bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The impact of enhanced iron opacity on massive star pulsations: updated instability strips
Authors: Moravveji Ehsan
Published: February 2017

Recently, Bailey et al. made a direct measurement of the iron opacity at the physical conditions of the solar tachocline. They found that the wavelength-integrated iron opacity is roughly 75 per cent higher than what the Opacity Project (OP) and OPAL models predict. Here, we compute new opacity tables with enhanced iron and nickel contributions to the Rosseland mean opacity by 75 per cent each, and compute three dense mesa grids of evolutionary models for Galactic O- and B-type stars covering from 2.5 to 25 M⊙ from zero-age main sequence (ZAMS) until Teff = 10 000 K after the core hydrogen exhaustion. We carry out non-adiabatic mode stability analysis with gyre, and update the extension of the instability strips of heat-driven p- and g-mode pulsators, and the hybrid slowly pulsating B (SPB) - β Cep stars. We compare the position of two confirmed late O-type β Cep and eight confirmed hybrid B-type pulsators with the new instability domains, and justify that ∼75 per cent enhancement, only in iron opacity, is sufficient to consistently reproduce the observed position of these stars on the log Teff versus log g plane. We propose that this improvement in opacities be incorporated in the input physics of new stellar models.
Bayesian redshift-space distortions correction from galaxy redshift surveys
Authors: Kitaura Francisco-Shu , Ata Metin , Angulo Raul E. , Chuang Chia-Hsun , Rodríguez-Torres Sergio , Monteagudo Carlos Hernández , Prada Francisco , Yepes Gustavo
Published: February 2017

We present a Bayesian reconstruction method which maps a galaxy distribution from redshift- to real-space inferring the distances of the individual galaxies. The method is based on sampling density fields assuming a lognormal prior with a likelihood modelling non-linear stochastic bias. Coherent redshift-space distortions are corrected in a Gibbs-sampling procedure by moving the galaxies from redshift- to real-space according to the peculiar motions derived from the recovered density field using linear theory. The virialized distortions are corrected by sampling candidate real-space positions along the line of sight, which are compatible with the bulk flow corrected redshift-space position adding a random dispersion term in high-density collapsed regions (defined by the eigenvalues of the Hessian). This approach presents an alternative method to estimate the distances to galaxies using the three-dimensional spatial information, and assuming isotropy. Hence the number of applications is very broad. In this work, we show the potential of this method to constrain the growth rate up to k ∼ 0.3 h Mpc−1. Furthermore it could be useful to correct for photometric redshift errors, and to obtain improved baryon acoustic oscillations (BAO) reconstructions.
β-1,2-Mannosyltransferases 1 and 3 Participate in Yeast and Hyphae O- and N-Linked Mannosylation and Alter Candida albicans Fitness During Infection
Authors: Courjol Flavie , Jouault Thierry , Mille Céline , Hall Rebecca , Maes Emmanuel , Sendid Boualem , Mallet Jean Maurice , Guerardel Yann , Gow Neil A. R. , Poulain Daniel , Fradin Chantal
Published: February 2017

β-1,2-mannosylation of Candida albicans glycoconjugates has been investigated through the identification of enzymes involved in the addition of β-1,2-oligomannosides (β-Mans) to phosphopeptidomannan and phospholipomannan. β-1,2-oligomannosides are supposed to have virulence properties that they confer to these glycoconjugates. In a previous study, we showed that cell wall mannoproteins (CWMPs) harbor β-Mans in their O-mannosides; therefore, we analyzed their biosynthesis and impact on virulence. In this study, we demonstrate that O-mannans are heterogeneous and that α-mannosylated O-mannosides, which are biosynthesized by Mnt1 and Mnt2 α-1,2-mannosyltransferases, can be modified with β-Mans but only at the nonreducing end of α-1,2-mannotriose. β-1,2-mannosylation of this O-mannotriose depends on growth conditions, and it involves 2 β-1,2-mannosyltransferases, Bmt1 and Bmt3. These Bmts are essential for β-1,2-mannosylation of CWMPs and expression of β-Mans on germ tubes. A bmt1Δ mutant and a mutant expressing no β-Mans unexpectedly disseminated more in BALB/c mice, whereas they had neither attenuated nor enhanced virulence in C57BL/6 mice. In galectin (Gal)3 knockout mice, the reference strain was more virulent than in C57BL/6 mice, suggesting that the β-Mans innate receptor Gal3 is involved in C. albicans fitness during infection.
Inheritance of resistance to peanut mottle virus in Phaseolus vulgaris
Authors: Provvidenti R. , Chirco E. M.
Published: February 2017

