analyse the data.

Results

Pairwise turnover, multiple site turnover and total beta diversity all decreased significantly with latitude. In contrast, multiple site nestedness showed a positive relationship with latitude. Beta‐diversity components did not generally differ among the realms. The turnover component and total beta diversity increased with spatial extent, whereas nestedness was scale invariant for pairwise metrics. Multiple site beta‐diversity components did not vary with spatial extent. Surprisingly, passively dispersed organisms had lower turnover and total beta diversity than flying organisms. Body size showed a relatively weak relationship with beta diversity but had important interactions with trophic position, thus also affecting beta diversity via interactive effects. Producers had significantly higher average pairwise turnover and total beta diversity than carnivores.

Main conclusions

The present results provide evidence that species turnover, being consistently the larger component of total beta diversity, and nestedness are related to the latitude of the study area and intrinsic organismal features. We showed that two beta‐diversity components had generally opposing patterns with regard to latitude. We highlight that beta‐diversity partition may give additional insights into the underlying causes of spatial variability in biotic communities compared with total beta diversity alone.
Joint species distribution modelling for spatio‐temporal occurrence and ordinal abundance data
Authors: Schliep Erin M. , Lany Nina K. , Zarnetske Phoebe L. , Schaeffer Robert N. , Orians Colin M. , Orwig David A. , Preisser Evan L.
Published: October 2017

Aim

Species distribution models are important tools used to study the distribution and abundance of organisms relative to abiotic variables. Dynamic local interactions among species in a community can affect abundance. The abundance of a single species may not be at equilibrium with the environment for spreading invasive species and species that are range shifting because of climate change.

Innovation: We develop methods for incorporating temporal processes into a spatial joint species distribution model for presence/absence and ordinal abundance data. We model non‐equilibrium conditions via a temporal random effect and temporal dynamics with a vector‐autoregressive process allowing for intra‐ and interspecific dependence between co‐occurring species. The autoregressive term captures how the abundance of each species can enhance or inhibit its own subsequent abundance or the subsequent abundance of other species in the community and is well suited for a ‘community modules’ approach of strongly interacting species within a food web. R code is provided for fitting multispecies models within a Bayesian framework for ordinal data with any number of locations, time points, covariates and ordinal categories.

Main conclusions

We model ordinal abundance data of two invasive insects (hemlock woolly adelgid and elongate hemlock scale) that share a host tree and were undergoing northwards range expansion in the eastern U.S.A. during the period 1997–2011. Accounting for range expansion and high inter‐annual variability in abundance led to improved estimation of the species–environment relationships. We would have erroneously concluded that winter temperatures did not affect scale abundance had we not accounted for the range expansion of scale. The autoregressive component revealed weak evidence for commensalism, in which adelgid may have predisposed hemlock stands for subsequent infestation by scale. Residual spatial dependence indicated that an unmeasured variable additionally affected scale abundance. Our robust modelling approach could provide similar insights for other community modules of co‐occurring species.
High perennial ryegrass seeding rates do not negatively impact pasture sward persistence
Authors: Lee J. M. , Thom E. R. , Chapman D. F. , Wynn K. , Waugh D. , Rossi L. , Faville M. J. , Bell N. L. , McNeill M. R.
Published: October 2017