One-hundred-and-eleven bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) cultivars of domestic and foreign origin reacted identically to the N and the M strains of peanut mottle virus (PMV). Seventy-eight cultivars (70 percent) developed chlorotic or necrotlc local lesions, without systemic infection (resistant). Thirty cultivars (27 percent) were infected with local chlorotic or necrotic lesions followed by systemic necrosis and death (susceptible). Three cultivars (3 percent) yielded resistant and susceptible plants (heterogeneous populations). In F1, F2, and reciprocal backcross populations derived from crosses between PMV-resistant and -susceptible selections of the cultivar Royalty Purple Pod, resistance to the N strain was conferred by a single, but incompletely dominant gene, designated Pmv. No seed transmission of PMV could be demonstrated in progenies of susceptible cultivars because of premature death. The virus was not transmitted in seed of F2 Intermediate resistant plants.
Long-term memory of relative reward values
Authors: Soldati Francesca , Burman Oliver H. P. , John Elizabeth A. , Pike Thomas W. , Wilkinson Anna
Published: February 2017

Long-term memory can be adaptive as it allows animals to retain information that is crucial for survival, such as the appearance and location of key resources. This is generally examined by comparing choices of stimuli that have value to the animal with those that do not; however, in nature choices are rarely so clear cut. Animals are able to assess the relative value of a resource via direct comparison, but it remains unclear whether they are able to retain this information for a biologically meaningful amount of time. To test this, captive red-footed tortoises (Chelonoidis carbonaria) were first trained to associate visual cues with specific qualities and quantities of food, and their preferences for the different reward values determined. They were then retested after an interval of 18 months. We found that the tortoises were able to retain the information they had learned about the cues as indicators of relative reward values over this interval, demonstrating a memory for the relative quantity and quality of food over an extended period of time. This is likely to impact directly on an animal's foraging decisions, such as the exploitation of seasonally varying resources, with obvious fitness implications for the individual; however, the implications may also extend to the ecological interactions in which the animal is involved, affecting processes such as herbivory and seed dispersal.
The Crimean War as a technological enterprise
Authors: Bektas Yakup
Published: February 2017

Discussions of the Crimean War (1853–56) often emphasize its leaders’ military and political incompetence and logistic failures, which led to heavy losses both on the battlefield and to disease. This portrayal ignores the significant entrepreneurial and technological novelties that emerged from the war. Begun and fought for the most part along traditional lines, the Crimean War became a stage for the display of innovative technologies ranging from telegraphy to photography, railways to steamships, and ironclads to sanitary hospitals. It became a business opportunity for entrepreneurs to promote their enterprises and to gain prestige, with the sanction of patriotism. These technologies, new and untried on such a scale though they were, began to shape the way in which the war was organized, fought and reported. More importantly, they generated enormous public excitement and helped make the war a spectacle for distant audiences, presented swiftly and vividly through the new media of telegraphy and photography.
T-DNA integration is rapid and influenced by the chromatin state of the host genome
Authors: Shilo Shay , Tripathi Pooja , Melamed-Bessudo Cathy , Tzfadia Oren , Muth Theodore R. , Levy Avraham A.
Published: February 2017

Agrobacterium tumefaciensmediated T-DNA integration is a common tool for plant genome manipulation. However, there is controversy regarding whether T-DNA integration is biased towards genes or randomly distributed throughout the genome. In order to address this question, we performed high-throughput mapping of T-DNA-genome junctions obtained in the absence of selection at several time points after infection. T-DNA-genome junctions were detected as early as 6 hours post-infection. T-DNA distribution was apparently uniform throughout the chromosomes, yet local biases toward AT-rich motifs and T-DNA border sequence micro-homology were detected. Analysis of the epigenetic landscape of integration showed that selected events reported on previously were associated with extremely low methylation and nucleosome occupancy. Conversely, non-selected events from this study showed chromatin marks, such as high nucleosome occupancy and high H3K27me3 that correspond to 3D-interacting heterochromatin islands embedded within euchromatin. Such structures might play a role in capturing and silencing invading T-DNA.
A checkpoint roadmap for the complex cell division of Apicomplexa parasites
Authors: Alvarez Carmelo A. , Suvorova Elena S.
Published: February 2017

The unusual cell cycles of Apicomplexa parasites are remarkably flexible with the ability to complete cytokinesis and karyokinesis coordinately or postpone cytokinesis for several rounds of chromosome replication are well recognized. Despite this surprising biology, the molecular machinery required to achieve this flexibility is largely unknown. In this study, we provide comprehensive experimental evidence that apicomplexan parasites utilize multiple Cdk-related kinases (Crks) to coordinate cell division. We determined thatToxoplasma gondiiencodes seven atypical P-, H-, Y- and L- type cyclins and ten Crks to regulate cellular processes. We generated and analyzed conditional tet-OFF mutants for seven TgCrks and four TgCyclins that are expressed in the tachyzoite stage. These experiments demonstrated that TgCrk1, TgCrk2, TgCrk4 and TgCrk6, were required or essential for tachyzoite growth revealing a remarkable number of Crk factors that are necessary for parasite replication. G1 phase arrest resulted from the loss of cytoplasmic TgCrk2 that interacted with a P-type cyclin demonstrating that an atypical mechanism controls half theT. gondiicell cycle. We showed thatT. gondiiemploys at least three TgCrks to complete mitosis. Novel kinases, TgCrk6 and TgCrk4 were required for spindle function and centrosome duplication, respectively, while TgCrk1 and its partner TgCycL were essential for daughter bud assembly. Intriguingly, mitotic kinases TgCrk4 and TgCrk6 did not interact with any cyclin tested and were instead dynamically expressed during mitosis indicating they may not require a cyclin timing mechanism. Altogether, our findings demonstrate that apicomplexan parasites utilize distinctive and complex mechanisms to coordinate their novel replicative cycles.
Process reveals structure: How a network is traversed mediates expectations about its architecture
Authors: Karuza Elisabeth A. , Kahn Ari E. , Thompson-Schill Sharon L. , Bassett Danielle S.
Published: February 2017

Network science has emerged as a powerful tool through which we can study the higher-order architectural properties of the world around us. How human learners exploit this information remains an essential question. Here, we focus on the temporal constraints that govern such a process. Participants viewed a continuous sequence of images generated by three distinct walks on a modular network. Walks varied along two critical dimensions: their predictability and the density with which they sampled from communities of images. Learners exposed to walks that richly sampled from each community exhibited a sharp increase in processing time upon entry into a new community. This effect was eliminated in a highly regular walk that sampled exhaustively from images in short, successive cycles (i.e., that increasingly minimized uncertainty about the nature of upcoming stimuli). These results demonstrate that temporal organization plays an essential role in how robustly knowledge of network architecture is acquired.
Progress Towards a Public Chemogenomic Set for Protein Kinases and a Call for Contributions
Authors: Drewry David H. , Wells Carrow I. , Andrews David M. , Angell Richard , Al-Ali Hassan , Axtman Alison D. , Capuzzi Stephen J. , Elkins Jonathan M. , Ettmayer Peter , Frederiksen Mathias , Gileadi Opher , Gray Nathanael , Hooper Alice , Knapp Stefan , Laufer Stefan , Luecking Ulrich , Müller Susanne , Muratov Eugene , Denny R. Aldrin , Saikatendu Kumar S. , Treiber Daniel K. , Zuercher William J. , Willson Timothy M.
Published: February 2017

Protein kinases are highly tractable targets for drug discovery. However, the biological function and therapeutic potential of the majority of the 500+ human protein kinases remains unknown. We have developed physical and virtual collections of small molecule inhibitors, which we call chemogenomic sets, that are designed to inhibit the catalytic function of almost half the human protein kinases. In this manuscript we share our progress towards generation of a comprehensive kinase chemogenomic set (KCGS), release kinome profiling data of a large inhibitor set (Published Kinase Inhibitor Set 2 (PKIS2)), and outline a process through which the community can openly collaborate to create a KCGS that probes the full complement of human protein kinases.
Exploration and recency as the main proximate causes of probability matching: a reinforcement learning analysis
Authors: Silva Carolina Feher da , Victorino Camila Gomes , Caticha Nestor , Vinícius Chrysóstomo Baldo Marcus
Published: February 2017

Research has not yet reached a consensus on why humans match probabilities instead of maximise in a probability learning task. The most influential explanation is that they search for patterns in the random sequence of outcomes. Other explanations, such as expectation matching, are plausible, but do not consider how reinforcement learning shapes people’s choices.

We aimed to quantify how human performance in a probability learning task is affected by pattern search and reinforcement learning. We collected behavioural data from 84 young adult participants who performed a probability learning task wherein the majority outcome was rewarded with 0.7 probability, and analysed the data using a reinforcement learning model that searches for patterns. Model simulations indicated that pattern search, exploration, recency (discounting early experiences), and forgetting may impair performance.

Our analysis estimated that 85% (95% HDI [76, 94]) of participants searched for patterns and believed that each trial outcome depended on one or two previous ones. The estimated impact of pattern search on performance was, however, only 6%, while those of exploration and recency were 19% and 13% respectively. This suggests that probability matching is caused by uncertainty about how outcomes are generated, which leads to pattern search, exploration, and recency.
Housing cycles in the UK: a historical and empirical investigation
Authors: Pitros Charalambos , Arayici Yusuf
Published: February 2017

Purpose

The study looks at the characteristics of upswings and downswings for UK housing cycles. Specifically, the purpose of this paper is to empirically analyse cycles in house prices and housing affordability on the characteristics of persistence, magnitude and severity.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper draws upon the triangular methodology of cycles and utilises housing data from the last three decades.

Findings

From an empirical perspective, the study obtained four main results. First, the graphical trajectory of cycles in house price and housing affordability is highly synchronized. Second, upturns in both cycles tend to be longer than downturns on average. Third, the recent upturn in house prices and housing affordability is characterised by larger duration, magnitude and severity than the earlier case. Fourth, the latest downturn in both cycles is highly synchronised in terms of time occurrence, persistence, magnitude and severity; in addition, in both cases, the latest downturn is considerably smaller than the previous one. The study additionally indicates that on average the length of a complete house price and housing affordability cycle is 19 years on a peak-to-peak basis.