Poor persistence of perennial ryegrass swards is a common problem; however, there is a lack of long‐term studies to understand the mechanisms associated with poor persistence. This study describes an experiment to test the hypothesis that high ryegrass seeding rates (>18 kg seed per ha) reduce long‐term population persistence because of smaller plant size and poorer survival during the first year after sowing. Four cultivars, representing four functional types of perennial ryegrass, were sown at five seeding rates (equivalent to 6, 12, 18, 24 and 30 kg seed per ha) with white clover in three regions of New Zealand. Swards were monitored for 5 years. No evidence was found to indicate a lack of persistence of ryegrass‐based swards sown at higher seeding rates. During the first year, swards sown at higher seeding rates had greater herbage accumulation (except at the Waikato site), greater ryegrass tiller density and greater ryegrass content. This initial impact of high seeding rates had largely dissipated by the fourth year, resulting in swards with similar annual herbage accumulation, tiller density and botanical composition. Similarly, there were relatively few differences among cultivars for these variables. Although high seeding rates did not negatively impact sward persistence, geographical location did, with strong evidence of ryegrass population decline at the Waikato site for all treatment combinations, some decline in Northland, and stable populations in Canterbury. It is possible that productive perennial ryegrass pastures can only be sustained for 4–5 years in some situations, even when the best ryegrass technology and management practices are used.
Effect of multimorbidity on gait speed in well‐functioning older people: A population‐based study in Peru
Authors: Ortiz Pedro J , Tello Tania , Aliaga Elizabeth G , Casas Paola M , Peinado Jesus E , Miranda Juan Jaime , Varela Luis F
Published: October 2017

Aim

To determine the association between multimorbidity and gait speed in a population‐based sample of older people without functional dependency.

Methods

Data were obtained from a previously made cross‐sectional population‐based study of individuals aged >60 years carried out in San Martin de Porres, the second most populous district in Lima, Peru. We included well‐functioning, independent older people. Exclusion criteria emphasized removing conditions that would impair gait. The exposure of interest was non‐communicable chronic disease multimorbidity, and the outcome was gait speed determined by the time required for the participant to walk a distance of 8 m out of a total distance of 10 m. Generalized linear models were used to estimate adjusted gait speed by multimorbidity status.

Results

Data from 265 older adults with a median age of 68 years (IQR 63–75 years) and 54% women were analyzed. The median gait speed was 1.06 m/s (SD 0.27) and the mean number of chronic conditions per adult was 1.1 (SD ±1). The difference in mean gait speed between older adults without a chronic condition and those with ≥3 chronic conditions was 0.24 m/s. In crude models, coefficients decreased by a significant exponential factor for every increase in the number of chronic conditions. Further adjustment attenuated these estimates.

Conclusions

Slower speed gaits are observed across the spectrum of multimorbidity in older adults without functional dependency. The role of gait speed as a simple indicator to evaluate and monitor general health status in older populations is expanded to include older adults without dependency. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2018; 18: 293–300.
Notion of multiple crisis and feminist perspectives on social contract
Authors: Biesecker Adelheid , von Winterfeld Uta
Published: October 2017

The concept of multiple (economic, ecological, social and political) crisis has arisen from recent tumultuous economic events. This paper uses a feminist perspective to present the concept as a crisis of regeneration of both nature and social reproduction. We intend to go beyond multiple crisis using the notion of a new social contract, to overcome this crisis in a transformative way towards sustainability. A feminist analysis of the concept of social contract is founded on the critique of domination and is based on Carole Pateman's 1998 thesis that the modern social contract is characterized by a ‘separating inclusion’ of women. It also refers to Val Plumwood's critique of the separated and autonomous self, which is part of all classical conceptions of social contract. We argue that overcoming the multiple crisis requires overcoming structures of separation and re‐envisioning concepts of the individual, by discussing the German example of a ‘Social Contract for Sustainability ’ (2011). If the notion of social contract is to become a catalyst for transformation processes leading to sustainability, it cannot be overarching but has to be developed as a multitude of small new social and local contracts.
Osteogenic differentiation in dedifferentiated liposarcoma: a study of 36 cases in comparison to the cases without ossification
Authors: Yamashita Kyoko , Kohashi Kenichi , Yamada Yuichi , Ishii Takeaki , Nishida Yoshihiro , Urakawa Hiroshi , Ito Ichiro , Takahashi Mitsuru , Inoue Takeshi , Ito Masafumi , Ohara Yuuki , Oda Yoshinao , Toyokuni Shinya
Published: October 2017

Aims

Ossification is found occasionally in dedifferentiated liposarcoma (DDLPS). The aims of this study were to elucidate whether the formed bone tissue is usually produced by tumour cells or by reactive non‐neoplastic cells, and to reveal the clinicopathological characteristics of DDLPS with ossification.