Research limitations/implications

This paper is essentially exploratory and raises a number of questions for further investigation. Future research should, first, arrive at a more nuanced definition of affordability and, second, examine causality. The fact that two phenomena appear to have some significant synchronicity is not an indication that they are interdependent, although logic would suggest they might be.

Originality/value

This is among the few papers that analyses cycles in UK house prices. It is the first study that draws attention to the housing affordability cycle and the first to compare cycles in house prices with cycles in housing affordability.
Organismal responses to habitat change: herbivore performance, climate and leaf traits in regenerating tropical dry forests
Authors: Agosta Salvatore J. , Hulshof Catherine M. , Staats Ethan G.
Published: February 2017

The ecological effects of large‐scale climate change have received much attention, but the effects of the more acute form of climate change that results from local habitat alteration have been less explored. When forest is fragmented, cut, thinned, cleared or otherwise altered in structure, local climates and microclimates change. Such changes can affect herbivores both directly (e.g. through changes in body temperature) and indirectly (e.g. through changes in host plant traits).

We advance an eco‐physiological framework to understand the effects of changing forests on herbivorous insects. We hypothesize that if tropical forest caterpillars are climate and resource specialists, then they should have reduced performance outside of mature forest conditions.

We tested this hypothesis with a field experiment contrasting the performance of Rothschildia lebeau (Saturniidae) caterpillars feeding on the host plant Casearia nitida (Salicaceae) in two different aged and structured tropical dry forests in Area de Conservación Guanacaste, Costa Rica.

Compared to more mature closed‐canopy forest, in younger secondary forest we found that: (1) ambient conditions were hotter, drier and more variable; (2) caterpillar growth and development were reduced; and (3) leaves were tougher, thicker and drier. Furthermore, caterpillar growth and survival were negatively correlated with these leaf traits, suggesting indirect host‐mediated effects of climate on herbivores.

Based on the available evidence, and relative to mature forest, we conclude that reduced herbivore performance in young secondary forest could have been driven by changes in climate, leaf traits (which were likely climate induced) or both. However, additional studies will be needed to provide more direct evidence of cause‐and‐effect and to disentangle the relative influence of these factors on herbivore performance in this system.
Management of inclusive education in Oman: A framework for Action
Authors: Mohamed Emam Mahmoud
Published: February 2017

Inclusive education (IE) and the special education services related to it are relatively new in Oman. Efforts to manage special/inclusive education face many challenges due to a number of culturally rooted factors. Further, empirical research on IE in Oman is scarce and there is a need to advance IE discourse based on empirically validated perspectives. This article examines how IE is managed in schools from the perspective of school leaders in order to develop a framework for action. The author conducted a preliminary qualitative inquiry into how IE is understood and managed in Key stage 1 schools in Oman. The inquiry was based on a focus group interview with a cohort of 25 school leaders who were completing a two year bachelor in educational administration, an endorsement‐like programme at Sultan Qaboos University. Findings showed a number of challenges and tensions between theory and practice, highlighted by school leaders. These challenges and tensions were analysed in order to map out strengths and difficulties. A three level prism shaped framework for action was developed based on the analysis. The framework for action could potentially serve to guide policy‐ and decision‐makers, researchers, practitioners, and is advocated to develop a model of best practice for the successful implementation and management of IE in Oman.
Transforming support for students with disabilities in UK Higher Education
Authors: Taylor Mark , Turnbull Yvonne , Bleasdale Jo , Francis Hulya , Forsyth Henry
Published: February 2017

Intended UK government changes to the Disabled Students’ Allowance will have a significant impact on the support that UK universities provide for students with disabilities. In this article we examine the types of transformation that may be needed to support for university students with disabilities, from a socio‐technical perspective. The research reported in this article involved a year‐long case study in a UK university. The potential changes required to support for students with disabilities within the university studied, to cater for the proposed UK government changes to the Disabled Students’ Allowance, include: providing non‐medical helpers through external agencies; developing a dyslexia screening process; providing enhanced library services, including access to printers and scanners and assistance with assistive software; providing laptops with assistive software; making assistive software available in a limited form in computing laboratories; and more co‐ordinated special examination provision.
Rapid Inverse Method to Measure Thermal Diffusivity of Low‐Moisture Foods
Authors: Muramatsu Yoshiki , Greiby Ibrahim , Mishra Dharmendra K. , Dolan Kirk D.
Published: February 2017

Thermal diffusivity is an important transport property needed in modeling and computations of transient heat transfer in basic food processing operations. In addition, the prediction of nutritional and microbial changes occurring in food during thermal processing requires knowledge of thermal diffusivity of foods. The objectives of this study were to develop a new nonisothermal and nonlinear determination method of thermal diffusivity and to measure the thermal diffusivity of low‐moisture foods using that new method. Thermal diffusivities of 5 kinds of low‐moisture foods (almond meal, corn meal, wheat flour, chocolate fudge, and peanut butter) were estimated using an inverse technique. Samples were canned and heated at the surface in a water bath at about 70 °C. The 1‐dimensional transient heat conduction problem for radial coordinates was solved with a finite‐difference model. The thermal diffusivity of each of the 5 samples was determined by the ordinary least squares and sequential estimation methods, respectively. Predicted and observed temperature matched well, with maximum residuals of 0.9 °C. The thermal diffusivity values of the samples ranged from 9.8 × 10−8 to 1.3 × 10−7 m2/s. The advantages of this method are that the device and the estimation method are simple, inexpensive, rapid, and can handle large spatial temperature gradients, such as those experienced during heating of low‐moisture foods. The results obtained in this study will be useful in the design of equipment and in calculations for the thermal processing of low‐moisture foods.
Aroma Glycosides in Grapes and Wine
Authors: Liu Jibin , Zhu Xiao‐Lin , Ullah Niamat , Tao Yong‐Sheng
Published: February 2017

The major aroma components in grapes and wine include free volatile compounds and glycosidic nonvolatile compounds. The latter group of compounds is more than 10 times abundant of the former, and constitutes a big aroma reserve in grapes and wine. This review summarizes the research results obtained recently for the identification of aroma glycosides in grapes and wine, including grape glycoside structures, differences in aroma glycosides among grape varieties, hydrolysis mechanisms, and the factors that influence them. It also presents the analytical techniques used to identify the glycosidic aroma precursors. The operational strategies, challenges, and improvements of each step encountered in the analysis of glycosidic aroma precursors are described. This review intends to provide a convenient reference for researchers interested in the methods used for the determination of the aroma glucosides composition and the recognition of their chemical structures.
m‐TOR inhibitors and their potential role in haematological malignancies
Authors: Calimeri Teresa , Ferreri Andrés J. M.
Published: February 2017

It is widely demonstrated that the PI3K‐AKT‐mTOR signalling is critical in normal myeloid and lymphoid development and function. Thus, it is not strange that this pathway is often deregulated in haematological tumours, providing a strong preclinical rationale for the use of drugs targeting the PI3K‐AKT‐mTOR axis in haematological malignancies. The main focus of this review is to examine the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR, also termed mechanistic target of rapamycin [MTOR]) signalling pathways and to provide a brief overview of rapalogs and second‐generation mTOR inhibitors used to target its aberrant activation in cancer treatment. We will also discuss the results obtained with the use of these agents in patients with acute leukaemia, Hodgkin lymphoma, non‐Hodgkin lymphomas, multiple myeloma and Waldenström macroglobulinaemia. Ongoing clinical trials in haematological malignancies that are investigating first‐ and second‐generation mTOR inhibitors as single agents and as components of combination regimens are also presented.
Ureteric stent dwelling time: a risk factor for post‐ureteroscopy sepsis
Authors: Nevo Amihay , Mano Roy , Baniel Jack , Lifshitz David A.
Published: February 2017

Objectives

To evaluate the association between stent dwelling time and sepsis after ureteroscopy, and identify risk factors for sepsis in this setting.

Patients and Methods

The prospectively collected database of a single institution was queried for all patients who underwent ureteroscopy for stone extraction between 2010 and 2016. Demographic, clinical, preoperative and operative data were collected. The primary study endpoint was sepsis within 48 h of ureteroscopy. Logistic regressions were performed to identify predictors of post‐ureteroscopy sepsis in the ureteroscopy cohort and specifically in patients with prior stent insertion.

Results

Between October 2010 and April 2016, 1 256 patients underwent ureteroscopy for stone extraction. Risk factors for sepsis included prior stent placement, female gender and Charlson comorbidity index. A total of 601 patients had a ureteric stent inserted before the operation and were included in the study cohort, in which the median age was 56 years, 90 patients were women (30%), and 97 patients were treated for positive preoperative urine cultures (16.1%). Postoperative sepsis, <48 h after surgery, occurred in eight (1.2%) non‐stented patients and in 28 patients (4.7%) with prior stent insertion. Sepsis rates after stent dwelling times of 1, 2, 3 and >3 months were 1, 4.9, 5.5 and 9.2%, respectively. On multivariate analysis, stent dwelling time, stent insertion because of sepsis, and female gender were significantly associated with post‐ureteroscopy sepsis in patients with prior stent placement.

Conclusions

Patients who undergo ureteroscopy after ureteric stent insertion have a higher risk of postoperative sepsis. Prolonged stent dwelling time, sepsis as an indication for stent insertion, and female gender are independent risk factors. Stent placement should be considered cautiously, and if inserted, ureteroscopy should be performed within 1 month.
Exercise effects on perivascular adipose tissue: endocrine and paracrine determinants of vascular function
Authors: Boa B C S , Yudkin J S , van Hinsbergh V W M , Bouskela E , Eringa E C
Published: February 2017