Methods and results

We examined 36 cases of ossified DDLPS by comparing them to 31 cases of non‐ossified DDLPS. MDM2 amplification was confirmed in osteocytes and/or osteoblastic cells in all but one ossified DDLPS cases (27 of 28) using fluorescence in‐situ hybridisation, although the morphological impression of ossification appeared to be mainly metaplastic (27 of 36) or high‐grade osteosarcoma‐like (six of 36). The bone tissue was often formed predominantly at the periphery of the DDLPS area near the well‐differentiated liposarcoma component (18 of 36), and an organised structure such as bone marrow‐like differentiation was not uncommon (12 of 36). According to a modified French Fédération Nationale des Centers de Lutte Contre le Cancer (FNCLCC) grading system, ossified DDLPS tended to be lower grade than non‐ossified DDLPS (mean grade: 1.88 and 2.15, respectively). Ossification in DDLPS was associated significantly with shorter local recurrence‐free survival by multivariate analysis (P = 0.02347), but metaplastic‐appearing ossification tended to be associated with longer overall survival (P = 0.1400).

Conclusions

The bone tissue formed in DDLPS was mainly neoplastic regardless of its morphology and maturity, which highlighted the osteogenic differentiation of the tumour cells. DDLPS patients with osteogenic differentiation tended to suffer from earlier local recurrences, which did not necessarily lead to poor life outcomes.
Moult in the Loggerhead Shrike Lanius ludovicianus is influenced by sex, latitude and migration
Authors: Chabot Amy A. , Hobson Keith A. , Craig Susan , Lougheed Stephen C.
Published: October 2017

We investigated moult strategies in Loggerhead Shrikes by examining first prebasic or preformative moult patterns and by assessing the general location where individual feathers were grown using stable hydrogen isotope (δ2H) analysis. We tested the relative importance of factors known to impact moult timing and pattern, including age, sex, body size, food availability and migration. Migratory Shrikes showed evidence of suspended moult, in which feathers are moulted on both the breeding and the non‐breeding grounds with a suspension of moult during migration. Extent of moult was best explained by sex, longitude, migratory behaviour and breeding‐ground latitude. Male Hatch Year (HY) Shrikes replaced more feathers on the breeding grounds prior to migration than did HY females and moulted more extensively on the breeding grounds than did females. Non‐migratory HY Shrikes underwent a more extensive preformative moult than migratory HY Shrikes. Individuals in more southerly migratory populations moulted more extensively on the breeding grounds than did those breeding further north. Our data also indicate that individuals in the northeastern populations moulted more extensively on the breeding grounds than did those in the north and southwest. Our study underlines the complex structure and variation in moult possible within species, revealing surprising levels of differentiation between sexes and age cohorts, linked to environmental factors on the breeding grounds. Our study highlights the utility of an intrinsic marker, specifically δ2H analysis, to test hypotheses regarding the evolutionary and ecological forces driving moult. Although the methodology has not commonly been applied to this area of research, our results indicate that it can provide unprecedented insight into inter‐ and intra‐specific adaptive response to constraints, whereby individuals maximize fitness.
Enzymatic mitigation of acrylamide in fried potato chips using asparaginase from Aspergillus terreus
Authors: Aiswarya Ravi , Baskar Gurunathan
Published: October 2017