Obesity is a global epidemic, accompanied by increased risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Adipose tissue hypertrophy is associated with adipose tissue inflammation, which alters the secretion of adipose tissue‐derived bioactive products, known as adipokines. Adipokines determine vessel wall properties such as smooth muscle tone and vessel wall inflammation. Exercise is a mainstay of prevention of chronic, non‐communicable diseases, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease in particular. Aside from reducing adipose tissue mass, exercise has been shown to reduce inflammatory activity in this tissue. Mechanistically, contracting muscles release bioactive molecules known as myokines, which alter the metabolic phenotype of adipose tissue. In adipose tissue, myokines induce browning, enhance fatty acid oxidation and improve insulin sensitivity. In the past years, the perivascular adipose tissue (PVAT) which surrounds the vasculature, has been shown to control vascular tone and inflammation through local release of adipokines. In obesity, an increase in mass and inflammation of PVAT culminate in dysregulation of adipokine secretion, which contributes to vascular dysfunction. This review describes our current understanding of the mechanisms by which active muscles interact with adipose tissue and improve vascular function. Aside from the exercise‐dependent regulation of canonical adipose tissue function, we will focus on the interactions between skeletal muscle and PVAT and the role of novel myokines, such as IL‐15, FGF21 and irisin, in these interactions.

Linked Articles

This article is part of a themed section on Molecular Mechanisms Regulating Perivascular Adipose Tissue – Potential Pharmacological Targets? To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v174.20/issuetoc
Enhancing Father Involvement in Low‐Income Families: A Couples Group Approach to Preventive Intervention
Authors: Pruett Marsha Kline , Pruett Kyle , Cowan Carolyn Pape , Cowan Philip A.
Published: February 2017

To address the problem of fathers’ absence from children's lives and the difficulty of paternal engagement, especially among lower income families, government agencies have given increasing attention to funding father involvement interventions. Few of these interventions have yielded promising results. Father involvement research that focuses on the couple/coparenting relationship offers a pathway to support fathers’ involvement while strengthening family relationships. Relevant research is reviewed and an exemplar is provided in the Supporting Father Involvement intervention and its positive effects on parental and parent–child relationships and children's outcomes. The article concludes with policy implications of this choice of target populations and the need to develop new strategies to involve fathers in the lives of their children.
The promise of epigenetics for neurodisability
Authors: Dan Bernard
Published: February 2017

Video Podcast: https://youtu.be/N5G5ajSb4oA
Future directions in the ontogeny of plant defence: understanding the evolutionary causes and consequences
Authors: Barton Kasey E. , Boege Karina
Published: February 2017

Plant defence often varies by orders of magnitude as plants develop from the seedling to juvenile to mature and senescent stages. Ontogenetic trajectories can involve switches among defence traits, leading to complex shifting phenotypes across plant lifetimes. While considerable research has characterised ontogenetic trajectories for now hundreds of plant species, we still lack a clear understanding of the molecular, ecological and evolutionary factors driving these patterns. In this study, we identify several non‐mutually exclusive factors that may have led to the evolution of ontogenetic trajectories in plant defence, including developmental constraints, resource allocation costs, multi‐functionality of defence traits, and herbivore selection pressure. Evidence from recent physiological studies is highlighted to shed light on the underlying molecular mechanisms involved in the regulation and activation of these developmental changes. Overall, our goal is to promote new research avenues that would provide evidence for the factors that have promoted the evolution of this complex lifetime phenotype. Future research focusing on the questions and approaches identified here will advance the field and shed light on why defence traits shift so dramatically across plant ontogeny, a widespread but poorly understood ecological pattern.
Influenza antivirals currently in late‐phase clinical trial
Authors: Koszalka Paulina , Tilmanis Danielle , Hurt Aeron C.
Published: February 2017

Influenza antiviral drugs are important for the control of influenza, most specifically for the treatment of influenza patients with severe disease following infection with a seasonal influenza virus, a newly emerging influenza strain, or in the event of a pandemic. Many influenza antivirals that are currently under investigation in late‐stage clinical trials differ in their mechanism of action compared to drugs currently licensed for the treatment of influenza. Nitazoxanide and DAS181 target components of the host cell and alter the ability of the virus to replicate efficiently, while small molecule drugs such as T705, JNJ63623872 and S‐033188 bind to the viral polymerase complex and restrict viral replication. Monoclonal antibodies that are currently in clinical trial for the treatment of influenza most commonly are targeted to the stem region of the haemagglutinin molecule. Early findings from animal models and in vitro studies suggest that many of the new antiviral drugs when tested in combination with oseltamivir have improved effectiveness over monotherapy. Clinical trials assessing both monotherapy and combination therapy are currently under investigation. It is hoped that as new antivirals are licensed, they will improve the standard of care and outcomes for influenza patients with severe disease.
A significant productive in vivo infection of resting cells with simian immunodeficiency virus in a macaque with AIDS
Authors: Pahar Bapi , Lala Wendy , Kuebler Dot , Liu David
Published: February 2017

Identifying the cells that can be infected with HIV in vivo and thus potentially persist as latent reservoirs is of high priority. Here, we report the major infected cells in a chronically simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV)‐infected macaque that developed AIDS and encephalitis. A majority of the infected cells were detected as non‐proliferating resting cells. SIV‐infected non‐proliferating resting cells were found to be playing an important role in viral pathogenesis, persistence, or reservoir formation.
Mediating Effect of Body Image Distortion on Weight Loss Efforts in Normal‐Weight and Underweight Korean Adolescent Girls
Authors: Choi Jeong‐Sil , Kim Ji‐Soo
Published: February 2017

BACKGROUND

We explored the relationship between body mass index‐for‐age percentile, body image distortion, and unnecessary weight loss efforts in Korean adolescent girls who are underweight and normal weight and examined the mediating effect of body image distortion on weight loss efforts.