Acrylamide in foods is declared as carcinogen. In the present work, the effect of enzymatic pretreatment and other parameters like enzyme concentration, frying conditions with respect to temperature and time, size of potato chips, and effect of sodium chloride and citric acid on mitigation of acrylamide were studied. The concentration of acrylamide in fried potatoes after the pretreatment was found to be 815.63 μg kg−1. The optimised asparaginase concentration for the mitigation of acrylamide was calibrated as 4 U mL−1, and optimised frying time and temperature were 15 min and 170 °C, respectively. An in‐depth kinetic relationship for the effect of asparaginase on the mitigation of acrylamide was studied. The prime novelty of the project is focused on the immobilisation of asparaginase to nanomagnetic particles for redundant usage with stabilised enzyme activity. The work projected three stables cycles of asparaginase activity and on further usage of the immobilised enzyme resulted in decreased activity. The repeated use of immobilised asparaginase provides the advantage of decreasing cost in processing.
Risk factors associated with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy within an urban indigenous population in south western Sydney
Authors: Daly Amy L. , Sriram Nina , Woodall Cheryl , Selvakumar Kierrtana , Briggs Kelly , Garg Parul , Russell Lisa , Yu Michelle , Beetson Karen , Hennessy Annemarie ,   on behalf of Tharawal AMS
Published: October 2017

Background

The prevalence of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) in Australia's urban indigenous women is unknown.

Aim

To explore the risk factors associated with HDP for a cohort of urban indigenous women in South‐Western Sydney, Australia.

Methods

This study was conducted in partnership with the Tharawal Aboriginal Medical Service. Women (18–45 years) were recruited at the clinic and community events. The quantitative questionnaire included obstetric history, personal and family history of hypertension. Anthropometric measurements and blood pressure were conducted. Rates were compared with Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) national rates.

Results

Eighty‐three participants completed the questionnaire. The rate of ever having HDP in a pregnancy was 36.1%. The overall ABS rate was 9.8% and for indigenous women, 14%. The mean maternal age at first pregnancy was 20.8 years (SD 3.7 years). The mean body mass index (BMI) of the sample population (n = 81) was 32.2 kg/m2 (SD 9.5 kg/m2) and BMI was not related to HDP (P = 0.197). Of those questioned, 25.3% had an individual history and 63.9% had a family history of hypertension. The effect of family history of hypertension (P = 0.020) (odds ratio (OR) 4.29; 95% confidence interval (CI); 1.42–12.93) and individual history of hypertension (P < 0.001) (OR 15.69; 95% CI; 4.50–54.76) were associated with HDP.

Conclusion

There was a higher rate of HDP in urban indigenous women compared to the national indigenous prevalence. The family history, or individual history of hypertension was the most significant risk factors and BMI was not identified as a risk factor for HDP in this population.
A systematic review on hand hygiene knowledge and compliance in student nurses
Authors: Labrague L.J. , McEnroe‐Petitte D.M. , van de Mortel T. , Nasirudeen A.M.A.
Published: October 2017

Background

Hand hygiene competence is one of the critical outcomes in nursing education. Ensuring nursing students recognize the what, when and how of hand hygiene is critical in the light of the increasing rates of healthcare‐associated infections.

Aim

To systematically appraise and synthesize articles on hand hygiene knowledge and compliance among nursing students.

Methods

This is a systematic review of scientific articles published from 2006 to 2016. The primary databases used were as follows: PubMed, Embase, Cumulative Index to Nursing & Allied Health Literature, Proquest and PsychINFO. Key search terms utilized were as follows: ‘handwashing’, ‘hand hygiene’, ‘compliance’, ‘knowledge’, ‘practice’ and ‘nursing students’.

Findings

Nineteen studies met the review criteria. The findings revealed a low‐to‐moderate knowledge of and compliance with hand hygiene among nursing students. In addition, there were significantly higher rates of hand hygiene compliance in nursing students when compared to medical students. Relatively few studies attempted to identify predictors of hand hygiene knowledge and compliance.

Conclusion

This review demonstrated suboptimal knowledge and compliance to hand hygiene among student nurses. In addition, this review also highlighted the paucity of studies that examined individual and organizational factors, which influence nursing students hand hygiene knowledge and compliance.