METHODS

This study used data from the 2013 Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web‐based Survey conducted by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The study sample comprised 29,633 Korean adolescent girls who are normal weight and underweight. Chi‐square tests and correlations were used to assess bivariate relationships between the variables. To assess the mediating effect of body image distortion on the relationship between body mass index‐for‐age percentile and weight loss efforts, a 3‐step regression analysis was used.

RESULTS

There was a significant correlation between body mass index‐for‐age percentiles and body image distortion, and both significantly correlated with weight loss efforts. In addition, a distorted perception of being overweight or obese was a significant mediating variable.

CONCLUSIONS

School‐based health education and intervention programs are needed to promote the formation of a positive body image, not only for obese adolescents, but also for normal‐weight and underweight adolescent girls.
Objective measures of sleep duration and continuity in major depressive disorder with comorbid hypersomnolence: a primary investigation with contiguous systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Plante David T. , Cook Jesse D. , Goldstein Michael R.
Published: February 2017

Hypersomnolence plays an important role in the presentation, treatment and course of mood disorders. However, there has been relatively little research that examines objective measures of sleep duration and continuity in patients with depression and hypersomnolence, despite the use of these factors in sleep medicine nosological systems. This study compared total sleep time and efficiency measured by naturalistic actigraphic recordings followed by ad libitum polysomnography (PSG; without prescribed wake time) in 22 patients with major depressive disorder and co‐occurring hypersomnolence against age‐ and sex‐matched healthy sleeper controls. The major depressive disorder and co‐occurring hypersomnolence group demonstrated significantly longer sleep duration compared with healthy sleeper controls quantified by sleep diaries, actigraphy and ad libitum PSG. No between‐group differences in sleep efficiency (SE), latency to sleep or wake after sleep onset were observed when assessed using objective measures. To further contextualize these findings within the broader scientific literature, a systematic review was performed to identify other comparable investigations. A meta‐analysis of pooled data demonstrated patients with mood disorders and co‐occurring hypersomnolence have significantly greater sleep duration and similar SE compared with healthy controls when assessed using ad libitum PSG. These results suggest current sleep medicine nosology that distinguishes hypersomnia associated with psychiatric disorders primarily as a construct characterized by low SE and increased time in bed may not be accurate. Future studies that establish the biological bases hypersomnolence in mood disorders, as well as clarify the accuracy of nosological thresholds to define excessive sleep duration, are needed to refine the diagnosis and treatment of these disorders.
Effects of inhalational anesthesia on blood gases and pH in California sea lions
Authors: Ponganis Paul J. , McDonald Birgitte I. , Tift Michael S. , Gonzalez Sara C. , DaValle Brandon , Gliniecki Ross A. , Stehman Charles C. , Hauff Niels , Ruddick Benjamin , Howard Robert
Published: February 2017

Despite the widespread use of inhalational anesthesia with spontaneous ventilation in many studies of otariid pinnipeds, the effects and risks of anesthetic‐induced respiratory depression on blood gas and pH regulation are unknown in these animals. During such anesthesia in California sea lions (Zalophus californianus), blood gas and pH analyses of opportunistic blood samples revealed routine hypercarbia (highest PCO2 = 128 mm Hg [17.1 kPa]), but adequate arterial oxygenation (PO2 > 100 mm Hg [13.3 kPa] on 100% inspiratory oxygen). Respiratory acidosis (lowest pH = 7.05) was limited by the increased buffering capacity of sea lion blood. A markedly widened alveolar‐to‐arterial PO2 difference was indicative of atelectasis and ventilation‐perfusion mismatch in the lung secondary to hypoventilation during anesthesia. Despite the generally safe track record of this anesthetic regimen in the past, these findings demonstrate the value of high inspiratory O2 concentrations and the necessity of constant vigilance and caution. In order to avoid hypoxemia, we emphasize the importance of late extubation or at least maintenance of mask ventilation on O2 until anesthetic‐induced respiratory depression is resolved. In this regard, whether for planned or emergency application, we also describe a simple, easily employed intubation technique with the Casper “zalophoscope” for sea lions.
My neighbour, the criminal: how memories of the 1991–1995 conflict in Croatia affect attitudes towards the Serb minority
Authors: Sokolić Ivor
Published: February 2017