Implications for nursing and policy

The findings of this review emphasized the role of nurse educators in enhancing hand hygiene competence in nursing students. Implementation of empirically tested strategies such as utilizing multidimensional interventions, scenario‐based hand hygiene simulation activities and hand hygiene education programmes that would enhance nursing students’ hand hygiene knowledge and compliance is an asset. Hospital and nursing administrators should ensure continuous support and monitoring to guarantee that hand hygiene programmes are institutionalized in every healthcare setting by every healthcare worker.
The inter‐rater reliability between nurse‐assessors clinically assessing infection of chronic wounds using the WUWHS criteria
Authors: Vestjens Jacqueline JHHM , Rondas Armand ALM , White Richard RJ , Holloway Samantha SL
Published: October 2017

The aim of this study was to determine the inter‐rater reliability between one expert‐nurse and four clinical‐nurses who were asked to clinically assess infection of chronic wounds by using the World Union of Wound Healing Societies (WUWHS) criteria.

A quasi‐experimental design was used to collect the data. In comparison to phase 1 in which ‘open questions’ were asked, in phase 2 a pre‐printed form (checklist) was introduced. In both phases, 55 chronic wounds were clinically assessed. For each WUWHS criterion the inter‐rater reliability of signs and symptoms was expressed by Cohens Kappa (κ). A substantial agreement (κ ≥ 0·6) was considered as adequate.

In both phases pocketing (p < 0·02), and erythema (p < 0·004) scored statistically significant results. Phase 2 showed higher inter‐rater agreements compared with phase 1 (three substantial agreements (easily bleeding/friable granulation tissue, delayed healing, increasing exudate), an almost perfect‐ and a perfect agreement for malodour and pain, respectively.

According to the results it can be concluded that the clinical assessment of infection of chronic wounds may be better supported by a pre‐printed form than making use of an ‘open questions’ form. To provide this with a higher level of evidence, there is need for more well conducted studies.
Highly porous barium strontium titanate (BST) ceramic foams with low dielectric constant from particle‐stabilized foams
Authors: Huo Wenlong , Chen Yugu , Zhang Zaijuan , Liu Jingjing , Yan Shu , Wu Jia‐Min , Zhang Xiaoyan , Yang Jinglong
Published: October 2017

A novel method for fabrication of highly porous barium strontium titanate (BST) ceramic foams based on particle‐stabilized foaming method was developed for the first time, in which propyl gallate (PG) was employed as BST particle modifier. The results showed that the stability of wet BST foams closely depends on the pH value and PG concentration, which could be explained by the adsorption behavior of PG on BST particle surface. BST ceramic foams with dense, uniform, and closed pore and defect‐free wall were obtained. The pore size and porosity can be well controlled by adjusting solid loading and sintering temperature. It was revealed that not only sintering temperature but also solid loading significantly influenced the growth of BST grain. The BST ceramic foams exhibited high porosity in the range of 81%‐95%, low dielectric constant in the range of 47‐150, and low dielectric loss below 0.0025. The BST ceramic foams with higher porosity presented a tendency of lower dielectric constant and the fitting results indicated that the natural logarithm of dielectric constant was linear correlated with porosity.
Whole‐exome sequencing identifies a novel mutation of GPD1L (R189X) associated with familial conduction disease and sudden death
Authors: Huang Hao , Chen Ya‐Qin , Fan Liang‐Liang , Guo Shuai , Li Jing‐Jing , Jin Jie‐Yuan , Xiang Rong
Published: October 2017

Cardiac conduction disease (CCD) is a serious disorder and the leading cause of mortality worldwide. It is characterized by arrhythmia, syncope or even sudden cardiac death caused by the dysfunction of cardiac voltage‐gated channel. Previous study has demonstrated that mutations in genes encoding voltage‐gated channel and related proteins were the crucial genetic lesion of CCD. In this study, we employed whole‐exome sequencing to explore the potential causative genes in a Chinese family with ventricular tachycardia and syncope. A novel nonsense mutation (c.565C>T/p.R189X) of glycerol‐3‐phosphate dehydrogenase‐like (GPD1L) was identified and co‐segregated with the affected family members. GPD1L is a crucial interacting protein of SCN5A, a gene encoded sodium channel α‐subunit Nav1.5 and mainly associated with Brugada syndrome (BrS). The novel mutation (c.565C>T/p.R189X) may result in a premature stop codon at position 189 in exon 4 of the GPD1L gene and lead to functional haploinsufficiency of GPD1L due to mRNA carrying this mutation will be degraded by nonsense‐mediated mRNA decay, which has been confirmed by Western blot in HEK293 cells transfected HIS‐GPD1L plasmid. The levels of GPD1L decreasing may disturb the function of Nav1.5 and induce arrhythmia and syncope in the end. In conclusion, our study not only further supported the important role of GPD1L in CCD, but also expanded the spectrum of GPD1L mutations and will contribute to the genetic diagnosis and counselling of families with CCD.
Wasting Food, Wasting Resources: Potential Environmental Savings Through Food Waste Reductions
Authors: Usubiaga Arkaitz , Butnar Isabela , Schepelmann Philipp
Published: October 2017

Food is needed to maintain our physical integrity and therefore meets a most basic human need. The food sector got in the focus of environmental policy, because of its environmental implications and its inefficiency in terms of the amount of food lost along the value chain. The European Commission (EC) flagged the food waste issue a few years ago and adopted since then a series of policies that partially address the problem. Among these, the Resource Efficiency Roadmap set the aspirational goal of reducing the resource inputs in the food chain by 20% and halving the disposal of edible food waste by 2020. Focusing on consumer food waste, we tested what a reduction following the Roadmap's food waste target would imply for four environmental categories in EU28 (European Union 28 Member States): greenhouse gas emissions, land use, blue water consumption, and material use. Compared to the 2011 levels, reaching the target would lead to 2% to 7% reductions of the total footprint depending on the environmental category. This equals a 10% to 11% decrease in inputs in the food value chain (i.e., around half of the resource use reductions targeted). The vast majority of potential gains are related to households, rather than the food‐related services. Most likely, the 2020 target will not be met, since there is insufficient action both at Member State and European levels. The Sustainable Development Goals provide a new milestone for reducing edible food waste, but Europe needs to rise up to the challenge of decreasing its per capita food waste generation by 50% by 2030.
The effect of plasma rich in growth factors combined with follicular unit extraction surgery for the treatment of hair loss: A pilot study
Authors: Navarro Roge M. , Pino Ander , Martinez‐Andres Asunción , Molina Consuelo , Martinez Ana María , Martinez Nahikari , Orive Gorka , Anitua Eduardo
Published: October 2017

Background

Hair transplant surgery using follicular unit extraction technique (FUE) is a common surgical procedure for the treatment of severe hair loss. Blood‐derived autologous growth factors have also proved to promote hair regeneration in patients with different types of alopecia.

Aims

The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and clinical efficacy of plasma rich in growth factors (PRGF) technology as an adjuvant therapy forFUEsurgery in hair loss affected patients.

Methods

The biologic potential ofPRGFwas firstly in vitro evaluated over follicular germinal matrix and dermal papilla cells. Afterward, fifteen patients were subjected to routineFUEprocedure while 15 patients underwentFUE+PRGFtherapy.PRGFgroup included intradermal injections of growth factors and follicular transfer unit (FTU) preservation in an autologous fibrin clot. Postsurgical patient satisfaction and clinical improvement were evaluated, andPRGFor saline‐preserved hair grafts were histomorphometrically analyzed.

Results

Follicular cell proliferation and migration was induced after autologous growth factors treatment.PRGF‐preservedFTUs presented higher bioactivity signals and improved integrity of perifollicular structures and extracellular matrix proteins such as collagen and elastic fibers.PRGFnot only reduced the postsurgical crust healing and hair fixation period, but also decreased the inflammatory pain and itching sensation.

Conclusions

This preliminary data demonstrate thatPRGFis able to minimize the postsurgical follicle loss and potentiate the performance of grafted hairs. The fibrin clot not only acts as a protective barrier against environmental factors, but also provides a biologically active scaffold that induces resident cell proliferation and maintains an optimal integrity of the grafted hair.