This paper investigates how Croats view the minority Serb population in Croatia. It is based on focus groups, dyads and interviews conducted in Croatia in 2014 and 2015. Serbs constitute the ‘other’ to Croatian identity, which is defined primarily through language and religion. The analysis finds that the predominant war narrative related to the 1991–1995 conflict, one of defence against a larger Serbian aggressor, influences both of these notions of identity, as well as perceptions of the Serb minority in the state. Participants displayed contradictory attitudes in a discourse that featured many key facets of the war narrative. Most respondents agreed that Serbs should be equal members of Croatian society, but they also did not believe Cyrillic signs should be put up in Vukovar. The introduction of bilingual signs both reduced trust in government institutions and was interpreted as a continued threat against the Croatian people and state.
Nonlinearity and asymmetry in the exchange rate pass‐through: What role for nominal price stickiness?
Authors: Razafindrabe Tovonony
Published: February 2017

This paper examines the importance of nominal rigidity for nonlinearity and asymmetry of exchange rate pass‐through. For this purpose, we rely on company‐level data of French importing firms. We find that the well established fact that “prices rise faster than they fall,” which is characterized by the convex import price reaction function, lies primarily with the presence of nominal rigidity. Once price stickiness is controlled for, there is empirical evidence that the import price reaction function is rather concave if the linearity assumption can be rejected, indicating that firms aim primarily to protect their market share.
Lasting impact of an implemented self‐management programme for people with type 2 diabetes referred from primary care: a one‐group, before–after design
Authors: Fløde Mari , Iversen Marjolein M. , Aarflot Morten , Haltbakk Johannes
Published: February 2017

Background

Research interventions in uniform clinical settings and in patients fulfilling well‐defined inclusion criteria might show a more pronounced effect than implementing the same intervention in existing practice. Diabetes Self‐Management Education (DSME) is complex, and should be assessed in existing practice as it is an intervention widely implemented.

Objectives

To examine the impact of an established group‐based DSME in unselected people with type 2 diabetes referred from primary care.

Method

A one‐group, before–after design was used for assessments before, immediately after, and 3 months after participation in a group‐based DSME programme conducted at two Learning and Mastering Centres in Norway between November 2013 and June 2014. Participants completed a questionnaire before (n = 115), immediately after (n = 95) and 3 months after (n = 42) the DSME programme. Primary outcome measure was diabetes knowledge (Michigan Diabetes Knowledge Test). Also patient activation (Patient Activation Measure [PAM]) and self‐efficacy (General Self‐Efficacy scale [GSE]) were measured. Changes in outcome measures were analysed using paired t‐tests for normally distributed data and Wilcoxon signed‐rank test for skewed data.

Results

Mean knowledge improved significantly from baseline (p < 0.001). Changes persisted at the 3‐month assessment. Mean PAM scores improved significantly from baseline (p < 0.001), and changes persisted for 3 months. Mean GSE scores improved from baseline (p = 0.022) and persisted for 3 months. However, when results were stratified for participants who responded at all three time points, GSE showed no change during the study period.

Conclusion

The complexity self‐management in the individual is challenging to reflect in DSME. This implemented DSME programme for people with type 2 diabetes improved levels of diabetes knowledge and patient activation, persisting for at least 3 months. Hence, the DSME programme appears to be robust beyond standardised research settings, in educating unselected diabetes patients referred from primary care.
Audit of provincial IVIG Request Forms and efficacy documentation in four Ontario tertiary care centres
Authors: Shih A. W. , Jamula E. , Diep C. , Lin Y. , Armali C. , Heddle N. M. , Traore A. , Doherty J. , Shah N. , Hillis C. M.
Published: February 2017

Objective

Retrospective audit of IVIG Request Forms in four Ontario tertiary care centres: to determine the case mix of new IVIG requests, to authenticate information provided, and to determine documentation of clinical efficacy.

Aims

To understand contributors to increases in IVIG utilisation and to determine whether IVIG is being used and monitored appropriately.

Introduction

Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) use in Canada is high compared with other developed countries. We performed a retrospective audit of new IVIG Request Forms across four tertiary care centres in Ontario, one with an active surveillance programme, to determine the case mix, authenticate information provided and assess documentation of efficacy.

Methods

Consecutive adult patients with a first‐time IVIG request in 2014 were included. The ordering physician specialty, form completeness, documentation of diagnostic criteria for the medical condition and indication for IVIG use and documentation of efficacy were assessed by form and chart review.

Results

Of 178 patients, the most common indications for IVIG were immune thrombocytopenia (24.2%) and secondary immune deficiency (20.2%). The most frequent prescribers were haematologists (37.6%) and neurologists (10.7%). Other conditions not listed on the form represented 24.2% of cases, with most not indicated in current guidelines. A total of 32.6% of cases overall lacked verification of diagnostic criteria and 51.7% lacked verification for IVIG utilisation criteria, with the number of cases meeting criteria based on documentation being higher at the active surveillance site (P = 0.005). A total of 19.1% of cases had a discrepancy between the indication written on the form and the documented clinical diagnosis. A total of 18.7% of clinic notes following IVIG had no mention of efficacy.

Conclusion

Our audit demonstrates a lack of compliance with IVIG Request Form requirements, a lack of documentation of diagnostic criteria and efficacy, and suggests inappropriate use of IVIG. Current implementation of the form may not be sufficient as a strategy for improving appropriate IVIG use.